...or Homer Simpson Buff?

2014 Gore Aussie Muscle Mania Car Show (12-4-14)

 

GTR-XU1

 

Overview:

The Giant Killer GTR XU1 was the work of Harry Firth and the Holden engineers with parts availability and price in mind. The cost to do a home grown six cylinder with after market and factory bits was going to be about half the cost of going the American V8 way. What they achieved was an amazing little car that in 186 cid form with it's triple stromberg 150CD carbs and the twin branch headers had a claimed output of 160 bhp. The Aussie 4 speed (M21) which was special in it's design replaced the weaker Opel units, they were also given heavy duty radiators. After proving that it was a competitive race car the 186ci it was replaced by the newly developed 202ci and the carbs were increased in size to the 175CD's along with larger valves, ported head with combustion chamber modifacations, revised camshaft, roller rockers, lighter flywheel (approx 20 pounds) and larger exhaust system. That was where the XU1 was going to end for the XU2 V8 was well under way until it was terminated which forced Harry Firths team to produce the ultimate six cylinder Holden race car, these cars at Bathurst were putting out in excess of 240 bhp (twin throat webber carbs). Just 150 Bathurst Specials were built with random engine numbers from JP 386598 to JP 404176, the public were never told of these but were given to dealers to pass them on to the right type of person. The unmistakable signs of an original 1973 Bathurst Model are, extra stiffening down the centre tunnel and braces under the front guards, these bodies were intended for the V8 version, the XU-2.

 

The Reason:

The history of the GTR XU-1 really began with the GTS 350 Monaro. The Monaro, as good as it was, was going to be expensive to build into a good handling, braking and power-to-weight race car. It would also have to source it's parts from GM in America which would make things even more expensive and against GM company rules about racing so it was decided to build a home-grown light weight car that used easily acquired parts! This way it could be hidden as a sports alternative to the family cars. GM in America was dead against any involvment in racing and frowned on even the suggestion of a team to do this.

 

The Beginning of a legend:

The first car was built early 1970 and raced in the sports sedan class by Anthony (Tony) Roberts under the guise of the HDT with a 186ci engine it had a small chamber blueprinted 161ci head to increase compression, and had triple Stromberg carburettors. HDT (Holden Dealer Team) was a group of dealerships who banded together to race the cars that they sold in the showrooms. GM-H did not back racing officially but did decide to build a Torana and called it 'GTR XU-1' which they released to the public on 19th August 1970 so enough would sell to allow it race under the homolagation rules. The price for these cars was just A$3148 which made it an easily acquired race car for many privateers.

 

Racing begins:

 

The XU-1 was not an instant success on the track and a lot work went into the handling and steering of the early cars which had understeer. A balance between tyres, shocks and springs sorted this out without going beyond the rules. Harry Firth who was snapped up by HDT after working for the Ford racing team saw the Torana as a potent racing machine. He also saw a young man in a Monaro GTS 350 that could be moulded into a sensational driver, Peter Brock. Sandown saw the first race of the now named GTR XU-1 in the annual September 250 mile race, Ford also debuted it's new GT Falcon, so a lot of interest was developed in the meeting of these two brand new cars. The fastest XU-1 which was driven by Colin Bond was four seconds a lap slower than the fastest GT and could only manage 6th position on the grid. The Falcon's were dominating the race but one by one fell by the wayside with mostly engine failures and when the chequered flag dropped the XU-1 of Colin Bond finished in second place, one lap down from Alan Moffats Falcon and in front of Norm Beechey's Valiant Pacer with Peter Brock in fourth.

 

Bathurst 1970:

Bathurst 1970 saw 12 Torana XU-1's, 3 were from the HDT in which Colin Bond had one to himself, Peter Brock and Bob Morris paired in another plus the pairing of Women drivers Christine Cole(later Gibson) and Sandra Bennett. The other makes were represented well with 14 GT Falcons and 6 Valiant Pacers among others. Just before the race CAMS (Confederation

of Australian Motor Sport) allowed some adjustments to the XU-1 to help it become competitve. Some of these adjustments included a revised camshaft profile (specifications bottom of this page), new axle tube baffles, modified clutch & pressure plate, modified rear suspensionbump stops, front suspension alignment settings, baffling in the fuel tank, front guard lips were rolled to allow for wider front tires and wheel spacers.

Practice: The fastest Torana was the HDT car of Colin Bond with a best lap of 2:54s which put him in fourth spot on the grid with Alan Moffat taking pole some 5 seconds quicker. During the practice sessions many of the Falcons suffered engine problems and the Torana's were running reliably so the feeling was high that the Falcons could breakdown during the running and allow the reliable cars in!

Race day: And they're off with Bond in hot pursuit of Moffat up the hill, over the top and Bond is sitting on Moffat's exhaust, then down Conrod Straight where the big Falcon could stretch it's legs until the end where the big car took some stopping and Bond dived in front under brakes. Going along the front straight the crowd gave a huge cheer of approval to the little Torana, the dice between Bond and Moffat went on for 5 laps until Moffat regained the lead and wasn't headed. The Torana's with Bond and Brock were 2nd and 3rd for quite a while but eventually succumbed to mechanical problems and dashed any hope of a HDT Torana being on the Podium but the privateer entry of Don Holland took third outright and a class win. In fact five privately entered XU-1's were in the top ten, third, sixth, seventh, ninth, and tenth outright plus the HDT all women pairing of Cole/Bennett taking 13th outright, this showed that the six cylinder 186ci Torana was close to the 351ci Falcon's but needed a bit more work to become a superior package! It turned out that the mechanical problems with HDT cars were a manufacturer fault with the valves, this also affected some private entries as well.

 

Torana GTR XU-1 1971.

1971 was very successful for the XU-1 with successes in rallies, hill climbs, rally-cross and circuit races, it also became very popular with the privateers due to the competitiveness and the cost of maintaining it compared to the GTHO. This year saw the introduction of a Manufacturers Championship in which the first round was the Easter Bathurst meeting, Peter Brock took third place and Colin Bond fourth. The second round was at Warick Farm and this time Colin Bond won it from Peter Brock coming second.

Sandown 250: The third round saw the debut of the new Bathurst XU-1 at the Sandown 250, also on debut was the new Phase III GTHO Falcon. After the previous years engine failures, Ford had tested the 351 Cleveland extensively and claimed the power to be 300 bhp (224kW) but in race trim was around 380 bhp (284kW). In practice Moffat (pole 1m21.4s) was 1.9 seconds faster than Bond (3rd) and a huge 3.4 seconds faster than Brock. In the race though both Moffat and French had mechanical problems and Bond ran strongly to take the win and finished a tremendous 5 laps in front of second place Murray Carter (GTHO) with Tony Roberts 3rd (XU-1) and Bruce McPhee (XU-1) 4th.

Bathurst: This was not part of the Manufacturers Championship but was the next race and of course all eyes were on the 'Great Race'. Bathurst saw a new foe in the Valiant E38 harger with it's triple webbers on the Hemi 265 engine which produced 280 bhp (209kW) and until recently held the title as the fastest Australian production car in a straight line! But as fast as the Valiant was it was limited with only a 3-speed gearbox and unpower assisted brakes so the mountain was not very kind to this car. The Bathurst race wasn't kind on the HDT and saw Moffat on pole with 2m38.9s and the fastest XU-1 was Brocks car with a 2m46.3. Moffat led from flag to flag with Bond finishing 4th and Brock coming in 6th with some problems.

Phillip Island: The 500 km race at Phillip Island resumed the Manufacturers Championship and was just three weeks after the demoralising Bathurst race. The Big Falcons had big problems here, as they cooked and ripped there tyres up the Torana XU-1's of Bond and Brock did a 1-2 for the HDT with Doug Chivas well behind in his Valiant Charger. Even a privately entered Torana beat the 5th placed Moffat home!

Surfers Paradise: The Rothmans 250 was the final race to find honours in the Manufacturers Championship and Moffat took the win, with Brock in 3rd and Bond in 4th it was enough to win the title for GM-H.

 

1972 Bathurst

The next time on the podium was 1972 and it was Peter Brocks turn, he won convincingly in what was a tremendous battle against Alan Moffat who had won the previous two Bathursts. Brocky did the 500 mile race solo which started in the wet and with team mate Colin Bond crashing very early in the race the next hour was spent dicing with Moffat, up the hill the Torana would catch the Falcon and then down Conrod the Falcon would pull away, lap after lap until Moffat aquaplaned almost the same place Bond crashed and although Moffat got going again Brock was never going to be beaten. The Legend of the Bathurst Winning Torana had begun with the biggest legend in Australian motor sport although he was a junior at this stage with a third in a Monaro in 1969 previous. The 1973 Bathurst was the Torana's but for an error of judgment trying to stretch the fuel, while out in front Doug Chivas was asked to do another lap and while coming over the top of the hill the car started to cough until it ran out of fuel along Conrod Straight. He coasted all the way and when in the pit entry tried a clutch start but all this did was to take any momentum the Torana had away and without the rest of team being allowed to help him until the car actually entered there designated pit area they stood, watched and yelled encouragement while Chivas (not a large person by any means), pushed the wide tyred Torana up the hill in the pits. Brocky put up an almighty fight but it wasn't enough and the rest is history.

(Ref: holden.itgo.com/gtrxu1.html)

Singapore (Listeni/ˈsɪŋɡəpɔːr/), officially the Republic of Singapore, and often referred to as the Lion City, the Garden City, and the Red Dot, is a global city and sovereign state in Southeast Asia and the world's only island city-state. It lies one degree (137 km) north of the equator, at the southernmost tip of continental Asia and peninsular Malaysia, with Indonesia's Riau Islands to the south. Singapore's territory consists of the diamond-shaped main island and 62 islets. Since independence, extensive land reclamation has increased its total size by 23% (130 km2), and its greening policy has covered the densely populated island with tropical flora, parks and gardens.

 

The islands were settled from the second century AD by a series of local empires. In 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles founded modern Singapore as a trading post of the East India Company; after the company collapsed, the islands were ceded to Britain and became part of its Straits Settlements in 1826. During World War II, Singapore was occupied by Japan. It gained independence from Britain in 1963, by uniting with other former British territories to form Malaysia, but was expelled two years later over ideological differences. After early years of turbulence, and despite lacking natural resources and a hinterland, the nation developed rapidly as an Asian Tiger economy, based on external trade and its human capital.

 

Singapore is a global commerce, finance and transport hub. Its standings include: "easiest place to do business" (World Bank) for ten consecutive years, most "technology-ready" nation (WEF), top International-meetings city (UIA), city with "best investment potential" (BERI), 2nd-most competitive country (WEF), 3rd-largest foreign exchange centre, 3rd-largest financial centre, 3rd-largest oil refining and trading centre and one of the top two busiest container ports since the 1990s. Singapore's best known global brands include Singapore Airlines and Changi Airport, both amongst the most-awarded in their industry; SIA is also rated by Fortune surveys as Asia's "most admired company". For the past decade, it has been the only Asian country with the top AAA sovereign rating from all major credit rating agencies, including S&P, Moody's and Fitch.

 

Singapore ranks high on its national social policies, leading Asia and 11th globally, on the Human Development Index (UN), notably on key measures of education, healthcare, life expectancy, quality of life, personal safety, housing. Although income inequality is high, 90% of citizens own their homes, and the country has one of the highest per capita incomes, with low taxes. The cosmopolitan nation is home to 5.5 million residents, 38% of whom are permanent residents and other foreign nationals. Singaporeans are mostly bilingual in a mother-tongue language and English as their common language. Its cultural diversity is reflected in its extensive ethnic "hawker" cuisine and major festivals - Chinese, Malay, Indian, Western - which are all national holidays. In 2015, Lonely Planet and The New York Times listed Singapore as their top and 6th best world destination to visit respectively.

 

The nation's core principles are meritocracy, multiculturalism and secularism. It is noted for its effective, pragmatic and incorrupt governance and civil service, which together with its rapid development policies, is widely cited as the "Singapore model". Gallup polls shows 84% of its residents expressed confidence in the national government, and 85% in its judicial systems - one of the highest ratings recorded. Singapore has significant influence on global affairs relative to its size, leading some analysts to classify it as a middle power. It is ranked as Asia's most influential city and 4th in the world by Forbes.

 

Singapore is a unitary, multiparty, parliamentary republic, with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government. The People's Action Party has won every election since self-government in 1959. One of the five founding members of the ASEAN, Singapore is also the host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat, and a member of the East Asia Summit, Non-Aligned Movement, and the Commonwealth of Nations.

 

ETYMOLOGY

The English name of Singapore is derived from the Malay word, Singapura, which was in turn derived from Sanskrit (Singa is "lion", Pura "city"; Sanskrit: सिंहपुर, IAST: Siṃhápura), hence the customary reference to the nation as the Lion City, and its inclusion in many of the nation's symbols (e.g., its coat of arms, Merlion emblem). However, it is unlikely that lions ever lived on the island; Sang Nila Utama, who founded and named the island Singapura, most likely saw a Malayan tiger. It is also known as Pulau Ujong, as far back as the 3rd century, literally 'island at the end' (of the Malay Peninsula) in Malay.

 

Since the 1970s, Singapore has also been widely known as the Garden City, owing to its extensive greening policy covering the whole island, a priority of its first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, dubbed the nation's "Chief Gardener". The nation's conservation and greening efforts contributed to Singapore Botanic Gardens being the only tropical garden to be inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The nickname, Red Dot, is a reference to its size on the map, contrasting with its achievements. In 2015, Singapore's Golden Jubilee year, the celebratory "SG50" branding is depicted inside a red dot.

 

HISTORY

Temasek ('Sea Town' in the Malay language), an outpost of the Sumatran Srivijaya empire, is the earliest written record relating to the area now called Singapore. In the 13th century, the Kingdom of Singapura was established on the island and it became a trading port city. However, there were two major foreign invasions before it was destroyed by the Majapahit in 1398. In 1613, Portuguese raiders burned down the settlement, which by then was nominally part of the Johor Sultanate and the island sank into obscurity for the next two centuries, while the wider maritime region and much trade was under Dutch control.

 

BRITISH COLONISATION 1819-1942

In 1819, Thomas Stamford Raffles arrived and signed a treaty with Sultan Hussein Shah of Johor, on behalf of the British East India Company, to develop the southern part of Singapore as a British trading post. In 1824, the entire island, as well as the Temenggong, became a British possession after a further treaty with the Sultan. In 1826, Singapore became part of the Straits Settlements, under the jurisdiction of British India, becoming the regional capital in 1836.

 

Prior to Raffles' arrival, there were only about a thousand people living on the island, mostly indigenous Malays along with a handful of Chinese. By 1860, the population had swelled to more than 80,000 and more than half were Chinese. Many immigrants came to work at rubber plantations and, after the 1870s, the island became a global centre for rubber exports.

 

After the First World War, the British built the large Singapore Naval Base. Lieutenant General Sir William George Shedden Dobbie was appointed General Officer Commanding of the Malaya Command on 8 November 1935, holding the post until 1939;

 

WORLD WAR II AND JAPANESE OCCUPATION 1942-45

in May 1938, the General Officer Commanding of the Malaya Command warned how Singapore could be conquered by the Japanese via an attack from northern Malaya, but his warnings went unheeded. The Imperial Japanese Army invaded British Malaya, culminating in the Battle of Singapore. When the British surrendered on 15 February 1942, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called the defeat "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history". Between 5,000 and 25,000 ethnic Chinese people were killed in the subsequent Sook Ching massacre.

 

From November 1944 to May 1945, the Allies conducted an intensive bombing of Singapore.

 

RETURN OF BRITISH 1945-59

After the surrender of Japan was announced in the Jewel Voice Broadcast by the Japanese Emperor on 15 August 1945 there was a breakdown of order and looting and revenge-killing were widespread. The formal Japanese Occupation of Singapore was only ended by Operation Tiderace and the formal surrender on 12 September 1945 at Singapore City Hall when Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander of Southeast Asia Command, accepted the capitulation of Japanese forces in Southeast Asia from General Itagaki Seishiro.

 

A British Military Administration was then formed to govern the island. On 1 April 1946, the Straits Settlements were dissolved and Singapore became a separate Crown Colony with a civil administration headed by a Governor. Much of the infrastructure had been destroyed during the war, including the harbour, electricity, telephone and water supply systems. There was also a shortage of food leading to malnutrition, disease, and rampant crime and violence. High food prices, unemployment, and workers' discontent culminated into a series of strikes in 1947 causing massive stoppages in public transport and other services. In July 1947, separate Executive and Legislative Councils were established and the election of six members of the Legislative Council was scheduled for the following year. By late 1947, the economy began to recover, facilitated by a growing demand for tin and rubber around the world, but it would take several more years before the economy returned to pre-war levels.

 

The failure of Britain to defend Singapore had destroyed its credibility as an infallible ruler in the eyes of Singaporeans. The decades after the war saw a political awakening amongst the local populace and the rise of anti-colonial and nationalist sentiments, epitomized by the slogan Merdeka, or "independence" in the Malay language.

 

During the 1950s, Chinese Communists with strong ties to the trade unions and Chinese schools carried out armed uprising against the government, leading to the Malayan Emergency and later, the Communist Insurgency War. The 1954 National Service Riots, Chinese middle schools riots, and Hock Lee bus riots in Singapore were all linked to these events.

 

David Marshall, pro-independence leader of the Labour Front, won Singapore's first general election in 1955. He led a delegation to London, but Britain rejected his demand for complete self-rule. He resigned and was replaced by Lim Yew Hock, whose policies convinced Britain to grant Singapore full internal self-government for all matters except defence and foreign affairs.

 

SELF-GOVERNMENT 1959-1963

During the May 1959 elections, the People's Action Party won a landslide victory. Singapore became an internally self-governing state within the Commonwealth, with Lee Kuan Yew as its first Prime Minister. Governor Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode served as the first Yang di-Pertuan Negara (Head of State), and was succeeded by Yusof bin Ishak, who became the first President of Singapore in 1965.

 

MERGER WITH MALAYSIA 1963-65

As a result of the 1962 Merger Referendum, on 31 August 1963 Singapore joined with the Federation of Malaya, the Crown Colony of Sarawak and the Crown Colony of North Borneo to form the new federation of Malaysia under the terms of the Malaysia Agreement. Singaporean leaders chose to join Malaysia primarily due to concerns over its limited land size, scarcity of water, markets and natural resources. Some Singaporean and Malaysian politicians were also concerned that the communists might form the government on the island, a possibility perceived as an external threat to the Federation of Malaya.However, shortly after the merger, the Singapore state government and the Malaysian central government disagreed on many political and economic issues, and communal strife culminated in the 1964 race riots in Singapore. After many heated ideological conflicts between the two governments, on 9 August 1965, the Malaysian Parliament voted 126 to 0 to expel Singapore from Malaysia with Singaporean delegates not present.

 

INDEPENDENCE 1965 TO PRESENT

Singapore gained independence as the Republic of Singapore (remaining within the Commonwealth of Nations) on 9 August 1965. Race riots broke out once more in 1969. In 1967, the country co-founded ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and in 1970 it joined the Non-Aligned Movement. Lee Kuan Yew became Prime Minister, leading its Third World economy to First World affluence in a single generation. His emphasis on rapid economic growth, support for business entrepreneurship, limitations on internal democracy, and close relationships with China set the new nation's policies for the next half-century.

 

In 1990, Goh Chok Tong succeeded Lee as Prime Minister, while the latter continued serving in the Cabinet as Senior Minister until 2004, and then Minister Mentor until May 2011. During Goh's tenure, the country faced the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the 2003 SARS outbreak and terrorist threats posed by Jemaah Islamiyah.

 

In 2004, Lee Hsien Loong, the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, became the country's third Prime Minister. Goh Chok Tong remained in Cabinet as the Senior Minister until May 2011, when he was named Emeritus Senior Minister despite his retirement. He steered the nation through the 2008 global financial crisis, resolved the disputed 79-year old Malayan railways land, and introduced integrated resorts. Despite the economy's exceptional growth, PAP suffered its worst election results in 2011, winning 60% of votes, amidst hot-button issues of high influx of foreign workers and cost of living. Lee initiated a major re-structuring of the economy to raise productivity, improved universal healthcare and grants, especially for the pioneer generation of citizens, amongst many new inclusive measures.

 

On 23 March 2015, its founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, who had 'personified Singapore to the world' for nearly half a century died. In a week of national mourning, 1.7 million residents and guests paid tribute to him at his lying-in-state at Parliament House and at community sites around the island.

 

Singapore celebrated its Golden jubilee in 2015 – its 50th year of independence, with a year-long series of events branded SG50. The PAP maintained its dominance in Parliament at the September general elections, receiving 69.9% of the popular vote, its second-highest polling result behind the 2001 tally of 75.3%.

 

GEOGRAPHY

Singapore consists of 63 islands, including the main island, Pulau Ujong. There are two man-made connections to Johor, Malaysia: the Johor–Singapore Causeway in the north and the Tuas Second Link in the west. Jurong Island, Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin and Sentosa are the largest of Singapore's smaller islands. The highest natural point is Bukit Timah Hill at 163.63 m. April and May are the hottest months, with the wetter monsoon season from November to January.

 

From July to October, there is often haze caused by bush fires in neighbouring Indonesia, usually from the island of Sumatra. Although Singapore does not observe daylight saving time (DST), it follows the GMT+8 time zone, one hour ahead of the typical zone for its geographical location.

 

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Singapore is a parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government representing constituencies. The country's constitution establishes a representative democracy as the political system. Executive power rests with the Cabinet of Singapore, led by the Prime Minister and, to a much lesser extent, the President. The President is elected through a popular vote, and has veto powers over a specific set of executive decisions, such as the use of the national reserves and the appointment of judges, but otherwise occupies a largely ceremonial post.

 

The Parliament serves as the legislative branch of the government. Members of Parliament (MPs) consist of elected, non-constituency and nominated members. Elected MPs are voted into the Parliament on a "first-past-the-post" (plurality) basis and represent either single-member or group representation constituencies. The People's Action Party has won control of Parliament with large majorities in every election since self-governance was secured in 1959.

 

Although the elections are clean, there is no independent electoral authority and the government has strong influence on the media. Freedom House ranks Singapore as "partly free" in its Freedom in the World report, and The Economist ranks Singapore as a "flawed democracy", the second best rank of four, in its "Democracy Index". Despite this, in the 2011 Parliamentary elections, the opposition, led by the Workers' Party, increased its representation to seven elected MPs. In the 2015 elections, PAP scored a landslide victory, winning 83 of 89 seats contested, with 70% of popular votes. Gallup polls reported 84% of residents in Singapore expressed confidence in the government, and 85% in its judicial systems and courts – one of the highest ratings in the world.

 

Singapore's governance model eschews populist politics, focusing on the nation's long-term interest, and is known to be clean, effective and pragmatic. As a small nation highly dependent on external trade, it is vulnerable to geo-politics and global economics. It places great emphasis on security and stability of the region in its foreign policies, and applies global best practices to ensure the nation's attractiveness as an investment destination and business hub.

 

The legal system of Singapore is based on English common law, but with substantial local differences. Trial by jury was abolished in 1970 so that judicial decisions would rest entirely in the hands of appointed judges. Singapore has penalties that include judicial corporal punishment in the form of caning, which may be imposed for such offences as rape, rioting, vandalism, and certain immigration offences.There is a mandatory death penalty for murder, as well as for certain aggravated drug-trafficking and firearms offences.

 

Amnesty International has said that some legal provisions of the Singapore system conflict with the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, and that Singapore has "... possibly the highest execution rate in the world relative to its population". The government has disputed Amnesty's claims. In a 2008 survey of international business executives, Singapore received the top ranking with regard to judicial system quality in Asia. Singapore has been consistently rated among the least corrupt countries in the world by Transparency International.

 

In 2011, the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index ranked Singapore among the top countries surveyed with regard to "order and security", "absence of corruption", and "effective criminal justice". However, the country received a much lower ranking for "freedom of speech" and "freedom of assembly". All public gatherings of five or more people require police permits, and protests may legally be held only at the Speakers' Corner.

 

EDUCATION

Education for primary, secondary, and tertiary levels is mostly supported by the state. All institutions, private and public, must be registered with the Ministry of Education. English is the language of instruction in all public schools, and all subjects are taught and examined in English except for the "mother tongue" language paper. While the term "mother tongue" in general refers to the first language internationally, in Singapore's education system, it is used to refer to the second language, as English is the first language. Students who have been abroad for a while, or who struggle with their "Mother Tongue" language, are allowed to take a simpler syllabus or drop the subject.

 

Education takes place in three stages: primary, secondary, and pre-university education. Only the primary level is compulsory. Students begin with six years of primary school, which is made up of a four-year foundation course and a two-year orientation stage. The curriculum is focused on the development of English, the mother tongue, mathematics, and science. Secondary school lasts from four to five years, and is divided between Special, Express, Normal (Academic), and Normal (Technical) streams in each school, depending on a student's ability level. The basic coursework breakdown is the same as in the primary level, although classes are much more specialised. Pre-university education takes place over two to three years at senior schools, mostly called Junior Colleges.

 

Some schools have a degree of freedom in their curriculum and are known as autonomous schools. These exist from the secondary education level and up.

 

National examinations are standardised across all schools, with a test taken after each stage. After the first six years of education, students take the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), which determines their placement at secondary school. At the end of the secondary stage, GCE "O"-Level exams are taken; at the end of the following pre-university stage, the GCE "A"-Level exams are taken. Of all non-student Singaporeans aged 15 and above, 18% have no education qualifications at all while 45% have the PSLE as their highest qualification; 15% have the GCE 'O' Level as their highest qualification and 14% have a degree.

 

Singaporean students consistently rank at or near the top of international education assessments:

- In 2015, Singapore topped the OECD's global school performance rankings, based on 15-year-old students' average scores in mathematics and science across 76 countries.

- Singaporean students were ranked first in the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, and have been ranked in the top three every year since 1995.

- Singapore fared best in the 2015 International Baccalaureate exams, taken in 107 countries, with more than half of the world's 81 perfect scorers and 98% passing rate.

 

The country's two main public universities - the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University - are ranked among the top 13 in the world.

 

HEALTH

Singapore has a generally efficient healthcare system, even though their health expenditures are relatively low for developed countries. The World Health Organisation ranks Singapore's healthcare system as 6th overall in the world in its World Health Report. In general, Singapore has had the lowest infant mortality rate in the world for the past two decades.

 

Life expectancy in Singapore is 80 for males and 85 for females, placing the country 4th in the world for life expectancy. Almost the whole population has access to improved water and sanitation facilities. There are fewer than 10 annual deaths from HIV per 100,000 people. There is a high level of immunisation. Adult obesity is below 10%

 

The government's healthcare system is based upon the "3M" framework. This has three components: Medifund, which provides a safety net for those not able to otherwise afford healthcare, Medisave, a compulsory health savings scheme covering about 85% of the population, and Medishield, a government-funded health insurance program. Public hospitals in Singapore have autonomy in their management decisions, and compete for patients. A subsidy scheme exists for those on low income. In 2008, 32% of healthcare was funded by the government. It accounts for approximately 3.5% of Singapore's GDP.

 

RELIGION

Buddhism is the most widely practised religion in Singapore, with 33% of the resident population declaring themselves adherents at the most recent census. The next-most practised religion is Christianity, followed by Islam, Taoism, and Hinduism. 17% of the population did not have a religious affiliation. The proportion of Christians, Taoists, and non-religious people increased between 2000 and 2010 by about 3% each, whilst the proportion of Buddhists decreased. Other faiths remained largely stable in their share of the population. An analysis by the Pew Research Center found Singapore to be the world's most religiously diverse nation.

 

There are monasteries and Dharma centres from all three major traditions of Buddhism in Singapore: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Most Buddhists in Singapore are Chinese and are of the Mahayana tradition, with missionaries having come into the country from Taiwan and China for several decades. However, Thailand's Theravada Buddhism has seen growing popularity among the populace (not only the Chinese) during the past decade. Soka Gakkai International, a Japanese Buddhist organisation, is practised by many people in Singapore, but mostly by those of Chinese descent. Tibetan Buddhism has also made slow inroads into the country in recent years.

 

CULTURE

Singapore has one of the lowest rates of drug use in the world. Culturally, the use of illicit drugs is viewed as highly undesirable by Singaporeans, unlike many European societies. Singaporeans' disapproval towards drug use has resulted in laws that impose the mandatory death sentence for certain serious drug trafficking offences. Singapore also has a low rate of alcohol consumption per capita and low levels of violent crime, and one of the lowest intentional homicide rate globally. The average alcohol consumption rate is only 2 litres annually per adult, one of the lowest in the world.

 

Foreigners make up 42% of the population, and have a strong influence on Singaporean culture. The Economist Intelligence Unit, in its 2013 "Where-to-be-born Index", ranks Singapore as having the best quality of life in Asia and sixth overall in the world.

 

LANGUAGES; RELIGIONS AND CULTURES

Singapore is a very diverse and young country. It has many languages, religions, and cultures for a country its size.

 

When Singapore became independent from the United Kingdom in 1963, most of the newly minted Singaporean citizens were uneducated labourers from Malaysia, China and India. Many of them were transient labourers who were seeking to make some money in Singapore and they had no intention of staying permanently. A sizeable minority of middle-class, local-born people, known as the Peranakans, also existed. With the exception of the Peranakans (descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants) who pledged their loyalties to Singapore, most of the labourers' loyalties lay with their respective homelands of Malaysia, China and India. After independence, the process of crafting a Singaporean identity and culture began.

 

Former Prime Ministers of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong, have stated that Singapore does not fit the traditional description of a nation, calling it a society-in-transition, pointing out the fact that Singaporeans do not all speak the same language, share the same religion, or have the same customs. Even though English is the first language of the nation, according to the government's 2010 census 20% of Singaporeans, or one in five, are illiterate in English. This is a marked improvement from 1990 where 40% of Singaporeans were illiterate in English.

 

Languages, religions and cultures among Singaporeans are not delineated according to skin colour or ancestry, unlike many other countries. Among Chinese Singaporeans, one in five is Christian, another one in five is atheist, and the rest are mostly Buddhists or Taoists. One-third speak English as their home language, while half speak Mandarin Chinese. The rest speak other Chinese varieties at home. Most Malays in Singapore speak Malay as their home language with some speaking English. Singaporean Indians are much more religious. Only 1% of them are atheists. Six in ten are Hindu, two in ten Muslim, and the rest mostly Christian. Four in ten speak English as their home language, three in ten Tamil, one in ten Malay, and the rest other Indian languages as their home language.

 

Each Singaporean's behaviours and attitudes would therefore be influenced by, among many other things, his or her home language and his religion. Singaporeans who speak English as their native language tend to lean toward Western culture, while those who speak Chinese as their native language tend to lean toward Chinese culture and Confucianism. Malay speaking Singaporeans tend to lean toward the Malay culture, which itself is closely linked to the Islamic culture.

 

ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS

At the national level in Singapore, meritocracy, where one is judged based on one's ability, is heavily emphasised.

 

Racial and religious harmony is regarded by Singaporeans as a crucial part of Singapore's success, and played a part in building a Singaporean identity. Singapore has a reputation as a nanny state. The national flower of Singapore is the hybrid orchid, Vanda 'Miss Joaquim', named in memory of a Singapore-born Armenian woman, who crossbred the flower in her garden at Tanjong Pagar in 1893. Many national symbols such as the Coat of arms of Singapore and the Lion head symbol of Singapore make use of the lion, as Singapore is known as the Lion City. Other monikers by which Singapore is widely known is the Garden City and the Red Dot. Public holidays in Singapore cover major Chinese, Western, Malay and Indian festivals.

 

Singaporean employees work an average of around 45 hours weekly, relatively long compared to many other nations. Three in four Singaporean employees surveyed stated that they take pride in doing their work well, and that doing so helps their self-confidence.

 

CUISINE

Dining, along with shopping, is said to be the country's national pastime. The focus on food has led countries like Australia to attract Singaporean tourists with food-based itineraries. The diversity of food is touted as a reason to visit the country, and the variety of food representing different ethnicities is seen by the government as a symbol of its multiculturalism. The "national fruit" of Singapore is the durian.

 

In popular culture, food items belong to a particular ethnicity, with Chinese, Malay, and Indian food clearly defined. However, the diversity of cuisine has been increased further by the "hybridisation" of different styles (e.g., the Peranakan cuisine, a mix of Chinese and Malay cuisine).

 

WIKIPEDIA

Spring training 2012 from BatBanger.Com

www.batbanger.com/

In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play. Spring training has always attracted fan attention, drawing crowds who travel to the warmer climates to enjoy the weather and watch their favorite teams play, and spring training usually coincides with spring break for many college students.

 

Spring training typically lasts about six weeks, starting in mid February and running until just before the season opening day (and often right at the end of spring training, some teams will play spring training games on the same day other teams have opening day of the season), traditionally the first week of April. Pitchers and catchers report to spring training first because pitchers benefit from a longer training period. A week or two later, the position players arrive and team practice begins. Team members normally wear their batting practice uniforms for the duration of spring training and only wear their normal jerseys on Opening Day.

History

A Cactus League game between the Cubs and the White Sox at HoHoKam Park. Spring training by major league teams in sites other than their regular season game sites first became popular in the 1890s and by 1910 were in wide use. Early training sites include the St. Louis Cardinals in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma; the New York Yankees in New Orleans and later Phoenix, Arizona, when the team was owned by Del Webb; the Chicago Cubs in Los Angeles when owned by William Wrigley Jr.; the St. Louis Browns and later the Kansas City Athletics in San Diego as well the A's were in West Palm Beach, Florida; the Pittsburgh Pirates in Honolulu and other teams joined in by the early 1940s. The Detroit Tigers are credited with being the first team to conduct spring training camp in Arizona. They trained in Phoenix at Riverside Park at Central Avenue and the Salt River in 1929.

The Philadelphia Phillies were the first of the current major-league teams to train in Florida, when they spent two weeks in Jacksonville, Florida in 1889. Spring training in Florida began in earnest in 1913, when the Chicago Cubs played in Tampa, and the Cleveland Indians in Pensacola. One year later, two other teams moved to Florida for spring training, the real start of the Grapefruit League. And except for a couple of years during World War II, when travel restrictions prevented teams training south of the Potomac and Ohio rivers, Florida has hosted more than half of the spring training teams. All but six of the major league teams have gone to spring training in Florida at one time or another. Many of the most famous players in baseball history (Ruth, Gehrig, Musial, Cobb, Mays, DiMaggio, Berra, Mantle, and many more) have called Florida home for 4-6 weeks every spring.

 

According to the autobiography of former Cleveland Indians owner Bill Veeck, avoiding racism was one reason the Cactus League was established. In 1947, Veeck was the owner of the minor league Milwaukee Brewers and the team trained in Ocala, Fla. Veeck inadvertently sat in the segregated section of the stands and engaged in conversation with a couple of Black fans. According to Veeck's book, the local law enforcement told Veeck he could not sit in that section, and then called the Ocala mayor when Veeck argued back. The mayor finally backed down when Veeck threatened to take his team elsewhere for spring training and promised to let the country know why. Veeck's account was the subject of much debate among sportswriters after his autobiography was published, but later investigations proved his story to be mostly accurate.

Veeck sold the Brewers in 1945 and retired to his ranch in Tucson, Az., but Veeck purchased the Cleveland Indians in 1946. He decided to buck tradition and train the Indians in Tucson and convinced the New York Giants to give Phoenix a try. Thus the Cactus League was born.[8] Veeck then signed Larry Doby to the Indians. Doby was the second African-American to play MLB in the 20th century, and the first for the American League.

 

While Florida and Arizona now host all Major League Baseball teams for spring training, this has not always been the case. The Brooklyn Dodgers trained in Havana, Cuba in 1947 and 1949, and in the Dominican Republic in 1948. The New York Yankees also trained in the early 1950s in Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Also spring training camps and games were held in Hawaii, Puerto Rico and cities of northern Mexico, sometimes by visiting major league teams in the 1950s and 1960s.

  

The Atlanta Braves Spring Training game against the New York Mets in 2008.During World War II, most teams held an abbreviated spring training within easy reach of their cities. In order to conserve rail transport during the war, 1943 Spring Training was limited to an area east of the Mississippi River and north of the Ohio River. The Chicago White Sox held camp in French Lick, Indiana; the Washington Senators in College Park, Maryland; and the New York Yankees in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

Before and shortly after big league baseball reached the West Coast, a number of teams trained in the state of California or along the state boundary. For example, early in their history, the then-California Angels held spring training in Palm Springs, California from 1961 to 1993, the San Diego Padres in Yuma from 1969 to 1993, the Oakland Athletics in Las Vegas in the 1970s, and various major league teams had trained in Riverside, San Bernardino and El Centro near the Mexican border.

 

The concept of spring training is not limited to North America; the Japanese professional baseball leagues' teams adopted spring training and preseason game sites across East Asia such as South Korea, the Philippines and Taiwan; the Pacific Islands (most notably in Hawaii); and currently 2 North American cities of Salinas, California and Yuma on the Mexican border.

Spring training locations by team

Further information: List of Major League Baseball spring training stadiums

In modern training, teams that train in Florida will play other Florida-training teams in their exhibition games, regardless of regular-season league affiliations. Likewise, Arizona-training teams will play other Arizona teams. These have been nicknamed the Grapefruit League and Cactus League, respectively, after plants typical of the respective states. The teams can play colleges (Atlanta vs. Georgia Tech, Detroit vs. Florida Southern, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Arizona State, or the Boston Red Sox vs. Boston College), minor league baseball clubs, intra-squad games (members of the same team play against each other), split-squad games (games when one team is scheduled for two games in one day, so the team splits into two squads and each squad plays in one of the games), and B Games (unofficial Spring Training games where statistics and standings are not counted). In years when the World Baseball Classic occurs, the national teams in the tournament prepare by playing major league teams.

  

The Peoria Sports Complex hosts the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners.The newest stadium built for MLB spring training is the $100 million Salt River Fields at Talking Stick spring training complex on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Scottsdale (Phoenix), Arizona, that hosted its first games on Feb. 26, 2011. The complex is home to the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies, and contains a 11,000-seat stadium, separate clubhouses for each team, and 12 full-size practice fields (six for each team.) Both teams previously conducted spring training in Tucson, Arizona, bringing a total of 15 teams to the Cactus League in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

According to the Arizona Republic, the Cactus League generates more than $300 million a year in economic impact to the greater Phoenix metropolitan area economy. The new Salt River Fields at Talking Stick complex is the latest of eight new stadiums built in the Valley of the Sun over the past 20 years. The Arizona Republic newspaper reports that more than $500 million has been spent on “building eight new stadiums and renovating two others for the 15 teams in the Valley.”

 

Attendance set a new record at 2011 Cactus League games with 1.59 million attending games at the various stadiums in the Phoenix metro area. Much of the attendance surge is attributed to the new Salt Rivers Fields at Talking Stick venue that accounted for 22 percent of the Cactus League attendance.

 

Grapefruit League (Florida)Spring training Current season or competition:

2012 Major League Baseball season

Sport Baseball

Founded 1908

No. of teams 15

Country(ies) United States

Most recent champion(s) St. Louis Cardinals

Most titles New York Yankees (27)

 

Grapefruit League (Florida)

 

Atlanta Braves: Champion Stadium, Lake Buena Vista at Walt Disney World

Boston Red Sox: JetBlue Park, Fort Myers

Baltimore Orioles: Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota

Detroit Tigers: Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland

Houston Astros: Osceola County Stadium, Kissimmee

Miami Marlins: Roger Dean Stadium, Jupiter

Minnesota Twins: Hammond Stadium, Fort Myers

New York Mets: Digital Domain Park, Port St. Lucie

New York Yankees: George M. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa

Philadelphia Phillies: Bright House Field, Clearwater

Pittsburgh Pirates: McKechnie Field, Bradenton

St. Louis Cardinals: Roger Dean Stadium, Jupiter

Tampa Bay Rays: Charlotte Sports Park, Port Charlotte

Toronto Blue Jays: Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, Dunedin

Washington Nationals: Space Coast Stadium, Viera

[edit] Cactus League (Arizona)Spring training Current season or competition:

2012 Major League Baseball season

Sport Baseball

Founded 1908

No. of teams 15

Country(ies) United States

Most recent champion(s) Texas Rangers

Most titles Oakland Athletics (9)

 

Cactus League (Arizona)

 

Arizona Diamondbacks: Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community

Chicago Cubs: HoHoKam Park, Mesa

Chicago White Sox: Camelback Ranch, Glendale

Cincinnati Reds: Goodyear Ballpark, Goodyear

Cleveland Indians: Goodyear Ballpark, Goodyear

Colorado Rockies: Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community

Kansas City Royals: Surprise Stadium, Surprise

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Tempe Diablo Stadium, Tempe

Los Angeles Dodgers: Camelback Ranch, Glendale

Milwaukee Brewers: Maryvale Baseball Park, Phoenix

Oakland Athletics: Phoenix Municipal Stadium, Phoenix

San Diego Padres: Peoria Sports Complex, Peoria

San Francisco Giants: Scottsdale Stadium, Scottsdale

Seattle Mariners: Peoria Sports Complex, Peoria

Texas Rangers: Surprise Stadium, Surprise

Statistics

Statistics are recorded during spring training games, but they are not combined with the listed statistics for regular season games, and unusual performances which would have broken records if accomplished during the regular season are considered to be unofficial.

 

For example, on March 14, 2000, the Red Sox used 6 pitchers to achieve a 5–0 perfect game victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. A perfect game is considered a crowning accomplishment during the regular season or postseason, but in spring training it attracted little notice. Starting pitcher Pedro Martínez, who lost a perfect game in 1995 while pitching for the former Montreal Expos, was talking to reporters at the conclusion of the game, rather than watching the final pitches. Reliever Rod Beck, who finished the game, did not realize the nature of his accomplishment until informed by catcher Joe Sidall. Many fans also left before the game's conclusion.

 

Although spring training statistics are unofficial, teams still frequently use players' spring training performances as a way of assigning starting roles and roster spots on the club.

Extended spring training

An extended spring training game between the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota, Florida during the 2008 season. Minor league players participate in spring training following a telescoped schedule that generally lasts from March 1–31. At its conclusion, most players are assigned to full-season Class A, AA or AAA farm team rosters to begin the regular minor league season. However, those players deemed unready for a full-season campaign — through inexperience or injury — are assigned to "extended spring training," a structured program of workouts, rehabilitation sessions, simulated games and exhibition games based in the major league parent team's minor league training complex. If a player is deemed ready to participate in full-season league action, he is promoted to an appropriate-level farm club. When the "short season" Class A and rookie leagues begin play in late June, extended spring training players are assigned to those rosters, placed on the disabled list, or released.

 

Little league baseball left fielder aruba Chinese taipe it is what it's all about 4th inning dancing leaguer spring training batbanger.com

 

Community Colleges and Competitiveness

Generating Economic Opportunity Through Innovation in Postsecondary Education

 

January 27, 2010, 9:00am – 12:30pm

 

Click here to watch the event video:

www.americanprogress.org/events/2010/01/commcoll.html

 

Community colleges have become highly visible in public policy in the last year. The once step-child of higher education is being heralded as a key player in reviving economic opportunity for workers and national competitiveness for the United States. A key drive of this intense interest is the Obama administration's American Graduation Initiative which is poised to infuse more than $12 billion into the nation's 1,000+ community colleges over the next 10 years. This investment has the potential to be transformative.

 

Yet, will it be a thoughtful transformation? Since their great expansion in 1947, with President Harry Truman's Commission on Higher Education, community colleges have evolved to embrace three core activities: university transfer education, occupational education, and developmental education. They currently exist in more or less tension with one another. The integration of these activities through the lens of student success is the key to realizing the promise of community colleges as engines of economic opportunity and competitiveness.

 

Keynote Speakers:

Dr. Jill Biden

Brenda Dann-Messier, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education

 

Paper presentation: Re-imagining Community Colleges in the 21st Century

Brian Pusser, co-author; associate professor, University of Virginia; director, Center for the Study of Higher Education, University of Virginia

Keith Bird, Chancellor Emeritus, Kentucky Community and technical College system

  

Paper presentation: Models Of Postsecondary Success For Low-Income Adults And Youth: Community College And Workforce System Partnerships

Harry J. Holzer, co-author; professor, Georgetown Public Policy Institute

Demetra S. Nightingale, co-author; principal research scientist, Johns Hopkins University Institute for Policy Studies

Gail Mellow, president, LaGuardia Community College

 

Paper presentation: Community College and Apprenticeship as Collaborative Routes to Rewarding Careers

Robert I. Lerman, author; professor of economics, American University

Susan Schurman, dean, University College Community, Rutgers University

  

Moderated by:

Louis Soares, Director, Postsecondary Education Program, Center for American Progress

  

PHOTO CREDIT:

Ralph Alswang

Photographer

202-487-5025

ralph@ralphphoto.com

www.ralphphoto.com

FLEX– The Florida Experimental Film/Video Festival– presents Spacey Space, a selection of some of their favorite entries from past festivals. The selection of these particular works was inspired by the theme of one of the festivals most popular programs of the 2009 competitive festival. While capturing the broad scope of work submitted each year to the festival, the individual works contained in this program all manage to share a common interest in exploring the notion of space–both inner and outer.

While some of these works implore us to pull from the void in order to recognize and remember that which appears lost–be it forgotten people, memories, ideas, yet others reveal what is already there, and unseen to the naked eye– electrons, devices of control and isolation, and ghosts. By exploring the expanses of inner and outer space, the phantom zones existing beside us and within us, these pieces demand of us a closer inspection of the unseen, the in between, and the forgotten.

Energie! by Thorsten Fleisch

(Germany, 2007, 6 minutes, DVD)

 

From a more technical point of view, the TV/video screen comes alive by a controlled beam of electron in the cathode ray tube. For Energie! and uncontrolled high voltage discharge of approximately 30,000 volts exposes photographic paper which is then arranged in time to create new visual systems of electron organization.

Thorsten Fleisch’s experimentation of materials in his work results in a heightened state of awareness of unseen elements and captured ephemera. He began experimenting with super 8 film in high school. He went on to study with Peter Kubelka at the Stadelschule in Frankfurt where he began working with 16mm film.

Day/Night (Devil’s Millhopper) by Andres Arocha

(USA, 2009, 5 minutes, 16mm)

Enter a space. A one hundred feet deep hole dwarfs invaders with visions of immeasurably tall trees in an almost pristine natural setting. How do you see it? Inspired by the grandeur of nature, Day/Night (Devil’s Millhopper) limits itself to this setting and explores it through different eyes.

Spaceghost by Laurie Jo Reynolds

(USA, 2007, 26 minutes, DVD)

 

Space Ghost compares the experiences of astronauts and prisoners, using popular depictions of space travel to illustrate the physical and existential aspects of incarceration: sensory deprivation, the perception of time as chaotic and indistinguishable, the displacement of losing face-to-face contact, and the sense of existing in a different but parallel universe with family and loved ones.

Laurie Jo Reynolds is an artist, educator, and activist. In addition to being an advocate for prisoners’ rights, she is also involved with creative collaborative projects for prisoners and ex-offenders. She teaches at Columbia College and Loyola University in Chicago

Rosewell by Bill Brown

(USA, 1994, 23 minutes, 16mm)

 

A space kid borrows dad’s UFO for a joyride, but winds up crashing near Roswell, New Mexico. An amnesiac filmmaker goes looking for answers.

Bill Brown makes movies about ghosts that masquerade as movies about landscapes– or maybe it’s the other way around. He studied filmmaking at Harvard University, and received his MFA from the California Institute of the Arts.

All Through the Night by Michael Robinson

(USa, 2008, 4 minutes, DVD)

A charred visitation with an icy language of control; there is no room for love.

Since the year 2000, Michael Robinson has created a body of film, video and photography work exploring the poetics of loss and the dangers of mediated experience. Originally from upstate NY, he holds a BFA from Ithaca College, and a MFA from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Phantogram by Kerry Laitala

(USA, 2008, 6 minutes, 16mm)

A communication between the maker, pure light, and the shadow?graphic spirits of cinema. A telegram from the dead using the medium of film. Slippery shimmers slide across the celluloid strip, to embed themselves on the consciousness of the viewers.

Kerry Laitala is an experimental filmmaker from San Francisco whose handcrafted films are masterful, tactile, manipulations of celluloid. She studied film and photography at Massachusetts College of Art, and has a masters degree from the San Francisco Art Institution.

It Will Die Out in the Mind by Deborah Stratman

(USA, 2006, 4 minutes, DVD)

 

A short meditation on the possibility of spiritual existence and the paranormal in our information age. Texts are lifted from Andrei Tarkovsky’s film Stalker in which Stalker’s daughter redeems his otherwise doomed spiritual journey. She offers him something more expansive and less explicable than logic or technology as the conceptual pillar of the human spirit.

The title is taken from a passage about the time from Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s The Possessed:

Stavrogin: …in the Apocalypse the angel swears that there’ll be no more time.

Kirillov: I know. It’s quite true, it’s said very clearly ad exactly. When the whole of man has achieved happiness, there won’t be any time, because it won’t be needed. It’s perfectly true.

Stavrogin: Where will they put it then?

Kirillov: They won’t put it anywhere. Time isn’t a thing, it’s an idea. It’ll die out in the mind.

Deborah Stratman is a Chicago-based filmmaker who leaves town a lot. Her films blur the lines between experimental and documentary genres, and she frequently works in other media including photography, sound, drawing and architectural intervention. Deborah teaches at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Cal Arts.

FLEX–the Florida Experimental Film/Video Festival–has sought to provide a year-round home for the exhibition of experimental cinema from around the world since 2004. Our hope is that this annual event can serve as an important venue for artists to share their work, while also allowing local audiences a unique opportunity to see significant works that do not have a regular home elsewhere in the State.

Started by experimental filmmaker and University of Florida professor Roger Beebe in Gainesville, Florida, FLEX has earned itself a reputation for quality programing and events. In addition to the alternating festivals, one competitive and the other invitational, FLEX regularly presents film-centric events. These other events, like gong shows featuring industrial and educational films, Cinema Under the Stars- 16mm movie classics screened outside, and Silent Films, Loud Music- local musicians score music to silent films, all serve to promote the communal experience of film viewing.

Between splitting her time mining the internet for the most gruesome pics for her psychology lab job and working at Gainesville’s finest independent video store, Alisson Bittiker, once the FLEX chair wrangler, is now the Managing Director of FLEX. Dreams, of constant stress, work, and no pay, really do come true. She studied photography and video at the University of Florida.

A Text, in english, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Paragliding is a recreational and competitive flying sport. A paraglider is a free-flying, foot-launched aircraft. The pilot sits in a harness suspended below a fabric wing, whose shape is formed by the pressure of air entering vents in the front of the wing.

n 1954, Walter Neumark predicted (in an article in Flight magazine) a time when a glider pilot would be “able to launch himself by running over the edge of a cliff or down a slope … whether on a rock-climbing holiday in Skye or ski-ing in the Alps”.[1]

In 1961, the French engineer Pierre Lemoigne produced improved parachute designs which led to the Para-Commander (‘PC’), which had cut-outs at the rear and sides which enabled it to be towed into the air and steered – leading to parasailing/parascending.

Sometimes credited with the greatest development in parachutes since Leonardo da Vinci, the American Domina Jalbert invented in 1964 the Parafoil which had sectioned cells in an aerofoil shape; an open leading edge and a closed trailing edge, inflated by passage through the air – the ram-air design.[2]

Meanwhile, David Barish was developing the Sail Wing for recovery of NASA space capsules – “slope soaring was a way of testing out … the Sail Wing”.[3] After tests on Hunter Mountain, New York in September 1965, he went on to promote ‘slope soaring’ as a summer activity for ski resorts (apparently without great success).[4] NASA originated the term ‘paraglider’ in the early 1960’s, and ‘paragliding’ was first used in the early 1970’s to describe foot-launching of gliding parachutes.

Author Walter Neumark wrote Operating Procedures for Ascending Parachutes, and he and a group of enthusiasts with a passion for tow-launching ‘PCs’ and ram-air parachutes eventually broke away from the British Parachute Association to form the British Association of Parascending Clubs (BAPC) in 1973.

These threads were pulled together in June 1978 by three friends Jean-Claude Bétemps, André Bohn and Gérard Bosson from Mieussy Haute-Savoie, France. After inspiration from an article on ‘slope soaring’ in the Parachute Manual magazine by parachutist & publisher Dan Poynter,[5] they calculated that on a suitable slope, a ‘square’ ram-air parachute could be inflated by running down the slope; Bétemps launched from Pointe du Pertuiset, Mieussy, and flew 100 m. Bohn followed him and glided down to the football pitch in the valley 1000 metres below.[6] ‘Parapente’ (pente being French for slope) was born.

Through the 1980’s and since, it has been a story of constantly improving equipment and ever greater numbers of paragliding pilots. The first World Championship was held in Kössen, Austria in 1989.

he paraglider wing or canopy is known in aeronautical engineering as a ram-air airfoil, or parafoil. Such wings comprise two layers of fabric which are connected to internal supporting material in such a way as to form a row of cells. By leaving most of the cells open only at the leading edge, incoming air (ram-air pressure) keeps the wing inflated, thus maintaining its shape. When inflated, the wing's cross-section has the typical teardrop aerofoil shape.

The pilot is supported underneath the wing by a network of lines. The lines are gathered into two sets as left and right risers. The risers collect the lines in rows from front to back in either 3 or 4 rows. The risers are connected to the pilot's harness by two carabiners.

Paraglider wings typically have an area of 20-35 m² with a span of 8–12 m, and weigh 3–7 kg. Combined weight of wing, harness, reserve, instruments, helmet, etc. is around 12–18 kg.

The glide ratio of paragliders ranges from 8:1 for recreational wings, to about 11:1 for modern competition models. For comparison, a typical skydiving parachute will achieve about 3:1 glide. A hang glider will achieve about 15:1 glide. An idling (gliding) Cessna 152 will achieve 9:1. Some sailplanes can achieve a glide ratio of up to 60:1.

The speed range of paragliders is typically 20–50 km/h (12-30 mph), from stall speed to maximum speed. Beginner wings will be in the lower part of this range, high-performance wings in the upper part of the range. The range for safe flying will be somewhat smaller.

Modern paraglider wings are made of high-performance non-porous fabrics such as Porcher Sport & Gelvenor, with Dyneema/Spectra or Kevlar/Aramid lines.

For storage and carrying, the wing is usually folded into a rucksack (bag), which can then be stowed in a large backpack along with the harness. For pilots who may not want the added weight or fuss of a backpack, the harness itself can be used to carry the wing, though this is less comfortable, and thus less favorable for longer hikes. In this case the wing (within the rucksack) is buckled into the harness seat, which is then slung over the shoulders. Recent developments in light-weight harness design include the ability to turn the harness inside out such that it becomes the backpack, thus removing the need for a second storage system.

Tandem paragliders, designed to carry the pilot and one passenger, are larger but otherwise similar. They usually fly faster with higher trim speeds, are more resistant to collapse, and have a slightly higher sink rate compared to solo paragliders.

The pilot is loosely and comfortably buckled into a harness which offers support in both the standing and sitting positions. Modern harnesses are designed to be as comfortable as a lounge chair in the sitting position. Many harnesses even have an adjustable 'lumbar support'.

A reserve parachute is also typically connected to a paragliding harness.

Parachutes, including skydiving canopies, are generally used for descending, such as jumping out of an aircraft or for dropping cargo; while paragliders are generally used for ascending. Paragliders are categorized as "ascending parachutes" by canopy manufacturers worldwide, and are designed for "free flying" meaning flight without a tether (for tethered flight amusement, see parasailing). However, in areas without high launch points, paragliders may be towed aloft by a ground vehicle or a stationary winch, after which they are released, creating much the same effect as a mountain launch. Such tethered launches can give a paraglider pilot a higher starting point than many mountains do, offering similar opportunity to catch thermals and to remain airborne by "thermaling" and other forms of lift. As free flight, paragliding requires the significant skill and training required for aircraft control, including aeronautical theory, meteorological knowledge and forecasting, personal/emotional safety considerations, adherence to applicable Federal Aviation Regulations (US), and knowledge of equipment care and maintenance.

Most pilots use varios and radios when flying; some more advanced pilots also use GPS units.

Birds are highly sensitive to atmospheric pressure, and can tell when they are in rising or sinking air. People can sense the acceleration when they first hit a thermal, but cannot detect the difference between constant rising air and constant sinking air, so turn to technology to help.

A variometer indicates climb-rate (or sink-rate) with audio signals (beeps which increase in pitch and tempo as you accelerate upwards and a droning sound which gets deeper as your descent rate increases) and/or a visual display. It also shows altitude: either above takeoff, above sea level, or (at higher altitudes) "flight level".

The main purpose of a variometer is in helping a pilot find and stay in the "core" of a thermal to maximise height gain, and conversely indicating when he or she is in sinking air, and needs to find rising air.

The more advanced variometers have an integrated GPS. This is not only more convenient, but also allows to record the flight in three dimensions. The track of the flight is digitally signed, stored and can be downloaded after the landing. Digitally signed tracks can be used as proof for record claims, replacing the 'old' method of photo documentation.

Control:

Speedbar mechanism.

Brakes: Controls held in each of the pilot’s hands connect to the trailing edge of the left and right sides of the wing. These controls are called 'brakes' and provide the primary and most general means of control in a paraglider. The brakes are used to adjust speed, to steer (in addition to weight-shift), and flare (during landing).

Weight Shift: In addition to manipulating the brakes, a paraglider pilot must also lean in order to steer properly. Such 'weight-shifting' can also be used for more limited steering when brake use is unavailable, such as when under 'big ears' (see below). More advanced control techniques may also involve weight-shifting.

Speed Bar: A kind of foot control called the 'speed bar' (also 'accelerator') attaches to the paragliding harness and connects to the leading edge of the paraglider wing, usually through a system of at least two pulleys (see animation in margin). This control is used to increase speed, and does so by decreasing the wing's angle of attack. This control is necessary because the brakes can only slow the wing from what is called 'trim speed' (no brakes applied). The accelerator is needed to go faster than this.

More advanced means of control can be obtained by manipulating the paraglider's risers or lines directly:

* Most commonly, the lines connecting to the outermost points of the wing's leading edge can be used to induce the wingtips to fold under. The technique, known as 'big ears', is used to increase rate of descent (see picture).

* The risers connecting to the rear of the wing can also be manipulated for steering if the brakes have been severed or are otherwise unavailable.

* In a 'B-line stall', the second set of risers from the leading-edge/front is gently pulled down to put a crease in the upper surface of the wing. This destroys the laminar flow of air over the aerofoil, dramatically reducing the lift produced by the canopy, thus inducing a higher rate of descent.

 

Another text, in english, from the addrees www.alpsurf.com/paraglidinge.htm

Paraglider flies is the simplest type to regard the world from the bird perspective some steps a gently bent slope down and already overcome pilot and passenger the force of gravity and to float of it. Our professional pilots are extremely qualified and possess a special pilot banknote, which permits it to them to offer paraglider of passenger flights.

 

Texto, em português, do site "O radical", que pode ser visto no endereço: oradical.uol.com.br/parapente/ondepraticarparapente.asp

 

O parapente é um esporte que mistura toda a adrenalina com a tranqüilidade, em uma sintonia perfeita. É uma modalidade na qual o piloto e o parapente entram em total sintonia com a natureza.

A principal recomendação do paraglidingé respeitar todas as normas de segurança. Dessa maneira você poderá desfilar pelos ares sem a menor preocupação.

A história do esporte está diretamente relacionada com a conquista do espaço. É que os primeiros modelos de parapente foram confeccionados especialmente para as espaçonaves norte-americanas.

Hoje o esporte é praticado por mais de 100 mil pessoas em todo o mundo. O Brasil ocupa atualmente a 7ª colocação do ranking.

Existem escolas especializadas no parapente que oferecem toda a infra-estrutura necessária para quem quer iniciar no esporte.

Além do curso preparatório que é obrigatório, você terá acesso ao equipamento, entre outros.

Antes de comprar seu equipamento faça um salto em dupla com outro atleta. A partir daí, você vai descobrir se o parapente é seu esporte ou não.

O parapente foi desenvolvido inicialmente para a utilização das espaçonaves do Projeto Apolo, pela Nasa. O sucesso foi tão grande que logo a descoberta tomou conta da cabeça da população.

O equipamento de parapente apresenta algumas características diferentes dos outros esportes, sendo basicamente composto de quatro itens: o velame, o selete, o pára-quedas de emergência e o capacete. O velame constitui a maior parte do equipamento e, é dividido em três partes: a vela, a linha e os tirantes.

A vela é feita de um tipo de nylon especial e funciona como uma asa. Uma de suas características principais é a resistência e a deformação, ou seja, o tecido muda de forma, alterando as características originais do parapente.

O Selete funciona como um casulo e é onde o atleta fica durante o vôo. É importante que seja ajustada a cada piloto, pois seu conforto depende disso.

Para casos de emergência utiliza-se um para-quedas. Ele está acoplado o Selete e só é utilizado caso aconteça algo de muito grave.

Os melhores locais para a prática do parapente são as regiões com climas secos, pois o atleta poderá ter um maior aproveitamento das correntes de ar. As regiões litorâneas com montanhas ao redor também oferecem excelentes condições.

O estado de Minas Gerais, juntamente com São Paulo e Rio de Janeiro são os lugares que apresentam o maior desenvolvimento do esporte. A Serra da Mantiqueira, com sua variedade de picos é o local ideal para todo aventureiro.

Competitive history

1971 Mr. America - AAU, 10th

1971 Teen Mr America - AAU, 2nd

1975 Mr. America - IFBB, Medium, 3rd

1975 Mr. USA - ABBA, Medium, 2nd

1976 Mr. America - IFBB, Overall Winner

1976 Mr. America - IFBB, Medium, 1st

1976 Mr. Universe - IFBB, MiddleWeight, 2nd

1977 North American Championships - IFBB, Overall Winner

1977 North American Championships - IFBB, MiddleWeight, 1st

1977 Mr. Universe - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 2nd

1978 USA vs the World - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 1st

1978 World Amateur Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 1st

1979 Canada Pro Cup - IFBB, 2nd

1979 Florida Pro Invitational - IFBB, 1st

1979 Night of Champions - IFBB, 3rd

1979 Mr. Olympia - IFBB, HeavyWeight (over 200 pounds) 1st, Overall 2nd

1979 Pittsburgh Pro Invitational - IFBB, 2nd

1979 Southern Pro Cup - IFBB, 1st

1980 Mr. Olympia - IFBB, 5th

 

Both TYR and Potts found it important to offer a wetsuit for an aspiring competitor. With that goal in mind, the Category 1 was made. The simplistic, streamline version of the Hurricane offers the benefit of maximized performance and no fear of extreme fatigue when you enter the water by incorporating some of the highlights of the Category 5 and Category 3.

The least expensive of the three suits, Potts was so confident in its design he placed his name on it to show his satisfaction. The unbeatable price helps you on your way to being unbeatable in competition.

 

gosw.im/hzO4OG

FLEX– The Florida Experimental Film/Video Festival– presents Spacey Space, a selection of some of their favorite entries from past festivals. The selection of these particular works was inspired by the theme of one of the festivals most popular programs of the 2009 competitive festival. While capturing the broad scope of work submitted each year to the festival, the individual works contained in this program all manage to share a common interest in exploring the notion of space–both inner and outer.

While some of these works implore us to pull from the void in order to recognize and remember that which appears lost–be it forgotten people, memories, ideas, yet others reveal what is already there, and unseen to the naked eye– electrons, devices of control and isolation, and ghosts. By exploring the expanses of inner and outer space, the phantom zones existing beside us and within us, these pieces demand of us a closer inspection of the unseen, the in between, and the forgotten.

Energie! by Thorsten Fleisch

(Germany, 2007, 6 minutes, DVD)

 

From a more technical point of view, the TV/video screen comes alive by a controlled beam of electron in the cathode ray tube. For Energie! and uncontrolled high voltage discharge of approximately 30,000 volts exposes photographic paper which is then arranged in time to create new visual systems of electron organization.

Thorsten Fleisch’s experimentation of materials in his work results in a heightened state of awareness of unseen elements and captured ephemera. He began experimenting with super 8 film in high school. He went on to study with Peter Kubelka at the Stadelschule in Frankfurt where he began working with 16mm film.

Day/Night (Devil’s Millhopper) by Andres Arocha

(USA, 2009, 5 minutes, 16mm)

Enter a space. A one hundred feet deep hole dwarfs invaders with visions of immeasurably tall trees in an almost pristine natural setting. How do you see it? Inspired by the grandeur of nature, Day/Night (Devil’s Millhopper) limits itself to this setting and explores it through different eyes.

Spaceghost by Laurie Jo Reynolds

(USA, 2007, 26 minutes, DVD)

 

Space Ghost compares the experiences of astronauts and prisoners, using popular depictions of space travel to illustrate the physical and existential aspects of incarceration: sensory deprivation, the perception of time as chaotic and indistinguishable, the displacement of losing face-to-face contact, and the sense of existing in a different but parallel universe with family and loved ones.

Laurie Jo Reynolds is an artist, educator, and activist. In addition to being an advocate for prisoners’ rights, she is also involved with creative collaborative projects for prisoners and ex-offenders. She teaches at Columbia College and Loyola University in Chicago

Rosewell by Bill Brown

(USA, 1994, 23 minutes, 16mm)

 

A space kid borrows dad’s UFO for a joyride, but winds up crashing near Roswell, New Mexico. An amnesiac filmmaker goes looking for answers.

Bill Brown makes movies about ghosts that masquerade as movies about landscapes– or maybe it’s the other way around. He studied filmmaking at Harvard University, and received his MFA from the California Institute of the Arts.

All Through the Night by Michael Robinson

(USa, 2008, 4 minutes, DVD)

A charred visitation with an icy language of control; there is no room for love.

Since the year 2000, Michael Robinson has created a body of film, video and photography work exploring the poetics of loss and the dangers of mediated experience. Originally from upstate NY, he holds a BFA from Ithaca College, and a MFA from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Phantogram by Kerry Laitala

(USA, 2008, 6 minutes, 16mm)

A communication between the maker, pure light, and the shadow?graphic spirits of cinema. A telegram from the dead using the medium of film. Slippery shimmers slide across the celluloid strip, to embed themselves on the consciousness of the viewers.

Kerry Laitala is an experimental filmmaker from San Francisco whose handcrafted films are masterful, tactile, manipulations of celluloid. She studied film and photography at Massachusetts College of Art, and has a masters degree from the San Francisco Art Institution.

It Will Die Out in the Mind by Deborah Stratman

(USA, 2006, 4 minutes, DVD)

 

A short meditation on the possibility of spiritual existence and the paranormal in our information age. Texts are lifted from Andrei Tarkovsky’s film Stalker in which Stalker’s daughter redeems his otherwise doomed spiritual journey. She offers him something more expansive and less explicable than logic or technology as the conceptual pillar of the human spirit.

The title is taken from a passage about the time from Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s The Possessed:

Stavrogin: …in the Apocalypse the angel swears that there’ll be no more time.

Kirillov: I know. It’s quite true, it’s said very clearly ad exactly. When the whole of man has achieved happiness, there won’t be any time, because it won’t be needed. It’s perfectly true.

Stavrogin: Where will they put it then?

Kirillov: They won’t put it anywhere. Time isn’t a thing, it’s an idea. It’ll die out in the mind.

Deborah Stratman is a Chicago-based filmmaker who leaves town a lot. Her films blur the lines between experimental and documentary genres, and she frequently works in other media including photography, sound, drawing and architectural intervention. Deborah teaches at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Cal Arts.

FLEX–the Florida Experimental Film/Video Festival–has sought to provide a year-round home for the exhibition of experimental cinema from around the world since 2004. Our hope is that this annual event can serve as an important venue for artists to share their work, while also allowing local audiences a unique opportunity to see significant works that do not have a regular home elsewhere in the State.

Started by experimental filmmaker and University of Florida professor Roger Beebe in Gainesville, Florida, FLEX has earned itself a reputation for quality programing and events. In addition to the alternating festivals, one competitive and the other invitational, FLEX regularly presents film-centric events. These other events, like gong shows featuring industrial and educational films, Cinema Under the Stars- 16mm movie classics screened outside, and Silent Films, Loud Music- local musicians score music to silent films, all serve to promote the communal experience of film viewing.

Between splitting her time mining the internet for the most gruesome pics for her psychology lab job and working at Gainesville’s finest independent video store, Alisson Bittiker, once the FLEX chair wrangler, is now the Managing Director of FLEX. Dreams, of constant stress, work, and no pay, really do come true. She studied photography and video at the University of Florida.

In 2018, USAID launched the second-annual Digital Development Awards (the “Digis”) to recognize USAID projects that harness the power of digital tools and data-driven decision making. The FlaveDor activity, funded by USAID’s Moldova Competitiveness Project and led by Chemonics, was one of five winners chosen out of the 140 applicants.

Moldova’s growing wine industry is threatened by Flavesence dorée (F. dorée), a contagious, incurable pathogen that impacts approximately 20 percent of vineyards in the region. While the contagion can be isolated, the manual process of inspecting and testing each vine is long and laborious, giving the pathogen time to spread and spoil the crop that so many in Moldova depend on as their source of income.

The FlaveDor activity uses drones and GIS data to digitize the vineyard inspection process, allowing farmers to quickly identify and isolate vines infected by F. dorée. Through the use of a specially designed drone and software system, the program can quickly scan all vines in a given area. This process has been proven to save time and money, reduce pesticide use, and increase the accuracy of detection, with an 85 percent success rate in neighboring countries.

 

Photos by Colby Gottert for USAID / Digital Development Communications

Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa

44600 Indian Wells Ln,

Indian Wells, CA 92210

 

*** In the beginning ***

 

In 1967 Charlie Pasarell, was 23 and was ranked No 1 U.S. tennis player. When Pasarell turned 35 he determined he was not good enough to play competitively with the younger players. So, he decided to promote a tennis circuit for those over 35 and it would be called the Grand Champions. Albert DeVaul, who developed the Racquet Club at Scottsdale Ranch in Arizona, hosted one of the Pasarell's Grand Champions tournaments and was pleased with the success. These two became friends then partners - a relationship that eventually led to the $70 million resort in Indian Wells - The Grand Champions, now known as Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa.

 

In 1977 Pasarell was director of tennis for Ernie Vossler's Landmark Land Co., which re-developed the La Quinta Hotel Golf & Tennis Resort. Vossler and Pasarell wanted to re-imagine the La Quinta Resort as a world class tennis resort. With Pasarell on board as tennis director the resort’s tennis club was born. In 1981, La Quinta Resort & Club hosted its first major professional tennis tournament, the Grand Marnier/ATP Tennis Games (now the BNP Paribas Open). The first tournament ended with Jimmy Connors defeating Ivan Lendl. The 1981 total prize money was $175,000 with $28,000 to the singles winner. Attendance for the Sunday finals was 6,600.

 

During the six years (1981 – 1986) the tournament was held in La Quinta, the event achieved such success that it outgrew the tennis stadium and facilities at La Quinta Hotel. Charlie Pasarell’s goal was to strive for “major tennis event” status. He knew what was needed - a larger, more modern and permanent tennis stadium with enhanced facilities. To construct the appropriate tennis stadium and facilities, Pasarell and long-time friend and former player Raymond Moore established a company known as PM Sports Management, and created a team along with other investors including Albert DeVaul and entertainer Alan King to design, develop and operate a luxurious resort hotel and tennis facility. At that time the city of Indian Wells had three hotel sites available on Highway 111 adjacent to the city-funded 36-hole golf course. The golf courses were not to be known as public or municipal rather the courses were to be called resort or world class. Pasarell's group committed to a site but the city of Indian Wells would only allow a stadium with 4,000 permanent seats. In a work around Pasarell and the city agreed to a stadium built that was terraced on the bottom and had 4,000 permanent seats built around the upper ring. Pasarell plan was to rent 10.000 folding chairs, at a dollar apiece to make the 14,000 seat total.

 

For financing Pasarell and DeVaul sold an ownership portion of the Indian Wells hotel/tennis project to Brad Blackman, at the time a 34 year old president of Blackman, Garlock Flynn & Co., a San Francisco based real estate investment firm. A company - The Grand Champions Resorts - a California limited partnership, was formed with Brad Blackman named Chairman, Charles Pasarell president and investors including Alan King, VMS Realty and Primerica. Expansion beyond Indian Wells was promising with future plans for Grand Champions projects in Aspen, Polo Beach on Maui and Peter Island in the British Virgin Islands. It was Brad Blackman's relationship with Wolgang Puck that brought Puck to the Grand Champions to develop the food and beverage concepts. Brad Blackman also steered Puck to open Postrio at 545 Post Street in San Francisco.

 

In 1986, construction was completed on the 350-room Grand Champions Hotel (now known as the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa). The hotel is strongly reminiscent of La Mamounia, a great old hotel in Marrakech, Morocco. Morocco was one of the last stops on a three-year resort-hopping project that Charles Pasarell, Albert DeVaul and architect Bob Yamafuji undertook to come up with the resort's design. Development costs were reported to be $70 million - and up to $120 million. Its centerpiece was a sophisticated tennis center with 12 courts including a 10,000-seat tennis stadium (with some 7,000 permanent seats and 12 private sponsor suites), a 3,000-seat clubhouse court, two grass courts and two clay courts. Other facilities included a 3,000 square foot retail sport boutique, a 1.62-acre hospitality village and an 8,000 square foot convention center that also served as a media facility, a player’s lounge and a kitchen facility during the tournament. At the time it was completed, the stadium and facilities were truly state-of-the-art. The entertainer Alan King's job title was Vice Chairman of Entertainment and Special Events. King said he owned 3% of the hotel. Tennis great Boris Becker was to represent Grand Champions as its touring pro.

 

Bernard Dervieux was the opening chef. He left after one year (replaced by Marco Barbitta) to open Cuistot on El Paseo. Bernard was hired in 1980 at the Beverly Hills Hotel at the recommendation of Wolfgang Puck. He was Executive Chef at the hotel until 1986. After leaving the Beverly Hills Hotel, Bernard went to the Grand Champions Resort in Indians Wells and also to Aspen, Colorado serving as Executive Chef until opening Cuistot in 1987. The hotel opened with three restaurants: Trattoria - exhibition kitchen in the style of Puck's Spago, California regional with pizzas, pastas salads. Charlies - traditional classic dishes from the south of France with no cream and no butter. The Jasmine Room - the premier dining room offering a mix of French, Nouvelle and fine American cuisine. The opening manager for Jasmine was Pasquale Pavone who previously was maitre d'hotel at the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel for 11 years. Zapotec, a South American restaurant designed by Barbara Lazaroff, Puck's wife, was to be in a separate building on the Hyatt grounds.

 

In November 1987, one year after opening, Hyatt Hotels Corp commenced managing the Grand Champions Hotel. Rudy Richters, Neil B. Jacobs and Rick Redman were early general managers. Rudy Richter's previous general manager positions include the Dolder Hotel in Zurich, the Park in Vienna and L'ermitage in Beverly Hills. At the time VMS Realty had a strong relationship with Hyatt.

 

By 1989 VMS Realty, one of the nation's largest real estate firms, was suffering cash-flow problems and in an attempt to avoid bankruptcy replaced its top management and laid off some of its 500 employees. The Chicago-based partnership, which had a $9 billion portfolio that included Hyatt Grand Champions, said it would sell properties, seek to renegotiate bank loans and take a $110 million charge against third-quarter earnings. VMS, which began as a seller of real estate limited partnerships, partners were Robert Van Kampen, Peter R. Morris and Joel A. Stone (thus VMS). Limited partnerships, particularly in real estate, were the principal forms of tax shelters until the Tax Reform Act of 1986 effectively eliminated most of the tax benefits. As a result, a number of syndicators have left the syndication business entirely or filed for bankruptcy.

 

*** Richard L. Monfort ownership ***

 

Ken Monfort sold the family business, Monfort of Colorado, to ConAgra for $300 million in 1987. The cattle company was one of Greeley's largest employers and one of the world's largest beef operations. In 1989 VMS Realty was failing and a son of Ken Monfort, Richard L. Monfort, became a shareholder in the VMS owned Hyatt Grand Champions along with the Hyatt Hotel Corporation. Dick Monfort also owns the Colorado Rockies Baseball Club and was the owner of Boston's now closed Highland Steakhouse, once the highest grossing steakhouse in the U.S.

 

Australian tennis pro Mark Philippoussis won the 1999 Newsweek Champions Cup - it marked the last singles championship to be played on the 11,500-seat stadium at the Hyatt Grand Champion Resort. The 2000 tournanent moved to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Charlie Pasarell's new tennis mecca with a 16,100 seat stadium. According to Pasarell the Indian Wells tournament had grown to be among the most prestigious sports events in the world and had totally outgrown the facilities at the Hyatt Grand Champions.

 

In 2003 owner Dick Monfort completed a $60 million expansion at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort. The project began with the demolition of the 10,100 seat tennis stadium and a reduction of tennis courts from 12 to 3. The expansion included 142 guest rooms making the room count 480, a new 50,000 sq ft meeting facility and a 30,000 sq ft floating spa paradise, Agua Serena. John Orr, divisional vice president for Hyatt Hotels gave credit to Dick Monfort's perseverance for bringing this enhancement to fruitation. The General Manager at that time was Hendrick Santos. Santos later ran the Westin Rio Mar and the Gran Melia Golf Resort in Puerto Rico. Tom Netting was the VP and Managing Director during 2004-2007.

 

During 2005-06 the city of Indian Wells decided to plow under the two 19 year-old golf courses in a $45 million enhancement project. Clive Clark and John Fought were retained to completely re-do the Ted Robinson designed East Course and West Course along with the construction of a new clubhouse. Since 2006 the Indian Well's Golf Resort annual losses have exceeded a total of $20 million. In 1998, the former Erawan Garden Hotel was transformed beyond recognition into the Miramonte Resort. Together with the Hyatt Grand Champions, Indian Wells Resort Hotel, and Renaissance Esmeralda, the four properties were successful in generating room taxes that are more than 60% of the city of Indian Wells' operating budget.

 

In 2011 the Hyatt's general manager was Allan Farwell. He closed the resort during the month of July to facilitate the renovation of the resorts main entrance, lobby and front desk. Also the reconcepting and renaming of the former Santa Rosa Grill to Lantana Restaurant and lobby bar Agave Sunset were completed. The hotel temporarily closed its doors in July of 2012 to begin constructing the Citrus Marketplace and Cafe. During his 6 years in Indian Wells Farwell served as Chairman of the California Hotel and Lodging Association and Chairman of the Palm Springs Desert Resort Convention and Visitors Bureau.

 

In 2012, the resort changed its name from Hyatt Grand Champions to Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa. Doug Sears was the general manager from 2013 to 2017. In Oct 2017 Stephen D’Agostino was named general manager. D’Agostino most recently was general manager of Hyatt Regency Orange County.

 

Compiled by Dick Johnson, October 2018

Indiana State Fairgrounds

Informal meeting of competitiveness ministers (internal market and industry) on 16 July 2018. Signing of the Declaration of cooperation on Artificial Intelligence Declaration by Croatia. Picturing EU Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska (left), Minister Darko Horvat (second left), Federal Minister Margarete Schramböck (second right) and Vice-President of the European Commission Andrus Ansip (right). Copyright BKA/Michael Gruber

Julius Klinger (1876 – 1942) was an Austrian Painter, draftsman, illustrator, commercial graphic artist, typographer and writer. Klinger studied at the Technologisches Gewerbemuseum.In 1897 he relocated to Berlin, where he worked extensively as a commercial graphic artist until 1915. Being of Jewish descent, he suffered from national socialist harassment. According to Viennese police records, he was registered as moved to Minsk in June 2, 1942, i.e. deported. Presumably, he was killed the same year. The Johannisthal Air Field, located 15 km southeast of Berlin, was Germany's first airfield. It opened on 26 September 1909, a few weeks after the world's first airfield at Rheims, France.

FDL competitive sports league mens basketball vs. Wausau

FDL competitive sports league mens basketball vs. Wausau

Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa

44600 Indian Wells Ln,

Indian Wells, CA 92210

 

*** In the beginning ***

 

In 1967 Charlie Pasarell, was 23 and was ranked No 1 U.S. tennis player. When Pasarell turned 35 he determined he was not good enough to play competitively with the younger players. So, he decided to promote a tennis circuit for those over 35 and it would be called the Grand Champions. Albert DeVaul, who developed the Racquet Club at Scottsdale Ranch in Arizona, hosted one of the Pasarell's Grand Champions tournaments and was pleased with the success. These two became friends then partners - a relationship that eventually led to the $70 million resort in Indian Wells - The Grand Champions, now known as Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa.

 

In 1977 Pasarell was director of tennis for Ernie Vossler's Landmark Land Co., which re-developed the La Quinta Hotel Golf & Tennis Resort. Vossler and Pasarell wanted to re-imagine the La Quinta Resort as a world class tennis resort. With Pasarell on board as tennis director the resort’s tennis club was born. In 1981, La Quinta Resort & Club hosted its first major professional tennis tournament, the Grand Marnier/ATP Tennis Games (now the BNP Paribas Open). The first tournament ended with Jimmy Connors defeating Ivan Lendl. The 1981 total prize money was $175,000 with $28,000 to the singles winner. Attendance for the Sunday finals was 6,600.

 

During the six years (1981 – 1986) the tournament was held in La Quinta, the event achieved such success that it outgrew the tennis stadium and facilities at La Quinta Hotel. Charlie Pasarell’s goal was to strive for “major tennis event” status. He knew what was needed - a larger, more modern and permanent tennis stadium with enhanced facilities. To construct the appropriate tennis stadium and facilities, Pasarell and long-time friend and former player Raymond Moore established a company known as PM Sports Management, and created a team along with other investors including Albert DeVaul and entertainer Alan King to design, develop and operate a luxurious resort hotel and tennis facility. At that time the city of Indian Wells had three hotel sites available on Highway 111 adjacent to the city-funded 36-hole golf course. The golf courses were not to be known as public or municipal rather the courses were to be called resort or world class. Pasarell's group committed to a site but the city of Indian Wells would only allow a stadium with 4,000 permanent seats. In a work around Pasarell and the city agreed to a stadium built that was terraced on the bottom and had 4,000 permanent seats built around the upper ring. Pasarell plan was to rent 10.000 folding chairs, at a dollar apiece to make the 14,000 seat total.

 

For financing Pasarell and DeVaul sold an ownership portion of the Indian Wells hotel/tennis project to Brad Blackman, at the time a 34 year old president of Blackman, Garlock Flynn & Co., a San Francisco based real estate investment firm. A company - The Grand Champions Resorts - a California limited partnership, was formed with Brad Blackman named Chairman, Charles Pasarell president and investors including Alan King, VMS Realty and Primerica. Expansion beyond Indian Wells was promising with future plans for Grand Champions projects in Aspen, Polo Beach on Maui and Peter Island in the British Virgin Islands. It was Brad Blackman's relationship with Wolgang Puck that brought Puck to the Grand Champions to develop the food and beverage concepts. Brad Blackman also steered Puck to open Postrio at 545 Post Street in San Francisco.

 

In 1986, construction was completed on the 350-room Grand Champions Hotel (now known as the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa). The hotel is strongly reminiscent of La Mamounia, a great old hotel in Marrakech, Morocco. Morocco was one of the last stops on a three-year resort-hopping project that Charles Pasarell, Albert DeVaul and architect Bob Yamafuji undertook to come up with the resort's design. Development costs were reported to be $70 million - and up to $120 million. Its centerpiece was a sophisticated tennis center with 12 courts including a 10,000-seat tennis stadium (with some 7,000 permanent seats and 12 private sponsor suites), a 3,000-seat clubhouse court, two grass courts and two clay courts. Other facilities included a 3,000 square foot retail sport boutique, a 1.62-acre hospitality village and an 8,000 square foot convention center that also served as a media facility, a player’s lounge and a kitchen facility during the tournament. At the time it was completed, the stadium and facilities were truly state-of-the-art. The entertainer Alan King's job title was Vice Chairman of Entertainment and Special Events. King said he owned 3% of the hotel. Tennis great Boris Becker was to represent Grand Champions as its touring pro.

 

Bernard Dervieux was the opening chef. He left after one year (replaced by Marco Barbitta) to open Cuistot on El Paseo. Bernard was hired in 1980 at the Beverly Hills Hotel at the recommendation of Wolfgang Puck. He was Executive Chef at the hotel until 1986. After leaving the Beverly Hills Hotel, Bernard went to the Grand Champions Resort in Indians Wells and also to Aspen, Colorado serving as Executive Chef until opening Cuistot in 1987. The hotel opened with three restaurants: Trattoria - exhibition kitchen in the style of Puck's Spago, California regional with pizzas, pastas salads. Charlies - traditional classic dishes from the south of France with no cream and no butter. The Jasmine Room - the premier dining room offering a mix of French, Nouvelle and fine American cuisine. The opening manager for Jasmine was Pasquale Pavone who previously was maitre d'hotel at the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel for 11 years. Zapotec, a South American restaurant designed by Barbara Lazaroff, Puck's wife, was to be in a separate building on the Hyatt grounds.

 

In November 1987, one year after opening, Hyatt Hotels Corp commenced managing the Grand Champions Hotel. Rudy Richters, Neil B. Jacobs and Rick Redman were early general managers. Rudy Richter's previous general manager positions include the Dolder Hotel in Zurich, the Park in Vienna and L'ermitage in Beverly Hills. At the time VMS Realty had a strong relationship with Hyatt.

 

By 1989 VMS Realty, one of the nation's largest real estate firms, was suffering cash-flow problems and in an attempt to avoid bankruptcy replaced its top management and laid off some of its 500 employees. The Chicago-based partnership, which had a $9 billion portfolio that included Hyatt Grand Champions, said it would sell properties, seek to renegotiate bank loans and take a $110 million charge against third-quarter earnings. VMS, which began as a seller of real estate limited partnerships, partners were Robert Van Kampen, Peter R. Morris and Joel A. Stone (thus VMS). Limited partnerships, particularly in real estate, were the principal forms of tax shelters until the Tax Reform Act of 1986 effectively eliminated most of the tax benefits. As a result, a number of syndicators have left the syndication business entirely or filed for bankruptcy.

 

*** Richard L. Monfort ownership ***

 

Ken Monfort sold the family business, Monfort of Colorado, to ConAgra for $300 million in 1987. The cattle company was one of Greeley's largest employers and one of the world's largest beef operations. In 1989 VMS Realty was failing and a son of Ken Monfort, Richard L. Monfort, became a shareholder in the VMS owned Hyatt Grand Champions along with the Hyatt Hotel Corporation. Dick Monfort also owns the Colorado Rockies Baseball Club and was the owner of Boston's now closed Highland Steakhouse, once the highest grossing steakhouse in the U.S.

 

Australian tennis pro Mark Philippoussis won the 1999 Newsweek Champions Cup - it marked the last singles championship to be played on the 11,500-seat stadium at the Hyatt Grand Champion Resort. The 2000 tournanent moved to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Charlie Pasarell's new tennis mecca with a 16,100 seat stadium. According to Pasarell the Indian Wells tournament had grown to be among the most prestigious sports events in the world and had totally outgrown the facilities at the Hyatt Grand Champions.

 

In 2003 owner Dick Monfort completed a $60 million expansion at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort. The project began with the demolition of the 10,100 seat tennis stadium and a reduction of tennis courts from 12 to 3. The expansion included 142 guest rooms making the room count 480, a new 50,000 sq ft meeting facility and a 30,000 sq ft floating spa paradise, Agua Serena. John Orr, divisional vice president for Hyatt Hotels gave credit to Dick Monfort's perseverance for bringing this enhancement to fruitation. The General Manager at that time was Hendrick Santos. Santos later ran the Westin Rio Mar and the Gran Melia Golf Resort in Puerto Rico. Tom Netting was the VP and Managing Director during 2004-2007.

 

During 2005-06 the city of Indian Wells decided to plow under the two 19 year-old golf courses in a $45 million enhancement project. Clive Clark and John Fought were retained to completely re-do the Ted Robinson designed East Course and West Course along with the construction of a new clubhouse. Since 2006 the Indian Well's Golf Resort annual losses have exceeded a total of $20 million. In 1998, the former Erawan Garden Hotel was transformed beyond recognition into the Miramonte Resort. Together with the Hyatt Grand Champions, Indian Wells Resort Hotel, and Renaissance Esmeralda, the four properties were successful in generating room taxes that are more than 60% of the city of Indian Wells' operating budget.

 

In 2011 the Hyatt's general manager was Allan Farwell. He closed the resort during the month of July to facilitate the renovation of the resorts main entrance, lobby and front desk. Also the reconcepting and renaming of the former Santa Rosa Grill to Lantana Restaurant and lobby bar Agave Sunset were completed. The hotel temporarily closed its doors in July of 2012 to begin constructing the Citrus Marketplace and Cafe. During his 6 years in Indian Wells Farwell served as Chairman of the California Hotel and Lodging Association and Chairman of the Palm Springs Desert Resort Convention and Visitors Bureau.

 

In 2012, the resort changed its name from Hyatt Grand Champions to Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa. Doug Sears was the general manager from 2013 to 2017. In Oct 2017 Stephen D’Agostino was named general manager. D’Agostino most recently was general manager of Hyatt Regency Orange County.

 

Compiled by Dick Johnson, October 2018

Flair and competitive spirits were unleashed during the Human Dog Sled Races held on the Green. (Photo by Jeff Woodward)

 

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Competitive swimming.

Title: Competitive design for the Armidale and District Sailors' and Solders' War Memorial

Dated: Date or use No date

Digital ID: NRS18195_a051_000017

Series: NRS 18195 Photographs of War Memorials in New South Wales [Government Architect]

Rights: No known copyright restrictions www.records.nsw.gov.au/about-us/rights-and-permissions

  

This is part of the State Records NSW Centenary of ANZAC digital gallery and exhibition.

 

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Many other photos in our collection are available to view and browse on our website using Photo Investigator.

Leveling the Playing Field: Strengthening Ireland’s Competitiveness.”

 

On June 7, U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, Daniel M. Rooney hosted the annual Embassy conference at Croke Park in Dublin. This year’s theme was “Leveling the Playing Field: Strengthening Ireland’s Competitiveness.”

 

The conference addressed strategies to enhance competitiveness, using the importance of diversity and opportunity as key drivers to economic stabilization and recovery.

 

Ambassador Rooney noted: “It is special to be here in Croke Park to celebrate so much of what is wonderful about Ireland and its culture. This conference began as a way to look at how some of the ideas which are behind the Rooney Rule can be incorporated into other areas – lassrooms, cliving rooms, the medical field, lassrooms, businesses, sports leagues. It has made a huge difference in the National Football League .

 

I know new practices and adopting changecan be difficult, but the rewards are significant. I have always believed that to be truly successful everyone needs an equal chance to compete. This is true in business and it is true in sports.”

 

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, T.D. and William R. Johnson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the H.J. Heinz Company.

 

The Taoiseach said “Already, the progress that Ireland has made in repairing our damaged economy is well recognised internationally. Step by step, we are bringing our public finances under control through our fiscal consolidation programme. At the same time, my Government has brought a strong and determined focus to the agenda for growth and jobs.”

 

While Mr. Johnson noted that "It's a leader in foreign investment per capita for many reasons, most noticeably the availability of skilled labour, the productivity of the Irish workforce, and your success in stimulating business investment over the years, through legislation and attractive corporate tax rates." "Ireland continues to be an attractive place to do business, and many other global companies have discovered this by establishing factories and operations in the country," he said.

 

Other participants speaking at the conference included Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairi Quinn, T.D.; Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton, T.D.; Norah Casey, CEO of Harmonia; Cathriona Hallahan, Managing Director Microsoft EOC, Microsoft Ireland; and James Mailley, Monster.com Sales Director. Mark Waller, Chief Marketing Officer with the NFL; Eamon Dunphy, Broadcaster & Journalist;

Day 2 of Mini Festival at Brands Hatch and after a Superb Day of Both Racing and High Speed Action on the Saturday Sunday Was Promising to be a lot of the Same but with even more Racing to Look forward too.

 

With 2 Races for both Miglia class and Dunlop Mini Sevens as well as Formula 3 The Days events were already shaping up to be One for The History Books with Multiple Fierce and Competitive Drivers from Saturday Looking to Improve and Win their Respective Classes.

 

Lets take a Look at what Will be Racing Today and see which of the Drivers can Push Hard and Aim for a Win in their Respective Class.

 

Dunlop Mini Challenges Supported by Mini Spares - Miglia (Race 9 Results)

 

First up onto the Track was The Dunlop Mini Miglia Challenge and after a Very Intense Qualifying Battle Yesterday (Aron Smith) Took the Pole with (Andrew Jordan) Second and (James Cuthbertson) in Third Place. Will all Three Men be able to Keep their Positions come the Race or will they start to fall down the order once Racing Gets Underway. Lets find out.

 

In First Place was (Endaf Owens) in his Miglia with a Best Lap Time of 54.221 and a Top Speed of 78.76mph. Fantastic Drive there Endaf who was Definitely not Afraid to get that Miglia Sideways as he Raced his Way through the Field to take a Dominant Victory.

 

In Second Place was (Andrew Jordan) In His Miglia with a Best Lap Time of 54.498 and a Top Speed of 78.64mph. Amazing Driving from Andrew Showing what a Fantastic Mini Racer he is as well as a Superb BTCC Driver as well using his Skills Learned from his BTCC Racing to Hold on for Second Place.

 

In Third Place was (Aaron Smith) in His Miglia with a Best Lap Time of 54.449 and a Top Speed Of 78.63mph. Awesome Work there Aaron Putting on an Incredible Display Of Driving Commitment and Skill to Keep 3rd Place and Take the Final Podium Spot.

 

What a Start to the Days Racing with Three Top Drivers Battling out for a Victory and Showing what they can do when it comes to Competitive Miglia Racing. What New Challenges will be Seen in Race 2 as each Drivers Gets Ready to do Battle once again and this Time who will be the one to Claim that All Important Victory.

 

Lets Find out

 

Dunlop Mini Challenges Supported by Mini Spares - Miglia (Race 17 Results)

 

In First Place was (Endaf Owens) In His Miglia with a Best Lap Time of 54.862 and A Top Speed of 54.862mph. Very Fast and Quick Racing from Endaf who was Pushing as Hard as he Could to keep the Gap wide Open and ensure a Victory. Amazing Driving

 

In Second Place was (Aaron Smith) in His Miglia with a Best Lap Time of 54.773 and a Top Speed of 75.23mph. Fantastic Drive there Aron Really Great Work and taking Second Place away from the Previous Second Place Winner (Andrew Jordan)

 

In Third Place was (Andrew Jordan) in His Miglia with a Best Lap Time of 54.913 and a Top Speed of 75.21mph. Another Storming Drive from Andrew to take Third Place this Time Well Done.

 

What Another Amazing Race will all three Top Drivers Pushing their Miglia's Hard and all wanting to achieve that 1st Place Finish. To all other Drivers out there Good Luck and Keep Pushing Yourselves to Work Harder and you will Achieve what it is that you so Desire.

 

Dunlop Mini Challenges Supported by Mini Spares - Se7en (Race 13 Results)

 

Dunlop Mini Sevens were next up onto the Circuit and with Cars that all Have a Very Colourful set of Liveries and Drivers Ready to go this Next Race was going to be One that would be a Fantastic Watch from either Paddock Hill or The Main Straight as the Minis would be Blasting Past at Nearly 75mph.

 

Previously Yesterday During Qualifying it was (Jeff Smith) who took the Pole with (Nick Fowler) in Second Place and (Spencer Wanstall) in Third Place with all Three Drivers being Separated by Less than Half a Second as they Crossed the Line to Finish Qualifying.

 

With Three Very Experienced Drivers at the Front and a Whole Grid of other Great Drivers Ready Lets see what Results this Race will bring.

 

In First Place was (Jeff Smith) in his Mini Seven with a Best Lap Time of 59.566 and a Top Speed of 72.29mph. Amazing work Jeff Pushing that Little Mini Seven to its Limits and taking First Place.

 

In Second Place was (Jonathan Lewis) in his Mini Seven with a Best Lap Time of 59.197 and a Top Speed of 71.91mph. Another Incredible Drive from Jonathan Keeping Hold of Second Place and taking Home the Spoils from the First Race.

 

In Third Place was (Nick Fowler) in his Mini Seven with a Best Lap Time of 59.688 and a Top Speed of 71.83mph. Fantastic Drive there Nick Racing Hard and Managing to Hold onto Third Place on the Podium Well Done.

 

Mini Racing is Really Turning out to be Very Exciting and Fantastic This Year with so Many Different Winners and Other Drivers working Hard to Keep their Cars is Running and Race Ready condition. A Big Congratulations to Jeff Jonathan and Nick for showing some Seriously Impressive Racing and to all other Drivers Taking Part and enjoying what They Love.

 

Lets Dive into Race 2 and See who Might make a Leap to 1st Second or Third and who will be able to challenge the Top Three Drivers.

 

Dunlop Mini Challenges Supported by Mini Spares - Se7en (Race 19 Results)

 

Race 2 Up Next and things were not going as Smoothly as Most Drivers would Have Wanted as they all Gripped their Steering wheels and Prepared for Battle The Heavens Opened and a Large Rain Shower Engulfed the Track and with already Dark Conditions now getting even Darker it was only a matter of Time before Visibility would be Very Difficult.

 

Who has the Nerve to Push Hard and Take The Victory and who will be Brave Enough to take Second and Third Place? Lets Find out

 

In First Place was (Joe Thompson) in His Mini Seven with a Best Lap Time of 1:06.615 and a Top Speed of 60.38mph. Extremely Well Driven there Joe Pushing Hard but keeping the Mini Under Control in Very Damp and Dark Conditions to take a Superb Victory.

 

In Second Place was (Mike Jordan) in His Mini Seven with a Best Lap Time of 1:06.801 and a Top Speed of 60.33mph. Amazing Drive there Mike Well Deserved and Driven too.

 

In Third Place was (Spencer Wanstall) in His Mini Seven with a Best Lap Time of 1:05.178 and a Top Speed of 60.32mph. Incredible Bravery from Spencer and to Keep that Car on the Track Must Have Taken some Incredible Skill thought the Entire Race.

 

What a Fantastic Finish to the Mini Sevens Racing Today at Brands Hatch with Multiple Different Winners on the Podium and Some Very Changeable Conditions it made for some Remarkable Racing and Brilliant Overtakes thought.

 

Congratulations to Joe Mike and Spencer on their Podium Places and Well Done to all Other Mini Seven Drivers for Braving the Conditions to put on a Race that Shows What the British Spirit of Racing is all About. Alex Issigonis would be Proud.

 

Formula 3 Cup (Race 12 Results)

 

Formula 3 up Next and with the Track being Mostly Dry before the Start of This Race Each Drivers was Ready to Push Hard and try to take the Victory from the other. Qualifying Yesterday Proved that even a Smaller Grid can still Make for some Intense Racing with Drivers such as (George Line) (Robbie Watts) and (Shane Kelly) showing some Incredible Speed and Capable Car Control thought the Entire Qualifying Session.

 

With Lots of Aero and a Very Fast set of Dallara F308 Engines Powering them Lets See what the Formula 3's Get up to.

 

In First Place was (George Line) in his F3 Dallara F308 with a Lap Time of 43.825 and a Top Speed of 96.55mph. Incredible Speed and Confidence shown from George behind the wheel of that Formula 3 showing that he was Almost Fearless and in a League of his own. Incredible Driving.

 

In Second Place was (Robbie Watts) in his F3 Dallara F308 with a Lap Time of 43.926 and a Top Speed of 96.39mph. Another Super Driver in Robbie Pushing Hard and Defending Second Place thought the Entire Race and Keeping George Busy on his Toes Most of the Time.

 

In Third Place was (Shane Kelly) in his F3 Dallara F308 with a Lap Time of 44.071 and a Top Speed of 95.88mph. Very Well Done there Shane Racing Hard and Keeping up the Pace with Both Robbie and George in Second and First.

 

What an Exciting First Race for the Formula 3 Drivers who are all Showing that they All Have the Nerve and Skill to Race Hard and Push where it matters. Congratulations to Stefano George and Dominic and Good Luck to All other F3 Drivers out there for Race 2 Coming up Next.

 

Formula 3 Cup (Race 21 Results)

 

With Race 2 About to Start all of the Drivers took off for their Formation Lap and Plenty of Water and Spray was seen Shooting up from the Back of Each Car and Having had the First Race take Place in Dry Conditions thease New Track Conditions would be Very Different for Each Driver and Driving Ability is a Must for Survival Out there. With the 5 Red Lights illuminated the Race Began but who would Finish and take Home The Victory. Lets Find Out

 

In First Place was (Stefano Leaney) in his F3 Dallara F317 with a Best Lap Time of 50.532 and a Top Speed of 84.71mph. Stefano is Really Proving to be a worthy Drivers to Drive in Formula 3 as Once Again his Sheeree Bravery and Fearless Nature was on Display once again in Conditions that Most other Divers would have thought Twice about Pushing their Machinery to Hard in. Congratulations Stefano.

 

In Second Place was (George Line) in his F3 Dallara F308 with a Best Lap Time of 52.738 and a Top Speed of 81.07mph. Fantastic Work there George Once Again Demonstraighting how to Race an F3 In Wet Conditions with Beautiful Lines taken thought the Corse of the Race and a Well Deserved Second Place.

 

In Third Place was (Shane Kelly) in his Dallara F308 with a Best Lap Time of 52.771 and a Too Speed of 80.96mph Another Very Brave and Quick Driver in Wet Conditions with Shane Really Defending Hard and Fast in order to Keep hold of that Well Deserved Third Place.

 

What an Astonishing Race with Winners in Stefano George and Shane all taking spots on the Podium and Hopefully One Day Having their Chance in Formula 1. Each Driver put on a Super Display of Driving Skill and Keeping their Cars at High Speed on a Wet Track is no Easy Feat. Well Done to all the Other Formula 3 Drivers too Keep Pushing Hard and Making sure you do Everything you Can To One Day Achieve That Victory.

 

Fastest Mini in the World (Race 11 Results)

 

Fastest Mini In The World was Up Next and this Racing Series Features Many Familiar Looking Minis and yet Each one has a trick up its Sleeve and that is that their Standard 1275gt Engines have all been Replaced with Engines from Cars that have Considerably more Horse Power. The Goal of the Race is to not Just Win but to also Prove to Everyone that You Have The Fastest Mini in the World.

 

With Qualifying Yesterday showing Very Quick Pace from (Bill Richards) in his Maguire Club Estate it was clear to see that The Drivers and their cars were in a completely different League to all other Racing Minis there that Weekend. Lets Find out who came First in the First Race and who took the First Title of Fastest Mini in the World.

 

In First Place was (Harvey Death) in his Austin Mini Cooper S V8 with a Best Lap Time of 51.294 and a Top Speed of 82.01mph. Fantastic Driving from Harvey to Push his V8 Mini to the Limit and take Home First Place and the Top Step on the Podium.

 

In Second Place was (Bill Richards) in his Maguire Clubman Estate with a Best Lap Time of 53.391 and a Top Speed of 80.15mph. Epic Drive there from Bill Pushing Hard and making sure to Keep Harvey Behind Him.

 

In Third Place was (Richard Billingham) in his Austin Mini Clubman with a Best Lap Time of 53.347 and a Top Speed of 79.91mph. Very Well Driven there Richard showing the Insane Horse Power thease Mini's have and how they Accelerate and Decelerate much Faster than a Standard Cooper S or even a Racing Mini Seven.

 

What an Epic Race and Display of Incredible Driving and Battling for the Victory of Fastest Mini in the World. Each Driver Held their Nerve and Push Very Hard Indeed which was Fantastic to see. Congratulations to our Race Winners Harvey Bill and Richard. Lets see what Luck Race 2 Brings.

 

Fastest Mini in the World (Race 16 Results)

 

In First Place was (Harvey Death) in his Austin Mini Cooper S V8 with a Best Lap Time of 52.256 and a Top Speed of 79.02mph. Another Fantastic Victory for Harvey who has proven to Have The Fastest Mini in the World and is Really Capable of Driving it as well. Congratulations

 

In Second Place was (Fabio Luffarelli) in his Mini Classic Saloon with a Best Lap Time of 55.949 and a Top Speed of 76.21mph. Amazing work there Fabio Fantastic to see such an Iconic Mini Out there but with a Twist by putting a Far more Powerful Engine under the hood to Have even more Fun with it. Amazing Build and Super Drive.

 

In Third Place was (Matthew Skidmore) in his Austin Mini with a Best Lap Time of 55.257 and a Top Speed of 75.71mph. Brilliant Drive Matthew Showing the Real Power and Driver Ability of a car Pushing right onto the limits all the Time.

 

What an Incredible Days Racing for the Fastest Mini in the World Showcasing Many Classic Favourites that Everyone Loves but with some surprises under each Bonnet. Congratulations to Harvey Fabio and Matthew for their Incredible Victories and Good Luck to all other Teams in the Series.

 

Mighty Minis & Super Mighty Mini Championship (Race 10 Results)

 

Mighty Mini's and Super Mighty Mini's were up Next and with a Massive Grid of Both Mighty and Super Mighty Mini's on Display This was going to be another Race that would be well worth the Watch.

 

From Qualifying Yesterday (Bobby Thompson) took the Pole setting a Very Fast Time of Just 1:00.205 Round the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit with (Ian Slark) and (Stuart Coombs) following Closely Behind in both Second and Third.

 

With So Many Different Drivers on the Grid and Plenty of Traffic to Navigate Through this First Race was going to be an Epic One to Witness.

 

In First Place was (Bobby Thompson) in his Super Mighty Mini 1293 with a Best Lap Time of 1:00.331 and a Top Speed of 61.14mph. Fantastic Work Bobby Racing at High Speeds and Pushing that Mini around the Circuit in Record Time. Congratulations

 

In Second Place was (Ian Slark) in his Super Mighty Mini 1293 with a Best Lap Time of 1:00.319 and a Top Speed of 61.13mph. Amazing Driving Ian Top Driver and a Fantastic Mini Racer

 

In Third Place was (Neven Kirkpatrick) in his Super Mighty Mini 1293 with a Best Lap Time of 1:00.426 and a Top Speed of 61.07mph. Well Done Neven a Really Well crafted Drive and a truly deserved Third Place.

 

What a Start to an Amazing Race with so many different Mini's taking to the track and Pushing hard keeping the top Three on their Toes the Entire Time due to How evenly matched each Mini is. Congratulations to Bobby Ian and Neven and See You all in the Final Race.

 

Mighty Minis & Super Mighty Mini Championship (Race 18 Results)

 

The Last Race of the Day for the Mighty and Super Mighty Mini's Championship and with a Very Tight Battle at the Top Between Bobby Ian and Neven which one of them will be able to take Home Victory for the Last Time today. Lets Get straight to finding out.

 

In First Place was (Neven Kirkpatrick) in his Super Mighty Mini 1293 with a Best Lap Time of 1:01.029 and a Top Speed of 70.35mph. Phenomenal Drive Neven Fending off Ian in Second Place and Keeping yourself up Front to Win and a Fantastic Way to End the Day with a Victory

 

In Second Place was (Ian Slark) in his Super Mighty Mini 1293 with a Best Lap Time of 1:00.756 and a Top Speed of 70.34mph. Another Brilliant Drive by Regular Ian Slark with Tremendous Car Control and Ability he Really is an Incredible Driver.

 

In Third Place was (David Kirkpatrick) in his Super Mighty Mini 1293 with a Best Lap Time of 1:00.991 and a Top Speed of 70.23mph. Amazing Work David Driving Hard and so Great to see Neven up there In First Place, Always Something to be Proud of.

 

And So that Ends the Days Racing for The Super Mighty Mini's and Mighty Mini's Racing, A Big Congratulations to Neven Ian and David on their Race Wins and also a Huge Well Done to all of the Other Mini Racers out there who Enjoy what they Do and show the World their Dedicated Passion and Commitment to Keeping British Racing Alive and Well.

 

Pre 66 Mini's (Race 15 Results)

 

Pre 66 Mini's were up Next and a whole Host of Classic Minis had taken to the track during their Formation Lap with Mini's from a By Gone Era that Showed Beauty and a Really Fierce Competitive Nature during the Pre 66 Category of Mini Racing.

 

During Qualifying the Previous Day (Ian Curley) Narrowly Beat Endaf Owens to Pole by just 0.254 with a Very Fast and Committed Lap Endaf Had to settle for Second Place while (Phil Brown)would take Third.

 

But today out of all three drivers who would be Brave Enough to challenge Ian and Endaf both Drivers who are very Competitive in their Racing and who both want to Win This One Race.

 

In First Place was (Endaf Owens) in his Mini Cooper S with a Best Lap Time of 58.026 and a Top Speed of 73.85mph. A Very Fast and Fearless Drive from Endaf who looked like he was Really Enjoying throwing that Mini Around in his Very Aggressive Driving Style. Congratulations Endaf

 

In Second Place was (Jeff Smith) in his Mini Cooper S with a Best Lap Time of 57.993 and a Top Speed of 73.84mph. Well Done Jeff an Awesome Drive and Keeping up with Endaf was no Easy Task.

 

In Third Place was (Ian Curley) in his Mini Cooper S with a Best Lap Time of 58.053 and a Top Speed of 73.32mph. Amazing Work Ian A Very Strong Drive for Third Place on the Podium.

 

What an Exciting Race for the Pre 66 Mini's with Both Endaf Owens and Jeff Smith Really Driving Hard and Defending both of their positions thought the Course of the entire Race. Also Well Done to Ian for Another 3rd Place Victory as Well as all other Drivers Racing.

 

Teekay Couplings Production GTI Championship (Race 14 Results)

 

The Teekay Couplings and Production GTI Championship was up next and with a whole Range of VF Golf GTI'S in one Race it was Going to be a Very Quick and Action Packed Race to Watch.

 

During Qualifying (Martyn Walsh) took the Pole with (Adam Hance) and (John Beale) in Second and Third Place Respectively.

 

With So Many Evenly Matched Cars Taking Part in the Race This was Really going to be About Driver Ability and Car Control to see who could extract that little bit more performance out of their Machine for a Victory.

 

In First Place was (Simon Hill) in his VW Golf GTI with a Best Lap Time of 56.824 and a Top Speed of 71.05mph. Amazing Driving Simon Pushing that VW to its Limits and Really showing off the Complete Understanding of Driver and their Car around the Race Track.

 

In Second Place was (Adam Hanke) in his VW Golf GTI MK5 with a Best Lap Time of 56.682 and a Top Speed of 71.02mph. Very Well Done Adam and a Really Spirited Drive from a Fantastic Driver to gain Second Place.

 

In Third Place was (Hendry Riley) in his VW Golf GTI With a Best Lap Time of 57.212 and a Top Speed of 71.01mph. Fantastic Work Hendry Driving the Wheels off that Thing and Taking Home Third Place.

 

What a Fantastic Starting Race with Plenty of Action and Drivers Working Hard at the Wheel and Thought the entire Race to try and Gain a Spot on the Podium.

 

Lets see what Race 2 Brings and Who May be able to Mount a challenge to the Top Three Drivers.

 

Teekay Couplings Production GTI Championship (Race 20 Results)

 

In First Place was (Simon Vercoe) in his VW Golf GTI with a Best Lap Time of 1:08.465 and a Top Speed of 62.13mph. What A Drive from Simon Vercoe Pushing that Golf to the Edge of the Track through Paddock Hill Bend and Making sure to Keep the Power on High thought the Entire Race for a Successful 1st Place Victory

 

In Second Place was (Hendry Riley) in his VW Golf GTI with a Best Lap Time of 1:08.886 and a Top Speed of 61.88mph. Amazing Driving there Once again Hendry for Second Place

 

In Third Place was (Simon Hill) in his VW Golf GTI with a Best Lap Time of 1:08.853 and a Top Speed of 61.81mph. Well Done Simon Pushing Hard and Making sure to Stay on the Podium Position for Third Place

 

What a Fantastic Set of Drivers and Race Cars all showing Different Racing styles and Lines but with Equally Matched Machinery. a Big Congratulations to Simon Vercoe Hendry and Simon for their Incredible Victories and Race Craft when out on the Track and Good Luck To Everyone Else.

 

Z Cars Racing & New Generation Production BMW Championship (Race 8 Results)

 

The Last Race of The Day and its the BMW New Generation and Z Cars Championship. With Many Different BMW'S Taking Part in this Race Speed Skill and Concentration will all be key Factors in Getting either a Win or a Podium Position.

 

During Qualifying on Saturday Chris Murphy took the Pole with Jack Wood Second and Edd Giddings Third. Three Drivers all with Many Hours of Racing Experience under their belt.

 

With The Race About to Start Lets Find out Who Will be The Last Ones to take First Second and Third Place on the Podium in Todays Racing.

 

In First Place was (Chris Murphy) in his BMW Z4 with a Best Lap time of 55.880 and a Top Speed of 75.95mph. Incredible Drive there Chris Taking the Win and Showing just how to Drive a Z4 BMW around the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit. Congratulations.

 

In Second Place was (Edd Giddings) in his BMW Z4 with a Best Lap Time of 56.481 and a Top Speed of 75.90mph. Amazing work there Edd with Some Incredible Driving and Keeping Pace with Chris Made for a Really Entertaining Battle.

 

In Third Place was (Matthew Dance) in his BMW Z4 With a Best Lap Time of 56.526 and a Top Speed of 75.16mph. Well Done Matthew Finishing in Third Place and Taking Home a Wonderful Victory.

 

And With that The End of Another Perfect and Incredible Days Racing comes to an End at Brands Hatch. The Mini Festival always knows How to Bring out the Best in both Drivers and Cars and Has a Real Atmosphere about the Love for the Little British Icon. The Spectators and The Raving Drivers a Like Really Cherish this Event and I Hope to see it and Document it Many More Times.

 

A Final Congratulations to Chris Edd and Matthew for their Superb Drives and to all Other Competitors Across the Entire Weekend for sharing their Love and Passion for Motorsport Helping to inspire the Many Different Young Talent's to One Day Achieve their own Racing Dreams.

 

See You All Again Next Year!

    

Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa

44600 Indian Wells Ln,

Indian Wells, CA 92210

 

*** In the beginning ***

 

In 1967 Charlie Pasarell, was 23 and was ranked No 1 U.S. tennis player. When Pasarell turned 35 he determined he was not good enough to play competitively with the younger players. So, he decided to promote a tennis circuit for those over 35 and it would be called the Grand Champions. Albert DeVaul, who developed the Racquet Club at Scottsdale Ranch in Arizona, hosted one of the Pasarell's Grand Champions tournaments and was pleased with the success. These two became friends then partners - a relationship that eventually led to the $70 million resort in Indian Wells - The Grand Champions, now known as Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa.

 

In 1977 Pasarell was director of tennis for Ernie Vossler's Landmark Land Co., which re-developed the La Quinta Hotel Golf & Tennis Resort. Vossler and Pasarell wanted to re-imagine the La Quinta Resort as a world class tennis resort. With Pasarell on board as tennis director the resort’s tennis club was born. In 1981, La Quinta Resort & Club hosted its first major professional tennis tournament, the Grand Marnier/ATP Tennis Games (now the BNP Paribas Open). The first tournament ended with Jimmy Connors defeating Ivan Lendl. The 1981 total prize money was $175,000 with $28,000 to the singles winner. Attendance for the Sunday finals was 6,600.

 

During the six years (1981 – 1986) the tournament was held in La Quinta, the event achieved such success that it outgrew the tennis stadium and facilities at La Quinta Hotel. Charlie Pasarell’s goal was to strive for “major tennis event” status. He knew what was needed - a larger, more modern and permanent tennis stadium with enhanced facilities. To construct the appropriate tennis stadium and facilities, Pasarell and long-time friend and former player Raymond Moore established a company known as PM Sports Management, and created a team along with other investors including Albert DeVaul and entertainer Alan King to design, develop and operate a luxurious resort hotel and tennis facility. At that time the city of Indian Wells had three hotel sites available on Highway 111 adjacent to the city-funded 36-hole golf course. The golf courses were not to be known as public or municipal rather the courses were to be called resort or world class. Pasarell's group committed to a site but the city of Indian Wells would only allow a stadium with 4,000 permanent seats. In a work around Pasarell and the city agreed to a stadium built that was terraced on the bottom and had 4,000 permanent seats built around the upper ring. Pasarell plan was to rent 10.000 folding chairs, at a dollar apiece to make the 14,000 seat total.

 

For financing Pasarell and DeVaul sold an ownership portion of the Indian Wells hotel/tennis project to Brad Blackman, at the time a 34 year old president of Blackman, Garlock Flynn & Co., a San Francisco based real estate investment firm. A company - The Grand Champions Resorts - a California limited partnership, was formed with Brad Blackman named Chairman, Charles Pasarell president and investors including Alan King, VMS Realty and Primerica. Expansion beyond Indian Wells was promising with future plans for Grand Champions projects in Aspen, Polo Beach on Maui and Peter Island in the British Virgin Islands. It was Brad Blackman's relationship with Wolgang Puck that brought Puck to the Grand Champions to develop the food and beverage concepts. Brad Blackman also steered Puck to open Postrio at 545 Post Street in San Francisco.

 

In 1986, construction was completed on the 350-room Grand Champions Hotel (now known as the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa). The hotel is strongly reminiscent of La Mamounia, a great old hotel in Marrakech, Morocco. Morocco was one of the last stops on a three-year resort-hopping project that Charles Pasarell, Albert DeVaul and architect Bob Yamafuji undertook to come up with the resort's design. Development costs were reported to be $70 million - and up to $120 million. Its centerpiece was a sophisticated tennis center with 12 courts including a 10,000-seat tennis stadium (with some 7,000 permanent seats and 12 private sponsor suites), a 3,000-seat clubhouse court, two grass courts and two clay courts. Other facilities included a 3,000 square foot retail sport boutique, a 1.62-acre hospitality village and an 8,000 square foot convention center that also served as a media facility, a player’s lounge and a kitchen facility during the tournament. At the time it was completed, the stadium and facilities were truly state-of-the-art. The entertainer Alan King's job title was Vice Chairman of Entertainment and Special Events. King said he owned 3% of the hotel. Tennis great Boris Becker was to represent Grand Champions as its touring pro.

 

Bernard Dervieux was the opening chef. He left after one year (replaced by Marco Barbitta) to open Cuistot on El Paseo. Bernard was hired in 1980 at the Beverly Hills Hotel at the recommendation of Wolfgang Puck. He was Executive Chef at the hotel until 1986. After leaving the Beverly Hills Hotel, Bernard went to the Grand Champions Resort in Indians Wells and also to Aspen, Colorado serving as Executive Chef until opening Cuistot in 1987. The hotel opened with three restaurants: Trattoria - exhibition kitchen in the style of Puck's Spago, California regional with pizzas, pastas salads. Charlies - traditional classic dishes from the south of France with no cream and no butter. The Jasmine Room - the premier dining room offering a mix of French, Nouvelle and fine American cuisine. The opening manager for Jasmine was Pasquale Pavone who previously was maitre d'hotel at the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel for 11 years. Zapotec, a South American restaurant designed by Barbara Lazaroff, Puck's wife, was to be in a separate building on the Hyatt grounds.

 

In November 1987, one year after opening, Hyatt Hotels Corp commenced managing the Grand Champions Hotel. Rudy Richters, Neil B. Jacobs and Rick Redman were early general managers. Rudy Richter's previous general manager positions include the Dolder Hotel in Zurich, the Park in Vienna and L'ermitage in Beverly Hills. At the time VMS Realty had a strong relationship with Hyatt.

 

By 1989 VMS Realty, one of the nation's largest real estate firms, was suffering cash-flow problems and in an attempt to avoid bankruptcy replaced its top management and laid off some of its 500 employees. The Chicago-based partnership, which had a $9 billion portfolio that included Hyatt Grand Champions, said it would sell properties, seek to renegotiate bank loans and take a $110 million charge against third-quarter earnings. VMS, which began as a seller of real estate limited partnerships, partners were Robert Van Kampen, Peter R. Morris and Joel A. Stone (thus VMS). Limited partnerships, particularly in real estate, were the principal forms of tax shelters until the Tax Reform Act of 1986 effectively eliminated most of the tax benefits. As a result, a number of syndicators have left the syndication business entirely or filed for bankruptcy.

 

*** Richard L. Monfort ownership ***

 

Ken Monfort sold the family business, Monfort of Colorado, to ConAgra for $300 million in 1987. The cattle company was one of Greeley's largest employers and one of the world's largest beef operations. In 1989 VMS Realty was failing and a son of Ken Monfort, Richard L. Monfort, became a shareholder in the VMS owned Hyatt Grand Champions along with the Hyatt Hotel Corporation. Dick Monfort also owns the Colorado Rockies Baseball Club and was the owner of Boston's now closed Highland Steakhouse, once the highest grossing steakhouse in the U.S.

 

Australian tennis pro Mark Philippoussis won the 1999 Newsweek Champions Cup - it marked the last singles championship to be played on the 11,500-seat stadium at the Hyatt Grand Champion Resort. The 2000 tournanent moved to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Charlie Pasarell's new tennis mecca with a 16,100 seat stadium. According to Pasarell the Indian Wells tournament had grown to be among the most prestigious sports events in the world and had totally outgrown the facilities at the Hyatt Grand Champions.

 

In 2003 owner Dick Monfort completed a $60 million expansion at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort. The project began with the demolition of the 10,100 seat tennis stadium and a reduction of tennis courts from 12 to 3. The expansion included 142 guest rooms making the room count 480, a new 50,000 sq ft meeting facility and a 30,000 sq ft floating spa paradise, Agua Serena. John Orr, divisional vice president for Hyatt Hotels gave credit to Dick Monfort's perseverance for bringing this enhancement to fruitation. The General Manager at that time was Hendrick Santos. Santos later ran the Westin Rio Mar and the Gran Melia Golf Resort in Puerto Rico. Tom Netting was the VP and Managing Director during 2004-2007.

 

During 2005-06 the city of Indian Wells decided to plow under the two 19 year-old golf courses in a $45 million enhancement project. Clive Clark and John Fought were retained to completely re-do the Ted Robinson designed East Course and West Course along with the construction of a new clubhouse. Since 2006 the Indian Well's Golf Resort annual losses have exceeded a total of $20 million. In 1998, the former Erawan Garden Hotel was transformed beyond recognition into the Miramonte Resort. Together with the Hyatt Grand Champions, Indian Wells Resort Hotel, and Renaissance Esmeralda, the four properties were successful in generating room taxes that are more than 60% of the city of Indian Wells' operating budget.

 

In 2011 the Hyatt's general manager was Allan Farwell. He closed the resort during the month of July to facilitate the renovation of the resorts main entrance, lobby and front desk. Also the reconcepting and renaming of the former Santa Rosa Grill to Lantana Restaurant and lobby bar Agave Sunset were completed. The hotel temporarily closed its doors in July of 2012 to begin constructing the Citrus Marketplace and Cafe. During his 6 years in Indian Wells Farwell served as Chairman of the California Hotel and Lodging Association and Chairman of the Palm Springs Desert Resort Convention and Visitors Bureau.

 

In 2012, the resort changed its name from Hyatt Grand Champions to Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa. Doug Sears was the general manager from 2013 to 2017. In Oct 2017 Stephen D’Agostino was named general manager. D’Agostino most recently was general manager of Hyatt Regency Orange County.

 

Compiled by Dick Johnson, October 2018

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden testifies during a Senate Subcommittee on Space, Science and Competitiveness hearing titled "Examining the President’s Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Request for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration" held on Thursday, March 12, 2015 in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa

44600 Indian Wells Ln,

Indian Wells, CA 92210

 

*** In the beginning ***

 

In 1967 Charlie Pasarell, was 23 and was ranked No 1 U.S. tennis player. When Pasarell turned 35 he determined he was not good enough to play competitively with the younger players. So, he decided to promote a tennis circuit for those over 35 and it would be called the Grand Champions. Albert DeVaul, who developed the Racquet Club at Scottsdale Ranch in Arizona, hosted one of the Pasarell's Grand Champions tournaments and was pleased with the success. These two became friends then partners - a relationship that eventually led to the $70 million resort in Indian Wells - The Grand Champions, now known as Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa.

 

In 1977 Pasarell was director of tennis for Ernie Vossler's Landmark Land Co., which re-developed the La Quinta Hotel Golf & Tennis Resort. Vossler and Pasarell wanted to re-imagine the La Quinta Resort as a world class tennis resort. With Pasarell on board as tennis director the resort’s tennis club was born. In 1981, La Quinta Resort & Club hosted its first major professional tennis tournament, the Grand Marnier/ATP Tennis Games (now the BNP Paribas Open). The first tournament ended with Jimmy Connors defeating Ivan Lendl. The 1981 total prize money was $175,000 with $28,000 to the singles winner. Attendance for the Sunday finals was 6,600.

 

During the six years (1981 – 1986) the tournament was held in La Quinta, the event achieved such success that it outgrew the tennis stadium and facilities at La Quinta Hotel. Charlie Pasarell’s goal was to strive for “major tennis event” status. He knew what was needed - a larger, more modern and permanent tennis stadium with enhanced facilities. To construct the appropriate tennis stadium and facilities, Pasarell and long-time friend and former player Raymond Moore established a company known as PM Sports Management, and created a team along with other investors including Albert DeVaul and entertainer Alan King to design, develop and operate a luxurious resort hotel and tennis facility. At that time the city of Indian Wells had three hotel sites available on Highway 111 adjacent to the city-funded 36-hole golf course. The golf courses were not to be known as public or municipal rather the courses were to be called resort or world class. Pasarell's group committed to a site but the city of Indian Wells would only allow a stadium with 4,000 permanent seats. In a work around Pasarell and the city agreed to a stadium built that was terraced on the bottom and had 4,000 permanent seats built around the upper ring. Pasarell plan was to rent 10.000 folding chairs, at a dollar apiece to make the 14,000 seat total.

 

For financing Pasarell and DeVaul sold an ownership portion of the Indian Wells hotel/tennis project to Brad Blackman, at the time a 34 year old president of Blackman, Garlock Flynn & Co., a San Francisco based real estate investment firm. A company - The Grand Champions Resorts - a California limited partnership, was formed with Brad Blackman named Chairman, Charles Pasarell president and investors including Alan King, VMS Realty and Primerica. Expansion beyond Indian Wells was promising with future plans for Grand Champions projects in Aspen, Polo Beach on Maui and Peter Island in the British Virgin Islands. It was Brad Blackman's relationship with Wolgang Puck that brought Puck to the Grand Champions to develop the food and beverage concepts. Brad Blackman also steered Puck to open Postrio at 545 Post Street in San Francisco.

 

In 1986, construction was completed on the 350-room Grand Champions Hotel (now known as the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa). The hotel is strongly reminiscent of La Mamounia, a great old hotel in Marrakech, Morocco. Morocco was one of the last stops on a three-year resort-hopping project that Charles Pasarell, Albert DeVaul and architect Bob Yamafuji undertook to come up with the resort's design. Development costs were reported to be $70 million - and up to $120 million. Its centerpiece was a sophisticated tennis center with 12 courts including a 10,000-seat tennis stadium (with some 7,000 permanent seats and 12 private sponsor suites), a 3,000-seat clubhouse court, two grass courts and two clay courts. Other facilities included a 3,000 square foot retail sport boutique, a 1.62-acre hospitality village and an 8,000 square foot convention center that also served as a media facility, a player’s lounge and a kitchen facility during the tournament. At the time it was completed, the stadium and facilities were truly state-of-the-art. The entertainer Alan King's job title was Vice Chairman of Entertainment and Special Events. King said he owned 3% of the hotel. Tennis great Boris Becker was to represent Grand Champions as its touring pro.

 

Bernard Dervieux was the opening chef. He left after one year (replaced by Marco Barbitta) to open Cuistot on El Paseo. Bernard was hired in 1980 at the Beverly Hills Hotel at the recommendation of Wolfgang Puck. He was Executive Chef at the hotel until 1986. After leaving the Beverly Hills Hotel, Bernard went to the Grand Champions Resort in Indians Wells and also to Aspen, Colorado serving as Executive Chef until opening Cuistot in 1987. The hotel opened with three restaurants: Trattoria - exhibition kitchen in the style of Puck's Spago, California regional with pizzas, pastas salads. Charlies - traditional classic dishes from the south of France with no cream and no butter. The Jasmine Room - the premier dining room offering a mix of French, Nouvelle and fine American cuisine. The opening manager for Jasmine was Pasquale Pavone who previously was maitre d'hotel at the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel for 11 years. Zapotec, a South American restaurant designed by Barbara Lazaroff, Puck's wife, was to be in a separate building on the Hyatt grounds.

 

In November 1987, one year after opening, Hyatt Hotels Corp commenced managing the Grand Champions Hotel. Rudy Richters, Neil B. Jacobs and Rick Redman were early general managers. Rudy Richter's previous general manager positions include the Dolder Hotel in Zurich, the Park in Vienna and L'ermitage in Beverly Hills. At the time VMS Realty had a strong relationship with Hyatt.

 

By 1989 VMS Realty, one of the nation's largest real estate firms, was suffering cash-flow problems and in an attempt to avoid bankruptcy replaced its top management and laid off some of its 500 employees. The Chicago-based partnership, which had a $9 billion portfolio that included Hyatt Grand Champions, said it would sell properties, seek to renegotiate bank loans and take a $110 million charge against third-quarter earnings. VMS, which began as a seller of real estate limited partnerships, partners were Robert Van Kampen, Peter R. Morris and Joel A. Stone (thus VMS). Limited partnerships, particularly in real estate, were the principal forms of tax shelters until the Tax Reform Act of 1986 effectively eliminated most of the tax benefits. As a result, a number of syndicators have left the syndication business entirely or filed for bankruptcy.

 

*** Richard L. Monfort ownership ***

 

Ken Monfort sold the family business, Monfort of Colorado, to ConAgra for $300 million in 1987. The cattle company was one of Greeley's largest employers and one of the world's largest beef operations. In 1989 VMS Realty was failing and a son of Ken Monfort, Richard L. Monfort, became a shareholder in the VMS owned Hyatt Grand Champions along with the Hyatt Hotel Corporation. Dick Monfort also owns the Colorado Rockies Baseball Club and was the owner of Boston's now closed Highland Steakhouse, once the highest grossing steakhouse in the U.S.

 

Australian tennis pro Mark Philippoussis won the 1999 Newsweek Champions Cup - it marked the last singles championship to be played on the 11,500-seat stadium at the Hyatt Grand Champion Resort. The 2000 tournanent moved to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Charlie Pasarell's new tennis mecca with a 16,100 seat stadium. According to Pasarell the Indian Wells tournament had grown to be among the most prestigious sports events in the world and had totally outgrown the facilities at the Hyatt Grand Champions.

 

In 2003 owner Dick Monfort completed a $60 million expansion at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort. The project began with the demolition of the 10,100 seat tennis stadium and a reduction of tennis courts from 12 to 3. The expansion included 142 guest rooms making the room count 480, a new 50,000 sq ft meeting facility and a 30,000 sq ft floating spa paradise, Agua Serena. John Orr, divisional vice president for Hyatt Hotels gave credit to Dick Monfort's perseverance for bringing this enhancement to fruitation. The General Manager at that time was Hendrick Santos. Santos later ran the Westin Rio Mar and the Gran Melia Golf Resort in Puerto Rico. Tom Netting was the VP and Managing Director during 2004-2007.

 

During 2005-06 the city of Indian Wells decided to plow under the two 19 year-old golf courses in a $45 million enhancement project. Clive Clark and John Fought were retained to completely re-do the Ted Robinson designed East Course and West Course along with the construction of a new clubhouse. Since 2006 the Indian Well's Golf Resort annual losses have exceeded a total of $20 million. In 1998, the former Erawan Garden Hotel was transformed beyond recognition into the Miramonte Resort. Together with the Hyatt Grand Champions, Indian Wells Resort Hotel, and Renaissance Esmeralda, the four properties were successful in generating room taxes that are more than 60% of the city of Indian Wells' operating budget.

 

In 2011 the Hyatt's general manager was Allan Farwell. He closed the resort during the month of July to facilitate the renovation of the resorts main entrance, lobby and front desk. Also the reconcepting and renaming of the former Santa Rosa Grill to Lantana Restaurant and lobby bar Agave Sunset were completed. The hotel temporarily closed its doors in July of 2012 to begin constructing the Citrus Marketplace and Cafe. During his 6 years in Indian Wells Farwell served as Chairman of the California Hotel and Lodging Association and Chairman of the Palm Springs Desert Resort Convention and Visitors Bureau.

 

In 2012, the resort changed its name from Hyatt Grand Champions to Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa. Doug Sears was the general manager from 2013 to 2017. In Oct 2017 Stephen D’Agostino was named general manager. D’Agostino most recently was general manager of Hyatt Regency Orange County.

 

Compiled by Dick Johnson, October 2018

Cotton was first grown in Queensland in 1857. The Queensland Cotton Marketing Board was established in 1926 and the Queensland Government introduced incentives to promote production in central Queensland.

 

Queensland State Archives Item ID436303, Photographic material

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies during a Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness hearing titled, "Global Space Race: Ensuring the United States Remains the Leader in Space," Wednesday, September 26, 2018 at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

-13” x 9.5” x 19”

-Heavy duty dobby material.

-Water resistant rubberized bottom

-Media pocket.

-Water-resistant rubberized bottom.

-Embroidered logo.

-Ventilated side pockets.

-Anatomically shaped shoulder straps.

-Front webbing towel straps.

-Cell phone and goggle pouch.

-Monogramming Available for $12.00 (2-week delivery)

 

gosw.im/gHijMM

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies during a Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness hearing titled, "Global Space Race: Ensuring the United States Remains the Leader in Space," Wednesday, September 26, 2018 at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

The competitive cheer team took charge of the mats this past Saturday at Farwell. With ten teams competing for the win they came out on top! With a R#1 score of 201.4 the team was in 1st place. After a R#2 score of 169.32 the team was up by 20 points. After completing R#3 with a score of 231.5 with a total combined score of 602.22 the Mustangs brought home the gold! The competitive cheer team will be in Breckenridge this Saturday with a start of 11:00 AM

 

Flair and competitive spirits were unleashed during the Human Dog Sled Races held on the Green. (Photo by Jeff Woodward)

 

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More than 230 cadets began the Competitive MIAD tryouts Oct. 25 and the head count dwindled throughout the daylong assessment conducted by the Department of Military Instruction. The physical assessment included a modified Army Physical Fitness Test (pushups, situps, pullups and 2-mile run), a 6.75-mile ruck march, the Indoor Obstacle Course Test and swim test. This was followed by a military assessment which included a kit assessment and military knowledge test. Scores were compiled and the top 192 cadets proceeded to the third phase, a Leadership and Character Assessment consisting of four leaderless command tasks similar to what cadets encounter at the Leader Reaction Course at Camp Buckner. One task required a squad to move into a formation—blindfolded—alphabetically by home states. Others, like the V-Plank and River Crossing were timed obstacles requiring teamwork and problem-solving. Cadets who hoped to enter the Combat Divers Qualification Course or the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) school had a different third phase to complete that was more oriented toward the skills required to pass those courses. In all, there are 77 slots available for cadets to attend 10 different U.S. and foreign military schools. Photo by Mike Strasser/USMA PAO

• Sturdy enough to withstand any amount of splashing about and functional enough to take accurate times, this fun watch design is perfect for active youths and beginning competitors.

• Large, easy-to-read display

• Pinless Aqua Lock™ strap buckle

• Water-resistant to 50 meters

• Backlight

• Stopwatch

• 5 second count-down-to-start function

• Interval timer

• Alarm

 

gosw.im/hPQ8hA

Anatomically shaped shoulder straps.

 

gosw.im/gHijMM

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies during a Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness hearing titled, "Global Space Race: Ensuring the United States Remains the Leader in Space," Wednesday, September 26, 2018 at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine gestures with a bottle of water while testifying during a Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness hearing titled, "Global Space Race: Ensuring the United States Remains the Leader in Space," Wednesday, September 26, 2018 at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Kosovo

 

Business and SME support - Competitiveness and growth - Economy

 

Achieving the EU product quality mark has helped a construction company access international markets and improve standards at the same time.

  

Read the full story here: webalkans.eu/en/stories/paving-kosovos-road-to-eu-markets/

 

Share your story here: webalkans.eu/en/submit-a-story/

 

© Free Movement of Goods, Shalaj

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies during a Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness hearing titled, "Global Space Race: Ensuring the United States Remains the Leader in Space," Wednesday, September 26, 2018 at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)