The Sharper Image BBQ Grill Light & Fan combines two outdoor grilling accessories into one. The gadget attaches easily to the hood of most grills.

Get ready to grill–and to keep grilling.

(Credit:Bed Bath & Beyond)

Standing over a hot grill isn’t a bad place to be, especially when faced with your own personal fans.

The powerful scent of barbecue wafting through the air is a surefire way to attract the attention of anybody and everybody within a reasonable distance. Adding a little breeze to a cookout has an additional effect aside from being able to easily meet the neighbors.

Directing smoke toward where it’s desired, the Sharper Image BBQ Grill Light & Fan attaches to the grill, making life easier for the grill-master. Designed to not only cool down the cook but also to keep smoke away from the face, the grill gadget offers a unique way to customize the grilling experience. The assembly, which features a centrally mounted four-LED light as well as two independently controlled fans, mounts to a strategic spot on the hood via a universal clamp. Power is supplied by 8-AA batteries, and the fans and light have their own on/off switches.

The directional capabilities of the fans and the illuminating appeal of the light supply the necessary control for maintaining precision comfort during cookouts. hopefully, as the neighbors pick up on the scent, more than a few will be acutely aware of this comfort zone and bring over a few beverages and burgers of their own, as now every grill session will have the possibility to extend into night.

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Haroldo Dilla Alfonso*

HAVANA TIMES, Jan 30 — The recent collapse of a building in the Centro neighborhood of Havana is sad news that speaks to us of dead, injured and homeless – tragic losers of the nation’s “updating” of its model.

But the news isn’t surprising.

The only surprise is that it doesn’t happen more often.

In fact, if this doesn’t happen every day in the Cuban capital, it’s because our architects and engineers left us with a solid housing stock, one proven by the test of time and generations of occupants.

The condition of housing has been complemented by of our fellow citizens, whose one-thousand-and-one ways of shoring up those crumbling buildings will someday have to be chronicled. They somehow manage to continue living in these structures until gravity finally catches up with them, these defiant challengers.

I’m not going to dwell on a balance of accomplishments and failures of the city over this long post-revolutionary era. I’m just saying that, even considering the usual benefits, the city lost much more than what it should have lost to achieve more balanced regional development across the nation as a whole.

It’s missing a lot because it lost the most dynamic segment of its middle and intellectual class; it lost its excellent infrastructure in the heat of neglect and carelessness; and finally it lost its particular metropolitan character due to the mediocre plebeian stoicism of its post-revolutionary political class.

To compensate themselves for their revolutionary efforts, a new leadership layer took special care to redistribute the best homes in the best places and to reserve exceptional sites for their own recreational pleasures.

Havana was sacrificed by a post-revolutionary elite who understood the change as anti-urban stubbornness and who saw the “new man” (to quote Emma Alvarez Tabio) as the noble savage laying constant siege to the city.

We still recall the Havana invaded by farmers, cattle fairs on the grounds of the Capitolio, Fidel’s failed coffee belt around Havana and his ridiculous idea of moving the capital to the small eastern town of Guaimaro.

However, the city ultimately suffered the conversion of architectural gems into rooming houses and government offices, to which were added makeshift garages, sheds in gardens and terraces, rooms where once existed gates and balconies, and the famous “barbacoas” (second floor additions), which have all pushed these buildings to the extreme limits of their physical tolerance.

If from the early revolutionary years we can point to a respectable architectural legacy along with achievements on behalf of the urban majority (as evidenced through accomplishments such as the Habana del Este planned community), the Pastorita city-garden, Cubanacan art school), what followed was pathetic: formalized overcrowding (whose most well-known expression is the Alamar “projects”) and one of the most ghastly buildings in the world: the Soviet Embassy.

Due to policing that prevented the growth of slums on the urban periphery, as occurs in almost all Third World cities, the city ended up swallowing its marginality. this is manifested in unprecedented overcrowding that gives life to about 10,000 tenements in which their occupants live in some of the most subhuman conditions.

My fear is that we are beginning to experience another phase of the history of this city. The  “socialist” city (mediocre and boring) is giving way to another city whose “brand” is precisely the metropolitan situation that was denied for five decades – with its glamor, mysteries and nights of sequins and sex.

This is precisely the Havana that City Historian Eusebio Leal restored to the extent of both his own Hispanophile and courtesan inclinations as well as to the present and potential tastes of consumers.

The Havana that’s being designed will lie along the coast with its extensive golf courses and exclusive marinas. it is a Havana that will have little to do with the poor people who lost homes and family members in the recent Infanta and Salud building collapse.

Havana is beginning its gentrification process in the heat of the legalized housing market, which while still lukewarm is nevertheless inexorable. Elegant Havana will again take shape where now live the old political elite and increasingly the new emerging elite, intimately tied together, in the metamorphic process given to us by the general/president with his “updating.”

This is the Havana of future Cuban capitalism.

“Havana A” will bypass those people who — like the victims living on Infanta and Salud — every night fear a disaster. For these people, like for the thousands of victims who exist in shelters, like the hundreds of thousands waiting for a new home or the repair of an already existing one in the capital, what will remain is “Habana B”: a city of the poor and impoverished, one with the worst services and the worst environmental conditions.

They no longer even have hopes for units in Alamar. The Cuban government, in the process of abdicating its social responsibilities, has left only one option to those who live on the island: cheap loans for housing repairs. What’s more, access to this assistance is only possible through this system of shared misery and monopolized power that the degraded Cuban elite insist on presenting as an option for the future.—–

(*) a Havana Times translation of the original in Spanish published by Cubaencuentro.com

A “biennial” is even more confusing than the term “perennial.” the first year, if you start from seeds, a biennial will ut out its leaves. It will keep growing leaves until the end of the growing season. Depending on whether or not the plant is evergreen or deciduous, the leaves may or may not die during the winter months. the second year, the plant will leaf out again, if it is deciduous, and then it should flower. Depending on what it is, the plant will flower for so long, then start to die down, set seed and then die. so essentially its lifespan is two years. Some biennials will reseed and naturalize in your garden.

Sarah R. of Healdsburg asks: What’s the best way to get rid of those shoots growing up around the base of some of my trees? Especially Crape myrtles. I cut them off and they only grow back.

Suckers are vigorous vertical stems that ruin a tree’s appearance. Both types of suckers – watersprouts, which originate in the branches, and root sprouts, which grow around the base of the trees, can be a problem. Watersprouts create too much shade within the crown (the center canopy of the tree), and are slow to flower or produce fruit. the root sprouts compete with and eventually overtake the tree’s trunk. If a tree is grafted, the root sprouts will never have the desired form, leaves, fruits, or flowers of the grafted variety because it is an actual root system of another tree of that Genus.

The best way to remove suckers is to remove them while they’re young, preferably 1/4 inch in diameter, and during the early part of the growing season. Simply take a hold of them and give a sharp tuck sideways, ripping them away at their growing point. If this doesn’t work, or the suckers are too old to yank off, then you’ll need to cut them at their growing point as close as possible. If a sucker is not removed all the way back to its growing point, then new suckers will grow from the base of the old one. there are a few products sold at the nurseries that slow down the growth of these suckers. Check with your favorite nursery for these products.

Mira M. from Sebastopol asks: I heard that blueberries are a bit difficult to grow. what growing conditions do they need?

Blueberries are acid-loving. Adding copious amounts of well-rotted compost, earthworm castings, fir mulch, and oak leaf mold, along with sulfur, and an acid fertilizer will bring the soil closer to that ideal acid level blueberries need.

Good drainage is also critical. New plants should be mulched regularly and kept well-watered. Blueberries don’t like to dry out. An evenly moist soil keeps them happy and healthy throughout their lives. Plant where they will receive shade in the late afternoon. Plant two different blueberry varieties to increase pollination and fruit set.

Deer and birds will want to help themselves, so protect the blueberries with netting.

Don’t fertilize blueberries until you see new growth in early spring. the fruit does best with mild fertilizing with each watering once that new growth begins.

Prune blueberries once a year in an open-vase method, just as with roses, right after fruiting and flowering have stopped.

The definition of a bare root plant is one that has been grown in a field, lifted from the field with no dirt left clinging to its roots, and shipped to market in that condition. Hence the name bare root. This process is hard on the plant and is reflected in the extremely high failure rate with this type of planting. Also, bare root plants are 3-5 years behind the development of their fully rooted counterparts. As you might suspect, cost has always been the reason for these naked plants. however, even including shipping from distant farms, I find there isn’t much cost difference between a bare root tree and a fully rooted tree from local farms. Especially considering that the fully rooted tree will produce fruit this year, not years from now!

Just as soon as you can see soil in the landscape it is time to get new fruit trees into the ground. that also is good advice for grapes and most berry producing vines. following is the proper planting technique for the local area and some of my personal favorites for planting in the landscape now.

A Ranger Peach is this week’s features fruit tree of the week. This big juicy fruit ripens in colors of red to gold. The Ranger blooms later than other with extra vigor and an abundance of dark green foliage. The peach flesh is easy on the eye, easy to get off the seed and even easier to eat fresh off the tree, in pies or jams. A good sized tree will cost under $60 and should produce for a June harvest if planted early.

It’s important to know that a tree grown in mountain clay soil does not send down a typical taproot. instead it sends out a bent growth that I call a ‘hockey stick root’. This root will send out runners just under the surface of the soil in order to absorb rain and nutrients from our area’s sporadic rainfall. Because we know this is how the root is going to grow it only makes sense to give it a hole that is wide but no deeper than the current root ball. my rule of thumb is a hole that is three times the width of the roots in the container and the same depth.

Remove any rocks and debris that are larger than a golf ball and amend the excavated soil with composted mulch, using one shovel of mulch to three shovels of native earth. At this time it’s good to add a natural fertilizer, too. I suggest my “All Natural Plant Food”; it’s the perfect blend of nutrients to encourage leaf growth which in turn will bring on a hardy root system. To save time, I blend together the soil, mulch, and plant food into a single planting medium.

Using your foot, pack down this nutrient rich soil firmly around your newly planted tree so there are no air pockets remaining around the root ball. Water the tree thoroughly with a mixture of water and “Root & Grow”. This rooting hormone encourages new root hairs to form right away and results in a strong plant well before the stressful effects of summer heat.

The final planting instruction is to stake. Each new tree requires two stakes, one on either side of the root ball. Use one of my specially designed ‘V-straps’ to secure the tree to the stakes. they allow the tree to move and sway with the wind, but never snap in two.

There you have it. for a more detailed list of instructions and visual aids please visit me at the garden center and ask for my special instruction guide on “Planting new Trees”. it is available to anyone and is given with each purchase of a tree.

Most gardeners have their favorite varieties, and I find that some fruit trees, when planted in our alkaline soils and low humidity, produce more prolifically than others or have a better flavor. I confidently can say: “If in doubt start with these varieties and you can’t go wrong.”

Pink Lady Apple – This fruit “explodes” with a breaking crispness, tantalizing your taste buds with mouthwatering flavor and juiciness. I’ve seen kids choose this over candy and sweets! As if taste were not enough, it handling late frost much better than other varieties and fruits better than others.

Prescott Asian Pear – The higher acid content adds a snappy tang like no other fruit tree, and it only takes one tree to produce fruit. Crisp like an apple and makes great jams, jellies, cobblers, or my favorite, right off the tree. why wait, this tree is large enough to put fruit on this spring.

Free Fruit Tree class offered on February 18ths at 9:30am. The spring garden classes have been posted to the Watters Facebook page. if you need information about planting figs, nuts, grapes, and more, you’ll just have to bring your questions to me and the many other garden experts at the garden center. Bring a cup of coffee and an inquisitive garden mind and learn all about local fruits. become the teacher’s pet when an extra Starbucks Latte is available for the professor that day.

Until next week, I’ll see you in the Garden Center.

He was far from a household name when the NBA season began, but now houses throughout New York and outside of the area know the name and the juggernaut movement known as “Lin-sanity.”

The star of the one-man show is Jeremy Lin, who plays for the New York Knicks. The fact that he “played” for the ball club could have been a topic for discussion earlier in the season, because the Harvard graduate saw sparse playing time.

But since coming off the bench when Carmelo Anthony went down with a groin injury and Amare Stoudemire left the team to mourn the death of his brother, Lin has responded bigtime.

On Wednesday, he dished out 13 assists and added 10 points in a 100-85 win over the Sacramento Kings, and during his time in the spotlight, he also put up a 38-point game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Not bad for a guy who was cut by two different NBA teams last December.

And with the emergence of Lin, the Knicks were riding a seven-game win streak following the Wednesday victory over the Kings.

You can’t help but want to sing the line from the John Fogarty hit, “Put me in coach, I’m ready to play.”

He has become the poster boy for everyone who is sure of their skills and is just chomping at the bit for the chance to show what they can do.

Gee, I can even think of several examples from outside the sports world where Lin’s efforts might be inspiring.

In many of our jobs, we become cogs that help turn a much bigger wheel. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that not everybody has what it takes to be a bigwheel, and I know that cogs do important work.

But who among us would not like some example of our work held up for others to see, and maybe to applaud to let us know we had done a good job.

It just doesn’t happen, but think how great it would feel if it did?

Jeremy Lin hopes his play will help disprove stereotypes about athletes from Ivy League colleges being more recognized for academics than for sports, and he also hopes he can change some beliefs regarding Asians and Asian-American NBA players.

I wish him luck, but would also like to let him know that he is a true inspiration to those of us who have spent a great deal of our time “on the bench,” but still yearn to be given our chance to shine.

CONTACT Craig Purcell at 824-1036 or

7:30am Thursday 16th February 2012 in News by Lauren may

An animal lover who turned half her home into an aviary to house twelve “disabled” birds with “special needs” has been left devastated after an allergic reaction rendered her unable to look after them.

the aptly named Pat Avery, 57, from Highfield Drive in Ewell, has been taking in injured and unwanted birds for the last 15 years homing up to 30 birds who she has lived side by side with giving them free reign of her upstairs three-bedroom house.

Cockatiels, budgies and lovebirds, each with their own disabilities, would sleep in the same room as Mrs Avery often waking her up by perching on her face and would even have breakfast with her.

one cockatiel, Bonzo, would even come in the shower with his owner or perch on her head while she took a bath.

But after contracting pneumonia last February, Mrs Avery developed an allergic reaction to her beloved birds forcing her to sleep downstairs on the sofa and wear a mask whenever near them.

Mrs Avery, a former reservations consultant at Beachcomber Tours, said: “It started off with a chest infection and turned into pneumonia and I couldn’t breathe for a while.

“Then they found out I had lung problems and I have been off sick for nearly a year now. So now the birds have both upstairs bedrooms and I sleep downstairs on the sofa because I’m not allowed to be with them.

“You can’t believe how devastated I am. I love my birds so much.”

despite her illness worsening because of her birds, Mrs Avery has refused to give them up.

She added: “I can hardly breathe at the moment, but they make me so happy every time I go into their rooms.

“Now I sleep downstairs I have a baby monitor so I can hear what’s going on upstairs all the time.

“Quite often they fall off their perch or have a bad dream and I have to go running up and sort them out.

“If something disturbs them during the night they get scared so they shout and I have to go running up. But the trouble is I can’t run up anymore.”

the birds have pulled off all the wallpaper and paint in her upstairs bedrooms and to cope with their mess, Mrs Avery has put down linoleum floors and plastic mats which she washes every day.

Many people have offered to house the birds for Mrs Avery, but she has said that simply an outside cage would not be good enough.

She said: “Just sticking them in an aviary with no love or affection is not re-homing them. they need people to sit with them and give them interaction.

“Love birds need an awful lot of stimulation. You can’t just stick them in a box.”

despite her family urging her to get rid of the birds, Mrs Avery, who is going through a divorce and will be selling her home, is hoping to rent a property where she will be able to build an outside aviary.

She said: “They want me to get rid of them but I won’t. they are my life.

“I have had birds in my life for 20 years. they bring me so much happiness. I just can’t imagine life without them. But obviously no one understands that.

“We have compromised on an outside aviary and that I mask up. I really don’t know if that’s going to be enough but I have got to give it a try before I get rid of them completely.

“I love them so much. they are all I have got left.”

Lovebirds

• Prudie – “She has splayed legs which means she can’t stand up so she scuffles about on her tummy.”

• Penny – “She hasn’t got many back feathers. he wouldn’t be very good outside because he gets very cold.”

• Georgie – “She is terrified of everything and anything. She was attacked by a dog. I have got her a little tamer.”

• Rosie Lee – “She just didn’t get on with her mate. There’s nothing wrong with her apart from being extremely bossy and dominating.”

• Lizzy – “She was unwanted. She has been hand tamed and now sleeps in my hand.”

Budgies

• Bebe – “She has a big growth which we think is cancerous.”

• Alfie – “He disappears all the time. He’s a bit of a Houdini.”

• Tula – “She was unwanted.”

Cockatiels

• Bonzo – “He’s an absolute nutcase who suffers with hay fever. In the spring he doesn’t stop sneezing.”

• Tatsy – “She was attacked by birds and is completely bald.”

• Mimi – “She’s got one eye after she was attacked by other birds.”

• Saska -”She was attacked by other birds and was bloody all under her arms. She hasn’t got many feathers.”

Arrests

• Angel Ruben Rodriguez, 19, of Red Hill Creek Road, Dobson, was arrested on Feb. 1, charged with felony breaking and entering a motor vehicle and felony indecent liberties with a child. Bond is $25,000 secured. Trial date is March 29.

• Nicholas Antonio Gionelli, 53, of 131 Rogers Lane, was arrested on Jan. 25, charged with misdemeanor simple possession of a scheduled IV controlled substance. Bond is $2,500 secured. Trial date is Feb. 6.

• Sharon Denise Gallimore, age unknown, of 456 Poteat Road, was arrested on Jan. 25, charged with misdemeanor larceny and felony obtaining property by false pretense. Bond is $5,000 secured. Trial date is March 8.

• Byron Donnell Green, 34, of 1243 Patterson Ave., Winston-Salem, was arrested on Jan. 25, charged with being a habitual felon. Bond is $50,000 secured. Trial date is March 7.

• Danny Edward Holt, 48, of 127 Mount Royal Lane, Dobson, was arrested on Jan. 25, charged with being a habitual felon. Bond is unavailable. Trial date is March 7.

• Timothy Ray Glass, 43, of 131 cool Springs Lane, was arrested on Jan. 28, charged with an “order to arrest, failure to appear” probation violation. Bond is $30,000 secured. Trial date was Jan. 30.

• Clinton Wayne Buzzard, 40, of 157 Wayne St., was arrested on Jan. 29, charged with an “order to arrest, failure to appear” probation violation. Bond is $32,000 secured. Trial date was Jan. 30.

• Yogi DeWayne Danley, 28, of 733 S. Main St., Dobson, was arrested on Jan. 29, charged with misdemeanor larceny and misdemeanor possession of stolen property. Bond is $10,000. Trial date is March 29.

Incidents

• Larceny of livestock at 4125 Shoals Road, Pinnacle, was reported on Jan. 17. the suspect stole one black Angus cow with a white tag in its ear. the cow was valued at $1,000.

• Breaking and entering, larceny and simple possession of a scheduled substance at 209 Edinburg Way, Dobson, were reported on Jan. 17. the suspect entered multiple buildings and stole various scrap metal valued at $300.

• Larceny and criminal damage to property at 184 Valleygreen Trail, Pinnacle, were reported on Jan. 20. the suspect stole one truck muffler valued at $200 and one red tool box with various tools valued at $100 total.

• Motor vehicle theft and larceny at 620 Holly Springs Road were reported on Jan. 20. the suspect stole one 24’ red gooseneck trailer valued at $4,100, one 16,000 lb. wrench valued at $1,000, one blue 4’ fiberglass ladder valued at $50, one orange 8’ fiberglass ladder valued at $120, one 48” black chest toolbox valued at $100, two DeWalt dry wall screw guns valued at $400, one DeWalt power metal sheer valued at $200, one Milwaukee deep cut portable band saw valued at $1,000, one DeWalt sawzall valued at $200, one 7.25” Nikita skill saw valued at $100 and two Senco framing nailers valued at $500.

• Identity theft at 208 Gilmer Miller Road was reported on Jan. 20. the suspect used the victim’s identity to open an online account and steal approximately $300.

• Breaking and entering and larceny at 239 Martha Lowe Road, Lowgap, were reported on Jan. 21. the suspect entered the victim’s residence and stole one Ruger P345 pistol valued at $400, one 12GA Savage wood stock valued at $150, one 10GA shotgun wood stock valued at $150, and one red Husky pressure washer valued at $400.

• Larceny at 133 Eastwind Court was reported on Jan. 21. the suspect stole a 2006 blue Yamaha Raptor valued at $3,844.

A debate over sprinkler system regulations that’s been heating up in El Paso County is poised to spread like wildfire throughout the state next month as lawmakers consider a bill to ban local governments from requiring such systems in new homes.

The bill, introduced by Sen. Kevin Grantham, R-Canon City, is not directly tied to what’s happening in El Paso County, but it pits the same key groups — the building industry and firefighting experts — against each other in a debate over the cost of adding sprinklers to new single-family homes versus the lives and property the sprinklers can save.

The bill also has the potential to spark a case of heartburn in people who see the issue as one of local control.

“I spent years on city council myself, so I get the local control issue,” says Grantham, whose bill was co-sponsored by several other Republican senators, including Keith King and Bill Cadman of El Paso County. “Local control is something we know we’ll hear concerns voiced on. but there’s a wider issue of uniformity of such codes, and what we’re seeing is a hodgepodge of codes.”

The issue has been on the minds of El Paso County commissioners for at least a month, when county fire officials came to them for approval of the 2009 International fire Code, plus amendments that address local needs. A requirement to include sprinkler systems in all new buildings bigger than 6,000 square feet is part of the mix, but it’s also been in place since commissioners adopted an earlier version of the code about six years ago.

At a meeting earlier this month, county fire officials urged commissioners to continue the sprinkler system requirement because there are fewer stations, less equipment and manpower, and many areas without hydrants in unincorporated parts of the county. Builders, however, argued that the requirement is dampening their business.

Commissioners requested that both sides meet to hammer out their differences before taking action. With the bill in the Senate, however, commissioners are considering a plan B: suspending the sprinkler system requirement still in place from six years ago until the bill’s fate is decided. Commissioner Darryl Glenn told a Springs-area builder Thursday that he would put the proposal on the agenda.

In previous meetings, commissioners have appeared reluctant to extend the sprinkler system requirement, with Peggy Littleton saying she hasn’t seen evidence that there’s a compelling need for sprinklers in homes. but whether they’d support a statewide law preventing local governments from approving or banning sprinklers is another matter.

“I do have reservations, in a state as large and diverse as ours: one-size-fits-all rarely works,” said El Paso County Commissioner Dennis Hisey. “What is right for a mountain resort community with large homes nestled in the trees may not be the same as a similar home on the prairie.”

Grantham said he introduced the bill after attending a series of “business roundtables” across Colorado, in which homebuilders said they were concerned about the cost of adding sprinkler systems. Similar bills have passed in other states.

 “It’s just one more thing putting contractors out of business and sending subcontractors looking for other jobs,” said Grantham, who notes that there’s nothing in the bill to keep buyers from adding sprinkler systems to new homes. “we don’t need these unnecessary mandates on our builders.”

The Colorado Municipal League plans to work against the bill, said Megan Storrie, the organization’s legislative and policy advocate. “it should be an issue of local concern,” she said.

David Lowrey, Boulder fire marshal and president of the fire Marshal’s Association of Colorado, also said his group would oppose the bill.

“It’s a horrible idea,” he said. “there are so many organizations that support this and know how good residential sprinklers are and how amazingly well they work. Yes, there’s a cost associated with it, but the fact is, once it’s required in homes, the cost will come down because of demand.”

That’s what happened in Scottsdale, Ariz., which has had sprinkler system requirements for all single-family residences built since 1986, said Jim Ford, the city’s deputy fire chief and fire marshal. Sprinkler-system costs went down, and homebuilding grew, despite warnings from builders.

“we were told by builders that if you do this, there’s so much area and land in the valley that no one will build in Scottsdale,” Ford said. “we doubled in size. it hasn’t slowed us down.”and he said sprinklers have saved lives.

“we have about 13 people who are alive today because of sprinkler systems that for sure would have been fatalities.”—Contact Barbara Cotter: 636-0194Twitter @barbaracotterFacebook Gazette Barbara Cotter

Jamnagar, Gujarat — (SBWIRE) — 01/29/2012 — Jamnagar based manufacturer Brass pipe Fittings India launches a new range of flexible entry boots and pipe fittings for composite hoses.Brass Pipe Fittings is a Jamnagar India based manufacturer and exporter of Brass pipe fittings Brass plumbing fittings hose couplings etc.They have recently launched a new range of flexible entry boots and fittings for composite hoses for the European marketl.Brass Pipe Fittings made Flexible Entry Boots are reliable, safe seals for pipe and conduit entries into underground containment sumps. These entry boots allow for angled pipe entries and have no exposed metal parts to the underground environment.These entry boots are available in a variety of sizes and designs to accommodate rigid and flexible piping, ducting and access pipe.Angled Entries: Primary pipe and access pipe entering the containment sumps may not be perpendicular with the sump wall. Angled entries are generally a result of directional plumbing restrictions on the inside of the containment chamber due to space limitations. Flexible entry boots are flexible enough to permit angled pipe or conduit entries (on two axes) into the sidewall of a containment chamber. all flexible entry boots permit angled entries up to a 15-degree angle off the perpendicular center line in any direction without leaking or putting undue stress on the pipe or conduit seal.Specifications:Specifications for Single Flexible Entry Boot and Fitting STF -0751 1/2″, 3/4″ and 1″ Conduit Entry Boot Fitting 2-3/8″ 6.03STF-0150 1.5″ Entry Boot Fitting for 1.5″ DW FlexWorks Pipe 3-3/4″ 9.52STF-0200 2″ Entry Boot Fitting for 2″ DW FlexWorks Pipe or 2″ LCX 3-3/4″ 9.52STFF-0200F 2″ Entry Boot Fitting for 2″ Rigid Pipe 3-3/4″ 9.52STFF-0300 3″ Entry Boot Fitting for 3″ DW FlexWorks Pipe or3″ Rigid Pipe/LCX 5″ 12.7STF-0400 4″ Entry Boot Fitting for 4″ Rigid Pipe/AXP Pipe 5-1/2″ 13.97STF-0600 6″ Entry Boot Fitting for 6″ Rigid Pipe Saber SawSTF -7400 4″ Sump Access Boot 5″ 12.7Sump Entry: Flexible entry boots have been tested to withstand a minimum of 6′ of liquid head pressure. These seals provide a studded flange connection to create a positive and secure seal where the rubber contacts the sump wall and also around the pipe or conduit. Tightening down on a series of stud fasteners with a compression ring provides a high compression mechanical seal compared to screw on type bulkhead seals.apart from above mentioned products Brass pipe fittings also offers Brass hose barbs, Brass tank connectors, Brass anchors,Brass fasteners, Brass inserts, Brozne fittings etc.you may visit their site at brass-pipe-fittings.com and for products brass-pipe-fittings.com/products.html and brass-pipe-fittings.com/resources.html for more details.

Italian Restaurant and Lounge, Paradise: Free pool and darts. Ongoing.

King’s Tavern, Paradise: Free pool, 9 p.m. to close. Ongoing.

LaSalles: Karaoke and dancing with DJ Kirt. Ongoing.

Dance

Dance Church: Dorothy Johnson Center, 775 E. 16th St. 10 a.m. Ongoing.

Nelson Avenue School Gym, Oroville: Line dance lessons, beginners 6 p.m., Intermediates 7 p.m. Ongoing.

Theatre/stage

Blue Room Theatre: “Dead Man’s Cell Phone,” 2 p.m. Actors’ benefit. $15, $12. 139 W. first St.

Chico Theater Company: “My fair Lady.” 2 p.m. $20 advance, at 894-3282 or chicotheatercompany.com.

Birdcage Theater: “Sylvia.” 2 p.m. $15 at Betty Jean’s, Bartlett’s Hearing Aid Center. 533-BIRD. 2450 Oro Dam Blvd.

Theater on the Ridge: “The Ladies Man.” 2 p.m. $14. 877-5760. 3735 Neal Road, Paradise

Events

Snow Goose Festival: 13th annual event with four days of outings, workshops, more. snowgoosefestival.org or 345-1865. last day.

Community

Vision Quest Hike, Upper Bidwell Park: 8 a.m. Free yoga. Chico Goddess Temple, 13524 Autumn Lane. 9 a.m. hike with meditation, food, music, reconnecting to nature. Host Robert Seals. Sponsor, Universal Life Church. 342-4638. Weekly.

Self-Realization Fellowship/Chico Meditation Circle: 9:30-10:45 a.m. Group meditation in tradition of Paramahansa Yogananda. no instruction; lesson information available. 898-8643 or 891-0287. Weekly.

Chico Creek Nature Center: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.Wednesday to Sunday. Interpretive center for Bidwell Park. Nature exhibits, living animals, public programs. Howard Tucker Exhibit Hall on premises 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday through Sunday. 1968 E. Eighth St. 891-4671, bidwellpark.org.

Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park, Chico: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. hourly tours, Saturdays and Sundays; noon to 4 p.m. Mondays. Adults $6, children $3; 4 and younger no charge; pay by cash or check. Tour home of John and Annie Bidwell, founders of Chico. 525 Esplanade. 895-6144. Weekly.

Gateway Science Museum: Noon-5 p.m. new exhibits: “Toys: The inside story,” “Noise!” and “Larger Than Life.” 625 The Esplanade. Wednesday through Sunday. $5 for adults $3 for children.

Free lunch: 12:30-2 p.m. served by Paradise Adventist Church, 5720 Academy Drive. 877-4454. Weekly.

Duplicate bridge: 1 p.m. Unit game. Bidwell Bridge Studio, Native Daughters Hall, 965 Salem St., Chico. 891-8942. Third Sunday. Also and Monday, Tuesday, Friday 12:30 p.m.

Colman Museum & Centerville 1894 One-room schoolhouse: 1-4 p.m. Weekends; by appointment for groups, 13548 Centerville Road. Permanent Maidu, Chinese, mining history displays. other displays change. Admission by donation. 893-9667; Colmanmuseum@aol.com; colmanmuseum.com.

Shalom Free Clinic: 1-4 p.m. clinic is at 1190 E. first Ave., Chico. Confidential. 342-4913. Weekly.

Samaritan Free Clinic: 2-4 p.m. provides free basic medical and mental health care, 780 Luther Drive, Paradise, 876-0151, 872-7085. between Terry Ashe Recreation Center and CVS Pharmacy. Weekly, except holidays.

Clubs

Star Chapter 395: Touring and riding motorcycle club rides. Clean and sober family organization. Dennis Duncan, 873-1714, or star395chico.org for location, times.

Health, emotional support

Catalyst Domestic Violence Services: 24-hour crisis and referral line 800-895-8476.

Alcoholics Anonymous: Chico Central — 6:30 a.m., 8 a.m., noon, 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m., 1102 Mangrove Ave., Chico; Mom’s Alcoholics Anonymous — Noon, 5:30 and 8 p.m. 2555 Zanella Way, Suite F, Chico. Meet times, locations or to talk to recovering alcoholic, 342-5756. aabutte-glenn.org.

Narcotics Anonymous: Noon, 7 p.m.; Women’s group, 1:30 p.m; 295 Washington Ave., Chico. 24-hour hotline, 1-877-669-1669. Weekly.

Al-Anon: Families of Alcoholics. Chico: 3 p.m. first Christian Church, 295 E. Washington Ave., Room 5. 342-5756. al-anon.alateen.org. Weekly.

Overeaters Anonymous: 6 p.m. St John’s Episcopal Church, Fellowship Hall, 2341 Floral Ave., Chico. Commitment to abstinence. 891-5885, norig.oar2.org. Weekly.

To see what’s happening Monday in the north valley, go to chicoer.com/lifestyle. tell more people about your event by using our online calendar. Visit calendar.chicoer.com/listings and follow the easy instructions.