Issued on: 20/01/2020 - 05:58Modified: 20/01/2020 - 05:56

Sydney (AFP)

"Apocalyptic" dust storms swept across drought-stricken areas of Australia over the weekend, with thunder and giant hail battering the east coast, as extreme weather patterns collided in the bushfire-fatigued country.

The southern city of Melbourne was lashed by huge hailstones late Sunday and fire-ravaged parts of Victoria state overnight received heavy rainfall, prompting new extreme weather alerts.

Australia has since October been overwhelmed by an unprecedented bushfire season made worse by climate change.

Swathes of the country have burned, hundreds of millions of animals have died, more than 2,000 homes have been destroyed and at least 29 lives have been lost.

Dramatic images captured over the weekend from western New South Wales show a massive wall of dust rolling through outback towns. Locals reported being cast into darkness in the middle of the day.

"We are used to the ritual and rush of bringing in washing, turning air cons off, closing windows and doors, before a big dust storm hits," Ashleigh Hull from the rural town of Dubbo told AFP.

This one was "more spectacular" than the typical dust storm, she added.

"It was honestly like an apocalyptic movie, a huge wave coming towards us, really quite impressive, but I just wish it actually brought a good amount of rain, not dust."

Violent hail storms pelted the capital Canberra Monday, with footage showing the storm ripping branches off trees.

Emergency services were warning people there to "move cars undercover and away from trees and power lines".

The bureau of meteorology told people in the southeast of New South Wales to be "well prepared" for the approaching storm.

"Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging, locally destructive winds, large, possibly giant hailstones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours," the bureau said.

In Victoria, where bushfires continue to smoulder, heavy rainfall overnight was welcomed in fire grounds in the north, but authorities said it also brought with it new dangers.

State Premier Daniel Andrews said the rain meant "much more dangerous conditions" for those operating heavy machinery to get into areas damaged by bushfires, while landslides complicated efforts to open up closed roads.

The wet weather has brought a reprieve for many fire grounds along the east coast, but authorities remain on high alert, warning that the bushfire season still has weeks to run.

2020 AFP

Read more:
Dust storms and giant hail batter bushfire-weary Australia - FRANCE 24

Amongst the stack of black-and-white press photos that document the Profumo Affair the sex and spies scandal that shook up the 1960s there are lots of well-thumbed shots of the affairs It girls, Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies. With their bouffant hairdos, neat twin-sets and feline-flicked eyes, they make the whole thing seem unutterably glamorous. Then there are the snaps of disgraced minister, John Profumo, once a rising star of the Conservative government, looking suitably humiliated as he drives away from Parliament and out of politics.

There is also a haunting image of Stephen Ward the man at the centre of it all and the only person who didnt survive it that reveals both the scale of his personal downfall and the really dark heart of this scandal. The gifted osteopath, who once counted the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Frank Sinatra amongst his glittering clientele, lies comatose on a stretcher. Ward was the scapegoat for everyones bad behaviour and he paid for it with his life. Three days after the picture was taken, he was dead.

Want to know even more about the real events from history that inspired the drama? Read more

Rewind two years. Its 1961 and National Service has been abolished, John F Kennedy has been sworn in as the youngest-ever elected president of the United States, betting shops are legal, and Elvis and the Everly Brothers top the charts. The British are finally stepping out of the shadow of World War II life is for living, opportunities are there for the taking and things are on the up.

London is a hub for happening people, and glamour, quick wits and sheer pluck can get you far. Creative types and chancers are descending on the capital, post-war migration from the Commonwealth is lighting up popular culture, and the in crowd is an eclectic blend of the well-heeled and working-class movers and shakers.

In an upstairs flat at 17 Wimpole Mews in Marylebone, Stephen Ward is with his latest protge 19-year-old Christine Keeler. Ward had discovered her two years earlier, working as a showgirl in Murrays Cabaret Club in Soho. Soon she was living with him and revealing an unseemly delight for setting up liaisons between alley cats and aristos Ward introduced her to his party-loving chums. Ward knew everyone and where the action could be found. His nickname was The Fixer.

Yet while Londons social scene was hotting up, the Cold War an international power struggle of capitalism versus communism was sending a chill through British politics. In May 1961, ten years after the defection of suspected spies Burgess and Maclean to Russia, MI6 mole George Blake was charged with passing top-secret documents to Moscow and sentenced to 42 years in prison. Politics was awash with intelligence and counter-intelligence, nobody was above suspicion and anyone could be a spy.

The Secretary of State for War at the time of the scandal that took his name, John Profumo resigned from the cabinet in June 1963. He subsequently devoted himself to Toynbee Hall, a charitable organisation in the East End of London that supports communities in poverty. He began by washing dishes, helping with the playgroup and collecting rents. Later, he served with the charitys council, then eventually president. His reputation redeemed in the eyes of many, he was awarded the CBE in 1975 and sat next to the Queen at Margaret Thatchers 70th birthday party. He continued as a volunteer at Toynbee Hall until his death, aged 91, in 2006.

Wards successful osteopathy practice and sideline as a portrait artist made him many important friends, including Lord Astor, Yevgeny Ivanov and John Profumo. The security services MI5 and MI6 used Ward to supply information on his society contacts and he knew of their attempt to persuade Russian naval attach Yevgeny Ivanov to become a double agent.

Keeler grew up in a converted railway carriage in Berkshire. In her teens she moved to London where she was discovered by Stephen Ward. Her relationships with a Tory minister and a Soviet diplomat made her a household name. Just months after Profumos resignation, Keeler was jailed for lying under oath at the trial of Lucky Gordon. After her release in 1964, she bought a house in Marylebone with money she received from the now-defunct News of the Worldnewspaper.

Solihull-raised Rice-Davies was just 16 when she met Keeler at Murrays Cabaret Club. Keeler introduced her to Ward and Ward introduced her to his friends. She never met John Profumo, but was called as a witness at Wards trial. In 2013, along with two of Britains most senior lawyers, Rice-Davies called for the guilty verdict of Stephen Ward to be overturned.

It was at Lord Bill Astors family estate, Cliveden, that Profumo and Keeler first met. During Wards trial, when Astor denied a liaison with Mandy Rice-Davies, she famously quipped: Well, he would, wouldnt he?

Russian naval attach, Yevgeny Ivanov regularly met up with Keeler at the same time as she was seeing Profumo. He was targeted by MI5, who wanted to persuade him to become a double agent. Before the scandal broke, he was recalled to Moscow.

Aloysius Lucky Gordon, a British-based Jamaican jazz singer, was involved with Keeler while she was seeing Johnny Edgecombe. In June 1963, Gordon was jailed for assaulting Keeler. She was later charged with perjury.

Antiguan-born dope-dealer Johnny Edgecombe fired the gunshots at Stephen Wards home, which led to the scandalous revelations that became known as the Profumo Affair.

The portentous event took place at Cliveden House, an ostentatious country pile in Taplow, Buckinghamshire, owned by Lord Bill Astor. Those present included Stephen Ward, osteopath to the wealthy and well connected, Yevgeny Ivanov, a Soviet naval attach and, most notably, Conservative cabinet minister John Jack Profumo and teenage showgirl Christine Keeler.

Whether anybody thought to remember that one sultry summers evening in July 1961 is a matter of supposition. Was it by accident or design that the politician and the party girl first came across each other? Could anyone have predicted that this brief encounter would have such far-reaching repercussions that would shake the establishment to its core?

Mandy Rice-Davies (left) and Christine Keeler, the two teenagers who found themselves caught up in the 1960s Profumo scandal. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

In The Spectator in 2014, Lord Astors son, William, recalled the fateful meeting at Cliveden following a dinner party.

Laughter was heard coming from the pool and some of the dinner guests drifted across the garden to see what the commotion was about, he writes, adding that it was there that two worlds collided.

First into the walled garden was Valerie Profumo, who anxiously covered up a topless Christine Keeler with a towel before the other guests arrived, he continued. But Christine had already been spotted by Jack Profumo.

That Keeler was at Cliveden was down to Ward, who lived in one of the estates cottages and had asked to make use of the pool after all the dinner guests had headed inside. Profumo was smitten and, spurred on by Ward, he and Keeler embarked on a short-lived affair until he ended it. And that was that. However, what prevented this tawdry tale from being brushed under the carpet was the fact that Profumo was the Secretary of State for War and Keeler was also involved with Soviet naval attach Yevgeny Ivanov.

There were whispers of pillow talk had Keeler extracted secrets from the Secretary of State for War and passed them on to a Russian spy? The rumours reached Fleet Street but, thanks to the (then) British tradition of respecting the private lives of British politicians, the affair didnt make the papers. All was well until an incident at Stephen Wards flat five months later blew any hopes of a cover-up out the water.

Post-Profumo, Keeler hooked up with several men including Jamaican singer Aloysius Lucky Gordon and Antiguan-born Johnny Edgecombe. While neither of these men had any direct connection to the scandal their involvement with Keeler which included Gordon holding her hostage for two days while wielding an axe, and Edgecombe then slashing Gordons face with a knife led to the affair becoming public knowledge.

Following the knife incident, Edgecombe asked Keeler to get him a solicitor so he could hand himself in to police before Gordon sought revenge. Keeler, allegedly jealous that Edgecombe had taken another lover, refused to help him and even said she planned to give evidence against him in court.

Edgecombe was incandescent and Keeler sought sanctuary at Wards flat in Wimpole Mews. At lunchtime on 14 December 1962, Edgecombe leapt out of a minicab clutching a pistol, shouting for Christine. When Keeler, who was holed up with her friend Mandy Rice-Davies, refused to let him in, he fired a volley of shots at the front door.

No one was hurt and Edgecombe was arrested, which was hardly stop-the-press news. However, this was what the papers had been waiting for. The incident provided an opportunity for Fleet Streets finest to dig deeper into those Profumo-Keeler-Ivanov rumours and, the following day, Edgecombes appearance in court made the front page of The Telegraph. At his Old Bailey trial three months later, Edgecombe was acquitted of assaulting Gordon, but jailed for seven years for possessing a firearm. Keeler didnt show up, stoking press interest anew.

Over in the House of Commons, Labour MP George Wigg, in an obvious swipe at the Tories, forced Profumos hand. He raised the issue of the rumours surrounding Profumos relationship with Keeler. Not, he claimed, to embarrass the Secretary of State for War, but because the Ivanov connection was a matter of national security. Profumo told Parliament that he knew Keeler but vehemently denied that there was any impropriety in their relationship.

His convincing denial diffused the situation for a while, but the press refused to let it lie. Reporters dusted off their wallets and people started talking. Mandy Rice-Davies let slip that Keeler had had sexual relationships with Profumo and Ivanov, prompting Keeler to confess that she had indeed dated both men. What had been cocktail-party gossip had grown into a scandal of mammoth proportions.

Profumo was forced to admit to Parliament that Keeler had been his mistress and that he had lied to the Commons. Sex, lies and Soviets? This was the stuff that could topple a government. He had to resign, which he did on 4 June 1963.

The pressure was now on the Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan. He refused to quit but, realising he had to do something, he called on respected English lawyer and judge Lord Denning to lead an inquiry into the circumstances leading to the resignation of the former Secretary of State for War, Mr J D Profumo.

Denning concluded that there had been no breaches of security arising from the Ivanov connection and the primary responsibility for the scandal was with Profumo for giving a false statement in the House of Commons. The report, published in September 1963, was criticised as a whitewash, but it enabled Macmillan to hang on as Prime Minister.

The biggest scandal of the whole affair was Stephen Wards trial. Arrested days after Profumos resignation, he was brought before the Old Bailey on charges of procuring women and living off immoral earnings.

The son of a vicar and former tea salesman may have been a social climber and sexual voyeur, but he wasnt a pimp. Keeler and Rice-Davies were party girls who wouldnt turn down a gift from a grateful admirer, but they werent prostitutes. The premise of the trial was a farce, but it didnt bother the prosecution.

Society osteopath Dr Stephen Ward, a leading figure in the Profumo affair. (Photo by George Freston/Fox Photos/Getty Images)

In court, Keeler affirmed she had sex with John Profumo and two other men, who had each given her money and gifts. During cross-examination she confessed that some of this cash was paid to Ward for rent, electricity and food while living at his flat. Rice-Davies (whod been arrested by a corrupt Scotland Yard officer and was told shed only be let out of Holloway prison if she agreed to testify) also admitted receiving gifts and money some of which she gave to Ward for unpaid rent.

This evidence was all the prosecution needed and Wards defence lawyer a jovial man called James Burge, who was one of Wards patients was out of his league. Prosecutor Mervyn Griffith-Jones had established that Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies had taken money after having sex and had both given some of it to Ward. It was enough for a conviction.

Wards high society friends stayed well away, fearful of being tainted by the scandal. Not one of them came to testify in his favour something that the judge, Archie Pellow Marshall, picked up on. In his summing up he said: If Stephen Ward was telling the truth in the witness box, there are in this city many witnesses of high estate and low who could have come and testified in support of his evidence.

Ward returned to a friends flat, took some sleeping pills, and wrote notes to his closest friends. In one he penned: It is really more than I can stand the horror, day after day at the court and in the streets. It is not only fear, it is a wish not to let them get me. I would rather get myself. I do hope I have not let people down too much.

He was in a coma when the court found him guilty, and he died in hospital before the sentence could be passed. Ward, once a favourite of Londons fashionable society, had only six mourners at his funeral. By his grave lay a wreath of one hundred white carnations. A card, signed by the critic and writer Kenneth Tynan, simply said: To Stephen Ward, Victim of Hypocrisy.

Prior to the Profumo Affair, the Conservative Party had been steadily declining in popularity. Between 1957 and 1963, Harold Macmillan transformed from a confident premier, running a country where Britons had never had it so good, to a prime minister under pressure.

In July 1962, Macmillan sacked seven ministers, in what became known as the Night of the Long Knives. This ploy to boost the partys popularity didnt work and there was more bad news when Britains application to join the Common Market was rejected by France, dashing hopes for economic growth.

For the Macmillan regime, the timing of the Profumo affair couldnt have been worse. Sleaze delivered the final blow for a government seen as outdated, incompetent and out of step with the public mood. In October 1963, Macmillan, who had hoped to lead the Tories into the next election, resigned due to ill health.

He was replaced by the aristocratic Alec Douglas-Home, which was a gift for the opposition. The Labour Party pitched Harold Wilson as a man of the people and in the 1964 General Election the old order was out, Wilson was in Number 10 and a new era of politics had begun.

Anna Harris is a freelance journalist

This content first appeared in the Christmas 2016 issue of BBC History Revealed

Read more from the original source:
The Real History Of The Profumo Affair - BBC History Magazine

Some made us cry, some served as a wake-up call and some that just left a smile on our faces. #ThrowbackTo2019

Tonnes of stories in 2019 grabbed headlines, many went viral. Each one made its own impression on peoplesome made us cry, some served as a wake-up call and most rekindled our hopes in humanity.

The Better India (TBI) covered numerous stories of changemakers; people who proved that small acts of kindness can bring a huge change.

The year is nearing its end and a brand new decade is knocking on the doors. And what better way to usher in the new year by revisiting the stories of change, of a better and more inclusive world.

You can also spread joy and at the same protect the environment. Check thiscollection of great products created by artisans with disabilities.

Here are 10 inspiring and heartwarming stories covered by TBI in 2019:

1) With Re. 1 Idli & Rs 2.50 Dosa, This Grandma Has Fed Thousands of The Needy!

One video and 80-year-old Kamalathal Paati and her Re 1 steaming idlis set social media circles abuzz.

The octogenarian from Coimbatores Vadivelampalayam feeds hundreds of daily wage labourers and needy people every day.

Paati has been preparing idli for the last three decades. Around a decade ago, she changed the price of her idlis to meet rising costs; so now the 50 paise idlis are sold at Re. 1.

Once the video went viral, she earned loads of love and appreciation from netizens. Not only that, Bharat Petroleum (Coimbatore) also gifted her with a free gas cylinder, and stove.

Read more here.

2) Kerala Policewoman Shaves Head, Donates Waist-Length Hair For Children With Cancer

Going beyond the call of duty has always been Aparna Lavakumars forte and she proved it once again in September by going bald for a cause. The Senior Civil Police Officer (SCPO) in Irinjalakuda, Thrissur, donated her long and thick black hair to a non-profit organisation for cancer patients.

Going bald can be severely traumatic for children with cancer, who are already battling for life at such a young age. I wanted to support them by proving that baldness is not a matter of shame, she tells TBI.

Aparna took the decision after she met a class five boy in a school. She saw how the boy, who had been diagnosed with cancer, was not comfortable with his baldness.

Kudos to Aparna for setting an example for everyone!

Read more here.

3) Kanpur Tea-Seller Uses 80% Income to Educate 40 Needy Kids, Inspires VVS Laxman!

Being a tea vendor, Mohammad Mahboob Malik tries to save Rs 500 every day so that 40 children in his neighbourhood of Sharda Nagar in Kanpur can study without worrying about the finances.

Every month, the 29-year-old donates 80 per cent of his salary to meet the expenses of a school he has established with the help of an NGO. The expenses include salaries of teachers and items like uniforms, shoes, socks, bags and other stationery! The students receive an education in the school free of cost.

Seeing his selfless act, former cricketer VVS Laxman tweeted about his efforts.

This certainly was one of the well-deserved social media posts that went viral this year.

Read more here.

4) Proud of My Boy Who Scored 60%: Delhi Moms Viral Post Wins Hearts For Right Reasons!

When her son scored 60 per cent in CBSE class ten, Vandana Sufia took to social media to share her pride in her son and her happiness.

Little did she know that her post would go viral with more than 8,000 re-shares and close to 20,000 likes.

At a time when children are forced to meet unreasonable expectations in the field of academics, Vandanas announcement came as a breath of fresh air smelling of change.

Heres what she wrote:

Super proud of my boy who scored a 60% in Class 10 board exams. Yes, it is not a 90, but that doesnt change how I feel. Simply because I have seen him struggle with certain subjects almost to the point of giving up, and then deciding to give his all in the last month-and-a-half to finally make it through! Heres to you. And others like you fish asked to climb trees. Chart your own course in the big, wide ocean, my love. And keep your innate goodness, curiosity and wisdom alive. And of course, your wicked sense of humour!

Read more here.

5) Mumbai Couple Sets Up Breakfast Stall at 5 AM Daily, Reason Will Win Your Heart!

In September, a new breakfast stall serving delicacies like poha, sabudana, upma, khichi, Idli-chutney and parathas came up near Kandivali station in Mumbai.

A few days later, the couple and owners of the stall Ashwini Shenoy and Ankush Nilesh Shah, saw a rise in the number of customers. While the food was scrumptious, what led to this rise was the couples motive.

They run the stall on behalf of Bhavnaben Patel, their house cook. The idea of the stall came up when Patel refused to take financial help from Ashwini and Ankush for the medical treatment of her severely ill husband.

It would have been easier to accept financial aid from us, but she (Patel) just wanted more work to earn money and that won our hearts, says Ashwini who sells Bhavnabens food at the stall from 5.30 AM to 9.30 AM.

Despite having full-time jobs, the couple lend a helping hand to Bhavnaben every day.

If this is not humanity, then I dont know what is.

Read more here.

6) The 28-YO Auto Driver Who Raised Rs 1.5 Crore in 1 Month For Keralas Poor!

In December 2018, 28-year-old Sushanth Nilambur from Malappuram district of Kerala, started posting pictures and videos of people in urgent need of help.

His first video was for his brother who had met with an accident and was in urgent need of financial aid. The post led to Rs 2 lakhs being collected. In one month, Sushanth managed to raise Rs 1.5 crores for the needy in Kerala!

Read more here.

7) Seen the Pune Househelps Viral Visiting Card? Heres The Story Behind It!

In a matter of ten minutes, life changed for Geeta Kale.

Kale works as a househelp. When she told one of employersDhanashree Shinde that another employer had laid her off, Shinde quickly got a visiting card made for Kale. Not only that, Shinde also circulated the image of the card on Whatsapp among her friends and acquaintances.

Consequently, Kales phone was flooded with calls a few days later. The back to back calls were from people who had seen Kales visiting card, something that is uncommon among househelps.

People were eager to hire Kale for services including cleaning vessels, mopping, sweeping and washing clothes.

I remember the happiness I felt when we got the cards delivered. I gave Geeta a bunch and urged her to hand it over to the watchmen of the buildings where she worked and kept a few for myself, says Dhanashree.

Read more here.

8) Mysuru Man Quits Job, Takes 70-YO Mom Touring on a Scooter!

In October this year, business tycoon Anand Mahindra requested the Twitterati to help him connect with Dakshina Murthy Krishna Kumar from Mysuru.

The business tycoon wanted to gift the lucky man a Mahindra KUV 100 NXT.

Why?

Because in 2018, Dakshina quit his banking job and took his mother on a pilgrimage across the temples in India on a scooter.

Mahindra was so moved by Dakshinas love for his mother, that he decided to give him a car.

By the time the tweet went viral, the mother-son duo had covered around 48,000 KM on the scooter travelling to places like Nepal and Bhutan. They travelled during the day and stayed in dharamshalas or temples at night.

It is very rare to see such gestures by a son for his mother!

Read more here.

9) Twitter Reacts: Entire Flight Gives Heros Reception to ISRO Chief K Sivan!

One of the many ways in which the country thanked the ISRO chief K Sivan for his contributions was the loud applause on a flight in October this year.

Sivan was travelling economy class. As soon as he entered the flight, the crew started taking selfies. He not only obliged but was also kind enough to strike up a conversation.

In the viral video, Sivan can be seen smiling shyly at the overwhelming reception. It was heartwarming indeed, to see peoples love and respect for the eminent scientist.

Read more here.

10) Rs 17 lakh in 4 Days: How a Viral Social Media Post Saved a Starving Family in Kashmir

Four days after a video surfaced of a family starving to death in South Kashmirs Hapatnaar village, citizens from across the country donated blankets, bedsheets and a total of Rs 17 lakhs.

Ranjan Jotshi, a government official from the Social Welfare Department is the man behind changing the deplorable situation of 78-year-old Mouzudin Bhat and his family of five.

I visited them. The familys condition was very pitiful. The children had not eaten food for the last three or four days. Mouzudin Bhat, the only male member of the family and a senior citizen, was disabled after breaking his right leg in a fall at a building site eight years ago. Ive seen poverty in Kashmir before, but this is the first time I had seen people in this condition, Jotshi told The Better India.

After buying kitchen essentials like bread, milk, vegetables, edible oil, atta and pulses on the day he met the Bhat family, Jotshi uploaded a video and bank details of the family online.

Government officials like Jotshi not only restore our faith in humanity but also remind us that the people in power carry a moral responsibility to serve those in need.

Read more here.

Also Read: Cooking For a Cause, Mom-Daughter Aim to Feed 90 Needy Kids For a Year

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

Listen to our new podcast

More here:
Kashmir to Kerala: 10 Viral Stories of 2019 That Restored Our Faith in Humanity - The Better India

December 15 21: Items compiled by Dave Humphrey from the archived newspapers held at the Cranbrook History Centre and Archives

1912

Mission school The contract for the Indian Industrial school at the St. Eugene Mission, is about completed and the handsome structure will very shortly be occupied by the Indian boys and girls, at present quite inadequately accommodated in the old buildings.

The views of the building, published herewith, unfortunately do not convey as clear an idea of the imposing architectural features of this new building, as at the time they were taken, building operations were not quite completed.

The dominions care of its Indian wards has always been a subject of earnest concern upon the part of those in authority, and in providing these handsome and commodious quarters for the Indian children of South East Kootenay, the department is but extending its useful work along the healthiest lines.

Christ Church The third Sunday (December 15th) in Advent will be long remembered by the congregation of Christ Church, for the ecclesiastical events of the day.

On Saturday afternoon last, the Lord Bishop of New Westminster and administrator of the diocese of Kootenay, arrived from the west, accompanied by the Venerable Archdeacon Beer, of Kaslo. They were met at the station by the rector and the rectors church warden.

On Sunday morning the services for the day began with Holy Communion at 8 oclock by the rector. Matins was said at 10 oclock by the rector, the lessons being read by the lay reader and the archdeacon respectively. At this service the bishop delivered a short but very helpful address, showing the value in the spiritual life of the teaching of the Advent season as contained in the Collects for the season.

Elko On Sunday afternoon the Lord Bishop of New Westminster preceded to Elko with the Rev. J. Ross Colquhoun, to open and to dedicate to the service of God, the new church just completed.

The bishop gave a very strong address, which evidently set the people thinking, for it was being discussed very freely in the little town on the following day.

After the dedication of the church about ten people were presented by the vicar of the district for the holy rite of confirmation.

The bishop returned to Cranbrook by the delayed train on Monday.

The bishop and the archdeacon left Cranbrook for the west by Tuesdays train.

The bishop to hold a confirmation service at Creston and the archbishop will then to return to his home at Kaslo.

Electric slide An electric toboggan slide in the windows of the East Kootenay Mercantile House, is attracting a great deal of excited attention from the youngsters these days.

Mock election The Epworth League will meet on Monday evening, December 23rd, at 8 oclock. Subject: A Mock Municipal Election. An interesting and amusing evening is expected. A cordial invitation is given to all.

Champion skaters Norval Baptie and Miss Isabel Butler, world champion exhibition skaters, will be on the Arena rink on Saturday, January 4th. These ice artists are well worth seeing, and the Arena rink will doubtless be crowded for the occasion.

New constable Mr. Fred Ryckman has been appointed by the department of the interior, Indian branch, a constable for the districts of Cranbrook, Fort Steele, Wasa and Tobacco Plains. His chief duty will be to keep a sharp eye on the fire water evil.

Early issue The next issue of the Herald will appear on Tuesday afternoon, the 24th, in order that the staff may be free to enjoy the Christmas festivities on the usual day of publication, which in this instance falls on Wednesday. Advertisers please govern themselves accordingly and send in their changes by noon on Monday 23rd.

Lick and stick The question having been raised as to the placing on letters of stamps sold for raising funds for the Anti-Tuberculosis Society, postmasters are informed that the department cannot permit such stamps to be pasted on the front of letters, but that they may be pasted on the back as sealers.

Safe investment We know of no Safer Investment than a CRANBROOK ORCHARD to-day, and those of us who know the possibilities of this country should lose no time in securing one of these tracts before they are gone. This Company owns and controls over Two thousand (2,000) acres in this vicinity and they will be the means of bringing in many new settlers. We can sell you this property at low prices and on very easy terms. Beale & Elwell, Sole Agents for Cranbrook Orchards, Cranbrook, B. C.

Work to dye for PARISIAN Cleaning And Dye Works Genuine French System of Dry Cleaning, Steam Cleaning, and Shade Dyeing. Ladies Fancy Garments a specialty. Feathers, Furs, Gloves, Ladies or Mens Hats cleaned or dyed and blocked any style. Pressing and repairing neatly done at reasonable prices. Out of town work attended to promptly. J. H. SMITH, Propr Fenwick Ave., near Baker St. Phone 144 Expert Cleaner and Dyer

Municipal election As the date of the forthcoming municipal election draws nearer interest is being aroused as to prospective candidates.

So far as can be learned by a careful canvass of business, men and property owners, it appears practically assured that Mr. A. C. Bowness will be re-elected mayor by acclamation. On every hand one hears nothing but kindly words for his services during the past twelve months.

As to aldermen, it is pretty generally understood that some of the present board will not invite re-election, but there are hopes that Ald. Campbell, Cameron, Clapp and Erickson will consent to stand again.

The names of the following men are being discussed as possible candidates, Messrs. J. E. Kennedy, W. Halsall, H. A. McKowan and D. Murphy.

Scouting news Look out for the camp fire and coffee! The Veterans and Boy Scouts meet at the Methodist gym on Friday at 7.40 p.m. and march to Russells ranch at 7.45. Arrangements have been made for a huge bonfire. The Scouts will have full cooking equipment, even down to the wherewith to provide fire roasted potatoes.

Camp songs and short addresses. Have you ever been to a campfire? If so come to this for Auld Lang Syne. If not, come now and make a start. Both causes need your sympathy and your help, the one, because it is wholly and solely for the betterment both of soul and body of the youths of our city for whom nothing should be too good or too much trouble; the other, because it aims to give relief to any man or the family of any man who has served his country with the colors and has fallen on troublous and hard times.

Dont forget, Russells ranch is by the mile post opposite the power house, and bring your quarter with you.

Fires There have been three fires this week, none of them of any consequence.

The first occurred in H. Linnells house on Watt Avenue. It was a case of a chimney on fire and was quickly brought under subjection.

A day or two later an alarm came in from a house on Clark Avenue, another case of a chimney on fire, quickly subdued and very little damage done.

This afternoon there was an outbreak of fire in the house of C. M. Moore, over in Slaterville. This little blaze was due to washing hung up over the stove, catching fire and setting fire to the ceiling. Damage done only trifling.

At the auditorium A strong attraction will be provided at the Auditorium next Thursday evening, when Mrs. Annie Adams, mother of the world famous Maud Adams, with a strong company, will give a performance of The Butlers Secret.

Mrs. Adams is well supported by a good company, among them Wilfrid Lee, who has a splendid reputation as leading man with some of the best companies.

The scenic equipment of the play is very elaborate. The engagement is here for one night only, Thursday, December 26th.

Rail news J. Y. Brett, superintendent of construction for Burns and Jordan on the K.C.R., was in town on Wednesday. Mr. Brett reports that he expects to close up the present contract on the K.C.R. in time to eat his Christmas dinner in Spokane.

The company intend to go into winter quarters in the same place as last year, camp B., south of Hansons, where they expect to be able to obtain supplies by train this season, steel being laid now between there and Steele.

Elko news Thank God the deer slaughter is over for another season. The immigration from Fernie and Coal Creek this fall was enormous, and such specimens of Gods recklessness allowed to carry guns would put a crimp in a blind man. But the Elko Rod and Gun Club got ahead of them this year and had all the deer close herded down the Roosville Valley in the long grass.

We felt sorry for the sports that came from Cranbrook and bought their supplies in town, but they got some, everyone of them. There are some fine people in Cranbrook and mighty strange too when we, come to think about it, all the best are moving down to Elko.

Jaffray news The school children of Jaffray had a very enjoyable Christmas entertainment on a large scale last night. A huge Christmas tree had been provided from which each child received a useful present. The entertainment was held in the school room and the children after the distribution of the presents enjoyed themselves immensely with various popular games. The children are only sorry that the season does not come every day.

Bull River news The people of the new town of Bull River will have a Christmas tree and festival on Monday, December 23rd.

Continue reading here:
It happened this week in Cranbrook - Kimberley Bulletin

You cast your votes. We counted them. And now we present the winners of the2019Dans Best of the Best contest! Below, youll find all the winning businesses, organizations and personalities in the many South Fork Home & Personal Services categories!

Dans Best of the Best 2019 Winners: North Fork Home & Personal Services

Keep your eye out as we announce more 2019 winners online, but you can find them all in theDecember 6, 2019 issue ofDans Papers!

View all our2019 Dans Best of the Best winners, and dont forget to visitDansBOTB.comto rate and review all your East End favorites.

BEST AUTO BODY REPAIR SHOPPlatinum Rubio Premier MotorsGold Joes GarageSilver Village Auto BodyBronze Corwiths Auto Body

BEST AWNING COMPANY*Hall of Famer East End AwningPlatinum Brock AwningsGold The Awning Company Inc.Silver C.E. King & Sons

BEST BUILDERPlatinum TelemarkGold Eastbay BuildersSilver G.B. Construction and Development, Inc.Bronze Farrell Building Co.

BEST CAR WASHPlatinum Hampton Auto WashGold Strebels Hand Car WashSilver Beach Hand WashBronze Southampton Car Wash

BEST CHIMNEY SERVICEPlatinum Ace Chimney Experts, Inc.Gold Done Right Roofing and ChimneysSilver Advanced Chimney Inc.Bronze Cunningham Duct Cleaning

BEST CLEANING SERVICEPlatinum A Votre Service!Gold Schindler Carpet & Upholstery CleaningSilver Cs Home & Office Management, Inc.Bronze New Yorks Little Elves

BEST CLOSET DESIGNPlatinum California ClosetsGold Custom Closets DirectSilver Long Island Closet DesignBronze Hampton Closet Company

BEST CONTRACTORPlatinum G. B. Construction and Development, Inc.Gold Farrell Building Co.Silver Eastbay BuildersBronze Kean Development Co.

BEST DOMESTIC AGENCYPlatinum Hamptons Employment AgencyGold Hire SocietySilver Al Martino AgencyBronze Hampton Domestics

BEST ELECTRICIAN/ELECTRIC COMPANY*Hall of Famer Ocean ElectricPlatinum Leos ElectricGold G. Craig ElectricSilver All Wright Electric

BEST ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICESPlatinum Eastern Environmental SolutionsGold TechClean IndustriesSilver Affordable Cesspool Sewer & Drain, Inc.Bronze ACV/Clearview Environmental

BEST FENCE COMPANYPlatinum East End Fence & GateGold Craftsman Fence Corp.Silver Safe HamptonBronze The Deer Fence

BEST FIREPLACE STOREPlatinum Hampton HearthGold Beach Stove & FireplaceSilver Sag Harbor Fireplace

BEST FLOORINGPlatinum Well Floor U Inc.Gold CarpetmanSilver Cancos Tile Corp.Bronze Long Island Paneling, Ceilings & Floors

BEST HANDYMANPlatinum All Island HandymanGold Southampton HandymanSilver BEST LevelBronze Baywood Construction

BEST HEATING/AIR CONDITIONING*Hall of Famer Flanders Heating & Air ConditioningPlatinum Hardy Plumbing & HeatingGold Kolb Mechanical Corp.Silver East End Heating and Air ConditioningBronze Nugent & Potter

BEST HOME INSPECTIONPlatinum AC&E Home Inspection Corp.Gold Southampton Home InspectionsSilver A-Pro Home Inspection East Hampton

BEST HOME STAGERPlatinum Styled and SoldGold Home Staging by SPCSilver Dream Windows & InteriorsBronze D & J Concepts

BEST HOUSE PAINTER/PAINTING COMPANYPlatinum Joes Custom Home Decorating Inc.Gold DiNome PaintingSilver Roses Painting ServiceBronze Kaplan Painting

BEST HOUSE WATCHER/PROPERTY MANAGEMENTPlatinum TA Property ManagementGold A Votre Service!Silver HCMC Home Care MaintnenanceBronze Chaloners of the Hamptons

BEST INTERIOR DESIGNPlatinum Dream Windows & InteriorsGold Styled and SoldSilver D & J ConceptsBronze Sea Green Design

BEST IRRIGATIONPlatinum K. Clemenz IrrigationGold RB Irrigation, LLCSilver Irrigation SolutionsBronze Irrigation Man

BEST KITCHEN/BATHPlatinum Ciuffo CabinetryGold All County MillworkSilver Ron Morizzo Kitchens & BathsBronze Green Art Kitchen and Bath

BEST LANDSCAPER/GARDENER*Hall of Famer Unlimited Earth CarePlatinum Natures Guardian Inc.Gold Stinchi LandscapingSilver Creative Design LandscapesBronze Jose Camacho Landscaping

BEST MASONRY/STONE/TILEPlatinum Southampton MasonryGold Ace Chimney Experts, Inc.Silver BEST View Landscaping & MasonryBronze Eastern Concrete

BEST MOLD INSPECTION/REMOVAL*Hall of Famer Mildew BustersPlatinum Enviroduct CleaningGold East End WaterproofingSilver AC&E Home Inspection Corp.Bronze Mold Pro Inc.

BEST MOVING COMPANYPlatinum Despatch of SouthamptonGold Hall LaneSilver Twin Forks Moving & StorageBronze Plycon Plycar

BEST OIL/GAS/PROPANE COMPANY (Learn More)*Hall of Famer Paraco GasPlatinum Suburban PropaneGold PetroSilver Danisi FuelBronze Twin Forks Oil

BEST PARTY RENTAL/SERVICES (Learn More)Platinum Bermuda Party RentalsGold Sperry Tent HamptonsSilver American Tent CompanyBronze Darling Events

BEST PEST CONTROL*Hall of Famer East End Tick & Mosquito ControlPlatinum Fox Tree ServiceGold Twin Forks Pest ControlSilver Natures Guardian Inc.Bronze ArborTech

BEST PLUMBERPlatinum Ken Massa Plumbing & HeatingGold R. Essay Plumbing & HeatingSilver Hardy Plumbing & HeatingBronze J.P. Mulvey Plumbing & Heating

BEST POWER WASHERPlatinum Schindler Cleaning CompaniesGold Clearview House Washing ServiceSilver Hamptons Power Wash

BEST REMODELINGPlatinum G. B. Construction and Development, Inc.Gold Eastbay BuildersSilver Joe Burns Contracting Corp.Bronze Gutierrez Home Improvement Inc.

BEST ROOFERPlatinum M. Stevens RoofingGold Fast Home ConstructionSilver Line Home ConstructionBronze Martins GC

BEST SECURITY ALARM COMPANYPlatinum Intelli-Tec Security ServicesGold All Suffolk SecuritySilver Briscoe Protective

BEST SHIPPING/PACKINGPlatinum Navis Pack & ShipGold The UPS StoreSilver EB Dunkerley & Sons

BEST SWIMMING POOL BUILDERPlatinum Spring & Summer ActivitiesGold M&M PoolsSilver Prestige PoolsBronze Casual Water Pools

BEST SWIMMING POOL SERVICEPlatinum Aquaman Pool ServicesGold Spring & Summer ActivitiesSilver M&M PoolsBronze Prestige Pools

BEST TREE SERVICEPlatinum Fox Tree ServiceGold Natures Guardian Inc.Silver Jose Camacho LandscapingBronze Integrity Tree

BEST WASTE MANAGEMENT/TRASH DISPOSALPlatinum Mickeys CartingGold College Hunks Hauling JunkSilver Emil Norsic & Son Inc

BEST WATER SERVICESPlatinum Better WaterGold Simply PRSilver Casola Well Drillers

BEST WINDOW CLEANINGPlatinum Schindler Cleaning CompaniesGold We Do WindowsSilver Crystal Clear Window CleaningBronze Triple C Window Cleaning

BEST WINDOWS/DOORS/GARAGE DOORSPlatinum AJ Garage DoorsGold All Island Garage DoorSilver Long Island Egress ProsBronze New York Window Film Co.

More here:
Dan's Best of the Best 2019 Winners: South Fork Home & Personal Services - Dan's Papers

There was a time when it was enough for pubs to serve a decent pint of beer and get away with it, but increasing variety in customer profiles and drinking habits means the back bar now has to service a range of functions.

Theres a need for ample refrigeration for craft and world beers and ciders, an attractive and efficiently organised spirits bank to cope with long mixes and cocktails, and enough space for soft drinks, tea and coffee to meet the needs of those who arent drinking.

And customers have become more demanding than ever before, with the instant ability to publicly call out bad service, putting bar hygiene high on the agenda. It helps to keep on top of latest developments to allow the back bar to evolve organically, while refurbs offer a perfect opportunity to get things right in one big hit.

If you are going the whole hog soon, many suppliers offer a full back bar design service. London-based Nelson says that a well-run bar attracts customers but a well-designed one ensures they return.

It says its bespoke service trumps modular configurations by incorporating irregular shapes so the space can be used to its best effect, with workstations accommodated in optimum locations and dirt-traps eliminated.

Power points can be installed so equipment such as ice makers and crushers, blenders, coffee machines, glass-frosters, bottle coolers and EPoS stations are sited conveniently.

Nelson specialises in glasswashers and its latest addition is the Compact, designed for small spaces but which it says has washing power to rival machines twice the size. It has a soft start option to prevent chipping and rinse arms at both top and bottom to give a better wash finish.

IMC also offers a full back bar design service to improve speed of service and effective operation.

UK head of sales Martin Venus says: The type of equipment, and where it is positioned, is crucial to the smooth and successful operation of a pub or bar, and its important that its tailored to individual establishments.

Before we advise any outlet on layout design and equipment, we assess their needs and understand what they want to achieve, so space can be maximised.

We find out how many staff there will have to be behind the bar at busy periods, whether the glass washers and ice machines will be front-of-house or in the back, and whether they have handwashing facilities within reasonable distance, to adhere to health and safety regulations.

It also takes into account the contribution to a venues sales from draught product, single-serve bottles and made-from-scratch drinks.

The priorities for a cocktail bar and a real ale pub will be very different, adds Venus, who suggest creating workstations for each staff member, with beer taps, cocktail ingredients, glasses and a till all within easy reach.

Every minute a bartender isnt in front of a customer, service is slower, which affects sales and profits, he adds.

If there was one piece of kit I would advise investing in, it would be an IMC glass refresher.

This sprays a jet of cold water and is great for glasses that are still hot from the washer. It enables bar staff to serve drinks quickly, without having to wait for glasses to cool.

The sheer range of drinks a busy pub has to be prepared to serve means the amount of useful kit on offer grows all the time.

Jestic supplies a number of high-spec Vitamix blenders designed for making quality smoothies and blended cocktails.

Sales director Steve Morris says: Ensuring consistent quality when it comes to a diverse cocktail menu requires consideration of the type of blending equipment used.

As they are on display to the customer and used regularly throughout the day, operators need to ensure their equipment is not only capable of delivering an excellent product, but also looks good and, most importantly, is reliable.

The range includes the Bar Boss Advance. It features automatic shut-off, which allows the operator to prepare the beverage and start the blend before continuing with the rest of the customers order, safe in the knowledge the unit will automatically stop when finished, says Morris.

The widespread awareness of quality cask beer and the resurrection of keg as a result of the craft beer craze has made beer line cleaning more important than ever.

Chemisphere UK specialises in drinks dispense system hygiene and says its Pipeline detergents range is uncompromising and totally effective in the removal of yeast deposits, biofilm and bacterial and protein growth.

Its purple cleaner changes colour if the line is dirty, but if it stays purple pubs can be confident lines are free of yeast and bacteria.

Cocktail and soft drinks service also requires a clean and efficient postmix dispense system. Abbeychart, which specialises in Wunder-Bar and Schroeder bar gun equipment, offers an intensive deep clean and refurbishment service for post-mix kit, over and above a pubs regular daily cleaning.

It includes a complete strip-down, deep-cleaning, sanitising and replacement of seals and plastic parts.

Most people would be quite surprised at the amount of unsightly residue and grime that accumulates on bar guns, particularly with heavy use over the summer, says managing director Mark Taylor. This harbours germs and undoubtedly has a detrimental effect on the taste of drinks.

Hubbard Systems offers a next day delivery service for replacement Scotsman icemakers, which could be a boon if things go wrong during busy periods such as Christmas.

The range includes the EcoX EC, an eco-friendly machine that produces long-lasting supercube ice, and comes with capacities ranging from 25kg to 170kg a day.

Marketing manager David Rees says theres a lot that pubs can do themselves to maintain existing machines that hopefully wont mean them having to rely on an emergency bailout.

Ventilation grills need to be kept clear of obstruction, filters replaced at least every six months, and the scale guards and air filters cleaned regularly.

If it gets clogged with dust it will make the icemaker less efficient, so youll get less ice, says Rees. If its a quality icemaker this should be a simple, two-minute job.

Having a maintenance schedule for the components that need regular cleaning will help keep the equipment in peak condition.

Rees also warns not to ignore warning lights.

If the machine has self-diagnostics itll indicate whats wrong, and should be sorted straight away, he says. Dont wait. If necessary, call in the equipment service provider. If the icemaker isnt being looked after by a service company, get one in sharpish.

Excerpt from:
Why your pub's back bar should be front of mind - MorningAdvertiser.co.uk

Updated December 06, 2019 15:03:30

When the demand for electricity exceeds supply, sometimes people need to be cut off from power to prevent the whole system from collapsing.

This is called load shedding.

Here's how it works.

Load shedding is when power companies reduce electricity consumption by switching off the power supply to groups of customers because the entire system is at risk.

This could be because there is a shortage of electricity supply, or to prevent transmission and distribution lines from becoming overloaded.

A number of factors can result in load shedding, including extreme weather and infrastructure outages.

In January, a perfect storm of events placed the energy system under unusual strain.

While temperatures soared into the 40s in much of Victoria and South Australia, driving demand for air conditioning, three electricity generation units at coal-fired power plants in the Latrobe Valley were out of action, reducing the amount of available power.

To restore the balance, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) instructed electricity networks to reduce load, which left more than 200,000 customers without power for up to two hours.

It's important to note that such load shedding is different to planned local outages, such as for maintenance, and unplanned ones caused by damage to wires by events such as storms, bushfires or car accidents.

AEMO decides when load shedding is needed in the National Electricity Market (NEM), which includes Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.

Before it turns to load shedding, AEMO has other measures it takes to try to overcome a power shortfall, such as importing more power from other states and tapping into emergency energy reserves (such as South Australia's diesel-powered generators which were switched on for the first time last summer).

It can also appeal to consumers to voluntarily reduce their energy consumption for example by postponing their use of dishwashers and washing machines and pay large industrial electricity users such as Alcoa's Portland aluminium smelter in western Victoria to power down for a period of time

But after exhausting these options, if it still needs to reduce demand, AEMO instructs electricity transmission and distribution companies to carry out load shedding.

AEMO tells the companies how much power needs to be saved, and the transmission and distribution companies then work out how to achieve those reductions.

Approaches vary between the states and territories, and each has a plan in most cases developed by the state or territory government in collaboration with the electricity industry for how load shedding is to be carried out in their jurisdiction, including a schedule for the sequence in which particular loads will be shed and restored.

These plans are based on nationally consistent principles and seek to maintain critical services and spread the inconvenience equitably: a limited disruption to many, rather than more significant disruption to a smaller number of customers.

In Victoria, in its special role as the state's transmission system planner, AEMO works with the State Government to determine the priority order of load shedding.

In WA and the NT, which aren't connected to the National Electricity Market, state and territory authorities decide when load shedding is necessary and how it's carried out.

Areas are disconnected from the power supply by distributors switching off the feeder serving that area.

A feeder is a high-voltage line that could supply anywhere from a few hundred to many thousands of customers.

Which feeders get switched off depends on a number of factors, including where the area sits in the state or territory's priority order of load shedding, how much power needs to be saved and which areas are using the most energy.

The penetration of solar energy also plays a part.

Some areas with a lot of solar panels could be feeding more energy into the grid than they are using.

These areas are unlikely to be disconnected, as to do so would make the shortfall worse.

AEMO says it works with the electricity industry to minimise the impact on the community, particularly major health facilities, emergency services and public transport.

But it says such services can still be affected by load shedding and should have backup arrangements in place.

Distributors also say they seek to avoid disconnecting power to other kinds of critical infrastructure, such as sewerage and water pumping stations, and to large shopping centres.

Energy Queensland said it first switches off "controlled load" energy. These customers receive lower prices in exchange for allowing the distributor to switch them off for a few hours each day.

The impact of this is generally less than other options, because these tariffs are typically used for non-essential equipment such as pool pumps.

Energy Queensland also has demand management agreements with a number of large industrial customers, which are offered lower bills throughout the year in exchange for being available to reduce their consumption at peak times.

In general, the first areas to be turned off will be mainly residential.

Victorian distributors CitiPower, Powercor and United Energy say they annually review the types of customers connected to each feeder in their networks, to determine which should be given priority because they serve critical customers.

Distributors try to minimise the impact of load shedding by rotating the disruptions between different areas: for example, disconnecting one area for a period of up to two hours before restoring its power and disconnecting another area.

"Typically, critical customers are last to have power turned off and first to have supply restored," said Andrew Dillon, the chief executive of Energy Networks Australia, which represents electricity transmission and distribution businesses.

Feeders serving hospitals are less likely to be disconnected, but being located near a hospital doesn't necessarily mean you share its feeder.

Living near a big industrial energy user is unlikely to have any bearing on whether you lose power.

Victoria's biggest energy user, Alcoa's Portland smelter, is served by its own dedicated transmission lines.

If load shedding is necessary in your area, you may not get any advance warning.

"Networks are often only given short notice by AEMO that load shedding is required," Mr Dillon said.

"This may be because a generator fails, creating an unexpected and rapid drop in supply."

When load shedding was ordered in Victoria in January, the rapidly moving situation seemed to take even the state's Energy Minister, Lily D'Ambrosio, by surprise.

On the morning of January 25, Ms D'Ambrosio told a media conference she didn't anticipate load shedding being necessary.

Later that morning, AEMO ordered load shedding.

South Australia publishes a list of which feeders are next in line for load shedding, based on which areas were shut off last time.

It is the only jurisdiction to publish its arrangements.

Michael Brear, the director of the Melbourne Energy Institute at the University of Melbourne said if other jurisdictions were as transparent as South Australia about their plans, it might help reassure people that load shedding was being implemented fairly.

"I think it would be a good thing if they did it [published plans] in all states, so that everybody realises that there's no sort of political or other, less legitimate considerations involved," he said.

"Some people might think, 'They'll turn off that seat because it's a safe seat, but not that one because it's a swinging seat,' or something like that. That doesn't come into play."

Professor Brear says the alternative to manual load shedding would be more widespread and longer-lasting interruptions to power supply.

"There are very good reasons as to why we load shed and why we do it in a systematic way. It's to minimise the inconvenience and share this inconvenience across the whole population so that collectively we don't experience much worse.

"The choice is not between manual load shedding and continuing to have your air conditioning on and drinking your cold beer," he said.

"The choice is between coordinated and controlled load shedding and uncoordinated, uncontrolled load shedding, which might lead to greater problems."

AEMO's summer readiness plan, released this week, warned of a risk of blackouts across the national market but particularly in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia, due to a combination of extreme weather, bushfires and plan outages.

The state most at risk is Victoria.

In August, AEMO warned that more than a million Victorian households were at risk of being without power this summer during extreme heat if two of the state's power plants which are out of action following faults earlier this year are not returned to service in time for peak periods.

AGL said this week its Loy Yang A coal plant in Gippsland would be back online by mid-December, while Origin said its Mortlake gas plant would not be operational again until the end of the year.

The market operator and Victoria secured extra power reserves ahead of summer to reduce the blackout risk, but Ms D'Ambrosio was not giving any guarantees this week.

"I don't think it's a sound position for anyone to give guarantees [about power] when effectively the Victorian Government doesn't own any of these generators," she said.

Professor Brear said since the closure of Victoria's Hazelwood coal-fired power station in 2017, which removed 1,600 megawatts of generation capacity, the state did not generate enough power to meet demand at its peak.

As for whether load shedding will be necessary this summer, he said it would largely depend on the weather, as well as the preparedness of coal and gas-fired generators.

Weather conditions influence demand for electricity as well as how much wind and solar energy is generated, and how reliably the state's remaining coal-fired power plants operate.

Longer term, he said Victoria needed more capacity to generate dispatchable power power that can be turned on when it's needed, even if the wind isn't blowing and the sun has set.

He said this could be delivered with more batteries, gas plants or pumped hydro.

"We could do with a new power station," he said.

Topics:business-economics-and-finance,industry,electricity-energy-and-utilities,melbourne-3000,australia,vic,nsw,qld,tas,act,sa,nt,wa

First posted December 06, 2019 05:48:49

The rest is here:
What is load shedding and who decides whose power is cut when there's not enough electricity? - ABC News

San Francisco has seen a five-fold increase in complaints about human feces since 2011.

San Francisco has seen a five-fold increase in complaints about human feces since 2011.

Photo: San Francisco Dept. Of Public Works

San Francisco has seen a five-fold increase in complaints about human feces since 2011.

San Francisco has seen a five-fold increase in complaints about human feces since 2011.

San Francisco plans to power-wash the poop out of the Tenderloin

The Tenderloin should soon see fewer piles of feces waiting to befoul the shoes of hapless pedestrians.

San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney is announcing a plan Tuesday that will power-wash the sidewalks on every block of the city's most poop-plagued neighborhood once a week instead of the current rate of once a month.

Haney's district was allocated $260,000 for cleaning under this year's budget.

Some 25,000 reports of human waste were logged through the city's 311 services this year through October. The number of complaints across the city for all of 2018 was 28,084.

In parts of the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods, it's not uncommon to see people openly defecating.

As Supervisor, I've been committed to fighting for deep regular sidewalk power washing across D6. Today, alongside the @TLCBD, we are finally announcing pressure washing of every TL block once a week. TL and SOMA residents deserve clean and healthy streets and sidewalks. https://t.co/GseUJstqrm

The city's "Poop Patrol," a five-person team tasked with removing excrement, will be handling the power-washing duties. At Haney's press conference Tuesday, a new portable pressure-washing system was to be showcased.

Based on the San Francisco Chronicle's estimate that each Poop Patrol employee earned a $184,000 in pay, perquisites and pension benefits, Forbes calculated that each human waste case cost taxpayers $32.75 in 2018.

Responses to Haney's plan on Twitter were mixed, with one calling the action a "band aid that doesn't stop the real problem" and others noting that the plan will flush raw sewage into the bay via storm drains.

Haney has also called for the city's Pit Stop public bathrooms to remain open 24 hours a day. A pilot program launched in August staffed 3 of city's 25 mobile public bathrooms around the clock, with the bulk of the funding coming from Haney's district budget.

straight to the bay, well played.

sanctuary for some, hell for others. pic.twitter.com/D2BVJLGd9R

---

Mike Moffitt is an SFGATE Digital Reporter. Email: moffitt@sfgate.com. Twitter: @Mike_at_SFGate

Read the rest here:
San Francisco plans to power-wash the poop out of the Tenderloin - SF Gate

In December 2018, Hitachi Ltd. announced an agreement to buy ABBs Power Grids business for US$6.4 billion. On the Hitachi side, the move was seen as a grid grab that would enable the Japanese conglomerate to compete head-to-head with the likes of General Electric and Siemens AG in the electric sector. Not more than a few months later, General Electric began selling off many of its power businesses, while Siemens spun its gas and power businesses off into an as-yet-to-be-named entity with the placeholder name of NewCo.

What might be behind some of these power play spin-offs? And, are there more to come?

Behind the Spin-Offs

The first factor seems to be activist investors pushing for simplified pure-play companies. For ABB, that meant dropping its lower-margins grid business to focus on robotics and factory automation. In addition to carrying ABBs lowest return on assets in 2018, the companys grids business saw its third consecutive quarterly slide in the third quarter of 2018.

On the other hand, Hitachi has almost 800 separate businesses, spanning from construction machinery to health care and nuclear power. The company has stated it wants to streamline and focus on four core areas going forwardone of which is power and energy, thus the reason for ABBs Power Grids business.

Hitachi may have other things in mind, as well. For instance, by getting a piece of the power grid, the company may be able to help drive a global shift away from coal and toward renewable energy. The company also may be lining up grid services as a platform on which to deploy and connect its equipment to the massive internet of things (IoT) market, connecting sensors and devices through the internet for building controls in homes and businesses that can marry the opportunity of smart devices and smart buildings with the smart electric grid Hitachi will now help to build.

We believe that both companies will complement each other, said Anders Sjoelin, lead division manager, ABB Power Grids North America. Together, they cover the global energy value chain from generation to transmission and distribution. In addition, Hitachi sees areas like the integration of renewables into the power grid, smart mobility and cities as strategic pillars where ABB Power Grids can contribute significantly with its leading technology solutions.

The Siemens spin-off is of a slightly different nature, but perhaps has a similar goal. In May 2019, the German-based industrial giant announced the spin-off of its Gas & Power (GP) businesses as part of its Vision 2020+ strategy to focus its core competencies on digital industries and smart infrastructure. To be formed out of what was Siemens GP, the new company will be an independent one in which Siemens projects to have 30 billion Euros in orders and 80,000 employees based on former GP staff and the transfer of the Siemens renewable energy business, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE).

With Vision 2020+, were further sharpening Siemens focus and making our businesses faster and more flexible, said Joe Kaeser, president and CEO of Siemens, in a conference call with reporters announcing the move. These changes are laying the foundation for sustainable economic success in growth markets that will be attractive over the long term. Were also creating solid perspectives for those businesses that have to prove themselves in the structural transformation now underway and address new growth fields.

Kaeser added the new company will be well-positioned to offer a wide range of services in the electric industry, from power generation through gas-fired turbines and wind turbines to oil and gas services and high-voltage transmission. The success of Siemens businesses of the next generation will be determined by new factors, said Kaeser. Breadth, size and a one-size-fits-all approach will be replaced by focus, speed and adaptability.

Meanwhile, Lisa Davis, who has been CEO of Siemens GP for the last five years, will take over the reins of NewCo. She touts the new companys independence from Siemens as well as the opportunity to offer a wide range of power services in its new incarnation. Being independent will enable us to more effectively leverage our position of strength to further support our customers in rapidly changing energy markets, Davis said. Global electrification continues to be vital to economic and environmental progress around the world and, as the only company with a leading portfolio along the entire energy value chainin both conventional and renewable energywe are uniquely able to help both public- and private-sector customers benefit from these developments.

For Siemens, the companys Digital Industries and Smart Infrastructure operating companies will comprise its future industrial core, to be supplemented by company-wide technology and service units such as Siemens Healthineers and Siemens Mobility. Plans call for NewCo to be completely spun off with its own stock exchange listing in September 2020.

General Electric also is in the game of selling off power divisions. In March 2019, the company unveiled a $3.25 billion deal to sell its distributed power business, focused on the building of smaller gas-fired turbines used in backup, remote or cogeneration power opportunities. The sale to private equity firm Advent International includes the companys Jenbacher and Waukesha brands as well as manufacturing plants in the U.S., Canada and Austria.

GEs rationale apparently is different from that of ABB or Siemens, however. The company must shrink itself to pay down significant debt, a result of years of troubled acquisitions. Earlier this year, GE was kicked out of the Dow Industrial Average after more than a century on the prestigious company stock listing. For GE, the distributed power business is just the latest in a line of businesses being spun off, including both its fabled light bulb unit and GE Transportation, the companys 111-year-old railroad division.

The power business was not helping GE, as the company saw declines in revenue in recent quarters as power plants started moving more toward renewable energy to replace fossil fuels, especially coal.

Underlying Currents

Though GEs move differs from the moves of Hitachi-ABB and Siemens, all three signify changing times in the power and utilities sector, something that is more likely to continue than abate in the near term. These are definitely changing times for utility and energy companies, said Scott Smith, U.S. power utilities leader for Deloitte, before adding, It is going to continue. Decarbonization of power, energy efficiency, renewables, the customer experience being different [power companies and utilities] are going to have to adapt quickly, and I think they are.

In his 2019 U.S. Power and Utilities Industry Outlook, Smith wrote about what he calls the new normal for the sector, which features a period of transformation and profound change driven by technological and competitive forces, as well as changing customer expectations.

This is partly generational; younger users have become very comfortable with apps, social media, and always-on connectivity, Smith stated. And, its also partly a spin-off from the increasing ubiquity of e-commerce in all spheres, for products, services and entertainment. These developments are coming from all directions, not just the big-tech giants that are household names. Were seeing evidence of this new normal in electricity customer preferencesthe desire for choice, in rate plans, in sources of delivered electricity, and in options to tap into behind-the-meter or localized sources of generation, or to integrate electricity with other home services. Commercial and industrial customers are looking to combine more cost and utilization control with opportunities to self-generate and while setting themselves and their suppliers ambitious targets to reduce emissions from their energy use.

On the generation side, Smith argued, three dominant trends have been in place for years and look to continue:

Smith pointed to decarbonization as the driver but added these trends also have created opportunities for both new technologies and new business models in the sector.

On the new technologies side, Smith noted utilities are developing apps to give customers greater control over energy usage, even managing heating and cooling, lighting and window blinds from smartphones. Some utilities are entering the IoT market by offering smart appliances, such as washing machines, thermostats and hot water heaters. Wireless meters and sensors enable users to monitor energy use in real time, receive alerts if bills deviate too far from the norm, get outage alerts, and even get estimates of crew arrival times in the case of storms or widespread power failure.

Customer retention is no longer just a question of reliability and cost, Smith said of this new normal in the power and utilities sector. It is now a question of providing options, being connected, and allowing customers more control over their energy use.

When it comes to technology, utilities and power generators exist in an ecosystem ripe with opportunity, Smith contends. We could point to sources of generation, with the cost performance and scalability of wind and solar continuing to improve year over year at a rapid pace; to grid operations, where smart-grid technologies provide real-time information into all aspects of grid status (not just electron flows) and where batteries are now able to provide multiple services, such as load shifting, frequency regulation and localized reserves; to distributed or localized sources of energy for which utilities can partner with customers or communities to install and operate power systems customized for specific needs, Smith wrote in his report.

Smith summed it up that all this combined is opening the door for new business models for utilities as well as market structures allowing for the entry of new, nontraditional players. He specifically cited the rise of behind-the-meter generation, community energy projects and new options for households, such as rooftop solar coupled with battery storage. Utilities have a tremendous opportunity to develop new profitable businesses around offering services related to these developmentsfrom installation, maintenance, and reliability services to tracking and load balancing with on-grid resources, Smith wrote.

Smith sees the sector evolving into an entire energy tech ecosystem that could include traditional utilities, large device makers, tech companies, infrastructure players, and small- to medium-sized venture-backed energy technology companies and a host of other business models.

Smith proclaims himself not surprised at all by news of power and utility sector spin-offs and realignments. In fact, he predicts that, too, is part of the new normal for the sector.

By definition, the future is uncertain, so we know there will be surprises along the way, Smith wrote in his market report. The electric power business has proved increasingly resilient to some kinds of surprises, like hurricanes or snowstorms. Other kinds of surprises, from technology and new competition to customer expectations, may require more deep-seated cultural change. This promises to be an interesting year.

Read the original:
Power Business Spin-Offs: Is This the New Normal? - Transmission & Distribution World

Cities, belching pollution, clogged with traffic and stuffed full of the buildings that are responsible for nearly 40 per cent of energy-related CO2 emissions, always appear as the villains of the sustainability narrative. They consume more than 75 per cent of all natural resources; they produce more than 50 per cent of global waste. They are monsters. Yet they are also, perhaps paradoxically, the most efficient and, potentially, the most sustainable way to live.

Cities can be compact and reliant on efficient public transport rather than cars; they can be walkable and cyclable; and, thanks to the proximity they foster between people and services, they can achieve impressive efficiencies in energy use. Even cities with harsh climates such as Oslo or Helsinki can develop communal heating systems as a byproduct of power generation that are clean and efficient compared with, say, the individual gas boilers that are the norm in the UK.

If the circular economy is about moving beyond a take-make-waste model of consumption, buildings can be a conspicuous case in point. Just look at two recent French housing projects, Tour Bois-le-Prtre in Paris and Cit du Grand Parc in Bordeaux, designed by architects Lacaton & Vassal and Frdric Druot. Both go radically against the conventional practice of demolishing old, nominally inefficient housing to build anew in more fashionable forms. Instead, they have managed to preserve existing social housing infrastructure and to keep tenants in place while transforming their slab blocks with a new outer layer of structure.

Boasting new terraces and winter gardens, formerly tired apartments now seem distinctly chic. No less important, both interventions conserve the huge amount of energy embodied in the existing structures; according to a report last year from think-tank Chatham House, cement production accounts for 8 per cent of the worlds annual CO2 emissions which, if it were a country, would make it the third-biggest emitter, after China and the US.

There are harder-to-quantify savings too: new construction often tears apart established communities, disrupting the networks that facilitate sustainable city living through small exchanges of favours and chores, through trust and company.

Cities are the most efficient and, potentially, the most sustainable way to live

When the original tower blocks were conceived and built, in the 1950s and 1960s, architects were in thrall not only to concrete but also to the car. Motorways, flyovers and car parks swept old buildings aside. Yet cars proved to be disastrous for cities, enabling the vast expansion of the suburb and the exurb, which are radically unsustainable not just in their distance from places of work and leisure, but also in their failure to build communities.

Mobility is the first problem, says Malo Hutson, associate professor of urban planning at Columbia University in New York. Not just the electrification of cars, but also of marine transport, perhaps even aviation. We need to approach the city in a different way how do we not build huge parking lots and [how do we create] more compact cities? Autonomous cars may change things for the better, he thinks, as they could readily lend themselves to sharing schemes; that in turn could reduce the need for parking spaces and allow more efficient land use.

But overcoming the consequences of decades of sprawl is a formidable task. The changes required are so huge that advocates are careful to frame them as a positive not only in terms of sustainability, but also in terms of economic growth. The Green New Deal sponsored by congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the US is exactly such an attempt at reframing green imperatives in a Rooseveltian image, as a boost to the economy rather than a brake.

Friday, 22 November, 2019

We need an honest conversation about this, Mr Hutson says. There will be job losses and huge changes but also opportunities around construction and housing, new skills and innovation. A 2016 World Economic Forum report notes that 40 per cent of solid waste in the US derives from construction and demolition, and represents a significant loss of valuable minerals, metals and organic materials that could feed into a circular economy.

Perhaps the most interesting shift currently under way in urban thinking picks up this thought and runs with it. An EU-sponsored initiative known as Bamb Buildings as Material Banks aims to change the construction industrys approach to demolition, construing it as not a destructive but a constructive process, in which buildings are picked apart, their component parts and materials reused. Bamb wants buildings to be designed with this in mind; it advocates the use of material passports, which reside on a digital platform and define materials and show their circular pathways, their loops of use and reuse.

There is a change of attitude in taking down existing buildings, with buildings conceived as banks, says Georgia Price, an architect from global engineering group Arup. We could be using materials passports, tracking and tracing materials through their life. One possibility is to embed RFID chips in construction components, enabling them to be tracked from factory to building site to salvage depot. So far it is an idea that has gained little traction within the industry. The resulting database would be enormous and who would own the data?

Meanwhile several new non-profits are already trying to salvage materials from buildings before demolition and to sell them on at a fraction of their cost when new to architects with an interest in sustainability and an eye for a back-story. Among them are Rotor Deconstruction in Brussels and the School of Architectures Bank of Materials in Aarhus, Denmark. Both are beginning to scale up to offer a real choice to architects and contractors.

One crucial recent piece of legislation from the EU may accelerate the change in attitudes. In October, right to repair rules were introduced, which put the onus on manufacturers to design products capable of being repaired, instead of succumbing to planned obsolescence, the dubious design philosophy that became prevalent during the US postwar boom. If our expectations of washing machines and phones can change, perhaps they will similarly change regarding buildings and infrastructure.

In those latter cases, the ability to reimagine will be as important as the ability to repair or rebuild. Perhaps the seemingly defunct architectures of the recent past can be repurposed in the same way the industrial buildings of the 19th and 20th centuries have been made into lofts, galleries and restaurants.

A multistorey car park may seem the least adaptable of building types, yet one example in south London, Peckham Levels, has been reimagined as a cultural space, with artists studios, social enterprises, restaurants, and a now famous rooftop bar. Could similar ideas be applied to the ghost shopping centres and strip-malls of fading suburbs? Could they accommodate small workshops, markets, and hydroponics farms enterprises that could densify those suburbs into places of production and change, rather than just dormitories?

According to a report by Arup, in a circular city, products and assets are designed and built to be more durable, and to be repaired, refurbished, reused and disassembled. That will require a fundamental change in approach by planners and architects, and by the citizens they serve.

Yet in a way, it is all rather old fashioned. When imperial Rome collapsed and its buildings gradually succumbed to violence or neglect, the stones were taken and reused to build houses and churches, wells and piazzas. The fragments are still there.

See more here:
Theres nothing new about tomorrows city - Financial Times