Tuesday, October 27, 2009

plus 4, Easton cocaine dealer Bruce Greggs pleads guilty to federal charges - LehighValleyLive.com

plus 4, Easton cocaine dealer Bruce Greggs pleads guilty to federal charges - LehighValleyLive.com

Easton cocaine dealer Bruce Greggs pleads guilty to federal charges - LehighValleyLive.com

Posted: 27 Oct 2009 08:23 PM PDT

By Michael Buck

October 27, 2009, 9:08AM
715-spring-garden-street.JPGView full sizeExpress-Times File Photo | KELBY ANDERKOThis home at 715 Spring Garden Street is where police say Bruce Greggs and Donnell Jackson sold cocaine.An Easton man who authorities described as a "major player" in the city's drug trade when he was arrested has pleaded guilty to some of the charges against him in federal court.

Bruce "Diamond" Greggs, pleaded guilty to two counts of selling cocaine in 2006 in the Easton area, court records say. When Greggs is sentenced, prosecutors plan to dismiss a more serious charge that Greggs distributed two kilograms of cocaine, records say.

Greggs is scheduled to be sentenced January 28 before U.S. District Judge Lawrence Stengel, records say.

Greggs was arrested in July 2008 during a dawn raid on his home in the 700 block of Spring Garden Street. Police said the arrest was a result of a two-year investigation that focused on Greggs and his business partner, Donnell "Bebe" Jackson.

Jackson's case is still making its way through federal court, records say. Following the raid on the Easton home, he went on the lam for several weeks before he was nabbed in New York.

Both Jackson and Greggs have previously been convicted for selling drugs. Jackson was convicted in 2005 for dealing drugs in Warren County and was sentenced to 90 days in prison and two years of probation. Greggs was convicted in 2000 for selling drugs in Richmond County, N.Y. and was sentenced to one year in prison, records say.

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A Villa Somewhere - Egypt Today

Posted: 27 Oct 2009 09:34 PM PDT


Just as pleasing as the food at Villa 55 is the atmosphere. Tucked away on Road 9 in Maadi, across from the popular American home-style eatery Lucille's, this garden restaurant is a great place to take a break from the city's roaring hustle and bustle. When considering ambience, the creative owners of Villa 55 seem to have thought of everything.


Upon arrival we were greeted by a valet who offered us a parking space in the restaurant's private driveway (the best part: you don't have to hand over your keys). Once parked, we walked through the garden's iron gates onto a charming cobblestone path. The wicker furniture, palm trees and lush grass in the outdoor seating area are reminiscent of a quieter time and place. Given that it was a hot, muggy day, my companion and I opted for the air-conditioned indoor area. We came upon an equally elegant and tranquil indoor setting: warm lighting over pale blue walls and dark, hardwood floors — framed by flowing, floor-to-ceiling white curtains and French doors. As a non-smoker, I'm pleased to report there is a distinct division between the smoking and non-smoking sections, enabling a truly smoke-free meal.

Then came the food: my companion started with a bowl of steaming French Onion Soup (LE 10) topped with a round of white bread. He described the soup as "having just the right amount of 'oniony-ness'." I set my sights on the Smoked Salmon (LE 39), which arrived on a large white oblong plate, garnished with lettuce, capers, mayonnaise and onions — leaving my guest and I to dress the chilled fish as creatively as we liked, making this my favorite part of the meal.

For the main course, I ordered the colorful Spanish Paella (LE 50). A steamed-to-perfection yellow rice with red peppers, calamari, fish, shrimp — and the odd fried chicken drumstick — the perfect dish for someone who can't make up their mind (or someone doing a restaurant review). Meanwhile, my companion savored the Piccata Mushroom (LE 46). Though unimpressed by the side of fries, (perhaps rice would have been better) he was more enthusiastic about the main attraction: "It's rare for the mushroom sauce to be enough to make it through every bite of steak, so that was a nice surprise."

With little room left in our stomachs after the main course, we soldiered through dessert out of dedication to the readers (it's a tough job, but somebody has to do it). My guest asked for the rich Chocolate Brownie A La Mode (LE 21) and I went for the Tiramisu (LE 17). Dessert came out within minutes, both in the center of a white plate with (evidently) minimal effort put into presentation. The tiramisu wasn't really all that extraordinary: fluffy, velvety and sweet. It met, but didn't exceed, our expectations. The brownie was the better choice.

The option of indoor or outdoor seating at Villa 55 makes it a great place to grab a drink with friends in a quiet setting, when you actually want to be able to hear each other. Drinks-wise, tropical combinations dominated. I ended up with the Banana Havana (LE 15) a mixture of banana, orange and strawberry juice — very tasty and refreshing on a hot summer day. My companion tried the Virgin Mary (LE 11), which reportedly "had just the right amount of tabasco and spice."

Besides leaving with our stomachs full, the serenity of our surroundings left us feeling rejuvenated. Villa 55 is a yet-to-be-discovered chill spot in Cairo. Other patrons included couples seeking some quiet time together, families enjoying the outdoor setting and businessmen chatting over sandwiches. Families will feel right at home; they've even created a kid's corner. Overall, the menu has something for everyone, the service is more than cordial — and you get your money's worth. This is a great place for anyone who's looking for good food or drink, and a break from it all — a must-try for the summer. et

Villa 55 55 Road 9 Maadi Tel: +2 (02) 735-0470 Open 8am to Midnight Prices are expensive to very expensive Alcohol is not presently served pending the granting of a municipal license.

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Beaverton students will help grow food for the Oregon Food Bank - OregonLive.com

Posted: 27 Oct 2009 05:10 PM PDT

By Ellen Gilmer, The Oregonian

October 27, 2009, 5:00PM

BEAVERTON -- Oregon Food Bank has teamed up with Beaverton schools for a garden that will feed people in the community.

The food bank will open its Westside Learning Garden at Five Oaks Middle School, blocks away from the food bank's new Washington County facility planned for Northwest 173rd Avenue and Cornell Road.

The middle school is home to the Rachel L. Carson School Of Environmental Science, and students in that program will help maintain the site and study the garden in their curriculum.

So far, the students have helped with weed control, fertilizer and preparing sites for plant beds. During summer break, food bank volunteers will maintain the land.

The food bank is moving from its Hillsboro location because it has grown out of the site. The new facility is larger but lacks gardening space. Working with the middle school was a natural solution, said Rebecca Siplak, OFB learning garden coordinator.

"Their providing the land for us is enormous," she said. "It's great to get kids involved in gardening. They've wanted to have a garden for years."

Last year, the food bank's garden in Hillsboro produced 7,700 pounds of food. Officials hope to reach similar levels with the new garden, but expect at least the first year to produce slightly less than the 7,700 pounds.

Rebecca Hall, science teacher at Rachel Carson, said the partnership fits in perfectly with the school's philosophy of service learning and community involvement. It also allows for practical lessons, such as learning about the pH of soil or understanding the compost process.

Siplak approached Hall about the plan in February, and Hall was happy to be helping the food bank while gaining access to a hands-on learning site.

"A garden is a big undertaking for a small program," she said. "It's a perfect partnership."

Siplak said the agency values ventures with community groups like the school.

"It's important that we not operate in a vacuum because we're trying to reach as many people as possible," she said.

-- Ellen Gilmer

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Treasure Coast Home Expo starts Oct. 30 - TCPalm

Posted: 27 Oct 2009 01:49 PM PDT

PORT ST. LUCIE — The Treasure Coast Home Expo, the largest home and garden show in St. Lucie, Martin and Indian River counties, takes place Oct. 30 to Nov. 1 from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day at the Port St. Lucie Civic Center, 9221 S.E. Civic Center Place.

Admission is $5; children under 14 are free.

For more information, please call (800) 321-6164 or visit www.tchomeexpo.com.

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Botany Buddy: Plant info for your iPhone - Mountain Xpress

Posted: 27 Oct 2009 08:59 PM PDT

The technology may be cool, but it's the dirt that's the common denominator.

So says Riceville resident Charlie Hopper, who recently launched the Botany Buddy Tree and Shrub Finder interactive database for mobile devices such as the Apple iphone. It's a love of dirt and the green that grows from it that brought Hopper and Botany Buddy co-founder Byron Webster of Austin, Texas, together, and it's that same love that the two believe will make their new application a success.

The Botany Buddy database includes a listing of more than 1,200 native and ornamental trees and shrubs, according to Hopper, with a follow-up version expanding to cover flowers. The database also includes more than 4,500 full-color photos, which Hopper got from an Oregon State University library collection. Botany Buddy is donating a portion of proceeds to the college to be used for horticulture program scholarships, Hopper says. The Botany Buddy application sells for $9.99 and is available in the Apple iphone online application store.

Each plant listing includes 25 fields of information so that a user can search on everything from a botanical name to plant growth habits. The application includes tips for amateur green thumbs, Hopper says, and allows users to create collections of plant profiles to be shared with other users. A user can also upload their own photos to create a personalized database for a project such as a home garden, according to Hopper. The landscape designer says Botany Buddy can help a professional by simplifying, and speeding up, the way information is shared with potential clients. Hopper also notes that Botany Buddy won't take money from a commercial vendor to include their product in the database. The goal is to keep it free from that influence, and Botany Buddy requires users to exchange photos for free.

Hopper hooked up with Webster last year when both were looking to reinvent themselves. The two grew up together and got their hands dirty as teenagers by laying sod. The landscape design industry took a hard hit when the economy nose-dived last year, says Hopper, who began looking for other ways to bring in money. Webster, who worked in marketing and communications, had begun working for a company that built iphone applications, and when they reconnected and saw what the other was working on, they hit on the Botany Buddy idea.

"Gardening is still a growing market," Hopper says. Gardeners are a diverse lot, and Botany Buddy aims to bring together their many varied communities of like-minded people online. "We're going to an audience we know is there. We want to learn more from them about what they want."

Beyond the technical side of Botany Buddy, Hopper says he hopes the application will boost sustainable landscape management.

"The biggest key to sustainable landscape management is getting the right plant in the right spot, and nothing is more important than getting the right information in your hands. That's the whole point of Botany Buddy," Hopper says. "Getting people to realize they have a common love of nature — that's a huge step toward sustainability."


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