DODGERS ANNOUNCE PRELIMINARY 2015 SCHEDULE

Los Angeles to open 2015 Campaign and Dodger Stadium’s 55^th season on Monday, April 6 vs. San Diego

 

LOS ANGELES – Major League Baseball today announced the preliminary schedule for the 2015 regular season. The Dodgers will begin the 2015 campaign at Dodger Stadium on Monday, April 6 vs. the San Diego Padres. The three-game series will runApril 6-8 and marks the third time in the last eight seasons Los Angeles has kicked off the season opposing San Diego. The last time the Dodgers hosted the Padres on Opening Day was April 5, 2004. 

 

The Dodgers begin their road schedule on April 10 in Arizona and close out the regular season with three games against the Padres at Dodger Stadium from Oct. 2-4. The San Francisco Giants visit Dodger Stadium for the first time on April 27 and for the final time on Aug. 31. American League teams that will visit Los Angeles throughout the 81-game home slate are the Seattle Mariners from April 13-15, the Texas Rangers fromJune 17-18, the Oakland A’s from July 28-29 and the rival Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim from July 31-Aug. 2.

 

Interleague road dates for the Dodgers in 2015 include travel to Texas (June 15-16), Oakland (Aug. 18-19) and Houston (Aug. 21-23). The Dodgers will head to Anaheim for an unprecedented September Freeway series against Angels from Sept. 7-9. The Dodgers play a home and home two-game series against the Rangers beginning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on June 15 and concluding three days later in L.A. on June 18. 

 

The holiday schedule for Dodger fans next year sees the Boys in Blue at home on Memorial Day (Monday, May 25 vs. ATL), Father’s Day (Sunday, June 21 vs. SF) and Saturday, July 4 (vs. NYM).

 

The Dodgers will join all Major League clubs in celebrating Jackie Robinson Day on Wednesday, April 15 and will play host to the Seattle Mariners at Chavez Ravine for an Interleague matchup and special pregame ceremonies.

 

The Dodgers’ 2015 preliminary schedule can be found at www.dodgers.com, with an official schedule, game times and a full slate of promotional items to be announced later.

 

Deposits for 2015 season tickets are currently being accepted by the Dodgers.Complete details can be found by visitingwww.dodgers.com/seasontickets.

 

Below is the 2015 Los Angeles Dodgers Preliminary Schedule: Shading indicates Home Game.

 

Date                      Day                         Opponent

April 6                   Monday               SD

April 7                   Tuesday               SD

April 8                   Wednesday        SD

April 10                 Friday                    @ ARI

April 11                 Saturday              @ ARI

April 12                 Sunday                 @ ARI

April 13                 Monday               SEA

April 14                 Tuesday               SEA

April 15                 Wednesday        SEA

April 17                 Friday                    COL

April 18                 Saturday              COL

April 19                 Sunday                 COL

April 21                 Tuesday               @ SF

April 22                 Wednesday        @ SF

April 23                 Thursday             @ SF

April 24                 Friday                    @ SD

April 25                 Saturday              @ SD

April 26                 Sunday                 @ SD

April 27                 Monday               SF

April 28                 Tuesday               SF

April 29                 Wednesday        SF

May 1                    Friday                    ARI

May 2                    Saturday              ARI

May 3                    Sunday                 ARI

May 4                    Monday               @ MIL

May 5                    Tuesday               @ MIL

May 6                    Wednesday        @ MIL

May 7                    Thursday             @ MIL

May 8                    Friday                    @ COL

May 9                    Saturday              @ COL

May 10                 Sunday                 @ COL

May 11                 Monday               MIA

May 12                 Tuesday               MIA

May 13                 Wednesday        MIA

May 14                 Thursday             COL

May 15                 Friday                    COL

May 16                 Saturday              COL

May 17                 Sunday                 COL

May 19                 Tuesday               @ SF

May 20                 Wednesday        @ SF

May 21                 Thursday             @ SF

May 22                 Friday                    SD

May 23                 Saturday              SD

May 24                 Sunday                 SD

May 25                 Monday               ATL

May 26                 Tuesday               ATL

May 27                 Wednesday        ATL

May 29                 Friday                    @ STL

May 30                 Saturday              @ STL

May 31                 Sunday                 @ STL

June 1                   Monday               @ COL

June 2                   Tuesday               @ COL

June 3                   Wednesday        @ COL

June 4                   Thursday             STL

June 5                   Friday                    STL

June 6                   Saturday              STL

June 7                   Sunday                 STL

June 8                   Monday               ARI

June 9                   Tuesday               ARI

June 10                 Wednesday        ARI

June 12                 Friday                    @ SD

June 13                 Saturday              @ SD

June 14                 Sunday                 @ SD

June 15                 Monday               @ TEX

June 16                 Tuesday               @ TEX

June 17                 Wednesday        TEX

June 18                 Thursday             TEX

June 19                 Friday                    SF

June 20                 Saturday              SF

June 21                 Sunday                 SF

June 22                 Monday               @ CHC 

June 23                 Tuesday               @ CHC

June 24                 Wednesday        @ CHC

June 25                 Thursday             @ CHC

June 26                 Friday                    @ MIA

June 27                 Saturday              @ MIA

June 28                 Sunday                 @ MIA

June 29                 Monday               @ ARI

June 30                 Tuesday               @ ARI

July 1                     Wednesday        @ ARI

July 3                     Friday                    NYM

July 4                     Saturday              NYM

July 5                     Sunday                 NYM

July 6                     Monday               PHI

July 7                     Tuesday               PHI

July 8                     Wednesday        PHI

July 9                     Thursday             PHI

July 10                   Friday                    MIL

July 11                   Saturday              MIL

July 12                   Sunday                 MIL

 

July 14                   Tuesday               ASG @ CIN

 

July 17                   Friday                    @ WSH

July 18                   Saturday              @ WSH

July 19                   Sunday                 @ WSH

July 20                   Monday               @ ATL

July 21                   Tuesday               @ ATL

July 22                   Wednesday        @ ATL

July 23                   Thursday             @ NYM

July 24                   Friday                    @ NYM

July 25                   Saturday              @ NYM

July 26                   Sunday                 @ NYM

July 28                   Tuesday               OAK

July 29                   Wednesday        OAK

July 31                   Friday                    LAA

August 1              Saturday              LAA

August 2              Sunday                 LAA

August 4              Tuesday               @ PHI

August 5              Wednesday        @ PHI

August 6              Thursday             @ PHI

August 7              Friday                    @ PIT

August 8              Saturday              @ PIT

August 9              Sunday                 @ PIT

August 10            Monday               WSH

August 11            Tuesday               WSH

August 12            Wednesday        WSH

August 13            Thursday             CIN

August 14            Friday                    CIN

August 15            Saturday              CIN

August 16            Sunday                 CIN

August 18            Tuesday               @ OAK

August 19            Wednesday        @ OAK

August 21            Friday                    @ HOU

August 22            Saturday              @ HOU

August 23            Sunday                 @ HOU

August 25            Tuesday               @ CIN

August 26            Wednesday        @ CIN

August 27            Thursday             @ CIN

August 28            Friday                    CHC

August 29            Saturday              CHC

August 30            Sunday                 CHC

August 31            Monday               SF

Sept. 1                  Tuesday               SF

Sept. 2                  Wednesday        SF

Sept. 3                  Thursday             @ SD

Sept. 4                  Friday                    @ SD

Sept. 5                  Saturday              @ SD

Sept. 6                  Sunday                 @ SD

Sept. 7                  Monday               @ LAA

Sept. 8                  Tuesday               @ LAA

Sept. 9                  Wednesday        @ LAA

Sept. 11                Friday                    @ ARI

Sept. 12                Saturday              @ ARI

Sept. 13                Sunday                 @ ARI

Sept. 14                Monday               COL

Sept. 15                Tuesday               COL

Sept. 16                Wednesday        COL

Sept. 18                Friday                    PIT

Sept. 19                Saturday              PIT

Sept. 20                Sunday                 PIT

Sept. 21                Monday               ARI

Sept. 22                Tuesday               ARI

Sept. 23                Wednesday        ARI

Sept. 24                Thursday             ARI

Sept. 25                Friday                    @ COL

Sept. 26                Saturday              @ COL

Sept. 27                Sunday                 @ COL

Sept. 28                Monday               @ SF

Sept. 29                Tuesday               @ SF

Sept. 30                Wednesday        @ SF

Oct. 1                    Thursday             @ SF

Oct. 2                    Friday                    SD

Oct. 3                    Saturday              SD

Oct. 4                    Sunday                 SD

                               

 

 

The Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, with six World Series championships and 21 National League pennants since its beginnings in Brooklyn in 1890, is committed to a tradition of pride and excellence.  The Dodgers are dedicated to supporting a culture of winning baseball, providing a first-class, fan-friendly experience at Dodger Stadium, and building a strong partnership with the community. With the highest cumulative fan attendance in Major League Baseball history, and a record of breaking barriers, the Dodgers are one of the most cherished sports franchises in the world.

Visit the Dodgers online at www.dodgers.com, follow them on Twitter @Dodgers and like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Dodgers.

For media information, visitwww.dodgerspressbox.com.  

NASA Sees Large Tropical Storm Fengshen Skirting Eastern Japan's Coastline

NASA Sees Large Tropical Storm Fengshen Skirting Eastern Japan's Coastline

The AIRS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured this infrared look at Tropical Storm Fengshen east of Japan on Sept. 8.

Image Credit: 

NASA JPL, Ed Olsen

Tropical Storm Fengshen is a large storm and infrared imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite shows that it's about as long as the big island of Japan.

NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Storm Fengshen on September 7 and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument known as AIRS gathered temperature data about the storm's cloud tops and surrounding sea surface temperatures. The infrared data showed strong thunderstorms surrounded the center of circulation and also appeared in large bands south and northeast of the storm's center. Another large and fragmented band on strong thunderstorms stretched to the northeast of the center of the storm and ran northeastward along Japan's east coast.

On September 8 at 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT), Tropical Storm Fengshen had maximum sustained winds near 55 knots (63.2 mph/102 kph). It was moving to the east-northeast at 23 knots (26.4 mph/42.6 kph) and away from the big island of Japan. Fengshen was centered near 31.4 north latitude and 140.6 east longitude about 264 nautical miles (303 miles/488.9 km) south of Yokosuka, Japan.  For a list of warnings in Japan, visit the Japan Meteorological Agency website: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/warn/.

Microwave satellite data on September 8, showed an eye with strong thunderstorms banding north of the center of circulation and wrapping into it. That microwave data was taken from the MetOp-B satellite. MetOp is a series of three polar orbiting meteorological satellites operated by the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT).

Fengshen is expected to intensify to typhoon strength before undergoing extra-tropical transitioning as it continues to move east and away from Japan.

Scientists Find Evidence of ‘Diving’ Tectonic Plates on Jupiter’s Moon Europa

Scientists Find Evidence of ‘Diving’ Tectonic Plates on Jupiter’s Moon Europa

Scientists have found evidence of plate tectonics on Jupiter’s moon Europa. This conceptual illustration of the subduction process (where one plate is forced under another) shows how a cold, brittle, outer portion of Europa’s 20-30 kilometer (roughly 10-20 mile) thick ice shell moved into the warmer shell interior and was ultimately subsumed. A low-relief subsumption band was created at the surface in the overriding plate, alongside which cryolavas may have erupted.

Image Credit: 

Noah Kroese, I.NK

Scientists have found evidence of plate tectonics on Jupiter’s moon Europa. This indicates the first sign of this type of surface-shifting geological activity on a world other than Earth.

Researchers have clear visual evidence of Europa’s icy crust expanding. However, they could not find areas where the old crust was destroyed to make room for the new.  While examining Europa images taken by NASA’s Galileo orbiter in the early 2000s, planetary geologists Simon Kattenhorn, of the University of Idaho, Moscow, and Louise Prockter, of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, discovered some unusual geological boundaries.

“We have been puzzled for years as to how all this new terrain could be formed, but we couldn’t figure out how it was accommodated,” said Prockter. “We finally think we’ve found the answer.”

Plate tectonics is the scientific theory that Earth's outer layer is made up of plates or blocks that move, which accounts for why mountain and volcanoes form and earthquakes happen.

The surface of Europa -- one of Jupiter’s four largest moons and slightly smaller than Earth’s moon -- is riddled with cracks and ridges. Surface blocks are known to have shifted in the same way blocks of Earth's outer ground layer on either side of the San Andreas fault move past each in California. Many parts of Europa’s surface show evidence of extension, where wide bands miles wide formed as the surface ripped apart and fresh icy material from the underlying shell moved into the newly created gap -- a process akin to seafloor spreading on Earth.

On Earth, as new surface material forms at mid-ocean ridges, old material is destroyed at subduction zones, which are regions where two tectonic plates converge and overlap as one is forced under the other. However, despite the degree of extension evident on Europa’s surface, researchers had not been able to determine how the surface could accommodate all the new material.

Scientists studying Europa often reconstruct the moon’s surface blocks into their original configuration -- as with a jigsaw puzzle -- to get a picture of what the surface looked like before the disruption occurred. When Kattenhorn and Prockter rearranged the icy terrain in the images, they discovered that more than 12,000 square miles (nearly 20,000 square kilometers) of the surface were missing in the moon’s high northern latitudes.

Further evidence suggested the missing terrain moved under a second surface plate -- a scenario commonly seen on Earth at plate-tectonic boundaries. Kattenhorn and Prockter saw ice volcanoes on the overriding plate, possibly formed through melting and absorption of the slab as it dove below the surface, and a lack of mountains at the subduction zone, implying material was pushed into the interior rather than crumpled up as the two plates mashed against each other.

The scientists believe the subducted area was absorbed into Europa's ice shell, which may be up to 20 miles (about 30 kilometers) thick, rather than breaking through it into Europa's underlying ocean. On Europa’s relatively young surface -- about 40-90 million years old, on average -- scientists have seen evidence of material moving up from under the shell but, until now, no mechanism had been found for moving material back into the shell, and possibly into the large ocean below the ice.

“Europa may be more Earth-like than we imagined, if it has a global plate tectonic system,” Kattenhorn says. “Not only does this discovery make it one of the most geologically interesting bodies in the solar system, it also implies two-way communication between the exterior and interior -- a way to move material from the surface into the ocean -- a process which has significant implications for Europa’s potential as a habitable world.”

The team’s results appear in the Sunday online edition of the journal Nature Geoscience.

In July, NASA issued an Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for proposals for science instruments that could be carried aboard a future mission to Europa.

“Europa continues to reveal itself as a dynamic world with compelling similarities to our own planet Earth,” said Curt Niebur, Outer Planets program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Studying Europa addresses fundamental questions about this potentially habitable icy moon and the search for life beyond Earth.”

Previous scientific findings point to the existence of a liquid water ocean located under the moon’s icy crust. This ocean covers Europa entirely and contains more liquid water than all of Earth's oceans combined.

NASA’s Galileo spacecraft, launched in 1989, was the only space mission to make repeated visits to Europa, passing close by the moon about a dozen times.

Galileo’s many firsts include discovering evidence for the existence of a saltwater ocean beneath Europa's icy surface. The mission officially was ended when Galileo plunged into Jupiter's atmosphere in September 2003 to prevent an impact with Europa. The mission was managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

NASA Catches the End of Tropical Depression 14W

Sept. 08, 2014 - NASA Catches the End of Tropical Depression 14W

The AIRS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured this infrared look at Tropical Depression 14W making landfall in southeastern China on Sept. 7 at 1:59 a.m. EDT.

Image Credit: 

NASA JPL, Ed Olsen

Tropical Depression 14W was a short-lived storm that only lasted through four bulletins from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. NASA's Aqua satellite captured infrared data on the storm's cloud top temperatures as it passed over China's Hainan Island and headed toward a final landfall in mainland China.

Born in the South China Sea it made landfall in southeastern China on September 8. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument called AIRS that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured infrared data on the storm on September 7 at 1:59 a.m. EDT. The AIRS data showed an elongated storm over Hainan Island, China. It also showed cold cloud top temperatures near -63F/-52C that indicated powerful thunderstorms dropping heavy rainfall over the island.

 The final warning on Tropical Depression 14W (TD14W) was issued on September 8 at 0300 UTC (September 7 at 11 p.m. EDT). AT that time, the center of the depression was near 21.1 north latitude and 111.2 east longitude about 182 miles (293 km) west-southwest of Hong Kong, China. It was moving to the north-northwest at 13 knots (14.9 mph/24.8 kph) and maximum sustained winds were near 25 knots (28.7 mph/46.3 kph) and waning. 

As TD14W made landfall on September 8 it brought wave heights up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) along coastal areas of southern China. Satellite imagery showed that the remnants of the depression were moving over the northern Gulf of Tonkin, located to the west of Hainan Island and are expected to continue in a north-northwesterly direction until dissipation.

Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

LOS ANGELES ZOO'S HISPANIC HERITAGE CELEBRATION

LOS ANGELES ZOO'S
HISPANIC HERITAGE CELEBRATION
FEATURES LIVE PERFORMANCES BY THE MARIACHI DIVAS
AND OTHER ENTERTAINMENT,
LATIN AMERICAN-INSPIRED CRAFT PROJECTS FOR YOUNGSTERS,
AND SPOTLIGHT ON ANIMALS FROM
LATIN AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA AND MEXICO

Saturday, September 27 and Sunday, September 28, 2014
10 am to 4 pm
Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens

The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens shines a spotlight on animals from Latin America, South America and Mexico at its Hispanic Heritage Celebration weekend on Saturday and Sunday, September 27 and 28, 2014, 10 am to 4 pm, that also features live performances by the Grammy Award-winning Mariachi Divas, Latin American-inspired craft projects for youngsters, up-close "Animals and You" visits with Latin American animals, and mini tours and animal enrichment activities in the Zoo's South America area and the new Rainforest of the Americas.  Other musical and dance entertainment includes performances both days by Salvadorian Folklorico group ASOSAL, Music Center on Tour artist Ballet Folclorico do Brasil, and Ballet Folklorico Maria Felix, the Mexican community group.  Author Cecilia Velastagui is featured on Saturday with a presentation and reading from her popular Olinguito Speaks Up book for children, and a giant, 21-foot iguana statue for fun photo ops greets visitors in the Zoo's entry plaza.

The events, highlighting the diversity of Latin American cultures and animals native to the Americas, are held amid Latino Heritage Month.  "The Los Angeles Zoo has one of the most diverse collections of reptiles and amphibians in any Zoo, and we are especially proud of our work in Latin America, resulting one of the largest collections of Latin American reptiles in the world," notes Ian Recchio, LA Zoo Curator of Amphibians, Reptiles and Fish.  "Mexico has more species of reptiles that any country on earth, and because of that we work with our neighbors to preserve its unique reptile species and display many of them at our LAIR (Living Amphibians, Invertebrates and Reptiles) exhibit."  The Zoo's Rainforest of the Americas, which opened earlier this year, features an extraordinary collection of endangered and exotic mammals, reptiles, fish and amphibians that inhabit the rainforests of Mexico, Central America and South America.

At 11:30 am on Saturday only, Velástegui leads a story time filled with costumed characters, puppets, animated videos and surprises featuring her award-winning book, Olinguito Speaks Up, awarded the Best Spanish/Bilingual Latino-Focused Children’s Picture Book at the 2014 International Latino Book Awards.  The book tells a tale of a rainforest olinguito, recently discovered by the Smithsonian Institute's Dr. Kristofer Helgen, who praises Velástegui's work by saying, "This story teaches us to honor our elders and to cherish nature, vital messages for all of us."

Hispanic Heritage Celebration is presented by the landmark Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, which draws 1.6 million visitors each year and is home to a diverse collection of 1,100 animals representing 250 different species, many of which are rare or endangered.  Its lush grounds on 113 acres feature a botanical collection comprising over 800 different plant species with approximately 7,000 individual plants.  Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), whose members meet rigorous professional standards for animal welfare, the Zoo has achieved renown as an international leader in the preservation of endangered species and a conservation center for the care and study of wildlife.  Among its most popular habitats are the LAIR (Living Amphibians, Invertebrates, and Reptiles), Elephants of Asia, Campo Gorilla Reserve and Rainforest of the Americas.  The private, non-profit Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), which has supported the Zoo in partnership with the City of Los Angeles for more than five decades and provides funding for and operates seven essential Zoo departments, has 65,000 member households representing more than 240,000 adults and children.  As evidence of the Zoo's popularity, GLAZA attracts one of the largest membership bases of any cultural organization in Los Angeles.  The Zoo's location in Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways ideally positions it as a convenient destination enjoyed by locals and vacationers of all ages who can visit every day of the year except Christmas Day.  

Hispanic Heritage Celebration activities are free with paid Zoo admission.  Zoo admission is $19 for general admission (ages 13 to 61); $16 for seniors (ages 62+), and $14 for children (ages 2 to 12).  No ticket is required for children under 2.  Zoo admission for Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association members is free.

The Los Angeles Zoo is located in Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways.  5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA  90027.  Free parking is available every day, and Preferred Parking ($6) is offered most weekends and holidays.  For additional information, contact (323) 644-6042 or visit www.lazoo.org

Future Space Station Crew to Participate in NASA TV Briefing, Media Interviews

Future Space Station Crew to Participate in NASA TV Briefing, Media Interviews

NASA astronaut Terry Virts (center), Expedition 42 flight engineer and Expedition 43 commander; along with European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti and Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov (background), both Expedition 42/43 flight engineers, participate in a routine operations training session in an International Space Station mock-up/trainer in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Image Credit: 

NASA

A crew launching to the International Space Station in the near future, which includes NASA astronaut Terry Virts, will participate in a news conference and media interviews Thursday, Sept. 18, at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The news conference will air live on NASA Television at 2 p.m. EDT.

Virts, Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency, and Anton Shkaplerov of the Russian Federal Space Agency will launch to the space station Nov. 23 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard a Soyuz spacecraft.

Reporters who wish to participate by telephone must call Johnson's newsroom at 281-483-5111 no later than 1:45 p.m. Those following the briefing on social media may ask questions using the hashtag #askNASA.

Video of the crew training will air before the news conference at 1:30 p.m.

After the news conference, interview opportunities with individual crew members will be available for media participating in person, by phone or online. To request credentials to attend in person, or to reserve an interview opportunity, media must contact Johnson's newsroom at 281-483-5111 by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16.

Virts, Cristoforetti and Shkaplerov will serve as flight engineers for Expedition 42 until March, at which time Virts will assume command of Expedition 43. The trio is scheduled to return to Earth in May 2015.

A colonel in the U.S. Air Force, Virts grew up in Baltimore. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Harvard Business School. As an Air Force pilot, Virts flew the F-16 aircraft, and served as an experimental test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base in Edwards, California. He has accumulated 4,300 flight hours in more than 40 different aircraft.

Virts joined NASA in 2000 and served as pilot for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission to the space station in February 2010. The flight delivered the Tranquility module and the cupola to the station. Tranquility now is the life-support hub of the space station, containing exercise equipment, and water recycling and environmental control systems, while the cupola provides a panoramic view of our planet and affords crews a direct view of station robotic operations. To date, Virts has logged 13 days and 18 hours of spaceflight.

"PROS AND CONS OF THE NOVEMBER 2014 BALLOT MEASURES"

 

A Free Community Program 
 

Los Angeles, CA (September 4, 2014) - The National Council of Jewish Women Los Angeles (NCJW/LA) announces a free community program to discuss the pros and cons of the ballot measures that appear on the November ballot. The program will be held on Wednesday, September 17, 2014 starting promptly at 12 Noon at NCJW/LA Council House, 543 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036.  

NCJW provides information about public issues, including those on which we have a position, we do not participate in any partisan issues or endorse or oppose candidates. Our goal is to provide citizens with unbiased, factual information that they can use as a basis for reaching their own decisions.  Since many voters receive their absentee ballots early, bring informed in time will help voters make informed choices. 

 

Ruth Zeitzew, NCJW/LA Vice President of Advocacy stated, "It is important for voters to be informed and knowledgeable on the issues as the decisions made at the ballot box impact each of us as well as our community".
 

The panel will be moderated by Stephen F. Rohde, a constitutional lawyer, lecturer and writer and co-author of Foundation of Freedom, published by the Constitutional Rights Foundation, and has written numerous articles and book reviews on civil liberties and constitutional history. The panel includes Ann Rushton who is the co-chair of the League of Women Voters Voter Service Committee and Fran Lapides, a member of the League of Women Voters Voter Service Committee.

 

For more information or to RSVP, contact Ruth Williams, Director of Advocacy, at 323-852-8503

Elm Equity Partners Announces the Closing of Oversubscribed Private Investment Vehicle

New York, NY - September 8, 2014 - Elm Equity Partners, a New York-based private investment firm announced today that it has successfully completed fundraising, which was substantially oversubscribed. Elm Equity Partners will continue the successful investment strategy employed by the firm’s management team and investor group: targeting lower middle market administrative services, technology, healthcare, and niche educational businesses with revenues of $5 to $50 million for control buyout transactions. Investors in Elm Equity Partners include leading investment institutions, family offices, and HNW individuals. “We are thrilled with the reception Elm Equity Partners has received from such a highly respected group of institutional, family office and individual investors,” said Elliot Luchansky, Managing Partner. “This is an important milestone for Elm Equity Partners and we believe investor interest confirms our strategy to invest in lower middle market companies that can truly benefit from our operational and financial support,” said Michael Mazzeo, Partner.

Elm Equity Partners has assembled an experienced team to lead the investment vehicle and actively manage the target company. The management team has completed over 25 acquisitions and is backed by a group of distinguished investors who have deep experience and expertise in unlocking business opportunities, structuring deals, and operating numerous private and public companies. Prior to founding Elm Equity Partners, Mr. Luchansky led the transformation of a business unit at the leading fixed income electronic trading platform, Tradeweb. Prior to that he was an investment professional at National Financial Partners where he completed over 22 acquisitions with over $1 billion in aggregated value. Mr. Mazzeo worked in a variety of business strategy and operating roles at Tradeweb. Prior to that he worked at Goldman Sachs and founded and operated his own private educational service provider that has remained profitable since inception. “Elm Equity presents a superior value proposition to business owners by bringing a strong entrepreneurial operating team to move into the business together with a roster of highly successful investors who will remain engaged in making a meaningful contribution to the acquired company’s future success,” said Mr. Mazzeo. Elm Equity has constructed an investor group of 18 limited partners that will be active participants in both the investment and managerial stages of the process. Mr. Luchansky added, “The members of our particularly cohesive investor team have executed hundreds of successful investments in privately-held companies. In addition to their investing track record, they have run dozens of hugely successful organizations and bring many years of both private and public board level leadership.”

 

About Elm Equity Partners
Elm Equity Partners (EEP) is a New York-based private investment firm that seeks to make controlling acquisitions and provide operational leadership to companies with $5 to $50 million of revenue. We offer capital for liquidity and expansion and can transition daily management responsibilities to our internal team.

EEP’s team of experienced investment professionals seeks to generate value for its shareholders while operating with the utmost degree of integrity and professionalism. EEP supports management partners with capital, business development expertise, and industry knowledge to accelerate growth, fund acquisitions, and generate value to shareholders. EEP targets investments in proven, successful private companies with stable cash flow, and significant growth potential. For more information about Elm Equity Partners, please visit our website atwww.elmeqp.com

Partnership Releases New Blueprint to Protect and Restore Long Island Sound

     

     Public Meetings Planned September 16 & 17 in New York and Connecticut

 

Stamford, CT (September 8, 2014): The Long Island Sound Study, a partnership of federal, state, and local government agencies, as well as nonprofit and community groups and businesses, today released a new updated Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for restoring and protecting the Long Island Sound over the next two decades. The Long Island Sound and its watershed is a critical economic driver; it provides estimated annual economic goods and services of many tens of billions of dollars, which underscores the need for watersheds and wetlands to be protected and restored.

 

The draft Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan Update reflects the changing needs of communities, incorporates scientific and technological advances, and addresses new environmental challenges, emphasizing the principles of sustainability, climate change resiliency, and environmental justice. The draft plan also sets 20 measureable targets for the ecosystem to be achieved by 2035, including reducing beach closures due to sewage, improving water clarity, reducing the area of waters with unhealthy oxygen levels, increasing shellfish harvests, and reducing the amount of marine debris.

 

"Building on the progress made to date, the challenge now is to make sustainability an integral part of achieving a cleaner, healthier Long Island Sound for people to enjoy," said Curt Spalding, Regional Administrator of EPA's New England office. 

“Superstorm Sandy changed forever how we think about our coasts and coastal communities”, said Judith A. Enck, EPA Region 2 Administrator. “The draft plan highlights that actions can be taken to adapt to climate change, making Long Island Sound healthier and our communities and economy more resilient.”

 

The plan highlights progress made in the past 20 years to improve water and habitat quality.

• ·         Under an innovative, bi-state program to reduce nitrogen pollution there are now 35 million fewer pounds per year of nitrogen discharged from 106 wastewater treatment facilities to Long Island Sound.
•  ·         More than a million gallons of recreational boat sewage are kept out of the water each year by the 'No Discharge Zone' for vessel waste in Long Island Sound established by Connecticut and New York.
•  ·        Regional partners have restored a total of 1,548 acres of habitat and reopened 300 miles of river and stream corridors to fish passage since 1998.  Since 2006, partners have protected 2,580 acres of open space and coastal habitat through easements and land acquisitions.

“The initial 1994 comprehensive restoration plan has led to substantial progress in restoring and protecting Long Island Sound, but there is more work to be done,” said Joe Martens, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. “The comprehensive update of the draft plan will guide the ecological restoration of the Sound for years to come, using the best current science to further improve this outstanding natural and economic resource.”

 

“This draft plan recognizes Long Island Sound as a vital recreational, ecological and economic resource for the citizens of our state and region - and proposes measures to protect water quality, public access, and the safeguarding of natural resources and habitats” said Robert Klee, Commissioner of CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. “With the release of the draft CCMP, the public now has an important opportunity to contribute to the collective vision and shared action agenda that will set the course for protection and management of Long Island Sound for generations to come.”

 

The Long Island Sound Study, sponsored by the EPA and the states of Connecticut and New York, is a partnership of federal, state, and local agencies, universities, businesses, and environmental and community groups with a mission to restore and protect the Long Island Sound. Visit www.longislandsoundstudy.net for more information.

A copy of the draft Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan is available at the Long Island Sound Study website at http://longislandsoundstudy.net/Planupdate. The public is invited to attend public meetings to learn about the plan update and provide comments.

• ·         September 16, 1:00 to 3:00pm, in Westbury, NY at the Yes Community Center.
• ·         September 16, 6:00 to 8:00pm, in the Bronx, NY at Rocking The Boat.
• ·         September 17, 2:30 to 4:30pm, in New Haven, CT at Southern Connecticut State University.

Public comments on the document will be accepted via email and post until Saturday, November 8, 2014. Emailed comments should be sent to contact@watervisionllc.com. Mailed comments should be set to:

                        EPA Long Island Sound Office

            Stamford Government Center

            888 Washington Blvd.

            Stamford, CT 06904-2152

At the close of the public comment period, the Long Island Sound Study will prepare a public responsiveness document that summaries and responds to all comments provided on the CCMP. Upon completion of the public review and comment period, the LISS will revise the CCMP and submit it to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for approval.