Renee Moss: Lives of the ‘Bigs’ and ‘Littles’

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Writer

When you were a kid, was there an adult in your life — someone besides your mom or dad — who was a mentor? Perhaps it was a teacher, coach, librarian or scout leader, or someone who shared your passion for piano or model airplanes.

If you were lucky enough to have an adult mentor, you probably had lots of fun and learned useful life lessons in the process.

Is it time for you to return that favor? There is a need for adult mentors and great opportunities exist today for adults to mentor kids. No other organization puts so much effort and expertise into making it happen as Big Brothers Big Sisters.

All across the nation, Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliates match adult volunteers with kids who need a responsible adult in their life, someone they can rely on to be there for them every week, someone who offers an attentive ear, sensitive advice — a caring companion.

CHD provides support for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County, which has been at work since 1975 connecting “Bigs” and “Littles” in our area. Let me tell you about some matches we’ve made.

As a former public school principal, Tim worked with many children coming from families facing multiple challenges. When the

Article source: http://www.gazettenet.com/home/20792967-95/renee-moss-lives-of-the-bigs-and-littles

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Sy in the Sky

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Writer


 Added on January 27, 2016
 Eddie Solt

Torrance Airport legend Sy Symons returned from WWII and immersed himself in the two cultures that would come to define the South Bay, aviation and surfing

012816-ER-TOR-CVRby Ed Solt

Merlyn “Sy” Symons’ hanger at the Torrance Airport was adorned with war medals and seven decades of photos, antique airplane parts, and tools, all housed around his cherished midnight black 1947 Beechcraft Bonanza V-tail airplane, the only airplane he owned in his 70 years of flying.   

“He was one of the most beloved figures at the Torrance airport,” said Dennis Murphy, his friend and hangar neighbor. “He was at his hangar daily until sunset. He didn’t drive in the dark.”

Through his lifetime, Symons owned 33 different cars, starting with a 1931 Ford roadster and ending with a midnight black 1997 Ford Thunderbird. He bought his Thunderbird straight off a showroom floor and only took it back to the dealership once to get serviced.  

“His commute for the last twenty or so years consisted of  going to the Torrance airport from his home just down the street,” said Murphy.

I got to know Sy the last three years and he has many friends from over the decades, Murphy said. I am happy to have got to know him over the last three years.

“I’m so happy I got

Article source: http://www.easyreadernews.com/119978/sy-in-the-sky-torrance-airport-legend-merlin-sy-symons/

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What Awaits Spirit AeroSystems (SPR) in Q4 Earnings?

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Writer

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Article source: http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/205711/what-awaits-spirit-aerosystems-spr-in-q4-earnings

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In Search of Forty Winks

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Writer


Credit Illustration by Miguel Gallardo

It’s 2:49 A.M., more or less my bedtime, and I’m about to put on my Sleep Shepherd hat, a device designed to help the wearer go gentle into unconsciousness ($149.99). The hat is a stretchy black beanie, but where you might normally find a pompom there’s a plastic box the size of a Triscuit. If I were an alien, this would be the port through which I’d receive my instructions from the mother ship. The box has an on-off switch, and I’m going to turn it on so that the mechanism can commune with my head.

The hat measures activity in my cerebral cortex through three sensors sewn into the fabric—one covering each ear and a third handling the forehead. There are also built-in speakers that emit pulsing tones mimicking the frequencies of my brain waves. Gradually, the rhythm will slow down and, supposedly, so will my brain, entrained as if by a hypnotist. The noise sounds like the tone you’d expect to hear before a nuclear disaster. It’s supposed to be soothing, and, truth be told, I don’t mind it. The hat was invented by Michael Larson, a mechanical engineer at the University of Colorado. Larson told me, over the phone, that he came up with it to treat his daughter, who had

Article source: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/02/08/in-search-of-forty-winks

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Lott, Dorgan rally behind independent ATC

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Writer

With help from Kathryn Wolfe, Alex Byers and Lauren Gardner

LOTT, DORGAN RALLY BEHIND INDEPENDENT ATC: The proposal to spin off air traffic control from the FAA is getting a boost from former senators Byron L. Dorgan and Trent Lott, along with three former secretaries of transportation, a former FAA administrator, three past FAA COOs, and a White House National Economic Council special assistant. Later today, they’re expected to send a letter to TI Chairman Bill Shuster: “We urge Congress to take action to preserve the FAA’s safety oversight of air traffic control while moving the operation and funding of air traffic control to a federally chartered, non-profit organization,” they write, “that would be governed and funded by the stakeholders and users of our nation’s aviation system.”

Story Continued Below

‘Regulated at arms-length’: “There was a time when the United States was the gold standard in every aspect of air traffic control. Those days of global leadership, regrettably, are gone … The accumulated effects of budget unpredictability and a bureaucratic organizational structure have slowed progress on implementing next-generation technologies and inhibited our ability to properly staff facilities and

Article source: http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-transportation/2016/02/lott-dorgan-rally-behind-independent-atc-model-aircraft-hobbyists-make-their-case-in-washington-canadian-pacific-allies-defend-merger-proposal-212454

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Google’s reportedly using experimental tech to deliver 5G internet from solar-powered drones

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Writer

In 2015, Google’s product head at the time, Sundar Pichai, made headlines when he announced “Project Titan,” a new initiative to deliver internet by solar-powered airplanes. A recent report by The Guardian suggests Google’s experimental foray into wireless internet delivery isn’t going that well.

There are a number of interesting revelations from The Guardian investigation into the initiative, apparently now named “Project SkyBender.” The details of the project have been kept tightly under wraps and The Guardian says it used “public records laws” to obtain its information, including the contents of emails exchanged between Google executives and the state-owned facility where the project is based. The report leaves the impression that Google doesn’t seem particularly adept at managing projects that involve cumbersome construction and hardware installations, as opposed to the slick software deployments it is known for. Google declined to comment to the Guardian, and didn’t respond to a request for clarification from Quartz. Here’s a breakdown of The Guardian’s report, with context:

  • Pichai is now the chief executive of Google, a subsidiary of the conglomerate Alphabet. SkyBender is part of Alphabet’s Access and Energy unit, according to the Guardian. This unit is also in charge of other connectivity projects like Google Fiber, a business that provides super-fast internet connections in nine US cities. It’s led by Craig Barratt, a former Qualcomm executive who’s described as a “brilliant engineer” and said to be a favorite of Alphabet boss Larry Page.
  • The project apparently uses solar-powered drones from manufacturer Titan Aerospace,

    Article source: http://qz.com/607042/googles-reportedly-using-experimental-tech-to-deliver-5g-internet-from-solar-powered-drones/

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Factual report released for Ridgway Reservoir plane crash

Posted on January 31, 2016 by Writer

At 0622 on the morning of the accident, the pilot accessed the Direct User Access Terminal Service (DUATS) and obtained a weather briefing for the route of flight from the Northeast Alabama Regional Airport (GAD), Gadsden, Alabama, to BVO. An IFR flight plan for that route of flight was subsequently filed. The accident pilot was listed as the pilot-in-command.

Tracking data indicated that the airplane subsequently departed GAD about 0739 and arrived at BVO about 1001. Personnel at the fixed base operator (FBO) located at BVO reported that upon arrival, the pilot requested that the airplane be topped off with fuel and that a ground power unit be made available for engine start. They noted that the pilot and passengers came into the FBO to eat lunch. At 1038, the pilot again accessed DUATS and obtained a weather briefing for the route of flight from BVO to MTJ. An IFR flight plan was subsequently filed for that route of flight. That flight plan also listed the accident pilot as the pilot-in-command. The FBO personnel stated that the pilot and passengers re-boarded the airplane after their lunch. The subsequent engine start up, taxi and takeoff appeared normal. Nothing with respect to the airplane or the pilot seemed out of the ordinary, nor did they have any concerns regarding the flight.

At 1111, the pilot contacted the Kansas City Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and informed the controller that the flight had departed BVO and requested an IFR clearance to MTJ. The accident

Article source: http://www.ouraynews.com/articles/2016/01/29/factual-report-released-ridgway-reservoir-plane-crash

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