Tri-Star seeking to rent Mariners bus

charter bus

A public hearing will be held on Wednesday to help the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (URB) decide if it should grant a licence to Tri-Star Charters Inc. to allow it to charter the Mariners bus to the public.

Mitch Bonnar of Tri-Star says they’d like to be able to have local sports teams and other groups and organizations rent the bus when it is not being used by the Mariners junior A hockey team.

The April 20 hearing begins at 11:30 a.m. at Yarmouth Town Hall.

Bonnar says the application before the URB is asking for a motor carrier licence to provide transportation of groups and organizations from pick-up locations that are within a 100-kilometre radius of the Town of Yarmouth.

“I could pick people up in Digby. I could pick people up in Shelburne. I could pick people up in Yarmouth. But if somebody from Halifax called and wanted me to pick them up in Halifax and take them to Sydney I can’t,” he says.

Bonnar says a reason for this is not to take business away from other charter bus operations in other parts of the province. Still, one company has filed an application of opposition to the Tri-Star application. Molega Tours of East Uniacke, Nova Scotia, doesn’t want to see the application granted.

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NZ Timber Preservation Council reply to Phil Twyford

Timber

Phil Twyford’s remarks about the dangers to health presented by the requirement to use H1.2 treated timber as announced by Maurice Williamson on 14 March are way off beam says Kevin Hing of the New Zealand Timber Preservation Council.

His comments will cause unnecessary stress to consumers and homeowners.

Mr Twyford has questioned whether the government has thought about the danger to health caused by requiring timber used as framing in house construction to be H1.2 treated. He cites the EU classification of boron as a Substance of Very High Concern.

The EU classifications for boric compounds are based on exposures of animals to boron at levels that exceed any likely human exposure in treated timber by several orders of magnitude. As well, the exposure routes used including ingestion, are not routes that would be associated with normal human use of boric treated timber. The data by which the EU arrived at its classifications are based on concentrations that would never be experienced in the handling of boric treated timber here.

Boron based timber preservatives have been successfully used in New Zealand since the 1950s as a protection against attack by borers and because of its fungicidal properties. The treatment requirement for timber framing is nothing new to house construction in this country. Furthermore, to the best our knowledge, there have been no documented cases of any health issues associated with the use of boric treated timber in New Zealand.

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Chaos on buses as lane plan reversed

Rental Bus

TENS of thousands of bus commuters face hours of extra gridlock each week because traffic authorities have removed the requirement for an afternoon bus lane during widening of the M2.

As part of the conditions attached to the $550 million M2 upgrade, Transurban was asked to set up a ''tidal flow'' bus lane to replace two bus lanes removed during construction. The flow of traffic on such a lane is reversed from morning to afternoon to match the heaviest traffic.

The Roads and Traffic Authority and the Department of Planning under the previous government dropped the requirement for a bus lane out of the city in the afternoon peak and agreed with Transurban the lane would be dangerous.

The new Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, said yesterday she had asked for a briefing on the issue.

Since construction on the upgrade began in February, commuters say, the lack of a westbound bus lane has added up to an hour to their travel time. This is likely to persist for two years.

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Preserving wood in Mississippi's climate

Treated Timber

The climate of Mississippi and the Gulf South region presents challenges for wood preservation, making water repellents and the environment top considerations.
David Jones, assistant Extension professor in Mississippi State University's forest products department, said wood treatments can lengthen the performance of timber by decades.

"If we placed an untreated telephone pole in the ground, it would last two or three years. A treated pole will last two or three decades," Jones said. "The time to consider treatments is before the wood is in place, especially if it will be in water."

Mississippians use wooden pilings and decking extensively from the salt waters of the Gulf to the lakes, ponds and rivers throughout the state.

Even away from bodies of water, the state's humidity and rainfall can take a toll on the life expectancy of wood products.

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District concerned about possible charter schools

Charter bus

Two charter schools that plan to offer Mandarin immersion programs at the elementary level may be drawing students - and funding - from the Millburn public school system in the near future.

Superintendent of Schools James Crisfield said at the April 11 Board of Education meeting that the New Jersey Department of Education has received application for the two charter schools. The schools would pull students from the Millburn, South Orange-Maplewood and West Orange districts.

"This is a complicated issue," he said. "We should all understand the impact."

Crisfield said the way charter schools are funded could have big implications for Millburn's budget. Millburn would pay 90 percent of the per-pupil cost of each student attending the school. There is supposed to be a cost reduction to compensate, but this is not always the reality.

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Timber Exports To Spiral This Year On Higher Demand From Japan

Timber

Timber products exports are to increase this year following higher demand from Japan which may rise by at least five per cent from its normal requirement due to reconstruction and rehabilitation projects underway after the disastrous March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry secretary-general Datin Paduka Nurmala Abdul Rahim said Japan was the main importer of Malaysian timber products.

"Japan imported RM3.7 billion worth of timber and wood-based products last year and we hope this year's exports would surpass last year's RM20.5 billion worth of exports," she told reporters after launching the Malaysian Timber Council Global Woodmart 2012 here Monday.

Malaysia's timber and timber products exports in 2008 and 2009 totalled RM22.7 billion and RM19.5 billion, respectively, while exports for January 2011 were higher at RM1.8 billion from RM1.7 billion in January last year.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Timber Council chief executive officer Cheah Kam Huan said Malaysia was experiencing tight timber supply as the output has been hit by the need to conserve Malaysian rainforests, logging areas in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak have shrunk and affected by uncertain weather conditions.

"However, we still hope supply will increase by between five and 10 per cent," he said.

Meanwhile, the second MTC Global Woodmart will serve as a premier one-stop selling, buying and networking platform for domestic and international timber suppliers and buyers.

The exhibition also aims to promote and encourage wider use of timber from Malaysian and international sources.

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Some say lifting cap on charter schools would be death knell for public schools

charter buses

State lawmakers have tweaked legislation that would lift the cap on the number of charter schools allowed, but opponents remain wary.

Backers of Senate Bill 8 say it would increase educational opportunities for children since charter schools are intended to provide innovative learning options, free from many of the regulations that apply to traditional public schools.

“We need to provide more options under the public education umbrella,” Darrell Allison, president of Parents for Educational Reform in North Carolina, said. “Far too many families in our state and far too many families in Rowan-Salisbury have only one option.”

There are currently 99 charter schools in 47 of the state’s 100 counties.

Allison, who graduated from A.L. Brown High School in Kannapolis, said the success that many of those charter schools are experiencing cannot be replicated because of the cap, and more than 20,000 students statewide are on waiting lists for charter schools.

“The vast majority of North Carolina does not have a charter school,” he said. “It’s not that public charter schools are more superior, but if we have more options than children have a better chance at getting a quality education.”

But opponents say the bill, which also seeks to clarify the current funding formula, could be detrimental to public school funding.

“I think this would pretty much be a dagger in the heart of public education,” Dr. Jim Emerson, chairman of the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education, said.

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Billion-dollar deal reached for TimberWest

TimberTimberWest will be under new ownership soon, but no major changes in operations are expected.


The mega-timber and real estate company is being purchased by two pension funds for $1.03 billion, including assumed debt.

“No fundamental changes in the operations of the business are anticipated,” a press release reads. “It will be business as usual on the ground, and existing operating systems and processes will remain in place.”

The pension funds acquiring TimberWest are British Columbia Investment Management, and Public Sector Pension Investment Board, which invest on behalf of Canadian pension plans.

“As part of the definitive agreement, TimberWest has a 60-day ‘go-shop’ period during which it is permitted to solicit a superior proposal,” a TimberWest press release added.

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Sensible Rules to Make Bus Travel Safer

Charter Bus

Three major bus accidents in the Northeast, including the horrific crash on Interstate 95 in the Bronx that killed 15 passengers and critically injured several others, may finally spur Congress to mandate bus safety improvements.

A bipartisan measure to require seat belts, roofs that can withstand a rollover, better windows to prevent passenger ejection in crashes, and other vital safety steps was introduced in the Senate by Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio, and Kay Bailey Hutchison, Republican of Texas. The bill, which covers interstate motor coaches, also has new and more stringent requirements for driver fitness and bus company oversight to root out irresponsible operators. A companion bill is pending in the House.

A nearly identical bill died at the close of last year when Senator Tom Coburn, Republican of Oklahoma, imposed a hold on the legislation. Early Senate approval, with strong bipartisan support, may even embarrass the regulation-hostile House into acting.

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Timber producers honor state forester

timber

The South Carolina Timber Producers Association has selected State Forester Gene Kodama to receive its President's Award.

Kodama, who is the agency head of the South Carolina Forestry Commission, was recognized by the association for "outstanding support for SCTBA and commitment to the sustainable forestry industry in South Carolina." The SCTBA award also recognizes Kodama's professionalism and dedication to the advancement of the timber harvesting and timber producing segments of our state's forest products industry.

South Carolina has 13.1 million acres of forestland. This is 68 percent of the state's total land area. Forestry is No. 1 among manufacturing industries in jobs (90,624) and payroll ($4.1 billion)

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Cutting school bus service picks up speed in senate

school bus

Drastic times have called for drastic measures and one of the proposals to cut is school bus service for all except special needs students.

Aiea Elementary School is one of the biggest proponents of school buses. More than 250 students or 80 percent of the school use the service. It's even got a school bus on the mural.

"We enjoy having the school bus, it really does help," said Kate O'Malley, Aiea Elementary School Principal.

Many of the kids take it to and from public housing. If school bus service was cut more students would have to walk over a footbridge crossing Kamehameha Highway and Moanalua Road. It's a walk that could be unsafe for young students.

"Then you get into philosophical discussions of is it the school systems responsibility to get students to school or is it parental responsibility that doesn't have an answer there are a variety of perspectives," said Randy Moore, Assistant Superintendent.

Safety aside bus drivers say get used to seeing more traffic and congestion without school buses.

"Think about beat the school jam. In one day traffic goes from mild to congested and that's with only public schools opening up. You have a lot of parents taking kids to school because of emotional issues or whatever so that's the most congested day you're going to get, and that is what it would be like without school busses," said Ken LeVasseur, Bus Driver and Researcher

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Greenwood Management Reveals New Teak Plantations

Teak Plantation

Greenwood Management has announced it is introducing a new product to its range of timbers grown in Brazilian plantations.

The firm will soon be growing a new species of timber to add to those already included in its forestry investments product range, which includes the Eucalyptus, the Black Wattle (Acacia) and Guanandi species.

The new species is semi-matured to matured Teak trees, all to be grown on plantations. Teak timber, well known for its strong grains and texture, is often used in the carpentry trade and the manufacture of furniture for boat decks, due to its high weather resistance.

A spokesperson from Greenwood Management explained that returns on investment in the Teak business are expected to be strong: "Investments are available up to eight years with returns predicted at 12 per cent per annum."

Although the management rotations for the growing of Teak were traditionally 80-100 years, this has been reduced to between 20 and 25 years for the commercial production of the wood.

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Car sales, exports soar

Bus sales

New vehicle sales, in all the major segments, registered strong gains in March compared to the same month in 2010, the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) said in a statement on Monday.

Aggregate industry domestic sales improved by 9937 units or 22.8 percent to 53478 vehicles from 43541 units in March last year.

Total domestic sales for the first quarter of 2011 were 22.2 percent ahead of the corresponding three months in 2010. Total export sales, at 29254 vehicles for March, represented the highest monthly vehicle export performance on record.

Overall, out of the total industry reported sales (including AMH and AAD) of 53478 vehicles, 86.2 percent or 46078 units represented dealer sales, 6.3 percent sales to government, 4.1 percent industry corporate fleet sales and 3.4 percent represented sales to the car rental industry.

Aggregate industry new car sales during March 2011 at 35167 units reflected a substantial improvement of 6703 new cars or 23.5 percent compared to the 28464 new cars sold during March, 2010.

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Preserving wood in Mississippi's climate

wood

The climate of Mississippi and the Gulf South region presents challenges for wood preservation, making water repellents and the environment top considerations.
David Jones, assistant Extension professor in Mississippi State University's forest products department, said wood treatments can lengthen the performance of timber by decades.

"If we placed an untreated telephone pole in the ground, it would last two or three years. A treated pole will last two or three decades," Jones said. "The time to consider treatments is before the wood is in place, especially if it will be in water."

Mississippians use wooden pilings and decking extensively from the salt waters of the Gulf to the lakes, ponds and rivers throughout the state.

Even away from bodies of water, the state's humidity and rainfall can take a toll on the life expectancy of wood products.

"Wood can be degraded by a variety of factors including biological factors, mechanical means, fire, sunlight, and chemicals," Jones said.

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‘Chicago Rocks’ tour travels city’s punk-rock scene


Chicago tour — a short bus, 20 stran­gers smiling gamely at each other, an edgy guide checking his watch and eager to start on time. Which one is this? A food tour? Architecture? Ghosts, gangsters, the great fire?

Phil Rockrohr, the guide at the front of the bus, plugs his iPod into the stereo system and cranks it. Suddenly Tutu & the Pirates’ grinding punk-rock milestone “Wham Bam Son of Sam” is blaring, and we suspect Chess Records is not on the day’s itinerary.

“Chicago Rocks: 1980-2002” delivers just what its greatest-hits title states, a whirlwind drive-by of where the city’s punk, post-punk, alt-rock and modern rock bands lived, played and drank. Tours of Chicago’s blues and jazz history pop up intermittently, but the new mini-voyage — launching this weekend, with three-hour tours leaving each Saturday from Schubas bar and concert hall — aims at tourists and residents for whom Naked Raygun, Smashing Pumpkins and Liz Phair are foundation music, not necessarily Muddy and Buddy.

Rockrohr is a musician himself, a Park Forest native who’s played in about a dozen local bands, including his own Phil Rockrohr & the Lifters.

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Latvian Timber Exports 46% Increase

Timber

In 2010 Latvia timber exports increased by 46%, an increase from 2009 total of LVL 699.329 million to LVL 1.022 billion. Sweden, UK and Germany representing the main bulk of the Latvian timber export market.

Britain has a long standing tradition of exporting Latvian timber right back to 1403 when treaties were signed between the English King Henry IV and the Hanseatic League, an economic alliance of trading cities and their guilds that controlled trade along the coast of Northern Europe from the 13th – 17th centuries.

Baltic timber and hemp were essential shipbuilding materials. Many wars were fought over the control of the Baltic timber trade including most famously the battle of Trafalgar where Napoleon was thwarted by Nelson, despite his many attempts to cut Britain off from trading with Northern Europe.

Shipbuilding no longer requires hemp or large quantities of wood, but the UK trade in Latvian wood remains as healthy as ever. In 1999-2000 reforms were made in the Latvian forestry industry to go from volume-base to value-base. To maintain sustainability of the Latvian forests value-added products, such as kiln-dried timber, became the main focus. To achieve that end Latvian companies have invested in modern technology to produce more labour and skilled intensive joinery and carpentry products.

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Japan panics as nuclear plant belches high levels of radiation

Dangerous levels of radiation leaking from a crippled nuclear plant forced Japan to order 140,000 people to seal themselves indoors Tuesday after an explosion and a fire dramatically escalated the crisis spawned by a deadly tsunami.
In a nationally televised statement, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said radiation has spread from four reactors of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in Fukushima state, one of the hardest-hit in Friday's 9.0-magnitude earthquake and the ensuing tsunami that has killed more than 10,000 people, plunged millions into misery and pummeled the world's third-largest economy.

Though Kan and other officials urged calm, Tuesday's developments fuelled a growing panic in Japan and around the world amid widespread uncertainty over what would happen next. In the worst case scenario, the reactor's core would completely melt down, a disaster that could spew large amounts of radioactivity into the atmosphere.

The Benefits of Taking Charter Buses

Traveling is always an excitement and if it's a group travel the fun would be manifold. However, many enthusiastic travelers would instantly agree that it would be better to take a charter bus for group travel than do the driving yourself. If you have never experienced the downsides of taking the risk of self driving, well, it would be better to avoid it. There are many drawbacks and the most severe being the inconvenience of getting from one place to another. The group may include kids, teenagers, aged people and all the complaints and howling would cause enough reason to loathe the entire journey. Here the best way to enjoy a peaceful journey is by hiring a rental bus and enjoy the package.
Charter buses are the excellent option for group travel. They are provided with luxurious and comfortable seating arrangements along with other services. If you check the modern charter buses you can see mushy leather seats where you can sit and enjoy the ride without being caught in the horrors of traffic jam and road hitches. The rental buses even have bathrooms on board and all the comforts would make it look like a home on wheels.
The charter buses ensure that you are nestled in the comforts of the bus with a soothing air-conditioning to thwart away the heat. The atmosphere in the bus would give comfy to the kids who would sleep soundly and aged ones also would be sitting back and enjoying the scenery. If you wish for a little more comfort, then you can hire some luxurious buses which would offer entertainment facilities like television and music. Sometimes they would even provide play stations, internet etc. However, the amenities and services would vary in each rental buses.
By hiring a charter bus for a group travel, you are actually doing a favor to yourself. Earlier there used to be a misconception that the rental buses are quite expensive. But if you compare the cost and pain of driving the whole journey by yourself, the charter bus charges would cease to be a problem to you. Nonetheless the recent melt down in economy has brought down the cost of bus charters relatively. This has become a boon to travelers as they can enjoy the luxury of traveling in rental buses without paying high fares.
It is really easy to spot a reliable charter bus service provider in your locality. You can surf through the yellow pages and your local phone book. It is always better to go for local bus charters for local journey. Otherwise you can also search the internet database for finding rental bus providers. The company website would give ample information about the service areas, fares and other details. You can inquire about the reputation and credibility of the company through acquaintances. But it is best suggested that you must go for a local bus charters and deal with them directly. This would help you to get a clear picture of their dealings and can see their buses as well. You must take your own time and keep a clear idea of itinerary before going for a rental provider.

Experience the fun of group travel in charter bus

It is always a great experience to take a group outing with your family and friends to exotic places. There are many reasons to enjoy a group travel starting from the pleasantries, the group adventures and above all there wouldn’t be any place for boredom. But problems began to arise as you plan the itinerary. The dilemma in deciding the places to visit, dealing with the climate changes and moreover if there are children in the group, that would be enough reasons to crack your brain.


The best way to ensure a safe and enjoyable group outing is by renting a charter bus. They are buses used to travel long distance and have become an alternative mode of transportation for everyone who is taking a group travel. When you are taking a pleasant trip, you don’t want to get into the hassles of traffic and fight with the road through out. It is not always possible to take turns in driving as it would wear everyone off. By renting charter buses, you can relax and enjoy in the comforts while the driver would battle with the traffic. Moreover, with the rising fuel cost, it would be highly economical to rent a bus than take your own vehicle.

The charter buses are luxurious and comfortable for long journeys. Generally people go for day coach or deluxe motor coach which would be provided with a restroom on board. They would also have TV monitors with VCD players that would give you endless entertainment. If you want to make some announcements, the bus charters would even offer you a PA system. This would help you inform everyone about the travel plan.

Before taking the services from a bus charter, it would be better to check their reputation and reliability of the company through browsing. All the companies would provide information on their bus rental services online. Prior to the journey, the bus drivers are required to take a drug test and provide a proof of physical examination. The drivers are not supposed to drive more than ten hours at a stretch and should also have had the previous eight hours free from driving. The coach buses may be missing seat belts as it is not mandatory. Smoking is prohibited in rental buses however some coaches permit alcohol on board.

It is a common disbelief that the charter buses are not affordable. But if you choose a bus charters that would suit your needs, then it would be really cost effective. It is always good to book the bus at least three weeks in advance before the trip. At the time of reservation, you would be asked to pay some deposit amount. The balance payment should be done a few days before the journey. The charter bus usually charges by the miles covered and sometimes they consider the traveling hours. Some companies offer packages in which they would have tie up with some hotels. In such packages, the charges would be fixed per head. The companies even offer discounts for nonprofit traveling groups.

Buses are more environmental friendly and the joy of traveling would be double folded if you are taking a charter bus. It would directly take you to the destination without many hullabaloos.

7 ways to make grilled cheese a healthier dinner

dinner

1. Use bread made with whole grains instead of plain white bread for the sandwich.
2. Slip some vegetables inside the sandwich. Tomatoes, fat-free salsa or avocadoes work well in a grilled cheese sandwich.
3. Slip some fruit inside the sandwich. Apples and pears between slices of cheese can be yummy.
4. Use low-fat cheese, but think twice about using fat-free cheese. Fat-free cheese doesn’t melt very well, and a good grilled cheese sandwich needs to be gooey.
5. Skip the potato chips, but keep the crunch. Serve crunchy, raw vegetables or apple slices on the side.
6. Add a cup of healthy, full-of-vegetables, low-fat soup to make it a heartier meal.
7. Use organic ingredients and/or cheese and butter that are made from dairy that is rBST-free.

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