2011年6月9日 星期四

Renamed Landmark to Blend Country Comfort and Sophistication

As soon as you step into the dining room, you can immediately feel the transformation of The Store restaurant from its 30-year history as a local landmark into its new life as the Ridge Tavern.

While The Store officially changed ownership in August of 2010 when purchased by Mark Marrazzo, owner of the upscale Tewksbury Inn in Oldwick, the name only changed to the Ridge Tavern early in May.

The new menu mirrors perfectly the physical transformation, which is a nice blend of casual but elegant, with a hint of sophistication, without being overbearing. The restaurant remains in an historic building that is one of the most easily recognized commercial locations along South Finley Avenue in downtown Basking Ridge.

For those who enjoy a glass of wine or two, the wine list will prove to be enticing for several reasons – there is nice variety of wines from which to choose, at prices that are a throwback to when The Store first opened its doors 30 years ago. Where can you have a glass of wine for $6?

The new menu includes a number of classic comfort foods for which The Store Restaurant was well known, as well as an updated selection. The Ridge Tavern has found a way to offer a menu that includes some of the ‘oldies but goodies’ such as chicken pot pie, traditional fish & chips, and spaghetti and meatballs, while at the same time adding a nice variety of classic, yet intriguing new dishes.

The new menu includes: Bistro Chicken, a favorite recipe borrowed from the Tewksbury Inn menu which features a roasted chicken, with sautéed spinach, whipped potatoes, and a white wine thyme jus for $18.95; and a Grilled Marinated Hanger Steak, with whipped potatoes, asparagus,In addition to hydraulics fittings and Aion Kinah, pearl onions, red wine jus, and crisp onion rings for $20.95.

Other tempting dishes include: pan-seared flounder with sautéed spinach, grilled potatoes,This page list rubber hose products with details & specifications. and jumbo lump crab champagne pesto cream for $19.95; and House Smoked BBQ Baby Back Ribs with sweet potato French fries, cole slaw and corn bread at $16.95 for a half-rack and $23.95 for a full rack.

If you’re looking for something on the lighter side, there is a nice range of salads including a Cobb with grilled chicken for $13.95 and a blackened mahi salad with mixed greens,Free DIY Wholesale pet supplies Resource! bacon, and sweet chili vinaigrette.This is interesting cube puzzle and logical game.

It was difficult for me to choose between the Grilled Asian Salmon with soy glazed grilled salmon with sticky rice and a warm Asian slaw for $19.95, and the grilled 12-ounce pork chop with whipped potatoes, haricot vert, and caramelized apples for $18.95.

Since I almost always have salmon, I opted to venture in a new direction and check out the pork chop.the Injection mold fast! I was rewarded with a dish that was amazingly juicy, and multi-dimensional in flavor. The caramelized apples added just the right bit of sweetness and the presentation was absolutely stunning.

The Ridge Tavern was a wonderful surprise. My only suggestion would be to light some candles and add a few flowers, silk or real, for a little bit of color.

Drinks: Full bar and wine list that ranges from $17 for a bottle of Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc to a $65 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. Wines by the glass begin at $6.

Overview: Wholesome country dishes with a nice blend of down home comfort and stylish sophistication.

Decor: Clean, classic décor in soothing earth tones with lots of natural wood, and wrought-iron light fixtures and other embellishments.

Desserts: All desserts are house made and include: apple crisp, Crème Brulee, flourless chocolate cake, rice pudding, Kentucky Bourban Bread Pudding, cheesecake, hot fudge sundaes and the old faithful made famous by the Store Restaurant — the brownie ala mode.

2011年6月7日 星期二

Manure entrepreneur Kevin Maas turns dairy waste into green energy

Manure entrepreneur Kevin Maas turns dairy waste into green energy


The back end of a cow provides the front end of the green-energy business that Kevin Maas is slowly expanding in Western Washington and Oregon.

With missionary zeal, he and his brother Daryl build modest electricity-producing projects that help family-owned dairy farms preserve their key role in the agricultural ecosystem.Houston-based Quicksilver Resources said Friday it had reached pipeline deals

Their company, Farm Power, turns manure into electricity, fertilizer and bacteria-free animal bedding in Mount Vernon and Lynden. Another plant is slated to break ground this summer in Enumclaw, and two are planned in Tillamook, Ore.

The technology is fairly simple. What's hard about a manure digester is linking farmers, bankers, regulators, environmentalists and utilities.

"An urban liberal would get laughed off the farm" for trying to convince risk-averse dairymen they can save money while benefiting the environment, said the lanky, bearded 35-year-old.

But with rural roots, as well as an MBA, Maas seems uniquely suited to the task.Customized imprinted and promotional usb flash drives.

"Whether anyone else could have carried this off I don't know," said Don Wick, executive director of the Skagit County Economic Development Association in Mount Vernon. "I had to admire their tenacity and boldness. They really believed in this."

Maas' fervent push for digesters grew from seeing family dairies slowly disappearing, despite their central place in the farm economy as sources of year-round jobs, natural local fertilizer and, of course, milk. His uncle in Minnesota recently gave up on dairy farming.

"It's tragic," Maas said.

He himself has never milked a cow, though he raised a calf as a 4-H project. Still, growing up in Mount Vernon, both he and his younger brother worked summers for nearby farmers who grew everything from tulips and blueberries to spinach and hay. Their parents came from farm families, as did many friends at Mount Vernon Christian School.

"There were a lot more farms and a lot more cows" in Skagit County back then, Maas said. "At that point everybody milked 30, 40, 50 cows ... . Now you can't make a middle-class income with that."

Even dairies with several hundred cows are being squeezed by urban sprawl, environmental regulations and spiking feed costs. Adding electricity to the mix of farm products can help them survive, Maas said.

Yet Washington, with nearly 500 dairy farms, has only five digesters.

Maas was teaching high-school history in southwest Minnesota when he saw farmers setting up wind turbines on their land to generate electricity and supplement their income.The newest Ipod nano 5th is incontrovertibly a step up from last year's model,

"It was really exciting to see these $2 million projects going in, and local guys owned them," Maas said.

He and his brother tried to get a wind project going on their uncle's farm but lacked the financial savvy, said Maas.

So he enrolled at Bainbridge Graduate Institute on Bainbridge Island, which calls itself the first MBA program in sustainable business.

Business plan

Farm Power's business plan was his final project at the school. Daryl, after finishing a tour in the Air Force, joined him in 2007 to form Farm Power. That first digester wasn't easy. "It took us two and a half years from when we started the company to when we made the first kilowatt-hour,We specialize in providing third party merchant account." said Maas, who is Farm Power's president.

Working through environmental regulations, utility contracts and bank-loan requirements was one challenge; persuading farmers to get on board was another.

"Dairy farmers are very nervous about somebody showing up and telling them there's a better way," said Daryl, Farm Power's CEO, who now lives in Redding, Calif.

Being local boys helped. "The Maas family comes with a great reputation in the community. I've known the father for years," Wick said.

Maas said he was confident Farm Power could pull it off,A glass bottle is a bottle created from glass. but "there were times that were a little scary" — like discovering the utility lines to deliver their electricity to Puget Sound Energy would require a six-figure upgrade.

Two adjacent dairy farmers, who milk 1,200 cows south of town in an area called Rexville, agreed to supply the manure. Farm Power's initial project opened in August 2009.

Now a large red generator hums loudly inside a spartan metal building. Bright-yellow pipes feed in methane gas that rises off the digester's sealed outdoor pool of slurried cow manure.

Burning that potent greenhouse gas, Farm Power's Mount Vernon and Lynden generators produce enough electricity for about 1,000 homes. The methane kept out of the atmosphere equals the annual greenhouse-gas emissions of 3,000 cars.

The digesters also yield nutrient-rich liquid fertilizer and pathogen-free fiber — straw and such that survived the cows' digestive process — that the farmers use for bedding in their dairy barns. The two Mount Vernon farms save about $100,000 a year because they don't need to buy straw or sawdust for cow bedding, Maas said.

"It's just a big old circle. And when it's done right, that circle is very beneficial to us," said Jason Vander Kooy, the 35-year-old farmer whose dairy sits north of the Mount Vernon digester. "We're very happy with it."

The firm sells electricity to Puget's Green Power program, supported by utility customers who voluntarily pay extra to help sustainable energy projects. Farm Power also sells carbon offsets, which help pay off its loans while enabling other companies to claim credit for the greenhouse-gas reductions.

Maas layers a variety of funding sources for each digester, which typically costs $3 million. The first 10 or 20 percent comes from investors; most of the rest comes from bank financing guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Farm Power last fall raised about $750,000 in a private stock offering. Rather than trying to tap big money from the big city, "We are funded Midwestern style, by middle-class investors, mostly right in the area," said Maas. Those 58 investors recently got a small dividend as Farm Power reported its second annual profit, but it plows most of its earnings back into the business.

Troy Wallin, who milks 300 cows and farms 350 acres near the planned Enumclaw digester site, said, "There's been four different companies that were gonna come in and do this." The others were stymied by King County's stringent environmental rules, among other things, he said.

Lone Rock School using solar energy to save

Lone Rock School using solar energy to save



Lone Rock School has installed solar panels, not only save on their monthly energy bill,Choose from one of the major categories of Bedding, but to give students hands on experience with the technology.

The solar panels have only been up on the roof for two months, but they've already saved Lone Rock two full school days of energy.

"I'm just going to say that they're awesome to use, if you ever have the chance,Houston-based Quicksilver Resources said Friday it had reached pipeline deals if you just want to quit paying the mortgage bills, for the gas prices and electric bills,Customized imprinted and promotional usb flash drives. just switch to a solar panel," sixth grade student Matthew Cowan said.

"It powers our electricity and our bathrooms, and just about everything in the school" added fellow sixth grader Alex Shepherd.

The sixth grade students we talked with are learning about solar energy.

"I think they love anything new as long as it's new and different,A glass bottle is a bottle created from glass. they like that,"Lone Rock School Superintendent David Cluff explained.

Lone Rock hasn't started teaching the curriculum yet, but already kids are catching on to what the panels do, and how they're helping the environment.

"Saving the environment from all the coal burning and pollution," Garrett Cleveland commented.

"We don't have to use anymore of the gasoline, the coal, pretty much all we need is the sun which will be shining quite a bit," sixth grade student Richard Malachnski said.

The students, including Shepher, are also thinking about the panels long term. "It might help me in the future, it might get me a job."

"I think in the future I will have solar panels on my own house because I don't want to have to throw cash out of my pocket to pay for the electric bill,The newest Ipod nano 5th is incontrovertibly a step up from last year's model," Cowan said.

The $24,000 project was made possible with the help of the Ravalli Electric Co-op, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Lone Rock School and Sunelco Solar.

"I'm very impressed, they've had this system for two months now and those kids really know their stuff. It's good to see young people admiring the same things I admire at my age,"Sunelco Solar President Tom Bishop commented.

The students all say they're excited to learn more about the solar panels when school starts again in the fall.

I used to be in the wine business

So light, so bright,The newest Ipod nano 5th is incontrovertibly a step up from last year's model, so fizzy -- it's wine candy



I used to be in the wine business, but I decided to make my fortune in the newspaper world. My brothers stayed in the wine business and became rich and, as you can see,We specialize in providing third party merchant account. I'm tearing them up writing for The Californian.

A couple of weeks ago my friend Rog brought to a party a long tall bottle of white wine called Broadbent, Vinho Verde (available at Imbibe Wine and Spirts Merchant for $10). It was almost clear, deserty dry and had a spritz to it.

Was this wine or sparkling water? I was ready to dismiss this water/wine until I had a glass.

The carbonation hit my tongue, bounced off mid-palate and then kissed the back of my throat like fairy dust and I thought, "Oh mama."

Where was this from? To steal a thought from a Kinks song, wine- making has become a crazy, mixed- up world, with California growing European and Southern American varietals and vice versa. This could have come from anywhere.

"It's from Portugal," Rog said.

Portugal? Spain would not have been surprising, but Portugal has never been a heavyweight in the wine wars unless you include Mateus for its seminal importance in many post-World War II romances.

I had a glass, then another. After two glasses, I felt like I hadn't had anything, so clear and light was this 9 percent-alcohol wine.

This was like wine candy, the liquid version of crack cocaine.Houston-based Quicksilver Resources said Friday it had reached pipeline deals There would be no peace in my soul until every ounce of Broadbent was gone.

"It's so light, it's like it doesn't count," I said.

Disclaimers, yes.Customized imprinted and promotional usb flash drives. The wine didn't count if you were drinking in the cozy confines of your home and didn't plan to drink more and then pile-drive your car into a pole. Is that sufficient?

Assuming that you had settled in for the evening, had a glass or two of the wine that didn't count, who could blame you for not adding it to the tally at the end of the night?

Wines that don't count. A new niche. It is similar to the diminished calories of a large chocolate chip cookie when eaten in small bites.

Friend Paul suggests other wines that don't count. Daisy Chain White (under $9) is a non-counter too. Wines that don't count are best enjoyed after spending some time in the freezer and becoming almost Popsicle-like.

"Costco has a wine called Crios," Paul said, lobbing another wine -- this one from Argentina -- in the how-could-you-count-this camp.

The Crios Rose comes highly recommended and how much can a rose count anyway? Cava, a sparkling wine from Spain (this is Spain's champagne), counts, but counts less than some diesel-thick Malbecs or head-spinning Zinfandels. Anything with carbonation doesn't count or, to be fair, you have to divide by two and subtract one.

As the summer approaches and red wines become untenable, then wines that don't count count even more. In the meantime,A glass bottle is a bottle created from glass. I recommend Cupcake Red Velvet Wine (California), Evodia, a Spanish red with a seductive grenache base, and Petite Petit, which is distinguished by dancing elephants on the label (of course, in respect for the family business of which I do not get a bent farthing, Martin Ray, Mark West and Castle Rock count too).

Some things count and some count less, but all in all, when we are talking about wine, they all count a lot.

2011年6月2日 星期四

ITD plan aimed at limiting fraud, identity theft

ITD plan aimed at limiting fraud, identity theft


The Idaho Transportation Department will be implementing a new driver's license system in south central Idaho in June, with training for license office staffs scheduled throughout the month.

According to ITD, in Blaine County the driver's license office will close for training from 8 a.m. to 1 p.Has anyone done any research on making Plastic molding parts from scratch?m. on Monday, June 27. The office is located at 219 First Ave. S. in Hailey.

In Camas County, the office at 119 West Willow St. in Fairfield will be closed from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday,For all DVS Ventilation system in PDF format. June 28.

The new system is intended to help protect license holders from identify theft and fraud by incorporating security features that are "nearly impossible to counterfeit," ITD reported.

"We are seeing some attempts at counterfeiting," ITD spokesman Reed Hollinshead said. "Boise police tell us they confiscate dozens of cards every weekend. But it's happening in other places too.Definition of hypodermic needle cannula in the Online Dictionary. This is a measure to counter some of those things."
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ITD reported that the cost of a driver's license will remain the same, $30 for a four-year license or $55 for an eigQuality air impact socket tools for any tough job.ht-year license.

However, drivers will no longer be issued cards from county offices. Instead, cards will be produced at a central office serving the entire state.

Drivers will be given a temporary paper license, valid for 30 days, until a new plastic card is mailed. ITD reported that it will typically be about 10 days from when the application is made.

Driver licenses procured under the current system will remain valid until their expiration date.

ITD reported that the new cards will incorporate numerous security features, including "micro-printing ghost images and a laser-perforated pattern that reveals the shape of Idaho when held to the light." Other security features will not be evident,We are professional Plastic mould, but will make it obvious if a card is altered, ITD reported.

"The central issuance system is an established process that has proven successful and secure," Alan Frew, ITD Department of Motor Vehicles Division administrator, stated in a news release. "This is proven technology shown to improve the security of the license, the data behind it and the security of local DMV offices."

Unlocking the Mystery of a Memory Card Error

Unlocking the Mystery of a Memory Card Error


Q.From standard Cable Ties to advanced wire tires,

Why is my camera giving me a message about the memory card being "locked"?
A.

The Secure Digital memory cards used by many digital cameras have a small plastic switch on the side that can be used to "lock" the card and prevent you from accidentally erasing the photos and videos already stored on it. (This is a similar concept to the small plastic tabs that could be punched out of old audiocassettes to prevent the perfect mix tape from getting destroyed.)

Odds are,A glass bottle is a bottle created from glass. the switch got nudged into the "lock" position when the card was being inserted into the camera. To unlock the memory card so that you can record new pictures and videos onto it, open the card door on the camera and eject the card. On the left edge of the SD card, slide the small tab up to the unlocked position. Return the card into the camera and check the camera display to make sure the lock message has gone away.

If you're still getting errors,we supply all kinds of oil painting reproduction, check that the card is seated properly inside the camera. It could also be possible that the memory card is damaged or defective, so try swapping in a different Secure Digital card.When the stone sits in the kidney stone,

Updating the camera's firmware may be another step to try if you are still getting the error message; check the support area of your manufacturer's Web site for software and instructions for your specific model — and to find out if any updates are available. It could also be possible that the sensor inside the camera that checks the memory card lock is damaged, so you may want to further scour the support area for suggestions, solutions or authorized service providers to fix the problem.Welcome to the official Facebook Page about Ripcurl.

If the switch has broken off and rendered the memory card permanently locked, don't throw it away quite yet. As with audio cassettes, a small piece of tape carefully applied to the side of the card could return it to duty, as could a tiny bit of paper clip and some glue for a more permanent fix. These unofficial repair methods should be used at your own risk, however.

Credit unions detail impact of 'Michaels' Data Breach

Credit unions detail impact of 'Michaels' Data Breach

New rules on debit interchange could threaten future credit union debit card offerings

Bettendorf, Iowa – Three weeks ago, the "Michaels" craft store in Bettendorf experienced a data breach. This follows major data breaches of TJX and Heartland. Other data breaches take place on a regular basis where the merchant is not always identified.The newest Ipod nano 5th is incontrovertibly a step up from last year's model, In most cases, the credit union or bank will work with the victimized consumers to investigate,The same Air purifier, cover removed.we supply all kinds of oil painting reproduction, reissue debit cards, and block future suspicious transactions. All this comes at no expense to the consumer, but is funded by interchange fees paid by retailers. Interchange fees are paid by the merchant when a debit card is swiped, and help cover the costs of fraud associated with plastic cards. However, the Federal Reserve's proposed rules on interchange fees may require consumers to pay more for these services in the future.

The proposed rules by the Federal Reserve Board would cap the debit interchange fee significantly below the actual cost of providing debit card services. Having the government step into a free market system and set this fee at an artificially low level threatens the ability of credit unions to continue offering this service in the future, said Paul Lensmeyer,Welcome to the official Facebook Page about Ripcurl. President/CEO,We processes for both low-risk and high risk merchant account. Ascentra Credit Union. In the end, the consumer is going to have to pay costs that are currently being paid by the retailers whom benefit from the payment card network.

"While most credit unions are exempt by statute from the regulation, there are legitimate concerns regarding whether this exemption will work," said Lensmeyer. "In fact, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Bernanke has questioned on multiple occasions the effectiveness of the statutory exemption. If the rules are permitted to go into effect, credit unions and other debit card issuers will likely be forced to increase fees to consumers to cover the loss of debit interchange revenue. This will make debit cards more expensive and potentially less available for some consumers."

Credit unions believe this issue deserves additional consideration before implementation. Senators Tester and Corker have introduced legislation (S. 575) to delay the implementation of the debit interchange fee regulation and study its impact on consumers, issuers and merchants. They plan to offer their bill in the near future.

"On behalf of Iowa's 134 credit unions and their 940,000 members, we ask Senator Harkin and Senator Grassley to support this legislation when it comes to the floor for a vote," said Lensmeyer.