kirbys Site - sibanana461: Travel And Leisure: Alaska Cruise Or ...

Besides its reputation for being ?cold?, what else do you know about our 49th State? Alaska has an abundance of things to do and see, whether you are a first time vacationer or a returning travelerThere is no other place like Alaska for traveling and exploringAlaska is 586,000 square miles. With an area that big, think about the possibilities.
Here are just a few of the attractions that are available and are sure to whet your appetite for adventure. Wildlife viewing, helicopter tours, and train rides are very popular. You can also relax on a bus tour into Denali State Park, watch a totem pole being carved, or try your luck at catching one of Alaska?s world famous King Salmon.
It would take (2) lifetimes to experience everything Alaska has to offer. With its vast wilderness, Alaska provides opportunities for viewing wildlife either up close or from far away, in its natural habitat. For example, Alaska holds the distinction of having the largest Eagle population in the world. Whether you are a nature lover or not, just seeeing these magnificent birds soar throught the air is enough to take your breath away. With a wilderness area that is 2 1/2 times the size of the state of Texas, you can be guaranteed excellent photo opportunities.
It?s hard to believe that Alaska has the largest temperate rain forest in the United States. Take the time to walk in it and discover this incredible gift. Indescribable adventures await you whereever your journey takes you in Alaska. Every ?ice-blue? glacier and historic waterfront town calls for you to jump in to explore and discover its uniqueness and beauty. Give yourself the freedom to answer this ?call of the wild?. In every city from Anchorage to Fairbanks and beyond, there?s plenty to do and see.
One of the ways to see this beautiful state is to cruise the Inner Passage. Taking one of the cruise ships is a simple way to get your feet wet and explore the state. You have the security of knowing that your basic needs like food, transportation, and your lodging is handled while you have the freedom of choosing any number of activities.
Depending on the town you stop in, you can choose to go whale watching, or take a helicopter trip and walk on a glacier. You can ride the White Pass Railroad or pan for gold. You can even take a Jeep tour on a logging trail and top it off with a salmon bake. Also, every town appears to have their own special and historical events happening on a regular basis and you definitely want to catch these, as well. There are also many fascinating museums and remember to save time to see the stunning Aurora Borealis, especially if you go in the fall.
Alaska seems to have it all. From world famous Parks & Preserves to Volcanos. From Historical & Annual Events and everything in between. With such variety, it?s surprising that anyone would look anywhere but north when vacation time comes. Alaska is a great American Vacation destination that you will want to experience for yourself at least once in your lifetime.

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The French R?sistance has had a great influence on literature, particularly in FranceA famous example is the poem "Strophes pour se souvenir", which was written by the communist academic Louis Aragon in 1955 to commemorate the heroism of the Manouchian Group, whose 23 members were shot by the NazisThe R?sistance is also portrayed in Jean Renoir's wartime This Land is Mine (1943), which was produced in the USAIn the immediate post-war years, French cinema produced a number of films that portrayed a France broadly present in the R?sistance.[188][189] The 1946 La Bataille du rail depicted the courageous efforts of French railway workers to sabotage German reinforcement trains,[190] and in the same year Le P?re tranquille told the story of a quiet insurance agent secretly involved in the bombing of a factory.[190] Collaborators were hatefully presented as a rare minority, as played by Pierre Brewer in J?richo (1946) or Serge Reggiani in Les Portes de la nuit (1946), and movements such as the Milice were rarely evokedIn the 1950s, a less heroic interpretation of the R?sistance to the occupation gradually began to emerge.[190] In Claude Autant-Lara's La Travers?e de Paris (1956), the portrayal of the city's black market and general mediocrity revealed the reality of war-profiteering during the occupation.[191] In the same year, Robert Bresson presented A Man Escaped, in which an imprisoned R?sistance activist works with a reformed collaborator inmate to escape.[192] A ...

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The Holland America Line is a British-American owned cruise lineIt was founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company (Dutch: Nederlandsch-Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Maatschappij), a sh..Holland America Line - Wiki Article - wikiplays.org Original @ http All Information Derived from Wikipedia using Creative Commons License: en.wikipedia.org Author: Jan van Beers jr(1852 -- 1927) Image URL: en.wikipedia.org Licensed under:This image is ineligible for copyright and therefore is in the public domain, because it consists entirely of information that is common property and contains no original authorship., This work is in the Public Domain., This work is in the public domain in the United StatesAuthor: Welkinridge Image URL: en.wikipedia.org Licensed under:This image is ineligible for copyright and therefore is in the public domain, because it consists entirely of information that is common property and contains no original authorship., This work is in the Public Domain., This work is in the public domain in the United States.

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goo.gl We would like to thank all our fans and The Father for propelling this video to almost 4 million views in only 18 months, making this video the most heavily viewed Independently Produced Religious Music Video in the world! We would also like to publicly thank the following folks who have worked with us to make this a reality: Technical Support: Bradley Myer Photography: Sherry LAldrich CD package Layout and Design: Sherry LAldrich CD Graphics: Sherry LAldrich and Marie Brandt Marketing and Promotions: Marie Brandt Photographers Assistant: Charles Aldrich Secretary and Treasurer: Marie Brandt CPA and Financial Counsel: Tracy Corta at "Jordan & Company" All the great folks at Disc Makers, particularly, Chad Fondren: Product Specialist Gaye Feightner: Product Specialist--Graphics Christina Tapia: Project Manager-Foundry Angela Seltzer: Product Specialist Additional Printing Supervisor: Kathy Eby at Lithos Printing Website Development and Maintenance: Poop Dog Website Graphics Design: Marie Brandt "Rule of Man" Music Video Graphics Design: Marie Brandt US Retail Storefronts: Rich Graves at Budget Tapes and Records, Pocatello Idaho Susan Leak at Renagades Music and Bonanza Music Store Posters and Promotional Graphics Design: Marie Brandt and Sherry LAldrich Contract Law and Legal Counsel: William Faler at "Faler Law" Director of Marketing & Publicity: Marie Brandt at BrandtMorainPR Additional Publicity: Susan Leak, Karen Plant, Kjelene Bertrand, Patricia Mostyn ...

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Vote for TYT every day at www.podcastawards.com (through 11/30/09) & www.mashable.com (through 12/13/09) For more details visit www.TheYoungTurks.com and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com

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5 Savings in Arizona that are Truly Hot | MyDealCompass Blog ...

If you are on the hunt for digital coupons in Arizona, there is one place you should go: myDealCompass. Here you will find popular businesses in your local area offering hot deals that can be beat. No matter if you need life coaching services, to obtain a marriage license or to save on a quick bite to eat you can find great Arizona savings on myDealCompass.

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1. For your four legged friend, ensure their teeth are strong and healthy at University Animal Hospital and receive $30 off a teeth cleaning.
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Wolfram Culinary Mathematics Reference App [app #563979103 ...

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$1.99

View on iTunes

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Category: Food & Drink
Oct 31, 2012
Version: 1.0.0
13.5 MB
Seller: Wolfram Alpha LLC

? 2012, Wolfram Alpha, LLC

LANGUAGES: English

REQUIREMENTS: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later.

Trying a recipe for the first time? Planning a weekly menu? The Wolfram Culinary Mathematics Reference App will help streamline your culinary tasks by providing you with quick access to a set of tools specially designed for kitchen efficiency. With the Wolfram Culinary Mathematics Reference App you can access general information and perform simple cooking computations, or research food economics for a particular region or country. Get ready to explore what you can do using mathematics and the culinary arts.

- Get nutritional information for individual foods or entire meals
- Access the Recommended Daily Allowance and Dietary Reference Intake information for essential vitamins and nutrients
- Convert recipes and ingredient measurements to serve larger or smaller groups
- Locate nearby grocery stores by place or store name
- Perform simple math calculations while cooking
- Calculate the cost of food per recipe, per unit, per portion, and more, with options to use yield percent or trim
- Research food economics for specific years and countries with data about production and consumption, average prices, and comparisons

The Wolfram Culinary Mathematics Reference App is powered by the Wolfram|Alpha computational knowledge engine and is created by Wolfram Research, makers of Mathematica?the world's leading software system for mathematical research and education.

The Wolfram Culinary Mathematics Reference App draws on the computational power of Wolfram|Alpha's supercomputers over 2G, 3G, 4G, or Wi-Fi connection.

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Source: http://www.appdb.ru/563979103

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Feds: Teachers embroiled in test-taking fraud

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) ? It was a brazen and surprisingly long-lived scheme, authorities said, to help aspiring public school teachers cheat on the tests they must pass to prove they are qualified to lead their classrooms.

For 15 years, teachers in three Southern states paid Clarence Mumford Sr. ? himself a longtime educator ? to send someone else to take the tests in their place, authorities said. Each time, Mumford received a fee of between $1,500 and $3,000 to send one of his test ringers with fake identification to the Praxis exam. In return, his customers got a passing grade and began their careers as cheaters, according to federal prosecutors in Memphis.

Authorities say the scheme affected hundreds ? if not thousands ? of public school students who ended up being taught by unqualified instructors.

Mumford faces more than 60 fraud and conspiracy charges that claim he created fake driver's licenses with the information of a teacher or an aspiring teacher and attached the photograph of a test-taker. Prospective teachers are accused of giving Mumford their Social Security numbers for him to make the fake identities.

The hired-test takers went to testing centers, showed the proctor the fake license, and passed the certification exam, prosecutors say. Then, the aspiring teacher used the test score to secure a job with a public school district, the indictment alleges. Fourteen people have been charged with mail and Social Security fraud, and four people have pleaded guilty to charges associated with the scheme.

Mumford "obtained tens of thousands of dollars" during the alleged conspiracy, which prosecutors say lasted from 1995 to 2010 in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Among those charged is former University of Tennessee and NFL wide receiver Cedrick Wilson, who is accused of employing a test-taker for a Praxis physical education exam. He was charged in late October with four counts of Social Security and mail fraud. He has pleaded not guilty and is out of jail on a $10,000 bond. He has been suspended by the Memphis City Schools system.

If convicted, Mumford could face between two and 20 years in prison on each count. The teachers face between two and 20 years in prison on each count if convicted.

Lawyers for Mumford and Wilson did not return calls for comment.

Prosecutors and standardized test experts say students were hurt the most by the scheme because they were being taught by unqualified teachers. It also sheds some light on the nature of cheating and the lengths people go to in order to get ahead.

"As technology keeps advancing, there are more and more ways to cheat on tests of this kind," said Neal Kingston, director of the Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation at the University of Kansas. "There's a never-ending war between those who try to maintain standards and those who are looking out for their own interests."

Cheating on standardized tests is not new, and it can be as simple as looking at the other person's test sheet. The Internet and cell phones have made it easier for students to cheat in a variety of ways. In the past few years, investigations into cheating on standardized tests for K-12 students have surfaced in Atlanta, New York and El Paso, Texas.

Still, most of the recent test-taking scandals involved students taking tests, not people taking teacher certification exams. Cheating scams involving teacher certification tests are more unusual, said Robert Schaeffer, public education director for the National Center for Fair & Open Testing.

Schaeffer notes that a large-scale scandal involving teacher certification tests was discovered in 2000, also in the South. In that case, 52 teachers were charged with paying up to $1,000 apiece to a former Educational Testing Services proctor to ensure a passing grade on teacher certification tests.

Teachers from Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee and Mississippi took tests through Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Ark., in 1998. The college was not accused of wrongdoing.

Educational Testing Services also writes and administers the Praxis examinations involved in the Memphis case. ETS spokesman Tom Ewing said the company discovered the cheating in June 2009, conducted an investigation and canceled scores. The company began meeting with authorities to turn over the information in late 2009, Ewing said.

"These cases are rare, but we consider them to be very serious and something we have to guard against happening for all the honest test-takers, students and teachers," Ewing said.

Ewing said ETS observes test-takers and reviews test scores to try to root out cheaters. ETS also has received anonymous tips that have led them to cheaters, Ewing said.

Prosecutors in the Mumford case say he, the teachers and test-takers used the Internet and the U.S. Postal Service to register and pay for the tests, and to receive payment. The indictment does not say how much he allegedly paid the test-takers.

An experienced educator, Mumford was working for Memphis City Schools when the alleged scam took place. Authorities say Mumford defrauded the three states by making the fake driver's licenses.

"What happens at many testing centers is that a whole bunch of test-takers show up simultaneously, early on a Saturday morning, and the proctors give only a cursory look to the identification," Schaeffer said. "It's not like going through airport security where a guy holds up a magnifying glass and puts our license under ultraviolet light to make sure it has not been tampered with."

Mumford was fired after news of the investigation came out, and others, like Wilson, have been suspended. But at least three teachers implicated in the scandal remain employed with their school district.

Kingston, the university professor, said prospective teachers may not be confident in their knowledge base to pass the test. Or, the cheaters may believe they are smart enough to pass on their own but also know they are poor test takers.

Kingston said his research has shown that cheating on exams is getting more prevalent.

"The propensity to cheat on exams both through college and for licensure and certification exams seems to be increasing over time," said Kingston. "People often don't see it as something wrong."

The pressure of passing the test could make people do things they normally would not do. And it could take a while for authorities and test-taking services to catch up with the cheaters.

"When people come up with a new method for cheating, it takes some time for folks to figure it out, partly because this has been an understudied area in the field of assessment," Kingston said.

Nina Monfredo, a 23-year-old history teacher at Power Center Academy in Memphis, has taken Praxis exams for history, geography, middle school content, and secondary teaching and learning.

Monfredo, who passed all her tests and is not involved in the fraud case, said the exams she took were relatively easy for someone who has a high school education. She said some people use study aids to prepare, but she didn't. And she didn't feel much pressure because it was her understanding that she could take the test again if she did not pass.

"If you feel like you can't pass and you hire someone it means you really didn't know what you were doing," she said. "I think it would be easier to just learn what's on the test."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/feds-teachers-embroiled-test-taking-fraud-151121354.html

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New York Harbor Barrier: Will City Act To Protect Itself From Future Storm Surges?

-- Think Sandy was just a 100-year storm that devastated New York City? Imagine one just as bad, or worse, every three years.

Prominent planners and builders say now is the time to think big to shield the city's core: a 5-mile barrier blocking the entryway to New York Harbor, an archipelago of man-made islets guarding the tip of Manhattan, or something like CDM Smith engineer Larry Murphy's 1,700-foot barrier ? complete with locks for passing boats and a walkway for pedestrians ? at the mouth of the Arthur Kill waterway between the borough of Staten Island and New Jersey.

Act now, before the next deluge, and they say it could even save money in the long run.

These strategies aren't just pipe dreams. Not only do these technologies already exist, some of the concepts have been around for decades and have been deployed successfully in other countries and U.S. cities.

So if the science and engineering are sound, the long-term cost would actually be a savings, and the frequency and severity of more killer floods is inevitable, what's the holdup?

Political will.

Like the argument in towns across America when citizens want a traffic signal installed at a dangerous intersection, Sandy's 43 deaths and estimated $26 billion in damages citywide might not be enough to galvanize the public and the politicians into action.

"Unfortunately, they probably won't do anything until something bad happens," said CDM Smith's Murphy. "And I don't know if this will be considered bad enough."

Sandy and her 14-foot surge not bad enough? By century's end, researchers forecast up to four feet higher seas, producing storm flooding akin to Sandy's as often as several times each decade. Even at current sea levels, Sandy's floodwaters filled subways, other tunnels and streets in parts of Manhattan.

Without other measures, rebuilding will simply augment the future destruction. Yet that's what political leaders are emphasizing. President Barack Obama himself has promised to stand with the city "until the rebuilding is complete."

So it might take a worse superstorm or two to really get the problem fixed.

The focus on rebuilding irks people like Robert Trentlyon, a retired weekly newspaper publisher in lower Manhattan who is campaigning for sea barriers to protect the city: "The public is at the woe-is-me stage, rather than how-do-we-prevent-this-in-the-future stage."

He belongs to a coterie of professionals and ordinary New Yorkers who want to take stronger action. Though pushing for a regional plan, they are especially intent on keeping Manhattan dry.

The 13-mile-long island serves as the country's financial and entertainment nerve center. Within a 3-mile-long horseshoe-shaped flood zone around its southernmost quadrant are almost 500,000 residents and 300,000 jobs. Major storms swamp places like Wall Street and the site of the World Trade Center.

Proven technology already exists to blunt or virtually block wind-whipped seas from overtaking lower Manhattan and much of the rest of New York City, according to a series of Associated Press interviews with engineers, architects and scientists and a review of research on flooding issues in the New York metropolitan area and around the globe.

These strategies range from hard structures like mammoth barriers equipped with ship gates and embedded at entrances to the harbor, to softer and greener shoreline restraints like man-made marshes and barrier islands.

Additional landfill, the old standby once used to extend Manhattan into the harbor, could further lift vulnerable highways and other sites beyond the reach of the seas.

Even more simply, the rock and concrete seawalls and bulkheads that already ring lower Manhattan could be built up, but now perhaps with high-tech wave-absorbing or wave-reflecting materials.

Seizing the initiative from government, business and academic circles have fleshed out several dramatic concepts to hold back water before it tops the shoreline. Two of the most elaborate proposals are:

_ A rock causeway, with 80-foot-high swinging ship gates, would sweep five miles across the entryway to inner New York Harbor from Sandy Hook, N.J., to Breezy Point, N.Y. To protect Manhattan, another shorter barrier is needed to the north, where the East River meets Long Island Sound, and another small blockage would go up near Sandy Hook. This New Jersey-side barrier and a network of levees on both ends of the causeway could help protect picturesque beach communities like Atlantic Highlands, in New Jersey to the west, and the Rockaways, in New York City to the east. This so-called outer barrier option was conceived for a professional symposium by the engineering firm CH2M HILL, which last year finished building a supersized 15-mile barrier guarding St. Petersburg, Russia, from Baltic Sea storms.

_ An extensive green makeover of lower Manhattan would install an elaborate drainage system beneath the streets, build up the very tip by 6 feet, pile 30-foot earthen mounds along the eastern edge, and create perimeter wetlands and a phalanx of artificial barrier islets ? all to absorb the brunt of a huge storm surge. Plantings along the streets would help soak up runoff that floods the city sewers during heavy rains. This concept was worked up by DLANDSTUDIO and Architecture Research Office, two city architectural firms, for a museum project.

What's missing is not viable ideas or proposals, but determination. Massive projects protecting other cities from the periodic ravages of stormy seas usually happened after catastrophes on a scale eclipsing even Sandy.

It took the collapse of dikes, drowning deaths of more than 1,800 people, and evacuation of another 100,000 in 1953 for the Dutch to say "Never again!" They have since constructed the world's sturdiest battery of dikes, dams and barriers. No disaster on that scale has happened since.

It took the breach of levees, a similar death toll, and flooding of 80 percent of New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to marshal the momentum finally to build a two-mile barricade against the Gulf of Mexico.

A handful of seaside New England cities ? Stamford, Conn.; Providence, R.I.; and New Bedford, Mass. ? have built smaller barriers after their own disasters.

However, New York City, which mostly lies just several feet above sea level, has so far escaped the horrors visited elsewhere. Its leaders have been brushing off warnings of disaster for years.

Retired geologist Jim Mellet of New Fairfield, Conn., recalls hearing a story told to him by the late Bill A. O'Leary, a retired city engineer at the time: He and other engineers, concerned about battering floods, had approached power broker Robert Moses more than 80 years ago to ask him to consider constructing a gigantic barrier to hold back storm tides at the entrance to the city's Upper Bay.

Moses supposedly squashed the idea like an annoying bug. "According to Bill, he stood there uninterested, with his arms folded on his chest, and when they finished the presentation, he just said, `No, it will destroy the view.'" Or perhaps he was already mulling other plans for the same site, where he would build the Verrazano Narrows Bridge years later.

Many city projects, like the Westway highway plan of the 1970s and 1980s, died partly because of the impact they would have on the cherished view of water from the congested cityscape. Imagine, then, the political viability of a project that might further block access to the harbor or the view of the Statue of Liberty from the tip of Manhattan.

"I can assure that many New Yorkers would have strong opinions about high seawalls," said an email from a retired New York commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bud Griffis, who was involved in the permitting process for the failed Westway.

However, global warming and its rising sea levels now make it harder simply to shrug off measures to shield the city from storms. Sandy drove 14-foot higher-than-normal seas ? breaking a nearly 200-year-old record ? into car and subway tunnels, streets of trendy neighborhoods, commuter highways and an electrical substation that shorted out nearly all of lower Manhattan.

The late October storm left 43 dead in the city, and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn estimated at least $26 billion in damages and economic losses. The regional cost has been estimated at $50 billion, making Sandy the second most destructive storm in U.S. history after Katrina.

Yet heavier storms are forecast. A 1995 study involving the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers envisioned a worst-case storm scenario for New York: High winds rip windows and masonry from skyscrapers, forcing pedestrians to flee to subway tunnels to avoid the falling debris. The tunnels soon flood.

With its dense population and distinctive coastline, New York is especially vulnerable, with Manhattan at the center.

The famous island can be pounded by storm surges from three sides: from the west via the Arthur Kill, from the south through the Upper Bay, and from the Long Island Sound through the East River. Relatively shallow depth offshore allows storm waters to pile up; the north-south shoreline of New Jersey and the east-west orientation of Long Island further channel gushing seas right at Manhattan.

Some believe that Sandy was bad enough at least to advance more serious study of stronger protections. "I think the superstorm we had really put the fear of God into people, because no one really believed it would happen," said urban planner Juliana Maantay at Lehman College-City University of New York.

But nearly all flood researchers interviewed by the AP voiced considerable skepticism about action in the foreseeable future. "In a half year's time, there will be other problems again, I can tell you," said Dutch urban planner Jeroen Aerts, who has studied storm protections around the world.

William Solecki, a Manhattan-based Hunter College planner who has been at the center of city and state task forces on climate change, guessed that little more will be done to prevent future flooding beyond "nibbling at the edges" of the threat.

In recent years, the city has been enforcing codes that require flood-zone builders to keep electrical and other critical systems above predicted high water from what was until recently thought to be a once-in-a-century storm. Sealing other key equipment against water has been encouraged. The city has tried to keep storm grates free of debris and has elevated subway entrances. The buzz word has been making things more "resilient."

But this approach does little to stop swollen waters of a gigantic storm from pouring over lower Manhattan. "Resiliency means if you get knocked down, this is how you get back up again," huffs activist Trentlyon. "They just were talking about what you do afterward." He said Sandy's flood water rose to 5 feet at street level in Chelsea, where he lives on the western side of lower Manhattan.

The city has at least toyed with the idea of barriers and even considered various locations in a 2008 study. "I have always considered that flood gates are something we should consider, but are not necessarily the immediate answer to rush toward," said Rohit Aggarwala, a Stanford University teacher who is former director of the New York mayor's Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability.

Unswayed by Sandy, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his assistants have been blunter. Bloomberg said barriers might not be worthwhile "even if you spent a fortune."

Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway said no specific measures ? whether more wetlands, higher seawalls or harbor barriers ? have been ruled out because "there's no one-size-fits-all solution." But he compared sea barriers to the Maginot Line, the fortified line of defenses that Germany quickly sidestepped to conquer France at the beginning of World War II.

"The city is not going to be totally stormproof, but I think it can be very adaptable," he added. He said that new flood maps informed by Sandy are being drawn up, and he suspects they will extend the zones where new developments must install critical equipment above flood level.

Computer simulations indicate that hard barriers, which have worked elsewhere around the world, would do a good job of shielding New York neighborhoods behind them. But they'd actually make flooding worse just outside the barriers, where surging waters would pile up with nowhere to go.

The patriarch of this research is Malcolm Bowman, a native New Zealander who leads a passionate cadre of barrier researchers at Stony Brook University on the northern shore of Long Island. His warnings have mostly gone unheeded. "I feel like a biblical prophet crying in the wilderness: `The end is near!'" Bowman said.

Unbowed, he continues to preach against incremental measures. "If you get a storm and a big oak tree falls on your house, then whether you fix your gutter doesn't matter," he said.

In recent years, his logic has finally begun to resonate a bit more. Nicholas Kim, an oceanographer with engineering firm HDR HydroQual who studied with Bowman in the 1980s, said his mentor has been thinking about barriers since then: "Everybody said, `You're crazy!' But now it's becoming clear that we need protection."

Even massive structures don't shield everyone, though. A 2009 four-barrier study co-authored by Kim found that in a simulated storm, barriers still failed to protect large swaths of Queens and sections of other outlying boroughs with a total of more than 100,000 people.

Researchers also have predicted at least a modest additional one-foot rise of stormy seas as water piles up outside the barriers. "If you're the guy just outside the barrier, and you're paying taxes and you're not included, you're not going to be very happy," said oceanographer Larry Swanson at Stony Brook University.

How such barriers would affect water movement, silt and marine life also remains an open question requiring further study for each case.

The scale and costs of hard barrier schemes have further put off many critics. After flooding from Hurricane Irene last year, city representatives asked Aerts, the Dutch planner, to compare the cost and benefits of barriers to existing approaches. His initial analysis will not be finished until February, but his early cost estimate for barriers and associated dikes for New York City is $15 billion to $27 billion ? comparable to that of the record-setting $24 billion Big Dig that reshaped Boston's waterfront ? not to block storms, but to unblock traffic and views of the waterfront.

Barrier defenders counter by pointing to the cost of storm damages. Stony Brook meteorologist Brian Colle said: "When you think of the cost of a Sandy, which is running in the billions, these barriers are basically going to pay for themselves in one or two storms." Advocates say tolls on trains or cars riding atop a barrier could help finance the project.

While appealing for rebuilding, Council Speaker Quinn also has said that "the time for casual debate is over" and called for a bold mix of resiliency with grander protective structures. She has estimated the cost of her plan at $20 billion.

Other massive protection schemes, like the green makeover of lower Manhattan, also would probably run into the billions. And soft protections are meant only to defuse, not stop, rising waters. Sandy battered parts of Long Island behind barrier islands and wetlands.

Nor is it clear that Manhattan has enough space to fashion more extensive wetlands of the sort that help protect the Gulf Coast, however imperfectly. "New York is too far gone for wetlands," said Griffis, the retired Army Corps commander for New York.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., has announced he will spearhead efforts to request a corps study of whether barriers or other options would work better. However, it remains unclear if Congress would be willing to fund such a study, which would undoubtedly take several years and cost millions of dollars.

And even before a dime has been appropriated, the corps is lowering expectations. Says spokesman Chris Gardner: "You can't protect everywhere completely at all times."

___

Associated Press National Writer Adam Geller and AP researcher Julie Reed contributed to this report.

___

The AP National Investigative Team can be reached at investigate(at)ap.org

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/25/new-york-harbor-barrier-storm-surge_n_2188684.html

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Essential Pc Hardware Elements And Parts | Computers and ...

Pc hardware contains the various Elements of a Computer system such as the CPU or the Central Processing Unit, mouse, keyboard, monitor, hard disk, RAM or memory, drives including the DVD, CD, optical, tape and so forth. All these Elements are Important for the correct functioning of a individual Laptop or computer.

Understanding Pc Hardware in Detail

The entire Computer system is accessible with the above talked about Elements but it is also feasible to buy these Elements individually from numerous of the on-line and offline shops. Some of the most Essential Elements incorporate the following:

Central Processing Unit or the CPU: the CPU refers to the processor of the Laptop or computer. Despite the fact that there are a wide quantity of firms that manufacture CPUs or processors for individual computers, the Pentium chip produced by Intel is extensively and frequently utilised by most of the companies.

Keyboard: most Significant Laptop or computer hardware contains the keyboard which is Critical to enter commands and words. Every single key in the keyboard is a representation of an alphabet, quantity, sign, function and so forth. There are keys which represent actions including Delete, Enter, Alt, Ctrl, Web page Up, Web page Down, Property, Finish and numerous far more. Every single various key has a precise function.

There are 101 keys in an ordinary common keyboard. Keyboards which are ergonomically made have particular characteristics to make typing less complicated. Every single key has two characters which can be typed by pressing the Shift key. The Ctrl, Alt and Shift keys are identified as the command keys.

Mouse: Critical Pc hardware also contains the mouse. It is utilised for navigating on the Personal computer?s screen, to click on choices, to choose objects and to access info. There are generally two buttons on the mouse- 1 on the left which is utilized for choice and one particular on the proper which is utilised to access facts. There are unique kinds of mouse accessible these days which incorporate optical mouse, scroll mouse, laser mouse, ball mouse and so forth. The scroll mouse, or the wheel mouse, has a plastic wheel in in between the left and proper buttons on the mouse. This Essential Pc hardware also consists of the optical mouse which sends optical signals to the Pc. The ball mouse contains a ball in the mouse casing which moves when the mouse is moved on the pad. This motion sends the needed signal to the Laptop or computer.

Hard disk: Pc hardware also consists of hard disk which is a device utilized for permanent storage of information. The efficiency of a Personal computer depends on the rotation speed of the hard disk. The larger the rotation speed, the greater the overall performance of the Pc.

RAM or the Random Access Memory: RAM is also a Computer system hardware that shops details temporarily. But even so, Though rebooting or turning off the Computer system, this facts will be erased. The efficiency of the Pc depends largely on the RAM and if the size of the RAM is higher, the Computer system will perform greater and more rapidly.

Personal computer hardware also contains Elements including sound cards, digital cameras, scanners and modems. Diverse forms of Elements are offered and it may possibly differ according to the type of the Computer system.

Source: http://www.californiascreenplaycompetition.com/essential-pc-hardware-elements-and-parts.html

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2012 Champaign-Urbana Winter Holiday Fun Guide: December

There is so much happening in Champaign-Urbana over the winter holidays this December that we?re giving you a head start.

We?ve got the lowdown on all the?family-friendly Christmas, Hanukkah and other?holiday events in and around Champaign-Urbana. Plenty of?these events require pre-registration, so be sure to plan ahead.

We will list these chronologically by start date.?Have we missed any events??Let us know?? ?and check back often to see what we?ve added. We are just getting started, because we know there will be an avalanche of local holiday events to enjoy as we head into December. (We?ve got?November events?listed separately).

Ongoing events:

Hardy?s Reindeer Ranch:?Reindeer tours, Christmas trees, and more. Open daily through Dec. 29 (closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day).

Santa?s Secret Star Film:?Learn about the day and night sky and how the stars seem to make pictures in the sky in our holiday show for young stargazers. Head to the?Staerkel Planetarium?to learn how YOU, too, can find Santa?s secret star! Every Saturday night from Nov. 3 through Dec. 15, at 7 p.m.

Santa Arrives at Marketplace Mall:?Santa comes to Champaign-Urbana starting on Nov. 23 and will be in town through Dec. 24. Free Hugs, Free Smiles, Free Wishes and of course Free HO HO HOs!?Santa has made his way from the North Pole and is ready to greet children of all ages. Holiday photo packages are also available.

Holiday Market in Lincoln Square:?Every Saturday starting Nov. 10 until Dec. 15, 8am ? 1 p.m.?Come out to enjoy the festivities, music, Santa and gift wrapping. The market will feature merchants from Champaign-Urbana, and the surrounding area, selling products made or grown in Illinois, including fresh produce, baked goods, and tons of arts and crafts.

Season Of Light:??Season of Light? at the Staerkel Planetarium?traces the history and development of many of the world?s holiday customs, all of which involve lighting up the winter season. This show also recounts the historical religious and cultural rituals practiced during the time of winter solstice ? not only Christian and Jewish, but also Celtic, Nordic, Roman, Irish, Mexican and Hopi. It also takes a look at some of our more light-hearted seasonal traditions. Shows Friday-Saturday nights, Dec. 1, 7,8, 14, 15 Dec. 17, at 8 p.m.

The?2012 Crisis Nursery Children?s Holiday Shop?will again feature a full one week schedule, from?December ?1-8, at Lincoln Square in Urbana.?Hours are:?Saturday, December 1: 9am-5pm;?Sunday, December 2: 12-5pm;?Monday, December 3: 4-7pm;?Tuesday, December 4: 4-7pm (Parents Only! For one night, caregivers are allowed in the store to do their own holiday shopping!);?Wednesday, December 5: 4-7pm;?Thursday, December 6: 4-7pm;?Friday, December 7: 4-7pm;?Saturday, December 8: 9am-5pm.?The Children?s Holiday Shop is a wonderful place for children to do their own holiday shopping. ?Children arrive at our store with their shopping list in hand and money tucked away safely in their pocket. A volunteer then assists the child through the store and helps them budget their money as they pick out gifts (between $2 and $8 dollars) for their family and friends.When the children are done picking out their gifts, they pay for them and wrap them in festively decorated bags. As they leave the shop, children are always full of pride with the items they have picked out on their own and an understanding that it is just as great to give as it is to receive!

Snow Globe Saturdays at the Orpheum Children?s Museum in Champaign:??December 1, 8, 15, and 22nd, 1-5 p.m. Spend an enchanted time in a winter wonderland inside the Orpheum Theater?s own snow globe featuring indoor sledding, snowman making, snow ball throwing, ice fishing, and more! Bring your wish list for Santa and enjoy sounds of the season floating through the glittery air. After a couple of runs down the snow hill, return to the Orpheum?s mezzanine for hot chocolate, treats, and crafts. $6 members, $8 nonmembers, family pack 4 for $28.

Champaign Urbana Ballet Presents The Nutcracker:?Who doesn?t love the ?Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy?? ?The Nutcracker? features company dancers from Champaign Urbana Ballet, along with children from the Champaign-Urbana community. This local production is performed at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Illinois. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 30, Dec. 1, and Dec. 8; and 3; and 2 p.m. on Dec. 1, 2, 8 and9. ?and 4. For more information, visit the?Champaign Urbana Ballet?online.

Home for the Holidays Christmas Spectacular at The Little Theater on the Square:??This all new musical review, which?runs Dec. 7-16,?is perfect for the entire family. Follow one family with a son overseas during the holidays and his wishes to be at home celebrating with his family. Featuring fantastic USO style holiday songs paying tribute to The Andrews Sister and Bing Crosby, high-kicking dance numbers, a beautiful telling of the Nativity, and of course the big man in red himself, this is a show you will not want to miss. Written especially for The Little Theatre On The Square. See the theater?s website for?showtimes and ticket prices.

Visit Santa in Monticello:?Santa will be waiting for your visits at the Wabash Depot in Monticello starting Saturday, Dec. 15 through Dec. 23. Hours vary by the day.

Candlestick Lane: Grant Place and potions of Eastern and Fairlawn, Urbana. An area tradition, Candlestick Lane will be lit (starting Dec. 15) every evening from 5 to 10 p.m. through Christmas. Drive cautiously and turn off headlights to get the most enjoyment from the lights.

Saturday, Dec. 1

Polar Paws: This jog has gone to the dogs! Join us at Centennial Park to kick off your howl-a-day season with a fun run that?s sure to delight everyone in your family ? especially the four-legged members! Dogs and their owners choose on the day of the race to run either the 5K (1 lap) or 10K (2 lap) distance. ?Water, hot chocolate, and holiday and dog cookies will be available along the course to keep all our racers merry and bright. Only one dog per runner, please. All dogs must have current vaccinations and be under control on a leash at all times.?Fee (R/NR): $10/$15. Fee covers one human and one dog. Humans running without dogs (i.e. children accompanying their parents) are also $10/$15 each. Dog handlers must be 15 or older. Please, no human runners under the age of 8 and no canine runners under the age of 1 year.?Deadline: Wednesday, November 28 (no t-shirt)

Holiday Market in Lincoln Square:?Every Saturday 8am ? 1pm until Dec. 15. With the holidays approaching, come out to Holiday Market get fresh produce, arts and crafts and gifts galore.

Breakfast with Santa in Mahomet: Enjoy donuts and milk, crafts, activities and a visit with Santa on Saturday, December 1 from 8:30-10: a.m. at the Mahomet-Seymour High School Cafeteria. $3.00 per child, $1.00 per adult Parents are welcome to bring cameras for a photo opportunity with Santa. Please purchase tickets by November 30th at the following locations: Busey Bank, First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust, Fisher National Bank, First Financial Bank and Mahomet Area Chamber of Commerce Office in ReMax building. Sponsored by Mahomet Area Chamber of Commerce and the Mahomet Town & Country Womens Club.?

Christmas in Homer:?Enjoy the season in the village of Homer.?Santa in the Library, vendors, Christmas Tree Lane, the Cookie Walk, and a Soup and Sandwich Luncheon.From 9-2 the Village Hall will have Christmas Tree Lane, an arts and crafts fair, and a Cookie Walk.?From?11-1 there is a soup and salad luncheon, and Santa will be at the?Homer Community Library?from 10 a.m. -1 p.m.

Tolono Library Story Time at Barnes and Noble:?Come to Barnes & Noble in Champaign at 10:30 a.m. for a special storytime with Miss Jeannette! We will share fun stories and songs about giving and gifts and make some cool crafts, suitable for gift-giving. Pick up a voucher at the library ahead of time or at Barnes & Noble on this day and any purchases you make will help Tolono Public Library!

Festival of Trees Public Hours: Be a part of a Champaign County tradition, and join us for our 17th Annual Festival of Trees. Public hours on Dec. 1 are 9 a.m. ?? 5 p.m. Special performances:?10:30 a.m., Garden Hills Elementary School; 11:45 a.m. Urbana Free Library (Children?s storyteller);?1:00 p.m. Central Illinois Children?s Choir;?2:20 p.m. Slavic Story Time provided by Russian, East European, and Eurasian?Center at?the University of?Illinois Urbana-Champaign?(Bring your kids to do a craft!). Santa and Mrs. Claus ? 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Win raffle and silent auction prizes, and shop the holiday gift gallery. $5 adults, $3 children 4-12 and seniors, Children 3 and under FREE. At the Hilton Garden Inn, Champaign.

Jolly Shop:?The Monticello Junior Women?s Club is hosting their annual Jolly Shop, a shopping experience for the kids, ?from 9 a.m. 2 p.m. with a break for the parade. The Jolly Shop will be located in the basement of the community building (102 E Livingston St.).

Make a Picture Frame:?At this free workshop at?Home Depot in Champaign, children can build and paint a picture frame. Perfect gift for a grandparent or other family member ? and it?s Free! For ages 5-12 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Art HooHa 2012:?Art HooHa is an unofficial celebration of C-U?s creative community and an opportunity to support local artists and find unique, handmade gifts in a relaxed atmosphere. Friday, Nov. 30, 5-9 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit?www.arthooha.com?for more information.

Tuscola Christmastown Celebration:?Full slate of events all day! ?7- 7:45 Registration ? Santa Chase 5K Run/Walk ?@ Tuscola Community Building;?8:00 am ? 11:00 am ? Santa Breakfast @ Douglas County Museum;?8:00 am ? 3:00 pm ? Craft Vendor Fair @ Tuscola Community Building;?8 am ? Santa Chase 5K Run/Walk @ Tuscola Community Building; 11:00 am ? Parade ? route starts from the ?entrance? to Ervin Park, the parade will proceed South on Main St.,?then West on North Central St. ending at the Community Building.;?1:00 pm ? 3:00 pm ? Baby Contest @ Tuscola Community Building;?1:00 pm ? 4:00 pm ? Santa Paws @ Jarman Center (Pet pictures with Santa); 3:00 pm ? 4:00 pm ? Children?s Activities @ Tuscola Public Library; 4 p.m. Arthur Christmas Movie @ Tuscola Public Library.

Rantoul Christmas Parade and Santa?s Village:?Parade at 10 am followed by Free Fun Activities and Prizes at our downtown businesses:?House of Flowers,?Lindsey Lane Bridal Cottage,?Deena?s,?Style by Fox,?Downtown Barber Shop.?Santa will be in the parade and after the parade visit Santa at the Around the Corner Resale Shop located at 119 Sangamon Ave. (former Hallmark store).?To get in the parade contact the Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce? at 893-3323 or email us at?office@rantoulchamber.com. Free.?

Free Photo With Santa at County Market:?County Market & Lou Taylor Photography have come together to offer a Free photo on CD with SANTA!?Dec 1 & 2 from 10 am-7 pm. First Come First Serve!?One free photo per family. Lou Taylor Photography Portrait CD Studio?1914 Glen Park Drive?(inside the County Market),?Champaign.

Monticello Christmas Parade:?Kick off the holiday season with a parade in downtown Monticello at 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 1. Theme is ?Coming Home for Christmas.?

Make and Take Ornament Workshop:?Kids of all ages are invited to the Mahomet Public Library from any time between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to make a holiday ornament they can keep.

Sunday, Dec. 2

Festival of Trees Public Hours: Be a part of a Champaign County tradition, and join us for our 17th Annual Festival of Trees. Public hours on Dec. 2 are 10 a.m. ?? 3 p.m. Special performances:?11:00 and noon, The Conservatory of Central Illinois;?1:00 p.m. Flute Keys Studio;?2:00pm Bow-Dacious String Band from the Community Center for the Arts. Family photos 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Santa Claus will be there too. Win raffle and silent auction prizes, and shop the holiday gift gallery. $5 adults, $3 children 4-12 and seniors, Children 3 and under FREE. At the Hilton Garden Inn, Champaign.

2012 Champaign Jingle Bell Run/Walk:?A fun and festive way to kick off the holidays with family, friends and coworkers from 12 to 2 p.m. in Centennial Park in Champaign. Form a team, raise funds and organize your very own holiday-themed costumes. Then tie jingle bells to your shoelaces, and complete a 5 kilometer route. Tara Braucht, tfunk@arthritis.org, ?or call 309-451-0785 to register.

LeRoy Christmas Parade:?LeRoy will welcome Santa Claus during the Christmas Parade, to be held on Sunday, December 2, at 2:00 p.m.

Ornament Workshop and Tree Decorating:?Come to the?Philo Public Library?at 3 p.m. and make holiday ornaments to take home and one to hang on the Village Christmas Tree. ?At 4:00 p.m. there will be caroling and trimming of the Village Tree followed by refreshments in the Library.

Peace Lutheran Church Live Nativity:?From 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Peace Lutheran Church, 200 W. Arnold,?Thomasboro.?Come see and hear the Biblical story of the birth of Jesus. ?Each presentation will close with a Christmas carol. ?Animals include sheep, a donkey, and a cow and a llama. ?Inside the parish hall, have fellowship with cocoa & cookies, hot dogs & chili while the children play and do Christmas crafts. ?In case of bad weather, activities will still be held in the church.

Parkland POPS Winter Concert.?1:00 pm,?Parkland Theatre, 2400 W. Bradley Ave. Champaign.?Admission is free and open to the public.

Parkland Holiday:?Parkland Wind Ensemble and?Parkland Community Orchestra at the Parkland Theater, 2400 W. Bradley Avenue?Champaign, 3 p.m.?Admission is free and open to the public.

Tuesday, Dec. 4

Calls from Santa:?Who wouldn?t love a personal call from Santa this holiday season! All boys and girls ages 4, 5, or 6 can receive a call from the North Pole. Calls will be made between 6-8pm. Champaign-Urbana area calls only please, and this event requires pre-registration. Forms are available at online at the?Champaign Park District website.?

Polar Express Party:?Experience the magic of Chris Van Allsburg?s?Polar Express?with activities, crafts, and a bedtime snack. For children of all ages at the?Urbana Free Library, 6 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 6

A Swingin??Holiday Concert:?Parkland Big Band and Parkland Concert Band. Starts at 7 p.m. in the Parkland Theater.?Admission is free and open to the public.

Friday, Dec. 7

Merry Treasures:?A holiday DIY bazaar hosted by the I.D.E.A store, from ?4 -7 p.m. on Dec. 7 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec.8 in the classroom area. The sale?s emphasis will be on handmade stocking stuffers and other small gift items. Another unique component of this sale is that all items must be crafted primarily from recycled, reused or repurposed materials.?The I.D.E.A. Store, Second Floor, 28 E. Springfield, Champaign.

Santa at Tolono Public Library:?Mark your calendar for Santa?s visit on Friday, December 7 from 6 -7:30pm. ?Santa will listen to your wish list and check to see if you have been naughty or nice! We are delighted to have Dimock Photography back this year to take pictures for this event! ?Santa?s little elf helper Miss Beth will be helping children with a craft, too! Don?t forget to visit our book sale and find some great books for yourself or as a gift.

Holiday Storytime Featuring The Polar Express:?Barnes and Noble, 65 East Market View Dr.,?Champaign, 7 p.m.?Parents and children are invited to our annual Polar Express moonlight story time. Everyone is encouraged to wear his or her favorite Christmas pajamas for the moonlight Storytime!?We will have a craft after the story time and will provide hot chocolate and cookies! Call 217.355.2264 or e-mail crm2714@bn.com to reserve a spot.

Saturday, Dec. 8

A St. Joseph Country Christmas:?St. Joseph will welcome Santa as he rides into St. Joseph on a firetruck (at 9). Santa will available for children to visit with him and parents could take a picture of their children with Santa, and there will be children?s activities. From 9 a.m. to noon, at the American Legion, 223 E. Lincoln St,?in St. Joseph.?

Christmas in Bement:?A full day of events are planned, including a parade at 1 p.m., horse-drawn carriage rides between 5 to 7 p.m, a tea (advanced registration required), and much more. Full schedule, click on the link.

Philo Santa Breakfast: Children of all ages are invited to visit with Santa before he makes his annual around the world flight delivering toys. Enjoy a simple breakfast, games, crafts and pictures with the one and only Santa Claus! Tickets for the activities will be available at the door for only 25 cents and all activities will cost only one or two tickets, making this a fun and affordable family event. Bring a new, unopened toy for our Salvation Army tree and receive 10 FREE tickets!??From 9 ? 11 a.m., at?R.E. Franks Center, 127 W. Washington, Philo.

Brunch with Santa:?At 88 Broadway, Lincoln Square, Urbana, from 10 a.m. to 2 pm.?Tickets are $10 per person.?Breakfast catered by Piato; Santa photos, other children?s activities. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Build a Gingerbread House at Lowe?s:?The holidays are right around the corner! Bring your child to Lowe?s and they can build this cool Gingerbread House! At the Build and Grow clinic, Champaign Lowe?s, 10 a.m. Registering in advance is recommended. For kids 5 and up.

Merry Treasures:?A holiday DIY bazaar hosted by the I.D.E.A store, from ?4 -7 p.m. on Dec. 7 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec.8 in the classroom area. The sale?s emphasis will be on handmade stocking stuffers and other small gift items. Another unique component of this sale is that all items must be crafted primarily from recycled, reused or repurposed materials.?The I.D.E.A. Store, Second Floor, 28 E. Springfield, Champaign.

Candy Christmas Trees: Come enjoy books and songs about Christmas trees, then make your own candy christmas tree to take home. Yummy!?For elementary and preschoolers.From 10 a.m. to noon at the?Urbana Free Library.?

Kris Kringle Workshop: Sign your kids up for a fun afternoon at the Savoy Recreation Center while you enjoy a little time to yourself to get your shopping done. Your child will enjoy gym games, art projects, snacks and more!?Ages: 4 and up,?1:00-5:00 pm?$12/resident, $10/R additional child;?$15/non-resident, $13/NR additional child.?Registration Deadline: December 1?

Douglas Community Center Holiday Party:?FREE! Ages 3-10. From 1 -3 p.m.?Come celebrate the holidays with us! Kids and parents are invited to attend a day with Santa featuring games, prizes, a free toy giveaway, and a treat. Sponsored by the Champaign Park District.

The Tons O? Fun Band and Friends 7th Annual Christmas Show:?This magical event will feature TOFB performing many of your seasonal favorites. Special guest appearances include the PBS Band, Rena Day from the group Champaign, Tim Frazier, Chip McNeil Chair of the Jazz Studies Division at the U of I, Chris Moors, Sam Carroll, Dody Cosmedy, Diana Rasch, Celia Williams, Tim Donaldson, and Tony Clements as Master of Ceremonies. Start off the holiday season with good music, good times and good cheer. All proceeds will benefit Developmental Services Center?s ?Tree of Hope Campaign!??Tickets are $35 for VIP which includes pre-show reception and reserved seating, $15 adult/$5 for children 12 and under. 1:30 p.m. at the Parkland College Theater,??2400 W. Bradley Avenue?Champaign.

Homer for the Holidays: Join us at Homer Lake for our natural approach to creating unique holiday gifts. Stations will be set up for children to make, wrap, and take home presents and ornaments for their families and friends. You can also help us create treats to decorate the trees outside of the Interpretive Center as our gift to the wildlife that call this preserve home. There?s no place like Homer for the holidays! Come and go at your convenience during program hours during 2-4 p.m. Free. Homer Lake Interpretive Center, Homer Lake Forest Preserve, 2573 S Homer Lake Rd, Homer.?For information, (217) 896-2455 or shampson@ccfpd.org.?

To Grandmother?s House We Go:??Nine stations will be available for children to make, wrap, and take home?presents and ornaments for their families and friends. Come join us for a great time with crafts for everyone!?Storyteller Kim Sheahan will entertain with holiday stories from 4:00-4:45. Free. Museum of the Grand Prairie, Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve,?600 N Lombard, Mahomet, 2:00 ? 5:00 p.m.?For information, 217-586-2612 or?kriopelle@ccfpd.org.

Candy House Creations with the Urbana Park District: Get your family in the spirit of the season with an afternoon of candy fun. Create fabulous decorated houses from all sorts of goodies and treats. We provide all the fixins?- the graham crackers, cookies, candies, and frosting. Listen to holiday tunes while your sweet tooth builds its dream house. Best of all, we clean up the mess!?Registered participants may drop in at the Phillips Recreation Center any time between 2:30pm and 4pm. All participants must register in order to ensure adequate seating, but you will only be charged for the number of candy houses that you want to decorate. Register early for a discount ? $7 per candy house; otherwise, $9 per candy house. REGISTER BY DECEMBER 1.

Live Nativity:?This year?s Trinity Lutheran Church, (701 E. Florida Ave., Urbana) Live Nativity will be held on December 8 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. See animals, a manger and watch as the story of Christmas comes alive. There are live animals, adult and children choirs, real people playing the parts of Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men, shepherds, and angels; special music and songs all evening.

Sunday, Dec. 9

Annual Carol Concert 2012:?Presented by the UI School of Music, an exuberant tradition returns when choruses, instrumentalists, and audience members join in a celebration of the winter season. Tickets $10, at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts Foellinger Great Hall, 3 p.m

In Concert at CPL: Briana Kay:??It?s Christmas! Come relax and get away from the holiday bustle with a concert of joyous seasonal music. The soulful Briana Kay, backed by pianist Crissy Rigsby, will sing original songs by Ray Miner along with traditional Christmas favorites.?This series is sponsored by the Champaign Public Library Friends.?At 2 p.m. at Champaign Public Library. Free.

Nativity Walk and Christmas/Advent Concert:?From 5-8 p.m. at?Good Shepherd Lutheran Church,?2101 S. Prospect Avenue, Champaign. Many beautiful nativity sets shown in lighted displays. Central Illinois Children?s Chorus and The Rip Chords free concert from 6-7 PM. Carols performed on the piano and vocal performance during social hour to follow by Kat Downs. Sing-a-long and requests included. Special Christmas coffee, cocoa, and cookies for all. Free.

Thursday, Dec. 13

CUSO Holiday Concert: Join the CUSO for the heartwarming cheer of the annual Holiday Concert! Bring your family for an evening of favorite carols, festive surprises, and entertaining guest artists. Lend your voice to the traditional sing-along and let the CUSO and returning guest conductor Daniel Black lead you into the holiday season! At Krannert Center for the Performing Arts; tickets $31-$5.?

Mills Breast Cancer Institute Music Series:?CU Symphony Sounds of Holiday Cheer.?From 12 to 12:45 p.m. at the Mills Breast Cancer Institute, 509 W. University Ave. in Urbana. Free.

Friday, Dec. 14

Merry & Bright Flashlight Candy Cane Hunt: 6 p.m. at Prairie Farm in Champaign. ?Bundle up, grab your flashlights, and come out to Prairie Farm to help us find candy canes hidden by the big guy in the red suit!? We hear he left some rare and special candy canes that are worth prizes, too.? Stick around afterward for hot chocolate and a visit from Santa himself!? This event is FREE for children ages 3-10. Sponsored by the Champaign Park District.

Saturday, Dec. 15

Elf on the Shelf Storytime: Barnes & Noble will host The Elf on the Shelf Storytime and Adopt-an-Elf event with Crisis Nursery on December 15 at 10:30 am.The event will kick off with a reading of The Elf on the Shelf ? A Christmas Tradition.?This special Storytime will give children an opportunity to adopt an elf of their own, complete with an adoption certificate. There will be activities and holiday treats as well. To RSVP for this event call 217.2264 or e-mail crm2714@bn.com

New Covenant Fellowship Craft Day:?Spend the morning enjoying Christmas music, snacks, gingerbread house decorating and lots of other holiday crafts. There will be a variety of projects available for everyone ages 2-99. Many will be perfect for gift giving. All materials will be provided, and this event is absolutely free, so don?t miss it! From 9 a.m. to noon. Corner of Randolph and White Street, Champaign.

Annual Candlestick Lane Opening Ceremony: The ceremony begins at 6:00 pm at the north end of Grant Place in Urbana. Grant Place and potions of Eastern and Fairlawn will be closed beginning at 5:00 pm. There will be NO parking allowed on the street, so plan ahead to park on adjacent streets.??Candlestick Lane will be lit every evening from 5 to 10 p.m. through Christmas. Drive cautiously and turn off headlights to get the most enjoyment from the lights.

Christmas Storytime at the Tolono Public Library:?Children will enjoy lively Gingerbread stories and create Gingerbread related crafts during this one hour event. ?Join Miss Beth as she cooks up some Gingerbread fun! 2-3 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 18

Movie Night: Frosty the Snowman: Put on your favorite pjs and get ready for the holidays by coming in to the Urbana Free Library to see an old favorite, Frosty the Snowman. We?ll have a snack and maybe even sing a carol or two!?6:30 p.m. Free.

Saturday, Dec. 22

Christmas Storytime:?Head to the Allerton Public Library in Monticello for storytime and a craft on Saturday, December 22 at 11:00 a.m.; for children ages 3-5.? Please register as space is limited.?Call 762.4676 for more information.

Art Lessons for Children: Holiday Origami: ?Do you want to add some holiday spirit to your week? Ai-ling and Yukimi, two local origami artists, will lead you through some holiday paper-folding fun. Create a few things to take home or give as gifts. Free; 2 p.m. For elementary school children.

Tuesday, Dec. 25

Community Christmas Dinner:?First Christian Church is once again hosting a Community Christmas Dinner for people who would otherwise be alone or without a special holiday meal to share on Christmas Day. Children in attendance will receive a gender and age-appropriate, small gift. Appetizers will be served at 12:30 p.m. with dinner following at 1 p.m. on December 25 at the First Christian Church, 3601 South Staley Road, Champaign. Meal is free, but reservations are required. Dinner reservations can be made by calling (217) 649-2315 or send an email to christmasdinner@fcc-online.org.

Monday, Dec. 26

Happy Kwanzaa!

Thursday, Dec. 27

Itty Bitty New Year:?From?10:00am to 12:30pm.?Celebrate New Years as a family at the Savoy Recreation Center with craft projects, face painting, games, snacks, a noon balloon drop and more! Registration Deadline: Dec. 20 $20/Resident Family, $26/Non-Resident Family.

Monday, Dec. 31

Noon Year?s Eve: Are you afraid you won?t last till midnight to celebrate the New Year? Come celebrate with the Urbana Free Library at 11:30, with count down at noon. Ringing in the New Year with stories, food and fun!

Noon Day Celebration:?Ring in the New Year with a big balloon drop and count down at noon! Make crazy hats, crazy noise, and bring in the New Year with a parade around the Orpheum Children?s Science Museum! Free with admission, balloon drop and countdown at noon. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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Related posts:

1. 2012 November Champaign-Urbana Winter Holiday Fun Guide
2. 2012 Champaign-Urbana Holiday Gift Guide
3. Champaign-Urbana Small- and Home-Business Holiday Gift Guide
4. 2012 Champaign-Urbana Area Halloween Fun Guide

Source: http://www.chambanamoms.com/2012/11/23/2012-champaign-urbana-winter-holiday-fun-guide-december/

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