Cats who used to put up with plain tuna or mackerel can now savor white-tablecloth dishes like wild salmon and whipped egg souffle with garden greens, part of Fancy Feast#x2019;s Elegant Medleys line, or Outback Grill, an Australian-themed entree from Weruva, with native fish like barramundi and trevally.

Their canine cousins might be sniffing lustily as the pop-top opens on French Country Cafe, a beguiling mixture of duck, brown rice, carrots, Golden Delicious apples and peas offered by Merrick, a small family-owned company in Amarillo, Texas, or sending their taste buds to Hawaii with Kauai Luau, chicken with brown rice, sweet potato, prawns, egg, garlic and kale in a lobster consomme. The beach feast is one of the Tiki Dog flavors from Petropics, another small company.

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By Christopher Martin

Feb. 16 (Bloomberg) — Nstar’s agreement to purchase power from Cape Wind Associates LLC may lead to financing of the first U.S. offshore wind project.

Nstar agreed to purchase 129 megawatts of capacity from the planned 468-megawatt project as part the Boston-based utility holding company’s $4.8 billion acquisition by Northeast Utilities, in a deal approved yesterday by Massachusetts regulators.

That means the developer has lined up buyers for 77.5 percent of the wind farm’s total output and will be enough to seek financing, said Mark Rodgers, a Cape Wind spokesman. State regulators must approve the Nstar contract, as they did with National Grid Plc’s 2010 agreement to buy 234 megawatts of capacity from the project off the coast of Nantucket.

“We believe these two contracts will be enough for us to get financing,” Rodgers said in a phone interview. “We’ll continue to look for buyers for the remainder as that process moves forward.”

The Cape Wind project has been in development for more than a decade.

Opposition to the project, which would place 130 Siemens AG turbines in Nantucket Sound, say that offshore wind is too expensive compared to onshore wind and solar energy. Offshore wind costs almost three times as much as onshore, and four times that of an efficient natural-gas plant, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance data.

“Ratepayers are not going to stand still for the kind of bills that the governor, Nstar, National Grid and Cape Wind want to impose on them,” Audra Parker, president of Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, said in a statement. “Other green energy is available at a fraction of the price.”

Tax Credit Expiring

The contract with Nstar, similar to National Grid, will probably include provisions for the potential loss of a federal tax credit that provides wind-power producers 2.2 cents a kilowatt-hour, Rodgers said.

National Grid agreed to pay Cape Wind 18.7 cents a kilowatt-hour for half the output that the project produces. The price will increase 3.5 percent annually for the 15-year life of the contract.

The production tax credit for wind will expire at the end of this year unless Congress passes an extension.

Even a two-year extension may not help Cape wind and other offshore developers qualify for the credit, because large offshore projects take longer than that to complete, said Amy Grace, a wind energy analyst at New Energy Finance in New York.

“There’s still a lot of uncertainty,” Grace said.

–With assistance from Ehren Goossens in New York. Editors: Will Wade, Charles Siler

To contact the reporter on this story: Christopher Martin in New York at cmartin11@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reed Landberg at landberg@bloomberg.net

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READER DISCUSSION

As a music geek, one of my favorite pastimes when listening to a new artist is picking out all of their influences. I can usually figure it out right away, but then there are bands like Band Of Skulls. The English power trio so effortlessly blends styles like blues, classic rock, pop, folk, and garage rock on their new album Sweet Sour that pinning down one or two major influences becomes nearly impossible. Fans of 2009′s Baby Darling Dollface Honey need not worry about a sophomore slump. The way that record was produced, it felt as though the band would leap from your speakers into your living room, rocking out right in front of you with every spin. Everything that made the former effort sound fresh and exciting is still here, just tightened and refined without sounding forced or insincere.

Sweet Sour kicks off with the slow-burning stomper title song. The track stalks along the thunderous groove by Emma Richardson (Bass, Vocals) and Matt Hayward (Drums), accented by the wriggling licks of Russell Marsden (Guitar, Vocals) before exploding in a dirty rock and roll crescendo. Marsden proves his vocal chops all over the record, but this track is certainly of note. Jumping back and forth between sweet crooning and sour rock growl, Marsden sets the tone for the rest of the set. The album continues with the much larger and brighter feeling “Bruises,” a folksy influenced roots rock number. “Wanderluster” has poppy licks, ELO-styled harmonies, and a few tempo shifts thrown in for good measure.

Ballads can be the Achilles’ Heel of any great rock record, but fortunately that is not the case with “Lay My Head Down,” a contemplative number with is fair share of surprises. The Richardson-led “Navigate” is an intricately layered piece that boasts the lyric: “The more you talk the less you mean/They told me that when I was just seventeen/When it sinks in you will not always be here/Funny how all your small worries disappear.”

Sweet Sour comes to a compelling close with the gentle pulse of “Close To Nowhere,” a stylistic opposite to the album’s opening track. After trading lead vocals on the albums other 9 songs, Marsden and Richardson’s country-tinged duet on this track makes for one of Sweet Sours finer moments. Though not as brash as some of the other songs, it nevertheless demands your full attention with tight harmony and wistful melody.

I have been anticipating this record for some time now, and I am relieved to finally have it here. Band Of Skulls has not only added another set of songs to their cannon, but they have also honed the craft of writing a complete album. Though full of contrast, the disc never feels uneven or misguided. The riffs feel fresh, the rhythms excite, and the lighter tones never bore. From beginning to end, Sweet Sour is a cohesive record that stands as more than just a collection of tunes. Head over to the bands Soundcloud page to preview the title track along with other great tracks.

Eventually, everyone made it out okay.

My grandson came running out, James Roberson said. The house is on fire. The house is on fire.

Laverne Roberson said she was house-sitting for her daughter and that the two dogs and two cats never made it out.

Hes been a member of our family, she said. I mean Im surprised he didnt come to us when we called. He must have just not been able to or something.

One sheriffs deputy was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation after he tried to save the pets.

Upon arrival it wasnt clear if everyone was out of the house and the pets and everyone else, said Kelly Kistner, the Guadalupe County Fire Marshal. The sheriffs deputy made an attempt to find out if there was anybody in the house and he ended up inhaling a large amount of smoke.

When crews arrived, smoke and flames were shooting out of the house, leaving the entire front end destroyed.

It started up here towards the front end of the house up in an area where there are two bedrooms and a bathroom, said Kistner.

Kistner said Saturday night that the cause of the fire was an unattended heat source in the bedroom.

And while theres not a cost estimate of what was lost right, he said there was heavy damage to more than half of the house.

Lost and found

LOST: two German Shepherds, one spayed, tan and black, 55-60 pounds, one male black-tan long hair, 6 months old, 50-60 pounds, red underground fence collars, Doc Loftin Road, 531-1819 or 814-7962; male black miniature poodle, white stomach, South Central High School, Winterville, 702-5501; male black Rottweiler mix, tan legs, 1frac12; years old, 55 pounds, Vanceboro, 244-1257 or 617-0740; neutered tan and beige dog, runs with a limp, gray-black nylon collar, Moseley Drive, Greenville, 341-4062 or 341-9447; male black and brown dog, Isaiah, tail cut off, Letchworth Circle, Winterville, 916-6145; female black Lab, blue collar, Gardenia Street, 215-0582; male tricolor beagle, green collar, Beddard and Mobleys Bridge roads, 531-5105 or 327-8137; male white cat, black-brown face, brown tail, 12th and Evans streets, 717-5926; male black Lab mix, white on chest, 65 pounds, blue-green collar, Fountain, 822-4091; male black Lab-chow mix, Marlin, white patch on chest, 100 pounds, Steelers collar, Winterville-Main Street Village, 329-0400; neutered black and white cat, Bowen Circle, Ayden, 327-9355.

FOUND: male black hound dog, white spots, orange collar, Branches Estates, NC 43 South, 717-5898; male yellow Lab, blue collar, Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, 919-740-1805; small brown dog, Staton Mill Road toward Bethel, right back leg not functioning, 864-5275; female black and white rat terrier, Sterling Pointe, 412-5594.

Volunteers

bull; The Humane Society of Eastern Carolina has a volunteer orientation at 1 pm Saturdays and 3:30 pm the third Wednesday of each month. Call 413-7247 or e-mail hsecvolunteer@embarqmail.com. Volunteers must be at least 13 years old. Volunteers are needed to exercise and play with animals, to assist with adoptions and to help with events.

bull; The Dachshund Rescue of North America seeks volunteers to provide a temporary foster home for dachshunds available for adoption. Call 353-4057.

bull; The City of Greenville Off-Leash Dog Area seeks volunteers to assist in the dog area at Ash Street park. Contact Cora Tyson at 758-6333.

Bingo

The Humane Society of Eastern Carolina will hold Bow-Wow Bingo March 15 at Pitt County Schools and Recreation, 4561 County Home Road. Doors open at 6 pm and the games begin at 6:30 pm Prize payouts will total as much as $1,000 and jackpot specials of $125 may be awarded, depending on attendance. Admission is $20 and proceeds go to the humane society and Spay Today.

February 16

It’s stories like Alley’s that Saturday’s Westside Trailer Cat
Day Spay and Neuter event aims to prevent.

Alley was sitting quietly in her carrier Saturday morning, one
of dozens of cats and dogs at the Iron Works Manufacturing
warehouse that had been converted into a spay and neuter clinic.
Each animal was fixed for free.

Martinez Sickich brought Alley down just before noon. After
about 45 minutes, a groggy Alley was ready to go back home.

The clinic was put on by the Montana Spay/Neuter Task Force and
organized by a local committee of Westside residents who saw a need
to help control the feral and stray cat population in the area.

“I used to live in the Hollywood Trailer Court and I would wake
up and there’d be 15 cats out in my yard,” event organizer Hannah
Wilson said.

Wilson knows many neighbors see the cats as a nuisance. She sees
them a little differently.

“How can they be a nuisance when they’re not the ones who put
themselves there?” Wilson said. “I just wanted to do my part and
help out. It’s a tough life for cats in the Hollywood trailer
park.”

Wilson, who still lives in the area, was proud to see the number
of neighbors who took advantage of the clinic for their pets, and
who helped volunteer to make the clinic run smoothly.

Traps were set Friday and checked throughout the day Saturday to
catch the strays. Eleven surgeries were performed Friday night on
feral cats caught that afternoon. After they were fixed, feral cats
were kept overnight in the warehouse before being released. Some of
the more tame strays were sent to the Human Society of Western
Montana to be readied for adoption.

***

Several neighborhood residents brought dogs to
be fixed as well. Organizers continued to reach out throughout the
day, recruiting neighbors to bring in pets or help identify strays
to be fixed.

Veterinarians Diana Scollard and Craig Moore worked throughout
the day. Scollard moved back and forth between two operating
tables, while Moore worked with his son on the dogs in a separate
operating area.

After surgery, cats were wrapped in warm blankets and sent to
the recovery area.

That’s where 5-year-old Raina Finley held vigil next to her cat,
Blacky, who was just out of surgery.

“This little kitty is almost awake,” said Finley, who was
rubbing Blacky to keep her warm and to encourage her to wake up.
“It feels like it’s been an hour. But my kitty is doing pretty
good.”

Blacky is a “really nice” 2-year-old black cat with green eyes
and a short tail. She likes to chew her cat toys and often sleeps
with Finley or her brother. Blacky’s mom was spayed Saturday, too,
as were three tiny kittens from another recent litter delivered by
Blacky’s mom.

“I’m glad she got fixed or she would have had a lot of kittens,”
Finley said.

By early afternoon, about 78 surgeries had been completed. 

Task Force Coordinator Sheila Thomas said they expected to get
through 100 cats by the end of the day, preventing the birth of
thousands of homeless animals.

One of those responsibilities that comes with benefits is purchasing a pet license.

The municipal codes that guide life in International Falls require that owners of cats and dogs within the city limits purchase an annual license.

The licenses are cheap: Just $4 per dog and $2 per cat. If a pet owner finds that to be too expensive, they clearly shouldn’t have a pet. Pets cost money, starting with vaccinations that are also required in the city’s codes. And then there’s food, shelter, veterinarian care and more needs that come with a price tag.

But the benefits of having pet licenses are immeasurable when that pet wanders. Reconnecting owners with their pet is made easier for all involved if the animal is sporting a bright blue, bone-shaped or green, cat-shaped license tag. Animal control officers and volunteers with the Borderland Humane Society can more easily find out to whom the pet belongs by connecting the numbers on the license with a list of licensed pets and their owners in the city.

City officials and volunteers with the Borderland Human Society say the number of pet licenses purchased this year appears to be down from previous years. It’s unlikely that people have fewer pets, based on the BHS reports of the lost and found animals the organization serves.

Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Responsible pet owners make themselves familiar with the laws in their community that govern pet ownership. Information about licenses can easily be obtained by contacting city officials at the Falls Municipal Building.

We urge city residents with pets to get them licensed for the good of the animal and the owner.

PORT ORANGE, Fla., Feb. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
Sales Influence: The Secret to Making Your Relationships Work will be on retail bookshelves February 17 and on the web, according to Hamilton-Bruce, publishers of the second book in the Influence series.

Written by Dr. Dan Neundorf, author of Influence: How To Get It and Keep It and a long-time leadership coach and management training director, the Sales Influence book speaks to the needs of sales professionals struggling to meet and exceed their goals in a tight economic market. By sharing with readers the influence factors and strategies needed to advance their careers, Sales Influence teaches professionals how to build stronger, more lasting relationships at home, at work, and on the road. The book is said by many to be a life-changer.

“This is a practical approach to influencing others,” said Neundorf, who holds an earned doctorate and facilitates and leads workshops across North America. “The secret lies in the DEBA Factor of relationships.” By applying the DEBA Factor to role system dynamics, said Neundorf, the strategies in Sales Influence will influence prospects to change perspective and say “Yes.” The system integrates the best practices of management science, communications, and positive psychology. Neundorf guarantees it will produce success.

To reserve a copy of the Hamilton-Bruce book, see your local book retailer or visit
http://www.hamilton-bruce.com to order Sales Influence: The Secret to Making Your Relationships Work.

Based in Port Orange, FL, and Toronto, Canada, Hamilton-Bruce publishes under the imprints of H-B Business Books, Pelican Harbor Self-Help and General Interest Books, and Henry’s Vision Juvenile Books.

CONTACT:

Nancy M. Hamilton, APRnhamilton@hamilton-bruce.com352-450-6803 / 888-519-3342

This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at
http://www.ereleases.com .

SOURCE Hamilton-Bruce

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

Now having a daughter of my own, I thought it might be a good idea to learn a bit more about girls and their relationships.

Recently, I did a little reading. I read the book, “Odd Girl Out, The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls” by Rachel Simmons. Simmons interviewed school-aged girls across the country about friends, conflict and aggression.

According to the book, and to my own life experiences, it seems that boys and girls handle conflict differently. Boys tend to argue, wrestle, hit and even physically fight. They put the conflict out there and deal with it.

Girls do things differently. Girls in conflict can be silent, secretive and hard to detect. They fight with a mean look, gossip, spreading rumors, note passing and isolation. Much of this behavior goes unnoticed by teachers and parents because girls are so good at hiding it. It’s a lot easier to see a boy’s flying fist than it is to catch a girl’s mean glance.

The biggest learning for me was that conflict in girls is “relational.” It is not a matter of fine tuning social skills; it is that girls have a highly tuned set of social skills.

They know just how to control and manipulate friends to keep their “posse” of friends close by and involved. The gossip, mean looks and rumors don’t happen between strangers, it happens between best friends.

The relationship between best friends can change in a day. One day two girls are best friends, the next day one girl has decided she wants to be with the “in” crowd, so she begins gossiping about her best friend, giggling when she walks by and altogether ignoring her … all done in order to fit in with the “in crowd.”

Not quite a part of the “in crowd,” the “mean” girl will maintain a friendship with her “best” friend just in case things don’t work out with the “in crowd.”

The most damaging part of this “bullying” is the isolation that the once-best friend feels. Girls are social beings, they need connection with others. They need their girlfriends.

The worst thing that can happen to a girl is to be excluded from her friends and therefore isolated. Most girls will do anything to keep those connections, including putting up with the glares, giggles and isolation from their best friend. Pretty depressing isn’t it? But, there is hope!

Our girls are born and raised to be nurturing, to care for others, to be kind and be friendly. We’ve all heard it or have had it implied: “Nice girls don’t say mean things, nice girls don’t get angry.”

“Girls are polite, generous and kind.” Girls become protective of others’ feelings. They don’t want to say how they are feeling because they don’t want to hurt another’s feelings. They don’t want to walk away from the abusive behavior because they don’t want to be mean. As a counselor I hear these excuses over and over again … and couldn’t understand why they just can’t stand up for themselves!

Rachel Simmons helped me to understand why they can’t stand up for themselves. She helped me to understand the dire depths and necessity of girls having friends. She helped me to understand that only our daughters can find their way through these painful and heartbreaking relationships.

She helped me to understand that as a parent the greatest gift I can give my daughter is to listen. Our girls are the best experts on their relationships. Our advice and control can only further damage the delicate web of our daughter’s relationships.

It’s hard to hear that all I get to do is listen. In Simmons’ book, she recognized many parents that just thought this is part of being a girl and part of growing up; it will be there no matter what we do.

Simmons saw it differently. She sees it as unnecessary and often with lifelong damaging affects. Our daughters do not have to endure this.  Listening being the greatest gift we can give our daughters, Simmons did suggest other helpful solutions that we can do as a community.

o Parents can model respectful relationships by not participating in gossip or judgment of others.

o School communities can read Simmons book or others similar to it, in order to have a better understanding of girls, friendships and aggression. Girls often don’t want to talk about what is going on. But each day there are the tears! As educated adults, we can look behind the tears to better understand what is going on.

o As adults we can “agree to disagree.” We can model for our daughters’ healthy conflict. We can have a disagreement with another, talk it out, share our feelings and still remain in a relationship with that person.

o Allow our daughters to be angry. Accept that there are times they will be angry at you and that it is okay for them to use their words to express their anger.

o Educate our daughters about the bullying that goes on with email, Facebook, text messaging, etc. When we were young, rumors were spread one person at a time via phone. Now one touch of a button sends an email to a whole class.

o Be aware that relational bullying can start young. Simmons interviewed girls with stories to tell that took place in second grade, and I have heard reports of exclusion in preschool!

The Boston Globe referred to Simmons book as a “must read for young girls and their mothers.” I hope that parents will take time to read this book or others similar to it.

I found a copy at my local library. I hope too that parents can build communities that are aware of relational aggression and be willing to support ourselves and others when our daughters are “growing” through this painful and challenging process.

Parent educator Melanie Miller has nearly 10 years experience working as a LWSD grade school counselor working with girls on friendship and relational issues. She also works as a Positive Discipline Lead Trainer teaching parenting classes and providing trainings for professionals, who work with families, and in schools. Most importantly, she is the mother of a daughter and through this most important role has developed a passion to learn and teach others about relational aggression. Melanie offers workshops in Kirkland for parents and daughters, and school staffs, on girl bullying. To schedule a workshop in your community, contact her at nwmillers@frontier.com or 206-579-2172.

Contact Kirkland Reporter Contributor Melanie Miller at melanie_miller@verizon.net.

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