Angelina Jolie almost filmed an elaborate fight scene in Buffalo for the action thriller “Salt,” using the Skyway, the I-190 ramp and the railroad tracks below as a backdrop.
A location scout wanted it to happen, but it was just too costly to film here.
So the production went to another city.
It’s a problem that has kept many film studios away, despite the enticement of Buffalo’s picture-perfect settings, according to film promoters here.
“The things we have that always blow these filmmakers away – and it’s probably a testament to the preservationists here – is that our architecture is so preserved and so pristine. They see our grain mills, the grittiness of the First Ward, the Cobblestone District with real cobblestone streets,” said Tim Clark, head of the Buffalo Niagara Film Commission.
It is just the costs that stop movie crews from coming here.
Big productions must bring in crews from New York City, and that means paying additional costs for transportation, rental vehicles, hotel rooms and per diems.
“The experts tell me it’s close to a 45 percent difference between shooting a movie in Buffalo versus shooting a movie in Staten Island,” Clark said.
Now State Sen. Patrick Gallivan has proposed legislation that he feels could level the playing field and make Buffalo much more competitive with other cities. His bill calls for raising the state’s 30 percent film production tax credit – the amount of expenses a film studio can deduct in taxes – on an escalating scale upstate. For Western New York, it would be 45 percent.
“The farther you get from New York City, the more expensive it is to bring films to Buffalo,” the Elma Republican said. “But over time, we can build the industry and workforce, and the costs will naturally go down.”
His proposal follows a change last year that boosted the state’s tax credit for post-production work – such as titling, color correcting and special effects – from 10 to 30 percent, with an additional 5 percent bump for upstate and Western New York.
“We have a very good number of small-budget films being made in and around this area. But we’re relegated to the non-union, smaller-budget movies,” Clark said. “They are good bread-and-butter kinds of projects for us, but we’re likely not to see the bigger stuff until we get some sort of relief in the tax credits here.”
For example, a little over a week ago, director Ivan Reitman and a location scout were in town to consider making “Draft Day,” which would star Kevin Costner as a fictitious Buffalo Bills general manager.
But Lionsgate studio also is considering Cleveland for the movie because it offers a variety of incentives not available in Buffalo. Another example: Producer Don Carmody, whose credits include “Good Will Hunting” and “Chicago,” set his latest film, “The Factory,” which came out direct-to-video on Tuesday, in Buffalo.
But the movie, which stars John Cusack, was filmed in Montreal.
“There is huge competition with the tax credits all over the place, and when we made ‘The Factory,’ even the New York State rebates weren’t that big a deal. It was just better for us to shoot the thing in Montreal and take advantage of their tax credits,” Carmody said.
Gallivan said he is hopeful fellow lawmakers will support the four-tiered film production tax credit boost – from 30 to 45 percent – that would give upstate and Western New York the maximum boost.
It’s the only way, he said, that regions outside New York City can have a level playing field.
“I don’t know if we need four or three tiers, but the general concept essentially is to level the costs so every region can compete equally to bring film production to upstate and Western New York,” Gallivan said.
His bill has the support of John Ford, president and business manager of Motion Picture Studio Mechanics Local 52, based in New York City. More than 100 members are between Buffalo and Rochester in the various locals and he would welcome the chance to add more, he said.
“You need the employers to bring the work here. Once the shows start coming, then you get as many local people on as you can and they learn over time,” Ford said.
Clark said the legislation to provide equity is overdue.
“In 2006, ‘The Savages’ shot here two or three days and went to Staten Island, where it was made to look like Buffalo,” Clark said, referring to the film that co-starred Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney.
Clark said representatives from several major movie studios have assured him that they would shoot more pictures throughout New York State if the production tax credit went up.
Other upstate movie promoters agree.
Based on conversations with line producers who budget movies, “the magic tax credit number is 42 percent,” said Nora Brown, who heads Rochester’s film commission.
That would help Rochester retain films she said have been lost lately to Massachusetts. Some other states, for instance, allow a portion of salaries paid to the director, writer and leading cast members to be deducted from taxes.
Downtown Rochester is slated for 10 days of shooting this spring for “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” according to John Scardino, regional representative for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees 52. But the amount of film, which reprises Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, being shot there was cut in half due to added costs.
Efforts also are under way to increase critical post-production work in parts of the state outside of New York City.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo last July signed legislation that raised the state post-production tax credit for upstate and Western New York to 35 percent – 5 percent higher than for New York City, where most of the industry is located.
The governor announced his support in January for extending the tax credit five years, something the Legislature still has to approve.
Increasing the post-production tax credit is working, said Kenneth Adams, president and CEO of Empire State Development Corp.
“For the first couple of years that the post-production credit existed, there were 17 projects that sought support. In the six or seven months since, we’ve had 34 projects sign up for the credit, indicating there is strong interest,” Adams said.
Later this year, the school plans to begin a visual-effects certificate training program to train students to work in the post-production industry.
Sam Hoyt, a member of the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council, said there have been “advanced discussions” about how to support what Daemen is doing.
“We think Daemen has something that is very unique based on our discussions and our due diligence, and we’re in discussions with the team there as to how we can make it become a reality,” Hoyt said.
Adams said the growing industry could help retain a highly skilled and well-trained technical workforce in Buffalo.
“If this works, it’s another strategy in keeping young people in Western New York. It’s a very cool industry,” Adams said.
Ben Porcari, who operates IBC Digital, a production company in Buffalo specializing in post-animation and digital effects, said the post-production tax credit makes Buffalo much more competitive.
“Companies can benefit from the low cost of operation in Buffalo and take advantage of the extra 5 percent tax credit. On a $1 million job, that’s a decent amount of money,” Porcari said.
With possible changes to production tax credits along with the change last year in the post-production credit, Buffalo and Western New York’s film industry could be turning a corner, said Clark of the Buffalo Niagara Film Commission.
“I truly believe we are on the cusp of something really big here,” Clark said. “It’s also really sexy. You have movie stars in town, you have lights, camera, action. It’s a great way to boost the economy.”
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Pamlico taxidermist debuts
When Page Nethercutt was 8, he used the skills he learned from his taxidermist father Gerald to enter a squirrel in a school science fair. He won a blue ribbon, but not the overall best of show.
He didn’t consider it the end of his world and continued to hone his skills.
Nethercutt, now 41, is not sure whatever became of the science fair winner, but television viewers will have the chance Thursday to see his vision of a real “End of the World” moment in nature when he is featured on a new AMC series entitled “The Immortalizer.”
Nethercutt, who took over his father’s business and reopened it as Moore Swamp Taxidermy in Pamlico County in 1994, is one of four taxidermist chosen for the eight-part reality show.
“The basis of the show is a competition between what they called ‘The Immortalizer,’ who they consider their master taxidermist versus a challenger,” he said.
He was first approached by the network more than a year ago and after four days of filming at his shop and more production time in Hollywood, he is The Immortalizer in the Thursday episode. The filming included Nethercutt working on the piece, interviews and some scenes of him and his family around their beehives and aviary on Moore Swamp Road near Reelsboro.
Last week, he attended a huge press party in New York City.
Nethercutt will be featured in two of the eight shows. Contractually, he can only talk about the first show with the quail and bobcat, set in a southwest United States scene. It includes a small habitat.
“It is something you add to represent the natural ground effects — dirt, trees and bushes — for color, to give it an artsy flow,” he said. “We want to see circles in the piece so that as your eye looks at the animal, it moves around to another point and back to the animal.”
“Your eye basically wants to come back to the quail, because he is the theme of the show,” he said. “He is scared out of his mind. He has his mouth open, screaming. His eyes are bugged out and his foot is slamming against the cat’s leg, trying to push away from him.”
The bobcat’s jaws are wide open, with the quail’s wing is slapping his whiskers, making that side of the cat’s face squint, with one eye half-closed.
“This is a split-second in time,” Nethercutt said. “This is a predator-prey scene.”
He decided not to go with traditionally mass-produced pedestals for the scene, instead commissioning Bayboro cabinet maker Steve Ballenger, who hand-selected the wood to match the colors of the animal and bird.
The piece is the property of AMC and is still in Hollywood, although it will be returned. But, Nethercutt cannot sell or give it away.
“We’ll find a place to put it,” he said of his shop showroom, which features his personal collection of birds and animals. At home, he and his wife Bonnie have 98 more mounts.
There is no source for mount material and it would have to be constructed by hand. But, more importantly, he said that a pet is impossible to create authentically.
“There is a look in that dog or cat’s eye that we can’t duplicate in glass,” he said. “A dog or cat can make some facial expressions and we cannot capture that to that owner’s liking, so therefore they are always going to be disappointed.”
He will do pet birds. Despite having personality, they have no facial muscles.
Page also works as a judge in other states for taxidermy competitions and has produced how-to videos.
Page’s father Gerald was a self-taught taxidermist, who opened Gerald’s Taxidermy in 1963 and retired in 1987.
The family has deep roots in the remote area where they live. Page’s grandfather, Rex Potter, bought a farm from the Moore family. When the county 911 emergency address systems were enacted, it was named Moore Swamp Road.
As a youngster growing into manhood, he worked in the taxidermy studio to pay his way on hunting trips out west. He also toiled on his grandfather’s farm and did some work as a commercial fisherman.
After high school, he joined the Air Force and spent four years in Montana.
“That’s where I got heavier into taxidermy,” he said. “When it was time to re-enlist, I decided to go into taxidermy.”
He has since won many awards for his creative waterfowl, along with African and North American mammals. He is one of just 15 designated master taxidermists by the North Carolina Taxidermy Association.
He didn’t consider it the end of his world and continued to hone his skills.
Nethercutt, now 41, is not sure whatever became of the science fair winner, but television viewers will have the chance Thursday to see his vision of a real “End of the World” moment in nature when he is featured on a new AMC series entitled “The Immortalizer.”
Nethercutt, who took over his father’s business and reopened it as Moore Swamp Taxidermy in Pamlico County in 1994, is one of four taxidermist chosen for the eight-part reality show.
“The basis of the show is a competition between what they called ‘The Immortalizer,’ who they consider their master taxidermist versus a challenger,” he said.
He was first approached by the network more than a year ago and after four days of filming at his shop and more production time in Hollywood, he is The Immortalizer in the Thursday episode. The filming included Nethercutt working on the piece, interviews and some scenes of him and his family around their beehives and aviary on Moore Swamp Road near Reelsboro.
Last week, he attended a huge press party in New York City.
Nethercutt will be featured in two of the eight shows. Contractually, he can only talk about the first show with the quail and bobcat, set in a southwest United States scene. It includes a small habitat.
“It is something you add to represent the natural ground effects — dirt, trees and bushes — for color, to give it an artsy flow,” he said. “We want to see circles in the piece so that as your eye looks at the animal, it moves around to another point and back to the animal.”
“Your eye basically wants to come back to the quail, because he is the theme of the show,” he said. “He is scared out of his mind. He has his mouth open, screaming. His eyes are bugged out and his foot is slamming against the cat’s leg, trying to push away from him.”
The bobcat’s jaws are wide open, with the quail’s wing is slapping his whiskers, making that side of the cat’s face squint, with one eye half-closed.
“This is a split-second in time,” Nethercutt said. “This is a predator-prey scene.”
He decided not to go with traditionally mass-produced pedestals for the scene, instead commissioning Bayboro cabinet maker Steve Ballenger, who hand-selected the wood to match the colors of the animal and bird.
The piece is the property of AMC and is still in Hollywood, although it will be returned. But, Nethercutt cannot sell or give it away.
“We’ll find a place to put it,” he said of his shop showroom, which features his personal collection of birds and animals. At home, he and his wife Bonnie have 98 more mounts.
There is no source for mount material and it would have to be constructed by hand. But, more importantly, he said that a pet is impossible to create authentically.
“There is a look in that dog or cat’s eye that we can’t duplicate in glass,” he said. “A dog or cat can make some facial expressions and we cannot capture that to that owner’s liking, so therefore they are always going to be disappointed.”
He will do pet birds. Despite having personality, they have no facial muscles.
Page also works as a judge in other states for taxidermy competitions and has produced how-to videos.
Page’s father Gerald was a self-taught taxidermist, who opened Gerald’s Taxidermy in 1963 and retired in 1987.
The family has deep roots in the remote area where they live. Page’s grandfather, Rex Potter, bought a farm from the Moore family. When the county 911 emergency address systems were enacted, it was named Moore Swamp Road.
As a youngster growing into manhood, he worked in the taxidermy studio to pay his way on hunting trips out west. He also toiled on his grandfather’s farm and did some work as a commercial fisherman.
After high school, he joined the Air Force and spent four years in Montana.
“That’s where I got heavier into taxidermy,” he said. “When it was time to re-enlist, I decided to go into taxidermy.”
He has since won many awards for his creative waterfowl, along with African and North American mammals. He is one of just 15 designated master taxidermists by the North Carolina Taxidermy Association.
What's your Jericho?
Tooling through the aisles of a local superstore, trying to avoid the piles of merchandise being restocked, I overheard a creative but disgruntled employee. He was explaining a great idea he had for a new display.
His idea sounded colorful, eye-catching and informative. He had me wanting to buy the product. Yet I heard hesitancy in his voice as he began to assess how to achieve his goal.
Now, this was a superstore; the hardware section, a carpenter's dream. There was even an office supply section with various kinds of staples and alternatives to staples. Staples everywhere.
Problem was in order to get the staples it required a bit of effort. It was simply too much trouble. Creativity crushed.
Talk about a "that'll preach" video from God. I wouldn't have been surprised to have heard my name being called over the intercom, "This is God letting you know, don't quit. I've given you the creativity, the dream and the means to complete it all. You may have to sweat. It may take a lot of time talking to me, and it may take longer than you think, but do not quit. Persevere."
It reminds me of the ladies and I talking in Bible study, "What if Joshua quit marching around Jericho on the sixth trip around? One thing's for sure, no walls would have come tumbling down. What's your Jericho?
How many times have you quit before you even started? Was it because it seemed like it was going to take too much of your time? Was it a lack of resources? Was it just plain puttin' your neck on the line? Maybe it was a staple that stood between you and the work God has called you to complete.
I don't know about you, but I have a new bounce in my step. If God called us to do something for Him, He knows my time schedule and my resources. He is my resource. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He is able to sufficiently supply all our needs.
God will also be with me if it requires my neck being on the line. If I stand obedient to do the task before me, even if rejection occurs repeatedly, I can stand secure. I can because I serve God who is faithful to complete the work that He began in me.
He gave us His son. He gave it all that we might have life, abundant life. That means, with Him, we can have a life of accomplishing more than we ever thought or dreamed. So are you ready? Will you join with me? Let's get going on what He's calling us each to do today.
The postal service plans to transition to a new delivery schedule beginning Aug. 5, 2013. The new schedule includes package delivery Monday through Saturday and mail delivery Monday through Friday. The purpose is to generate a $2-billion annual cost savings, the post office said in a release.
Although Redding has four post offices, only the West Redding post office delivers mail. The other three — Redding Center, Redding Ridge and Georgetown — offer window services and only have post office (PO) boxes. All four will remain open on Saturdays.
“The postal service is advancing an important new approach to delivery that reflects the strong growth of our package business and responds to the financial realities resulting from America’s changing mail habits,” said Patrick R. Donahue, postmaster general and CEO.
Over the past several years, the USPS has advocated shifting to a five-day delivery schedule for mail and packages. However, recent growth in package delivery (14% volume increase since 2010) and projections of continued strong package growth throughout the coming decade led to the revised approach to maintain package delivery six days a week, according to the release.
Maureen Marion, a U.S. Postal Service spokesperson, said the change is a “re-tooling” of postal operations and reflects what most customers consider critical for them.
Since 2006, said Ms. Marion, overall mail circulation has decreased by 20% to 25% while first class mail is down by one-third.
“It’s not just a change in the use of email, but a change in how the Internet has worked into our communications. We need to be right-sized for the way people use their mailboxes today. We still have an enormous volume of mail, but it is different than 10 years ago,” Ms. Marion said.
These deliveries will not require the same level of staff or vehicles as everyday mail delivery, Ms. Marion said. She said the mail service is not a tax-funded operation, but is paid for through mail service revenue.
Packages that will continue to be delivered on Saturdays include a wide range of items, from premium overnight express mail to priority boxes, to parcel post, to packages containing medication.
His idea sounded colorful, eye-catching and informative. He had me wanting to buy the product. Yet I heard hesitancy in his voice as he began to assess how to achieve his goal.
Now, this was a superstore; the hardware section, a carpenter's dream. There was even an office supply section with various kinds of staples and alternatives to staples. Staples everywhere.
Problem was in order to get the staples it required a bit of effort. It was simply too much trouble. Creativity crushed.
Talk about a "that'll preach" video from God. I wouldn't have been surprised to have heard my name being called over the intercom, "This is God letting you know, don't quit. I've given you the creativity, the dream and the means to complete it all. You may have to sweat. It may take a lot of time talking to me, and it may take longer than you think, but do not quit. Persevere."
It reminds me of the ladies and I talking in Bible study, "What if Joshua quit marching around Jericho on the sixth trip around? One thing's for sure, no walls would have come tumbling down. What's your Jericho?
How many times have you quit before you even started? Was it because it seemed like it was going to take too much of your time? Was it a lack of resources? Was it just plain puttin' your neck on the line? Maybe it was a staple that stood between you and the work God has called you to complete.
I don't know about you, but I have a new bounce in my step. If God called us to do something for Him, He knows my time schedule and my resources. He is my resource. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He is able to sufficiently supply all our needs.
God will also be with me if it requires my neck being on the line. If I stand obedient to do the task before me, even if rejection occurs repeatedly, I can stand secure. I can because I serve God who is faithful to complete the work that He began in me.
He gave us His son. He gave it all that we might have life, abundant life. That means, with Him, we can have a life of accomplishing more than we ever thought or dreamed. So are you ready? Will you join with me? Let's get going on what He's calling us each to do today.
The postal service plans to transition to a new delivery schedule beginning Aug. 5, 2013. The new schedule includes package delivery Monday through Saturday and mail delivery Monday through Friday. The purpose is to generate a $2-billion annual cost savings, the post office said in a release.
Although Redding has four post offices, only the West Redding post office delivers mail. The other three — Redding Center, Redding Ridge and Georgetown — offer window services and only have post office (PO) boxes. All four will remain open on Saturdays.
“The postal service is advancing an important new approach to delivery that reflects the strong growth of our package business and responds to the financial realities resulting from America’s changing mail habits,” said Patrick R. Donahue, postmaster general and CEO.
Over the past several years, the USPS has advocated shifting to a five-day delivery schedule for mail and packages. However, recent growth in package delivery (14% volume increase since 2010) and projections of continued strong package growth throughout the coming decade led to the revised approach to maintain package delivery six days a week, according to the release.
Maureen Marion, a U.S. Postal Service spokesperson, said the change is a “re-tooling” of postal operations and reflects what most customers consider critical for them.
Since 2006, said Ms. Marion, overall mail circulation has decreased by 20% to 25% while first class mail is down by one-third.
“It’s not just a change in the use of email, but a change in how the Internet has worked into our communications. We need to be right-sized for the way people use their mailboxes today. We still have an enormous volume of mail, but it is different than 10 years ago,” Ms. Marion said.
These deliveries will not require the same level of staff or vehicles as everyday mail delivery, Ms. Marion said. She said the mail service is not a tax-funded operation, but is paid for through mail service revenue.
Packages that will continue to be delivered on Saturdays include a wide range of items, from premium overnight express mail to priority boxes, to parcel post, to packages containing medication.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Robertsdale Yacht Club delivers cannons to Texas
A few months ago, The Robertsdale Yacht Club, the only land-locked yacht club in lower Alabama, was sent a request for quote to produce six replica 17th century naval cannons by a group in Palacios, Texas. This group, which has no name, had heard of the infamous (nefarious?) RYC whose reputation has spread throughout the nautical community.
Just so you know, being landlocked, the RYC has become hugely popular with boaters who suffer from aquaphobia.
Quickly responding to the RFQ the RYC organized a new division, the Naval Ordinance Division to design, test, and manufacture the replica cannons. The “unnamed group” quickly issued a contract and fabrication commenced.
The cannons will be used on a replica of The La Belle captained by LaSalle in 1685 on a voyage from France to Mississippi. He missed Mississippi and hit Texas. I guess it was close enough. LaSalle set up a colony at present day Palacios. Things did not go well. The La Belle sank in the bay. The crew was somewhat miffed with LaSalle. So much so they killed him. Lesson learned: do not get French sailors miffed. Later, the local population became somewhat miffed with the sailors. So much so they killed the sailors. Lesson learned: don’t miff the locals.
Some years later on Matagorda Bay, allegedly, a local fisherman (reportedly of mixed French and Indian ancestry) had his shrimp net snag on what appeared to be a very old piece of timber. The local fisherman was overheard to say “This appears to be a very old piece of timber.” Actually, divers from R.V. Anomaly of The Texas Historical Commission were sent to the bottom to investigate. Upon surfacing, one diver held what appeared to be a very old piece of timber. He was heard commentating “This appears to be a very old piece of timber” and promptly took the timber to be examined. It turned out to be part of a very old ship, The La Belle.
A coffer dam was built around the ship which was eventually salvaged, preserved, and displayed at a local museum - the ship, not the coffer dam. The original cannons were also found along with human remains. The human remains have been nick-named “Dead Bob.” The La Belle will soon be displayed at an Austin, Texas, museum.
The loss, discovery, salvage, and display detailed in “From a Watery Grave” by James E. Bruseth and Toni S. Turner makes one think Clive Cussler had a hand in it.
The replica Pettit Belle is nearing completion and was launched in early December of 2012. The RYC NOD produced cannons will be aboard. In all likelihood, it will soon be recognized that the cannons are the highlight of the entire construction effort.
Having technically not previously built large bore 17th century naval weapons; we investigated the age old, tried and true methods of fabricating cannons and settled on the traditional materials. We used PVC pipe. Why LaSalle did not use this material for his cannons is still under investigation.
A later requirement from the “unnamed group” was for the cannons to actually fire. Considering that the local law enforcement community would probably take a dim view of us hurling cannon balls around Robertsdale, we decided to make carbide cannons. After developing the necessary tooling, fabrication commenced. The first cannon turned out better than expected. No snickering please. After a fashion, the ignition system performed flawlessly. These cannons are VERY LOUD! Even Dead Bob sat up and said “Dude, those cannons are VERY LOUD!”
As word leaked out that we had developed successful 17th century carbide cannons, other members of the “unnamed group” made inquiries to obtain cannons of their own. We suspect the arming of vessels other than The Pettit Belle. The RYC is not responsible for how the weapons are used. Remember, it’s not the cannons that make the VERY LOUD noises; it’s my partner putting too much carbide in that does it.
This just in: the “unnamed group” does have a name now, it’s The Palacios Area Fund of the Communities Foundation of Texas.
This organization is responsible for the design and construction of the replica, The Pettit Belle. This will make a fine addition to Madagorda Bay and develop an increased awareness and appreciation of the local history and a fitting tribute to Roberta Ripke who inspired the construction of The Pettit Belle.
Casual observers at the RYC have noticed an eerie similarity in the names of Ted Riccio, one of the founding members of the RYC and Ted Riccio, part-time boat builder of Palacios, Texas. This may only be a coincidence, or it could be something we can blow completely out of proportion. We will keep you posted on any further developments.
Word has leaked of the delivery of the six cannons and people from far and wide have flocked to the Palacios area to see and hear the famous cannons of the RYC NOD. Dead Bob, ever the entrepreneur, suggested charging admission. He was over-ruled. Dead Bob has since been enrolled in the Alcoholics Anonymous for the Walking Dead. Sad story, that.
Being the enterprising lot that we are, the RYC has organized a new division to take full advantage of the newly developed naval ordinance. The new division will be known as The Pirates of Robertsdale.
Being the only land-locked yacht club in lower Alabama, we have taken a lot of flak from other yacht clubs that have water. The POR will be chartered to pillage and lay waste to all snooty yacht clubs that have water. The cannons will be mounted on Capt. Dana Hall’s and Capt. Ted Riccio’s ships in preparation to unleash devastating one gun broadsides against said snooty yacht clubs. We would have had more cannons, but the coin-drop on Route 59 did not go well. These ships-of-the-line will be trailered to local yacht clubs with destructive fire being rained down upon the hapless victims.
Destruction will begin promptly at 9 a.m. A lunch break will commence at 11:30 a.m. Lunch will be comprised of cucumber sandwiches and sparkling water with lime. There will be a meet and greet with the swashbuckling captains at 12:30 p.m. The cannonades will recommence at 1 p.m. The daily activities will end at 4 p.m. sharp. However, as time and weather permits, the taking of wenches will take place.
Just so you know, being landlocked, the RYC has become hugely popular with boaters who suffer from aquaphobia.
Quickly responding to the RFQ the RYC organized a new division, the Naval Ordinance Division to design, test, and manufacture the replica cannons. The “unnamed group” quickly issued a contract and fabrication commenced.
The cannons will be used on a replica of The La Belle captained by LaSalle in 1685 on a voyage from France to Mississippi. He missed Mississippi and hit Texas. I guess it was close enough. LaSalle set up a colony at present day Palacios. Things did not go well. The La Belle sank in the bay. The crew was somewhat miffed with LaSalle. So much so they killed him. Lesson learned: do not get French sailors miffed. Later, the local population became somewhat miffed with the sailors. So much so they killed the sailors. Lesson learned: don’t miff the locals.
Some years later on Matagorda Bay, allegedly, a local fisherman (reportedly of mixed French and Indian ancestry) had his shrimp net snag on what appeared to be a very old piece of timber. The local fisherman was overheard to say “This appears to be a very old piece of timber.” Actually, divers from R.V. Anomaly of The Texas Historical Commission were sent to the bottom to investigate. Upon surfacing, one diver held what appeared to be a very old piece of timber. He was heard commentating “This appears to be a very old piece of timber” and promptly took the timber to be examined. It turned out to be part of a very old ship, The La Belle.
A coffer dam was built around the ship which was eventually salvaged, preserved, and displayed at a local museum - the ship, not the coffer dam. The original cannons were also found along with human remains. The human remains have been nick-named “Dead Bob.” The La Belle will soon be displayed at an Austin, Texas, museum.
The loss, discovery, salvage, and display detailed in “From a Watery Grave” by James E. Bruseth and Toni S. Turner makes one think Clive Cussler had a hand in it.
The replica Pettit Belle is nearing completion and was launched in early December of 2012. The RYC NOD produced cannons will be aboard. In all likelihood, it will soon be recognized that the cannons are the highlight of the entire construction effort.
Having technically not previously built large bore 17th century naval weapons; we investigated the age old, tried and true methods of fabricating cannons and settled on the traditional materials. We used PVC pipe. Why LaSalle did not use this material for his cannons is still under investigation.
A later requirement from the “unnamed group” was for the cannons to actually fire. Considering that the local law enforcement community would probably take a dim view of us hurling cannon balls around Robertsdale, we decided to make carbide cannons. After developing the necessary tooling, fabrication commenced. The first cannon turned out better than expected. No snickering please. After a fashion, the ignition system performed flawlessly. These cannons are VERY LOUD! Even Dead Bob sat up and said “Dude, those cannons are VERY LOUD!”
As word leaked out that we had developed successful 17th century carbide cannons, other members of the “unnamed group” made inquiries to obtain cannons of their own. We suspect the arming of vessels other than The Pettit Belle. The RYC is not responsible for how the weapons are used. Remember, it’s not the cannons that make the VERY LOUD noises; it’s my partner putting too much carbide in that does it.
This just in: the “unnamed group” does have a name now, it’s The Palacios Area Fund of the Communities Foundation of Texas.
This organization is responsible for the design and construction of the replica, The Pettit Belle. This will make a fine addition to Madagorda Bay and develop an increased awareness and appreciation of the local history and a fitting tribute to Roberta Ripke who inspired the construction of The Pettit Belle.
Casual observers at the RYC have noticed an eerie similarity in the names of Ted Riccio, one of the founding members of the RYC and Ted Riccio, part-time boat builder of Palacios, Texas. This may only be a coincidence, or it could be something we can blow completely out of proportion. We will keep you posted on any further developments.
Word has leaked of the delivery of the six cannons and people from far and wide have flocked to the Palacios area to see and hear the famous cannons of the RYC NOD. Dead Bob, ever the entrepreneur, suggested charging admission. He was over-ruled. Dead Bob has since been enrolled in the Alcoholics Anonymous for the Walking Dead. Sad story, that.
Being the enterprising lot that we are, the RYC has organized a new division to take full advantage of the newly developed naval ordinance. The new division will be known as The Pirates of Robertsdale.
Being the only land-locked yacht club in lower Alabama, we have taken a lot of flak from other yacht clubs that have water. The POR will be chartered to pillage and lay waste to all snooty yacht clubs that have water. The cannons will be mounted on Capt. Dana Hall’s and Capt. Ted Riccio’s ships in preparation to unleash devastating one gun broadsides against said snooty yacht clubs. We would have had more cannons, but the coin-drop on Route 59 did not go well. These ships-of-the-line will be trailered to local yacht clubs with destructive fire being rained down upon the hapless victims.
Destruction will begin promptly at 9 a.m. A lunch break will commence at 11:30 a.m. Lunch will be comprised of cucumber sandwiches and sparkling water with lime. There will be a meet and greet with the swashbuckling captains at 12:30 p.m. The cannonades will recommence at 1 p.m. The daily activities will end at 4 p.m. sharp. However, as time and weather permits, the taking of wenches will take place.
Matchsticks and Gasoline's Gameday Coverage
I opened that post in class, you guys should have put an NSFW warning on that! Hudler has been well-received so far, although it has been a very small sample size as the Flames have only played six games heading into today's contest. It's been a while since the Flames had more than one skilled playmaker like Hudler in the lineup, especially one that they can utilize as something of a depth player, so I think Flames fans are pretty satisfied with his performance thus far while still maintaining realistic expectations. Hudler has also contributed to the depth and improvement of the Flames' powerplay, which has been humming along nicely so far with two decent units.
I think expectations in Calgary this year are similar to those of other bubble teams; while most Flames fans probably expect them to finish just outside of the post-season again, in the middle of the pack with regard to bottom-half teams, others acknowledge that a playoff berth could very well be a possibility in a shortened season if the team goes on a winning streak. The Flames have been a team of slow starters that have traditionally gone on hot streaks several months into the season for a few years now, but expectations for their performance this year depend on factors such as whether or not Miikka Kiprusoff can bounce back from a poor start to the season and whether the team can consistently get enough offence from Iginla, Tanguay, Cammalleri, and the rest of the top six. There are some Flames fans who would rather see the team finish at the bottom of the conference this season and hopefully signal the beginning of a rebuild, but I think that would be an unlikely result. The Flames did improve their team in the off-season by adding the likes of Hudler and Cervenka and partially re-tooling their blueline so I don't see a rebuild-inducing finish this year unless the Flames' goaltending continues to operate at sub-.900 levels and the rest of the team is terribly unlucky.
A microcosm of what much of the team is going through to start the season. The Flames have out-shot their opposition by a healthy measure so far and have only one win and two shootout losses to show for it, so hopefully the the team's collective luck will begin to turn around soon, including Iggy's. Obviously no one expects him to score 30+ goals again this season or embarrass the opposition's best, and there has been an ongoing acknowledgement that the aging process is finally beginning to catch up with him, but he has also been a slow starter throughout much of his career (at least recently, if my memory serves me well), and I expect he should break out of his funk soon enough. Iggy has 20 goals and 54 points in 60 career games against the Wings, so it might happen at Detroit's expense!
Following last year’s purchase of tooling equipment from Rehrig, PHS Teacrate will be promoting at the logistics event the advantages of its plastic RTP crates and trays that are suitable for a wide variety of sectors, including food, retailing, pharmaceuticals and engineering.
Sure to attract the attention of visitors will be PHS Teacrate’s 600x400mm attached lid containers produced in tough, durable polypropylene for maximum level of security and protection in both storage and distribution systems, while also on display at IMHX will be its nestable bale-arm trays which are suitable for fresh meat, processed meat, poultry, ready meals, fresh produce, frozen and chilled items.
The company will also be exhibiting plastic pallets and other material handling equipment ideal for any hygienic-driven environment. PHS Teacrate staff will be on hand to discuss value-added customer services, such as in-house integrated crate washing, crate pool management, delivery and collection from transport depots covering the entire country and a 24-hour online support and crate ordering facility.
Also available to take away at IMHX will be the innovative mini versions of PHS Teacrate’s popular nestable bale arm trays, which cleverly presents the range’s qualities for better handling, product protection and efficiency improvements which could potentially reduce costs.
Using plastic RTP removes wood, cardboard and other fibrous materials from food production promoting good hygiene with less risk of cross contamination. Plastic crates offer improved product protection during transportation because they are much more durable and stronger than single trip alternatives.
PHS Teacrate’s National Sales Manager, Patrick Sheehy, is confident that the IMHX Show will enable even more companies to learn about its extensive range of products and aftersales service which he believes is second to none.
He said: “We are delighted to be exhibiting at IMHX where we are anticipating a great deal of interest, following our recent acquisition of the full range of Rehrig tooling to complement our own range. During the show we’ll be showcasing a number of different crates specifically aimed at the food, retailing, pharmaceuticals and engineering sectors.
I think expectations in Calgary this year are similar to those of other bubble teams; while most Flames fans probably expect them to finish just outside of the post-season again, in the middle of the pack with regard to bottom-half teams, others acknowledge that a playoff berth could very well be a possibility in a shortened season if the team goes on a winning streak. The Flames have been a team of slow starters that have traditionally gone on hot streaks several months into the season for a few years now, but expectations for their performance this year depend on factors such as whether or not Miikka Kiprusoff can bounce back from a poor start to the season and whether the team can consistently get enough offence from Iginla, Tanguay, Cammalleri, and the rest of the top six. There are some Flames fans who would rather see the team finish at the bottom of the conference this season and hopefully signal the beginning of a rebuild, but I think that would be an unlikely result. The Flames did improve their team in the off-season by adding the likes of Hudler and Cervenka and partially re-tooling their blueline so I don't see a rebuild-inducing finish this year unless the Flames' goaltending continues to operate at sub-.900 levels and the rest of the team is terribly unlucky.
A microcosm of what much of the team is going through to start the season. The Flames have out-shot their opposition by a healthy measure so far and have only one win and two shootout losses to show for it, so hopefully the the team's collective luck will begin to turn around soon, including Iggy's. Obviously no one expects him to score 30+ goals again this season or embarrass the opposition's best, and there has been an ongoing acknowledgement that the aging process is finally beginning to catch up with him, but he has also been a slow starter throughout much of his career (at least recently, if my memory serves me well), and I expect he should break out of his funk soon enough. Iggy has 20 goals and 54 points in 60 career games against the Wings, so it might happen at Detroit's expense!
Following last year’s purchase of tooling equipment from Rehrig, PHS Teacrate will be promoting at the logistics event the advantages of its plastic RTP crates and trays that are suitable for a wide variety of sectors, including food, retailing, pharmaceuticals and engineering.
Sure to attract the attention of visitors will be PHS Teacrate’s 600x400mm attached lid containers produced in tough, durable polypropylene for maximum level of security and protection in both storage and distribution systems, while also on display at IMHX will be its nestable bale-arm trays which are suitable for fresh meat, processed meat, poultry, ready meals, fresh produce, frozen and chilled items.
The company will also be exhibiting plastic pallets and other material handling equipment ideal for any hygienic-driven environment. PHS Teacrate staff will be on hand to discuss value-added customer services, such as in-house integrated crate washing, crate pool management, delivery and collection from transport depots covering the entire country and a 24-hour online support and crate ordering facility.
Also available to take away at IMHX will be the innovative mini versions of PHS Teacrate’s popular nestable bale arm trays, which cleverly presents the range’s qualities for better handling, product protection and efficiency improvements which could potentially reduce costs.
Using plastic RTP removes wood, cardboard and other fibrous materials from food production promoting good hygiene with less risk of cross contamination. Plastic crates offer improved product protection during transportation because they are much more durable and stronger than single trip alternatives.
PHS Teacrate’s National Sales Manager, Patrick Sheehy, is confident that the IMHX Show will enable even more companies to learn about its extensive range of products and aftersales service which he believes is second to none.
He said: “We are delighted to be exhibiting at IMHX where we are anticipating a great deal of interest, following our recent acquisition of the full range of Rehrig tooling to complement our own range. During the show we’ll be showcasing a number of different crates specifically aimed at the food, retailing, pharmaceuticals and engineering sectors.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Queensbury company keep eye on air quality
About three and a half years ago, McAuley started a small air quality consulting firm in Massachusetts and since then, he has moved back to Queensbury — the area where he grew up, works with clients on air quality studies all over the world out of his home office on Stonehurst Drive.
“It’s about giving people solutions, not just reasons why they should be doing something,” McAuley said. “A lot of times it’s investigative, we have a strong investigative approach to what we do.”
McAuley named his firm Change, which stands for Consulting for Health, Air, Nature and a Greener Environment.
McAuley has worked on studies that range from the air quality effects of electronic cigarette use to the prevalence of respiratory infections among children in Vietnam from different socioeconomic statuses. Last year, McAuley co-authored a Safe Routes to School study focused on reducing traffic pollution exposure to children.
The firm works with hospitals, non-profit organizations, paper companies, boards of health and others, performing indoor and ambient air quality assessments and monitoring, providing recommendations for fixing air quality problems, doing energy audits and air quality permitting.
Air quality regulations and laws vary, so the firm partners with firms overseas in China, Taiwan and New Zealand to provide services to clients there, McAuley said.
“You really need to have that local knowledge,” he said. “When opportunities come up, they have the means locally to move a project forward.”
The testing the firm does could be asbestos, mold or dust in a work place, or it could require people to wear air quality exposure monitors. McAuley can analyze data from some studies in his home office, while other results may be sent to an accredited lab. The firm studies a range of issues, and could be called in to study air quality after a gas leak or to examine potential carcinogens in areas where there is a cluster of cancer cases, McAuley said.
The study McAuley worked on recently about electronic cigarette use was published in the academic journal Inhalation Toxicology, and found that the use of the device, which mimics tobacco smoking, has a minimal effect on indoor air quality.
McAuley could see a study that looks at air quality a little closer to home — he would love to do a study in downtown Glens Falls and make some recommendations about how to cut down on pollution. He noted the outdoor seating at downtown restaurants with the congestion of nearby Centennial Circle, and said in such environments, even reducing parking along the main strip can make a dramatic difference.
“I would love to do a study in downtown Glens Falls,” McAuley said. “Studying air quality issues isn’t about picking on anybody, it’s just about making the air cleaner downtown.”
Change has associates that do work for the company in the Syracuse area, in New York City, Massachusetts and North Carolina. McAuley is able to conduct much of the business out of his home office in Queensbury, but he travels two or three months out of the year, visiting clients, he said.
McAuley and his firm were profiled in the January 2013 issue of Success Magazine, a publication that focuses on the achievements of home-based and small business entrepreneurs.
“I see it continuing to grow, I could see in five or 10 years someone acquiring the firm if I decide I want to sell it,” McAuley said. “I don’t think it’s going to be where 100 years from now the company is still going and has 10,000 employees — it doesn’t need to be that. I just want it to continue to be a stand-out company in what we provide.”
We can't really take a good look at Garrosh Hellscream without taking a look at his Alliance counterpart, King Varian Wrynn. Varian is an enigma in his own right, although for different reasons than Garrosh. Where Garrosh was a character that was introduced and shown in every aspect in the game itself, Varian is notable for being ... absent. He wasn't there for vanilla WoW. He wasn't there for Burning Crusade. Varian didn't make his first appearance in game until the launch event for Wrath of the Lich King, and exploded onto the scene with an attitude that threw a lot of players off.
Where Garrosh saw all of his development play out in-game, even the odd disconnected moments, Varian saw his play out through a series of comics and novels. Most of his history is a big question mark to many players. While not quite as big an unknown as Lor'themar Theron, people still wonder -- who is this guy? Where did he come from, and why was he so angry when he returned? And perhaps most importantly -- where did he turn from angry leader in the Ulduar cinematic to the far more patient leader we're seeing in Mists?
“It’s about giving people solutions, not just reasons why they should be doing something,” McAuley said. “A lot of times it’s investigative, we have a strong investigative approach to what we do.”
McAuley named his firm Change, which stands for Consulting for Health, Air, Nature and a Greener Environment.
McAuley has worked on studies that range from the air quality effects of electronic cigarette use to the prevalence of respiratory infections among children in Vietnam from different socioeconomic statuses. Last year, McAuley co-authored a Safe Routes to School study focused on reducing traffic pollution exposure to children.
The firm works with hospitals, non-profit organizations, paper companies, boards of health and others, performing indoor and ambient air quality assessments and monitoring, providing recommendations for fixing air quality problems, doing energy audits and air quality permitting.
Air quality regulations and laws vary, so the firm partners with firms overseas in China, Taiwan and New Zealand to provide services to clients there, McAuley said.
“You really need to have that local knowledge,” he said. “When opportunities come up, they have the means locally to move a project forward.”
The testing the firm does could be asbestos, mold or dust in a work place, or it could require people to wear air quality exposure monitors. McAuley can analyze data from some studies in his home office, while other results may be sent to an accredited lab. The firm studies a range of issues, and could be called in to study air quality after a gas leak or to examine potential carcinogens in areas where there is a cluster of cancer cases, McAuley said.
The study McAuley worked on recently about electronic cigarette use was published in the academic journal Inhalation Toxicology, and found that the use of the device, which mimics tobacco smoking, has a minimal effect on indoor air quality.
McAuley could see a study that looks at air quality a little closer to home — he would love to do a study in downtown Glens Falls and make some recommendations about how to cut down on pollution. He noted the outdoor seating at downtown restaurants with the congestion of nearby Centennial Circle, and said in such environments, even reducing parking along the main strip can make a dramatic difference.
“I would love to do a study in downtown Glens Falls,” McAuley said. “Studying air quality issues isn’t about picking on anybody, it’s just about making the air cleaner downtown.”
Change has associates that do work for the company in the Syracuse area, in New York City, Massachusetts and North Carolina. McAuley is able to conduct much of the business out of his home office in Queensbury, but he travels two or three months out of the year, visiting clients, he said.
McAuley and his firm were profiled in the January 2013 issue of Success Magazine, a publication that focuses on the achievements of home-based and small business entrepreneurs.
“I see it continuing to grow, I could see in five or 10 years someone acquiring the firm if I decide I want to sell it,” McAuley said. “I don’t think it’s going to be where 100 years from now the company is still going and has 10,000 employees — it doesn’t need to be that. I just want it to continue to be a stand-out company in what we provide.”
We can't really take a good look at Garrosh Hellscream without taking a look at his Alliance counterpart, King Varian Wrynn. Varian is an enigma in his own right, although for different reasons than Garrosh. Where Garrosh was a character that was introduced and shown in every aspect in the game itself, Varian is notable for being ... absent. He wasn't there for vanilla WoW. He wasn't there for Burning Crusade. Varian didn't make his first appearance in game until the launch event for Wrath of the Lich King, and exploded onto the scene with an attitude that threw a lot of players off.
Where Garrosh saw all of his development play out in-game, even the odd disconnected moments, Varian saw his play out through a series of comics and novels. Most of his history is a big question mark to many players. While not quite as big an unknown as Lor'themar Theron, people still wonder -- who is this guy? Where did he come from, and why was he so angry when he returned? And perhaps most importantly -- where did he turn from angry leader in the Ulduar cinematic to the far more patient leader we're seeing in Mists?
From Durham to the big game
Bruce Huther, a standout linebacker for the University of New Hampshire in the mid-1970s and then a Super Bowl winner with the Dallas Cowboys, laughs at the notion.
Heck, he closed out his UNH career with a gut-wrenching 17-16 playoff loss at Montana State in 1976 and closed out his next season by helping legendary coach Tom Landry and his team to a 27-10 triumph over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII in New Orleans.
"It was like, 'What's the big deal getting to the Super Bowl?'?" Huther said with a chuckle this week from the office of Huther Associates in Denton, Texas. "My first two years I played in it. As the years went by, I learned to appreciate it a little more and realize what it took and meant to get there."
"It was a great experience," Curtis said. "I was playing and battling through a back injury, and ended up playing most of the game at inside linebacker on top of all the special teams I was on. I was the backup to Karl Mecklenburg on the inside, and he got hurt, and I think I was one of the leading tacklers. I chalk that up to our defense being on the field most of the time."
Curtis, as the special teams player of the game in the AFC championship win over Cleveland two weeks earlier, was the Broncos' special teams captain for the Super Bowl.
He joined Elway and Mecklenburg and others - including former Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who was a special guest as a recent Hall of Fame inductee - at the 50-yard line for the coin toss before the game.
Curtis, who played a year at the Tilton School after high school in Lynnfield, Mass., still has New Hampshire ties. His father, Charlie, a former football standout at Dartmouth, lives in New London and goes to all the Big Green games.
Dave Rozumek, another linebacker, was drafted in the 15th round by the Kansas City Chiefs the year before and made the team out of training camp.
"I think he opened a lot of eyes of the pro scouts, and the next year six or eight teams had scouts come through," Huther said. "I think that got them thinking they've got to go through New England, maybe go to Boston College and then go north to see what UNH has."
Once he got to camp with the Cowboys, Huther said, he benefited from what he had learned at UNH, particularly from linebackers coach Dave O'Connor, who also coached hockey and later became an athletics department administrator.
"I found I knew more than most incoming linebackers from the big schools," Huther said. "I had a real tough transition to college from high school. Going to the NFL, it was amazing. Other than adjusting to the speed, it was a much easier transition. I credit Dave O'Connor for that. I could read running backs, could read linemen's blocks. It put me weeks ahead of some of the guys."
"I know Parcells really liked him," said UNH coach Sean McDonnell, an assitant to Bowes during Sabb's days in Durham. "He had two UNH guys around that time, Dwayne Sabb (with the Patriots) and Dwayne Gordon (with the Jets), and they were really his kind of guys. Hardworking guys, special-teams guys, smart football players. I saw Parcells two years ago in Saratoga at a golf course and talked to him during a rain delay. He was talking about their work ethic. It really gives you a sense of pride in New Hampshire kids."
Kreider, a punishing blocker, broke the mold in Super Bowl XL in 2006. He was the first Wildcat to start a Super Bowl, the first on the offensive side, as a fullback, and his Super Bowl was played at Ford Field in Detroit, where the Steelers beat the Seattle Seahawks, 21-10.
"I got a call from him at 2 a.m. the night of the Super Bowl," McDonnell said. "He was with Mark Whipple, a friend of mine and the former offensive coordinator here who was the quarterbacks coach with the Steelers. The first thing Dan did was apologize and say Whip made me do it. They were celebrating."
A Wildcat is back in the big game, and McDonnell and many others will watch tonight's game with an eye on Corey Graham, in particular.
"There's just a real sense of pride of where the kid has come from and what he's accomplished," McDonnell said. "He came from a (high) school that had 52 kids in his senior class, and his was the last class, and the school closed the next year. He's come a long, long, long way from where he was to being in the biggest game there is. That's the thing with these guys from here. Most of them are free agents, and when you come from our place, you've got to earn it."
He visits flea markets the way the rest of us shop Costco for supplies. Without this influx, he said, “the house would become static,” he said. “Stuff goes out, and sometimes it comes back, and sometimes it doesn’t. Also, it’s really important to me what happens when use and function aren’t the primary things we design for: Could other roles for a house emerge once we suspend our attachment to everyday use?”
The reader will not be surprised to learn that Maher’s girlfriend recently moved out. “To share a space with someone while the whole environment was constantly collecting and reforming was, at a personal level, inspiring but also destabilizing,” he said. “I really respect the amount of time she was able to last here.”
Maher would like his house to question the functionality of architecture. “Think of a warehouse that gets turned into apartments, these things are shifting all the time,” he said. “Function is fluid.” (Take that, Modernists.)
Still, he has assigned labels to various rooms. (The capital letters are his, and recall Hogwartian terms.) Downstairs, there is the Entertainment Core, so named for the entertainment center he took apart to make his first collage, as he calls his structures. Above, watch your step in the Bridge Room, as whole sections of floor have been removed to let the aforementioned Entertainment Core bust through. The Room for the Image and Reflected Image is a kind of mezzanine space whose walls are covered with mirrors, medicine cabinets, cigar boxes and cut-up postcards. Maher opened a medicine cabinet and showed off a little stash of postcards and scissors. “I can add to it at any time,” he said.
In the Wardrobe Room, there are closet parts, deconstructed bureaus, valets and screens. Also a few suit coats. On a wall are pipes from an old organ. Maher said the man who installed the furnace wanted to find a way to hook up the ductwork to the pipes, so as to blow air through them. (Maher spent about $30,000 making the house habitable, he said, adding plumbing, a furnace and wiring.) Peering closer at a teetering sculpture made from a chair base, model airplane fuselages, a drawer and a model train station, a reporter tripped over a gewgaw at its base.
Heck, he closed out his UNH career with a gut-wrenching 17-16 playoff loss at Montana State in 1976 and closed out his next season by helping legendary coach Tom Landry and his team to a 27-10 triumph over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII in New Orleans.
"It was like, 'What's the big deal getting to the Super Bowl?'?" Huther said with a chuckle this week from the office of Huther Associates in Denton, Texas. "My first two years I played in it. As the years went by, I learned to appreciate it a little more and realize what it took and meant to get there."
"It was a great experience," Curtis said. "I was playing and battling through a back injury, and ended up playing most of the game at inside linebacker on top of all the special teams I was on. I was the backup to Karl Mecklenburg on the inside, and he got hurt, and I think I was one of the leading tacklers. I chalk that up to our defense being on the field most of the time."
Curtis, as the special teams player of the game in the AFC championship win over Cleveland two weeks earlier, was the Broncos' special teams captain for the Super Bowl.
He joined Elway and Mecklenburg and others - including former Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who was a special guest as a recent Hall of Fame inductee - at the 50-yard line for the coin toss before the game.
Curtis, who played a year at the Tilton School after high school in Lynnfield, Mass., still has New Hampshire ties. His father, Charlie, a former football standout at Dartmouth, lives in New London and goes to all the Big Green games.
Dave Rozumek, another linebacker, was drafted in the 15th round by the Kansas City Chiefs the year before and made the team out of training camp.
"I think he opened a lot of eyes of the pro scouts, and the next year six or eight teams had scouts come through," Huther said. "I think that got them thinking they've got to go through New England, maybe go to Boston College and then go north to see what UNH has."
Once he got to camp with the Cowboys, Huther said, he benefited from what he had learned at UNH, particularly from linebackers coach Dave O'Connor, who also coached hockey and later became an athletics department administrator.
"I found I knew more than most incoming linebackers from the big schools," Huther said. "I had a real tough transition to college from high school. Going to the NFL, it was amazing. Other than adjusting to the speed, it was a much easier transition. I credit Dave O'Connor for that. I could read running backs, could read linemen's blocks. It put me weeks ahead of some of the guys."
"I know Parcells really liked him," said UNH coach Sean McDonnell, an assitant to Bowes during Sabb's days in Durham. "He had two UNH guys around that time, Dwayne Sabb (with the Patriots) and Dwayne Gordon (with the Jets), and they were really his kind of guys. Hardworking guys, special-teams guys, smart football players. I saw Parcells two years ago in Saratoga at a golf course and talked to him during a rain delay. He was talking about their work ethic. It really gives you a sense of pride in New Hampshire kids."
Kreider, a punishing blocker, broke the mold in Super Bowl XL in 2006. He was the first Wildcat to start a Super Bowl, the first on the offensive side, as a fullback, and his Super Bowl was played at Ford Field in Detroit, where the Steelers beat the Seattle Seahawks, 21-10.
"I got a call from him at 2 a.m. the night of the Super Bowl," McDonnell said. "He was with Mark Whipple, a friend of mine and the former offensive coordinator here who was the quarterbacks coach with the Steelers. The first thing Dan did was apologize and say Whip made me do it. They were celebrating."
A Wildcat is back in the big game, and McDonnell and many others will watch tonight's game with an eye on Corey Graham, in particular.
"There's just a real sense of pride of where the kid has come from and what he's accomplished," McDonnell said. "He came from a (high) school that had 52 kids in his senior class, and his was the last class, and the school closed the next year. He's come a long, long, long way from where he was to being in the biggest game there is. That's the thing with these guys from here. Most of them are free agents, and when you come from our place, you've got to earn it."
He visits flea markets the way the rest of us shop Costco for supplies. Without this influx, he said, “the house would become static,” he said. “Stuff goes out, and sometimes it comes back, and sometimes it doesn’t. Also, it’s really important to me what happens when use and function aren’t the primary things we design for: Could other roles for a house emerge once we suspend our attachment to everyday use?”
The reader will not be surprised to learn that Maher’s girlfriend recently moved out. “To share a space with someone while the whole environment was constantly collecting and reforming was, at a personal level, inspiring but also destabilizing,” he said. “I really respect the amount of time she was able to last here.”
Maher would like his house to question the functionality of architecture. “Think of a warehouse that gets turned into apartments, these things are shifting all the time,” he said. “Function is fluid.” (Take that, Modernists.)
Still, he has assigned labels to various rooms. (The capital letters are his, and recall Hogwartian terms.) Downstairs, there is the Entertainment Core, so named for the entertainment center he took apart to make his first collage, as he calls his structures. Above, watch your step in the Bridge Room, as whole sections of floor have been removed to let the aforementioned Entertainment Core bust through. The Room for the Image and Reflected Image is a kind of mezzanine space whose walls are covered with mirrors, medicine cabinets, cigar boxes and cut-up postcards. Maher opened a medicine cabinet and showed off a little stash of postcards and scissors. “I can add to it at any time,” he said.
In the Wardrobe Room, there are closet parts, deconstructed bureaus, valets and screens. Also a few suit coats. On a wall are pipes from an old organ. Maher said the man who installed the furnace wanted to find a way to hook up the ductwork to the pipes, so as to blow air through them. (Maher spent about $30,000 making the house habitable, he said, adding plumbing, a furnace and wiring.) Peering closer at a teetering sculpture made from a chair base, model airplane fuselages, a drawer and a model train station, a reporter tripped over a gewgaw at its base.
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