CGIAR System Organization Audited Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2023 Results from all CGIAR Initiatives and Impact Area Platforms contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals The dashboard also contains a collection of key result stories This dashboard provides an overview of CGIAR's Initiatives by action area and OECD DAC Markers for Climate including historical funding data from 2011 by source of funding This dashboard shows a summary of Funding Allocation of Portfolio and Designated to the CGIAR Research Portfolio in the current year The CGIAR Trust Fund Dashboards provide an overview of contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund by Funders CGIAR Research Programs and Research Initatives since 2011 A dashboard tracking various CGIAR grants that are under implementation The CGIAR workforce dashboards provide insights and analytics on our research and support staff based around the world whose voting members include CGIAR Funders and developing country representatives impact and continued relevance of CGIAR in a rapidly changing landscape of agricultural research for development Working in partnership with the System Council the System Board keeps under review the effectiveness of the CGIAR System and adopts and monitors compliance with CGIAR policies The Road to Ending Malnutrition: How the Paris N4G Summit Sparked a Global Call to Action With over 30 years of leadership and management experience in technology and communication within the development sector Enrica has provided strategic guidance to several international organizations she currently serves as the Head of the Information Technology Department at CERN one of the world’s foremost centers for scientific research and innovation home to the largest particle physics laboratory on the planet Enrica was Chief Information Officer and Director of the Technology Division at the World Food Programme (WFP) where she oversaw the organization’s digital technology strategy and systems across its global operations she chaired the UN Emergency Telecommunications Cluster Enrica also spent 15 years at the CGIAR Consortium holding various leadership roles including Director of Shared Services A Fellow at Stanford University’s Reuters Digital Vision Fellowship Programme Enrica holds two Master’s degrees in Social Sciences and Finance The development team caught in the middle of an annexation battle between two Maryland towns is clearly irked by the new drama and isn’t mincing words about how it wants this sudden situation to play out part of the development team of Urban Atlantic and Hometeam5 said what Bladensburg is doing in terms of its annexation effort of the old Prince George’s Hospital site goes against everything they’ve spent years working on “The development team crafted its winning bid to redevelop the former Prince George’s County Hospital site around the idea of the site evolving into a town square in the heart of Cheverly,” Porcari said “It has always been our intention to make this project the beating heart of Cheverly.” The project’s current timelines expect more than a thousand new homes to go with brand-new retail and a hotel which will all be within a short walk of the Cheverly Metro Station The $500 million project is expected to be completed in 2028 Porcari said they’ve been working with a long list of civic groups to get everyone in Cheverly on board with the plans “From the issuance of the RFP and the development of this team’s winning response our efforts have been focused on assuring that Cheverly Hill will be an integral and valued complement to the town of Cheverly,” Porcari said How would the project fit into the town of Bladensburg instead it’s difficult to see,” said Porcari His team sent a letter this week to the town of Bladensburg that asked town leaders to not move further with this plan “The annexation of a proposed development project without any initial discussions with us is highly unusual,” Porcari said a sentiment that was also repeated almost to the word by Porcari’s developers in a letter to Bladensburg “There are fiscal and viability implications for both the jurisdiction seeking annexation and the development project being annexed,” the developers said in the letter But the town of Bladensburg isn’t buying it raising questions about the lack of a preannexation agreement between Cheverly and the developers “It seems far more likely that the true intent of the Prince George’s County government is to keep this project outside of any municipal incorporation to safeguard the developer’s financial interests by avoiding additional municipal taxes,” said John O’Connor with the town of Bladensburg “It is unrealistic to assume that any developer or business willingly forfeits control and takes on millions of dollars in extra taxes without substantial enforceable agreements to ensure mutual benefit The lack of preannexation agreements or binding terms indicates that this project was never intended to be part of Cheverly or any municipality Annexation would impose significant financial obligations on the developer which would likely be at odds with their priorities so Bladensburg wants a postannexation agreement to lessen the developer’s burden.” A public hearing is scheduled next Thursday in Bladensburg and a final vote on the matter could follow “The evidence strongly suggests that the county intends to shield the developer from municipal obligations while advancing its priorities often at the expense of Cheverly’s residents,” O’Connor said “Genuine intent to annex and integrate this project would be reflected in formal commitments and proactive measures — neither of which have materialized Cheverly has already promised it would take Bladensburg to court over the matter if it proceeds Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area John has been with WTOP since 2016 but has spent most of his life living and working in the DMV covering nearly every kind of story imaginable around the region He’s twice been named Best Reporter by the Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association ABB has secured an order from DS Smith Paper Italia S.r.l part of international packaging company DS Smith to supply a new sectional drives system for a new containerboard machine at the company’s Lucca Paper Mill in Porcari known across Italy for its recovered fiber and white liner products paper machine 3 (PM3) will have an estimated annual capacity of 450,000 metric tons DS Smith selected the PMC800 drive system for its Lucca Paper Mill to improve performance generate greater energy savings and achieve superior product quality high reliability and easy integration with other mill automation The system will reduce the cost of ownership over the automation lifecycle and offer a high level of control precision and standardized communication between control systems ABB’s scope of work also includes M3BP and AXR asynchronous squirrel cage induction motors with special winding for specific applications as well as control via ABB ACS880 inverters which are proven to achieve high performance and efficiency The 8.6 meters wide (wire) PM 3 machine will produce recycled liner grades with a basis weight range of 70 to 135 grams per square meter at production speed of 1,500 meters per minute (m/min) and mechanical design speed of 1,700m/min “This project will help to significantly increase production capacity and improve energy efficiency at our plant in Porcari,” said Massimo Basta General Manager at DS Smith’s Lucca Paper Mill “Construction of the PM3 is well underway and we look forward to its successful integration which will make a significant difference to paper production in Italy providing the high performing paper needed to meet the growing demand for sustainable packaging worldwide” ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation Republication of Lesprom Network content is prohibited without the prior written consent of Lesprom Network General Terms and Conditions and Privacy policy Background: The prevalence of cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is unknown. Conclusion: CA can be found in 43% of autopsied hearts from patients ≥75 years old, especially in patients with HF, LV hypertrophy and atrial fibrillation. Cardiovascular Epidemiology and Prevention Volume 8 - 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2021.749523 Background: The prevalence of cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is unknown Aims and Methods: We sought to (a) determine the prevalence of CA in unselected patients ≥75 years undergoing autopsy (b) characterize cardiological profiles of CA and non-CA patients by providing clinical-histological correlations and (c) compare their cardiological profiles the localization (interstitial or vascular) and the distribution (non-diffuse or diffuse) of amyloid deposition were analyzed Cardiological data at last evaluation were retrospectively assessed for the presence of CA red-flags 50% transthyretin) was found in 43% (n = 24/56) of the autopsied hearts Amyloid localized both at the perivascular and interstitial levels (95.5 and 85% respectively) with a slightly predominant non-diffuse distribution (58% of cases) CA patients had a more frequent history of heart failure (HF) (79 vs advanced NYHA functional class (III-IV 25 vs discrepancy between QRS voltage and left ventricular (LV) thickness (70 vs p = 0.019) and restrictive filling pattern (56 vs The presence of right ventricular amyloidosis seemed to identify hearts with a higher amyloid burden >30% had ≥3 echocardiographic red-flags of disease Conclusion: CA can be found in 43% of autopsied hearts from patients ≥75 years old We therefore designed this study to (a) determine the prevalence of CA in an unselected population ≥75 years old who were autopsied (b) characterize the cardiological profile of CA patients by providing clinical-histological correlations and (c) compare the cardiological profiles of patients with and without CA Data of all patients referred for post-mortem evaluation at the University Hospital of Trieste (Institute of Pathological Anatomy and Histology Italy) between April and June 2019 were collected in a prospective electronic database and retrospectively analyzed deceased because of severe septic conditions or with post-mortem alterations that would have compromised an adequate microscopic evaluation were excluded the final population included patients referred for post-mortem examination by the Departments of Internal Medicine None of the patients were referred or followed-up by the Department of Cardiology All patients signed an informed consent document to allow for the use of anonymized personal information for research purposes The study was conducted according to the Declaration of Helsinki ethical guidelines Gross evaluation of unfixed heart and histological characterization with dedicated staining Left Top: massive cardiac hypertrophy of the left ventricle involving the subvalvular aortic region extending to the right ventricle the papillary muscles and the inter-atrial septum The heart exhibits a heterogeneous color with pale areas and faint yellowish tone Bottom: increased atrial wall thickness with diffuse granulations on the endocardial surface and nodular deposits of amyloid Right: left column (optical field 10×) and right column (optical field 20×): H&E severe amyloid infiltration in the interstitium and vessels with degeneration of myocytes; Congo Red and polarized light microscope Congo Red binding to amyloid fibrils showing the typical apple-green birefringence and revealing predominant interstitial infiltration; amyloid infiltration involves the interstitial space and vessel walls including the sinoatrial nodal artery; IHC for TTR and FLCs 40×) and immunoglobulin light chain Kappa (right 20×) in advanced cases of cardiac amyloidosis Immunohistochemistry with kappa and lambda light chains antibodies, anti-TTR antibodies, anti-apolipoprotein AI and anti-serum amyloid A antibodies was performed on the most representative sample for each patient to characterize the amyloid deposits (Figure 1) the following sources of antibodies were used: Amyloid A 14427-1-AP Proteintech; Anti-Prealbumin antibody VENTANA; and Cytoplasmic Lambda mRNA Probe the spleen and the liver were evaluated to detect amyloid depositions on a regular basis in all patients with a post-mortem diagnosis of AL-CA and The time period for patient inclusion and the necessary number of autopsies were evaluated at the beginning of the study in regard to the aim of the analysis the experience of pathologists in the CV field (R.B. D.R.) and the number of cardiac samples evaluated considering an estimated disease prevalence of 20–25% according to previous autopsy studies conducted on similar populations of elderly patients the required sample size to estimate the frequency of diseases with a CI 90% and an accuracy of ±8% was of 54 patients Data are expressed as median and interquartile range (IQR) (25°; 75°); numbers and percentages were used when appropriate Differences between groups were evaluated using the Mann–Whitney U-test for continuous variables and the chi-squared (χ2) or Fisher's exact-test for dichotomous variables A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant All statistical analyses were performed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 24.0 package (New York Of the 114 consecutive unselected subjects undergoing post-mortem evaluation over a 3-month period, 56 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in the study population. Their median age was 86 years (IQR 82–90), 43% were men and 61% were diagnosed with HF (Figure 2). The baseline characteristics of the study population are shown in Table 1 the median heart weight was 480 gr (IQR 420–570) transverse heart diameter was 13 cm (IQR 11.5–14.0) and interatrial diameter was 6.5 cm (IQR 6.0–7.2) Flow-chart showing selection of the final population Characteristics of the study population based on histological evidence of CA moderate and severe amyloid accumulations were found in 58 Prevalence of CA (any site) at autopsy according to age at death and distribution of amyloid in heart chambers Localization and severity of amyloid deposition in the patients with CA moderate or severe interstitial and vascular amyloid is shown Patients with only vascular deposition (red) or mixed (green) deposition are illustrated Sex [male (M) or female (F)] of patients with moderate and severe deposition is provided Anti-apolipoprotein AI and anti-serum amyloid A antibodies were negative in all amyloid-positive samples No difference between AL and ATTR was found in patients' median age at death Univariate analysis for the presence of amyloid deposition AL patients had lower values of systolic [110 (103–126) mmHg vs p = 0.033] and diastolic pressure [60 (60–70) mmHg vs p = 0.021] and higher values of RWT [0.68 (51–83) vs There were no other differences between AL and ATTR patients There were no morphological differences between patients with and without thickened IAS patients with RV amyloid infiltration were predominantly women (86 vs were older at death [88 (85–93) vs had a more advanced NYHA functional class (3–4 classes 43 vs p = 0.049) and showed increased rates of AF (69 vs most of the cases with RV amyloid infiltration had systematic LV amyloidosis and IVS amyloidosis compared to those without RV amyloidosis (100 vs Although showing similar rates of interstitial and vascular amyloid infiltration (p = 0.195 and p = 0.489 hearts with RV amyloidosis had a higher frequency of severe interstitial (63 vs as well as diffuse amyloid distribution (60 vs p = 0.008) compared to those without RV amyloidosis The evaluation of extracardiac organs revealed amyloid deposits in all AL-CA patients some had been diagnosed with lymphoma (three patients) chronic leukemia (two patients) and MGUS (five patients) while alive despite no one receiving a diagnosis or being deemed at suspicion of CA when extracardiac organs were evaluated in the ATTR-CA patients this is the largest cohort of unselected patients ≥75 years old having been autopsied that has been systematically and extensively investigated at the histological level for the presence of CA and that has been characterized in terms of cardiological profile and correlation with histological data The main findings of our study are that (a) CA can be found in up to 43% (24/56) of hearts from unselected subjects ≥75 years old who underwent autopsies (c) CA patients more frequently had a history of HF with advanced NYHA functional class AF with more dilated atria and LV concentric hypertrophy with thicker walls (d) patients with RV amyloidosis had more severe cardiological profiles and more heavily infiltrated hearts at histology even though ECG-echo discrepancy and at least 3 red flags of CA were present in 70% and in more than 30% of patients with histologically proven CA Although genetic testing for ATTR mutations was not performed the advanced age of the population and the isolated cardiac involvement pointed toward a likely diagnosis of wild-type ATTR Aging is associated with the failure of protein homeostasis and increasing rates of protein misfolding (29, 30) thus making it hard to establish whether the presence of amyloid in the hearts of elderly patients is an innocent bystander or a causative agent the vast majority of CA patients (79%) had signs and symptoms of HF and AF and echocardiographic evidence of significant cardiac pseudo-hypertrophy due to amyloid infiltration The critical interpretation of ECG and echocardiographic findings of patients with post-mortem evidence of CA would have detected the discrepancy between QRS voltages and the degree of ventricular thickness and the specific red flags of infiltrative disease thus raising the suspicion of CA while they were alive even in the absence of clinically overt HF the presence of red flags in the work-up of unexplained cardiac hypertrophy should prompt further testing to identify concomitant diseases such as CA This is far more relevant considering that defining the amount of “significant” amyloid burden is challenging since even low amyloid amounts might have detrimental consequences in vulnerable areas such as the atrio-ventricular node Patients in this analysis had severe CA; hence, making the correct diagnosis at their last evaluation before death would not have changed their natural history. However, these findings reflect the ominous natural history of untreated CA patients diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease (31) there is an urgent need to promote awareness of the disease among physicians of several specialties since many patients with post-mortem evidence of CA could have been considered at suspicion of CA or even diagnosed non-invasively during their lives cardiological data were not available for all patients CA can be found in 43% of autopsied hearts from unselected patients ≥75 years old as long as cardiac samples are collected from multiple sites Most CA patients had a history of HF with advanced NYHA functional class and suggestive clinical and instrumental findings recognition of red flags is still poor in the medical community since >30% of patients with histologically proven CA had echocardiograms highly suggestive of the disease at their last evaluations and could have been diagnosed while alive The data underlying this article cannot be shared publicly for the privacy of individuals that participated in the study The data will be shared on reasonable request to the corresponding author AP and MM contributed to the interpretation of data and to drafting the work and GV contributed to the acquisition of data and GS contributed to the analysis and revision of the work and GS contributed to the conception of the work All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Cardiac amyloidosis: do not forget to look for it Senile systemic amyloidosis affects 25% of the very aged and associates with genetic variation in alpha2-macroglobulin and tau: a population-based autopsy study Genotype and phenotype of transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis: THAOS (Transthyretin Amyloid Outcome Survey) Left ventricular amyloid deposition in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction A national survey on prevalence of possible echocardiographic red flags of amyloid cardiomyopathy in consecutive patients undergoing routine echocardiography: study design and patients characterization-the first insight from the AC-TIVE Study Recommendations for processing cardiovascular surgical pathology specimens: a consensus statement from the Standards and Definitions Committee of the Society for Cardiovascular Pathology and the Association for European Cardiovascular Pathology PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Endomyocardial biopsy in 30 patients with primary amyloidosis and suspected cardiac involvement Recommendations for cardiac chamber quantification by echocardiography in adults: an update from the american society of echocardiography and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging Sensitivity and specificity of the echocardiographic features of cardiac amyloidosis Two-dimensional echocardiography in myocardial amyloidosis Clinically significant cardiac amyloidosis Expert consensus recommendations for the suspicion and diagnosis of transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis The premortem recognition of systemic senile amyloidosis with cardiac involvement Senile systemic amyloidosis presenting with heart failure: a comparison with light chain-associated amyloidosis Frequency and distribution of senile cardiovascular amyloid Senile cardiac amyloidosis: evidence of two different amyloid substances in the ageing heart Evolving landscape in the management of transthyretin amyloidosis Transthyretin V122I in African Americans with congestive heart failure Abstract 17926: cardiac amyloid deposition is common in elderly patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction Google Scholar Endomyocardial biopsy characterization of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and prevalence of cardiac amyloidosis Correlation of histomorphological pattern of cardiac amyloid deposition with amyloid type: a histological and proteomic analysis of 108 cases Efficacy of chemotherapy for light-chain amyloidosis in patients presenting with symptomatic heart failure Tafamidis treatment for patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy Cost-effectiveness of tafamidis therapy for transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy Cellular regulation of amyloid formation in aging and disease Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy: an uncharted territory awaiting discovery Right ventricular function in AL amyloidosis: characteristics and prognostic implication Keywords: transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis Rozze D and Sinagra G (2021) Incidence and Characterization of Concealed Cardiac Amyloidosis Among Unselected Elderly Patients Undergoing Post-mortem Examination Received: 29 July 2021; Accepted: 27 October 2021; Published: 23 November 2021 Copyright © 2021 Porcari, Bussani, Merlo, Varrà, Pagura, Rozze and Sinagra. 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you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application was called home to our Heavenly Father on December 16 Alfonsa was born to Giovanni and Generosa Viani in Norma 1938 as Europe was on the verge of another world war  Her formative years were spent living through the horrors of war - first by the occupation of her town by the Nazis followed by the invasion of Italy by the Allies at nearby Anzio she had to endure the societal chaos as Europe was rebuilt the person she would become was molded predominantly by the richness of the Italian and Roman Catholic cultures that she was surrounded by Her life was to change again in a monumental way in 1965 a hometown boy from Norma who had migrated to the USA years earlier had returned to visit Norma.  On this visit,  they met and fell in love Desiring a family and a better life in the US Alfonsa made the very difficult decision of leaving her family and motherland and married Amilcare she fell immediately in love with the USA.  She learned to speak English and drive and she eventually became a naturalized citizen Michigan and started their family.  They had three children and together they maintained a stable and loving household and nurtured their children with all they had to offer.  Alfonsa was a selfless and affectionate woman especially when it came to her family.  Her greatest source of pride and love was her husband and their families.  Alfonsa had a place in her heart and a hug and kiss for each of her ten grandchildren who affectionately called her nonna.  Her thoughtfulness and love for her family was unmistakable and always welcomed She was extremely proud of being a traditional wife and mother This brought her the greatest joy and sense of accomplishment She was the “classical” Italian wife and grandmother (Italian accent and all).  After all her children had left home and were busy with their careers she sought employment and was employed as a house keeper at Wyandotte General hospital for 13 years Alfonsa will always be remembered for her meekness and we will see you again in heaven.   Alfonsa was preceded in death by her parents Friends may visit the Schrader-Howell Funeral Home until 8:00 P.M.  A Rosary will be said at 7:00 P.M The Funeral Mass will be held at on Thursday Michigan.  Alfonsa will be in-state at 9:30 A.M Those who wish to honor the memory of Alfonsa Porcari are invited to consider a contribution to Resurrection Parish Catholic Church Contribution envelopes will be available at the Funeral Home Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (Missoula Current) The Consolidated Planning Board on Tuesday night recommended the approval of a subdivision proposed for the South Hills which would bring several hundred new housing units to Missoula The Wildroot phased subdivision is proposed off Hillview Way at Rimel Road on 106 acres within Moose Can Gully The project is proposing 450 units on 248 lots and will include single- and multi-family housing the entire project will be served by city services But the developers are requesting annexation given that five lots remain in the county The property is surrounded primarily by homes and empty lots already zoned for residential use “The majority of the property is currently located within Missoula city limits but there are five parcels located within the county,” said city planner Tara Porcari “The proposed development of 450 dwelling units is well within the adjusted density calculation for the site which could have allowed up to 750 units.” While the area includes some steep terrain Porcari said the roadways and lots were designed around the slopes to limit the need for further earthwork Area schools didn't express any concern over capacity “It's estimated that there could be a max of up to 135 school-aged children going to Russell Elementary and Sentinel High School The school district hasn't made any adverse comments regarding impacts to schools,” Porcari said The project also includes plans for sidewalks Residents of the development would pay into a Special Improvement District created by the city several years ago to fund improvements to Hillview Way City staff has recommended approval for the project with roughly 48 conditions All seven phases of the project are scheduled to be completed within 20 years 226 single-family lots and one multi-family lot with 203 units said the project aims to develop “a neighborhood that will be an asset that aligns with the goals and objectives with this city.” More housing will help alleviate prices across Missoula and the state “Missoula isn't exempt from this reality,” he said “Building more housing is crucial to making homes more attainable across the board.” some area residents voiced lingering concerns A small portion of the project includes several 3-story apartments and traffic onto Hillview Way is also expected to increase “We've got subdivisions going up here and lots of traffic going down this hill We're going to have to figure something out,” said board member Sean McCoy A portion of the project also abuts a rural stretch of Rimel Road While the developers plan to make improvements to the roadway within the subdivision use of the road outside the project has some neighbors concerned including the owners of a nearby ranch and conservation land Members of the Rimel family said they already experience fires from kids smoking They had one bull shot and wildlife has been struck and killed in the area Family members are seeking to have portions of Rimel Road closed to emergency traffic only “Our land was part of an open space bond project that expended public money and protected over 1,000 acres of land in the South Hills for open space conservation,” said Whitney Rimel that any significant change of the existing Rimel Road would impact the character of these properties.” The project cleared the planning board with a unanimous vote It meets the growth policy and the review criteria,” said board member Joshua Schroeder “The subdivision brings a significant number of new homes It addresses a growing demand for more diverse housing well-planned urban expansion that connects to existing city water and sewer.” The proposal will go to the City Council for consideration in the coming weeks “Subdivisions have an 80-day statutory deadline,” said Porcari The Consolidated Planning Board on Tuesday night recommended the approval of a subdivision proposed for the South Hills, which would bring several hundred new housing units to Missoula.\nRead More A success. Yet another, for the Swamp in Porcari, a cross-country cycling tour, we could define it like this. Already from the previous day the boys of the Porcari Bike Tower, now famous for organizing events dedicated to two wheels, with the legendary Summer tours in Italy and abroad, set up the registration point in Piazza degli Alpini, a place where the participants returned at the end of the "Pedalata" to enjoy the well-deserved pasta party and watch the drawing of the lottery prizes. About 400 participants showed up at the starting line on Viale Marraccini in Porcari, which, for the first time, hosted the start of the event with an exceptional starter, the deputy mayor of the Municipality of Porcari, Roberta Menchetti. Also present was the president of the Porcari municipal council, Serena Toschi. The festive group rode the first five kilometers in a group, behind an organization "pick up", up to the Baracca di Nanni; from here the wildest ones literally threw themselves with their bicycles into the large puddles of water present on the dirt stretch in the ancient bed of Lake Sesto, because, we want to remember, at the finish there was a special prize for the boy and girl with the most mud on their shirt. "La Padulata – explains the president George Tomei – is a historical event that involves the families of our country and beyond and its peculiarity is that it rewards, precisely, those who, more than any other participant, know how to interpret the spirit of the Padule and know how to appreciate and exalt its peculiarities. It is no coincidence that we have created a real nice character with the name Martano, the little man of the Swamp, a real logo of the event". "Finally, I would like to thank - he concluded - all our partners: the Croce Verde di Porcari, the Atletica Porcari and all our volunteers for the passion they put into this and all the events we organize during the year". we probe the fundamental structure of particles that make up everything around us We do so using the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments Know more The Higgs Boson The W boson The Z boson The Large Hadron Collider The Birth of the web Antimatter Latest news Media News The research programme at CERN covers topics from kaons to cosmic rays and from the Standard Model to supersymmetry See all resources 2021 marked the start of a new mandate for the management team at the helm of the Organization the newly appointed department heads introduce themselves to our community tell us about their journeys and provide their vision for the future of their departments the new Head of the Information Technology department and Benoît Delille the new Head of the Occupational Health & Safety and Environmental Protection unit close this series with their messages (below) Before joining our community four months ago as Head of the Information Technology department Enrica managed numerous development projects for International Organizations such as CGIAR (Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers) or the UN World Food Programme This video was recorded on 21 October Benoît is a trained mechanical engineer who worked in the private industry for six years before becoming a member of our community nearly twenty years ago He left the Accelerators and Technology sector to bring his experience in safety engineering and project management to his new position as Head of the HSE unit This video was recorded on 26 October More Social Media Accounts Official website of the State of California 32% drop over two weeks for containers sitting on dock for more than nine days in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach Caltrans to issue temporary truck weight exemptions on State Highways to keep goods moving efficiently state working to lease state and privately owned property for container storage space LOS ANGELES – At the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach today Governor Gavin Newsom highlighted the ongoing work to address the global supply chain crisis including policies to help ease congestion and alleviate backlogs The Governor was joined by Port Envoy to the Biden-⁠Harris Administration Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force John D port operators and the private sector have resulted in a 32% drop in containers sitting on dock for more than nine days in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach “Major changes in consumer habits driven by a global pandemic have led to all-time record high volumes of containers moving through Los Angeles and Long Beach ports Thanks to the collective work of California and our partners we have seen a 32% drop in containers sitting on the docks,” said Governor Newsom “California has taken swift action across the board to address congestion and increase our capacity to move goods quickly I am grateful for the cooperation of both the public and private sectors – from the federal government to the ports the retailers and the shipping lines – for the additional commitments they’ve made to tackle the backlog.” To support these efforts to keep goods moving and lessen backlogs Department of Transportation announced a strategic partnership to help facilitate innovative projects and financing opportunities for multi-billion infrastructure improvements in California including providing up to $5 billion for our ports and supply chain infrastructure the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) workers committed to a shift towards 24/7 operations in the coming months maritime industry stakeholders announced a new and more environmentally friendly queuing policy in which vessels will be assigned a queue spot at their port of last call The port is also utilizing sweeper vessels to support the movement of empty containers carriers loaded out about 10,000 of the remaining 72,000 containers with additional sweeper vessels coming in the next few weeks Port Envoy Porcari has also been leading thrice weekly meetings with terminal operators shipping lines and other key stakeholders to identify operational problems and immediate solutions at the two ports “Many of the biggest challenges our ports are facing today have been years in the making,” said Port Envoy Porcari “I am grateful for California’s partnership and dedicated focus to produce outcomes that will reduce congestion improve operations and set us on a sustainable path for the future.” Governor Newsom highlights work to address the global supply chain crisis California is home to the two busiest ports in the United States that together process more than 40% of the containers arriving on our nation’s shores Over the last two weeks at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles there has been a 32% decrease of containers that have been sitting on the docks for nine days or more “The men and women of the ILWU have been working hard every day during the pandemic to keep America’s shelves stocked and we appreciate the efforts of the federal and state governments to move cargo off of the docks and throughout the supply chain,” said Willie Adams “These efforts are critical to allowing dockworkers the room we need to continue moving cargo off of ships.” California port workers have processed 211 million cargo containers since 2010 These ports have moved 17% more containers between January and mid-October than they did in 2018 Building on his October executive order and federal partnership to address the global supply chain crisis Governor Newsom today announced that Caltrans will begin issuing temporary permits allowing trucks to carry heavier loads of up to 88,000 pounds on State Highway and Interstate routes between the Ports of Los Angeles and distribution centers throughout the state The application process to go beyond the current 80,000-pound limit will begin November 19 while cities and counties can issue their own permits for travel on local roads Today’s announcements follow the Newsom Administration’s earlier action to keep goods moving quickly, including nearly doubling the Department of Motor Vehicles’ capacity to conduct commercial driving tests in the coming months to address the national shortage of workers in the industry launching a multi-agency Supply Chain Task Force to implement the executive order and identify additional measures to support goods movement and working to find opportunities with interested parties on leasing state and privately owned land for container storage space The Governor’s executive order also directs the Department of Finance to work with state agencies to develop longer-term solutions that support port operations and goods movement for consideration in the state budget which may include port and transportation infrastructure improvements electrification of the goods movement system from port to delivery and workforce development The order builds on earlier efforts this year by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and the California State Transportation Agency to ease supply chain issues by engaging the diverse network of stakeholders along the supply chain to discuss key challenges and identify solutions © Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Mount Vernon’s former top lawyer avoided going to prison immediately after being sentenced to 1 to 3 years Wednesday for steering $360,000 in city water funds to then-Mayor Richard Thomas’ criminal defense lawyers Lawrence Porcari was sentenced to the minimum but Westchester County Judge David Zuckerman allowed him to remain free without bail while he appeals his conviction A jury in December found Porcari guilty of first-degree corrupting government defrauding government and filing false statements.   The maximum sentence he faced was 8⅓ to 25 years on the corruption and grand larceny charges But with no criminal record and having received none of the stolen money himself there was little chance he'd get more than the minimum. That's all Assistant Attorney General Meagan Powers asked Zuckerman to impose.  But Powers unsuccessfully opposed defense lawyer Stephen Lewis' request that the judge stay the execution of the sentence She argued that could not be done until an appeal was actually filed Porcari has up to four months to file an appeal but Zuckerman warned him not to delay the process in an effort to push off prison indefinitely. He ordered him back to court in two months for an update and suggested he could send him to prison then if he's not satisfied the appeal is moving forward 63, has had prostate cancer and Zuckerman said his medical condition was a factor in his agreeing to delay incarceration Zuckerman denied Porcari's motion to set aside the verdict finding the evidence that convicted him was sufficient The judge also rejected the claim that Porcari was denied a fair trial because a juror had failed to disclose her brother was a Westchester prosecutor and her father had worked with Porcari had argued that Porcari relied on Mount Vernon's city charter in authorizing payment of Thomas' legal bills and that it was not uncommon for the water department to pay city expenses But state prosecutors emphasized the lies Porcari told to get the money paid as evidence he knew what he was doing was wrong Lewis acknowledged there was a mandatory prison term "The concept of putting him in jail just is wrong," he told Zuckerman He added that the "collateral consequences" of the case – Porcari's losing his law license and reputation and the financial toll of defending himself – were "extreme" "I ask that you be as merciful as possible," Lewis said Porcari declined to speak when given the opportunity Porcari spent several years in the Yonkers law department and became corporation counsel in Mount Vernon when Thomas entered the mayor’s office in January 2016 GUILTY: Jury convicts former Mount Vernon corporation counsel JUDGE: Porcari conviction stands Thomas was charged by the state Attorney General’s Office with stealing $12,900 from his political campaign committee and failing to report on city ethics forms more than $75,000 he received from his inaugural committee a campaign advisor and other individuals and companies After failed efforts to have the city fund Thomas’ criminal defense lawyers Porcari arranged for the Board of Water Supply to pay the lawyers and a public relations firm that began working for Thomas at the time of his arrest State prosecutors were targeting Thomas when they presented the water-funds case to a Westchester grand jury in the spring of 2019 who defended the expenditures in testimony before the grand jury escaped charges when the panel indicted only Porcari The law firm of Boies Schiller Flexner received $136,000 and two Florida lawyers As jury selection was to begin in the underlying criminal case Thomas pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor related to the missing campaign money The plea included a provision that he resign by the end of September But the City Council deemed him to have vacated his office immediately as a result of his conviction took over as mayor although it was weeks before Thomas gave up the office Wallace pushed a lawsuit by the Board of Water Supply against Thomas Porcari and the lawyers and PR firm to recoup the money who received $15,000 from the water department to represent Thomas' building commissioner Schiller returned the money it was paid but the other lawyers have not Vallely insisted he had no idea that the water department payments were unauthorized and claimed that the city should pay the water department back His answer to the lawsuit also included a counterclaim demanding $68,857.50 plus interest for other legal work he did for the city from 2018 until this year for which he was never paid Twitter: @jonbandler. Subscribe  Gift a Subscription This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Can Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas' criminal-defense lawyers also represent Corporation Counsel Lawrence Porcari Jr on charges that he steered water department funds to pay for Thomas' legal bills That's a question Westchester County Judge David Zuckerman will have to answer after Michael Pizzi turned up Wednesday for a conference in Porcari's case The city's top lawyer was charged last week with corrupting government accused in the alleged scheme to divert $365,000 from the Board of Water Supply to lawyers and a public relations firm that worked for Thomas The same grand jury that indicted Porcari voted last month not to indict the mayor who faces trial July 8 on an indictment from last year accusing Thomas of stealing campaign funds and failing to report on city ethics forms his receipt of money from his inaugural committee his campaign advisor Joseph Spiezio and other individuals and companies MAYORAL CANDIDATES: Weigh in on Mount Vernon indictment HAVERSTRAW KILLING: Eugene Palmer added to FBI's Most Wanted List SUPERINTENDENT RESIGNS: Valhalla's suspended schools chief resigns in deal with school board Prosecutors from the state Attorney General's Office immediately objected to Pizzi's involvement in Porcari’s case saying Pizzi and the other Florida lawyer were potential witnesses because they received some of the water department money It was the first public identification by the AG's Office of any of the lawyers who had been paid with city funds The Journal News/lohud has reported that the firm of Boies Schiller Flexner which represented Thomas from just before his May 2018 indictment until the fall Pizzi cannot automatically represent Porcari because he is not admitted to practice law in New York He asked Zuckerman for him and the other Florida lawyer They would still have to work with a New York lawyer who appeared last week at Porcari’s arraignment Zuckerman gave prosecutors until June 14 to file their objections to Pizzi and Kuehne joining the case.  Pizzi argued that Porcari had a constitutional right to choose his own lawyer “The only thing he ever did was give legal advice and do his job as a lawyer,” said Pizzi But prosecutors maintain that water department funds are regulated by state and local law and limited to water matters They allege that Porcari made false statements when he submitted memos for emergency payments to the law firms when Pizzi revealed that Thomas had not been indicted he and Thomas insisted that the mayor “received sound counsel from (Porcari) in connection with the water department payments at issue.” Outside the county courthouse Wednesday Pizzi said there was no conflict But he refused to answer why that was the case particularly regarding the issue of being both a witness and defense lawyer in a criminal matter Pizzi and Kuehne also faced conflict claims when they sought to join Thomas’ defense That’s because of ties between them and Spiezio’s Florida garbage company Thomas waived any potential conflicts and insisted that he wanted them as his lawyers Kaizer said he was not sure he would continue to represent him a reporter asked Porcari whether Kaizer was still his lawyer.  "I don't know who's showing up tomorrow," he answered Pizzi was late Wednesday and when he walked into the courtroom the eyes of one of the prosecutors widened in surprise Porcari would not answer when asked if he wanted Pizzi as his lawyer Twitter: @jonbandler The girls from Porcari started, as they say, with the handbrake on and the guests took advantage of it to gain a ten-point advantage. Too many mistakes for Bieffe Porcari which, however, starts the recovery better and starts the comeback that culminates with the overtaking, at 35-34 in the third quarter. But here other errors arrived and Basketball he took advantage of this to put his head forward again and never give up again. "The objective was to reach the play-offs and we achieved it – explains the president Stephen Peaks which draws up an initial seasonal balance sheet – . We will start again with the usual intentions, maintaining this category, measuring costs and launching the girls from our youth system to enhance it". However, there was no shortage of surprises in this post season, with Montecatini, who dominated the first part of the season, knocked out 2-0 by Affrico who had finished eighth in the regular season. The promotion round is really a different championship. With its own bank accounts and separate oversight from the city finance department the Mount Vernon Board of Water Supply is a tempting source of funds.   That's about all state prosecutors and the defense could agree on as they wrapped up the corruption trial of the city's former top lawyer Lawrence Porcari. He is accused of steering $360,000 in water funds to criminal defense lawyers of former Mayor Richard Thomas.  the water department provided necessary alternative funding in a dysfunctional city government where bills often went unpaid the Corporation Counsel of the city of Mount Vernon the Board of Water Supply was ...a tap that he could turn on through false statements and fraud when he needed to get the funds flowing," Assistant Attorney General Megan Powers told jurors Wednesday afternoon in her closing argument But defense lawyer Stephen Lewis called the case a political prosecution that targeted Thomas Porcari's boss. When the mayor was not indicted Porcari became "collateral damage." Lewis argued that it made no sense to single out his client He benefited nothing from anything he did in this case," Lewis said his freedom at stake based on not getting anything out of it?" Powers countered that whether or not Porcari profited was not relevant to the theft accusations "The defendant doesn't have to pocket the money," Powers said "His actions wrongfully caused it to go into the pockets of another." The jury will begin deliberating Thursday morning after getting legal instructions from Westchester County Judge David Zuckerman The prosecution's caseThe money Porcari authorized went to the law firm of Boies Schiller Flexner and two Florida lawyers who represented Thomas on criminal charges that he stole $12,900 in campaign funds and failed to report tens of thousands of dollars he received from his inaugural committee Thomas pleaded guilty in July to misdemeanor charges in the campaign -fund theft There was also $5,000 paid to a public relations firm that prosecutors contend was for crisis management related to the mayor's criminal case showed up for the first time the day of Thomas' arrest in March 2018 he testified about other work he did on behalf of the city Porcari is charged with second-degree grand larceny defrauding the government and four counts of offering a false statement for filing, related to memos he sent Benjamin Marable the commissioner of the Board of Water Supply who signed the checks to the PR firm and Thomas' lawyers was given a cooperation agreement that protected him from prosecution if he testified truthfully.  He said he had questioned Porcari about the nature of the payments And despite language in Porcari's memos that the money would be reimbursed if the law department gained access to those funds no money was ever returned to the water department he acknowledged that the water department paid for dozens of other expenses in city government from tents for recreation events to City Fest entertainment to televisions for City Hall.  He insisted he had not intended to defraud anyone or steal from the water department Lewis' point in eliciting that was that if Marable was no crook neither was Porcari. But prosecutors had painted Marable a retired city building inspector, as somewhat of a puppet of the Thomas administration with no prior experience running any department.   The water department has its own budget and bank accounts that are not under the control of the city finance department The Thomas administration frequently went to the water department because city Comptroller Deborah Reynolds was not paying bills.  It was Porcari's interpretation of the city charter — that the city should be responsible to pay the mayor's criminal-defense bills — that set the scheme in motion he allegedly lied about the circumstances of being unable to get city funds He claimed that the payments were an emergency and that scheduling difficulties had prevented the city's Board of Estimate from approving the money for the lawyers and the public relations firm There was no scheduling problem: The two board members besides Thomas declined to bring it up for a vote Lewis countered that the prosecution never actually rebutted the notion that the mayor's criminal defense should be covered by city funds Please don't lose that fact," Lewis told jurors.  He said Marable had considered the money from the water department a loan to the city This was a larceny," Powers countered later including former city Inspector General Charles Knapp and James Crean telling the jury he knew Porcari for nearly three decades first when they handled criminal cases in Yonkers City Court and later when Porcari was an assistant corporation counsel for Yonkers.  Crean said Porcari had a reputation for "outstanding integrity and honesty" and that lawyers around city court were surprised by his indictment.  Lewis had argued that the false-statement charges should be dismissed because the memos to Marable were never formally "filed" and prosecutors had not established they were actually business records. But Assistant Attorney General Brian Weinberg countered on Tuesday that they were written on law department stationery that Marable had received them and that the water commissioner then acted on them Zuckerman denied Lewis' motion and the jury will consider all the charges A judge has upheld the guilty verdicts in the corruption case against Lawrence Porcari Mount Vernon’s former corporation counsel who steered $360,000 in city water funds to criminal defense lawyers for then-Mayor Richard Thomas Westchester County Judge David Zuckerman ruled on Tuesday that there was sufficient evidence to convict Porcari and that there was no prejudice to the defendant when a juror failed to reveal that her brother was a county prosecutor or that her father had once worked with Porcari although a date has not yet been determined while courts remain shut for non-essential matters during the coronavirus pandemic who was convicted of corrupting and defrauding government grand larceny and filing false statements, faces a minimum of one to three years in state prison called the ruling "deeply disappointing," particularly that the judge chose not to have a hearing on the alleged juror misconduct He said he was still reviewing the decision and that Porcari would be appealing the conviction GUILTY: Former Mount Vernon corporation counsel convicted on corruption charges MOTION: Porcari wants conviction overturned after Thomas was charged with stealing campaign funds Porcari arranged for the water department to pay the mayor’s legal fees after the Board of Estimate and Contract would not authorize payments from the city budget a grand jury indicted Porcari and he was convicted following a trial in December Porcari's contention was that there was never any intent to steal or defraud Lewis' main argument that the evidence was insufficient centered on Porcari’s reliance on the city charter for the payments of the mayor’s legal fees and on the past practice of city officials using water funds for things unrelated to the water department Lewis cited then-Water Commissioner Benjamin Marable's testimony that he had no intention of defrauding the water department and did not consider himself a thief The corporation counsel had gotten Marable to issue the checks by claiming falsely that the payments were needed on an emergency basis and that scheduling difficulties had kept the issue from being considered by the Board of Estimate and Contract The allegation of juror misconduct centered on Juror Number 4 Even though the case was prosecuted by lawyers from the state Attorney General’s Office Lewis argued that Porcari was denied a fair trial when Rosario failed to reveal that her brother is a prosecutor in the Westchester District Attorney's Office But Zuckerman found that Rosario had answered truthfully during jury selection when she answered a question about relatives in law enforcement by saying her brother was a lawyer in Westchester He pointed out that Lewis could have asked a follow-up question about what kind of law her brother practiced but didn’t Porcari and Rosario’s father had worked together several years ago in Yonkers City Hall and Porcari suggested the relationship had not always been a good one But Zuckerman called it “highly speculative and thus unavailing” to assume that Rosario had known about the relationship and might want to get back at Porcari for it Zuckerman noted that even if he had found there was misconduct because the answers were given in court he was precluded from vacating the conviction on that information Volunteer firefighter Matthew Porcari spent more than 17 years serving the community he loved before losing his life battling a house fire The 34-year-old father to five children was a third-generation legacy in the Owego Fire Department His funeral last year drew more than 1,000 people including friends and fellow firefighters who gathered to mourn his tragic death who was described as a selfless hero by those who knew him best should have never been inside that burning Newark Valley home during an emergency response on a frigid night in January 2013 a medical evaluation determined Porcari was unfit for interior firefighting duty and the fire department failed to remove him from service in 2011 the volunteer firefighters in command lacked sufficient training and they oversaw a frantic attempt to save a house from flames while committing numerous violations of state and federal safety regulations Residents had escaped before firefighters arrived a November state Department of Labor investigation cited 11 safety violations when Porcari fell into the basement after the one-story home's floor collapsed The Press & Sun-Bulletin obtained the report last week through a Freedom of Information Law request Local fire and law enforcement officials later determined a lighting apparatus in a small shed near the Chamberlain Road home caused the fire The state investigation report and other local government records obtained through FOIL requests show firefighters had been unnecessarily exposed to risks while performing an important but inherently dangerous community service the accountability system experienced a complete breakdown," the state investigation report stated Lessons learned from reviewing circumstances surrounding Porcari's death will hopefully prompt action to improve safety practices among fire departments of the National Fire Protection Association a nonprofit research and education organization it's a learning experience for the entire fire service nationwide," Willette said "The ultimate goal is to prevent this from happening again in the future." In addition to the 44-page state investigation report a Press & Sun-Bulletin review of government records along with a series of interviews with experts reveal a general lack of oversight and accountability for fire departments in New York although many other states have even lower standards The two Tioga County volunteer fire departments investigated by the state Department of Labor following Porcari's line-of-duty death serve the Village of Owego said the town's fire department provides extensive training to its members while adhering to a range of safety regulations based on state and federal standards has served in the fire department for about 16 years He acted as fire operations commander during the fatal house fire and the time spent in training is also done on their own time," Haney said are connected to gaps in oversight and implementation of state and federal standards Other Newark Valley and Owego firefighters directly involved in the emergency response did not return requests for comment for this report Some of the problems were caught during previous inspections by the state Department of Labor But related violations continued to happen despite the prior citations and ultimately went unaddressed for extended periods before playing a role in Porcari's death a medical evaluation should have prohibited Porcari from wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus — called a respirator — that is mandatory equipment for all firefighters entering a burning structure But Owego didn't remove Porcari from interior firefighting duty and his required follow-up medical evaluation in April 2012 was never conducted Nearly nine months after missing the follow-up medical evaluation Porcari wore a respirator during the fatal house fire said learning about the medical violation made the loss even more painful "It just never should have happened," she said such as insufficient leadership training provided for firefighters in Owego and Newark Valley also went unnoticed entirely until state investigators reviewed details of Porcari's death the labor department is tasked with overseeing worker safety regulations on fire departments with the state agency's Public Employee Safety and Health Bureau handling fatality investigations and other inspections Additional state agencies — including the Office of Fire Prevention and Control — are involved in establishing guidelines and regulations without any oversight duties worked for PESH for 13 years before leaving in 2000 The City of Syracuse resident conducted numerous PESH investigations into worker safety issues She currently teaches employee safety related classes at the SUNY Albany School of Public Health along with similar work in the private sector While regulatory gaps exist when it comes to taking preventive measures O'Reilly said it is important to note state and federal laws require thorough investigations following workplace-related deaths which is something that has steadily improved employee safety you want to get to the root causes of an accident because you want to know what went wrong," she said overcast night last winter with temperatures dipping to 13 degrees the wind whipped across rural Tioga County Just feet from their ranch-style home at 871 Chamberlain Road homeowners noticed a glow from flames engulfing a small shed and emergency dispatchers sounded the alarm at 10:43 p.m Outside the residence on a dead-end street a homeowner told Newark Valley Fire Chief George Wahl that everyone escaped the fire safely while informing him about a gun shop in the home's basement the 3,000-square-foot home had a gun shop in one half of the basement a garage in the basement had been converted into an office for the gun shop at one point though investigation reports fail to provide details Dispatchers told Wahl that neighbors reported hearing a loud bang or explosion as he started coordinating emergency responders said the gun shop served as a hobby shop at the time of the fire He noted there was ammunition inside during the fire but said he didn't know if any guns were inside the structure Berkshire and Owego fire departments were dispatched under mutual aid to send tanker engines along with additional firefighters to assist Newark Valley's department Wahl called for a salt truck to help with icy road conditions got word to send a crew to cut power at the property essentially directing firefighters as they arrived on scene the Newark Valley Fire Department leadership lacked sufficient training connected to state and federal regulations and another Owego firefighter also didn't receive required training connected to their leadership roles Haney told two Newark Valley firefighters to prepare to enter the burning house they entered the front door armed with a fast-attack hose line which draws water from a reserve on a fire engine One of the firefighter's air packs malfunctioned and he left prompting Haney to enter the home and assist the remaining firefighter inside The pair quickly extinguished a fire in the kitchen and exited the house Haney and other firefighters were unaware a fire was burning in the basement and emergency responders never walked around the building to check out the whole structure state investigators noted Haney didn't establish a rapid intervention team — a required safety protocol involving two firefighters waiting outside for each pair going inside a burning structure another Newark Valley fire crew began setting up a portable pond at 11:01 p.m But they couldn't properly fill the portable pond — a mobile pool that holds water to aid in firefighting duties — because the road is sloping Haney and other firefighters found the basement fire An attempt to shuttle water from a natural pond to aid in extinguishing the flames at the home was delayed for some time while a fire engine searched nearby streets dispatcher recordings show Haney told Wahl: "If they don't get water right now they are going to lose the house in 15 seconds." Owego and Berkshire fire departments' tankers arrived with thousands of gallons of water to keep the firefighting effort alive Porcari and two other Owego firefighters arrived on that pumper tanker Nearly 40 minutes after the initial 911 call Porcari entered the burning home's front door a 28-year-old village resident at the time of the incident While they had all the other required firefighting gear Gavin and Porcari were ill-equipped when it came to communications State investigators reported Owego firefighters had hand-held radios that could not communicate with Newark Valley fire officers in command at the scene Gavin chose to leave his hand-held radio behind in the truck they entered the house with a Newark Valley firefighter who had a radio capable of hearing commands But heavy radio traffic garbled an order to evacuate the building anda Newark Valley firefighter exited the house to confirm He assumed Gavin and Porcari were following but they remained inside essentially deaf to warnings about flames in the basement below Newark Valley could not communicate with Owego's Porcari and Gavin," state investigators reported Despite prior efforts to address the problem federal and New York state laws lack regulations to ensure firefighters have equipment that allows them to communicate with fire departments from neighboring communities Department of Emergency Response director for Tompkins County Shortly after the evacuation order was issued the home's floor collapsed beneath Gavin and Porcari Gavin pulled himself out of the hole and grabbed hold of Porcari's gear Porcari dangled over flames in the basement while Gavin removed his mask to call for help They grabbed a hold of Porcari's hands and harness as flames began to surround him the floor started to buckle around Porcari the firefighters exited the house afraid the floor would completely collapse prompting a "mayday" call by emergency dispatchers at 11:28 p.m Firefighters rushed to a basement entrance in the home's rear they climbed over debris and used water hoses to douse flames as they desperately battled to reach Porcari They made contact 10 minutes after he fell but could not free Porcari because of the debris several problems were reported with supplying water which ran out at least once during the rescue someone asked for a large fire extinguisher Multiple firefighters rushed into the burning building without oxygen supplies Gavin was dragged away from the scene by fellow firefighters an emergency call went out to establish a landing zone for a medical helicopter at Newark Valley High School After almost 20 minutes spent digging out debris to reach their fallen comrade firefighters managed to extinguish the flames He was taken to UHS Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City A coroner determined the nature of death to be thermal injury to the airway due to being trapped in a structure fire Multiple firefighters were treated for burns and smoke inhalation The state labor department fatality investigationidentified a broad range of worker safety violations related to the emergency response The Owego Fire Department was cited for six violations including three repeat offenses stemming from improper record-keeping practices state investigators first documented problems with Owego's medical evaluation records including the forms that should have disqualified Porcari from interior firefighting duty But state and federal laws fail to require regular inspections of fire departments to ensure they are following safety regulations though some form of review is occasionally conducted in New York The state labor department denied interview requests for this report the state agency noted inspections are conducted following fatalities complaints and accidents involving more than two people being admitted to a hospital Follow-up inspections are also conducted by the state labor department to ensure violations are addressed by deadlines Fire departments in many other states adhere to federal regulations under the Occupational Safety & Health Administration the state labor department enforces the federal OSHA regulations along with its own related policies The Owego department's three serious violations included improper use of equipment — a firefighter with facial hair wearing a respirator mask — and failing to have appropriate internal policies to control respirator use Insufficient training for officers was the third violation with those in leadership roles getting the same basic training as general membership Newark Valley Fire Department had five serious violations consisting of deficiencies connected to training programs Among the issues was the breakdown of communications and accountability systems at the fire scene described by state investigators in the report there was a lack of knowledge of where interior firefighters were and there were multiple points of confusion relating to which firefighters were utilizing each entrance to the structure," state investigators wrote interior firefighting duty requires them to check in with a safety officer or leave identification tags on a cone outside the structure who did not receive sufficient firefighter training according to the report was serving as safety officer during the blaze Serious violations carry a $200-per-day fine until remedied while non-serious violations cost $50 per day The state labor department investigation called on Owego and Newark Valley to fix most violations by Jan Both communities reported they have addressed most of the violations of the state Office of Fire Prevention and Control said volunteer fire departments establish and manage their own training standards Career fire departments in New York are required to at least adhere to minimum training standards established by the state who is chief of fire operations and training Addressing the absence of oversight responsibility for the state Office of Fire Prevention and Control Dickinson said the state agency would perform whatever duties assigned by lawmakers who is also a board member for the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs said he would like to see more state and federal agencies involved in monitoring safety regulations including imposing more stringent and uniform training standards for volunteer fire departments "Every (volunteer) department is on their own to determine the level of preparedness for their own fire department and to train accordingly," Shurtleff said municipal governments in New York also maintain some control over both volunteer and career fire departments Addressing the violations and tragic death of Porcari Owego Mayor Kevin Millar said the village government is implementing an overhaul of safety policies for the fire department He also praised those who make sacrifices to keep their neighbors safe "They perform a very valuable service," he said Former Mount Vernon Corporation Counsel Lawrence Porcari’s legal acumen doesn’t seem to extend to being able to find good representation.  More than two months after his indictment on corruption charges he has still not settled on a lawyer and Westchester County Judge David Zuckerman let him know Wednesday he wasn’t happy about it Porcari's failure to get counsel," Zuckerman said adding later "it may be a willful attempt to delay proceedings and I won't countenance that.".. The judge gave Porcari one more week to get a lawyer or he would have to represent himself He is charged with corrupting the government second-degree grand larceny and filing false statements accused of steering $365,000 from the Mount Vernon Board of Water Supply to criminal defense lawyers and a public relations firm working for then-Mayor Richard Thomas Thomas was facing felony charges related to $12,900 he took from his campaign committee in 2015 But the same grand jury that indicted Porcari declined to indict the mayor even though he was the beneficiary of Porcari's alleged actions Thomas has since pleaded guilty to misdemeanors in the campaign finance case Porcari was represented by Nicholas Kaizer who said he was uncertain whether he would remain on the case.  Porcari sought to have Michael Pizzi and Benedict Kuehne represent him The two Florida lawyers had represented Thomas in his criminal case Prosecutors from the state Attorney General's Office immediately objected because Pizzi and Kuehne could be witnesses in the case having received a bulk of the water department money The lawyers needed Zuckerman's permission to appear in the case because they are not admitted to practice in New York citing the witness problem and several other potential conflicts of interest.  Porcari told Zuckerman he still didn't have a lawyer He appeared Wednesday in court with Thomas Vallely as well as James Timko and Christopher  Weddle of the firm Timko & Moses.  Vallely said he was not remaining on the case and Timko said his firm had not yet been retained and he was uncertain whether it would.  The judge made a point of calling Porcari's effort to hire Pizzi and Kuehne "audacious" and suggested that another lawyer Porcari wanted had also gotten some of the water department money became Mount Vernon's top lawyer when Thomas took office in January 2016 Thomas stuck by him following his indictment despite calls for Porcari's resignation. Three weeks ago acting Mayor Andre Wallace suspended Porcari without pay Mount Vernon’s former top lawyer is heading to trial in his corruption case after turning down a plea offer from state prosecutors Lawrence Porcari was offered no incarceration if he pleaded guilty to a felony a conviction that would have led to his disbarment we're rejecting that offer," defense lawyer Stephen Lewis said in court Thursday Porcari was indicted in May on grand larceny He is accused of illegally steering $365,000 in city water funds to pay for Mayor Richard Thomas’ criminal defense lawyers and a public relations firm after Thomas’ March 2018 arrest on campaign finance charges Porcari stayed on as corporation counsel following his indictment But acting Mayor Andre Wallace dismissed him after Thomas vacated the office by pleading guilty in July Assistant Attorney General Brian Weinberg outlined the plea offer during the brief appearance before state Supreme Court Justice Barry Warhit He said Porcari would be required to serve five years probation and perform community service if he pleaded guilty to a single count of offering a false instrument for filing Warhit assigned the case to Westchester County Judge David Zuckerman who last month denied Lewis’ motion to dismiss the charges Lewis said that any problems with what happened were administrative and should not have been charged as crimes "He never got a dime," Lewis said of Porcari "This an intent to defraud case but he believed he was doing the right thing." Thomas requested that Porcari and special counsel represent him following his arrest memo that he thought it was appropriate for the city to do so citing city charter language that did not preclude the representation in criminal matters.  He also wrote that the standard of "in the interest of the city" was a low bar that the city "would almost always have an interest of some kind in any type of proceeding brought against one of its elected officials But state prosecutors are focusing on Porcari's efforts to pay the outside lawyers using not city finances which he knew would have been unavailable from Comptroller Deborah Reynolds, but funds of the Board of Water Supply In requesting emergency payments to Thomas' initial lawyer following his indictment Randall Jackson of the firm Boies Schiller Flexner Porcari told Water Commissioner Ben Marable only that they were for matters "in which the City has a vital interest" without specifying what it was for JUDGE: Mayor's lawyers who got city funds cannot represent Porcari INDICTMENT: Mount Vernon's top lawyer charged in corruption case ELECTED: Patterson-Howard cruises to victory to become first woman elected mayor Those payments totaled over $136,000 over three months.  Porcari wrote that efforts to put the matter before the Board of Estimate and Contract which must approve rates paid to outside counsel had not been successful because of scheduling conflicts But the matter had gone to the board in April 2018 with no explanation for what Boies Schiller was doing for the city. Reynolds and then-Council President Lisa Copeland refused to vote on it.  Weinberg and his colleagues were also holding the mayor to a felony But that changed on the eve of trial in early July when they agreed to let him plead to a misdemeanor and avoid jail time or probation.  The deal required him to step down as mayor by Sept 30, but the City Council deemed him to have vacated the position based on language in the city charter That kicked off a chaotic three weeks in which both he and Wallace claimed the mayoralty before a judge ruled it was Wallace's seat SUBSCRIBE: A variety of special offers to follow lohud's news coverage Enrica Porcari is the Head of the Information Technology department In the logical sequence from collisions to a scientific breakthrough Most of the activities that are necessary for research work to happen – such as data storage data architecture – are directly designed and managed within the CERN IT department huge expertise in computing is also to be found in the scientific collaborations regardless of which department or collaboration they come from and successful projects are often created and managed by mixed teams A recent example is the ALICE O2 project ALICE’s graphics processing unit (GPU)-based online data processing has the highest data recording requirement of all experiments experts from the IT department and members of the ALICE collaboration jointly developed a wholly novel approach whereby data from ALICE is sent directly to the CERN Data Centre in Meyrin The O2 storage system is designed to be cost-efficient and highly redundant to keep data accessible even in the event of unexpected disruptions or hardware failures The large-scale storage solution demonstrated its effectiveness last autumn and remains the largest disk storage system ever established in the Data Centre This would not be possible without the thousands of innovative solutions that the community has developed over the years.     Like for the Laboratory’s other activities, collaboration is also key for the IT department. It is here that the innovative public–private partnership of CERN openlab was born which kicked off just a couple of weeks ago is designed to attract new collaborations and to keep CERN openlab at the forefront of new technologies in order to anticipate the needs of the research field and meet future challenges development of innovative algorithms based on artificial intelligence and quantum computing We strive constantly for innovation. Here, the best talents that the Organization attracts work on technologies that will shape the future of computing, not only for science but also for society. The Quantum Technology Initiative, founded in 2018 to establish a comprehensive R&D programme in the field of quantum technologies, has evolved to also encompass a societal arm, the newly established Open Quantum Institute The Institute will foster pioneering technological solutions that will benefit society while helping to avoid the creation of a new technological gap in our world We believe that the only way to shape the future is to do it in a sustainable and inclusive way Access to science and technology must remain open to all the cutting-edge tools that we develop must be shared with society and we have to keep a keen eye on their environmental impact To fulfil our challenging mission and to carry out our impactful projects we will keep investing in attracting the best talents who believe in and share our objectives Mount Vernon's top lawyer pleaded not guilty today following his indictment in what state prosecutors allege was a $365,000 scheme to use city water department money to fund Mayor Richard Thomas' criminal-defense legal bills and hire a public relations firm.  was arraigned on felony charges including corruption and grand larceny after surrendering to authorities earlier in the morning Westchester County Judge David Zuckerman released Porcari without bail Porcari had to surrender his passport and his travel is restricted to the tri state area Porcari declined to say anything as he left the courthouse with his lawyer "We're looking forward to a speedy resolution at which time we hope Mr Porcari will be vindicated of all these charges," the lawyer The most serious charge in the seven-count indictment first-degree corrupting the government, carries mandatory incarceration and is punishable by up to 25 years in prison Porcari was also charged with one count each of second-degree grand larceny and defrauding the government and four counts of offering a false instrument for filing In a joint press release with Attorney General Letitia James state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said Porcari "violated both his duty as a public servant and as an attorney by diverting public money and falsifying records." "New York has zero tolerance for those who cheat taxpayers MAYORAL CANDIDATES: Weight in on Mount Vernon indictment Porcari was indicted by the same grand jury that voted not to charge Thomas after hearing evidence about the use of city water department funds to pay for the mayor's legal bills running for a second term and facing a stiff challenge in the June 25 Democratic primary is still facing grand larceny and false statement charges He is accused of stealing $12,900 from his campaign committee and failing to report on city ethics forms more than $75,000 he received from his inaugural committee and several individuals and companies. His trial is scheduled for July 8 City Council President Andre Wallace and Shawyn Patterson-Howard "It's time to stop pretending that the buck doesn't stop with Mayor Thomas that it's always someone else's fault," said Wallace who later penned a letter to Thomas demanding Porcari's ouster and they have repeatedly acted like the rules don't apply to them." who recently hosted a Town Hall on integrity in government said public officials cannot use their positions for financial gain "Mount Vernon cannot afford any more indicted elected officials," she wrote on  a post to Medium.com "We cannot afford any elected officials who misuse and attempt to defraud the  people." stopped short of calling on the mayor to step down but said he was clearly responsible for what Porcari did Isley questioned how the mayor can expect taxpayers to fund his criminal defense and suggested that water-rate hikes coincided with the mayor's personal need for money.   "It appears that he knowingly sought counsel regarding use of water department funds to pay his legal expenses and seemingly has no problem doing so," Isley said in a statement Councilman Marcus Griffith said Thomas should be held responsible because he's the sole beneficiary of Porcari's alleged scheme "The Mayor is in charge of these agencies and he either knows what went on or he's willfully blind to what's going on," Griffith said Thomas issued a statement defending his administration's top lawyer and predicting he would be vindicated He cited instances in which Porcari had obtained court orders blocking obstruction of the Thomas administration by the city council and comptroller "I have the highest confidence in Corporation Counsel Porcari’s legal judgment as he has served with distinction since joining my administration in 2016," Thomas said "Larry did nothing wrong and everyone must remember that an indictment is simply an accusation based on allegations that must be proven in court." He suggested that the charges were based on the same "false narrative" that grand jurors rejected by choosing not to indict him He said it was part of the "Rich-hunt being facilitated by political enemies."  The Journal News/lohud reported extensively last spring on Thomas' efforts to have the city Board of Estimate & Contract retain the firm of Boies Schiller Flexner for unspecified purposes as well as the hiring of the public relations firm, Todd Shapiro Associates The PR firm was already working for Thomas as of the day of his arrest in March 2018 And within weeks Thomas was being represented in his criminal case by Randall Jackson The PR firm stepped down two months later after Thomas' indictment An official said they had been paid but refused to disclose how much or the source of the payment A spokesman for the law firm on Wednesday would say only that they were cooperating with the Attorney General's investigation Asked if the firm has returned any of the water department money The misappropriated money came from the Mount Vernon Board of Water Supply which runs the city water department as a separate agency outside the oversight of the city comptroller Prosecutors contend that Porcari arranged for water department funds to go to the lawyers as well as the public relations firm he directed more water department money to go to a second law firm representing Thomas.   "To further the scheme, Porcari allegedly submitted memorandums to the Board of Water Supply for “emergency” payments to the law firms including memorandums containing false statements," according to the press release Prosecutors have not publicly identified any of the firms that got water department money who lives in Yonkers, has run the city's law department since Thomas took office in January 2016 He has also served as the vice chairman of the Industrial Development Agency He had previously worked as an associate lawyer in the office of the Yonkers Corporation Counsel He has been the point man regarding several controversial moves by the Thomas administration it was Porcari who signed a contract for the emergency demolition of a home while bypassing the rules requiring the involvement of the city council and the Board of Estimate and Contract When the comptroller refused to pay and the contractor sued Porcari settled the lawsuit for the entire amount.  He was among the administration officials who successfully sued then Comptroller Maureen Walker and the city council when they tried to block their employment because they did not live in Mount Vernon His living in Yonkers did not violate residency requirements Porcari is the latest member of the mayor’s administration to face legal trouble a deputy police commissioner in charge of the parking bureau pleaded guilty last month to a federal insurance fraud charge admitting the unauthorized use of someone else’s credit to get more than $7,000 worth of plastic surgery Buildings Commissioner Dan Jones was charged with DWI in New Rochelle in January after driving his city SUV into a car and a tree and onto a sidewalk He had eight license suspensions at the time a key campaign advisor who Thomas made his deputy police commissioner was pulled over by a New Rochelle police officer in February when he was seen using the siren on his city SUV to get around traffic He was cited for driving with a suspended license but pleaded guilty to a violation of not having his license with him at the time and paid a $100 fine OSWEGO – The Oswego Players is bringing a thrilling double feature to the Frances Marion Brown theater this weekend March 10 a presentation of two plays from the Donald McCann Memorial Playwriting Contest as three siblings are involved in the production The evening begins with Anton Porcari’s Kleptocracy (directed by Donald Crowe) a captivating political drama that explores the combative relationship between a dictator and his protestors The play shines a spotlight on corruption and its causes as a shameless tyrant does whatever it takes to stay in power will make audiences roll in the aisles laughing This play was written and directed by Anton’s older brother Nicholas Gentile Crimes of Passion is a courtroom farce in which a charming tango instructor must seduce his way out of murder charges The play is filled with clever choreography The siblings’ sister Katerina Porcari also plays an essential role in the production backstage Her role of working as stage hand ensures that both plays can run smoothly Katerina’s involvement in the production is a testament to their family’s commitment to the theatrical arts Nicholas and Anton tied in the Playwriting Contest so both of them were chosen to be presented “The whole show has roots in sibling rivalry,” says Katerina The Oswego Players have a long-standing history of bringing quality theatre productions to the community Their productions are well-known for their exceptional acting there will be a reception with light refreshments Refreshments will also be served during intermission and after each production This production is “pay what you wish” with all of the proceeds benefitting the Don McCann Memorial Playwriting Contest fund Get your tickets now by calling 315-343-5138 or you can purchase tickets online at www.oswegoplayers.org And then prepare for an evening of intrigue The production features two standout one-act plays that placed in the 2022 Don McCann Memorial Playwriting Contest. Performances will be March 10th, 11th, and 12th at the Francis Marion Brown Theater in Oswego.  For information and tickets visit www.oswegoplayers.org or call the box office at 315-343-5138 Print this entry Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email CHATHAM – The mission of The Artful Hand Gallery is simple: offer beautiful functional American-made products with a focus on arts and crafts a reflection of the craft scene of the previous decade “I love working with artists,” Porcari said Liz Adrian became a co-owner of the business and has added her flair for for all things text and I’m a great cookbook reader,” Adrian said In addition to a well-curated cookbook collection the gallery features handcrafted furniture from artists around the country and on the Cape About 75 percent of the gallery’s products are American-made Some of the gallery’s most popular products include Sticks furniture from Des Moines Iowa; Margo Morrison New York jewelry; Artel glassware made in Prague by American designer Karen Feldman; and Cape Cod Seagulls the gallery started offering its products for sale online which now accounts for about 20 percent of the shop’s business While the landscape of retail continues to change “You would think people aren’t making crafts anymore What’s the most important thing your business does Porcari: The 1970s and early 1980s were kind of a heyday for American craft galleries There’s been a change because of the proliferation of imports and the decline of the middle class A lot of things that were affordable 50 years ago aren’t now our mission was 100 percent American-made products The focus is still American-made and the tradition of American craft galleries We embody more eclectic products than what would be the case 30 years ago Adrian: You can find anything almost anywhere The way people respond to products is important The most exciting thing is to have all the products in one small space Shopping should be fun and a little surprising I somehow got into the business thinking it would be temporary A: I have a background in theater – acting How many employees did you have when you started In the summer we have about 10 employees; in the off-season we have four How has the industry changed since you started P: Retail is a lot more difficult today than it was 30 years ago What’s the best part about having a business on the Cape P: Being in one of the most beautiful places in the world People come from all over the world to enjoy the Cape A: You never know who’s going to walk through the door What’s the biggest challenge about having a business on the Cape I think we’re lucky in Chatham to have a great walking town What are your plans for your business’s future A: We want more friends on Facebook to “like” us What’s been your most memorable moment in the business The most memorable moments are when you can really help someone What advice do you have for someone starting a business on the Cape A: I feel that community-building is really big I feel that would be a good way to get connected with other businesses P: Try to devise a business that can sustain itself year-round It’s great if you can come up with a formula that can work year-round Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker A fire department captain who died while battling a Newark Valley fire has been honored by being inducted to the Owego-Apalachin School District Wall of Fame Matthew Porcari was 34 at the time of his death in January He was a 1997 graduate of Owego Free Academy Porcari's name was added to the Wall of Fame at the high school in a ceremony held Wednesday evening 1961 OFA graduate George Truesdail also was honored at the induction event Matthew Porcari was 34 at the time of his death in January. He was a 1997 graduate of Owego Free Academy...\nRead More A fired senior bookkeeper for the Mount Vernon Board of Water Supply must be reinstated and paid more than two years of back wages after an appellate court ruled that the proper procedures for firing him were not followed Anthony Della Mura was suspended and targeted for termination in 2018 due to overtime pay the administration of then-Mayor Richard Thomas said he was not entitled to He claimed the real reason he was disciplined was he had uncovered a scheme by city lawyer Lawrence Porcari to use water funds to pay for Thomas’ defense in a criminal case related to his campaign finances Lawsuit: Lawsuit alleges harassment, retaliation against Mount Vernon water department bookkeeper Thomas ultimately pleaded guilty and was forced from office in 2019 Although Porcari never personally benefited from the money diverted from the water department he was convicted of grand larceny and corrupting the government and is serving a 1-to-3-year prison term Porcari served as the hearing officer in the disciplinary proceedings against Della Mura in November 2018 But he never submitted a report of his findings to the Board of Water Supply as was required before discipline could be imposed The board runs the water department as a quasi-independent agency of city government Thomas and Porcari were no longer in City Hall when Della Mura was fired on Dec A state Supreme Court judge ruled against Della Mura last year finding that Porcari had made a verbal recommendation to the agency the Appellate Division Second Department ruled that without a written report with findings and recommendations Even if the city ultimately terminates him properly Della Mura is entitled to his job back and the wages and benefits he would have gotten since 2019 Della Mura could not be reached and his lawyer declined to comment The city settled Della Mura’s federal lawsuit for $46,000 late last year who was the mayor for the final six months of 2019 He knew Della Mura and was on good terms with him but also said he thought he had already been fired because he was no longer working and had the pending federal lawsuit Water Commissioner Carlton Spruill had only been on the job for three months at that point and said he did not recall the termination There did not appear to be any court records documenting the actual firing It was only referenced in a February 2020 letter from a water department employee to the state civil service department seeking an end to Della Mura's health benefits because of the firing on the last day of the previous year Spruill referred questions to the city's lawyer who said he was reviewing the ruling and had no immediate comment CERN and the World Food Programme (WFP) took a significant step in formalising their partnership by signing a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) This MoC paves the way for joint initiatives in which CERN’s cutting-edge technologies – including artificial intelligence and quantum computing – will be made available to support WFP’s worldwide efforts in the fight against hunger our understanding of how hunger develops and evolves relies on technological innovations in particular to analyse the large amounts of data needed to monitor situations and prepare humanitarian responses Having access to the most appropriate computing technologies can make a huge difference and lead to a more efficient and accurate decision-making process enabling early actions to be taken that save lives “We are grateful for CERN’s collaborative spirit and forward-thinking vision which enable us to harness the potential of technology and innovation in our ongoing battle against hunger,” says Dominik Heinrich “WFP has always embraced innovation and partnerships like the one with CERN to further empower our mission ultimately benefiting millions of people worldwide.” The areas that could benefit from the new cooperation framework are broad and innovative Earth observation techniques for crisis indicators and early warning signals been investing in ways to improve its work by embracing innovative technologies and processes and I am happy that our expertise will contribute to this effort,” says Enrica Porcari “I am confident that by making premier technological innovations available to WFP CERN will effectively contribute to saving and changing the lives of so many people worldwide.” This complex network is organised in tiers: Tier 0 is the CERN Data Centre; Tier 1 centres are powerful computing farms capable of providing permanent storage of raw data; and Tier 2 centres are additional data centres located in various collaborating institutes worldwide The MoU signed on 9 December in Serbia marks a decisive step towards the country becoming a WLCG Tier 1 centre The Serbian data centre will initially receive data from the CMS experiment “The signature of this MoU is a testimony to the vision of the Serbian government and the Serbian scientific community and their commitment towards the CERN research programme “We are impressed by the computing infrastructure that Serbia is making available to the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid I am sure that this MoU will consolidate even further the longstanding relationship between CERN and Serbia and will contribute to realising our common vision to become a springboard for scientific collaboration here and worldwide CERN continues to be committed to the co-development and sharing of knowledge with its MoU partners in the spirit of scientific progress.” The new recycled containerboard machine that DS Smith will install at its Porcari mill in Italy will start up a little later than originally planned The machine was supposed to come online in mid-2025... Service Customer Service+49 7224 9397-701servicenoSpam@GO-AWAYeuwid.de Editorial Team+49 7224 9397-0papernoSpam@GO-AWAYeuwid.com Get the latest news about developments and trends in the industry sent to you once a week free of charge by newsletter Sign up for our newsletter We use cookies and external services on our website others enhance your user experience or help us improve this website You can change your privacy settings any time by clicking privacy policy Necessary cookies are required for the correct functioning of the website Content from video platforms and map services is blocked by default. If access to these services is accepted, separate consent is no longer required when using them. You can find more information on the individual external services in our privacy policy. Embed on your websiteClose×Copy the code below to embed the WBUR audio player on your site<iframe width="100%" height="124" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://player.wbur.org/news/2020/12/29/covid-impact-family"></iframe> Around 12,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Massachusetts. The high numbers can obscure their individual stories and the stories of their families. And some families have been hit particularly hard. Julio Salado is a 46-year-old personal trainer. He recently became an emergency medical technician, too. Salado lives in Malden with his girlfriend, 51-year-old Liz Porcari. This past spring, Salado's father, 75-year old Rafael Salado II, died of COVID. He'd been living at a long-term care facility in Boston. Then in the fall, Porcari fell ill with COVID. Salado then tested positive and developed symptoms. He has recovered but is still caring for Porcari, who's struggling with complications. Talking with WBUR's All Things Considered host Lisa Mullins about this difficult year, Julio Salado recounted going to see his dad in the hospital to say goodbye. Lisa Mullins: Your parents were divorced, but they stayed friends through their lives, and as you say, they were first loves. So that was in May. In November, your girlfriend with whom you live, Liz Porcari, was diagnosed as being COVID-positive. She's been sick for about a month now. Liz, can you tell us how you're doing? Liz Porcari: "I'm OK. I have a fever that has gone on since I first got the virus, so that feels very strange. My throat, you can hear it's not quite great. And chills and fatigue … I was really surprised to test positive … I was kind of shocked to see the letter that said you've tested positive." Liz Porcari: "Yeah, I felt like we were really serious about it. You know, we were in good shape. And I wouldn't have said that we would be, like, prime candidates to get sick. And I certainly wouldn't have expected to stay sick this long. And I've been working the entire time, because I'm in retail and it's the Christmas season, holiday season." Julio Salado and his girlfriend, Liz Porcari, have both had COVID-19 in the last month. He recovered, but she is still mostly bedridden with symptoms including fever, cough and extreme fatigue. (Courtesy)What do you do and how have you still been doing it? Liz Porcari: "I am the retail director for the [Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston]. And I just have been sitting in bed with my laptop and phone." We wish you a good recovery, and a whole recovery. Julio, you're a fitness instructor. Have you been able to continue that at all during this time? Julio Salado: "When I first tested positive, no, my symptoms were way too overwhelming. I mean, because you would think because it's a virtual online [class] that you can just maybe sit on the chair and just to tell people [what exercises to do]. No, you’re completely zapped. And I couldn't waste my energy on trying to force myself to do anything physical or coach people." You became an emergency medical technician after your father died. That's a front-line position at a really difficult time. Why did you do it? "There are people who care for their neighbors, I guess, and it took a pandemic to really bring it out of everybody." So this has been a pretty incredible year for you both. I wonder, looking back, if you have any particular reflections aside from just wanting to get better. Lisa Mullins Host, All Things ConsideredLisa Mullins is the voice of WBUR’s All Things Considered. She anchors the program, conducts interviews and reports from the field. Lynn Jolicoeur Producer/ReporterLynn Jolicoeur is a senior producer and reporter Mayor Richard Thomas' criminal defense lawyers from Florida cannot represent Mount Vernon's top lawyer on charges that he illegally steered $365,000 of city water funds to pay Thomas' personal legal bills and public relations efforts who are not admitted to practice law in New York sought permission to represent Corporation Counsel Lawrence Porcari in his corruption case But Westchester County Judge David Zuckerman sided with prosecutors from the state Attorney General's Office who sought to block the two lawyers because they were potential witnesses in the case in large part because they received more than half the money released Friday, revealed for the first time how much the Florida lawyers received — $225,000 in three checks from the Mount Vernon Board of Water Supply to Kuehne's law firm in October and November 2018 and this March a New York lawyer who has represented Porcari responded to messages d for comment.  Porcari was indicted in late May on charges of corruption The remaining $140,000 went to another law firm and the PR firm of Todd Shapiro & Associates which represented Thomas mostly on matters related to his criminal case between his arrest in March 2018 and his indictment two months later whose then-partner Randall Jackson represented Thomas from just before his indictment until late October The exact amount that Boies Schiller and the PR firm received has not been publicly released The ruling also connects the timing of Jackson's departure from the case in late October to his notification by prosecutors that the payments from the water department were not authorized and were under investigation all three checks written out to Kuehne's firm came after the investigation was revealed to Pizzi and Kuehne The same grand jury that charged Porcari did not indict Thomas He testified before the grand jury and said following Porcari's indictment that he had acted on Porcari's advice stood by the corporation counsel and rejected calls for his ouster That was the case for which Pizzi and Kuehne were representing him Porcari wrote a July 11 memo to department heads blasting the council's actions as illegal and directing them to continue recognizing Thomas as mayor. Days later he was suspended by Wallace Thomas still occupies the mayor's office in City Hall insisting that he remains mayor because his plea agreement with state prosecutors called for him to step down Sept The application Pizzi and Kuehne filed to represent Porcari is called pro hac vice, or "for this occasion" in Latin Such motions are usually granted as a formality if the lawyers are in good standing in their home states Pizzi and Kuehne were granted it by a different judge in Thomas' case but not before a thorough review of potential conflicts because they had ties to Joseph Spiezio and his Florida garbage company Spiezio was a key campaign advisor to Thomas and became his deputy police commissioner He also used his Westchester companies to pay off $8,000 of Thomas' personal credit card bills before and after Thomas' election in November 2015 State Supreme Court Justice Barry Warhit granted the application by Pizzi and Kuehne after warning Thomas of the potential conflicts and getting his assurance that he still wanted them as his lawyers County Judge Zuckerman did not let it get that far because in Porcari's case his potential lawyers themselves were the likely witnesses He also found that they could have a conflict if they had to call Thomas as a witness to explain why Porcari procured the money for the mayor.  how could moving counsel competently examine Thomas Judges have to balance a defendant's 6th Amendment right to counsel with the need for them to be represented by lawyers free of conflicts Zuckerman cited case law that a client requires not just "meaningful" representation but also "assistance of counsel that is conflict-free and single-mindedly devoted to the client's best interests." INDICTED: Mount Vernon lawyer accused of steering water funds to mayor's attorneys TIMELINE: Mount Vernon's mayoral mess This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. A new study by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) finds that bouncing on a mini trampoline for less than 20 minutes is just as good for you as running but feels better and is a lot more more fun The researchers gave a group of 24 fit college kids a mini trampoline and popped in a 19-minute trampoline exercise video They measured the jumpers’ heart rates and oxygen expenditure every minute Trampolining was found to be moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise: with about the same physical effects as running six miles per hour Yet when people were asked to rate how exerted they felt they gave scores more consistent with light-to-moderate intensity—suggesting that the workout felt easier than it should have That’s one of the upsides to bouncing on a trampoline besides conditioning your calf and leg muscles “One downside of running is that it can lead to orthopedic injuries,” says study author John Porcari professor of exercise and sport science at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse But even though the motions are similar in jumping causing the impact forces on the feet and lower extremities to ease up “It absorbs the shock instead of you pounding on the pavement and that makes it seem easier than it is.” It’s also, obviously, a lot of fun—no small factor when it comes to getting people to exercise, which Americans are notoriously loath to do “When you’re following along to a video or doing something fun the enjoyment factor overrides the fact that you’re working hard,” Porcari says “You just focus on having fun.” Write to Mandy Oaklander at mandy.oaklander@time.com Mount Vernon water funds were used to pay the criminal defense lawyer for Daniel  Jones the city building commissioner charged in January with driving while intoxicated Attorney Thomas Vallely's receipt of $25,000 from the Mount Vernon Board of Water Supply created the conflict that blocked him from representing Lawrence Porcari Porcari is accused of steering $365,000 from the water department to criminal defense lawyers for his boss and for a public relations firm that did work for Thomas after his March 2018 arrest.  but was not indicted by the grand jury that charged his administration's top lawyer Porcari on Wednesday finally settled on a lawyer Stephen Lewis, to represent him in the case Part of the delay was Porcari's efforts to retain lawyers who themselves had received money from the water department - a move Westchester County Judge David Zuckerman called "audacious" it was the Florida lawyers who represented Thomas and who were blocked by Zuckerman in part because they could be witnesses in the case against Porcari PORCARI: Still no lawyer for ex-Mount Vernon corporation counsel CONFLICT: Thomas' Florida lawyers can't rep Porcari SHAKEUP: Jones out in Mount Vernon building department who appeared with Porcari last week and again on Wednesday before he was replaced Lewis said he was still getting familiar with the case but that the crux of the defense was that no crime was committed "Mistakes may have been made but that doesn't render them criminal," he said "And not one dime went to Larry Porcari for his benefit." Lewis said that the water department has customarily been used to pay for things in city government because it regularly has money on hand The Mount Vernon Board of Water Supply is run from City Hall and is overseen by the mayor but its finances are independent of the city comptroller who became acting mayor following Thomas' conviction, to rail against it as a "black box" agency that Thomas used to circumvent city financing rules to pay lawyers "This latest development is disgusting," Wallace said after learning about the payments to Vallely "Rest assured I will not rest until every single dollar is accounted for and returned back to the people While Porcari is accused of directing the payments that went to Thomas' lawyers accused of driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.25 percent when he smashed his city SUV into a parked car and a tree Jones' license had been suspended for two years before that something city officials either ignored or didn't know when they gave him the SUV Vallely represented Jones at his arraignment Jan the same day the water department issued a check to him for $15,000. A second check The water department this week could not find any specific paperwork detailing what the payments were for who was not responsible for department finances until recently, said Wednesday he had never heard of Vallely Jones' DWI case is still pending in New Rochelle City Coand Vallely remains his lawyer.   As he left Westchester County Court Wednesday Vallely refused to answer any questions about why he had accepted water department funds and why the city agency was paying for Jones' representation Receive emails when new obituariesare published to our website the Dimbleby Funeral Homes have been caring for families during the most difficult time of their lives Our commitment to excellence and our passion for providing exceptional service to the families we are privileged to serve is unsurpassed in our area Our team of caring professionals will assist your family in creating a meaningful personalized and memorable ceremony to honor your loved one Our commitment to you is to provide exceptional service to every family Smith Funeral Home Your browser may not work with certain site. Upgrade now. Toscotec-supplied TM 12 is geared for an annual production capacity of 35,000 t of tissue Italy's tissue paper and products manufacturer Lucart has fired up its new tissue machine TM 12 at the company's site in Porcari The Toscotec-supplied tissue machine has a web width of 2,85 m and can produce 35,000 tpy of virgin and recovered fibre based tissue The TM 12 replaced an existing paper machine that used to produce machine-glazed (MG) kraft paper for flexible packagin the new tissue machine will be "dedicated to premium products with higher bulk and superior hand feel." This article is part of our coverage on Lucart Group and Toscotec To stay current on news from Italy's and European tissue paper and products industry check our website or follow us on social media