Governor McDonnell Awards $4.5 Million in Strategic Teacher Compensation Grants

English: The state seal of Virginia. Српски / Srpski: Застава америчке савезне државе Вирџиније. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

***As Many As 1,400 Qualifying Teachers in 13 School Divisions Could Receive Incentive Payments of Up to $5,000 Each***

SALEM – Governor Bob McDonnell today announced Strategic Compensation Grants totaling $4.5 million to provide performance and incentive payments of up to $5,000 for teachers in 13 school divisions who meet goals related to student achievement, professional growth and leadership.  McDonnell announced the awards at Andrew Lewis Middle School as he began his statewide “This Commonwealth of Opportunity” tour with a stop highlighting implementation of a key piece of his All Students K-12 education reform agenda.

The Strategic Compensation Grant program is part of McDonnell’s “ALL STUDENTS” education reform agenda and was approved by the 2013 General Assembly. The strategic compensation legislation was sponsored by House Majority Leader Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights) and Senator Jill Vogel (R-Fauquier).  McDonnell proposed the grant program as a means to encourage school divisions to collaborate with teachers to create compensation models – such as the pioneering teacher-designed incentive program adopted by Salem Public Schools in 2011 – that reward classroom educators whose efforts enable schools and divisions to meet strategic goals.

In announcing the awards today, Governor McDonnell said, “Since the beginning of this administration, we have worked to implement reforms to ensure that all children, regardless of their zip code, have access to a quality education.  These grants move us closer to achieving this goal by rewarding excellence and leadership while providing incentives for good teachers who take on challenges in the schools where they are needed the most. Teachers who stay late, mentor new colleagues, accept assignments in hard-to-staff schools and whose students consistently do well deserve more than our thanks; they deserve to be rewarded.  I congratulate these 13 school divisions for their openness to reform and innovation and their willingness to collaborate with teachers on how best to achieve strategic goals for improving student outcomes.”

Effective July 1^st, the Budget approved by the General Assembly gave school divisions until July 15^th to submit applications to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) for funding. School divisions were encouraged to design plans that would reward teachers for increasing student achievement, improving the quality of instruction and strengthening school leadership — especially in hard-to-staff schools and in critical shortage subjects.

Nineteen school divisions indicated interest in applying to the grant program.  To help school divisions with the process, the Secretary of Education partnered with the Virginia Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development to host a one day Symposium for all interested divisions.  Thirteen divisions applied for Strategic Compensation Grants and a VDOE review panel determined this week that all of the applications met the approval criteria — including the involvement of teachers in the development of the model — to be funded. The review panel included representation from the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, Virginia Education Association, Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals and Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals.   

More than 1,400 teachers in the 13 divisions could receive performance and incentive payments by meeting the goals identified in the applications and earning positive performance evaluations. Teachers must be licensed and teaching in their endorsement area to participate. 

“The beginning of the new school year will be especially exciting in these divisions as teachers collaborate to meet school- and division-level objectives for improving instruction and student outcomes,” Secretary of Education Laura Fornash said. “I commend the superintendents, school board members, principals and teachers in these divisions for their willingness to embrace innovation and reform.”

“I congratulate the superintendents and school boards of the divisions that applied for these grants for their willingness to think outside of the box and create new opportunities for their teachers,” Wright said. “The applications address the governor’s goals as well as the unique leadership and instructional needs of each division.”

2013 Strategic Compensation Grant Recipients

·         Amelia County — $536,904 to provide incentive payments of up to $5,000 for 95 teachers who achieve goals related to professional growth, increased parental involvement, increased student achievement and coaching and mentoring other teachers

·         Chesapeake — $39,637 to provide incentive payments of $2,500 for 14 teacher coaches selected for their success in raising achievement of low-performing student subgroups

·         Cumberland County — $107,650 to provide incentive payments of up to $5,000 for 20 teachers who demonstrate that they have met goals for increasing student learning and achievement

·         Dinwiddie County — $471,783 to provide incentive payments of up to $5,000 for 344 teachers who meet goals related to increased student achievement, professional growth and leadership

·         Fluvanna County — $212,920 to provide incentive payments of up to $5,000 for 65 teachers at Fluvanna Middle School who meet goals related to increased student achievement and school-wide accountability

·         Gloucester County — $331,874 to provide incentive payments of $5,000 for seven lead teachers and payments of $4,000 to 66 middle and high school teachers and intervention specialists who meet goals related to increased student achievement, professional development and improved teaching

·         Goochland County — $450,000 to provide incentive payments of up to $5,000 for 135 “exemplary-rated” teachers who meet individual and school-wide goals related to increased student achievement, professional development, improved teaching, community engagement and accepting challenging assignments

·         Harrisonburg — $432,011 to provide incentive payments of up to $5,000 for 159 teachers who meet goals related to achieving dual-language endorsements and proficiency in Spanish, including bonuses to attract or retain already qualified teachers

·         Lynchburg — $26,250 to provide $5,000 incentive payments to five experienced and successful mathematics teachers selected to serve as coaches for mathematics teachers in the city’s middle and high schools

·         Portsmouth — $72,340 to provide incentive payments for 24 middle and high school teachers who meet goals related to increased student achievement in mathematics as follows: $5,000 for eight master mathematics teachers, $2,000 for eight partner mathematics teachers and $1,000 for eight partner special education teachers

·         Roanoke — $706,307 to provide incentive payments of $5,000 for 125 teachers at Garden City Elementary, Morningside Elementary and Westside Elementary who meet performance goals related to increased student achievement

·         Salem — $850,000 to provide incentives of up to $5,000 for 302 teachers who meet individual, school and division goals for increased student achievement and use of technology

·         Suffolk — $259,975 to provide incentives of up to $5,000 for 46 high school mathematics and special education teachers who meet individual, school and division goals for increased student achievement in mathematics

During 2011-2012, 25 schools took part in the governor’s Performance Pay Pilot Initiative. Of the 782 participating teachers, 225, or 29 percent, earned exemplary ratings and were awarded performance bonuses of $600 to $5,000. Teachers in the participating schools were evaluated using the Board of Education’s 2011 Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation Criteria. Under the model system, 40 percent of a teacher’s performance evaluation is based on student academic progress.

Governor Bob McDonnell Announces Extension of Amtrak Service to Roanoke

Due to 2013 Transportation Bill, Train Service Will Return to Star City for First Time in 34 Years

ROANOKE- Standing on the Railside Amphitheater, Governor Bob McDonnell today announced that the Commonwealth of Virginia, Norfolk Southern, Amtrak and the City of Roanoke have joined together to start work to extend Amtrak Virginia regional intercity passenger rail service from Lynchburg to Roanoke.  It has been 34 years since intercity passenger rail has served the City of Roanoke. The return of passenger rail to Roanoke is a result of the passage this past session of the General Assembly of Virginia’s first major transportation funding plan in nearly three decades. The governor was joined at today’s announcement by local elected officials including Roanoke Mayor David Bowers, state leaders including Thelma Drake, Director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, and rail officials including Charles W. Moorman, CEO of Norfolk Southern and Joe McHugh from Amtrak.

            “For many years, the citizens of Roanoke and the Valley have asked when intercity passenger rail will return,” said Governor McDonnell. “I am pleased to announce today that the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, through its partnership with Norfolk Southern, Amtrak and the City of Roanoke, will begin work on bringing service back to this historic railroad city. This achievement is a direct result of the bipartisan effort this past winter to pass Virginia’s first major transportation funding plan in over a generation. We had gone far too long without investing the necessary resources in our roads and railways. This infrastructure is crucial to future job creation and economic growth in our state. With the passage of that bill, we’re cutting a lot of ribbons. We’re building new roads and railways all around the Commonwealth. All of this will lead to new jobs for our citizens, and a more prosperous Virginia. And right here in Roanoke, it means the return of intercity passenger rail service to the Star City. ”

            “The signing into law of the Governor’s transportation bill provided a dedicated funding source for intercity passenger rail, which can be used for capital and the expansion of service,” said Transportation Secretary Sean T. Connaughton.  “The administration placed a high priority on extending Amtrak Virginia to Roanoke as a viable transportation option for travel to cities along the Northeast Corridor.”

            Work to bring Amtrak Virginia service to the city, as an extension of the highly-successful Lynchburg line, is anticipated to take between three and four years.

            Thelma Drake, director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), said, “Conceptual design work and rail capacity analysis is already underway. Work will be done by Norfolk Southern, Amtrak and the City of Roanoke.”

            “Norfolk Southern is happy to play a role in a new chapter of the Star City’s rail history as we support the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation’s efforts to extend passenger service to Roanoke,” said Norfolk Southern CEO Wick Moorman. “While freight is at the core of Norfolk Southern’s business, we understand the importance of passenger service to the Roanoke Valley.”

            “This new service to Roanoke connects passengers to other areas of the Commonwealth as well as cities along the Northeast Corridor,” said Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman. “We offer travelers a safe, efficient and reliable alternative that mitigates the effect of high gas prices and pervasive highway and airline congestion.”

            “The entire Roanoke region is excited about having passenger rail service back in the Star City for the first time since 1979. Roanoke, the home of the Norfolk & Western for many decades, is once again a ‘railroad town.’ Bringing passenger rail service to Roanoke has been Roanoke's most important economic development priority,” said Roanoke Mayor David. A. Bowers. “I thank Governor McDonnell and his Administration, particularly DRPT Director Thelma Drake and her team, for their leadership and successful efforts to bring passenger rail service back to Roanoke.  I also want to thank AMTRAK and Norfolk Southern for partnering with us.  This is a tremendous accomplishment for the Commonwealth, the Roanoke Valley region and our City and, again, I sincerely thank the Governor for his leadership."

            Known as the “Amtrak Virginia” partnership, Roanoke is the latest step for the Commonwealth to lead the way as one of the few states in the country to successfully negotiate the addition of new intercity passenger rail service in major rail corridors, balancing freight and economic development needs with additional intercity passenger rail options.

On The Road by Just In Space - Free MP3 Song of the day

Royalty-free music for professional licensing

On The Road by Just In Space from their album, Galaxy.  This band is from France.  The tune is a Sci Fi adventure theme song.  The type of tune one might expect to hear in the background of a Sci Fi thriller movie or TV show.  Check it out.  Free downloads are available right here on this tune so help yourself.

English: Western Gorilla Gorilla gorilla (Savage, 1847) - Male (left) and Femalle (right) :: Locality : Gabon Haut-Ogooué Province Chakès ::Size : 26 × 23  and 25 × 18  ;cm Français : Gorille de l'ouest Gorilla gorilla (Savage, 1847) - Mâle - (Vue de profil) ::Localité : Gabon Haut-Ogooué Région de Chakès ::Taille : 26 × 23  and 25 × 18  ;cm MHNT OST AC. Achat Duburg janvier 1919 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Condiment Ingredients That Harm Your Health

English: 48-ounce (1.42 l) jar of Duke's Mayonnaise (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Dr. Mercola

I occasionally comment on various “worst food lists” that appear in magazines and on websites. There is no shortage of bad foods to talk about these days, and we never seem to run out of lists.

But what about the foods Americans don’t often THINK about when inventorying their personal food choices—even though they’re eating them every day, one little dollop after another? I’m referring to condiments.

Condiments are usually given a free ride because, well, it’s only a spoonful. They’re typically overlooked, or brushed off as “harmless,” or eaten in such small quantities that their effects seem negligible.

Condiments can make bland foods taste better and good foods taste great. But they can also turn an otherwise nutritious meal into a metabolic nightmare, one tablespoon at a time.

Small, frequent doses of potentially harmful ingredients can be far from benign, having a cumulative biological effect. In fact, there is scientific evidence that more significant health effects may occur at low doses than high, especially for hormone-disrupting chemicals.1 It’s time to stop giving condiments a free pass!

Here, I’ll review five common American condiments that made their debut in a “worst of” list on the website OneResult:2

1. Mayonnaise
2. Sour cream
3. Ranch and blue cheese dressing
4. Ketchup
5. Steak sauce and barbeque sauce

#1: Mayonnaise

Commercially prepared mayonnaise is indeed loaded with fats—and NOT the kind of fats that benefit you. Most prepared mayos are primarily GMO soybean oil, one of the most harmful oils you can eat but found extensively in processed foods.3

This type of oil, whether partially hydrogenated, organic, or made from newer soybean varieties modified in such a way as to not require hydrogenation, are highly processed and wreak chaos in your body at the cellular level, paving the way for problems ranging from obesity and diabetes to reproductive disorders and heart disease.

In addition to the trans fats created from hydrogenation, the majority of soybeans grown in the US are genetically engineered and, as a result, are saturated with dangerous levels of the herbicide glyphosate, which has been linked to a growing list of serious health problems.

Even though you may not consider mayonnaise a sweet product, most commercial varieties contain high fructose corn syrup or other forms of fructose, which adds to the toxic load on your liver. If you think you can’t live without your mayo, consider using an organic variety made with olive oil. Or better yet, make your own mayo!

Mayonnaise is easy to make in a blender and, when made with healthful oils and fresh, organic eggs, without the artificial ingredients of the commercial variety, is actually good for you! If you make your own, it won’t last as long but it will taste MUCH better, and you just make smaller batches. Good mayo requires only a few basic ingredients: olive oil, egg yolks, vinegar or lemon juice, mustard, and a little sea salt. You’ll find a nice recipe at the Hungry Mouse website.4  Here are examples of the typical mayonnaise on the market. You will want to steer clear of these types of products by either finding organic alternatives, or making your own.

#2: Sour Cream

Just as with mayonnaise, sour cream can be a delicious and nutritious adjunct to your meal or a toxic white glop—depending on what goes into it. If you make your own cultured soured cream from quality ingredients, it’s not going to do your body any harm and will even provide some excellent nutrition when consumed in moderation. Saturated fats and animal fats are NOT the bane of your existence, contrary to what you’ve heard.

That said, the little tubs you find at most grocery stores are not healthful, but unfortunately, those are what most Americans consume. Here’s an ingredient list from a typical commercial sour cream label:5

Cultured Pasteurized Cream and Milk, Whey, Modified Corn Starch, Sodium Phosphate, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Calcium Sulfate, Cultured Dextrose, Locust Bean Gum, Potassium Sorbate (As Preservative)

As you can see, there are lots of fillers and preservatives and not much in the way of REAL food. Not only that, but non-organic dairy products often contain dangerous genetically engineered bovine growth hormone, or rBGH.

RBGH is the largest selling dairy animal drug in America. But it is banned in Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and in the 27 countries of the European Union because of its risks to human health. IGF-1 in rBGH increases your risk for breast cancer by promoting conversion of normal breast tissue cells into cancerous ones.

Despite decades of evidence about the dangers of rBGH, the FDA still maintains it's safe for human consumption and ignores scientific evidence to the contrary. The only way to avoid rBGH is to look for products labeled “rBGH-free” or “No rBGH.”

Culturing your own sour cream using lacto-fermentation culture, starting with fresh, raw organic cream, is not difficult and has the added benefit of giving you natural probiotics, which are so critical for your immune system. These probiotics are all but killed off in commercial processing, if they were ever present to begin with. High quality Greek-style yogurt is another good alternative, which you can also make at home using a starter culture. For more info on making your own cultured sour cream, visit Cultures for Health6. Here are examples of the typical sour cream on the market. You will want to steer clear of these types of products by either finding organic alternatives, or making your own.

#3: Ranch and Blue Cheese Dressing

If you read the ingredient list, typical processed ranch and blue cheese dressings are unnatural concoctions bearing little resemblance to food. Your digestive tract may not even recognize this as food, but instead react to it like a foreign invader, to be attacked like any other bodily threat. Consider this list of ingredients in Dean’s Ranch Dip:

Soybean Pasteurized “blend” of skim milk, reduced minerals whey, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, salt, dehydrated onion, sour cream flavor (cream, nonfat milk, whey, whey protein concentrate, cultured nonfat buttermilk (skim milk, cultures), maltodextrin, salt, autolyzed yeast extract, natural flavors, monosodium glutamate, sodium citrate, sour cream cultures, lactic acid, food starch-modified, gelatin, dextrose, dehydrated garlic, vinegar powder (maltodextrin, corn starch-modified, white distilled vinegar), monosodium glutamate, citric acid, sodium hexametaphosphate, locust bean gum, lecithin, spices, potassium sorbate, guar gum, whey, whey protein concentrate, carrageenan, acetic acid, propylene glycol alginate, artificial colors (FD &C Yellow No. 5 (Tartrazine) and FD & C Yellow No. 6)

As you can see, soybeans are at the forefront, which we’ve already discussed. And yes, monosodium glutamate is listed TWICE... and once is bad enough!

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer hidden in thousands of foods you and your family regularly eat, and it’s one of the worst food additives ever created. MSG is an excitotoxin, which means it overexcites your cells to the point of damage or death, potentially causing brain damage and triggering learning disabilities. Common adverse effects linked to regular MSG consumption include: obesity, eye damage, headaches, fatigue and disorientation, depression, rapid heartbeat, tingling and numbness.

MSG can be found in nearly all processed foods because it hides under other names, such as flavorings, seasonings, soy protein, stocks and broths, malt extract, carrageenan, and corn starch, to name just a few.

Food dyes are another type of additive to watch out for. Every year, food manufacturers pour 15 million pounds of artificial food dyes into US foods. According to a Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) report, some of the most commonly used food dyes may be linked to multiple forms of cancer, along with hyperactivity and behavioral problems in children.

As of July 2010, most foods in the EU that contain artificial food dyes come with warning labels, and the British government has also asked that food manufacturers remove most artificial colors from foods. In the US, however, a similar measure has not been taken.

So what’s the solution? Make your own salad dressing. That way, you have complete control over what goes into it. You can use homemade yogurt as a delicious base for any dressing and add in your own fresh herbs from the garden. Once you’ve mastered mayo and sour cream, the sky’s the limit when it comes to healthful dressings, sauces and dips. Here are examples of the typical ranch and blue cheese dressing on the market. You will want to steer clear of these types of products by either finding organic alternatives, or making your own.

#4: Ketchup

If you use commercially prepared ketchup on your food, you might as well be starting an IV of high fructose corn syrup, because that’s primarily what glugs out of the bottle. Most bottled ketchups consist basically of overcooked tomatoes, water, and a large bolus of sugar, usually as some form of genetically engineered corn syrup. Many brands also add “natural flavorings,” which are really flavor-boosting chemicals, one being MSG. Here is a fairly typical ingredient list, this one from Hunt’s Regular Ketchup:

Tomato concentrate, high fructose corn syrup, distilled vinegar, corn syrup, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, natural flavors

Due to growing consumer concerns over the health problems of high fructose corn syrup, ConAgra, manufacturer of Hunt’s Ketchup, removed it from their ketchup in 2010. However, their reformulated product was not a big hit, so they added it back in two years later. It’s all about the bottom line!7

Just one tablespoon of commercially prepared ketchup typically contains four grams of sugar. And many people consume much more than one tablespoon at a time, which quickly builds up your daily sugar load. Like ketchup, sugar (especially HFCS) is added to nearly all processed foods, along with a lot of sodium and other flavor enhancers, and it doesn’t take too long to exceed your maximum daily fructose limit (25 grams or less).

Ketchup is another condiment you can make in your own kitchen, which gives you the advantage of controlling the amount and type of sweetener, as well as the other ingredients. Homemade ketchup is much better in every respect than anything that’s been bottled commercially.8 Or, try fresh salsa instead of ketchup. Remember, you can cut down drastically on the amount of sugar a recipe calls for, as well as substituting more healthful sweeteners. Honey and/or stevia, or even a mixture of the two, are good choices.

If you are simply unable to make your own ketchup and feel you cannot live without it, I did find one organic brand that has half the usual amount of sugar and no HFCS. Here is the ingredient list for Annie’s Naturals:9 Don’t assume that just because a commercial ketchup is organic, it’s low in sugar. For example, Meijer Organics Ketchup10 has four grams of sugar per tablespoon, just like most of the non-organic brands. Here are examples of the typical ketchup on the market. You will want to steer clear of these types of products by either finding organic alternatives, or making your own.

#5: Barbeque Sauce and Steak Sauce

Like the rest of the condiments already discussed, steak and barbeque sauces may contain a mélange of unsavory ingredients. For example, take a look at the “granddaddy” of them all, A1 Steak Sauce:11

Tomato puree (water, tomato paste), distilled vinegar, corn syrup, salt, raisin paste, crushed orange puree, spices and herbs, dried garlic and onion, caramel color, potassium sorbate, xanthan gum

Again, you see our nemesis—the little darling of the food industry—corn syrup (which in all likelihood is genetically engineered corn). A1 contains two grams of sugar per tablespoon.  It also contains xanthan gum, made by fermenting corn sugar with the bacteria Xanthomonas campestris. This gummy substance has a strange viscosity—it thickens and stabilizes a mixture, but when shaken or poured, it behaves more like a liquid.12 Xanthan gum is made using carbohydrates from corn, wheat, dairy, or soy, all of which are considered allergens, so I recommend avoiding this ingredient.

As an aside, also steer clear of pet foods that contain xanthan gum, as your pets can suffer negative health effects from it as well.

There are some low to moderate health concerns about potassium sorbate, a preservative, which you can review in detail on the EWG website.13 It’s best to avoid this additive, especially if you have any tendency toward allergies. There is some evidence for reproductive system toxicity, although much more research is needed. And caramel color, as harmless as the name sounds, can actually conceal MSG and two other potentially dangerous chemicals, 2-methylimidazole (2-MI) and 4-methylimidazole (4-MI), both of which have been found to promote lung, liver, and thyroid tumors in laboratory rats and mice.

Other bottled meat sauces contain a variety of agents and dyes that really shouldn’t be in food. For example, look at the ingredient list for Open Pit Original BBQ Sauce—there is just about NOTHING in here you should eat!

High fructose corn syrup, water, distilled vinegar, tomato puree (water, tomato paste), salt, modified food starch, 2% or less of: soybean oil, hydrolyzed corn and soy protein, spice, onion powder, dehydrated garlic, artificial tomato flavor, natural and artificial flavor, Yellow No. 6 dye, Red No. 40, Blue No. 1, titanium dioxide, caramel color

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, make your own sauces at home! Food Network14 has a great looking recipe for a steak sauce flavored with applesauce, raisins and garlic (leave out the corn syrup), but I’m sure you can find other yummy recipes as well. Two Dogs in the Kitchen has even posted a recipe for an A1 “taste-alike” you can make in your own kitchen. Here are examples of the typical barbeque sauce and steak sauce on the market. You will want to steer clear of these types of products by either finding organic alternatives, or making your own.

Make Your Condiments From REAL Food

I have discussed five common condiments with health impairing ingredient lists, but there are many more examples that can be found. Those five should be enough to demonstrate that the majority of commercially prepared condiments are not real food but rather a blend of chemicals engineered to taste good, induce cravings, and make money—but offer you nothing in terms of nutrition. They are loaded with excess sugar (especially fructose) and salt, preservatives, dyes, texture and flavor enhancers, and a good deal of genetically engineered ingredients, ALL of which should be avoided whenever possible.

But the good news is, you don’t have to give up condiments altogether!

With a little kitchen wisdom and creativity, you can come up with your own recipes that taste far better than their chemical-laden grocery store counterparts. Provided you make your condiments from high-quality ingredients and eat reasonable portions, they can be an acceptable part of your overall nutrition plan, enhancing your health as well as your mealtime enjoyment.

Join Us in Your Right to Know by Getting GMOs Labeled!

While California Prop. 37 failed to pass last November by a very narrow margin, the fight for GMO labeling is far from over. In the past few weeks, Connecticut and Maine have passed GMO-labeling bills, and 20 other states have pending legislation to label genetically engineered foods. So, now is the time to put the pedal to the metal and get labeling across the country—something 64 other countries already have.

I hope you will join us in this effort.

The field-of-play has now moved to the state of Washington, where the people's initiative 522, "The People's Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act," will require food sold in retail outlets to be labeled if it contains genetically engineered ingredients. Please help us win this key GMO labeling battle and continue to build momentum for GMO labeling in other states by making a donation to the Organic Consumers Association (OCA).

Remember, as with CA Prop. 37, they need support of people like YOU to succeed. Prop. 37 failed with a very narrow margin simply because we didn't have the funds to counter the massive ad campaigns created by the No on 37 camp, led by Monsanto and other major food companies. Let's not allow Monsanto and its allies to confuse and mislead the people of Washington and Vermont as they did in California. So please, I urge you to get involved and help in any way you can.

• No matter where you live in the United States, please donate money to these labeling efforts through the Organic Consumers Fund.

Recipe For Marshmallow Cream

marshmallows (Photo credit: .m.e.c.)

2 t-granulated gelatin
4 T-cold milk
2/3 C-sugar
11/3 C-double cream
1 t-vanilla extract
1 egg white well beaten
1 t-lemon extract
¼ lb. marshmallows, cut in one-fourth cubes
4 toasted marshmallows
4 pecans
4 almonds


Soften the gelatin in milk for five minutes, and dissolve by setting the dish in boiling water. Add the sugar. Allow the mixture to cool. When it begins to congeal, add the flavorings. Beat in the whipped cream, and continue beating until it is firm. Fold in the egg-white and the marshmallows cut in cubes. When the mixture begins to set, pile lightly in sherbet cups. Place one-half of a toasted marshmallow on the top, and arrange pecan meats and candied cherries in a conventional design. Set aside one hour to cool and harden.

Bettina colored the mixture with vegetable coloring of a very delicate green. Then on the top she placed a teaspoonful of white whipped cream, then the toasted marshmallow and the different fruits. Bettina browned the marshmallows quickly in the oven, after she had cut them the desired shape. She used cups with handles, and decorated them with fluffy bows of variegated tulles. To make these bows, she took strips of each color desired, one inch wide, tied them together, and "fluffed them out." She might have gained a real rainbow effect by dividing the marshmallow cream (when mixed, but not yet firm) into three bowls, and coloring them green, lavender and pink, with delicate vegetable colors. Then, having beaten in the whipped cream, she might have placed in each sherbet cup three layers, pink, lavender and green. Then, on the top, she might have placed the whipped cream.  (Makes 4 portions).

Make something extraordinary tonight.

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American Independence Won - Born Free And Equal

Liberty's Kids, episode number 37, Born Free And Equal.  The start of the troubles of a new nation.  Even though the war for independence has just ended, new troubles were only beginning for this new nation.

  Today we are continuing the special editions.

Surrender of Lord Cornwallis at York Town" target="_blank">Surrender of Lord Cornwallis at York Town from Chuck Thompson

We begin with the Articles of Capitulation or the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia.  This is a very rare view of that document.

Present day view of the Moore house where Lord Cornwallis signed the articles of capitulation.  Yorktown, Virginia.

View of British and Hessian troops that surrendered.  Picture is from Battle of the Hook reenactment of 2008.

Surrender field in Yorktown, Virginia.  Where the British marched in defeat to American and French troops.

Trophies of war.  British cannons surrendered to American and French troops in Yorktown, Virginia.  On display in Yorktown, Virginia.

The Thomas Nelson house.  This was Lord Cornwallis headquarters before the surrender.  Yorktown, Virginia.

You can still visit historical Yorktown and see the cannon balls lodged into the houses of the period.  The results of constant bombing by American and French troops against the British and Hessian armies.

These last three pictures are from the Yorktown battlefield complete with earthworks, readouts and canons.  Gives you an idea of what the battlefield looked like during the period.  These earthworks are left over from the American Revolution and were used again during the American Civil War.  They are presently maintained as part of our national heritage.  Tax dollars well spent here anyway.

Related articles

• 20 things you may not know about NH's role in Revolutionary War
• We Arrive in Yorktown
• Faces of the men who won America's independence: Amazing early photos of heroes of the Revolutionary War in their old age
• Liberty's Kids Complete Series #Giveaway #sponsored

Gloucester, VA Where Your Tax Dollars Are Going

Gloucester, Virginia.

Ever wonder how your tax dollars are spent in the county?  Ever wondered what the pay scale is for various jobs in the county?  Well now you no longer have to guess.  We have found all that information and we are bringing it here for you to see how your tax dollars are spent.

This is the latest pay scale grades for Gloucester County Government jobs.

Gloucester County, Virginia Government Pay" target="_blank">Gloucester County, Virginia Government Pay from Chuck Thompson

You can click on the icon at the bottom right of the container to open the document to a full page view for better reading.

Now for the top grade jobs;

Gloucester County Admin Compensation Agreements 2013 from Chuck Thompson

This is the employment agreement between the county and Brenda Garton, County Administrator and also twitching Ted, (I'm not an attorney), Wilmot, court jester, county attorney.  It shows additional compensation that the regular employees do not receive such as Brenda's $8,000.00 per year vehicle allowance.  (Buy a new Cadillac on taxpayer money).

The agreement was put up on the county website because of complaints about both Ted and Brenda's pay increases.  The Board of Supervisors were just trying to explain to everyone that Twitch and Brenda only received a 5% cost of living adjustment.  We know a number of federal employees who are mad as hell about this.  Federal employee's have not had a cost of living adjustment in 3 years and congress has already told them that they will not be getting one next year either.

So once again, we see the reckless disregard for the real economy the Board of Supervisors has for your tax dollars.  Please understand, we are not saying that most of the employees do not deserve the raises.  From what we see, many employees are not even being paid a living wage.  However, from the looks of things, county employees are now paid better than people in the private sector.

  It's the private sector where the money comes from.  Federal employees are seeing how they have to shell out more of their hard earned tax dollars to cover the raises of local government employees when they themselves are not receiving the same considerations.  It's simply not right.  It just continues to show that the local officials are out of touch with reality at every level.