How it’s done at Red River Farms

Unlike most other equine breeds, the Thoroughbred industry requires live cover.

Making sure breeding is safe and efficient requires diligence on the part of all

handlers involved. Stallions obviously play an integral role and it takes time and

experience to properly prepare a stallion for his duty.

Close to nature

Adcock is the first to admit he keeps his stallions in a different manner from

many Thoroughbred farms, but the system works exceptionally well for Red River.

Unlike the majority of Thoroughbred breeding operations where stallions are housed

together in one complex, Red River’s stallions each have their own paddock and

stall, with the ability to stay outside as much as they like.

Paddocks range in size from one to 11⁄2 acres and each has plenty of good grazing.

Within each paddock is a wooden stall, (ranging in size from 12x12 feet to 12x16

feet), which has an automatic waterer, hay manger, and feed bin. Stalls have

rubber mats to provide safe footing, but bedding is unnecessary as the horses

rarely stay inside longer than it takes to eat and drink. The back door to their

stalls is always open to the paddock.

“My stallions have the ability to stay outside 24 hours a day,” said Adcock,

whose farm will stand ten stallions for the 2010 season. “Giving them the option

lets you know what the horses really want, and they want to be outside.”

The stallion paddocks are not isolated from the rest of the farm’s equine

population. For safety, there are alleyways between all paddock fencing so horses

cannot reach each other over the fence, but mares are pastured as close as ten to

30 feet away.

“All the stallions can see mares from their paddocks,” Adcock said. “They are

exposed to lots of activity; these horses see mares coming and going all the time.

Obviously, they pay attention and they’re active, but they’re not running up and

down the fence or trying to climb it. You’d be surprised how much activity

stallions will have out there on their own, especially when there are horses all

around.”

Due to round-the-clock turnout, stallions get plenty of exercise. They are not

blanketed during the cold months, but thanks to Louisiana’s relatively mild

winters, they do not get especially “woolly.”
Stallions are fed Purina crimped oats and Omolene 300, a 16% protein sweet feed.

Adcock avoids ¬supplements unless absolutely necessary and said no stallions

received any supplements last season. During breeding season, they will be fed

straight alfalfa, but through the rest of the year they will receive alfalfa/grass

mix hay so they do not put on excess weight when the grass comes in.
Adcock has routinely handled nearly three dozen stallions since he graduated

college in 1981 and got into the horse business. Keeping stallions this way has

worked exceptionally well—for both the horses and handlers.

“They don’t have libido problems or mental issues and they don’t have pent-up

energy,” he said. “When I go catch them to show or breed, they are well behaved.

”

Breeding season

Red River Farms stays busy during breeding season, and the farm consistently

breeds 350 to 400 mares per year.

Adcock, who handles each stallion himself, has developed a safe, efficient method

for breeding. Mares are prepped and led directly into the stallion’s paddock for

breeding.

“We bring the mare to the stallion so he’s in his own environment,” Adcock

said. “Their whole world revolves around the confines of their own paddock and

stall. The stallion knows what the story is when you bring in a mare, and the time

in the pen is very short. It’s a quick turnaround; it actually takes longer to

get the mare ready than it does to breed her.”

Holding stalls located convenient to the stallion area are used for mares that

ship in for breeding, while resident farm mares are simply walked over to the

stallion’s paddock. Each mare has her tail wrapped and is washed in preparation

for breeding.

Although the farm regularly uses a teaser to check for mares in heat, when it is

time to breed, Adcock uses the stallion to tease the mare. This lets the stallion

get ready and be washed before he goes to mount the mare. A twitch on the mare’s

nose and an ankle hobble ensure that she will stand. Two handlers hold the mare, a

third holds the tail, and Adcock handles the stallion.

He admits that the only downfall to not using an actual shed is that all breedings

take place outside, no matter the weather.

“If it’s raining and isn’t going to quit anytime soon, we all get wet,” Adcock

said with a laugh. “But I’ve never seen a stallion turn his nose up at breeding

in the rain and it doesn’t stop mares from getting pregnant.”

Another benefit of this breeding arrangement is that foals are not banned from

accompanying the mare, as happens with many breeding sheds.

“We don’t lock the foal up somewhere,” Adcock said. “Nothing good can happen

if you leave a foal screaming in the van and upsetting the mare. If a mare has a

foal at side, the foal comes right along to the paddock. Our stallions are exposed

to foals and I’ve never had a problem.”

Manners important

Perhaps the main reason things runs so smoothly is that Adcock spends time with

every new stallion, teaching him what is expected.

“I’m very comfortable saying my horses are very well behaved,” he said. “We

put a chain over their noses, but you could breed all these stallions with a lead

rope. You won’t see any of them running up on their hind legs to attack the mare.

I don’t have any stallions that try to savage a mare or any stallions I have to

muzzle. I honestly think letting them be outside, exposing them to mares, and

teaching them manners in the beginning plays a big part in it.”

Whenever a stallion joins the Red River roster—whether fresh off the racetrack,

never been used for breeding, or moving from another stallion operation—his

introduction to mares will be as a teaser for about the first 45 days.

All mares, both barren and those with foals at side, come into the barns twice

daily to be fed. During this time, Adcock will walk the new stallion from stall to

stall to visit and tease them. No mares are kept under lights, so teasing of

barren mares begins in late January, and most are ready to breed by the end of

March.

“Most of these stallions I’ve started out myself,” said Adcock, whose farm has

stood as many as 15 stallions at one time. “My stallions have manners and it’s

not drastic to teach them. You just have to teach them correctly from the start

and you usually don’t have a problem. I just have a chain over the nose, nothing

severe.

“You can’t afford to have an ill-behaved stallion. I want him to keep his feet

on the ground and not rear up. I don’t tolerate pawing, rearing, or biting. It’s

like playing a ballgame: You have to practice before you play. You have to teach a

stallion what’s correct and what’s not; you iron out all the problems before you

start.”

Adcock will tease with a stallion for 30 to 45 days, even after breeding season

has started if that particular horse needs it. Once a stallion knows the routine,

nothing changes with his routine when breeding season rolls around. The farm does

have two designated teasers, so when Adcock is confident about the behavior of his

breeding stallions, the teasers take over the task of checking mares for heat.

He emphasized that no stallion is “too good” to be used as a teaser to learn

manners in the beginning.

“I’m the one holding the stallion for breeding, so I want him to stand and

behave until it’s time to do his job,” Adcock said. “Leestown was, by far, the

best horse I’ve ever touched and I teased him to start out. He was so well-

behaved, you could have held him with a hay twine [for breeding]. Private Vow is

the same way, and I teased him up to the first week in March. He will walk up and

stand five feet away from the mare while we put the twitch on and hobble her. Once

I take a step forward, he knows he can mount her.”

Deal with troublesome behavior

Veterinarian explains how to be firm with the aggressive stallion and encourage the timid one

SUCCESS in any breeding operation depends on quality stallion management, including proper handling and a good rapport between the stallion and his handler. These are essential because some stallions are more challenging than others.

According to Marlin C. Baker, D.V.M., who operates Alpha Equine Breeding Center in Granbury, Texas, stallions whose behavior presents a challenge can be divided into three categories: aggressive, timid, and those with erectile dysfunction. The key is to figure out the situation in which the stallion will perform the best and then handle him the same way each time. Because each stallion is an individual, it is important to match the horse with the handler who works best with him and then have that same person handle the stallion each time, because consistency is important to achieve the best results.

Aggressive stallion

When handling an aggressive stallion, Baker uses a cotton lead shank with a 30-inch chain. The chain is put over the horse's nose or through his mouth, depending on how aggressive he is.

"We try to never be mean to the horse, but some we have to get quite firm with," Baker said. "The worst thing about an aggressive horse is he'll either try to bite and savage the mare or try to strike."

To solve a biting problem, Baker puts a muzzle on some stallions or he might put a heavy pad around a mare's neck and withers to protect her. To safeguard the mare from being kicked, Baker said he always tries to back the stallion away from the mare after the stallion dismounts rather than turn him around with his hindquarters toward her.

Baker said it is important for the stallion manager to know the personality of each stallion to determine what will work best. For some aggressive stallions, the handler will exercise them to take the edge off before bringing them into the breeding shed.

"Others we bring directly out of the stall, wanting them to be as fresh as possible," Baker said. After breeding the mare, the stallions are turned out in a paddock or hand grazed as a reward.

Some stallions need to be schooled in breeding etiquette, so when one is overly aggressive, Baker has the handler remove him from the breeding shed and then return. This might take several attempts until the horse learns acceptable behavior.

"Some are so aggressive they can't enter the vagina of a mare properly or easily," Baker said. "With some, we use a little xylazine [tranquilizer] to take the edge off their aggression, and this helps them ejaculate a little bit better. It only takes about three-quarters of a [cubic centimeter] to be effective for this purpose."

When the stallion is washed, "we always approach him from the shoulder and then work backward," Baker said. "I am a real stickler about having the same crew working together each time."

As a general rule, once the stallion has teased the mare--starting at the mare's head and shoulder and working back toward her flank--Baker's crew tries to get him to mount from directly behind the mare to avoid problems.

"This is not always easy, especially with a young stallion you are training," Baker said. "Some of them want to get up on the side of her hip. With those we try to turn the mare under them or push them into proper position. Probably the most difficult ones, however, are the stallions that are very timid."

Along Gulf, spill still defines state of mind

In the small brick church just across the road from the chocolate waters of Bayou Lafourche, the Rev. Joseph Anthony Pereira unbuttons his collar as the last parishioners pull out of the lot. Tonight, nearly a year after the BP oil spill began, he's asked his congregation of shrimpers and oil industry workers to think about lessons learned when survival is in jeopardy.

But Pereira doubts that many from the 5pm Mass are ready to take his Lenten message to heart.

"You speak about this to them because they forget what they went through," says Pereira, who pastors at St. Joseph's Church in Galliano, La., a community that ties its fortunes to the Gulf of Mexico. "Because BP has spoiled them, given them all this money, they've gone back to the old ways. They give them big bucks and they forget."

A year after BP's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, killing 11 and triggering a four-month battle to contain and cap the gusher, the people who make their lives along the Gulf's coastline face countless variations of the trade-off that troubles Pereira.

They are anxious to banish the spill to memory. But that is very different from being ready to forgive. They are proud to call themselves independent, yet unsettled to be relying on a company and government many distrust. They want nothing more than for their home places to go back to the way they used to be, and in some of the most visible ways, they have. As proof, they point to sand scoured to a dazzling white by cleanup crews.

But uncertainty lingers, and anger, too. What might be hidden under the waves? When, if ever, can people so tied to the water be made whole?

As the anniversary of the spill approached, an Associated Press reporter travelled more than 966km along the Gulf Coast, from Louisiana's bayous to the beaches of the Florida Panhandle, through many twists and turns in the region's ever-evolving state of mind.

At every milepost, there were reminders of the region's bounty and its resilience. People, voicing faith in the Gulf's power, are eager to tell anyone who will listen that that their seafood is safe to eat, that tourists are returning, that the crisis was overblown - that they will not be bowed.

If only, some say more quietly, it was that simple.

---

At dawn, the sky south of New Orleans is fringed with violet and pockets of thick fog mix with the odour from Chevron's Oronite fuel additives plant. But another 23km down Louisiana Highway 23, the sun breaks through, and Mark Brockhoeft climbs into a flat-bottomed boat painted camouflage, motoring into a marshland that is its own world.

A flock of mottled ducks erupts from the high grass. The fins of fat redfish slice the water like torpedoes. Brockhoeft, who sports a thick moustache and a Saints cap, has been plying this bayou as a fly fishing guide since 1993. But the familiar scene still kindles a smile.

"You can take it for granted," he says. "We did. Until we were about to lose it."

Before the spill was capped, thick slicks moved into Barataria Bay, connected to the bayou about 16km south. The oil was the last in a series of setbacks for Brockhoeft, who once worked on the water 250 days a year. But that was before the September 11 terrorist attacks prevented tourists from flying down to fish. Hurricane Katrina swamped this part of Plaquemines Parish, putting it off limits for weeks and taking the lodges that accommodate anglers out of commission. The area rebuilt, but the recession kept visitors away.

If oil made it to the marshes, Brockhoeft knew, it would be over. When BP flooded the region with money, Brockhoeft rented out a boat and crew to a cleanup contractor at US$1,560 a day for 82 days. Meanwhile, he sent back customers' deposits and talked with friends about moving.

"Where the hell are we going to go? We were born down here. We spent our lives down here. Our livelihood is here," says Brockhoeft, who is 58 and worked for a mosquito control company before becoming a guide.

Crews kept the oil at bay long enough to keep these backwaters open to fishing and to cap the well. Now, when clients call to ask, Brockhoeft assures them that "it's beautiful. Come on down."

But the guide says he'll be glad this year to get bookings for more than 130 days on the water. And, while he's upbeat about the health of the estuary, he watches for signs the oil and chemicals used to disperse it might eventually filter into a world that sees fish and other wildlife migrate between bayou and Gulf.

"The way things are going now, I wouldn't bank on the way things are going to be five years from now," he says. "We might not even be here."

Across the Mississippi River by ferry, in the hamlet of Pointe a La Hache, oysterman Stanley Encalade is far more certain of the spill's toll. Encalade and others say they are barely hanging on after their shellfishing grounds were flooded by river water unleashed by officials to keep out the oil, but killing the oysters.

Before Katrina lifted his family's boats out of the harbor and into the road a half mile away, Encalade says he made about US$50,000 a year. But BP payments are based on the most recent years' business, when he was climbing out of hurricane-induced debt. So far, he's gotten a US$12,000 check from the compensation fund set up for those whose livelihoods were affected by the spill.

Encalade worries it could be years before the oyster beds come back. So he's refitting his boat, Lady Pamela, with shrimping nets. But that is not a long-term answer, he says, his voice filling with anger.

"You're going to put me out of business for five or six years and you're going to pay me for the worst two years of my life? No man, I don't think so," Encalade says. "It's not over by a longshot."

Coasting along

Unlike the adorable tortoise, this project will be moving quite quickly.

ON a recent visit to the photocopy shop, I told the boss that I managed to recycle and combine the sheets of plasticized paper wrappers he’d passed to me into a multi-layered folder. “Jolly good! Here are some more for you to use,” he said as he gladly rolled up a few more of the sunny yellow sheets.

This time round, I decided to capitalize on the waterproof quality of the paper and made coasters for mugs. Squares are folded into shapes for the head, feet and tail. This is similar to the way needle-workers fold fabric pieces to hide the raw edges before joining them into mats. As the paper is plastic-coated on one side, it takes a while for the glue to set. Use a rubber-band to hold the folded pieces together as you work on the squares. Leave them aside to let the glue dry.

Another design variation is to use eight of these folded pieces around the circle and form a starburst, like the one that the mug rests on in the photo.

Fixes for 101 things in your house

When asked at a dinner party when he was going to write a book on home design, James Swan gave it some wine-fueled consideration. Though he had no such plans, the Beverly Hills tastemaker came up with a provocative title: "101 Things I Hate About Your House," (HCI, 2011). His friend Carol Beggy persuaded him to follow through, and she shares credit for the book, released in March.

Unlike all those dust-collecting "coffee table tomes," "101 Things" provides advice and quick fixes that people of modest means can implement right away to make their homes more comfortable and inviting. Home design crimes – the things Swan "hates" – are pointed out and addressed with love.

If people look around and hate what they see, there's hope, in large part because their strong reaction signals an emotional investment, and also because "101 Things" shows how simple changes can help them and their guests get more enjoyment out of their living space.

Here, Swan free-associates about home design flaws, foibles and fixes:
The most hate-worthy feature: "Bad lighting can be unpleasant if not physically painful. I don't care how beautiful a room is. If it's over-lit, our ability to enjoy it is diminished. Plus, nobody looks good in glaring light." Install some smaller bulbs and dimmers for starters.

Details you think he won't notice: Drapes that don't come all the way to the floor ("it's like a man walking in a suit with his socks showing") and faux foliage ("plastic plants are fine for a hotel lobby, but they do not belong in a home"). Swan is more accepting of high-quality silk flowers: "But if you're going to create that illusion, carry it through to its logical end and freshen the arrangement" every so often.
Questionable first impressions: Dingy front doors, welcome rubber mats with cutesy sayings, pervasive odors, overburdened coat racks in the entryway.
The proper way to hang toilet paper: "Please orient the roll with the paper coming over the top toward those in need. Few things look as limp and forlorn," Swan says, as tissue going the other way.

Invisible irritants: Rubber-backed rugs in the bathroom provide for a skid-free experience, but for Swan they call to mind "rapidly multiplying colonies of bacteria and fungus."

An empty hearth is disconcerting because it registers as a cold brick hole instead of the warmth and conviviality we associate with fireplaces.
"Complete the picture," Swan says, "with classic fireplace tools and a properly filled wood basket."

Details matter

Little things mean a lot: Conveniently placed coasters are "monumentally important" to guests who want to protect your furniture and their own sense of propriety. You can never have too many candles: "Use them often and everywhere."
Sleeping tight isn't always a good thing: Teens and twin-sized beds do not get along. "Seeing a 6-foot teenage boy crawling into a twin bed seems inappropriate," Swan says, not to mention disrespectful to the youth who is growing and maturing. "As a rite of passage, I'm a strong believer in a double bed arriving on or around any young person's 16th birthday."

You asked for it…: If you opt for glass cabinet doors in the kitchen, be prepared to maintain orderliness within. Otherwise, you are all but inviting Swan to ask why your cabinet interiors "look like the sales tables at Filene's Basement."

Get Your Deck Ready For Spring And Summer

As the days get longer, there's nothing like barbequing and entertaining friends on your deck. But before you pass out those invitations, make sure your deck has weathered the winter and is ready for its seasonal duty.

The abuse a deck surface takes from the weather, foot traffic, barbeques, and food and drink spills can create both surface and structural problems.

"To make your deck last, clean it thoroughly every one to two years and re-stain every two to four years," says Mark Clement, host of the radio program "MyFixitUpLife." "It also helps if your deck is made from a natural, durable wood, such as Western Red Cedar, which holds oil based finishes for an extended period of time."

Here's how to get your deck ready for use:

Clear Out: Clear all furniture and potted plants off the deck. Then inspect the deck for dirt and pollen buildup. Sweep it clean of debris that may have fallen during winter. For safety's sake, make sure there are no nails sticking up from the deck or from any posts.

Floss Between Planks: Clean between the planks and boards of any horizontal surfaces so rain can drain and air can flow between them. Reducing standing water and increasing airflow will limit the amount of moisture that can collect and stay on the surface of the plank, thereby making your deck last longer.

Keep the Finish Sharp: Application of a quality wood stain or finish and periodic retreatment over time will prevent discoloration and degradation of your deck and extend the wood's lifespan. Keep in mind that natural woods that are sustainable and durable, such as real cedar, can take and retain a variety of stains and finishes for more extended periods. Such woods are natural looking, as opposed to the faux finishes used on man-made composite products.

Elevate Planters: Direct contact between planter boxes and wooden surfaces can trap moisture and leave stains. Elevating them or placing them on rollers will release the moisture and make them easier to rearrange.

Beware of Welcome Mats: Mats can collect moisture and dry out too slowly, which can lead to water damage and/or wood rot. After precipitation, be sure to dry out the mat and allow the deck to dry.

Watch Out for Your Grill: Grease from your grill is hazardous to your deck, so place it in an inconspicuous spot with a hard rubber door mat underneath it to keep your deck free of stains. If grease drips onto your deck, use a household cleaner to wipe it clean.

New Volkswagen Amarok Details Released

The British division of Volkswagen revealed today technical specifications for the new Amarok, a serious contender for the pick-up market. The vehicle comes available in two engine variants, a 2.0-litre TDI developing 122 PS and 340 Nm of torque from 1,750 rpm, and a 2.0-litre Bi-turbo TDI developing 163 PS and 400 Nm from 1,750 rpm.  All models are fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox.
Taken separately, 122 PS engine can achieve 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 13.7 seconds, while the 163 PS unit reaches 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill in 11.1 seconds.

This pulling power is matched by a maximum towing weight of up to 2,800 kg (6,173 lbs) for the Amarok Highline with permanent 4MOTION, or 2,690 kg (5,930 lbs) for models with selectable 4MOTION.
Styling options include a front bumper trim, exterior decor sets, side steps, plus stainless steel side rails and styling bars for the loadspace, and the option to upgrade to 19-inch alloy wheels.

Accessories available include a lockable toolbox designed to fit between the wheelarches, across the load bay.  Alternatively, to cover the entire loadspace there is a choice of tonneau covers, or a complete body-coloured hardtop.  Tonneau covers range from a soft waterproof cover which can be rolled out the way, or a choice of aluminium or body-coloured hard plastic covers which are lockable and hinge open for access.
To help protect the Amarok’s interior and exterior, there are seat covers and rubber or carpet floor mats for the cab, parking sensors, mud flaps, an aluminium liner for the loadspace, plus a black steel grid for the rear window.  Offering extra protection during off-road driving, gearbox and underbody protection packs are also available.

We’re excited about the addition of this new model to the Ram 1500 lineup

The Ram 1500 Express — originally announced under the code name Adventurer — is a new Ram Truck model aimed squarely at first-time buyers and owners who are looking for a vehicle with performance and style that they can customize and make their own.

“We’re excited about the addition of this new model to the Ram 1500 lineup,” said Fred Diaz, Ram Truck President and CEO and Head of National Sales – Chrysler Group LLC. “There’s nothing that compares to the high-performance value represented by the Ram 1500 Express. Ram 1500 Express combines great looks and MPG along with HEMI horsepower, torque, towing and payload, all at a fantastic price. It gives the youth or first-time truck buyer an opportunity to show off a great looking ride, with unsurpassed V8 entry-level capability, in a tremendous value-priced package.”

Plans to launch the new Ram 1500 Express were pulled ahead after company executives saw a groundswell of support for the then-just-announced Ram Tradesman. The Ram Tradesman unveiled recently, at the Chicago Auto Show, is a value-priced, HEMI®-powered Ram 1500 regular cab truck that appeals to a cost-conscious, new-vehicle buyer who doesn’t want to give up performance and capability.

The new Ram 1500 Express, like the Ram Tradesman, offers buyers a standard HEMI V8 engine with a 20 mpg rating for the same price competitors are charging for their V6 engines. Mopar has announced that it will have hundreds of accessories available for buyers who are looking to personalize their Ram 1500 Express.

Dodge Unveils the New Ram 1500 Express

“Given that the Ram 1500 Express is an aggressively priced truck, owners will have plenty left over to personalize and customize their ride,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “For this truck, Mopar will offer more than 300 quality-tested accessories from which to choose.”

In addition to the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine with 390 horsepower and 407 lb.-ft. of torque, Ram 1500 Express comes loaded with features that emphasize its high-performance character. The first thing drivers will notice is the Ram 1500 Express’ racy, monochromatic paint scheme. A body-colored grille with black honeycomb inserts, body-colored front fascia and body-colored rear fascia with chrome-tipped dual exhausts shout “high-performance.” The new Ram model will also get fog lamps and 20-inch aluminum wheels with locking lug nuts. There’s also a locking tailgate, cargo lamp, rear-bumper step pad, 6″ x 9″ side-view mirrors and rear wheel-well liners.

Standard features also include a 160-amp alternator, 26-gallon fuel tank, 3.55 rear axle ratio, 700-amp maintenance-free battery, four and seven-pin trailer wiring harness, heavy-duty front and rear shock absorbers, front and rear stabilizer bars, power rack-and-pinion steering, halogen headlamps, heavy-duty engine and transmission cooling and a full-size spare tire.

Inside, the 1500 Express will get a heavy-duty vinyl 40/20/40 split-bench seat, and buyers will have a choice of vinyl or carpeted floor covering. Other features include air conditioning, an instrument cluster with tachometer and 120-mph speedometer, 12-volt auxiliary power outlet, four-spoke tilt steering wheel, six-speaker media center with CD and MP3 player, as well as audio jack input for mobile devices, automatic headlamps, behind-the-seat storage bins, driver and passenger assist handles, power accessory delay, rear dome lamp, rear-view day/night mirror, tinted glass windows, tip start and variable intermittent windshield wipers.

Safety features include advanced multistage front air bags, supplemental front curtain and side air bags, anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes, electronic stability control, height-adjust shoulder belts, sentry key theft deterrent system and tire pressure monitoring warning lamp. Ram 1500 Express is available in Bright Silver Metallic, Bright White, Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl, Deep Cherry Red Crystal Pearl; Deep Water Blue Pearl; Flame Red, Hunter Green Pearl and Mineral Gray Metallic.

Buyers can choose their own options. In addition to a Class IV receiver hitch, Ram 1500 Express is available with long list of options. Factory-installed exterior options include Mopar chrome tubular side steps, Mopar chrome steel bed rails, folding and heated trailer-tow power mirrors with supplemental signals and courtesy lamps, spray-in bedliner and under-rail bedliner. Inside, buyers can choose a cloth 40/20/40 split-bench seat, Uconnect voice command with Bluetooth, rear-view auto-dim mirror, remote USB port, sliding rear window, cruise control, instrument cluster with vehicle information center display screen, tire pressure monitoring display, power one-touch windows, remote keyless entry, Sirius Satellite Radio and either carpet or rubber floor mats.

There’s also choice of two optional rear-axle ratios (3.21, 3.92), anti-spin differential, engine block heater and trailer brake controller. Ram 1500 Express comes as a regular cab, short-bed model, with a choice of 4×2 or 4×4 drivetrain. When equipped with an optional Class IV hitch, the new Ram 1500 Express will tow a maximum trailer weight of 10,450 lbs.

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price for the new Ram 1500 Express will start at $23,830, including $975 destination charge. It will arrive in Ram Truck dealerships in second quarter 2011.

Walcott Defends Rubber Room Fines

The city's incoming schools chancellor on Sunday defended the limited practice whereby certain teachers accused of wrongdoing buy their way back into the classroom.

Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott said that allowing some teachers to bypass termination hearings, admit problems and pay a fine to resume their careers is part of the reform that ended the rubber rooms.

"Some people pay fines, some we remove and dismiss altogether," he said. "So there are a variety of charges against people.  Part of this is our pledge to end rubber rooms."

The New York Post on Sunday reported that some teachers dumped into those rubber rooms for alleged incompetence or misconduct pay an average $7,500 fine to resume teaching.

Walcott spoke while visiting the Church of the Open Door in Brooklyn where parents said they hope he tackles nagging problems like overcrowding.

Yolanda Johnson said that her daughter, Schuyler, has 25 kids in her third-grade class.

"You need teachers' assistants in class," she said.

Walcott stressed that success in the schools comes from working with parents.

"We have to deal with making sure parents are true partners in what's happening in the lives of their children and we are involved with them," he said.

The teachers union had a message for Walcott on Sunday during a City Hall rally:  "Save our schools." A group of students demanded a meeting with him to lobby against closing troubled schools.
 
Also a parent group announced a lawsuit Sunday against the city for its plan to put a charter school in the Brandeis Educational Complex on the Upper West Side.
   
Then later in Queens, state Sen. Tony Avella led a rally of students protesting the closing of Jamaica High School.

Walcott succeeds Cathie Black, who was forced out Thursday after a rocky three months.

Fire razes Daba village

A mysterious fire weekend razed down about half of Daba village in Kazaure Local

Government Area of the state.

The incident left many people homeless and properties worth millions of naira

destroyed.

The inferno, according to eyewitness, started at around 8:30 pm in two houses at the

eastern part of the village.

He said occupants of the houses were heard shouting and calling for assistance,

which hardly came before the fire spread to other houses.

Our correspondent was informed by some victims that a total of 23 houses was burnt

to ashes but no life was lost. But however women and children were seen taking

refuge under trees, weeping as well as seeking for help, when Daily Independent

visited the area.

Chairman of Kazaure Local Government Area, Alhaji Sale Yahaya Taki, who paid a

sympathy visit to the village, described the disaster as a destiny from God which no

human being can stop.

He advised the residents to accept the disaster with good faith as God in his

infinite mercy knows why  the fire incident, stressing that He (God) would surely

reward them abundantly.

Besides, the chairman presented some relief materials from the council to the

victims. The materials include 100 pieces of blankets, 40 sets of rubber mats, 46

bags of maize, three bags of gari, while N8, 000.00 cash was distributed to each of

the 23 households which amounted to N184, 000.00.

Similarly, the state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Alhaji Baba Santali

Aliyu,  donated 30 sets of wrapper, while his wife, Hajiya Bebi Baba Santali Aliyu,

donated 10 sets of shadda.

Also, the member representing Kazaure, Roni, Gwiwa and Yankwashi, Bashir Adamu

donated food stuffs, rubber mats, set of wrapper (shadda) women wrapper and N3,

000.00 cash to each of the victim.

A market for local sourcing

It begins with Black Face, White Flower and Second Flower – and hundreds of millions of cows like them. Confronted with shortages of raw materials, long supply chains and growing concerns over food safety, milk producers in China are rolling up their sleeves and getting down to the farm.

They are just some among many companies taking more direct control of supply chains across the globe. The aim is to ensure supply and quality, but also to remove some of the volatility from pricing. Hence PepsiCo's decision to grow potatoes in China for its crisp brands and SABMiller's farming of barley in Africa for its beer.

As a fresh foodstuff with a short shelf life, however, milk presents companies with some of the biggest challenges. That was highlighted in the melamine scandal of 2008, when unscrupulous farmers and traders in China spiked milk to boost the protein content, leaving at least six babies dead and another 300,000 sick.

China presents particular logistical challenges. Scale is one: farms mostly tend to be small, a legacy of the communist policy of parcelling out little-but-equal plots. Farming skills and technology are often outdated.

Faced with these challenges, Nestle led the way for multinationals two decades ago. The world's biggest food group realised that the combination of small farms and dubious safety was a toxic one, and set about creating its own supply chain.

"We realised there would be these risks," says Roland Decorvet, the company's new chief executive for China. "And that's why we wanted full control of the supply chain."


That control sees milk pass from udder to factory in a matter of hours, virtually all under the eye of the multinational. The chain starts with some 25,000 individual farmers, whose milk is collected and vetted at 164 stations dotted around the eastern provinces of China.

Few other companies have developed such a complex supply chain. France's Danone and its erstwhile joint-venture partner Wahaha both import milk powder from overseas for the infant formula they sell in China. For yoghurt, Danone buys raw milk locally but only from large dairy farms.

Dacia Releases Limited Edition Duster for Skiing Instructors

Renault's low-cost Romanian brand Dacia has released the first limited edition version of its new small SUV model, called the Duster ecole de Ski Francais [ESF], which translates to French Skiing School. Event though parent company Renault has not offered details about how many units of this series Dacia will produce, the Duster special could become one of the rarest sights on French streets since it can only be bought by ESF skiing instructors.

Priced at €18,990 ($26,900), the Duster ESF marks the extension of Renault Group's 10-year partnership with the ecole de Ski Francais. Based on the Laureate 4x4 version, the Duster ESF is powered by a 110HP 1.5-liter diesel engine and is available only in Glacier White paint.

The car features some distinctive styling and practical details such as the ESF badging on the front doors, a strengthened aluminum sump guard and transverse roof bars with a ski rack that can accommodate four pairs of skis.

The Duster ESF comes with equipped with standard foglamps, electrically-adjustable heated exterior mirrors, manual air conditioning system, radio-CD with MP3 compatibility, four tray-type rubber mats, 16-inch alloy wheels and a set of four additional wheels fitted with Continental winter tyres.

Optional extras include the ESP + ASR traction control system for €300 ($425) and the Platine Grey body color for €450 ($637).

New Amsterdam

A bulger of a place it is. The number of the ships beat me all hollow, and looked for all the world like a big clearing in the West, with the dead trees all standing. Davy Crockett

When I first moved to Williamsburg with my father I hated it. I looked out of the window of the car with disgust as we drove past a small park and he pointed out a building that he admired. I remember slumping against the cushions in the back seat and diverting my eyes to the mats on the floor that were covered with sand. When we drove past the building that we were going to live in I stared at the East River to my right and the empty lot to my left. I think I asked to be driven back home and watched the J cross the bridge out of the back window as the train faded between the lines on the glass. My first impression of Williamsburg was generated in 6th grade, one year earlier, when I read "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" in the schoolyard. I suppose I imagined that the neighborhood hadn't changed since the turn of the century and that Francie was still sleeping in the summer heat on her rusty fire escape. I envisioned a neighborhood all too distinct from Park Slope, in which there was only one tree that managed to grow between the slabs of cement despite all odds.

And when we drove under the BQE and down Kent Avenue, my verdict was guilty on all accounts. It didn't seem to have evolved since 1910 as documented by the abandoned factories, shards of glass that covered the sidewalks, and its post-War Berlin aesthetic appeal. I saw no little kids running around the sidewalks, hula hoops and jump ropes in hand, and no dogs chasing after them until they settled down on a sunny piece of concrete. What I did see were hoards of hipsters plastered in what I saw as a rebel uniform. I couldn't believe how similar they all looked when they were trying so hard to be different. It was as if they had all walked into a costume shop and asked for paint splattered high tops, ripped jeans, graphic t-shirts and rubber activist bracelets, all in different colors and sizes.

Now I find it's emptiness mysterious and the throngs of hipsters amusing if not charming. When I scooter home from the J train down the cracked and forbidding sidewalks, the wind from the East River pushes against my face. Soon I ride into the industrial wasteland, past the shells of warehouses and the domino sugar factory. It still smells like burnt sugar if you walk near the grates by the fence that encloses the building. For a while, developers were planning on tearing it down but sometime in the middle of the night unknown rebels erected a neon sign on a building reading "Save Domino" and thus it was saved. Wild flowers grow over what I once imagine to have been a bustling plant and transform the lot into Pippi Longstocking's garden in front of Villa Villekulla on the outskirts of Sweden. In fact Williamsburg is filled with very confused buildings, namely a food shop on Broadway which thinks that it's a Parisian cafe on the outside, a country market on the inside much like the Olson's Mercantile from "Little House on the Prairie," and a bar near Spouter Inn in New Bedford in the back. A school that used to be for the mentally disabled was turned into a movie studio and people live in old factories that have been converted into apartment buildings.

I have lived in Williamsburg now for four years. When the lights in the city turn off I look down out of my window at the dark water of the river. Once, as I looked out, I saw a sunken boat bobbing up and down by the foot of the bridge, the cabin peaking out of the small waves. To my knowledge, it was never hauled out of its grave and there it lies beneath the surface of the East River. It used to be someone's and now it is forgotten.