The Public Domain

By Tammy Duffy

Music is intimate. Who controls one's entrance into a work of art?  You do. Who controls the experiences you have in life? You do.

This summer I saw a Tweet on Twitter. This tweet talked about in 140 characters about a unique opportunity in NYC to sing in an amazing performance, the public domain.  I proceeded to the website the tweet referenced and signed up to particpate.  I was confirmed to be a part of the performance as a singer.

I sing to my rescue dogs every day, they find it very soothing. I have played the flute since I was in the 5th grade. I can read music and carry a tune.

As I proceeded to attend the first rehearsal I quickly became transformed. Our strand leader Deborah Simpkin-King helped all of us warm up our voices and teach us the score. Many of the participants had never read a note of music. Yet, she was able to teach them the score.

The Public Domain is a once in a life opportunity to sing piece of music that has been written for 1,000 singers. This has never been done before, in the whole history of music. Composer David Lang, who won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Music for the little match girl passion, has written a score that is incredibly romantic, the public domain. This piece was commissioned by Lincoln Center and has its world premiere on August 13 at 5pm, as part of the Mostly Mozart Festival.  Simon Halsey is such an energetic conductor. He creates an electric atmosphere that is contagious. You just want to sing your heart out for him.

This piece came to fruition when Lang attended an Arsenal soccer match and the sounds around him as people cheered, chanted, and sang sparked his creativity. This is how he created, the public domain score. There is singing and choreography as part of the piece.

When those entering the fountain area of Lincoln Center on Saturday, Aug. 13, the public will feel like you are at a football match. You have all of these different sources coming at you from different sides. Sometimes they’re doing different things, sometimes they’re doing exactly the same thing but they’re out of sync with each other because they’re so far apart.  The sound is quite deep. The distance between voices make it seem like you are in the middle of something vast. You will see the singers perform choreography that connects the singers to the music.

In the spirit of the Mostly Mozart Festival’s conception, the world premiere of the public domain by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lang will be a performance that not only welcomes the public as a free and open event, but will also be performed by the public. A piece inspired by the theme of the collective knowledge shared amongst us all, the composition will be performed on Saturday, August 13, by 1,000 volunteer vocalists from throughout New York City, conducted by Simon Halsey, Choral Director of the London Symphony Orchestra. We have all lended our voices to make our Lincoln Center debut for this unique event.

So what does a gal after this, to top this kind of experience? Next week, I will climb Mt Kilimanjaro in Africa.  I hope you can attend this performance. It's lovely!

 http://mostlymozart.org/thepublicdomain/

Posted by tammyduffy at 8:40 PM EDT

Updated: Friday, 12 August 2016 8:46 PM EDT

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 2016 Kelsey Awards

It’s awards time once again at Mercer County Community College’s (MCCC’s) Kelsey Theatre.  The “2016 Kelsey Awards,” a Tony Awards-inspired evening that celebrates the best theatrical productions and performers from the 2015-16 season, takes place Saturday, Aug. 20, starting at 7 p.m. Kelsey Theatre is located on MCCC’s West Windsor campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road.

Based on voting by Kelsey Theatre fans, the Kelsey Awards will highlight the best performances, best technical achievements, best direction and best choreography from the past year.  The ceremony will also honor Pete Labriola with a Lifetime Achievement Award.  Labriola has been an innovator in the theater community for decades and has served as artistic director for Pierrot Productions, one of the companies that performs at Kelsey Theatre, since 1989.
The event will reprise performances by the casts of “The Addams Family,” “Mary Poppins,” “Violet,” and “City of Angels.”  New this year will be preview performances from two upcoming shows:  “Miss Saigon” (Sept. 9 to 25) and “In The Heights” (Oct. 14 to 23), along with a reunion performance by the cast of “Avenue Q” from 2013.  Hosts for this year’s show are comediennes Jaimie McMillin, Maria Aromando, and Kim Cupo.

“To gather some of the best talent in New Jersey and have them on one stage in one big show is a unique night of enjoyment for theater fans,” said Kyrus Westcott, the show’s producer, director and head writer.  The Kelsey Awards have been presented by K2KEntertainment and the Kelsey Theatre Advisory Board as a live show since 2011. (The awards were first presented in 2009.)

The nomination round took place in early July.  The second round of voting, which will decide the winners, will be held Aug. 13 to 18.  For more information, visit www.KelseyAwards.com.

Tickets are $16 and are available online at www.kelseytheatre.net or by calling the Kelsey Theatre Box Office at 609-570-3333.  Kelsey Theatre is wheelchair accessible, with free parking available next to the theater.

Posted by tammyduffy at 9:05 AM EDT

Updated: Saturday, 6 August 2016 9:09 AM EDT

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 HAM Offers Scholarships for Fall Artistic Expressions Class

The Hunterdon Art Museum is offering 10 full scholarships to its fall Artistic Expressions class for adults with developmental disabilities.
Scholarships are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. To qualify, just visit the Hunterdon Art Museum’s website at http://hunterdonartmuseum.org/education-programs/special-needs-students/ and complete the application, or call HAM Education Coordinator April Anderson at 908-735-8415. Deadline to apply is August 30.

Two Artistic Expressions classes will run for 10 weeks during the fall: a Tuesday class beginning Sept. 13 or a Thursday class that starts Sept. 15. Both begin at 6:30 p.m., and run for consecutive weeks (except for Tuesday, Oct. 11). Scholarships are available for either class.

Artist Jim Pruznick leads this open studio class for adults and teens with developmental disabilities, in which art-making topics are tailored to new and returning students, and include drawing, painting, sculpting, mixed media, woodworking, photography and fiber arts. An open studio class gives students the opportunity to experiment with a variety of materials and mediums and to create art at their own pace and skill level. Two instructors and a maximum class size of 10 students means each student receives individualized attention while working in a fun and supportive environment.
“Artistic Expressions is a class with creative, therapeutic and social objectives,” noted Jennifer Brazel, education director at the Hunterdon Art Museum. “And it’s the perfect way to build skills, dexterity and self-esteem.”

The scholarships were established through donations received by the Museum. If you’d like to make a contribution toward this scholarship program, please contact Donna Huron, HAM’s Individual Giving Officer, at donna@hunterdonartmuseum.org.
Artistic Expressions is made possible in part by a grant from Investors Foundation.  

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC
The Museum is at 7 Lower Center St. in Clinton, New Jersey, 08809. Our website is www.hunterdonartmuseum.org and our telephone number is 908-735-8415. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 11 am – 5 pm and suggested admission is $5.

Posted by tammyduffy at 8:52 AM EDT

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Who Is Watching Who In Our Government?

The past months our TV, newspapers and magazines have been overtaken by the Presidential campaigns. The playing field has been narrowed down to two people. But, I do not know who I am voting for. I recently stumbled on some data on the web, that begs the question, Who is watching who?  

The Pentagon’s top 100 contractors raked in $175.1 billion in obligated contracts in 2015, down slightly from 2014’s total of $177.6 billion, according to government figures released this week.

Lockheed Martin was the largest single contractor for the US government in 2015, easily lapping the rest of the field with $36.2 billion. The next closest competitor was Boeing at $16.6 billion.The federal government’s top 100 as a whole obligated $238.5 billion in 2015, meaning the DoD represented about 73.5 percent of those contracts awarded to the biggest firms.

General Dynamics ($13.6 billion), Raytheon ($13.1 billion) and Northrop Grumman ($10.6 billion) rounded out the top five contractors. Health care services firm McKesson, which has a series of major contracts with the Tricare system, was the only non-defense contractor to make it into the top eight overall federal contractors.

The vendor with the most contracts awarded by the Pentagon was FedEx, with 6.1 million, or roughly 46 percent of all contracts handed out by the department. The next closest by number of actions was Cardinal Health, which accounted for just over 2.3 percent of total transactions.

But the number that matters is dollars, and by that regard, Lockheed Marin continues to reign. The world’s largest defense firm, which also topped the contracting list in 2013 and 2014, ensures its dominance of the department with a mix of high-end, exquisite systems and cheaper more numerous weapons and sensors, said Byron Callan, an industry analyst with Capital Alpha Partners.

“Lockheed Martin's dominance can be explained by the F-35, Trident Fleet Ballistic Missile, C-130J and electronics, weapons and services programs too numerous to list,” Callan said. “Their dominance should increase with next year's data as it should reflect the Sikorsky acquisition, though the divestiture of ISGS should somewhat offset the contribution from helicopters.”

Lockheed was the top contractor for the Navy ($15.5 billion), Air Force ($7.3 billion) and Army ($4 billion), as well as for US Special Operations Command ($656.4 million).

This link below takes you to the federal spends

 https://www.fpds.gov/fpdsng_cms/index.php/en/reports.html

This link below takes you to the IG strategic Plan as mentined below

 http://www.dodig.mil/pubs/strategic_plan/DoDIGFY12-17StrategicPlan.pdf

In the report from the Office of the Inspector General, Strategic Plan 2012-2017. There are some goals set by the Department of Defense Inspector General. One of the goals; Goal 2, was to identify, deter and investigate fraud, waste and abuse.  (entire report is here:  http://www.dodig.mil/pubs/strategic_plan/DoDIGFY12-17StrategicPlan.pdf)

How well did the government follow their own strategic plan?  They did not do so well. In one area in particular where there are BILLIONS of dollars spent each year, in private contracting.  The Army did not consistently comply the requirements for assessing contractor performance.

https://www.fpds.gov/fpdsng_cms/index.php/en/reports.html  (shows the top 100 contractors spend)

The mission of the Inspector General to provide independent, relevant, and timely oversight of the Department of Defense that supports the warfighter; promotes accountability, integrity, and efficiency; advises the Secretary of

Defense and Congress; and informs the public.

http://www.dodig.mil/pubs/documents/DODIG-2016-112.pdf

"There are 73 federal offices of inspectors general,^[3] a significant increase since the statutory creation of the initial 12 offices by the Inspector General Act of 1978.^[4] The offices employ special agents (criminal investigators, often armed) and auditors. In addition, federal offices of inspectors general employ forensic auditors, or "audigators," evaluators, inspectors, administrative investigators, and a variety of other specialists. Their activities include the detection and prevention of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement of the government programs and operations within their parent organizations. Office investigations may be internal, targeting government employees, or external, targeting grant recipients, contractors, or recipients of the various loans and subsidies offered through the thousands of federal domestic and foreign assistance programs.^[5] The Inspector General Reform Act of 2008^[6] (IGRA) amended the 1978 act^[4] by increasing pay and various powers and creating the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE).^[7]

Some inspectors general, the heads of the offices, are appointed by the president and confirmed by the senate.^[8] For example, both the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Labor and the inspector general of the U.S. Agency for International Development are presidentially appointed. The remaining inspectors general are designated by their respective agency heads,^[9] such as the U.S. Postal Service inspector general.^[10] Presidentially appointed IGs can only be removed, or terminated, from their positions by the President of the United States, whereas designated inspectors general can be terminated by the agency head.^[11] However, in both cases Congress must be notified of the termination, removal, or reassignment.

While the IG Act of 1978 requires that inspectors general be selected based upon their qualifications and not political affiliation, presidentially appointed inspectors general are considered political appointees and are often selected, if only in part and in addition to their qualifications, because of their political relationships and party affiliation. An example of the role political affiliation plays in the selection of an inspector general, and the resulting pitfalls, can be seen in the 2001 Republican appointment (and resignation under fire) of Janet Rehnquist^[12] (daughter of former Chief Justice of the United States, William Rehnquist) to the post of inspector general for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.^{[13]" (Source:} WIKI)

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) seeks to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Department of Commerce's programs and operations. OIG also endeavors to detect and deter waste, fraud, and abuse. Are they actually do so, or repeating the same things year after year?

https://www.ignet.gov/content/inspectors-general-directory

OIG monitors and tracks the use of taxpayer dollars through audits, inspections, evaluations, and investigations. The Inspector General keeps the Secretary of Commerce and Congress fully and currently informed about problems and deficiencies relating to Commerce's activities and the need for corrective action.

A PARS procedure is utilized for auditing these contracts. PARs are the method for assessing a contractor’s performance on a contract. Officials prepare PARs in the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting  System CPARS). CPARS is the Government-wide reporting tool for past performance on contracts. The primary purpose of CPARS is to ensure that current, complete, and accurate information on contractor performance is available for use in procurement source selections. The Federal Acquisition

Regulation (FAR)states that agencies must assign responsibility and accountability for the completeness of past performance submissions and that agency procedures

must address management controls and appropriate management reviews of past performance evaluations. When officials submit a completed PAR, it automatically

transfers to the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS). Federal Government source selection officials obtain PARs from PPIRS.

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/444820300

Is a $92,000 a year salary enough incentive to really look, to really dig to really want to make an impact?

What were the findings in the audit? This was the third time this audit was done.

DoD OIG issued Report No. D-2008-05 7on February29, 2008. The report stated that CPARS did not contain all active system contracts that met the reporting threshold of $5 million. In addition, the audit team reported that:

• 39 percent of system contracts were registered more than a year late;

• 68 percent of system contracts had PARs that were overdue; and

• 82 percent of PARs reviewed did not contain detailed, sufficient narratives

to establish that ratings were credible and justifiable.

The report recommended USD(AT&L) establish a requirement to:

• register contracts in CPARS within 30 days from contract award;

• complete the annual PARs in CPARS within 120 days from the end of the evaluation period; and

• require formal training on writing PAR narratives and the corresponding ratings for the assessors who prepare and review PARs.

In response to the report recommendations, USD(AT&L) issued a memorandum that requires DoD officials to register contracts and complete PARs within 120 days. However, the memorandum did not require formal training for CPARS assessors, as recommended by the FY2008 report.

Other reasons the PARs were not done:

• did not make preparing the PARs a priority
• lost track of the PARs
• did not realize they were still assigned to the PAR as an assessor
• waited for PAR input from technical officials; or
• had turnover in the assessors for the PAR.
  

As of April 20, 2016, the PARs that officials did not complete for the 21 contracts were an average of 312 days late.

There were five contracting offices awarded a total of 156 contracts, valued at $84.4 billion. It was determined that assessors completed PARs for 56 of the 156 contracts as of September 24, 2015. They reviewed the 56 PARs, which had a total contract value of $1.5 billion.  One report for Tiber Creek Consulting was 499 days late, why? This was a $122.5million dollar contract.

http://www.dodig.mil/pubs/documents/DODIG-2016-112.pdf  (shows all the contracts that were late) You can google each contract number to see who it went to.

• $133 Million contract to Cellco Partnership, 344 days late
• $235 million contract to Intuitive Research, 305 days late on one report
• $31.8 Million contract to Torch Technologies, 298 days late
• $11.7 million contract to AI Signal Research,  279 days late
• $429 million contract to DRS Optronics Inc, 280 days late
• $47.7 million contract to Boeing, 292 days late
• $643,219,534 contract to GE, 356 days late
• $476 million contract to Redston Defense, 311 days late
• etc....

You get the picture. Who is watching how our hard earned tax dollars are being spent? Who is holding who accountable for these actions stated in this article? It is next to impossible to fire a civil servant.

We the people want to know how to optimize this. The American public deserves better treatment. How do we form a more and perfect union?

We need to elect officials who will care enough to change this. To enforce what needs to be enforced. To not be persuaded by lobbyists, special interest groups, large corporations, donors, etc.

Which one of  the candidates wants to fix this?  Both CAN fix it, who WILL fix it is the better question.

Posted by tammyduffy at 9:16 AM EDT

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The Mayor of Hamilton has been touting,"CRIME IN MY TOWN IS THE LOWEST IT HAS BEEN SINCE 1977."  This constant message is a message to criminals,"ALL CRIMINALS WELCOMED."

The residents of Cornell Heights for the past two years have been in contact with the Mayors office, the council, the engineering department and many others; as it pertains to a public safety issue in their neighborhood. Their requests for help have gone ignored. The mayors office never responds, the engineering office closes all the complaints immediately, with a message "issue has been addressed", when it has not. This is how Hamilton really works.

Last evening I got to personally witness first hand how unsafe the town of Hamilton has become. I was followed for over a mile on my way home on foot on Sloan rd. I went to Thriftway after eating at Pizza Uno. This young male followed me as soon as I came out of Thriftway. I went into the new kickboxing place to try to get away from him. He waited across the street. I then quickly walked towards train station and thought he would go the other way, he appeared to do that. However, when I turned around he came running toward me. I then turned around and ran to the train station. No police where there. He was a young male in royal blue tshirt 5'8" and jeans. I thought I could to lose him, but he kept finding me. I crossed over tracks to American Metro way. They have a security guard 24/7 there that patrols the parking lot 24/7 due to the high crime to the building there.  I asked for his help. He was so nice and helped me. He made sure I got to the end of the american metro way area safely and then I ran like a nut to my neighbors house. My neighbor walked me home and stood there until my garage door closed to the ground.  I called the police when I got home to tell them what happened. Hopefully they did go and look for this person. 

People may question why I did not call the police when this was going on. I did not because our Mayor has created an atmopshere that leadership does not care about residents public safety.  The police are stretched so thin that I doubted, especially in the evening, that anyone could have come to help anyway.

Let's review the crime statistics of NJ and Hamilton, Mercer county specifically. 

 NJ 2016 Crime (Projected Data)*

Since the current mayor has come into power in Hamilton and gave themselves the role of public safety officer, here is what is happening in Hamilton.

Since 2015....to the new reports that just came out July 15 2016

Robbery

By Firearm is up 260%

Other Dangerous Weapon is up 400%

Assault 

With a gun is up 125%

Aggravated Assault with (hand,fist, feet, etc) is up 71.2%

Burglary by Forcible entry is up  46.8%

Larceny is up by 62.2%

By the end of 2015, Rape was up by 63.6%.

By the end of 2015, attempted rape was up by 100%

This is why people do not feel safe in Hamilton. For anyone in leadership to pat themselves on the back and state otherwise is irresponsible. The police department is doing all they can with what they have. It's time there is a better focus on public safety by the towns public safety officer, the mayor.

Posted by tammyduffy at 9:34 AM EDT

Updated: Saturday, 23 July 2016 9:35 AM EDT

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 Hunterdon Art Museum Dedicates Terrace
To Influential Ceramic Artist Toshiko Takaezu

When renowned ceramic artist Toshiko Takaezu first gazed upon the charming waterfall beside the Hunterdon Art Museum in the summer of 1964, she knew she had found just what she was looking for: a home and a peaceful place where she could focus on her work.

“What a beautiful scene,” she remembered thinking.
That inspiring view brought her from the Midwest to Clinton. She opened a studio at the historic Music Hall to create art and spent nearly five decades donating her time and energy to the Museum, playing a vital role in its growth and passion for contemporary art.
Now that splendid space beside the waterfall is named in her honor: The Toshiko Takaezu Terrace.
“Naming the terrace in Toshiko’s honor serves as a tribute to an artist who was intimately involved with the Museum and whose inspiring work influenced generations of artists,” said Marjorie Frankel Nathanson, executive director of the Hunterdon Art Museum.

Takaezu passed away at the age of 88 in 2011.
All the ceramic tiles on the terrace commemorating Takaezu were created at The Takaezu Studio in Quakertown and fired in her kiln. There are four blue tiles which hold special significance.

“Toshiko was well known for her blue glaze in her work,” said Don Fletcher of The Takaezu Studio in Quakertown. We had a little bit of glaze left over that was hers, and we wanted to use it to add a little bit of her personality to the terrace. The glaze is a direct representation of her spirit.”

Takaezu’s work evolved early on from traditional small utilitarian vessels into the closed forms for which she became known worldwide. The New York Times noted, “[In her] stoneware and porcelain works, some small enough to fit in the palm of one hand, others monoliths more than six feet tall, Ms. Takaezu blended the expressive bravura of painters like Jackson Pollack and Franz Kline with the calm, meditative quality of traditional Japanese pottery in forms suggestive of acorns, melons or tree trunks.”
Two of Takaezu’s pieces are on display at the Museum including Three Graces, which can be found appropriately enough, in the terrace garden. Takaezu had created Three Graces as she sought to experiment in her expanded studio space with bigger kilns to create works on a larger scale. Three Graces – representing love, beauty and wisdom – are large cylindrical cast-bronze pieces that undulate from their base. The piece is on long-term loan from The Takaezu Studio.

Takaezu was born in Hawaii, studied at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan under a scholarship, before teaching at the University of Wisconsin and the Cleveland Institute of Art. She said she moved to Clinton because she “wanted a quiet studio where I [could] concentrate on my work.” A few years later, she began teaching classes at Princeton University, and did so until 1992.

In the 1960s, Takaezu opened a shop in the Museum to sell the work of fellow artists. In 1967, she organized and planned an Invitational Craft Exhibition that featured the works of prominent artists including George Nakashima, a leading innovator of 20th century furniture design and a father of the American craft movement; and Lenore Tawney, whose monumental sculptural weavings helped create the genre of fiber art. More than 700 people flocked to the Museum for the show’s opening.

Takaezu’s work was celebrated in three Museum exhibitions, including a 1998 show that filled the Museum’s three floors with her ceramics, sculptural forms, painting and weaving.

In 2010, the Emperor of Japan presented her with the Konjuhosho Award conferred on individuals who have made significant contributions to Japanese society, and she chose to have the presentation at the Hunterdon Art Museum. A year later, her memorial service was held at the Museum, near the idyllic waterfall she adored.

Posted by tammyduffy at 11:41 AM EDT

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 CONSUMER ALERT: 2016 Ford Fusion Sedan 2.5L models

This past week my 2016 Ford Fusion 2.5L sedan, died on the highway. The car only has 10,000 miles on it.  There is no recall or safety warning that has been sent out by Ford Motor company on any issues with these vehicles.

I was driving down a superhighway at 65mph when all of the sudden the vehicle's RPM's raised in an unusually high manner. After that, an illuminated wrench (see service manual) message was demonstrated on the dashboard. Immeidately, after that, the airbag lights came on. What happened after that, should never happen with a brand new car. The car died. It had no ability to accelerate and slowed down to a crawl. THE RPM's went to 0.

While this was happening, I was driving through a construction zone. There was no way out. I had an 18 wheeler on my tail. The truck began honking his horn aggressively behind me. I really thought the truck was going to come through my trunk. Fortunately, all of the sudden there was a small area of shoulder that opened up for me to pull over safely. 

A month prior to this event with my vehicle, a coworker had said the same thing happened to their vehicle. They said they took it in three times before the dealer agreed to change something in the car. It was the Throttle body that they eventually changed in the vehicle. The bad part of this system failure was that each time my coworker took their car in, there was nothing in the error codes to show why the service wrench came on. Their car died on the road three times.

After pulling into the emergency lane, I was able to restart the vehicle. I immediately drove it to the nearest Ford dealer. I shared with them what happened and what also recently happened to my coworkers car. I picked up a rental vehicle and off I went. That same day the dealer called me to say, "We cannot find anything wrong with you car, you can pick it up."  I said," I am not picking this car up until you figure out why a new car died on the highway, there is no way I am getting back into that car until it is fixed."  The dealer agreed to continue to investigate the issue. I told them to change the throttle body,for that what was done on another, and the car is fine now.

Later in the day, the dealer called again to say, they still cannot find anything wrong with the vehicle. I reiterated, " I am not taking the car back until you figure it out. The car is unsafe."  I told them again, "Change the throttle body." 

They agreed to have one of their engineers drive the car home that evening and take it out onto the highway to see if they could duplicate the issue. They were able to. 

The day after I got my car back there was a safety memo sent out to all employees to get their vehicles in to have the throttle bodies changed.  This is a potential safety issue that has occurred numerous times with the fleet that they have from Ford. The 2016 Ford Fusion 2.5L sedans, have demonstrated that they are susceptible to a throttle body failure, resulting in a significant reduction in maximum vehicle speed (with maximum RPM of 1,100). This failure may occur at any time, without warning, resulting in a sudden loss of power. The company did  communicate with Ford regarding this issue and has taken expedited, proactive steps to address any potential safety risks and protect company vehicle drivers. What has Ford done for the rest of its drivers globally? If you own one of these vehicles, you need to have your vehicle checked immediately so that you do not have this happen to you.

What is a Throttle body? It is the throttle body cleaning and wiping of the bore and throttle blade. The service is important in order to keep the automobile running smoothly, efficiently, and safely.

What is it?

The throttle manages the flow of fluid and can increase or decrease the engine’s power. It does not control the power or the speed of the engine as is thought by many people. During a throttle body service, a technician cleans out or wipes the bore and throttle blade. When this is done and the air rate is checked and adjusted, a sensor does an idle that is computer controlled. If this is properly done, the car should operate in the idle mode as if it were new.

There is carbon and sludge that the PCV system deposits into the throttle body as the engine operates. This carbon and sludge is cleaned out during the throttle body service. How well the engine operates about a year after service is determined by the way the automobile starts, how well it idles when it’s cold or warm, and when accessories such air conditioning and heat are operating. The carbon and sludge will also affect the way the car starts from a total stop. A service such as this will keep the idle valve, which is computer controlled, clean. If it is left dirty and covered with carbon, it will have to be replaced and such a replacement can be costly.

An important part of the engine is the throttle body, which is part of the air intake system. The air intake system increases the amount of oxygen used for combustion with fuel. You can either gain or lose power with the air intake system depending on the vehicle’s ram. The throttle body is a part of this air intake system. Keeping the throttle body in good operating condition will keep the car running without costly occurrences.

Importance of the Throttle Body Service

Careful and regular throttle body service will keep the emissions from the engine’s exhaust system in check. There is also increased sound when the throttle is applied by way of the accelerator. If the vehicle is operated at lower speeds, there is less noise coming from the engine. However, at higher speeds, the engine tends to become very noisy. These two statements make the throttle body service important in itself, as it makes the automobile more environmentally friendly. A complete throttle body service is recommended every 15,000, 40,000, and 75,000 miles to be sure that the automobile is functioning properly.

It is most important to have the throttle body serviced regularly to avoid the high cost of replacement. The cost of throttle body service or replacing the throttle body varies with the year, make, and model of the car. But, no matter what that year, model, or make may be, replacement is not inexpensive. Excluding the cost of replacing the throttle body for the moment, what is perhaps even more important, is to have the throttle body serviced regularly to keep your car running smoothly and efficiently.

Posted by tammyduffy at 10:16 AM EDT

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 Against All Odds : Inspired by the Life of Paul Robeson opens July 9

Opening Reception

Saturday, July 9, 2016

Artists, Members & Special Guests: 6-7 pm

Public Reception: 7-9 pm

Presentation – Remembering Paul Robeson, with Denyse Leslie

Sunday, July 10, 3 pm

The Exhibits
The art exhibit, displayed on the first floor of the museum, includes works by local and regional artists, many of whom created works expressly for the exhibit. The works are inspired by Paul Robeson’s life-long battles for racial justice, economic justice and peace. Artists from the Trenton Community A-Team and Homefront have contributed to the exhibit, as well.

On the second floor of the museum, the history exhibit includes archival materials and artifacts loaned and donated by Archives and Special Collections at Alexander Library at Rutgers University and the Julius Lazarus Photo Collection, Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard, Princeton Public Library, the Paul Robeson House of Princeton; PBS American Masters – Paul Robeson Timeline.

 The Man
Born in Princeton in 1898, Paul Robeson led an extraordinary life by any account.  Given that he was an African American who faced bigotry and discrimination at every turn, against all odds, he graduated near the top of his class from Rutgers College in 1919, acquired a law degree from Columbia Law School in 1923, became an internationally acclaimed singer and actor performing in O’Neill’s The Emperor Jones, in Showboat and as Othello in Shakespeare’s play.  He became politically involved in response to the Spanish Civil War, fascism, and social injustices. He was an avid supporter of trade unions.  His advocacy of anti-imperialism, affiliation with communism, and criticism of the United States government caused him to be blacklisted during the McCarthy era.

 Paul Robeson (1898-1976) enjoyed great success and popularity as a scholar-athlete, as an actor-musician, as a civil rights and labor activist, and as an advocate for world peace.  Born in Princeton, Paul Robeson had many New Jersey connections.   From 1915 to 1919 he attended Rutgers College, which is currently celebrating the centennial of Robeson’s distinguished record as a scholar and athlete, On the Banks of the Old Raritan.   Robeson was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Cap & Skull.  His college transcript is part of the Ellarslie exhibit.  As an athlete, Robeson earned varsity letters in four sports at Rutgers, and his prowess was renowned as All-American football player.
As a concert singer, Paul Robeson performed before large crowds worldwide including concerts at Rutgers and Princeton Universities where his powerful bass-baritone voice drew crowds.  The song “Ol’ Man River” (from the musical Showboat) was popularized by Robeson.

While in Princeton, Robeson had a close personal friendship with scientist and Princeton resident Albert Einstein.

As an actor, Robeson performed as the lead in Shakespeare’s play Othello on Broadway, in London and in Princeton.  His dignified interpretation of the character Othello was hailed for its power and originality.  His performance was a milestone in the American civil rights movement.

Robeson’s popularity was diminished in the 1950s by right-wing attacks and slanders during the McCarthy period.  The State Department feared Robeson’s advocacy of civil rights, labor rights, and independence for African colonies.  The FBI tracked his movements and contacts.  Declassified FBI documents are included in the Ellarslie exhibit.  The U.S. government made a concerted effort to smear Robeson and to prevent his travel abroad by seizing his passport.

Posted by tammyduffy at 2:28 PM EDT

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      The Invisible Ethics Policy In Hamilton 

In Feb 2013, Hamilton's mayor asked the town council to abolish Hamilton’s ethics panel and turn enforcement of the code of ethics for public employees and officials over to the state’s Local Finance Board.  She did this for good reason. So that her staff could run amok.  One of her directors has been named as taking 69 free rounds of golf as a government employee. This same employee never disclosed this information on the required Federal disclosure forms.  The rules are for everyone except the Mayor of Hamilton and her staff.

• Public official, directly or indirectly offers, confers or agrees to confer upon another, or solicits, accepts or agrees to accept from another any benefit as consideration for a decision, opinion, recommendation, vote or exercise of discretion of a public servant, party official or voter on any public issue or in any public election, or any benefit as consideration for a decision, vote, recommendation or exercise of official discretion in a judicial or administrative proceeding (Bribery in official and political matters)
• Acceptance or receipt of unlawful benefit by public servant for official behavior
• Official misconduct

• Public servant , while performing his official functions on behalf of a governmental entity, knowingly transacts any business with himself, a member of his immediate family, or a business organization in which the public servant or an immediate family member has an interest (Unlawful official business transaction where interest is involved)

• Representation, appearance or negotiation, directly or indirectly, for acquisition or sale of property by state
• Representation of state agency in transaction involving pecuniary interest
• Disclosure or use for personal gain of information not available to public
• Solicitation, receipt or agreement to receive thing of value for service related to official duties

If Hamilton really wants to have "teeth" in their law they will formally prosecute all the people involved with destroying government records over the years. The now retired employee who during his employment thought it was ok to take 69 rounds of golf for free should also be prosecuted. All of the digital files and email prior to July 2010 have been destroyed.  There was no certification done to formally destroy these records. This is against the law, a serious violation of the law. One that should not be ignored as well. Why is the township clerk, mayor and her administration not being held accountable? The same person who took 69 free rounds of gold was the same person in charge of all of the IT (internet and computers)  for the township. 

This tale is all too familiar in Hamilton, Mercer County. The last mayor went to jail. The new one looks like she is on the runway ready to take off to the land of orange jumpsuits. She cannot possibly state she knew nothing of her directors lack of integrity. This is a mayor who dilerately ignores numerous public safety issues, allows her directors to break the law, has 15 double dippers on the payroll who are draining the pension system.  She has also has hired her family members, allowed the destruction of public records with no certification for the destruction of the records, the list goes on and on.

When residents asked the Hamilton mayor what happened to the calming measures that were supposed to be installed in residential neighborhoods, they got zero response. The contractor who was hired to do the work has financially supported the mayors campaigns with thousands of dollars in the past. The contractor is also personal friends with the mayor. The calming measures were never installed and the contract given to the contractor was over $400,000 higher than the other bids given to the town. Today, residents are dealing with tractor trailers speeding through their neighborhoods with toxc with anything from gasoline, explosive materials, oversided loads, etc. 

A North Carolina legislator sponsored and voted on a bill to loosen regulations on billboard construction, even though he co-owned five billboards in the state. When the ethics commission reviewed the case, it found no conflict; after all, the panel reasoned, the legislation would benefit all billboard owners in the state — not just the lawmaker who pushed for the bill.

Tennessee established its ethics commission six years ago, but has yet to issue a single ethics penalty. It’s almost impossible to know whether the oversight is effectively working, because complaints are not made available to the public.

A West Virginia governor borrowed a car from his local dealership to take it for a “test drive.” He kept the car for four years, during which the dealership won millions in state contracts. 

When representatives of a biotech company took Montana legislators out to dinner, they neither registered as lobbyists nor reported the fact that they picked up the bill. They didn’t have to — the law only requires registration upon spending $2,400 during a legislative session. And in Maine, one state senator did not disclose $98 million in state contracts that went to an organization for which he served as executive director. The lack of disclosure was not an oversight; due to a loophole in state law, he was under no obligation to do so.

The stories go on and on. Open records laws with hundreds of exemptions. Crucial budgeting decisions made behind closed doors by a handful of power brokers. “Citizen” lawmakers voting on bills that would benefit them directly. Scores of legislators turning into lobbyists seemingly overnight. Disclosure laws without much disclosure. Ethics panels that haven’t met in years. 

State officials make lofty promises when it comes to ethics in government. They tout the transparency of legislative processes, accessibility of records, and the openness of public meetings. But these efforts often fall short of providing any real transparency or legitimate hope of rooting out corruption. 

That’s the depressing bottom line that emerges from the State Integrity Investigation, a first-of-its-kind, data-driven assessment of transparency, accountability and anti-corruption mechanisms in all 50 states. Not a single state — not one — earned an A grade from the months-long probe.

We give the town of Hamilton, Mercer County an F-- for integrity and an A++ for wasting taxpayers dollars and forgetting what public service really means. It does not mean.....steal all you can from taxpayers, hire your family, ignore public safety, etc.  Wake up Hamilton leadership, residents are tired of your stupidity, greed and ignorance to the law. You are on the same road as the prior mayor.

Posted by tammyduffy at 8:58 AM EDT

Updated: Sunday, 26 June 2016 12:37 PM EDT

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