Category Archives: Sealand

Thousands of runners will descend on the city centre this weekend for what will be the 40th anniversary of the Essar Chester Half Marathon. The hugely-popular road race starts from Chester Racecourse at 9am on Sunday, May 15.

Runners will then head through the city taking in Watergate Street, the Rows and Chester Cathedral before venturing out into the countryside via Northgate Street. Organisers are inviting both competitors and spectators to join them in celebrating the landmark event, which will have two very special guests.

"There will be a cake with 40 candles on it on race day," said joint race organiser Chris Hulse. "And we are hoping the 4,000 runners at the starting line and the oodles of spectators will share our celebratory mood!"

READ MORE: Chester city centre road closures as Northgate development nears completion

"We are honoured to have the race started by Dr Basil Thompson who was one of the organisers of the very first Chester Half Marathon back in 1982. He will be accompanied by British Marathon Champion Jonathan Mellor.

"Our award-winning half marathon attracts runners from far and wide, joining an impressive local contingent. We have a fantastic finish area outside the Town Hall which will produce a lively party atmosphere, giving much appreciated support to the runners heading down Northgate Street with all the spectators undoubtedly sharing in their triumph at completing the 13.1-mile challenge."

It is expected that the runners will raise over 500,000 for charity. Claire House Hospice is the official race charity, but a myriad of other great causes will be supported by the participants. Chris said: "As part of the anniversary celebrations we will be offering runners mini cakes and special birthday giveaways to 40 lucky winners at the finish, kindly donated by sponsors and local Chester businesses, in addition to the commemorative t shirt and goody bag. Its going to be a memorable event!"

Here are the all important details you need to know:

Event times

The actual race starts at 9am, but the Chester Racecourse car park opens at 6.30am - 4 cash charge per vehicle - along with the helpdesk. The car park closes at 7.30am and won't reopen until 10am. The baggage store opens at 7.30am and will be in operation until 1pm. Prize presentations will start at around 11am.

The route

The race starts at Chester Racecourse, heading up Watergate Street, through the Walls and the historic centre of Chester. Runners will leave the city via the Garden Quarter before heading out into the countryside on Parkgate Road.

Just after Little Mollington Hall, runners will turn onto the Roman road into the villages of Mollington and Lea by Backford. The route then continues up Parkgate Road and turns left to loop around part of Saughall village. Returning on Parkgate Road, runners will then pass Chester University and run towards the finish line via the Garden Quarter. The finish line is outside the Town Hall and Cathedral.

Road closures

Access to the city centre will always be available via Sealand Road and New Crane street, except for a short period between the race start. This section of road will be shut from 8.55am for around 20 to 30 minutes. If you are travelling into the city, use Liverpool Road, Hoole Way, the A51 and Grosvenor Road routes to avoid the closed roads.

If you live in the Garden Quarter or Blacon, then Cheyney Road, Stadium Way, Bouverie Street, Raymond Street, Canal Street and Garden Lane are closed until 1pm. Cars parked on West Lorne Street, Chichester Street or roads connecting these will be able to drive to the George & Dragon to exit. There will be no exit for cars parked in the Garden Lane car park as runners will be on the road.

Cars parked west of the canal will be able to exit via Sealand Road up to the A550 and Two Mills. Access from Chester towards Blacon will not be available via Sealand Road between 7.30-10am.

If you live in Mollington, then Parkgate Road through the village will be closed from 8.30am to 1pm, while roads in Mollington will be shut from 8.30am to 12pm. Well Lane and Station Road will be closed from 8.30am to 11am. Organisers will endeavour to provide residents access to the A41 after 10.10am.

If you live in Saughall, between 8.30am and 1pm Parkgate Road will be closed. Access and exit via Sealand Road to North Wales and the Wirral is available at all times. Access via Sealand Road from Saughall into Chester will be available, except for a twenty to thirty minute period from 8.55am, while the runners leave Chester Racecourse. Access from Chester towards Saughall, via Sealand Road, will be restricted between 7.30-10am.

For access to and from Ellesmere Port and the Wirral, use Liverpool Road and the A41. After 10am it will also be possible to use Sealand Road and the A550 to get to Two Mills junction and continue north from there. Road closures do not apply to pedestrians. If you are on the run route please take care as there will be race vehicles on the route.

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Chester Half Marathon: Details of road closures ahead of 40th anniversary race - Cheshire Live

The 2022 Wings and Wheels event, initially planned for July 10 has been cancelled due to a busy summer of construction at the City of Campbell River Airport.

Significant improvements to airport lighting, visual aids and taxiways will be made in 2022, through a $4.5 million Infrastructure Renewal program investment. The city partnered with Transport Canada as part of the Airport Capital Assistance Program, who will contribute over 80 per cent of the project costs. Private investments, including new hangar construction in leased areas, are also scheduled. These necessary long-term investment projects pose challenges to hosting the annual Wings and Wheels event in 2022.

The city proudly supports the tremendous celebration of community spirit that is the annual Wings and Wheels Event, says Mayor Andy Adams. Although we cannot facilitate the event in 2022, the community can look forward to its return in 2023, when necessary airport improvements are complete.

While the City was looking forward to hosting the first Wings and Wheels event since 2019, needed improvements to airport infrastructure limit our ability to provide on-site parking and other accommodations, says Airport Manager, Dennis Brodie. With construction at a peak in July, it is not possible to provide an accessible environment to host this event in 2022.

The annual Wings and Wheels event has been hosted by Sealand Aviation in partnership with the city since 2013, with the exception of the 2020 and 2021 events, which were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The cty has provided an annual contribution of $15,000 towards the event.

The Campbell River Airport has been a wonderful host of past events, says Bill Alder, President of Sealand Aviation. With significant improvements coming to the airport in this summer, we simply dont have the space needed to put on the type of show that weve become accustomed to. We thank North Island Cruisers, City Council and City staff for their continued support of the event, and will return in 2023 with an event worth waiting for.

To stay up to date on the Airport Lighting, Visual Aids and Taxiway Rehabilitation project, visit http://www.campbellriver.ca/airport-rehabilitation.

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Wings and Wheels event postponed - Campbell River Mirror

Photo captions:

Coil from Hierophany & Hedge, at 19 W. Pike St. Hours are updated daily.

Augur and Coil in their shop, and then receiving thethe Authenti-CITY Award on Monday from Mayor Joe Meyer at Covington Yard. (That's Augur holding the certificate.)

Magic shopa veritable portal to the Old World

(EDITORS NOTE: This is thethirdof 5 articles naming the winners of the 2022 Authenti-CITY awards given by the City of Covington at a ceremony Monday to mark National Economic Development Week. More about the awards can be found at the bottom of this article.)

COVINGTON, Ky. Never in Covingtons 200-year history(not that we know of, anyway),has a local business thanked the City fortaking arcane civil defense against malign sorcery seriously.

In full disclosure, we were completely unaware of protective powers of the Solomons Seal and Cinquefoil we placed in the planters along Pike Street. But Hierophany & Hedges proprietors, Augur and Coil, see magic where the rest of us see the mundane. Its one of the many things we love about them.

As for the other reasons, well

When weary of the vagaries of this world,HIEROPHANY & HEDGEoffers otherworldly charm, eloquence, magic, and a sense of style and bespoke accoutrement.

Beyond its sophisticated faade, this little shop is a veritable portal to another place and time, where wizards, witchery, and magic prevail. Its shelves are an apothecary of herbs, talismans, wands, crystals, candles, chalk sigils, and books of spells. And its Facebook page is creative beyond measure.

Its Old World aesthetic belies its youth: the shop celebrated its first anniversary in The Cov in April. How quickly we were smitten. And, it seems, so are they.

Augur and Coil said they chose The Cov because the city thrums with supernatural energy.

But thats not all:

Surveilled by the great catfish at the roots of the Roebling, guarded by the spirits of the Mutter Gottes lions, and only lightly menaced by the countrys largest colony of Oubliettes, a magic shop couldnt exist in a more perfect spot, Augur said. The decision to locate our magic shop in Covington was thus less a choice for us, than an inevitability.

(And we love their way with words).

They just plaingetus, here in The Cov:

Covington is a community that realizes the health of a modern city is not measured in cold statistics like the density of fast-food eateries, but in the existence of a unique culture that provides a spirit of place, Coil explained. America and the world are increasingly flat places in which cultural homogeneity is the norm. Covington stands out by celebrating the unique and embracing the authentic.

Bottom line: Hierophany & Hedge encourages us to find our own magic. What a siren song. Were entirely under their spell.

About the awards:The first-annual Authenti-CITY awards were unveiled by Covingtons fun and irreverent Economic Development team in 2021 to celebrate National Economic Development Week in an off-the-wall way.

There were no rules and no criteria just staffers getting together after hours (maybe over a few drinks, maybe not) and debating fiercely about what businesses, places, events, people and organizations most kept it real in The Cov. The fervor had to do with this: Narrowing down the massive list (because, you know, Covington is such a cool place).

# # #

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KEEPIN' IT REAL in THE COV: Hierophany & Hedge - Covington, KY (.gov)

The new United States Marine Corps' Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) is now operational and preparing to deploy from U.S. Navy big-deck amphibious warships from miles off-shore into hostile territory. This represents the fulfillment of a long-anticipated capability that is expected to give U.S. military commanders an unprecedented ability to both travel from ship to shore and extend penetrating land attacks deep into enemy territory.

The Corps is going to deploy its new BAE Systems-built ACV as a way to bring new, innovative assault tactics into the modern era. The new amphibious attack ship-to-shore combat vehicle is intended to significantly expand the mission length for amphibious assaults well beyond the current Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV).

The Marine Corps' new configuration is aligned with an emerging Navy-Marine Corps amphibious assault strategy which, among other things, sees a need for extended penetration into land defenses after an initial beachhead is established.

The new vehicle is designed for long-range, sea-land combat operations; it uses ocean water to cool its engine so as to enable it to carry up to 200 gallons of fuelenough for a 365-mile mission. While the new ACV can travel roughly 13 miles through water, at about six knots from ship to shore, it can hit speeds of 60mph on land to travel hundreds of miles inland.

Unlike existing tracked AAVs, the new ACVs are 8X8 wheeled vehicles engineered for greater speed, maneuverability, and survivability on land. By removing the need for torsion bars, a wheeled vehicle such as the ACV can build a v-shaped hull for additional protection, speed, and combat durability, BAE Systems developers said.

The new vehicle weighs 30 tons and has a digitized driver's instrument panel. The existing new ACVs are armed with .50-caliber machine guns, and engineered with an unmanned turret that can integrate a 30mm gun, should the Corps request it. It also makes use of a stronger 700hp engine, compared to the AAVs 400hp engine.

The introduction of the new ACV into the fleet aligns with the Navy and Marine Corps's emerging strategic approach to amphibious attack aimed at leveraging fifth-generation air support; launching more dispersed, disaggregated yet "networked" assaults; and using smaller unmanned vessels to perform reconnaissance, countermine, and attack missions. A more dispersed amphibious attack force not only reduces its vulnerability to enemy fire but can also use advanced Command, Control, Communications, Computers (C4) Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and networking to better identify key points of attack across a wider area. This amphibious approach is consistent with the Marine Corps vision outlined in the services' recently published Force Design 2030.

The emerging ACVs will launch from big-deck amphibious ships, called landing helicopter assault (LHAs) ships, and amphibious transport docks (called LPDs). With one of the upcoming LHA America-class amphibious ships bringing back the well-deck, the Corps plans to emphasize ship-to-shore water-launched combat vehicles. At the same time, Navy leaders emphasize that the first two America-class vessels, LHAs 6 and 7, are built with an aviation emphasis to, among other things, capitalize upon the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter and other air-launched elements of amphibious attack. These aviation-centric big-deck amphibious ships are intended to pave the way toward the upcoming LHA 8.

The entire strategic and conceptual shift is also informed by an increased "sea-basing" focus. Smaller multi-mission vessels, according to this emerging strategy, will be fortified by larger amphibious ships operating as sovereign entities at safer distances. Corps leaders explain that these big-deck amphibious ships would operate as "seaports, hospitals, logistics warehouses and sea-bases for maneuver forces."

Additional land-attack firepower and survivability seem aligned with the Corps' newer, more "dispersed" amphibious assault strategy; if amphibious incursions occur in narrow, more spread-apart scenarios, landing forces will potentially need to engage in more land-fighting without large numbers of forces nearby. They will likely rely more upon air support; long-range fires; and "networked" intelligence from other ISR nodes, command and control ships, or elements of the forceto find and exploit landing areas most advantageous to the attacking force.

Kris Osborn is the defense editor for the National Interest. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the ArmyAcquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Master's Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.

Image: Reuters.

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The New Amphibious Combat Vehicle Is Ready to Fight China on Land and Sea - The National Interest Online

May 13 | The battle for Snake Island

The all-out attack that Russian troops deployed at the beginning of the offensive in Ukraine did not leave out maritime control of the Black Sea: the Kremlins naval force soon took up positions the island of Zmiinyi, also known as Snake Island and located around 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of Odessa and 40km (25 miles) from the Romanian coast. The first map of the conflict published by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) on February 25 showed it under Russian control even then. In a statement in February, the Ukrainian Navy said that the invaders had destroyed infrastructure on this island of one square kilometer. A comparison of satellite images captured before the invasion and in recent days shows that the destruction of the main building occurred between May 6 and 7.

August 23, 2016

May 6, 2022

Areas burnt by earlier attacks

Visible structural

damage

May 7, 2022

May 8, 2022

Area of attack

on helicopter

(shown in video)

British intelligence warned last Tuesday that if Russian troops consolidate their position on the island, deploying air defense cruise missiles, they could control the northwest portion of the Black Sea. The permanent Russian settlement on Snake Islands entails sea, land and air control of that entire area, military strategy expert Oleh Zhdanov told the BBC.

The strategic importance of the islet, which grants control over maritime traffic in the port of Odes, is enough to justify the ongoing struggle for it. The Russian Defense Ministry has claimed that it destroyed several planes, helicopters, drones and a landing craft in the early hours of Sunday morning during a Ukrainian attempt to recapture the island. Ukraine claimed that it only attacked Russian troops deployed there. British intelligence stated that Ukraine has used drones to destroy Russian anti-aircraft defenses and supply ships, stranded after the invaders retreated to the Crimean coast following the sinking of the Moskva, the flagship of Russias Black Sea fleet.

The sensors of the European Space Agencys Sentinel-2 satellites have made it possible to observe hot spots on the island which, in the context of war, can be associated with attacks. These indications of attacks have been recurrent since last February, and particularly intense during the last weekend, coinciding with a video of an attack on the island.

The proximity of Zmiinyi to NATO coasts has not prevented it from becoming a battlefield in the conflict. Armand Gosu, a professor of Russian Political History at the University of Bucharest, explained to Efe news agency that Moscow categorically dominates the Black Sea: There is a huge military imbalance. Its ships patrol international waters without restriction, which has allowed the Russians to block a maritime outlet from Odessa, he said. This blockade stifles Ukrainian sea exports that are essential to defend the coastal town from a hypothetical Russian siege like the one suffered by Mariupol.

March 8 A heat source can be seen in the northeast of the island, probably as a result of an attack, as well as a plume of smoke. The area inside the box contains most of the facilities.

March 23 Two weeks later, the Sentinel 2 satellite captured a new hot spot in a nearby area.

May 7 Once again a heat source can be seen, coinciding with a great column of smoke detected by satellites and shown earlier.

May 9 The last available image shows no hot spots, but the islands vegetation has been largely burnt down as a result of the confrontation.

In the two and a half months since the start of the Ukraine invasion, the Russian offensive has changed strategies: at first it sought to take control of the major cities, then focused its efforts on the separatist region of Donbas and on securing the borders. Since then, the frontline has moved in line with modest but systematic Russian advances that have only met with resistance at a spot thats been highly militarized since 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimea peninsula. The change in the frontline can be seen in the following maps, which show the situation on the ground every two weeks since Russia changed its strategy on March 25. The red color shows areas under Russian control, which have been expanding for the last month and a half.

Donbas is an area covering around 52,000 square kilometers, roughly the size of Costa Rica. It is divided into two oblast (administrative units) Donetsk and Luhansk. Along the northwest, it borders the Kharkiv region, home to the city of Izyum, which is the starting point for Russias attempt to encircle Ukrainian defenders holding the frontline. From there, Russian troops have been trying to advance towards Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the military headquarters and de facto capital of Donetsk, although they have had limited success.

March 24

When the Kremlins troops announced that their target was eastern Ukraine, they were already controlling much of Donetsk, Luhansk and the area extending to Kharkiv.

April 8

Two weeks later, the situation on the front had barely changed after a reorganization of the invading troops except in the area of Izyum, the new Russian center of operations.

April 22

The siege of Mariupol, which made Ukrainian defenders retreat to an industrial site, allowed Russia to free up troops to cement control over the northern end of the city.

May 8

Despite Ukrainian counterattacks that are gaining back territory near Kharkiv, the areas under Russian control increasingly encircle the Donbas border

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that the Kremlins forces near Izyum are regrouping and resupplying before resuming offensive operations in the southeast and southwest.

In the south of the country, near Crimea and the Black Sea, there is a similar situation: slow but constant Russian advances and reinforced positions in places like Kherson, which was swiftly captured in the early days of the invasion. Ukrainian counterattacks have barely made a dent on Russian forces, who have increased the territory under their control week after week. Moscow has been concentrating anti-aircraft and missile systems in the northern area of Crimea, said the ISW. This could be a prelude to resume offensive operations towards Zaporizhzhia and Kryvyi Rih, in central Ukraine.

March 24

April 8

April 22

May 8

The rest is here:

The Ukraine war in maps: Ukrainian forces battle to recover Snake Island - EL PAS in English

It began with internet sleuthing 6,000 miles east of Westwood, and the spotting of a telltale purple ownership stamp.

It was the unmistakable ink mark of the Jewish Community Library in Prague, Czech Republic, hiding in plain sight on the title page of Hebrew-language religious books that had been digitized by the UCLA Library for the benefit of scholars worldwide.

For two decades the Jewish Museum in Prague, or JMP, has undertaken a global search for lost publications from the citys Jewish Community Library, which was looted and shuttered by Nazi occupiers during World War II. With the recent emphasis on digitization of collections by academic libraries, including UCLAs, the museums work has become a lot easier and more fruitful. The JMPs efforts to repatriate these stolen items have increased in intensity as anyone capable of using an online search tool can access these vast online repositories.

UCLA Library is one of the earliest and largest contributors to one such repository, the HathiTrust a collaborative of academic research libraries that have thus far digitized 17 million volumes and made them full-text-searchable.

In June 2021, the curator of rare documents at the Jewish Museum in Prague, Ivan Kohout, sent me an email explaining that by using HathiTrust they discovered three items in our collection with the Jewish Community Library in Pragues pre-WWII ownership stamp, and gently inquired about restitution, said Diane Mizrachi, UCLAs Jewish and Israel Studies Librarian.

Todd Cheney/UCLA

Symbolic handover of Judaica books between Consul General of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles, Jaroslav Ola, Jr., (left) and Ginny Steel at a ceremony in the Charles E. Young Research Library.

After investigating the provenance of these late-19th century books on topics ranging from Biblical philosophy to Kabbalism three more were found bearing the Jewish Community Library in Pragues imprint seal and accession numbers matching those in its 1939 catalog. Why these particular texts were kept instead of destroyed is unknown, however the Nazis developed an academic plan in which Jewish works were to be studied and interpreted from their own perspectives, proving scientifically the superiority of the Aryan race.

The return of these treasures believed to have been acquired by UCLA Library from booksellers in Israel and elsewhere during a major purchasing campaign to expand its Judaica collection in the 1960s culminated with a ceremony on May 11 in the Charles E. Young Research Library. Ginny Steel, the Norman and Armena Powell University Librarian, symbolically handed over the books to Jaroslav Ola, Jr., consul general of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles, while JMP executives spoke via recorded video remarks. The books are now being carefully packaged for repatriation.

We are fortunate to have this opportunity to return these materials to their rightful caretakers at the Jewish Museum of Prague, Steel said. At UCLA Library, we seek to make measurable progress in restitutions through education and action.

This 80-year journey from and back to Prague through Nazi hands to library shelves at UCLA raises broader questions about the responsibility of libraries and archives to proactively seek out items of questionable provenance in their collections, Steel said, particularly as they re-surface during ongoing digitization efforts.

Such legal and ethical duties, as well as the often-complicated issues of when and to whom cultural heritage materials should be returned, will be explored during Contested Collections: Grappling with History and Forging Pathways for Repatriation, a four-part online symposium hosted by the UCLA Library. Mizrachi will be joined by the JMPs Jewish Studies Researcher Michal Buek and others for the opening session on May 17. Theyll use the case study of Nazi-looted Judaica books (plus an accompanying digital exhibition) as a springboard for exploring approaches to restitution globally.

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Digitization, open access and the internet aid UCLA's return of books looted by Nazis - UCLA Newsroom

The United States Marine Corps Force Design 2030 strategy outlines the services need for a lighter, smaller, faster, yet better networked and more lethal sea-land attack force, a shift which is leading the service to divest its tanks, decrease its infantry, and increase its reconnaissance and mobile anti-armor weapons and reduce the size of its aviation component. The document calls for the Corps to divest three of its heavy-lift helicopter squadrons, two light attack helicopter squadrons, and three medium tiltrotor squadrons. By contrast, it calls for a decided increase in unmanned systems for the force by operating six active component drone squadrons.

The transition reveals a clear Marine Corps shift toward the use of air and surface drones to decrease risk by reducing manned platforms and increasing the range and capacity for multi-domain networking.

As a stand-in force of the future, the Marine Corps requires a family of [Unamnned Aerial Systems] UAS capabilities. We need to transition from our current UAS platforms to capabilities that can operate from ship, from shore, and be able to employ both collection and lethal payloads. These future capabilities must be expeditionary and fully compatible with Navy platforms and command and control networks, Marine Corps commandant Gen. David Berger wrote in the Marine Corps Force Design 2030 Document.

The Corps paper specifies a number of key drone platforms intended to extend reach and lethality across multiple domains in real-time in support of an expeditionary posture. Referring to a small group of hunter drones as T-UAS (Tactical UAS), the Corps text identifies short, medium, and long-endurance drones to support infantry battalions on the move in combat. They are the handheld Pumadrone along with Black Hornet, Skydio, and Stalker. These unmanned systems enable precision attack while allowing dismounted units to disaggregate yet remain networked for coordinated attack. With forward nodes such as hand-launched drones, Marine Corps infantry can achieve a desired battlefield effect with a smaller, yet more lethal overall force. Added to this, the addition of networked drones is also intended to support rapid amphibious maneuvers such as quick sea-to-land attack operations for force repositioning.

Heavy armor is very difficult to quickly move from land to sea and back again, whereas lighter, faster units empowered by drone surveillance and precision weaponry might be positioned to move from ship to shore and back as needed in fast-evolving amphibious warfare operations.

Relying more heavily on drones and unmanned systems can decrease the need for heavier manned platforms such as tiltrotors and heavy-lift helicopters. This can also help decrease a logistics footprint and lessen any signature potentially detected by an enemy force. It could also better facilitate high-speed multi-domain connectivity and transition. The strategy seeks to help the Corps move toward a meshed, interconnected series of air-land-sea combat nodes able to share real-time information and decrease sensor-to-shooter time. This approach makes a lot of sense if viewed in the context of an island-hopping kind of operation in the Indo-Pacific, and represents the Marine Corps shift back toward its maritime roots in preparation for amphibious operations and maritime warfare.

Kris Osborn is the Defense Editor for the National Interest. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the ArmyAcquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.

Image: Flickr.

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Goodbye Tanks, Hello Drones: How the Marine Corps Will Fight Beyond 2030 - The National Interest Online

Looking to make your home more comfortable and efficient? The best place to begin may be hanging just above you.

Adding insulation to the attic and sealing air leaks around light fixtures are among the most effective and affordable ways to lower heating and cooling costs and improve personal comfort in an older home, said Clark Public Utilities Energy Services Supervisor DuWayne Dunham.

A well-insulated attic will help your home stay at a comfortable temperature longer. In turn, your heating or cooling system will use less energy to keep your home at your preferred temperature. Adding insulation has a lower cost of investment than many other home improvement projects. Plus, added insulation starts paying for itself right away in the form of reduced energy expenses.

To learn whether your attic needs insulation, just grab a flashlight and a ruler and find the attic access. If you can see the tops of your ceiling joists through the insulation or measure six inches or less on average, then adding more is a good idea. Unable to climb up there or just need a second opinion? A weatherization contractor should be happy to help.

As a rule of thumb, homes built before the 1990s are often prime candidates for additional insulation. Homes more than 30 years old were built with far less emphasis on energy efficiency than their modern counterparts.

Adding insulation is certainly a project within reach of a confident DIYer, but doing the job well isnt as simple as it seems.

To make the most of an insulation job, you need to prep your site well and pay close attention to the details, Dunham said. There are also safety concerns that must be addressed when adding insulation.

Using the proper type of expanding foam to seal air leaks around light fixtures and plumbing and sealing any present duct work will make a tremendous difference in the effectiveness of the attic insulation. Its also critical for exhaust fans to have a tight seal and proper ventilation out of the home. Finally, the attic itself must have proper ventilation to allow air through the space.

Proper ventilation is important, but attic fans arent usually necessary despite the convincing marketing materials. An attic fan uses energy and is just another thing that could break. If there are air leaks in the ceiling below, the fan could pull conditioned air out of the home below and blow it outside, which will lower the homes energy efficiency and indoor air quality.

A handy homeowner may be tempted to save money by doing the work themselves, but its worth comparing the cost of materials against a few contractor bids. Contractors dont pay retail prices for materials and they usually pass the savings onto their clients. Plus, they dont just toss some insulation up there and call it a day. Theyll look for air leaks and look for other issues most people wouldnt know to consider. Then theyll work with the homeowner to build a plan. Even if the DIY route is cheaper, the value of the contractors work will likely be worth the extra cost.

A quality job will make that new insulation much more effective and thatll transform into greater energy savings and a shorter return on investment, Dunham said.

As beneficial as good attic insulation is, its also worth investing in additional floor and wall insulation if necessary.

Clark Public Utilities offers financial incentives for electrically heated homes that can make home insulation projects more affordable. Certain conditions apply. Contact the Energy Counselor of the Day at 360-992-3355 during business hours, or visit clarkpublicutilities.com for more information.

Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98688.

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Energy Adviser: More attic insulation can pile on savings - The Columbian

Mobile speed camera locations ae out in force in Wales looking to catch drivers breaking the speed limit.

GoSafe has a number of marked vans and motorcycles spread throughout the city used to capture speeding offences and other road traffic violations. They are staffed by fully trained police staff or police officers, who monitor the speed of vehicles passing the vans. Once they form the opinion that the vehicle is exceeding the speed limit, they use equipment to record it, resulting in prosecution.

A device called a Speedscope can be trained on vehicles up to 1,000 metres away, although most work is carried out far closer, GoSafe says. The time, date, speed, distance, site coding and whether the vehicle is travelling towards or away from the checkpoint is recorded on the image to produce to the offending driver. Get stories like this straight to your inbox with our newsletters.

READ MORE: Drivers who ignore smart motorway rule now facing 100 automatic fine

Mobile speed cameras are in the following locations in Wales in May 2022.

Blaenau

A467/Aberbeeg Road/Near Warm Turn Aberbeeg

Bournville Road/Blaina

A4046/Station Road/Waunllwyd

New Road/Nantyglo

Chapel Road/Nantyglo

A4047/Beaufort Hill and King Street/Brynmawr

A4046/College Road/Ebbw Vale

Queens Villas/Beaufort Road/Ebbw Vale

B4478/Letchworth Road to Eureka Place

A4046/Ebbw Vale (near Tesco)

Merthyr

Forest Road/Treharris

A4054/Cardiff Road/Merthyr Vale

A470/Aberfan

Plymouth Street/Merthyr Tydfil

High Steet/Penydarren

Gurnos Road/Merthyr Tydfil

A4102/Swansea Road/Gellideg/Merthyr Tydfil

Newport

A48/Castleton/Near Motel

A48/Berryhill/Newport

A468/Caerphilly Rd/Rhiwderin

A467/Southbound/50 mph section

Bassaleg Road/Newport

B4591/Risca Road/Glasllwch Crescent

Allt-yr-yn Ave/Newport

B4237/Cardiff Rd/Waterloo Rd to Clytha Square

Corporation Road/Lysaght Village

Corporation Road/Newport

B4237/Chepstow Road/near One Stop

B4237/Chepstow Rd/The Coldra

B4596/Caerleon Rd/East of Beaufort Road

Ponthir Road/Caerleon

B4245/Magor Rd/Langstone

Cardiff

M4/junctions 33 to 34/Bridge Site

A48/Cowbridge Rd West/opposite The Culverhouse

Heol Trelai/Ely/Cardiff

St Fagan's Road/Fairwater

A470/Manor Way/Whitchurch High School

/Merthyr Road/Cardiff

Ty Draw Road/Roath

A48/Llanedeyrn/Cardiff

Ball Road/Llanrumney/Cardiff

Ty Winch Road/Old St Mellons

Willowbrook Drive/near Heritage Park/Cardiff

Cypress Drive/St Mellons

Swansea

Pennard Road/Kittle

B4295/New Rd/Crofty

Mayals Road/Swansea

Heol Y Mynydd/Gorseinon

Swansea Road/Llewitha

Pentregethin Road/Gendros

B4295/Cwmbach Rd/Cockett

A4216/Cockett Rd/Cwmbach Rd to Broadway

A483/Fabian Way/Nr Port Tennant Rd

Heol Ddu/Swansea

Swansea Road/Llangyfelach Road/Llangyfelach

A48/Clasemont Road/Morriston

Birchgrove Road/Birchgrove

Clydach Road/Ynystawe

Neath Port Talbot

Baglan Way/Port Talbot

Willow Way/Old Road/Baglan

B4290/New Road/Jersey Marine

B4424/Neath Road/Tonna

A4109/Main Road/Aberdulais

Swansea Road/Trebanos

A474/Neath Road/Rhos

A474/Graig Road/Alltwen

A474/Commercial Road/Rhyd y Fro

B4069/Brynamman Rd/Brynamman

A4109/Pantyffordd/Golwg y Bryn

Flintshire

A5104/Treuddyn

A5104/Corwen Road/Pontybodkin

A550/Hawarden Road/Hope

Fagl Lane/Hope

A541/Pontblyddyn/

Vounog Hill/Penyffordd

Unclassified Road/south of junction with B5444/near to Maes Y Twr/Mold/Flintshire

B5444/Wrexham Road/Mold

A5119/Ruthin Road/New Street/Mold

A549/Mold Road/Mynydd Isa/Buckley

A541/Trem Y Neuadd/Yr Wyddgrug/Sir Fflint/ A541 Hall View Road, Mold, Flintshire

A541/Denbigh Road/Mold

Bryn Road/Bryn y Baal/Buckley

B5127/Liverpool Road/Buckley

Jubilee Road/Buckley/ Flintshire

A549/Buckley/

A5118/Padeswood to Penymynydd/ near to Bannel Golf Range/ Flintshire

A5104/Penymynydd/

A5104/Broughton/ Flintshire

See original here:

The exact locations police mobile speed cameras are operating in Wales for May - Wales Online

Insulated travel mugs are absurdly versatile for something that is essentially designed to keep liquid separate from its environment as much as possible. They'll keep your drink hot. They'll keep your drink cold. They can be fashion statements. They can help the planet. But they can't go in your dishwasher.

The reason for this, according to Monsieur Coffee, is that the high water pressure and extreme heat cycles can damage their precious vacuum seal and if the seal is damaged, your favorite travel mug will lose its insulating properties.

Insulated mugs are built with a small chamber inside of a larger chamber that is separated by a small empty gap. The outer and inner chambers are sealed together after all of the air has been vacuumed out of this gap. Having this vacuum next to your coffee or tea keeps it at the same temperature because there are no particles there to conduct the heat away from your drink. This is how your coffee will stay the same temperature in a properly sealed mug even when walking in a blizzard.

However, putting your mug in a dishwasher can damage that seal, allow air into that vacuum, and make it less effective. It's best to simply scrub the interior of your favorite mug down with some warm water and a light dish detergent instead before letting it dry completely.

More:

Why You Shouldn't Put Travel Mugs In The Dishwasher - Tasting Table