Stacy Brown worries when her 1-year-old son, Mason, stops breathing. And what worries her even more is that she doesn’t know exactly what causes him to stop.
She’s taken him to the hospital and to doctors, but she said she still has no answers.
“He stops breathing if it gets too hot or if he gets sick,” Brown said. “But even in air conditioning, he’ll have spells where he stops breathing and then starts back.”
In his first year of life, he’s been to the hospital three times, she says.
The family’s medical problems don’t end there. Stacy, at 22, deals with chronic depression after finding her 53-year-old mother dead of a heart attack and watching her brother try to revive his 3-month-old son — her nephew — when he suffocated in his crib.
“I can still remember both of their faces,” Stacy said.
Her oldest child, 5-year-old Savannah, was born two weeks early and had colic. And husband Michael, 23, is already experiencing chest pains.
Medicaid helps pay for children’s health care but they say waiting lists at the clinics that take Medicaid often keep them from seeing doctors when they need them.
The Browns are homeless, taking one day at a time and trying to build a better life as part of Family Promise, a nonprofit agency that gives them places to stay in a network of local churches. They focus on survival as they move from church to church.
“I’m just thankful to have somewhere to sleep and something to eat,” Brown said.
The Browns are not the only ones in Anderson County who feel that way.
In 2010, 38 percent of Anderson County’s children were insured through Medicaid. Statewide, the numbers reach 42 percent, said Jeff Stensland, the state’s health department spokesman. In 2009, 56 percent of the children born in Anderson County were born to mothers insured by Medicaid.
South Carolina ranked 45th out of 50 states for overall child well-being in 2010, according to the state’s Kids Count data. Health workers said they are seeing more cases of asthma, respiratory illnesses, attention deficit disorder, hypertension — and even mental illnesses than they used to.
And officials say the state and Anderson County are paying a high price.
At AnMed Health alone, the cost of providing health care to patients insured by Medicaid has risen 429 percent in the past 10 years.
“These numbers tell us that there are a lot of poor people in South Carolina,” Stensland said. “When you look at this stuff globally, the levels of healthy — or unhealthy factors — are pretty high in South Carolina. And yeah, there is a societal price to pay when you have an unhealthy population.”
The budget crunch
By noon on a recent Friday, more than 50 sick children had already entered the AnMed Health Children’s Health Center. Some were quiet, with pained expressions, sniffling with red, puffy eyes. Others danced and pulled on parents’ pants legs as they waited for their turn.
This is the clinic where most of Anderson County’s children insured through Medicaid come for their regular doctor visits.
Director Sheila Woods said this clinic exists because most family practices don’t want too many Medicaid patients.
“Greater than 90 percent of the kids who come through our doors are insured through Medicaid. You can’t make ends meet with only Medicaid dollars,” Woods said. “So, the hospital felt that a clinic like this one is a community service.”
That service costs real money.
From October 2009 to September 2010, 20,000 children passed through the doors of the children’s health center for medical care. That came with a price tag of nearly $3.2 million. About $1.6 million, or 50 percent of the total budget, was paid for by Medicaid and patients’ insurance.
The remaining $1.6 million was added to AnMed Health’s column of unpaid medical costs.
In 2010, AnMed Health submitted a $128.5 million bill to Medicaid and was reimbursed for $38.7 million.
“That’s a significant burden,” said Jerry Parish, the chief financial officer for AnMed Health. “And we know they are going to cut reimbursement rates again. Medicaid has told us that they are going to cut our rates by at least 10 percent.”
That is a drastically different situation than what existed in the year 2000. The total costs for Medicaid coverage in 2000 reached only $29.9 million and the government gave AnMed Health back $21.5 million.
And those Medicaid costs are just one column of the debt that AnMed Health accrues in a year. The hospital’s debt and charity cases saw huge increases as well, even if those areas didn’t climb as fast as the cost of coverage to Medicaid patients did.
Information released by Parrish’s office shows that in 2000, AnMed Health spent $9.7 million in health care for patients who did not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid, but still did not have enough income to pay for their medical care.
By 2010, the patients who qualified for the hospital’s charity assistance reached 6,244 and the cost of that care had increased by 412 percent — to $40.1 million.
And the bad debt — the cost of health care that is not paid for — topped $84 million in 2010. In 2000, the hospital’s bad debt totaled $21.9 million.
“That $84 million, that’s all those who are unemployed or underemployed,” Parrish said. “Maybe they have a full-time job but they don’t have insurance and can’t afford the health care. All of that is then shifted to someone else.
“And there’s no one we can call and ask them to sponsor a patient.”
Not just runny noses
As the Medicaid costs have climbed, children’s overall health in South Carolina and Anderson County has not improved, said Jeff Stensland, the spokesman with the state health department.
The state spent $5.8 million providing Medicaid to residents — most of whom are children, Stensland said. That was an increase from the $4.2 million spent in 2005.
Yet, South Carolina continues to rank near the bottom of the nation in the overall health of its children.
The national Annie E. Casey Foundation, which looks at the overall well-being of children, released data in 2010 that showed South Carolina as 45th in the nation for the health of its children. The factors that placed the state 45th: infant mortality rate, percentage of babies born below a healthy weight, the teen death rate, and the percentage of children living in single-parent homes.
The Centers for Disease Control puts South Carolina fourth in the nation for its number of babies born with a low birth weight. In 2009, 10 percent of the state’s children were born with low birth weights. The state with the highest rate was Mississippi, with 12.2 percent of its children born with low birth weight.
“As long as Medicaid coverage is there, they will have some level of health insurance,” Stensland said. “But that does not always translate into good health because there are so many other factors that play into health other than insurance.”
For Sheila Woods, statistics on low birth weight, Medicaid costs and child-well-being rankings — aren’t just numbers. Those numbers have faces.
Like the 6-year-old girl who came into the clinic, twisting her hands together as Woods talked to her. The girl wasn’t sleeping because her mother, who left in the middle of the night for another state, told her in a letter that she was going to kill her grandparents.
Or like the fourth-grade boy who was thinking of suicide after he lost his grandmother and his father to suicide, all in the span of two years.
“He didn’t have a well-thought-out plan, but he was very set that he wanted to die,” Woods said.Woods cared for children in the Appalachian region of Kentucky for 19 years before taking on the role here in Anderson as the director of the AnMed Health Children’s Health Center. The largest difference she’s seen between the children in Anderson and those in Kentucky is the number of mental health problems they are dealing with here.
“I have to say that my previous practice was in Lexington, Ky., and we did see a lot of mental health issues, but the seriousness of the mental health issues in this Medicaid population is greater,” she said.
Not every child who is treated here has such a sad history. But many of them still have health problems that put them at risk for repeating the cycle of poverty in which they may be living.
The top illnesses that the clinic’s staff sees in young Medicaid patients: asthma, respiratory illnesses, dehydration, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, high blood pressure as a result of obesity, hypertension and heart problems, Woods said.
“Poverty is such a brutal condition for kids,” Woods said. “When you are a kid and you don’t know if you are going to eat when you get home, that tends to be a trigger for anxiety and depression. And it’s also reflected in poorer school performance. So it really is a vicious cycle.”
2011年5月29日 星期日
Prison for man who said God made him slash woman's throat
An Easton man who police say choked an Allentown woman with a lamp cord, slashed her throat and said God made him do it will spend up to a dozen years in state prison.
Dennis Rafael Calderon, 29, was sentenced Thursday to five to 10 years in state prison by Lehigh County Judge Robert L. Steinberg.
According to authorities:
Allentown police were dispatched around 6 a.m. Nov. 24 to a home in the 400 block of Green Street. When an officer arrived, he heard a woman screaming for help.
Two officers went to the back of the home, where they found Damaris Ortiz, the mother of two of Calderon's children, on the porch bleeding profusely from her face and neck. Ortiz had two cuts on her face and a 4-inch cut across her throat.
Ortiz told the officers Calderon slashed her. She said the last thing she remembered was Calderon choking her with a lamp cord and saying, "God commanded me to kill you."
Inside the home, officers discovered blood on a banister and blood drops leading to a second-floor bedroom. In the bedroom, police found an unidentified man holding down Calderon and an 8-inch kitchen knife nearby. Calderon was taken into custody.
When Calderon pleaded guilty in March to aggravated assault — the most serious charge he had faced – Chief Deputy District Attorney Charles Gallagher III said Ortiz has recovered. He said she needed four stitches in her forehead and nine stitches in her neck.
Calderon has several past convictions for weapon and drug offenses, court records show.
He has been in Lehigh County Prison under $500,000 bail since his arrest, according to court records.
Dennis Rafael Calderon, 29, was sentenced Thursday to five to 10 years in state prison by Lehigh County Judge Robert L. Steinberg.
According to authorities:
Allentown police were dispatched around 6 a.m. Nov. 24 to a home in the 400 block of Green Street. When an officer arrived, he heard a woman screaming for help.
Two officers went to the back of the home, where they found Damaris Ortiz, the mother of two of Calderon's children, on the porch bleeding profusely from her face and neck. Ortiz had two cuts on her face and a 4-inch cut across her throat.
Ortiz told the officers Calderon slashed her. She said the last thing she remembered was Calderon choking her with a lamp cord and saying, "God commanded me to kill you."
Inside the home, officers discovered blood on a banister and blood drops leading to a second-floor bedroom. In the bedroom, police found an unidentified man holding down Calderon and an 8-inch kitchen knife nearby. Calderon was taken into custody.
When Calderon pleaded guilty in March to aggravated assault — the most serious charge he had faced – Chief Deputy District Attorney Charles Gallagher III said Ortiz has recovered. He said she needed four stitches in her forehead and nine stitches in her neck.
Calderon has several past convictions for weapon and drug offenses, court records show.
He has been in Lehigh County Prison under $500,000 bail since his arrest, according to court records.
LAMP 3: To further boost Bohol’s economy
“LAMP1 and LAMP2 are not just programs; they are life to the people,” Gov. Edgar Chatto stressed.
“And, with Bohol’s overarching development framework being similar to LAMP’s aim of poverty reduction, there is no doubt that LAMP3, which, no doubt, would come into being shortly, would be zealously and passionately received by the people,” he said.
A three-man team from the Information Education Communication (IEC) of the Land Administration and Management II Project (LAMP2) from Manila came all the way to Bohol to have an up-close and personal interview with Gov. Edgar M. Chatto of Bohol Thursday.
Chatto faced the questions head on and, without batting an eyelash, told the IEC of the initiatives done by the Chatto-Lim Administration like the very careful attention it has given to priority programs and projects that have been started to make sure updating are thoroughly discussed to understand present situations and the next steps to be taken and the challenges to face to make sure that targets for the project are hit.
LAMP2 addresses the Philippine Government’s medium-term goals of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act with social equity; and good governance, which serves the overarching national goal of the P-Noy Administration of poverty reduction and growth.
The development objectives of the project are to increase land tenure security and improve land administration services through the implementation of institutional and legal reform, the realization of an accelerated land titling program, and the establishment of a fair and uniform property valuation system. This is done through the development of national policies, a regulatory framework and reform of the institutional structure for land administration and management; issuance of titles in urban and rural areas; and the standardization of the land valuation system through the establishment of an efficient and fair property valuation system that meets international standards.
Chatto informed the IEC that the provincial government makes sure that streamlining of the LAMP2 project in Bohol is institutionalized making the distribution of land titles go about smoothly.
The “people’s governor” said that Bohol has reaped quite a number of benefits from LAMP2’s implementation that its impact is deeply-rooted in the hearts of the people and that it has helped a lot in the capacity building of the less-privileged and in revenue generation in terms of property taxes.
Now that Bohol has an increasing number of LGU-led LAMP projects in adapting the technologies in the LAMP framework, other provinces have been inspired in emulating Bohol’s example and this could be quite helpful in the economic growth of the country in a much-wider scale hence improving financial security among the underprivileged especially in rural communities where security of tenure is very important.
The governor said that since Bohol is now apparently an investment destination and that LAMP1 and LAMP2’S impact are now distinctly felt and quite immeasurable, it is quite important for the provincial government to make use of proper land management by setting an example for the people to use their land wisely and efficiently with the maximum of benefits.
The success of projects LAMP1 and LAMP2 could, very possibly, now give rise to LAMP3, Chatto said, for undeniably, “both projects have not been wasted but instead, left an indelible imprint in the minds and hearts of the people. ”
With the inevitability of LAMP3, Gov. Chatto said that a bridging period would be very important for the continuity of the programs and that LGU officials should be made abreast of the growing and upcoming challenges “for the task has just begun.”
“Because of LAMP, visible reforms have been institutionalized and have provided LGUs easier access to revenue generation through fees and taxes making them recognize and acknowledge that in land valuation aspect, international standards are emphasized and adhered to as part of its strategic directions.
With LAMP 1 and 2, Bohol has been able to deliver beyond its targets through reform measures introduced in the program and Gov. Chatto is thanking all the men and women who brought LAMP to Bohol and assures them that “their efforts would never be wasted.”
“And, with Bohol’s overarching development framework being similar to LAMP’s aim of poverty reduction, there is no doubt that LAMP3, which, no doubt, would come into being shortly, would be zealously and passionately received by the people,” he said.
A three-man team from the Information Education Communication (IEC) of the Land Administration and Management II Project (LAMP2) from Manila came all the way to Bohol to have an up-close and personal interview with Gov. Edgar M. Chatto of Bohol Thursday.
Chatto faced the questions head on and, without batting an eyelash, told the IEC of the initiatives done by the Chatto-Lim Administration like the very careful attention it has given to priority programs and projects that have been started to make sure updating are thoroughly discussed to understand present situations and the next steps to be taken and the challenges to face to make sure that targets for the project are hit.
LAMP2 addresses the Philippine Government’s medium-term goals of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act with social equity; and good governance, which serves the overarching national goal of the P-Noy Administration of poverty reduction and growth.
The development objectives of the project are to increase land tenure security and improve land administration services through the implementation of institutional and legal reform, the realization of an accelerated land titling program, and the establishment of a fair and uniform property valuation system. This is done through the development of national policies, a regulatory framework and reform of the institutional structure for land administration and management; issuance of titles in urban and rural areas; and the standardization of the land valuation system through the establishment of an efficient and fair property valuation system that meets international standards.
Chatto informed the IEC that the provincial government makes sure that streamlining of the LAMP2 project in Bohol is institutionalized making the distribution of land titles go about smoothly.
The “people’s governor” said that Bohol has reaped quite a number of benefits from LAMP2’s implementation that its impact is deeply-rooted in the hearts of the people and that it has helped a lot in the capacity building of the less-privileged and in revenue generation in terms of property taxes.
Now that Bohol has an increasing number of LGU-led LAMP projects in adapting the technologies in the LAMP framework, other provinces have been inspired in emulating Bohol’s example and this could be quite helpful in the economic growth of the country in a much-wider scale hence improving financial security among the underprivileged especially in rural communities where security of tenure is very important.
The governor said that since Bohol is now apparently an investment destination and that LAMP1 and LAMP2’S impact are now distinctly felt and quite immeasurable, it is quite important for the provincial government to make use of proper land management by setting an example for the people to use their land wisely and efficiently with the maximum of benefits.
The success of projects LAMP1 and LAMP2 could, very possibly, now give rise to LAMP3, Chatto said, for undeniably, “both projects have not been wasted but instead, left an indelible imprint in the minds and hearts of the people. ”
With the inevitability of LAMP3, Gov. Chatto said that a bridging period would be very important for the continuity of the programs and that LGU officials should be made abreast of the growing and upcoming challenges “for the task has just begun.”
“Because of LAMP, visible reforms have been institutionalized and have provided LGUs easier access to revenue generation through fees and taxes making them recognize and acknowledge that in land valuation aspect, international standards are emphasized and adhered to as part of its strategic directions.
With LAMP 1 and 2, Bohol has been able to deliver beyond its targets through reform measures introduced in the program and Gov. Chatto is thanking all the men and women who brought LAMP to Bohol and assures them that “their efforts would never be wasted.”
2011年5月25日 星期三
Most of the PAR46 lamps have fairly short life hours
Designed to be compatible with standard Par46 light fixtures like those used in spotlights and vehicles, the Magnalight LED40W-PAR46 bulb allows users to upgrade existing Par46 fixtures to powerful and long lived LEDs simply by changing lamps. Producing 3,600 lumens of light while drawing only 40 watts at less than 4 amps, this LED lamp produces more light than comparable 100 watt incandescent bulbs while using less than half as many amps. Available in red, green, blue, white and amber colors as well as 850Nm and 940Nm infrared, this LED lamp can be configured to operate with either 9-50VDC or 110-220VAC electrical power. This wide ranging choice of power options gives this LED lamp a versatility that incandescent lamps simply cannot match without additional hardware and expense. Mil-Spec 461 certified for EMI, this lamp also carries Army part # #12543890, signifying compatibility with military spec Par46 equipment. Contained within the aluminum body of this unit are four, 10 watt LEDs producing 900 lumens each for a total of 3,600 lumens of light power at 90 lumens per watt. For comparison, the typical high end incandescent halogen can only muster at best around 25-30 lumens per watt. The LEDs are protected by a polycarbonate lens that resists damage from impacts and vibrations, helping to give this lamp excellent durability and ruggedness characteristics. The 6 inch diameter of this LED light and its Par46 design allows it to easily replace the incandescent lamps used in spotlights, military vehicles, boats and other applications where Par46 design standards are utilized. Available in several colors including 850Nm and 940Nm infrared, this LED lamp in infrared configuration is also an ideal choice for upgrading night vision support equipment used in military and law enforcement operations.
“Our new PAR46 LED sealed beam bulb is ideally suited as a modern replacement for PAR46 sealed beam bulbs popular in post mount spotlights, vehicle headlights, aircraft landing lights and a variety of other 12 and 24 volt applications,” said Rob Bresnahan with Larson Electronics' magnalight.com. “Most of the PAR46 lamps have fairly short life hours, even with the HIR envelope. I think the GE H7635 offers 300 life hours and that is as good as it gets. With our LED40W-PAR46, we offer 50,000 plus life hours with a better flood and spotlight output than conventional sealed beam lamps. Moreover, we offer color LED and infrared options for covert military use. For years, we have been making infrared band pass lens covers for HID and halogen lighting. Now we can generate the specific infrared bandwidth from the LED package, instead of blocking out a lot of the light energy from visible light sources.”
“Our new PAR46 LED sealed beam bulb is ideally suited as a modern replacement for PAR46 sealed beam bulbs popular in post mount spotlights, vehicle headlights, aircraft landing lights and a variety of other 12 and 24 volt applications,” said Rob Bresnahan with Larson Electronics' magnalight.com. “Most of the PAR46 lamps have fairly short life hours, even with the HIR envelope. I think the GE H7635 offers 300 life hours and that is as good as it gets. With our LED40W-PAR46, we offer 50,000 plus life hours with a better flood and spotlight output than conventional sealed beam lamps. Moreover, we offer color LED and infrared options for covert military use. For years, we have been making infrared band pass lens covers for HID and halogen lighting. Now we can generate the specific infrared bandwidth from the LED package, instead of blocking out a lot of the light energy from visible light sources.”
LED DLP Offers 60,000 Hours of Maintenance-Free Service
a global leader in visual display solutions, today extended its acclaimed Mirage Series projector line with the launch of the Christie Mirage WU-L, whose innovative, solid-state LED light engine offers years of worry-free operation without compromising image quality.
The Christie Mirage WU-L delivers high resolution and rich pixel density, as well as continuous system calibration, in a small footprint unit capable of advanced 2D-3D visualizations. Targeted to the professional market, the Christie Mirage WU-L is suitable for everything from entertainment, to museums and education, scientific research, manufacturing, and oil and gas exploration facilities.
The 1-chip DLP® with RGB LED is the first Mirage Series projector to use solid-state LED illumination, providing precise, lifelike, vibrant colors and consistent performance over an estimated 60,000-hours (approximately 6.5 years) life cycle.
“The Christie Mirage WU-L is an ideal solution for visualization professionals whose prime concern is the minimization of servicing and maintenance costs,” said Larry Paul, senior director of technology and visualization solutions management, Visual Environments, Christie. “The Mirage WU-L is lamp-free and the LED-based light engine is sealed, which eliminates any need for filters. No lamps also mean no restrictions on positioning, which really opens up mounting options.”
The LED light engine also reduces heat and energy consumption. When combined with the absence of consumables like lamps and filters, and full compliance with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive, the Christie Mirage WU-L is destined to be a hit with customers worldwide who are looking to meet eco-friendly targets with their facilities.
Advanced Christie Twist Warping and Edge Blending Capabilities Included
The advanced warping and edge-blending capabilities of Christie Twist™ II is standard on the Christie Mirage WU-L, providing extra flexibility, control and set-up ease without incurring additional set-up costs. The light engine’s embedded Christie ArrayLOC™ feature ensures automatic color and brightness management, reducing the need for recalibrations.
The WUXGA (1920 x 1200) resolution Christie Mirage WU-L offers dual input 3D mode for passive to active conversion, maintaining the highest performance 3D video content at 120Hz. The unit also supports frame-doubled 3D content from 48-60Hz per eye. Rated at 600 ANSI lumens, the Christie Mirage WU-L provides up to 1400:1 contrast ratio full on/full off. The Mirage WU-L operates off the exclusive Christie KoRE™ electronics and firmware platform, which provides the most extensive level of input capability and control flexibility available for advanced visualizations systems.
“This product reflects the future of high-end data projection, with Christie engineers delivering a solution with an extraordinarily long life and 24/7 reliability, while meeting the demanding levels of performance quality that customers expect from Christie products,” added Paul.
The Christie Mirage WU-L delivers high resolution and rich pixel density, as well as continuous system calibration, in a small footprint unit capable of advanced 2D-3D visualizations. Targeted to the professional market, the Christie Mirage WU-L is suitable for everything from entertainment, to museums and education, scientific research, manufacturing, and oil and gas exploration facilities.
The 1-chip DLP® with RGB LED is the first Mirage Series projector to use solid-state LED illumination, providing precise, lifelike, vibrant colors and consistent performance over an estimated 60,000-hours (approximately 6.5 years) life cycle.
“The Christie Mirage WU-L is an ideal solution for visualization professionals whose prime concern is the minimization of servicing and maintenance costs,” said Larry Paul, senior director of technology and visualization solutions management, Visual Environments, Christie. “The Mirage WU-L is lamp-free and the LED-based light engine is sealed, which eliminates any need for filters. No lamps also mean no restrictions on positioning, which really opens up mounting options.”
The LED light engine also reduces heat and energy consumption. When combined with the absence of consumables like lamps and filters, and full compliance with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive, the Christie Mirage WU-L is destined to be a hit with customers worldwide who are looking to meet eco-friendly targets with their facilities.
Advanced Christie Twist Warping and Edge Blending Capabilities Included
The advanced warping and edge-blending capabilities of Christie Twist™ II is standard on the Christie Mirage WU-L, providing extra flexibility, control and set-up ease without incurring additional set-up costs. The light engine’s embedded Christie ArrayLOC™ feature ensures automatic color and brightness management, reducing the need for recalibrations.
The WUXGA (1920 x 1200) resolution Christie Mirage WU-L offers dual input 3D mode for passive to active conversion, maintaining the highest performance 3D video content at 120Hz. The unit also supports frame-doubled 3D content from 48-60Hz per eye. Rated at 600 ANSI lumens, the Christie Mirage WU-L provides up to 1400:1 contrast ratio full on/full off. The Mirage WU-L operates off the exclusive Christie KoRE™ electronics and firmware platform, which provides the most extensive level of input capability and control flexibility available for advanced visualizations systems.
“This product reflects the future of high-end data projection, with Christie engineers delivering a solution with an extraordinarily long life and 24/7 reliability, while meeting the demanding levels of performance quality that customers expect from Christie products,” added Paul.
2011年5月22日 星期日
VVES Receives Donation For iPad, Projector
Kids in teacher Terri Billingsley’s kindergarten class at Virgin Valley Elementary School will have a chance to use some advanced learning tools thanks to a recent donation.
The Nevada Public Education Foundation and Wells Fargo Bank have provided funding for an audio visual system that includes an interactive whiteboard, an iPad, an LCD projector, and a projector cart.
“As you know, schools are increasingly in need of classroom materials due to a variety of factors that are dramatically affecting our economy,” Billingsley said in an e-mail announcing the donation. “While all of us are susceptible to hard times, children are at the most risk. In today’s harsh economic times the classroom may be the only stabilizing factor for some children. With the generous support of the Nevada Public Education Foundation and Wells Fargo Bank, we were able provide a classroom full of fun and interactive learning activities that children look forward to.”
The interactive lessons taught using the audio visual equipment provide students with lessons that engage them in math and technology activities.
“Thank you the Nevada Public Education Foundation and Wells Fargo Bank for caring about providing the funding for this wonderful kindergarten classroom addition,” Billingsley said. “The children love it and so do the staff.”
The Nevada Public Education Foundation and Wells Fargo Bank have provided funding for an audio visual system that includes an interactive whiteboard, an iPad, an LCD projector, and a projector cart.
“As you know, schools are increasingly in need of classroom materials due to a variety of factors that are dramatically affecting our economy,” Billingsley said in an e-mail announcing the donation. “While all of us are susceptible to hard times, children are at the most risk. In today’s harsh economic times the classroom may be the only stabilizing factor for some children. With the generous support of the Nevada Public Education Foundation and Wells Fargo Bank, we were able provide a classroom full of fun and interactive learning activities that children look forward to.”
The interactive lessons taught using the audio visual equipment provide students with lessons that engage them in math and technology activities.
“Thank you the Nevada Public Education Foundation and Wells Fargo Bank for caring about providing the funding for this wonderful kindergarten classroom addition,” Billingsley said. “The children love it and so do the staff.”
Come June, stars will shine in city planetarium again
PUNE: Here's good news for astronomy enthusiasts in the city. After almost seven years, the planetarium housed in the New English School on Tilak Road is set to open its doors again by June this year.
Once considered to be the first planetarium set up in Asia, the facility has been non-functional since 2004. Due to technical difficulties and damages to the machine, the dome remained closed. Now, the machines have been repaired even as the dome is being re-painted and push-back chairs have been installed.
Rs 1 crore will be required for the entire renovation project. "By December, the planetarium will be complete with all latest facilities. However, the facility will start functioning by June, offering access to students and astronomy groups," said Ajit Patwardhan, chairman of Deccan Education Society, which runs the planetarium. The New English School has appointed eminent astronomer and member of the fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, London, Parag Mahajani, as consultant. Mahajani has been instrumental in getting the projectors repaired and bring back the planetarium to life.
The projector installed at the planetarium was imported from Philadelphia in the mid-50s. It was a manually-operated machine. In 2004, the projector started malfunctioning and eventually it had to be shut down. Efforts were made to repair the machine, but in vain. "Recently, we consulted with Mahajani who took a look at it and decided to get it repaired. Two trials were taken after the repairing work was done and now the machine is doing great and is completely operational. Now we could run the planetarium once again," said, Dilip Kotibhaskar, chairman of the planetarium.
A minimum of 100-seat capacity planetarium will be ready and a telescope which is at least 100 years ago will also be installed, even as sky watching sessions will be resumed. The planetarium was established in 1954, which was first-of-its-kind in Asia those days. "The projector matched to those in America in those days and was bought at Rs 50,000. The projectors available now are different and they are priced over Rs 55 lakh. However, Mahajani, who is the consultant to Nehru Planetarium in Mumbai, is of the opinion that the clarity of this projector is brilliant and therefore, we decided to get it repaired."
Several international scientists have shown interest in visiting the planetarium once it gets functional for the quality of projection that is possible with the projector. Several topics on astronomy will be covered at this planetarium once it runs full-fledged, Kotibhaskar said.
Home to the renowned Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (Iucaa) and the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) and numerous astronomy clubs, the city understandably has a huge appetite for astronomy, and over the years this has only witnessed a rise. The one thing that was missing was a planetarium, which the city is set to get.
Once considered to be the first planetarium set up in Asia, the facility has been non-functional since 2004. Due to technical difficulties and damages to the machine, the dome remained closed. Now, the machines have been repaired even as the dome is being re-painted and push-back chairs have been installed.
Rs 1 crore will be required for the entire renovation project. "By December, the planetarium will be complete with all latest facilities. However, the facility will start functioning by June, offering access to students and astronomy groups," said Ajit Patwardhan, chairman of Deccan Education Society, which runs the planetarium. The New English School has appointed eminent astronomer and member of the fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, London, Parag Mahajani, as consultant. Mahajani has been instrumental in getting the projectors repaired and bring back the planetarium to life.
The projector installed at the planetarium was imported from Philadelphia in the mid-50s. It was a manually-operated machine. In 2004, the projector started malfunctioning and eventually it had to be shut down. Efforts were made to repair the machine, but in vain. "Recently, we consulted with Mahajani who took a look at it and decided to get it repaired. Two trials were taken after the repairing work was done and now the machine is doing great and is completely operational. Now we could run the planetarium once again," said, Dilip Kotibhaskar, chairman of the planetarium.
A minimum of 100-seat capacity planetarium will be ready and a telescope which is at least 100 years ago will also be installed, even as sky watching sessions will be resumed. The planetarium was established in 1954, which was first-of-its-kind in Asia those days. "The projector matched to those in America in those days and was bought at Rs 50,000. The projectors available now are different and they are priced over Rs 55 lakh. However, Mahajani, who is the consultant to Nehru Planetarium in Mumbai, is of the opinion that the clarity of this projector is brilliant and therefore, we decided to get it repaired."
Several international scientists have shown interest in visiting the planetarium once it gets functional for the quality of projection that is possible with the projector. Several topics on astronomy will be covered at this planetarium once it runs full-fledged, Kotibhaskar said.
Home to the renowned Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (Iucaa) and the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) and numerous astronomy clubs, the city understandably has a huge appetite for astronomy, and over the years this has only witnessed a rise. The one thing that was missing was a planetarium, which the city is set to get.
訂閱：
文章 (Atom)