View allAll Photos Tagged optimistic
Photo captured off U.S. Highway 101, the Redwood Highway, via Minolta MD Tele Rokkor-X 135mm F/2.8 Lens. Near False Klamath Cove. In the unincorporated, rural and census-designated place of Klamath. Coast Range. North Coast. Del Norte County, Northern California. "State of Jefferson." Late July 2017.
Exposure Time: 1/640 sec. * ISO Speed: ISO-100 * Aperture: F/11 * Bracketing: None * Color Temperature: 5500 K
A Group of Four Optimistic Cactus Flowers In My Front Garden
These glorious cactus flowers in my front garden open at night and last for a single day. They are so optimistic that they will be fertilized quickly.
IMG_2587 - Version 2
I am optimistic about actually doing this year's Life Book lessons. Last year got away from me, but thankfully, I've got all the lessons saved. Yay! This year, though, I am going to sit down once a week and actually do the lessons. This Fairy Art Mother is totally inspired by Tamara LaPorte. willowing.org
Dubbo. Population 42,000.
Explorer S. Evans followed the course of the Macquarie River towards Bathurst in 1814. Next followed John Oxley in 1818 when he described the fertile flats along the Talbragar River which joins the Macquarie River a few miles to the north. The first white squatter to occupy land here was Robert Dulhunty in the early 1830s. This was illegal occupation and beyond the Nineteen Counties which tried to limit the extent of land occupation. After the passing of the Squatting Act of 1836, which allowed licensed occupation, Dulhunty set up his run on a more permanent basis with the first homestead built in 1840. He called his run Dubbo after a Wiradjuri word meaning red earth or head covering. Dubbo town was surveyed and laid out in May 1849, proclaimed in November 1849 with land sales in 1850. Earlier in 1846 the government planned to build a police station, lockup and courthouse on Dulhunty’s run. The site chosen in 1847 was just outside of his run and was close to where the old gaol is now located. The slab structures were completed in 1848 and a police paddock for the horses was fenced in 1849. Amazingly this slab Courthouse was not replaced with a solid structure until 1863 in Macquarie Street. It was later demolished.
The tiny 1847 settlement owed its early growth to a Frenchman Jean Serisier who came to the town to open a general store. His Belgian friend set up the first inn, the Macquarie Inn as both were optimistic about the future growth prospects of the region. With land sales in 1850 Serisier bought land and stayed on as a civic leader. He established an early vineyard in 1868 and raised nine children. One son operated the store after his father’s death in 1880. It took some years for Dubbo to become a well-built town. The first church was a Catholic Church opened in 1856 and a government school in 1858 followed by an Anglican Church and rectory in 1859. By the early 1860s the town had two general stores and two hotels. By the 1872 Dubbo had become a municipality with 850 residents and it had its own newspaper, its first banks, more stores etc. A second Catholic Church was erected in 1874, a second Anglican Church was built in 1876, and a Presbyterian Church opened in 1876. Further growth occurred after the railway from Bathurst reached here in 1881. By that time the town had 29 hotels, three breweries, a tannery and because of the railway it soon had a flourmill too. The 1880s was also the decade for impressive new government buildings. The two storey Post Office designed by government architect James Barnet was competed in 1887, the Old Gaol was rebuilt in 1887 although parts of it date to 1871, the second impressive Courthouse also designed by James Barnet was started in 1885 and completed in 1887 in classical style with a triangular pediment and triple arched entry porch. It is in Brisbane Street.
The railway from Wellington reached the town in 1881 and the railway station opened at the same time. It is now the terminus of the daily XPT to and from Sydney. The double gable ended station, which is heritage listed, is a major rail junction. John Witton (1820-1890) was the architect of that station as was for other NSW railways stations including Albury, Bathurst, Newcastle, Mudgee etc. The railway lines emanating from Dubbo include the railway to Coonamble completed 1893; the railway to Molong completed 1925; and the railway to Nyngan and Bourke 1892. The main line to Dubbo comes from Bathurst, Orange and Wellington.
Heritage listed buildings in Macquarie Street starting at the roundabout with Bultje Street are:
•No 195. The 1882 built Milestone Hotel on one corner. Nice double rounded windows. Once housed a brothel and casino in the 1920s run by a leading female figure of the Sydney underworld. Opened as the Imperial Hotel.
•No 193 is heritage listed. This is Dubbo’s first bank built in 1867 in sandstone for the Commercial Banking Co of Sydney. In 1907 became the Talbragar Shire Council Offices. More recently it was a café. Symmetrical facade with paired arched windows but on the side street triple arched windows.
• On the right is a double story structure with cast iron lacework on the upper balcony. Built in the 1876 as a Bank of New South Wales. Note the keystones above each rounded windows. The bank moved 1919.
•On left at No 135 is the Commercial Union Assurance building. It has with upper arcaded balcony with symmetrical facade. Built in the Italianate style in 1885.
•No 174. Late Victorian Italianate style commercial building. Upper windows with arched pediments, a balustrade and pediment. Now the Athletes Foot shop.
•No 160. Old Department Store called Western Stores is now Myers. Art Deco features with diagonal lines and rising sun motif in the rounded arch in the centre. Built around 1930.
•On the corner of Macquarie and Church St is the second built Bank of NSW. 1919. Now a Westpac Bank. Chamfered corner entrance, recessed etched windows.
•No 118. On the diagonal corner is the Colonial Mutual Insurance building. Heritage listed and an early three story structure for Dubbo. Built in 1884 as a bank for the Australian Joint Stock Bank. Now a café. Note triangular classical Greek style pediments above the second floor windows.
• Just divert a few steps along Church Street beyond the fine rotunda. At 22 Church St is Booth and Nelson Chambers. Built in 1926 in classical style. Local architect J. Lundholm. Perfect symmetry, pilasters, rounded windows. Now painted pink.
•No 110. Adjacent to Colonial Mutual is the red brick classical style 1906 built as the new or second building for the Commercial Banking Co of Sydney. Note the arcaded veranda. Now Mission Australia.
•No 69 on the left are Macquarie Chambers a fine two story Mediterranean Art Deco building with terracotta tiled roof, paired veranda columns on balcony and gables at each end.
•No 67. Art Deco building in red brick with Aztec and pyramid influenced zigzag brick work around the windows and pilasters. Built c1940. Now Sports world in right red.
•No 98.The jewel in the crown of Macquarie St is the Post Office. Designed by colonial government architect James Barnet. A two storey building with a three storey clock tower. Italianate Renaissance in style with stucco decoration around the windows, central entrance and cast iron veranda posts for the upper balcony. It cost over £8,000 to build.
•No 90. Just along from the Post Office is the entrance to the Old Dubbo Gaol. Built with just 4 cells and walls in 1871. More added 1873 to 1874. Substantial additions 1877 to 1880. The arched gaol entry is visible from Macquarie St. This gate was built in 1877.
•At the roundabout turn right into Talbragar Street and then next right again into Brisbane Street. On this corner is the two storey Castlereagh Hotel built in 1923 hence the extensive use of wood on the balcony.
•The jewel in the crown of Brisbane St is the Courthouse. Built from 1887 in classical Greek style with triangular pediment gable façade with the coat of arms in the centre. Perfect symmetry, Greek Corinthian columns, and impressive steps as the court rules over everyone, and Palladian side wings completing the symmetry. It has pleasant gardens.
•Across the street at no 142 is the Lands Board Offices. Built in 1897 just as Queen Anne and Edwardian architecture was coming into vogue. Louvre vents in gables for aeration of roof space. Wooden veranda posts. Plaque by front door records the height of the 1955 Macquarie River floods. The architect was government architect Walter Liberty Vernon.
•Over the roundabout is Holy Trinity Anglican Church. It is behind the painted hall on the street. The first church erected in 1859 was wooden. This second church was built in 1876. The architect was Edmund Blacket a major early architect of NSW churches. It was built in a Gothic English style with square round tower by the entrance and it is in cross from with large gables. It cost over £3,500 and took a year to complete.
•Two blocks southwards on the corner of Bultje and Brisbane streets is St Brigid’s Catholic Church also in Brisbane St. This sandstone Gothic church was finished in 1874 as the second Catholic Church. The rear sanctuary was added in 1881 and the two transepts in 1909. It has an unusual steeple. The architect was Edward Gell of Bathurst. It cost over £2,500. Next to it in Bultje St is the red brick Convent built in 1884 for the Sisters of Mercy. Adjacent in Brisbane Street is the catholic Presbytery built in 1902 with its rectangular pointed windows.
Flowers - A single flower can be my garden... a single friend, my world. --
Flowers have a simple architectural beauty that radiate optimistic hue and are associated with the sun, warmth, and feelings of friendship and optimism.
Because of their varied and colorful appearance, flowers have long been a favorite subject of visual artists. Some of the most celebrated paintings from well-known painters are of flowers, such as Van Gogh's sunflowers series or Monet's water lilies.
Flowers can also be dried, freeze dried and pressed to create permanent, three-dimensional pieces of flower art.
I love to photograph, smell, see, and be around beautiful flowers.
I hope they make your day too!
All rights reserved ©Pix.by.PegiSue
"I'm an optimistic beauty. Never impolite. / Easy like Saturday, mid-day. / Breezy, chilled-out, dumb girl."
Filmed in Stiletto Club.
Stiletto Club: A stylish steampunk themed venue to chat, mix mingle, dance and play!
Femdom Oriented: Dominants, submissives, femmes, Bondage, Femminization, Maids, Footplay
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Flamerider/170/185/2751
Thanks to Evie for: Kaithleen's Robin Bodyfur Fatpack
marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Kaithleens-Robin-Bodyfur-Fat...
=-=-=
"That's Life"
Bif Naked
I like babytalking, popcorn without butter,
and anybody who will pay attention
to these requirements.
I'm an optimistic beauty. Never impolite.
Easy like Saturday, mid-day.
Breezy, chilled-out, dumb girl.
Thats life with me. I know.
Around and around you will go.
But, if I french kiss you
in the broad daylight,
you'll fall in love..oh,oh,oh.
That's life with me. I know.
Well I am pretending to be a free-bouncing lover.
I wear my defensive mask of optimism like a badge.
And ultimately. I am much to lazy to change.
I'm rather conditioned to my life of melodrama.
Thats life with me. I know.
Around and around you will go.
But, if I french kiss you
in the broad daylight,
you'll fall in love..oh,oh,oh.
That's life with me. I know.
That's life with me. Thats how it will be, my friend.
A roller coaster ride you won't forget.
I am just a mess. I am just a mess, at best.
I am just a blue-ribbon prize winner till the end.
Thats life with me. I know.
Around and around you will go.
But, if I french kiss you
in the broad daylight,
you'll fall in love..oh,oh,oh.
That's life with me. I know.
Classic Space is bright and optimistic and shiny and innocent.
Not any more.
Those that may have been following my photostream (or my blog ghsquarefeet.wordpress.com) may recall that I've been wondering "what if the old catalogue images are propaganda? What if the Blacktron are the good guys and the Classic Space faction are an oppressive tyranny?"
This is the first major build definitively tied into that universe. It has scary-looking Space Police. It has remote cameras. It has faceless transcorporate Classic Space goon squads. It has peaceful Blacktron protesters being gunned down. It isn't nice, and it's not innocent. This is the dark underbelly of the Classic Space System.
History & Meaning of Yellow Roses:
With their optimistic hue and general association with good cheer, yellow roses are the perfect way to toast friends, lift spirits and send a general wish for well-being. And that’s great news for those who love roses—the rose is known for its simple, architectural beauty, but some colors are so loaded with significance that they can be a bit tricky to work with. Sending a get-well bouquet of red roses to your administrative assistant might raise eyebrows around the office, for instance. Suffice it to say, you can never go wrong with yellow roses.
Long associated with the sun and its life-giving warmth, yellow is the age-old spokes-color for warm feelings of friendship and optimism. In many Eastern cultures, the color represents joy, wisdom and power. But while any yellow flower will send a lighthearted message, the history of the yellow rose in particuar has an optimistic, serendipitous character that really makes it the complete package.
By the 18th century the worldwide love of roses was in full swing, but they were only cultivated in shades of pink and white. At last, the elusive yellow rose was discovered growing wild in the Middle East, and the European love affair with yellow roses was born. The early yellow rose lacked the sweet scent for which the rose is famous, however, which was not to be tolerated. So, as cultivation methods were developed and refined, the beloved sweet-and-spicy rose scent was soon introduced and the yellow rose achieved all its optimistic and aromatic glory.
www.proflowers.com/blog/history-and-meaning-of-yellow-ros...
Part of the United Kingdom Set
Hey! here is a portrait(s) for a change. You might remember one of the girls from this other portrait. Still continuing shots from the London trip with the class. I can't remember the exact name of the place but its the church where they filmed the Hogwarts lunch room in Harry Potter. There was a gift shop and while a lot of the students bought stuff, most of them where wise and thought that a poster of a knight should not cost 35 pounds / 57 dollars.
Have a great monday!
Nathan
Optimistic girl that I am, I bought this Summer dress four months ago with the idea of being the Belle of Blackrock. We have the fire on tonight trying to dry clothes and keep warm so it's fair to say that it didn't quite work out as expected. Never one to be daunted, however, I'll buy a large bag of sand on Monday and pretend I had a lovely time at Bangor (as the song goes).
GOVERNOR TOMBLIN DELIVERS
FAREWELL ADDRESS TO STATE LEGISLATURE
CHARLESTON, W.VA. (January 11, 2017)-Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin today
delivered his farewell address to the West Virginia Legislature in the House Chamber at the State Capitol Complex after serving six years as governor and a total of 42 years in public service in the Mountain State.
Information on Gov. Tomblin's accomplishments during his six-year
administration can be found here.
See below for the speech as prepared for delivery:
Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, members of the Board of Public Works, justices of
the Supreme Court of Appeals, members of the Legislature, distinguished guests, and my fellow West Virginians, I stand before you today, after six years in the Governor's office and 42 years in this grand statehouse, with a deep sense of gratitude and reflection and an equally profound hope for West Virginia's future.
Public service has anchored my life's work-from a young 22-year-old in this very House chamber, to a desk across the hall in the State Senate, the Senate President's podium for 17 years and now as your 35th Governor.
It has been the greatest honor-and the greatest reward-to serve the people of this state that we all love. Together, we have put West Virginia first and moved our state forward-even in the midst of tough times, including far-reaching economic shifts, budgetary challenges and historic natural disasters.
West Virginians are strongest in the toughest times. We come together. We lift each other up. And we don't just hope for a better future; we fight for it.
ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION & JOB CREATION
Working hard is exactly what we've done over the past six years to create new economic opportunities for the Mountain State.
We have all seen the dramatic impact of the coal industry's decline in our state. We've seen thousands of jobs lost. Families and communities struggling. People beginning to lose hope.
But I believe in-and have fought to reach-the light around the corner.
Shortly after becoming Governor, I pledged to go anywhere and meet with anyone to grow our state's economy. Across West Virginia, the country and the globe, we have succeeded.
Last year, global giant Procter & Gamble announced it would build its first U.S. manufacturing facility since the 1970s right here in West Virginia in the Eastern Panhandle. This will ultimately be a half-billion dollar investment in the Mountain State and result in hundreds of new jobs.
P&G chose our state after an exhaustive search of many others. And as numerous companies have discovered, I know they will find it to be the best decision they've ever made.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, has expanded continuously-nine times, in fact.
Today, Toyota employs more than 1,600 people. And the company has invested $1.4 billion since 1996.
Manufacturing jobs, like those at P&G in Martinsburg and Toyota in Buffalo, will be among the most critical to our state's economic future.
In my time as your Governor, I have fought for jobs like these and many more. From Amazon in Huntington and Macy's in Berkeley County, to Bombardier Aerospace manufacturing in Harrison County-which just in November announced an expansion of 150 jobs.
Companies are finding that when they invest in West Virginia, it pays off.
In fact, since 2011, West Virginia has seen more than $15 billion in new investments, spanning 275 projects. We have welcomed more than 60 new companies and secured 215 competitive expansion projects.
Over the past six years, investment projects have reached 22 industries and provided West Virginians with more than 12,000 good-paying jobs.
Right here in the Kanawha Valley, we have one of the best examples of that remarkable progress.
Gestamp has grown beyond the bounds of any of our expectations. Since opening in 2013, Gestamp has tripled production and more than doubled its workforce, now employing nearly 900 West Virginians.
I know that one of the fundamental reasons behind their growth has been our ability to transform workforce training in West Virginia for the better.
STRENGTHENING WORKFORCE TRAINING & EDUCATION
For example, the Learn and Earn program which we launched in 2012, gives our community and technical college students classroom instruction and hands-on work experience simultaneously. These students earn a competitive salary while giving employers a cost-effective way to recruit and train new employees.
Joe Atha is one of these students. A former coal miner, Joe is now a student at BridgeValley Community and Technical College where he is also supporting his family by earning a wage through the Learn and Earn program at Gestamp.
Joe is here today with his wife, Rita. Please stand to be recognized... along with Dr. Sarah Tucker, Chancellor of our Community and Technical College System.
Through forward-thinking programs like this, we can make a real, lasting difference for West Virginians.
That's why I personally convened the West Virginia Workforce Planning Council, which has helped us break down bureaucratic silos and better align classroom learning with the workforce needs of our businesses and industries.
We've even started that process in high schools through the Simulated Workplace program.
Today, our career technical education classrooms have been transformed into businesses. Medical classes are now clinics. Hospitality programs are now catering businesses and restaurants.
And instead of just going to a welding or carpentry class, our students are now part of a construction company, complete with job foremen and safety inspectors.
Just last month, we celebrated a heartwarming moment as a result of the hard work of more than 2,000 of these students from 12 high schools across the state.
Together with the Department of Education's Career Technical Education division, the West Virginia National Guard and our Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, we presented keys to tiny homes that were designed and built by these students for survivors of the historic floods that hit our state last June.
REBUILDING FROM NATURAL DISASTERS
Time and again, in the aftermath of this tragic flooding we have seen the selflessness of West Virginians make a difference for one another.
The "Big Hearts Give Tiny Homes" project was a shining example of that West Virginia spirit-one that made an overwhelming difference for 15 families impacted by the flooding, including Brenda Rivers from Nicholas County, whose home was a total loss in the flooding. Brenda now lives in a new tiny home built by students, including Chance Ballard from Spring Valley High School in Wayne County.
Please join me in welcoming Brenda and Chance ... along with Dr. Kathy D'Antoni ... whose visionary leadership at the Department of Education has made Simulated Workplace the success it is today.
Working hand-in-hand with the federal government and local officials, our immediate response to the flooding was quick and effective. We were able to expedite federal assistance to our communities and families in need. And over the past seven months, we have been able to shift our focus to long-term recovery.
Through a public-private approach, we launched the RISE West Virginia program, which in total has provided nearly $2 million to 230 small businesses in the flood-impacted counties-funding that is helping them reopen or continue operations and keep fueling our local economies.
I would like to thank, once again, West Virginia native and champion Brad Smith-the CEO of Intuit, one of the world's leading financial software companies-and his wife Alys for their family donation of $500,000, which gave the RISE program its first, needed boost.
West Virginia has experienced more than its share of disasters during my time as your Governor-this historic flooding, the Derecho, Hurricane Sandy, Winter Storms Thor and Jonas and the water crisis.
Through it all, we have grown stronger, we have improved our emergency response capabilities and we have strengthened public safety.
Adversity demands resilience. That's what we have shown in these challenges and many more-including one of the most trying epidemics I believe the Mountain State has ever faced-with the sharp rise in substance abuse and addiction.
FIGHTING SUBSTANCE ABUSE
That's why in 2011, I issued an Executive Order to create the Governor's Advisory Council on Substance Abuse, made up of representatives of substance abuse prevention, behavioral medicine, law enforcement, child and adolescent psychology, the legal system, residential treatment facilities, the public school system, the faith community and health care.
My vision for this Council was a community-driven, ground-up approach to tackling this epidemic. Through community-based task forces in six regions across the state, we have made significant progress and enacted life-saving reforms.
We now look at substance abuse as an illness-not a crime.
We have decreased the number of meth labs across the state as the result of making it more difficult to obtain pseudoephedrine.
We have expanded access to the life-saving drug Narcan to first responders and family members of those struggling with addiction. Last year alone, hundreds of lives were saved as a result.
We have substance abuse prevention services in all 55 counties. We have expanded and improved community-based treatment options and recovery services. Across the state, we have 188 crisis detox beds in residential treatment facilities with more sites under development.
We have 118 beds designated for youth and postpartum treatment as well as short-term and long-term residential treatment. And we have over 1,000 beds for those seeking help and support through peer and provider recovery homes and facilities.
We are working closely with our prisons and correctional facilities to ensure all West Virginians are provided access to substance abuse rehabilitation.
In fact, the Division of Corrections operates nine residential substance abuse treatment units in correctional centers across the state and we have expanded this model to our regional jail facilities as well.
And-through Justice Reinvestment-we have successfully worked to address substance abuse, which is the root cause of many crimes.
Because of that work, we have expanded drug courts, substance abuse counseling and greater supervision after release.
And ultimately, we have better controlled incarceration rates, which prevented our state from having to build a new $200 million prison that was projected to be needed because of our previous rising prison population.
Just this week, we announced the news that West Virginia reached settlements with two additional drug wholesalers totaling $36 million, which resolves allegations by our state regarding the distribution of controlled substances in West Virginia.
This brings the total amount of drug settlement money paid to our state by drug wholesalers to $47 million, which will expand our efforts even further for more law enforcement diversion options, more treatment recovery services and many more efforts to fight this epidemic.
I am also deeply proud of the work we have done in creating the state's first 24-hour substance abuse call line, 844-HELP-4-WV, which has received nearly 8,500 calls since it launched in September 2015.
The help line provides referral support for those seeking help and recovery services. It's an opportunity for people who are struggling to talk with someone who cares, get connected to treatment options and begin the road to recovery.
No caller is ever placed on hold and they are immediately connected with treatment staff representing the best and most appropriate treatment options for them.
Administered by First Choice Health Systems of West Virginia, the help line is staffed by certified professionals, many who have overcome addiction themselves and want to help others turn their lives around as well.
One young gentleman I met did just that because he picked up the phone.
A.J. Walker, a recovering alcoholic and addict, was given the help line number by his brother.
A.J. said when he called, he was treated like a person-not like a drug addict-and he found hope. They got him into a detox facility and into recovery, and the help line staff called and checked in on him every step of the way.
Today, A.J. is employed by the treatment facility that helped him and he's in school studying to become a substance abuse counselor.
A.J. is here today with his brother, Andrew, and Vickie Jones ... Commissioner of our Bureau of Behavioral Health and Health Facilities.
A.J. we are so proud of you. And today ... you are giving hope to so many.
When I hear stories like A.J.'s, I am incredibly optimistic for West Virginia's future. With economic changes, job losses and families struggling, we have to seize every opportunity before us to become stronger as individuals and as a state.
One such opportunity lies in Boone and Lincoln Counties, where I believe we have the chance to revitalize Southern West Virginia and make the Mountain State stronger.
EMBRACING THE FUTURE
It was here in this chamber, one year ago during my State of the State Address, where I announced plans for the largest development project in West Virginia's history at the former Hobet surface mine site.
Since last year at this time, we have worked every day and we have made tremendous progress on this project, which is now known as Rock Creek Development Park.
We have worked with local landowners, who are generously donating land that will result in more than 12,000 developable acres for Rock Creek, which is the size of the city of Huntington.
The West Virginia National Guard-Rock Creek's first tenant-is on the ground with newly-expanded operations for maintenance work and training.
And we have a long-term strategic plan now in place, which looks at demographics and market trends to help us identify the best investment opportunities for Rock Creek.
For generations, our coal miners, workers and their families have kept West Virginia strong. Now, it's our turn to help them.
By realizing the full potential of Rock Creek Development Park for job creation and economic diversification, we can build up a region of our state hard hit by the downturn in the coal industry.
My vision for Rock Creek started many years ago as I rode my four-wheeler around the hills of Southern West Virginia and saw the possibilities that such an enormous site-with such a great amount of flat land-could have.
Embracing opportunities like this takes careful thought and planning, and this public-private project will require some investment by the state. But I believe wholeheartedly that the returns will vastly exceed our investment.
That isn't something I say lightly.
Throughout my 42 years in public service, fiscal responsibility has been at the heart of every project I've undertaken, every policy I've fought for and every decision I've made.
GOVERNING RESPONSIBLY
As a result of much hard work, over the years we have decreased taxes, embraced responsible spending, made great progress toward paying off the state's unfunded liabilities and controlled growth of the state's budget.
We have realized milestone tax reforms, including progressive elimination of the food tax, saving West Virginians $162 million each year.
We have gradually eliminated the state's business franchise tax and decreased the corporate net income tax-changes that make West Virginia more attractive for business investments.
As a result of responsible reforms, last year the National Council on Compensation Insurance filed the 12th reduction in workers' compensation premiums in 12 years. And West Virginia employers have seen a savings of more than $352 million since we privatized the program in 2006.
We addressed our Other Post Employment Benefits by dedicating $30 million annually to pay off the $5 billion unfunded liability, which was caused by previous promises that became too expensive to maintain.
As I did last year, I present to you today a budget that is balanced, but a budget that requires difficult decisions and thinking about the next generation rather than the next election.
I continue to be proud of the fiscal responsibility we have shown not just for the past six years, but over the last generation. Our commitment to paying down our long-term liabilities has not wavered and we have responsibly reduced taxes on both our employers and our employees.
Because of our improved fiscal policies, we have been able to refinance bonds that pay for schools, water and sewer lines, college campus improvements and roads to save more than $100 million in the past six years.
So when people ask me why I'm so concerned with maintaining our Rainy Day Fund and our bond rating, that's why. It means more schools, more roads and more homes with clean water.
As part of tough decisions during tough economic times, we have cut more than $600 million from our budget in the past five years. While we all continue to hope that the coal industry will rebound, that hasn't happened quickly and it likely won't ever return to the levels that we once saw.
We continue to work to diversify our economy and I know the improvements we've made will pay long-term dividends in job growth and investment.
But we're not there yet, and part of being fiscally responsible means making sure that we can pay our bills without taking the Rainy Day Fund to dangerously low levels or cutting services to the point where we cannot care for our people or educate our students.
Therefore, the budget I present to you today includes a 1 percent increase in the consumer sales tax to raise $200 million and elimination of the current sales tax exemption on telecommunications services-a move that would make our system the same as 80 percent of the country.
I understand these taxes will not be easy, but asking people to pay a few dollars more now is a far better choice than seeing PEIA cards not accepted by medical providers or going back to the days when we couldn't finance school and road improvements, or even pay the gas bill at the Governor's Mansion.
I urge you to consider these responsible actions to balance the budget until the brighter economic picture that we all expect comes into focus.
CLOSING
I believe the thing that compelled each of us to public service is our love for West Virginia. And that is the very thing that should compel us to work together.
When I became your Governor, I said that we must put West Virginia first.
That's what we have done. And I encourage you to continue working together out of that deep devotion to our beloved state-in the coming year and beyond.
I am proud of the work that we have accomplished. I look forward to the leadership of Governor-elect Jim Justice and I thank all of you who have worked with me over the years.
I thank my cabinet members and agency directors. And I thank my dedicated staff members who have worked every day-not for me, but for the people of West Virginia.
It has been the honor of my life to be your Governor-to be West Virginia's Governor. Joanne and I thank the people of West Virginia for your abiding trust, counsel and support.
And we look forward-with the greatest hope and optimism-to an even stronger West Virginia.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the great state of West Virginia.
###
Photos available for media use. All photos should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor.”
GOVERNOR TOMBLIN DELIVERS
FAREWELL ADDRESS TO STATE LEGISLATURE
CHARLESTON, W.VA. (January 11, 2017)-Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin today
delivered his farewell address to the West Virginia Legislature in the House Chamber at the State Capitol Complex after serving six years as governor and a total of 42 years in public service in the Mountain State.
Information on Gov. Tomblin's accomplishments during his six-year
administration can be found here.
See below for the speech as prepared for delivery:
Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, members of the Board of Public Works, justices of
the Supreme Court of Appeals, members of the Legislature, distinguished guests, and my fellow West Virginians, I stand before you today, after six years in the Governor's office and 42 years in this grand statehouse, with a deep sense of gratitude and reflection and an equally profound hope for West Virginia's future.
Public service has anchored my life's work-from a young 22-year-old in this very House chamber, to a desk across the hall in the State Senate, the Senate President's podium for 17 years and now as your 35th Governor.
It has been the greatest honor-and the greatest reward-to serve the people of this state that we all love. Together, we have put West Virginia first and moved our state forward-even in the midst of tough times, including far-reaching economic shifts, budgetary challenges and historic natural disasters.
West Virginians are strongest in the toughest times. We come together. We lift each other up. And we don't just hope for a better future; we fight for it.
ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION & JOB CREATION
Working hard is exactly what we've done over the past six years to create new economic opportunities for the Mountain State.
We have all seen the dramatic impact of the coal industry's decline in our state. We've seen thousands of jobs lost. Families and communities struggling. People beginning to lose hope.
But I believe in-and have fought to reach-the light around the corner.
Shortly after becoming Governor, I pledged to go anywhere and meet with anyone to grow our state's economy. Across West Virginia, the country and the globe, we have succeeded.
Last year, global giant Procter & Gamble announced it would build its first U.S. manufacturing facility since the 1970s right here in West Virginia in the Eastern Panhandle. This will ultimately be a half-billion dollar investment in the Mountain State and result in hundreds of new jobs.
P&G chose our state after an exhaustive search of many others. And as numerous companies have discovered, I know they will find it to be the best decision they've ever made.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, has expanded continuously-nine times, in fact.
Today, Toyota employs more than 1,600 people. And the company has invested $1.4 billion since 1996.
Manufacturing jobs, like those at P&G in Martinsburg and Toyota in Buffalo, will be among the most critical to our state's economic future.
In my time as your Governor, I have fought for jobs like these and many more. From Amazon in Huntington and Macy's in Berkeley County, to Bombardier Aerospace manufacturing in Harrison County-which just in November announced an expansion of 150 jobs.
Companies are finding that when they invest in West Virginia, it pays off.
In fact, since 2011, West Virginia has seen more than $15 billion in new investments, spanning 275 projects. We have welcomed more than 60 new companies and secured 215 competitive expansion projects.
Over the past six years, investment projects have reached 22 industries and provided West Virginians with more than 12,000 good-paying jobs.
Right here in the Kanawha Valley, we have one of the best examples of that remarkable progress.
Gestamp has grown beyond the bounds of any of our expectations. Since opening in 2013, Gestamp has tripled production and more than doubled its workforce, now employing nearly 900 West Virginians.
I know that one of the fundamental reasons behind their growth has been our ability to transform workforce training in West Virginia for the better.
STRENGTHENING WORKFORCE TRAINING & EDUCATION
For example, the Learn and Earn program which we launched in 2012, gives our community and technical college students classroom instruction and hands-on work experience simultaneously. These students earn a competitive salary while giving employers a cost-effective way to recruit and train new employees.
Joe Atha is one of these students. A former coal miner, Joe is now a student at BridgeValley Community and Technical College where he is also supporting his family by earning a wage through the Learn and Earn program at Gestamp.
Joe is here today with his wife, Rita. Please stand to be recognized... along with Dr. Sarah Tucker, Chancellor of our Community and Technical College System.
Through forward-thinking programs like this, we can make a real, lasting difference for West Virginians.
That's why I personally convened the West Virginia Workforce Planning Council, which has helped us break down bureaucratic silos and better align classroom learning with the workforce needs of our businesses and industries.
We've even started that process in high schools through the Simulated Workplace program.
Today, our career technical education classrooms have been transformed into businesses. Medical classes are now clinics. Hospitality programs are now catering businesses and restaurants.
And instead of just going to a welding or carpentry class, our students are now part of a construction company, complete with job foremen and safety inspectors.
Just last month, we celebrated a heartwarming moment as a result of the hard work of more than 2,000 of these students from 12 high schools across the state.
Together with the Department of Education's Career Technical Education division, the West Virginia National Guard and our Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, we presented keys to tiny homes that were designed and built by these students for survivors of the historic floods that hit our state last June.
REBUILDING FROM NATURAL DISASTERS
Time and again, in the aftermath of this tragic flooding we have seen the selflessness of West Virginians make a difference for one another.
The "Big Hearts Give Tiny Homes" project was a shining example of that West Virginia spirit-one that made an overwhelming difference for 15 families impacted by the flooding, including Brenda Rivers from Nicholas County, whose home was a total loss in the flooding. Brenda now lives in a new tiny home built by students, including Chance Ballard from Spring Valley High School in Wayne County.
Please join me in welcoming Brenda and Chance ... along with Dr. Kathy D'Antoni ... whose visionary leadership at the Department of Education has made Simulated Workplace the success it is today.
Working hand-in-hand with the federal government and local officials, our immediate response to the flooding was quick and effective. We were able to expedite federal assistance to our communities and families in need. And over the past seven months, we have been able to shift our focus to long-term recovery.
Through a public-private approach, we launched the RISE West Virginia program, which in total has provided nearly $2 million to 230 small businesses in the flood-impacted counties-funding that is helping them reopen or continue operations and keep fueling our local economies.
I would like to thank, once again, West Virginia native and champion Brad Smith-the CEO of Intuit, one of the world's leading financial software companies-and his wife Alys for their family donation of $500,000, which gave the RISE program its first, needed boost.
West Virginia has experienced more than its share of disasters during my time as your Governor-this historic flooding, the Derecho, Hurricane Sandy, Winter Storms Thor and Jonas and the water crisis.
Through it all, we have grown stronger, we have improved our emergency response capabilities and we have strengthened public safety.
Adversity demands resilience. That's what we have shown in these challenges and many more-including one of the most trying epidemics I believe the Mountain State has ever faced-with the sharp rise in substance abuse and addiction.
FIGHTING SUBSTANCE ABUSE
That's why in 2011, I issued an Executive Order to create the Governor's Advisory Council on Substance Abuse, made up of representatives of substance abuse prevention, behavioral medicine, law enforcement, child and adolescent psychology, the legal system, residential treatment facilities, the public school system, the faith community and health care.
My vision for this Council was a community-driven, ground-up approach to tackling this epidemic. Through community-based task forces in six regions across the state, we have made significant progress and enacted life-saving reforms.
We now look at substance abuse as an illness-not a crime.
We have decreased the number of meth labs across the state as the result of making it more difficult to obtain pseudoephedrine.
We have expanded access to the life-saving drug Narcan to first responders and family members of those struggling with addiction. Last year alone, hundreds of lives were saved as a result.
We have substance abuse prevention services in all 55 counties. We have expanded and improved community-based treatment options and recovery services. Across the state, we have 188 crisis detox beds in residential treatment facilities with more sites under development.
We have 118 beds designated for youth and postpartum treatment as well as short-term and long-term residential treatment. And we have over 1,000 beds for those seeking help and support through peer and provider recovery homes and facilities.
We are working closely with our prisons and correctional facilities to ensure all West Virginians are provided access to substance abuse rehabilitation.
In fact, the Division of Corrections operates nine residential substance abuse treatment units in correctional centers across the state and we have expanded this model to our regional jail facilities as well.
And-through Justice Reinvestment-we have successfully worked to address substance abuse, which is the root cause of many crimes.
Because of that work, we have expanded drug courts, substance abuse counseling and greater supervision after release.
And ultimately, we have better controlled incarceration rates, which prevented our state from having to build a new $200 million prison that was projected to be needed because of our previous rising prison population.
Just this week, we announced the news that West Virginia reached settlements with two additional drug wholesalers totaling $36 million, which resolves allegations by our state regarding the distribution of controlled substances in West Virginia.
This brings the total amount of drug settlement money paid to our state by drug wholesalers to $47 million, which will expand our efforts even further for more law enforcement diversion options, more treatment recovery services and many more efforts to fight this epidemic.
I am also deeply proud of the work we have done in creating the state's first 24-hour substance abuse call line, 844-HELP-4-WV, which has received nearly 8,500 calls since it launched in September 2015.
The help line provides referral support for those seeking help and recovery services. It's an opportunity for people who are struggling to talk with someone who cares, get connected to treatment options and begin the road to recovery.
No caller is ever placed on hold and they are immediately connected with treatment staff representing the best and most appropriate treatment options for them.
Administered by First Choice Health Systems of West Virginia, the help line is staffed by certified professionals, many who have overcome addiction themselves and want to help others turn their lives around as well.
One young gentleman I met did just that because he picked up the phone.
A.J. Walker, a recovering alcoholic and addict, was given the help line number by his brother.
A.J. said when he called, he was treated like a person-not like a drug addict-and he found hope. They got him into a detox facility and into recovery, and the help line staff called and checked in on him every step of the way.
Today, A.J. is employed by the treatment facility that helped him and he's in school studying to become a substance abuse counselor.
A.J. is here today with his brother, Andrew, and Vickie Jones ... Commissioner of our Bureau of Behavioral Health and Health Facilities.
A.J. we are so proud of you. And today ... you are giving hope to so many.
When I hear stories like A.J.'s, I am incredibly optimistic for West Virginia's future. With economic changes, job losses and families struggling, we have to seize every opportunity before us to become stronger as individuals and as a state.
One such opportunity lies in Boone and Lincoln Counties, where I believe we have the chance to revitalize Southern West Virginia and make the Mountain State stronger.
EMBRACING THE FUTURE
It was here in this chamber, one year ago during my State of the State Address, where I announced plans for the largest development project in West Virginia's history at the former Hobet surface mine site.
Since last year at this time, we have worked every day and we have made tremendous progress on this project, which is now known as Rock Creek Development Park.
We have worked with local landowners, who are generously donating land that will result in more than 12,000 developable acres for Rock Creek, which is the size of the city of Huntington.
The West Virginia National Guard-Rock Creek's first tenant-is on the ground with newly-expanded operations for maintenance work and training.
And we have a long-term strategic plan now in place, which looks at demographics and market trends to help us identify the best investment opportunities for Rock Creek.
For generations, our coal miners, workers and their families have kept West Virginia strong. Now, it's our turn to help them.
By realizing the full potential of Rock Creek Development Park for job creation and economic diversification, we can build up a region of our state hard hit by the downturn in the coal industry.
My vision for Rock Creek started many years ago as I rode my four-wheeler around the hills of Southern West Virginia and saw the possibilities that such an enormous site-with such a great amount of flat land-could have.
Embracing opportunities like this takes careful thought and planning, and this public-private project will require some investment by the state. But I believe wholeheartedly that the returns will vastly exceed our investment.
That isn't something I say lightly.
Throughout my 42 years in public service, fiscal responsibility has been at the heart of every project I've undertaken, every policy I've fought for and every decision I've made.
GOVERNING RESPONSIBLY
As a result of much hard work, over the years we have decreased taxes, embraced responsible spending, made great progress toward paying off the state's unfunded liabilities and controlled growth of the state's budget.
We have realized milestone tax reforms, including progressive elimination of the food tax, saving West Virginians $162 million each year.
We have gradually eliminated the state's business franchise tax and decreased the corporate net income tax-changes that make West Virginia more attractive for business investments.
As a result of responsible reforms, last year the National Council on Compensation Insurance filed the 12th reduction in workers' compensation premiums in 12 years. And West Virginia employers have seen a savings of more than $352 million since we privatized the program in 2006.
We addressed our Other Post Employment Benefits by dedicating $30 million annually to pay off the $5 billion unfunded liability, which was caused by previous promises that became too expensive to maintain.
As I did last year, I present to you today a budget that is balanced, but a budget that requires difficult decisions and thinking about the next generation rather than the next election.
I continue to be proud of the fiscal responsibility we have shown not just for the past six years, but over the last generation. Our commitment to paying down our long-term liabilities has not wavered and we have responsibly reduced taxes on both our employers and our employees.
Because of our improved fiscal policies, we have been able to refinance bonds that pay for schools, water and sewer lines, college campus improvements and roads to save more than $100 million in the past six years.
So when people ask me why I'm so concerned with maintaining our Rainy Day Fund and our bond rating, that's why. It means more schools, more roads and more homes with clean water.
As part of tough decisions during tough economic times, we have cut more than $600 million from our budget in the past five years. While we all continue to hope that the coal industry will rebound, that hasn't happened quickly and it likely won't ever return to the levels that we once saw.
We continue to work to diversify our economy and I know the improvements we've made will pay long-term dividends in job growth and investment.
But we're not there yet, and part of being fiscally responsible means making sure that we can pay our bills without taking the Rainy Day Fund to dangerously low levels or cutting services to the point where we cannot care for our people or educate our students.
Therefore, the budget I present to you today includes a 1 percent increase in the consumer sales tax to raise $200 million and elimination of the current sales tax exemption on telecommunications services-a move that would make our system the same as 80 percent of the country.
I understand these taxes will not be easy, but asking people to pay a few dollars more now is a far better choice than seeing PEIA cards not accepted by medical providers or going back to the days when we couldn't finance school and road improvements, or even pay the gas bill at the Governor's Mansion.
I urge you to consider these responsible actions to balance the budget until the brighter economic picture that we all expect comes into focus.
CLOSING
I believe the thing that compelled each of us to public service is our love for West Virginia. And that is the very thing that should compel us to work together.
When I became your Governor, I said that we must put West Virginia first.
That's what we have done. And I encourage you to continue working together out of that deep devotion to our beloved state-in the coming year and beyond.
I am proud of the work that we have accomplished. I look forward to the leadership of Governor-elect Jim Justice and I thank all of you who have worked with me over the years.
I thank my cabinet members and agency directors. And I thank my dedicated staff members who have worked every day-not for me, but for the people of West Virginia.
It has been the honor of my life to be your Governor-to be West Virginia's Governor. Joanne and I thank the people of West Virginia for your abiding trust, counsel and support.
And we look forward-with the greatest hope and optimism-to an even stronger West Virginia.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the great state of West Virginia.
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Photos available for media use. All photos should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor.”
I woke up Saturday morning feeling optimistic. It was totally overcast, but there was no wind and no rain. Perfect weather for long exposure water shots! I grabbed my gear and headed out to one of my favorite spots, Catherine Furnace in the George Washington National Forest.
Only when I got there, I was shocked by what I found. The area all around the stream was torn up, bushes and trees removed, dirt and rocks misplaced, barriers everywhere. WTF?! Turns out the Forest Service has decided to replace the bridge that spans Roaring Run where it empties into Cub Run. So despite the ideal weather conditions and beautiful Spring foliage, my composition options were limited if I didn't want barriers to appear in my photos.
This is just another event in a long string of events that convinces me I have a photography curse. Last year, everyone I know that went to Shenandoah National Park saw a LOT of bears. Me? I saw two all year. I've been up to shoot the sunrise 6 or 7 times in the last few months and they've all been a bust. I can't find ducklings or goslings anywhere. My 5D broke. And now they've torn up one of my favorite photo spots! If that's not a curse, I don't know what is.
On a positive note, this is some of the best water flow I've ever seen at Cub Run, thanks to all the constant rain.
...hard work in a heat that would make most of us collapse within a few hours. Still there is room for a pure and warm smile!
Rice- farmers working after the sunset. Somewhere on the road west of Nong Khai, near the Mekong river, north-east Thailand 2008...
Large: View On Black
Copyright © Ioannis Lelakis.
All rights reserved.
Optimistically headboarded Peckett 0-4-0ST no 2111 'Lytham St Anne's' heads the last Midland Railway Centre vintage train service of the weekend away from Butterley.
Life can push me down
Life can wrinkle my skin
Life can shadow the sun
Life can simply pass me by
That will never break my spirit
I will stay optimistic
That just how it is
Life is what I live for
Went out for an optimistic look for butterflies this afternoon - always a chance of some relatively docile ones resting up on a dull, windy day. Sum total for roughly 1.5 hours was a green-veined white, yes one. When I look back at last year in a months time I would have been at Collard Hill looking for an early Large Blue.
Did notice a greater variety of flowering plant emerging - Bugle, Germander Speedwell and others the identity of which I have no idea. Did see a Trefoil looking close to flowering on Walton Hill - maybe some Common Blues soon?
I have no idea what this little fella is however I liked him being completely immersed in this Buttercup. Looks good on black.