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Gertrude entered a monastery when she was 5 years oldPublic Domain While most monasteries in the modern era require a minimum age of 18 years old for entrance the convents of the 13th century were much different Gertrude the Great reportedly entered the monastery when she was only five years old Pope Benedict XVI explained the reasoning behind this early entrance in a general audience in 2010: but nothing is known of her parents nor of the place of her birth...When she was five years old she entered the monastery for formation and education This practice is similar to the modern concept of boarding schools as these young girls were not technically part of the community but simply lived at the monastery for education this exposure to religious life greatly formed St the most important stages of which she herself points out In her memoirs she recalls that the Lord equipped her in advance with forbearing patience and infinite mercy "in such mental blindness that I would have been capable.. saying or doing without remorse everything I liked and wherever I could with an inherent horror of evil and a natural inclination for good and with the external vigilance of others when I went to live in the Benedictine shrine of religion to be educated among your most devout friends" (ibid., II The rare experience of living in a monastery at such a young age was beneficial for St who would later be drawn into a deep personal relationship with Jesus Christ Articles like these are sponsored free for every Catholic through the support of generous readers just like you Please make a tax-deductible donation today Help us continue to bring the Gospel to people everywhere through uplifting Catholic news Print A week before the general elections Gertrude the Great Catholic Church in Bell Gardens were listening to the parish announcements when Father Nabor Rios introduced a political candidate “I’m not saying to vote for her,” he told people but Isabel is gonna run…Párate mija [stand up my daughter].” one of several candidates running for the Bell Gardens City Council “Isabel is gonna run for City Council,” he said On Oct. 29, Rios took to his Facebook account, which is linked to the church’s website Gertrude the Great Catholic Church in Bell Gardens posted his support for political candidates on his Facebook account that is tied to the church’s website The posts were made after telling worshipers to vote for one of the two candidates two days earlier a violation of a federal law that prohibits tax-exemption organizations from campaigning for or against a candidate running for public office voters elected Guillen to the Bell Gardens City Council but not Rodriguez It’s unclear how much sway Rios had on voters but the endorsements appeared to violate a federal law from 1954 that prohibits religious organizations and nonprofits from endorsing or opposing political candidates which President Trump may once again attempt to repeal amid Republican control of Congress Rebecca Markert, vice president and legal director at Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said St. Gertrude could lose its tax-exempt status for violating the law. “He said the magic words: ‘I think you should vote for this person,’” she said. “He clearly violated [the law] and I think he knew he was violating it.” World & Nation Pope Francis has strongly criticized both U.S. presidential candidates over what he calls ‘anti-life’ policies on abortion and immigration. Yannina Diaz, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, said in a written response to The Times that it has strict guidelines regarding lobbying and political activities. “The administrative office of the archdiocese was not aware of the activities or statements made until after they had occurred and directly addressed the matter with Father Nabor,” she wrote. “He has expressed his regret for his lack of understanding of the impact of his actions.” Rios did not respond to a request for comment, but he removed the campaign posts from his Facebook account after The Times inquired about it with the archdiocese. Rev. Nabor Rios of St. Gertrude the Great Catholic Church in Bell Gardens appeared to have violated federal law when he endorsed two political candidates on his Facebook account tied to the church. He has since removed the posts. (Facebook) Markert said the Facebook posts could pose a problem for the church if the IRS decides to investigate the violation. “There could be an argument here because the church’s official website links to his Facebook page that has electioneering on it, and he is speaking for the church in that capacity as well,” she said. “It’s a little harder and less clear, but I think given the entire context of what happened a week before the election, I think it was pretty clear he was engaging in [a] Johnson Amendment violation.” The spokesperson for the archdiocese did not respond to other questions raised by The Times, including allegations that the priest allowed Guillen and Rodriguez to speak to worshipers about their candidacy on church grounds in August. In an interview with The Times, Guillen and Rodriguez denied they had been allowed to speak to voters on church grounds. Guillen, who is expected to be sworn in next month, said she did not ask Rios to endorse her during Mass. The Times also sought to confirm whether the archdiocese had received a July 2023 letter addressed to the archbishop in which a church member complained about Rios’ political activities. Climate & Environment Experts still disagree over whether homes can be completely fireproofed in a wind-driven ember fire “I’m writing because I’m very concerned with what is going on at St Gertrude in Bell Gardens,” the letter read Father Nabor has been openly discussing political matters during the homily and during the announcement at the end of Mass.” Rios and Rodriguez were among hundreds of residents who opposed an ordinance that would allow cannabis retailers to operate in the city The measure was approved by the City Council in June 2023 said the amount remains outstanding and that a lien on her home had been placed Rodriguez said that her absences were due to health issues The Times obtained a copy of a video of the Oct 27 Sunday Mass in which Rios is seen endorsing Guillen along with a second video in which he tells worshipers in Spanish that he had been reprimanded by the archdiocese for speaking about politics Rios has since removed the videos from his Facebook account “The bishop is telling me to stop,” he said in the second video ‘I’m not going to stop.’ You want to know why Because we’re more political than Catholic Many of you love Trump more than Jesus Christ.” saying his actions came from a place of passion for the community he loves and is trying to protect and like many of us he has concerns,” Guillen said Rodriguez accused cannabis interest groups of targeting Rios because he’s spoken against them and because at least one of their candidates lost the election “They’re pissed off their candidate was not selected.” Politics Former President Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the race for the White House on Wednesday “It’s an incredibly popular law and that makes sense because nobody really likes to be told who to vote for and people aren’t going to church expecting to hear political lectures,” Markert said “They’re going to church expecting to worship.” Experts have also cautioned about removing the law because of the loophole it could create in campaign finance laws Churches don’t have to disclose their donors to the IRS so donors could seek to influence elections while remaining anonymous — and get a tax deduction for their contributions despite the lack of enforcement by the IRS conservative and religious groups have sought to remove the Johnson Amendment for many years They got close in 2016 when Trump vowed to repeal it The following year, Trump signed an executive order limiting sanctions against religious organizations for speaking about moral or political issues from a religious perspective. The order had no meaningful effect on the law, but the return of Trump to the White House, Republican control of the House and Senate, and a conservative majority on the Supreme Court have given religious groups, especially evangelical leaders, hope that the law will soon cease to be a barrier to them. “I think there are more clergy members violating it and being more brazen about it because I think they see a federal court system that might welcome a challenge to the Johnson Amendment and might be on the side of that,” Markert said. “But I don’t think that everyday Americans want that.” Ruben Vives is a general assignment reporter for the Los Angeles Times. A native of Guatemala, he got his start in journalism by writing for The Times’ Homicide Report in 2007. He helped uncover the financial corruption in the city of Bell that led to criminal charges against eight city officials. The 2010 investigative series won the Pulitzer Prize for public service and other prestigious awards. Hollywood Inc. California Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Texas — Five coastal bend high school basketball teams are advancing to the regional semifinals and it's the second time in program history for Santa Gertrudis Academy Part of that success stems from their all-time leading scorer Santa Gertrudis Academy senior shooting guard Kayden McClure has dedicated time on the court but training starts at the beginning of the day "I usually stretch in the morning before school and I'll usually shoot after practice and stuff That's how McClure prepares for the big moments "It's just really hectic in there and when I have the ball in my hands just all eyes are on you," McClure said The 6-foot-2 senior has scored over 1,600 points in three seasons taking over the Lions' program as the all-time leading scorer he broke the single game points record dropping 40 "Kayden is really just the leader of our team on and off the court," Justus Adkins "He just takes charge with the ball in his hand "One day after practice I was just stretching and I heard my back pop," McClure said The doctor said he fractured his L5 vertebrae in his lower back "I felt paralyzed when it popped," McClure said McClure went to work that summer and the next two seasons he has led the Lions to their second regional semifinal in program history with a chance to advance to their first regional championship "Relationships I've built with the coaches my friends and my teammates," McClure said "Like I said we're just trying to make history this year so hopefully I can remember that for the rest of my life." The Lions will play the Lytle Pirates in the UIL 3A regional semifinals on Friday at 6 p.m 2022 at 5:12 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}(Shutterstock)TEMECULA the city of Temecula celebrated the Santa Gertrudis Creek Interconnect trail opening The project opened a trail between Ynez and Diaz roads by providing a path that goes under Ynez Road Residents and city dignitaries turned out over the weekend to ride or walk the new trail section that lets non-motorists avoid heavily trafficked city intersections The interconnect is only about 1 mile long but that short trail segment helps extend a planned 17-mile loop around the city that ties several trails together to keep pedestrians and bicyclists safer on paths built especially for them The loop is nearly finished except for two sections — an approximately 1-mile stretch at Sommers Bend that is being funded by the developer and a more than 2-mile segment of the Temecula Creek South Side Trail that will connect east and west Temecula and provide an undercrossing at Redhawk Parkway Concerns about transients camping out near trail segments especially the newly opened Santa Gertrudis Creek section were addressed by city officials on social media last month "Public Safety remains a top priority for the City of Temecula and our residents," according to the September post it will actually allow our staff and law enforcement to better patrol the area which in turn will enhance safety on the trail Our team remains active and dedicated to ensuring our community members can enjoy the wonderful trails that Temecula has to offer." Here's a look at a map of the 17-mile city loop the newly opened Santa Gertrudis Interconnect (shown in yellow above) joins the open Santa Gertrudis Creek Trail that features a Margarita Road undercrossing The trail will eventually tie into the approximately 1-mile-long Sommers Bend segment (see red stretch at top of map above) that will join the now-open Butterfield Stage Road buffered bike lanes which are a key connection between north and south Temecula The Butterfield Stage Road segment will join the approximately 2.5-mile-long Temecula Creek South Side Trail (see bottom red segment) that will hook into now-open Ynez Road bike lanes the Santiago Road bike lane/trail near Old Town and the Murrieta Creek Trail that ties into the Santa Gertrudis Interconnect on the northwest side Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. COVID-19 Resources. Read more! Whittier Police Officer Lindsay Inman reads to a class of Rancho Santa Gertrudes Elementary School students with principal Octavio Perez dressed as “The Cat in The Hat,” lurking behind SANTA FE SPRINGS – Rancho Santa Gertrudes Elementary students laughed and listened intently captivated by community leaders who took turns reading classic tales on March 2 in celebration of Read Across America Seuss classics like “The Cat in The Hat,” “One Fish Blue Fish” and “There’s a Wocket in My Pocket” filled classrooms as guest readers encouraged children to explore books and imparted important lessons. Whittier Police Officer Lindsay Inman dedicated a few moments to recently fallen Officer Keith Boyer and assured students of her role in keeping them safe Santa Fe Springs City Council member Juanita Trujillo shared a lesson on dreaming big    “You can do anything you want in life and go as far as your imagination takes you,” Trujillo said “I was the youngest woman to be elected mayor in Santa Fe Springs and the youngest elected to the City Council Santa Fe Springs City Council member Juanita Trujillo visits with a class at Rancho Santa Gertrudes Elementary School on March 2 to celebrate Read Across America Trujillo and the Whittier police were joined by the Santa Fe Springs Fire Department the city’s public safety officers as well as librarians parents and Los Nietos Board of Education members.  The day’s festivities began with Rancho’s annual “Green Eggs and Ham” breakfast Rancho Principal Octavio Perez walked the campus dressed as The Cat in the Hat stopping to energize students and pose for pictures. “This is a really exciting day for our school We’re showing children the importance of reading but also introducing them to valuable leaders in our community,” Perez said the Santa Fe Springs Fire Department and every person who took the time today to encourage our students to continue learning.”  Rancho’s celebration was a part of the District’s two-day observance of the Read Across America program The fun will continue March 3 at Aeolian and Ada S which will kick off its day with an assembly that features “The Cat in the Hat” along with Thing 1 and Thing 2 and conclude the event with a schoolwide lunch picnic. Nelson will enjoy a global theme with each classroom representing a different country during a day that will combine lessons in literature and world culture. “Read Across America is a great opportunity for educators to show our children how much we care,” Los Nietos Superintendent Jonathan Vasquez said we’re putting our commitment to our children into action and that sends them a strong message that we’ll be behind them as they strive to achieve their goals.” Copyright © 2023 The Downey Patriot Newspaper The quest begins for high school baseball teams to make that trip to Round Rock or Austin as the high school baseball playoffs have arrived Teams in Classes A through 5A will be embarking on that quest Come back to this page often for updates throughout the playoffs The sun peeks out from behind the new building at Saint Gertrude High School on Wednesday The $40 million building has panoramic views of the James River and the countryside below The new Saint Gertrude High School comes complete with a 113-foot bell tower and a large cross painted in 23-carat gold leaf the all-girls Catholic School in Goochland County will open a new $40 million school building with panoramic views of the James River and the countryside below The three-story structure includes an outdoor space for eating a great hall for gathering and a chapel for praying It’s the second home for Saint Gertrude, which has shared a building with its brother school, Benedictine College Prep “It really makes you feel gratitude as soon as you drive up.” Saint Gertrude was founded in 1922 in Richmond’s Museum District Its facility expanded over the years but lacked the amenities of a modern school building exercised and held events was referred to as the “gym-a-caffe-torium.” Benedictine moved to the 50-acre abbey campus on River Road in 2013 and Saint Gertrude planned to join in 2021 school leaders made the decision to leave a year early The students left the old building without getting to say goodbye — though they later returned to offer the old building a final blessing The old Saint Gertrude building will become residences The old Benedictine now houses Cristo Rey Richmond High School the schools adopted the name Benedictine Schools of Richmond the two schools shared a three-story building — with the boys mostly in the basement A teacher stood at the intersection of two hallways students who stopped to open their locker would be pushed over by other students trying to navigate the hallway With all the students sharing one dining hall A main hall can be seen at the new building at Saint Gertrude High School on Wednesday The three-story structure also includes an outdoor space for eating and a chapel for praying Planning for the new building began in May 2020 Other companies were delaying their building projects president of Richmond-based Glavé & Holmes Architecture the school bought construction materials before supply chains ground to a halt and before prices soared The schools had just finished building a freestanding basketball gym There was still energy from the alumni community and private schools were more popular than ever as they opened their doors while public schools stayed closed Grapes figured the community would never be more receptive to another big fundraising project than during the pandemic He decided Saint Gertrude should “rip the Band-Aid off” and build right away But Saint Gertrude had only one-third of the money it needed bought supplies the school had not paid for yet relying on faith the school would come through Benedictine Schools have raised $90 million in the past six years with about $65 million going toward the new gym and the new Saint Gertrude building The rest has paid for scholarships and other causes Benedictine and Saint Gertrude charge $23,900 for one year of tuition The county limits the schools to 550 total students called it the smoothest project he has ever been a part of The finishing touches will take a few more months The school’s third-floor fine arts center and chapel are still under construction and are due to open by the end of the year The chapel at Saint Gertrude High School is under construction on Wednesday The chapel and a third-floor fine arts center are due to open by the end of the year The new school is built in the Spanish Colonial Revival style It contains an outdoor covered walking path an homage to monasteries in which monks would walk as they prayed aloud the design team decided the building needed three important elements: a chapel lots of natural light and a gathering space that isn’t a classroom where students will gather each morning before class There are big windows overlooking the river and outdoor space where students can eat “The girls love being outside,” Pickral said There’s a hillside that runs from the school down to the river The school plans to bring a herd of goats this fall to eat the vegetation and clear the space The not-yet-complete third floor will house an art studio for painting and drawing and another studio for sculpture and other three-dimensional works of art The floor will feature a three-dimensional printer laser cutters and a kiln for heating ceramics Local grocery stores are trying to survive in a hyper-competitive market in which prices are surging and customers are becoming more stingy With sprawling views of the river and rolling hills the third floor is ideal for painting landscapes the school intends to place a statue of St who founded two schools for Black and Native American students in Powhatan County in 1899 But one of Pickral’s favorite things is driving up each morning and seeing the building rise over the campus And the amenities show the girls they are important Benedictine Schools plan to keep building. Saint Gertrude expects to have an on-campus softball field by the spring Benedictine also purchased land adjacent to campus which will house new tennis courts and fields for football Benedictine wants to build a new football stadium and a new academic building but those plans are a decade down the road Benedictine includes a space for a new monastery but only four monks currently live at Benedictine which isn’t enough to warrant a new facility so they can take pictures and chronicle every moment Download the new Richmond Times-Dispatch News Mobile App Plans for a $300,000 expansion of Saint Gertrude High School Garrison tries to recall classroom locations during a 1972 visit to the school Garrison strolls down corridors lined with modern stainless steel lockers during a 1972 visit to the school bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond Gertrude's High School on Stuart Avenue in Richmond on October 14 one of Saint Gertrude High School's first seniors meets current students Mary Spencer and Margaret Collins Saint Gertrude High School in October 1988 Heather Cole whispers into Sarah Mooney's ear before graduation on June 8 Gertrude senior Kelly George is crowned May Queen at the annual May Day event Gertrude's HS have been volunteering with the Meals on Wheels program for three years and Melissa King (l-r) go through ceremony details downstairs Gertrude School head up the stairs toward the auditorium at Thomas Jefferson High School before the ceremony on Thurs Carrington Kastelberg (above center) directs the graduating seniors of St Gertrude as they rehearse a song in the bottom floor of Thomas H Jefferson High School Gertrude senior class rehearse one of the songs they will perform in the school's 46th annual song contest works during a senior English class 10/7/97 Gertrude High School principal Sister Charlotte Lange St Gertrude High School Basketball player Ashley Barnes practices reads a book to her four-year-old sister Kristina Wednesday right (Annie Mooser) tries to retrieve the ball from Monacan/Clover Hill's #8 (Ashley Sumerford) Gertrude High School students Erin Lomerson (cheerleader) and Sarah Dowdy (witch hat) help Robert E Lee preschoolers Taron McMannar ('monster Batman') and Jeremy Brenner (clown) play 'Pick a Pumpkin' during the festival held at St Gertrude High School yell toward Dawson's Creek star James Van Der Beek at the University of Richmond The girls came to the set straight after school with hopes of having their picture taken with him St Gertrude High softball pitcher Jen Hunter Author Patricia Cornwell (R) signs a copy of 'Serafina's Silver Web' for Elizabeth Lahendro of St Gertrude's High School who was one of the illustrators for the book about a terminally ill boy Proceeds from the book will benefit Noah's Children's Pediatric Hospice Gertrude seniors practice for the school's song contest Gertrude juniors practice for the school's song contest Here junior leader Paige Guedri works with the group Gertrude freshman practice for the school's song contest Gertrude sophomores practice for the school's song contest St Gertrude's High School graduated its seniors at Thomas Jefferson High Thursday has some last minute adjustments made by friend and classmate Mandy Dunn a graduate displays her sentiments on her hat graduates receive roses as they come into the auditorium Gertrude Class of 2000 members raise their hands when asked if they ever had a teacher that inspired them during their commencement exercises at the Siegel Center Emily Kathryn Cherry delivers the valedictory address during the St Gertrude Class of 2000 commencement exercises at the Siegel Center Gertrude Class of 2000 members during their commencement exercises at the Siegel Center Catherine's Kelly Kennedy during their match on 10/24/2000 St Gertrude (white) vs Bishop Ireton (red) St G (LtoR) #42 Frances Talbert and #3 Jenn Hunter and Bishop's #30 Joanie Connolly Gertrude High School's Pink and Navy Class during the school's interclass 50th Annual Song Contest kicks off the schools first comprehensive capital campaign tries for a basket during basketball action against Collegiate Tuesday Gertrude Athletic Director Cathy Harris (right) stands with her brother Coach Franklin Harris (right) and basketball player Maria Giovannetti (middle) on the site where the new gym will be built The gym will extend from the building on the left #10) is fouled as she drives by Collegiate's Meredith Newcomb (right #20) during their game at Collegiate on 1/25/02 Commencement exercises for class of 2002 Saint Gertrude High School Katie Terry and Beth Kennedy (left to right) four year starters on St Gertrude's science teacher Mary Meg Nuckols (left) works with tenth-graders doing a gel-electrophoresis experiment Sister Charlotte Lange announced her retirement yesterday after 20 years as principal at Saint Gertrude High School Gertrude High School students proceed along Hanover Avenue in a little parade that was part of a song contest and also celebrated a new school addition which is under construction Gertrude High School students cheer as a parade of decorated cars pass at the intersection of Hanover and Belmont avenues Behind them is construction under way at the school Sister Charlotte was leading a parade which included about a dozen cars driven by St The parade celebrated the construction as well as a song contest being held at the school this week Gertrude High School students push a golf cart toward the end of a parade in which they and other students participated The parade was part of a song contest and also celebrated a new school addition which is under construction Kristin McDonald (steering) and Erica Seredni (in gold hat) Gertrude High School principal Sister Charlotte Lange (right) and assistant principal Susan Walker (left) stand in the school's new gym Friday Lange is retiring and Walker will replace her as president in the new president/principal system Gertrude's "Holy Rollers" team work on adjustments to their robot prior to competition with groups from other high schools Gertrude with president Susan Walker (right) freshman field hockey player Lori Kirkland (left) and junior swimmer Anna Hill (middle) Gertrude High School's Joelle Doctor scramble for possession in the first half Gertrude's Kerry McNally (27) vie for control during first half action in an LIS soccer game Monday Faison's Amazin' pumpkin palooza was held at the Carillon members of the Saint Gertrude Chorus perform "Gator," walks across the new Outdoor Athletic Center which was dedicated on Nov Gertrude High School field hockey players try out the new Outdoor Athletic Center which was dedicated on Nov Gertrude High School participate in the benediction of the Catholic school's new Outdoor Athletic Center which was dedicated on Nov Gertrude High School girls have traditionally filled the role of 'sponsors' to Benedictine cadet officers who are seniors in charge of companies of cadets in the JROTC program officers and their sponsors hang out after Benedictine's final military formation Benedict Church as students from the all-female St Saint Gertrude High School graduate-to-be Paige DeBell and others walk cross Broad Street on their way to a graduation ceremony at Siegel Center in Richmond on Tuesday During a mass that included all students from Benedictine and St Gertrude student Rachel Coldren receives a blessing from Fr Holy Eucharist is given to Catholic students but non-Catholics may receive a blessing during communion Gertrude High School wait to receive flowers -- carnations -- from students of Benedictine College Preparatory as the Benedictine Cadets arrive at St Gertrude after marching from the old school campus The Cadets gave the flowers to their sister school as a sign of friendship Benedictine Headmaster Jesse Grapes said to the assembled students and I promise you that you always will be." The Cadets had a brief social with the St then marched on to their new Goochland campus -- 13 miles away The Benedictine Cadet Corps marches along the entrance to the new school campus Nearly the entire student body took part in a 13-mile relay march from the ole school to the new Goochland campus The flag--which was last flown on Memorial Day at the former campus -- was carried the entire way then flown for the first time at the new school Jared Royster (center) kids around with Ben Metzger (left) asw they and other Benedictine students prepare to give carnations to students of St The Benedictine Cadets gave the flowers as a sign of continued friendship with St even though the Cadets have moved to a new campus 13 miles away Eric Tiltman and all of the Cadets walked from the old Benedictine campus to St Gertrude High with carnations to give to the St He also holds a flag that was carried on the 13-mile march to the Goochland campus Gertrude student Austin Archer (right) receives a carnation from Benedictine student Andre Wright in front of St The Benedictine Cadets gave the flowers as a sign of continued friendship stressing that the two schools will still be close even though Benedictine has relocated to a new campus 13 miles away in Goochland County Gertrude's Sarah Busch pitches against Covenant in the LIS softball championship game Friday Gertrude's Izabel Nelson makes an out against Covenant in the LIS softball championship game Friday is congratulated by team players after receiving a diving catch during the 1st inning against Collegiate during a softball game at Collegiate School Robins Campus in Goochland on Wednesday Students perform during Saint Gertrude's 67th Annual Song Contest on Friday March 9 The four classes perform pop tunes set to original lyrics Emily Anne Cale looks at the gift salutatorian Bridget Catherine Boggs received during St which represents 200 or more hours of community service Gertrude's graduation at the Siegel Center Tuesday Gertrude seniors listen to a speaker during their commencement at the Siegel Center Tuesday Gertrude students graduate at the Siegel Center Tuesday Gertrude's School was part of a crowd of several hundred people including students who walked out of school gathered at the Bell Tower in Capitol Square in Richmond 2019 to protest as part of the Global Climate Strike Her sign is a nod to Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg and says "Schools Strike for Climate" Saint Gertrude's Mary Kehoe during the VISAA XC Championships at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville ekolenich@timesdispatch.com Email notifications are only sent once a day The incoming class could be the largest in VCU's history Virginia Tech has eliminated legacy admissions and early decision The University of Virginia says it will tweak how it considers legacy students A foundation tied to the family of Bill Goodwin is planning to build a tennis training and development center in the West Creek business park … The North Carolina private equity firm said it is looking to buy more parcels Some residents of eastern Goochland County are determined to keep their home rural charges which were ultimately paid for by the City of Richmond Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Technological developments adopted by manufacturers 
of ceramic wall and floor tiles propel Brazil 
to the rank of the world’s second largest producer Infographics Ana Paula CamposIn the past 15 years Brazil has quadrupled its output of ceramic coverings a category of material that includes flooring and other types of ceramic tiles it is the world’s second largest producer of these products Brazil ranks behind China only and has now passed traditional competitors such as Spain and Italy who dominated the sector until several years ago According to the Brazilian Association of Manufacturers of Ceramic Tiles Sanitary Ware and Related Products (Anfacer) which represents 93 companies from 18 states Brazil’s manufacturers are in step with the best technology available in the world The Brazilian ceramics industry’s growth accelerated during the past decade after it received support from a project that was submitted to FAPESP’s Sectoral Consortia for Research and Innovation (ConSITec) program The project brought together researchers from the Ceramic Center of Brazil (CCB) and a conglomerate of companies from the ceramics industrial complex in Santa Gertrudes located in the Rio Claro region of the São Paulo state as well as researchers from universities and research institutes the project introduced innovation and skilled worker training to the factories in order to improve the quality and competitiveness of ceramics made in the state of São Paulo Brazil ranked fourth among the world’s producers of ceramic tiles São Paulo represented 40% of the total production that state’s companies account for approximately 70% of the nation’s output of 866 million m2 “When the companies began to coordinate in forming the consortium the image of Santa Gertrudes products was quite negative Items were seen as being of poor technical and esthetic quality,” recalls materials engineer José Octavio Armani Paschoal president of the CCB and coordinator of the ConSITec project São Paulo has attained a position of distinction in terms of the manufacture of ceramic plates used for coverings Infographics Ana Paula CamposSales by São Paulo companies totaled R$3.78 billion in 2011 Anfacer has not released the figures on nationwide sales by the industry which employs 25,000 workers directly and indirectly generates approximately 200,000 more jobs The ConSITec project was carried out through coordination among 20 São Paulo factories and involved seven lines of research from innovations in product evaluation testing to studies of the technology for laying ceramic tiles a type of sophisticated ceramic tile that has high value-added and differentiated technical requirements Research was conducted into developing industrial processing technology and raw materials for making those pieces One of the principal benefits of the ConSITec project which involved the investment of R$586,000 by FAPESP and an equal amount from the companies over a seven-year period was a significant improvement in the quality of São Paulo ceramics “The percentage of tiles rated Class A and free of defects such as cracks rose from 50% to 98% by the end of the program Fewer than 2% of the ceramic tiles produced in this state today exhibit any imperfections,” says Paschoal the first obstacle to overcome was to modify the production process employed at the factories in order to introduce a quality control system “We realized that companies did not have control over the process as a whole As soon as the CCB began quality certification of the finished products the index of non-conformity with domestic and international standards fell drastically The ceramic coverings industry became one of the leaders in the construction industry in terms of conformity with technical standards,” Paschoal reports The number of companies in the ceramics industrial complex in Santa Gertrudes that turned out quality-certified products reached 20 in 2008 double the figure for the seven previous years the number of factories that had adopted the ISO 9001 quality certification system rose from 4 to 13 In addition to achieving an increase in quality and number of certified products São Paulo factories also began to make a higher volume of porcelain pieces “Porcelain is a more expensive product and competes with natural stone such as marble and granite,” says materials engineer Ana Paula Menegazzo “When Brazilian companies began to make that type of product customers with higher purchasing power bought the ‘brand’ and even paid more for it.” According to CCB figures Brazilian production of porcelain tiles increased 18-fold during the past decade soaring from four million cubic meters in 2001 to 72 million in 2011 the number of São Paulo manufacturers of these goods rose from three which had been producing only the small-size (mosaic) tiles to 15 that now had sufficient know-how to make tiles larger than one square meter the biggest porcelain production center is still Santa Catarina—a state that also boasts a concentration of factories in an important ceramics industrial complex is one of the leading manufacturers of porcelain wall and floor tiles With a tradition in ceramics production that goes back almost 90 years it offers 108 different items in its portfolio and has been investing in new technologies Villagres was one of the first in the state to use digital printing technology an ink-jet process that makes it possible to use serigraphy on any ceramic surface scan a stone in its natural environment and reproduce its traits on porcelain The machine functions as if it were a paper printer the only difference being that it applies enamel to a ceramic tile,” explains Vanderli Vitório Della Coletta The company produced 6 million m2 of ceramic coverings in 2012 and experienced a 6% growth in sales over 2011 We are improving our portfolio and migrating our production toward porcelain tiles,” he says LÉO RAMOSProduction line 
at Rochaforte: technology 
and improvements 
in manufacturing 
processes have 
yielded good resultsLÉO RAMOS digital printing introduces a new way of thinking about product design and the industrial methods employed in the sector the most comprehensive transformation has to occur in design and digitally manipulate those designs without bringing about graphic pasteurization,” he says Brazilian factories are still using as reference countries such as Spain and Italy which market their digital designs either directly to Brazilian companies or through raw materials suppliers or design studios “Brazil needs to innovate by creating its own identity in terms of product design,” he notes One determining factor in the growth of the ceramics industry in São Paulo is the quality of the raw materials used in manufacturing its products “Santa Gertrudes has one of the best clay deposits in the world,” says Elson Longo professor at the Chemistry Institute of the Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) in Araraquara and Coordinator of the Multidisciplinary Center for the Development of Ceramic Materials (CMDMC) Innovation and Dissemination Centers (RIDC) the red clay that is found close to the surface in that region is of excellent quality This means that manufacturers need to use almost no additives to make their products It’s an important competitive advantage,” Longo says He coordinated the research under the ConSITec project on the academic side with researchers from the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) and the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (Ipen) of São Paulo “The technology and know-how generated during the ConSITec project were possible only because of financing from FAPESP,” Longo says ceramic coverings made in inland São Paulo use dry milling a simpler process than wet milling and one that reduces costs by as much as 50% as performed in Santa Catarina and other places in Brazil the clay passes through only one mill before it is ready for pressing “The clay found in the Corumbataí formation in the Santa Gertrudes region has unusually good plasticity thus boosting productivity,” says Menegazzo The doctoral studies being pursued by materials engineer Rogers Rocha owner of the Rochaforte factory in Cordeirópolis focus on the properties of the clay found in the inland areas of São Paulo “There is a huge difference between the clay found in one mine and that of another chemical and ceramic characteristics of the rocks in the Corumbataí formation from which the local factories get their clay,” states the researcher/businessman “Better understanding the characteristics of the raw material will help us improve the quality of the items we produce.” Rochaforte was founded 60 years ago by Rocha’s grandfather Like so many other companies in the industry in that region it began by making roof tiles and bricks and progressed to offering flagstones It now makes two million m2 a month of ceramic wall and floor tiles “Nothing compares to that process in terms of cost,” states Rocha the technological development and refinement of manufacturing processes were vital to the boom in São Paulo ceramics “As our industry entered into closer contact with academia the products and processes improved greatly I’ve seen practical results from the research at my company Some of our products are attaining the same level of quality as those made in Spain and Italy,” he says In addition to selling to the domestic market Rochaforte exports to customers in the U.S. the CCB has played a key role in the evolution of Brazil’s ceramics industry The center has conducted research and development on ceramic products operating primarily in the context of the university/company interface and providing technical and technological consulting services to the industry The Center for Technological Innovation in Ceramics (Citec/CCB) has a modern laboratory infrastructure that has been accredited by the National Institute of Metrology and Technology (Inmetro) to conduct certification and quality control tests on products and processes Citec has a fully equipped facility for making any type of ceramic tile on a laboratory scale as well as equipment to assess mechanical strength 20,577 tests were performed at Citec/CCB laboratories of whom three have master’s degrees and three have doctoral degrees That gave us a solid understanding of the principal problems that customers experienced with ceramic coverings we conducted research into methods of ceramic tile application which enabled us to achieve a significant decline in problems encountered in laying the product,” Paschoal says Infographics Ana Paula CamposWorking with Anfacer the CCB also participated in the drafting of technical standards for the industry the Brazilian standard for porcelain among them CCB is coordinator of the Commission on Studies of Ceramic Tiles organized by the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT) was created in response to a demand by the manufacturers themselves who wanted to emphasize the high quality and competitiveness of Brazilian porcelain the rule was submitted to the International Committee on ISO 189 which works on world standards for ceramic coverings,” says Menegazzo “Brazil is the only country that has adopted a specific standard for porcelain and its technical requirements are the most demanding of any country That is why I can say without hesitation that the porcelain ceramics products certified by the CCB are the best in the world,” she says Brazil is an active participant in efforts to revise international technical standards “We are currently working with the Ceramic Technology Institute (ITC) of Spain the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) of the United States and the Ceramic Center of Bologna (CCB) in Italy in developing new methods for testing the abrasion resistance of ceramic products,” she says The favorable results of recent years have kept optimism high among manufacturers Many São Paulo companies plan to expand their factories is planning to open affiliates in the Northeast of Brazil Those branches are important because the cost of shipping goods from the factories to the customer is an important factor in final product price The expansion observed in the domestic market is likely to continue heating up demand for ceramic wall and floor tile “Despite the significant increase in construction of new housing in recent years Brazil still has a large housing deficit—on the order of 10 million units there is also the building renovation market which suggests a major rise in potential consumption of ceramics,” he says the major challenge from here out is to increase the productivity of the Brazilian ceramics industry and encourage the development of new ceramic products primarily through technological innovation “enabling Brazil to achieve even more prominence in the world market.” Project Sector consortium of the ceramic coverings industry in the state of São Paulo: technological innovation and competitiveness (No 2001/10783-5); Grant mechanism Sectoral Consortia for Research and Innovation (ConSITec); Coordinator José Octávio Armani Paschoal – CCB; Investment R$586,715.13 (FAPESP) and R$586,715.13 (Companies) © Revista Pesquisa FAPESP - All rights reserved Situated in the very heart of the island, the super chic village of Santa Gertrudis has established itself as one of Ibiza’s gastronomic hubs there’s some of the best dining to be had on Ibiza The village's car-free centre is a perfect mixing place for families and friends while their parents relax and enjoy the multitude of al fresco dining options.  from luxury haute cuisine and state-of-the-art health food to typical Mediterranean cuisine it offers something for any palate and pocket Let us guide you as we take a tour around some of our favourite restaurants in this idyllic country town For a classy fine dining experience in the heart of Santa Gertrudis, Finca La Plaza is the ideal choice Offering imaginative takes on classic Mediterranean food and using locally sourced produce it’s perfect for a romantic dinner in the gorgeous setting of a traditional Ibizan Finca Just a few minutes' drive from Santa Gertrudis, we find two of the island´s most outstanding Asian restaurants. The first, Bambuddha – located on the Ibiza-San Juan Road has an amazing "MediterrAsian" menu offering a sumptuous selection of fusion dishes The restaurant's layout with its open-air pavilions Just a kilometre further along the road, Nagai specialises in Japanese dishes with tantalising Thai With lots of tasty vegetarian and vegan options this stylish restaurant is guaranteed to delight even the most discerning gourmand Perhaps Ibiza’s hippest village, it’s no surprise Santa Gertrudis is a mecca for cutting-edge healthy food. Nowhere better fits the bill than Wild Beets All Wild Beets’ delicious plant-based fare uses organic locally sourced produce that highlights super nutritional food that will satisfy both body and mind As their simple philosophy goes: Eat well and Just a stone’s throw from the main square, Can Mimosa serves up delicious classic Mediterranean dishes Its success is – in no small part – due to the ultra-fresh produce grown in its enclosed restaurant garden family-run establishment is sure to tempt your taste buds peaceful side street location and enchanting staff vegan and non-gluten options - comprises colourful unusual Italian-Mediterranean dishes that are lovingly prepared and beautifully presented the aromatic herb salad a visual and gustatory delight and the vegetables – delicately seasoned and cooked to perfection – simply out of this world Bordering on budget, we find House of WOW multi-purpose venue functions as a restaurant/cocktail bar/music/conference space and the kitchen serves up a flow of comfort food at very reasonable prices vintage design and lots of comfy seating to enjoy the great value cocktails and is a relaxing hangout for locals and holidaymakers alike Lovers of chicken should check out La Chickeria where it is served up in myriad forms including rotisserie using the restaurant’s own secret recipe it’s the perfect spot for eat-in or take away Located in the pedestrianised heart of Santa Gertrudis, Bar Costa is none other than an Ibiza institution it has a fine selection of typical Spanish hams Ideal for soaking up the summer buzz in this enchanting village and enjoying its signature sandwiches and tapas along with a glass of wine or beer The village’s gastro scene wouldn’t be complete without Italian food and pizzas, which is where Zeno Ibiza comes in feature classic recipes and employ high-quality imported Italian products This much-rated pizzeria also offers takeaway For a full lowdown on restaurants on Ibiza, check out our restaurant guide.  Catch up with all the week's news and updates: Copyright © 1999 - 2025 Ibiza Spotlight S.L We are a member of the PIMEEF - the small and medium business association of Ibiza and Formentera All prices published on the site include VAT The new portion of the Gulbenkian Garden is developed in harmony with the existing garden densifying the vegetation with native species; a new central lake is designed and a new entrance is created to the south opening the garden to the city and visitors In late 2022, metal siding began to surround the stone wall of the old medieval park of Santa Gertrudes which the entrepreneur Eugénio de Almeida had built in the 19th century in the area that is now known as São Sebastião the aforementioned walls began to be torn down The Gulbenkian Garden will grow southwards and open up to the citywith a landscape architecture project by the Lebanese Vladimir Djurovicwhich followed the outlines of the authors of the original 1960s Jardim António Viana Barreto and Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles The work to extend the Garden began months after the start of the expansion of the Modern Art Center (CAM) of the Gulbenkian If this building will gain new exhibition spaces and a giant (and possibly iconic) canopy - in a project signed by the Japanese Kengo Kuma - the south side of the garden will seek to relate to the new CAM respecting the lines and environments of the existing garden Vladimir Djurovic and Kengo Kuma worked together so that Gulbenkian's growth was achieved in harmony At a conference presenting the Garden project, which took place in late 2022 and was attended by Vladimir Djurovic himselfthe landscape architect showed some of the main works of his studio, the Vladimir Djurovic Landscape Architecturebased in Lebanon Djurovic said that Nature has always been at the center of his designs we relate to it; but only more recently has the Lebanese architect said he is managing to focus on clients who put Nature before profit using it to respond to the environmental and social challenges of our time The Gulbenkian Foundation is one of these clients and the Lebanese architect imagined an ecosystem based on species native to the Lisbon areathat one can self-support and at the same time offer sustainability to the cityas well as to welcome the fauna that lives or passes through Lisbon - Djurovic wants create a habitat for all living things The pre-existing large vegetation on the site will be maintained and integrated into the new garden which will have a small pond and several pedestrian paths there will be a new entrance to the Foundation and a new plaza which will be used to reduce conflicts between pedestrians and cyclists Vladimir Djurovic confessed that Gulbenkian is one of his favorite places in Lisbon since he started visiting the city almost 25 years ago when he came for Expo'98; and spoke in the difficult challenge of continuing the work of Ribeiro Telles and Viana Barreto a project he considers timeless and of great harmony between green spaces and buildings Djurovic also said he doesn't understand why in the landscape architecture world these two Portuguese names are not talked about abroad the Lebanese architect wanted to leave the audience with a dream: to imagine Portugal as a model of sustainability to be followed a country that manages to preserve or conserve half of its territory in its natural conditions and that manages became possible after the Foundation acquired the last large parcel of land in the old Santa Gertrudes Park from the Eugénio de Almeida Foundation; this institution is left with only a small part the site where Casa de Santa Gertrudes stands Gulbenkian then launched an international competition to carry out the expansion of which Vladimir Djurovic and Kengo Kuma were the winners The new CAM and Garden should be ready by 2024 The work inside the Gulbenkian will be accompanied by an intervention to be carried out by the Lisbon City Hall and the municipal company SRU on the exterior more specifically on Rua Marquês da Fronteira where there will be a new southern entrance to the Foundation's space still "the execution project is being finished" of what will be Phase 1 of the intervention on Marquês de Fronteira Street e "construction is expected to begin in late 2023 and last about 9 months" the circulation and pedestrian accessibility conditions are improved mainly with the enlargement of the North sidewalk The public lighting and street furniture are also reorganized and the public transport shelter is changed according to the pedestrian and cycling flows". "The lowering and retreat of the existing wall allows the creation of a new regular and coherent urban front the city of Lisbon gains more than 1000 m2 of new public space barriers are removed and a transitional space is created at the new entrance to the Gulbenkian Garden." which aims to improve "the conditions for pedestrian accessibility and bicycle circulation on the site reducing conflicts with pedestrians and cars" only the following preliminary draft of 2021 The City Hall explains that the intervention on the Gulbenkian's exterior will be integrated with the requalification project of the Largo de S which is starting now under the program A Square in Every Neighborhood "These interventions start from an integrated thinking to create a structured and safe pedestrian and cycling public space solution increase available public space and commercial terraces and reinforce tree coverage." The autarky will give more details "when the execution project is finished" MB Way: 933 140 217 (indicar “LPP”) Ou clica aqui Podes escrever-nos para [email protected]. O LPP / Lisbon For People é um jornal local dedicado à cidade e à área metropolitana de Lisboa, editado de forma totalmente independente e sem fins lucrativos. Com uma edição em papel e outra online. ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Picture: Kent Ward Classified bulls topped $85,000 while their purebred counterparts climbed to $30,000 at Saturday's annual Gyranda Santa Gertrudis Sale All articles from our website & appThe digital version of This Week's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other agricultural news sites in your areaContinueFor vendors the sale produced another complete clearance for the 97 bulls offered to average $12,711 ending with a $1.233M gross In a breakdown of the offering 68 classified bulls averaged $12,368 topping at $85,000 while 29 purebred counterparts hit $30,000 twice to set a $13,517 average Setting the pace and equalling the on-property $85,000 record set last year was Gyranda S202 The two-year-old son of Greenup Pascal P356 was purchased by David and Sonya Greenup Also read: Charbray takes top honours at Whitaker Beef bull sale Also read: Moongool break Charolais bull record by more than double S202 was described as a demonstrably quiet sire with EMA temperament EBV data and all indexes ranked in the top 5 per cent of the breed and out of a cow with a distinguished calving record of eight calves in eight years First at that mark was Gyranda Scipio S316 going to Garth Christiansen Gyranda Somalia S630 sold to the Henderson family with a P8 and rib fat measurements of six and seven millimetres respectively an eye muscle area of 127 square centimetres and an intramuscular fat percentage of 4.7 Gyranda Somalia S630 weighed 864 kilograms with a P8 and rib fat measurements of six and nine millimetres respectively an eye muscle area of 136 square centimetres and an intramuscular fat percentage of 5.3 Pictured after the Gyranda sale are Peter Mahony Picture: Kent Ward Campo Santo ended their day as did H3K Cattle Company with just these single purchases Solid volume and return clientele support is always evident at the fixture with regular supporters Mundubbera taking 11 at a medium of $11,909 These topped at $20,000 for a Biara Northhampton 7089 (PS) son aged 25-months Rolleston also returned taking six for on average $6333 while another six went to the Gear family Another of the long-term investors and long-standing St George clients returned also taking six at an average $17,000 Taroom purchased a trio to average them $17,333 Theodore returned to claim a pair this year for on average $10,000 while the Hansen family Eidsvold bought four for on average $8000 each Cracow secured the $21,000 25-month-old Gyranda S270 The son of Gyranda Plato P368 (PP) weighed 746 kilograms with a P8 and rib fat measurements of seven and nine millimetres respectively an eye muscle area of 119 square centimetres and an intramuscular fat percentage of 5.2 Banana signed off on a pair for a $19,000 average to top at $24,000 for a 25-month-old also by Greenup Pascal P356 Clermont picked up four for on average $16,250 Top of the Dennis selections was the $20,000 for another of the purebred son of Red Doc Diablo 6306 (US) Lignum Station selected a single entry for $16,000 Goovigen also ended with a single purchase for $14,000 Chinchilla accounted for the $20,000 Gyranda S132 Goondiwindi picked through the offering to end with a trio for on average $15,333 These topped at $22,000 for a 25-month-old son of Rosevale Lennox L256 Agents: Grant Daniel and Long and simulcast on AuctionsPlus Today's top stories curated by our news team. Our twice weekly wrap of the latest in rural property sales. Our twice weekly wrap of the big news in the red meat sector. Industry news from Australia's dairy sector. The week's top stories curated by our news team. TopX and Howy Bassingthwaighte.The atmosphere was electric at the first solo Waco Santa Gertrudis bull sale held at David and Suzanne Bassingthwaighte and family's new depot on Thursday All articles from our website & appThe digital version of This Week's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other agricultural news sites in your areaContinueAfter selling with the Yarrawonga stud at Wallumbilla for the past 61 years the Bassingthwaightes relocated to a new purpose-built selling complex west of Mitchell selling to many repeat and new buyers who took the time to travel to see and take an interest in the Bassingthwaighte's operation David Bassingthwaighte said they were humbled by the support shown from the buyers and underbidders who attended the sale The sale topped at $130,000 for the first bull into the sale ring Brett Hatton said the bull was the complete package He was one of three bulls the Hattons bought for an overall average of $63,000 View +20 PhotosPictures by Helen WalkerNext at $120,000 Waco Ramrod (P) was selected by Colin Patterson who manages Hardigreen Park Santa Gertrudis stud Tamworth on behalf of Moreton and Frances Rolfe Mr Patterson said he was attracted to the dark bull due to his depth of body and because he had a tonne of muscle "Plus he is by Waco Falcon and I was keen to secure that bloodline," Mr Patterson said Waco Ramrod R100 (P) sold for $120,000 the Colin Patterson She said Waco R175 (P) was the complete package who traces back to Wave Hill bloodlines Mrs Sargood also paid to $70,000 for Waco Remington Waco R176 (P) sold for $95,000 and is pictured with Howy and David Bassingthwaighte Mitchell and Clayton Sargood and Cyril Close TopX.A total of Waco 27 sires were purchased by 17 Santa Gertrudis Studs grossing $1,088,000 averaging $40,296.Volume buyers included Warwick and Kel Freeman Wallumbilla who finished with 11 bulls to average $16,909 while the balance were bound for commercial herds. The Murray family Kindee Grazing finished with six bulls to average $18,000 Taroom finished with five bulls to average $11,400 Queensland Country Life will have a full sale report in news week's issue Helen is the Toowoomba-based journalist who loves nothing better than covering anything horse sport related, however she covers all commodities and personality yarns. Over the years she has lived in Brisbane, Rockhampton, Longreach and Roma filing stories for the 'bible of the bush'. Contact 0459 827414. situated north west of Clermont.With the legendary King Ranch stud close by at Elgin Downs it was an obvious choice for Frank and Noela Dennis family to establish their commercial breeding program with Santa Gertrudis in 1963 All articles from our website & appThe digital version of This Week's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other agricultural news sites in your areaContinueSince that time the family have predominantly carried on with producing pure bred Santa Gertrudis and Santa infused Brahmans with Frank and Noela's son Eddie now running the business under the banner of Mistake Creek Cattle Company which are all situated in the Twin Hills area north west of Clermont Mr Dennis said the land across the five properties mainly consists of gidgee/brigalow and flood out country with Doongmabulla lending itself well to being more of a breeder block as there is some rough but useful country on it which has been an improvement on 2019 when we had 265mm for the year," he said Mr Dennis said they've continued to favour the Santa Gertrudis in their operation as they grow into a good Jap Ox article and as their rich red colour makes them an easily saleable beast with a two and half to three year-old beast at 360 to 370kg dressed though due to the competitiveness for the heavier article we did also begin selling into the live export market a couple of years ago He said they join all year round and post preg-testing they usually achieve an 85 per cent fertility rate in the breeders which don't produce a calf per year are culled as are older cows at nine to 10 years old To enhance the genetic strength of their herd the Dennis family have been purchasing Santa Gertrudis bulls from the Walker family at their annual on property sale on Ravensbourne "Their bulls appeal to us as they're always ready to go to work "We've always been very pleased with the results from our previous Strathmore purchases so we're keen to inspect the bulls on offer this year at the sale." Mr Dennis said their family is heavily involved in the business with Edwin and his wife Laura at Elgin Downs and Cynthia and her husband Tim at Waminda "It will be up to our children to decide if they want to shift direction with our program when they eventually take the reins from us." Pictures Brandon LongThe sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky at Jandowae on Tuesday - a perfect backdrop to a successful sale at the Greenup family's Rosevale stud All articles from our website & appThe digital version of This Week's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other agricultural news sites in your areaContinueDavid and Sonya Greenup offered and sold 139 bulls reaching a top of $58,000 to average $22,295 View +5 PhotosPictures Brandon LongAll three females were purchased while all 50 straws of semen sold for $500 per straw Top price bull Rosevale Shanghai sold to Jamie and Ally Becker sired by Rosevale Majestic and out of Rosevale Spice rump and rib fat measurements of 11mm and 7mm and an intramuscular fat percentage of 4.4 Mr Becker runs commercially orientated stud Jamally Santa Gertrudis breeding bulls and bullocks with EU grassland in mind He said they were chasing growth and fertility together and needed it in the Santa package with the dark coat and broad head "We don't necessarily chase the biggest muscled bulls - we need cattle that are going to finish off pasture with limited help," Mr Becker said "Shanghai will hopefully give us many years of calves We'll pick out some cows for him and on November 1 Mr Greenup said they appreciated the support from buyers and underbidders with the result better than they could've hoped for "Sonya asked me the other night about what I expected and this was way above anything that I would've guessed," he said Second top price bull Rosevale Stonehenge sold for $55,000 to a partnership comprising Andrew Chapman NSW.Second top price bull Rosevale Stonehenge sold for $55,000 to a partnership comprising Andrew Chapman This homozygous polled Jackaroo son weighed 740kg at 22 months rump and rib fat of 10mm and 8mm and 4.6pc in the IMF Kicking off the sale were 50 straws of Rosevale Royal semen which sold to Walmona and Yarrawonga Santa Gertrudis was not about to let the three PTIC classified S females go Topping the lot was Rosevale Margot Q407 - PTIC 19 weeks to Rosevale Empire She is sired by Majestic and out of Margot K23 Leading the volume buyers by a considerable margin was Camm Ag Group which purchased 11 bulls to average $17,091 Brandon Long is a Queensland Country Life journalist based in Toowoomba. Newsletters & AlertsView allDaily Today's top stories curated by our news team Our twice weekly wrap of the latest in rural property sales Our twice weekly wrap of the big news in the red meat sector Industry news from Australia's dairy sector The week's top stories curated by our news team