Dean Under Fire for Vermont Yankee Security

I post this story because I used to fish very close to this power plant as a child. It is located about twelve miles from where I grew up in NH. The plant is built on the Conneticut River that divides NH and Vermont.



From My Way News:



"Security was so lax at Vermont Yankee that in August 2001, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission staged a drill in which three mock terrorists gained access to the plant. The agency gave Vermont Yankee the worst security rating among the nation's 103 reactors.



The NRC has primary responsibility for safety at Vermont Yankee. But Vermont laws required an active state role by creating a panel to review security and performance and requiring plant operators to set aside money for the state to use in the event of a nuclear disaster.



Dean's campaign said Saturday it ultimately was the NRC's responsibility to ensure security at the plant, but that he badgered Vermont Yankee's operators and the NRC to make improvements during the 1990s. It noted the NRC's safety budget was cut in the 1990s.



'After September 11, Governor Dean decided the buck stops here in terms of security and personally ran this effort, creating a Cabinet-level agency,' spokesman Jay Carson said."

Catholic Almanac Turns 100

From toledoblade.com:



The 2004 edition marks the 100th anniversary of the publication, which began as St. Antony’s Almanac in 1904. The inaugural 64-page almanac included a calendar and feature articles on prayer and devotion, but its primary purpose was to foster knowledge and understanding of St. Anthony of Padua, the 13th century Portuguese preacher and first theologian of the Franciscan Order.



Our Sunday Visitor publishes the Almanac.

It Exists

www.BringSteveBack.com



www.BringSteveBack.com



The interesting thing, is there is a vote at the bottom of the page and right now 51% don't support him coming back.

Abuse Tracker Moves to NCR

The former Poynter.org site that has kept track of clergy abuse stories has now moved to the National Catholic Reporter's site.



Abuse Tracker

New Bishop for Greensburg, PA

Appointed Msgr. Lawrence E. Brandt, chancellor of the Curia of the diocese of Erie, Pennsylvania and pastor of St. Hedwig Parish, as bishop of Greensburg (area 8,632, population 680,152, Catholics 188,301, priests 212,

religious 410), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in 1939 in Charleston, West Virginia and was ordained a priest in 1969. He succeeds Bishop Anthony G. Bosco whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the

Holy Father accepted upon having reached the age limit.

Mike Bianchi's Take on Zook

As usual Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel says it best.



From OrlandoSentinel.com: Gators:



"Now that Zook has completed two years on the job, we know this much about his coaching ability: absolutely nothing. He can go 8-5 with a junior quarterback. He can go 8-5 with a freshman quarterback.



The only thing consistent about his teams has been their inconsistency. Florida fans have been on and off Zook's bandwagon so many times they don't know if it's coming or going. You build up Zook, he lets you down. You kick him when he's down, he gets back up. He teases fans, then torments them.



Fans were ready to crucify him after a home loss to Ole Miss in early October. They were ready to canonize him after he came back and beat three consecutive top-12 teams away from home. Then, like last year, the Gators faded miserably at the end. Zook's Gators have all the killer instinct of a pack of toy poodles.



Everything about Zook's teams has been inconsistent. Against Florida State, All-America tight end Ben Troupe was a key part of the offense. Against Iowa, Troupe never even touched the ball."

Happy and Holy New Year!

Here is hoping that each of you who reads this will be Blessed by God during this new year...