There’s nothing like a cold slice of watermelon on a hot summerday — if it weren’t for all those seeds.Watermelon lovers must agree. Consumer reports have shown thatshoppers are willing to pay more to get their melonsseedless. And farmers are hearing them loud and clear.More and more growers are adding acres of seedless watermelonsto their crops each year. In fact, of the 35,000 acres of watermelongrown in Georgia this season, 25 percent were seedless melons.Introduced in the 50’sAn estimated 20 percent of the watermelons grown in the UnitedStates are seedless. But seedless melons aren’t new. The firstwere bred in 1951 by Dr. H. Kihara of Kyoto University in Japan.”Seedless watermelons are actually called triploid watermelonsby seed companies and growers,” said John Duval, a horticulture graduate student with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.”The name was developed,” he said, “after consumerscomplained because every now and then, a seedless watermelon willhave a seed inside.”A Little Smaller Than Traditional MelonsSeedless watermelons are normally red-fleshed and smaller thantraditional melons. “One of the most popular varieties grownin Georgia is Genesis,” Duval said. “You can tell ifa melon is seedless by looking down it from the stem end. It willhave a slightly triangular shape.”With the popularity of seedless melons on the rise, the acreageof Georgia-grown seedless watermelons is expected to rise to 50percent over the next 20 years.”Most of the seedless watermelons in the United Statesare grown in Georgia, Florida, Texas and California,” Duvalsaid.Duval has spent the past three years researching seedless watermelons.Working at the UGA Georgia Experiment Station in Griffin, Ga.,he developed techniques that could encourage more farmers to growseedless melons.Pricey Seeds, Stubborn SeedsOne reason they shy away from growing them now is the costof seed. The other reason is that the seeds often don’t grow well.”Seeds for seedless melons cost from 15 cents to 25 centseach,” Duval said. “And then, there’s only a 60 percentto 80 percent chance the seeds will produce.”Duval says the high seed price is a direct result of the difficultybreeders have in producing the seeds.”It’s like crossing a horse and a donkey,” said Duval.”You get a mule, but it can’t reproduce. Producing seedlesswatermelon seed is a long, tedious process. One successful crossproduces just a few seeds.”Working on his research thesis, Duval found two methods thatmay help farmers’ success rates with seedless melons.”Seedless watermelon seeds don’t germinate well. But I’vehad success by clipping the seeds before planting,” he said.”You just clip a hole in the round end of the seed. ManyAsian seed companies actually recommend doing this.”The other method Duval has found effective involves presoakingthe seeds in a 1-percent hydrogen peroxide solution. “Thishelps pregerminate the seeds,” he said.Try Growing Your OwnDuval said backyard gardeners can try these techniques at homenext season. “You can grow seedless watermelons at home,”said Duval. “Just remember you need to start them as transplantsbefore you put them in your garden spot.”He also warns backyard gardeners not to over water their seedlessmelon transplants. “They should be lightly watered to improvethe air movement around the seeds until they emerge,” hesaid. “If you water them too much, the seeds can’t breathe.”Duval said seedless watermelon seeds should be available insmall packets at lawn and garden centers. “If you can’t findthem there, you’ll find lots of choices in seed catalogs,”he said.
Mangano Gives State of Nassau County Address
Sign up for our COVID-19 newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest coronavirus news throughout New York Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano gave his fourth State of the County address at the Morrelly Homeland Security Center in Bethpage on Wednesday, March 6, 2013.Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano proposed a new, smaller arena to replace the aging coliseum, urged Democratic critics to help him close perpetual budget gaps and ticked off a list of past initiatives in his fourth State of the County address Wednesday.After recovering from a teleprompter glitch during his opening remarks, the first-term Republican seeking re-election this fall launched into what at times felt like a stump speech—although he also struck some downer notes while mentioning Superstorm Sandy, the loss of the New York Islanders and the recent deaths of two Nassau cops and a top Nassau GOP lawmaker.“Nassau County had the distinction of being the highest property taxed County in the nation; that is no longer true,” Mangano told the crowd assembled at the Morrelly Homeland Security Center in his hometown of Bethpage. “While we still have much work to do, we’re headed in the right direction.”His address comes as federal Sandy recovery aid has begun trickling into the region, while The Amazing Spiderman 2—the largest film shot in New York State—is now in production at a nearby sound stage and after a federal judge recently ruled against a 2011 county employee wage freeze.He also reminded the audience that he has frozen property taxes, cut the county workforce and privatized county services such as the bus system and inmate health care at Nassau County jail in his quest to close budget deficits. The Nassau Interim Finance Authority, a state-appointed fiscal watchdog, took control of county finances a year after Mangano took office.Legis. Kevan Abrahams (D-Hempstead), the leader of the county’s Democratic legislative minority, criticized Mangano for his ongoing plan to close half of the eight police precincts—one cost-saving measure the county exec didn’t mention—and for a recent credit downgrade.“It seems as though Nassau County has hit rock bottom,” Abrahams said, although he did endorse the new arena idea. “How much are we really saving and is it really worth it?”Tom Suozzi, the ex-Nassau County executive seeking the Democratic line for a rematch against Mangano—who unseated Suozzi in 2009—released a statement critical of Mangano before the address.“Under Ed Mangano, Nassau County has been mired in reckless mismanagement and constant fiscal crisis,” Suozzi said. “Furthermore, Mangano has presented no vision for our future and continues to rely on borrowing to the detriment of future generations.”Suozzi’s Democratic primary opponent, millionaire Adam Haber of Roslyn, also took a swipe at the county executive, accusing him of “speaking out of both sides of his mouth. Mangano said that taxes have not gone up, but Nassau’s middle class families know that they are being squeezed by paying more fees, while government services are getting cut.”In his defense, Mangano repeatedly referenced a $3 billion deficit he inherited from Suozzi, half of it from funds borrowed to pay property tax challenges in a grievance system Mangano has tried to overhaul. He also called on Democrats to provide the three votes needed to approve borrowing to pay more property tax settlements—something Democrats vowed not to do in the run-up to the recent legislative redistricting.“We have truly reinvented and are rebuilding a stronger, better and brighter Nassau County,” Mangano said. “That is why we must never return to our past practices.”
Diversity Insight: Set up to fail!
continue reading » Fail! It is a strong word choice for a headline but, unfortunately, not far from the truth. A recent survey conducted by executive search consultancy Russell Reynolds of 234 diversity executives employed at companies on the S&P 500 found that, despite an influx of new chief diversity officer positions, few CDOs are given the resources and support they need to succeed.Four Critical Challenges CDOs FaceCredit union executives and board members should be mindful of the following four critical challenges as they consider the appropriate organizational infrastructure to support diversity and inclusion.The Chief Diversity Officer role is new. Sixty three percent of CDOs who participated in the survey were hired or promoted in the past three years. Additionally, only 47% of companies on the S&P 500 reported having a CDO or equivalent. ShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr
Attorneys for Dean Skelos and Son Request Acquittal
The elder Skelos’ conviction came just weeks after his former Albany counterpart, ex-state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan), was also found guilty of corruption charges in the same courthouse.Along with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Assemb. Silver and Sen. Skelos were part of an exclusive group dubbed, “Three Men In A Room,” that called all the shots in the state Legislature.Following his conviction, Dean Skelos was immediately stripped of his senate seat.Both Dean and Adam are scheduled to be sentenced on March 3. They face up to 20 years in prison.Gov. Andrew Cuomo has yet to formally schedule a special election to fill either Silver’s or Skelos’s seat, although initial news reports suggested that he might pick April 19th. In the meantime, both seats remain empty. Attorneys for former state Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) and his son, Adam, have requested that the court acquit the pair and grant them a new trial, arguing that the evidence presented in court was not strong enough to warrant their conviction.In what is largely a procedural move, the Skeloses’ attorneys filed a motion on Tuesday for acquittal on all counts “because the evidence submitted at trial was insufficient to establish beyond a reasonable doubt,” their attorneys wrote in court papers.The motion is a follow up to a failed acquittal request made by the defense following closing arguments.Federal prosecutors have until Feb. 12 to respond.After a four-week trial at Manhattan federal court, the disgraced state senator and his son were convicted in December of bribing firms that had business before the state to pay Adam for jobs he never performed.The jury deliberated for eight hours before returning a guilty verdict on Dec. 11. Sign up for our COVID-19 newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest coronavirus news throughout New York 
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Alcohol industry makes money off problem drinkers
NewsTalk ZB 30 October 2016Family First Comment: If we want to reduce family violence and child abuse in NZ, we need to reduce alcohol abuse.Fresh research from Massey University shows just how much the alcohol industry relies on problem drinkers to make a profit.The International Alcohol Control study combines research on drinkers from five countries, including New Zealand.Lead author Professor Sally Casswell said it shows 59 percent of all alcohol is consumed in binges of eight drinks or more for men, and six or more for women.Most of the alcohol industry’s profits come from that heavy use, she said.“This is what we mean when we say that the industry is really reliant on the sale of alcohol that is being drunk on heavy-drinking occasions.”Casswell said it explains why the industry is so resistant to policies which would reduce harmful drinking.“Because of this, we can’t allow the alcohol industry to be involved in making policy decisions about what is an appropriate way for governments to respond to alcohol-related harm.”Governments need to step up and restrict alcohol marketing, as well as implement better alcohol taxation and a minimum unit price, she argued.http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/health/alcohol-industry-makes-money-off-problem-drinkers/
Housing and road repairs are major challenges for Roseau South Constituency
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LocalNews Housing and road repairs are major challenges for Roseau South Constituency by: – August 5, 2011 Share Hon. Ambrose GeorgeThe Parliamentary Representative for the Roseau South Constituency Honourable Ambrose George says housing and road repairs are the major challenges facing his constituency.“We do have some challenges in the area of housing and our road conditions with respect to some of the areas which were private developments and are still private developments for example Leopoldville, Wallhouse and Castle Comfort. These were developed by private people and it has reached a stage where they no longer maintain the infrastructure in terms of the road and the drainage for those areas, so Government now has to come in and take that responsibility.”Mr. George, who is also the Minister responsible for Information Technology and Constituency Empowerment, told Dominica Vibes News that these roads in the privately developed areas are posing a challenge as well but he is committed to assisting the residents of these communities.“It is adding more to the public roads which I have in the Constituency so that in itself is posing quite a big challenge for me as the Parliamentary Representative, but we are trying our best to deal with the situation. I always maintain that people pay their taxes and therefore they need the services; they have to be provided with the services,” he said.Dominica Vibes News
Joshua, Fury’s fight still a dream – Warren
Promoted Content7 Truly Incredible Facts About Black HolesWho Is The Most Powerful Woman On Earth?Couples Who Celebrated Their Union In A Unique, Unforgettable Way7 Universities Where Getting An Education Costs A Hefty PennyTruly Mysterious Things That Have Happened On Chinese Soil2020 Tattoo Trends: Here’s What You’ll See This YearTop 10 Enemies Turned Friends in TV10 Hyper-Realistic 3D Street Art By OdeithSome Impressive And Almost Shocking Robots That ExistBest Car Manufacturers In The World7 Universities In The World Where Education Costs Too Much10 Bollywood Celeb Weight Loss Transformations That Will Stun You Reports from America emerged last week claiming talks over a unification fight were underway, which would have to see Deontay Wilder and Kubrat Pulev step aside so the heavyweight rivals could go head-to-head. Fury’s co-promoter joined talkSPORT Breakfast on Thursday morning to respond to that speculation amid the coronavirus pandemic. Fury claimed Wilder’s WBC heavyweight title in February to become a two-time heavyweight champion of the world “We haven’t spoken to them. You’ve got to deal with the facts and Tyson has a contractual agreement with Deontay Wilder, and Pulev has signed on to fight AJ,” he said. “There’s been all these stories about negotiations going on, but there hasn’t been any because there’s nothing to negotiate. No offers have been made from either camp. “All the parties concerned have signed an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) with one of the countries – but we can’t talk about that. “There’s no offer forthcoming from them, nor indeed from any other people that we’ve spoken to thus far. Until you actually know what the offer is, how can you negotiate?” Warren, who says there is no prospect of The ‘Gypsy King’ fighting behind closed doors, also issued an update on the trilogy fight between Fury and Wilder. Loading… Frank Warren has refuted suggestions that negotiations have begun for an all-British showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Fury beat Wilder in stunning fashion February to claim the WBC heavyweight title after their first fight in 2018 had ended in a controversial draw. After the American activated a rematch clause in his contract, the pair were set to come to blows again on July 18 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. However, the coronavirus outbreak meant that mega-money bout, like so many other sporting events, had to be held back until Autumn. The British Boxing Board of Control has since issued a series of rules for the sport’s prospective domestic return in July, including all shows taking place without fans, and trainers and officials wearing face masks. That will not be happening in this case though, with Warren revealing the bout must take place before the end of 2020. read also:Joshua: Fury surprised me with his boxing achievement in 2020 He added: “That fight was supposed to take place in July and that’s obviously not going to be the case now. “It’s certainly got to happen by the end of the year, so that’s where we’re at. “I don’t think there was a clause in the contract in terms of dealing with a pandemic, though!” FacebookTwitterWhatsAppEmail分享 
Tony Pulis: I recommended Mikel for Stoke
Tony Pulis gave Michael O’Neill a reference for new Stoke City signing John Obi Mikel.Mikel arrives in the Potteries as O’Neill’s fourth summer signing, having played half-a-season under Pulis at play-off chasing Middlesbrough in 2018/19. The 33-year-old – a free agent after leaving Trabzonspor in March – was a wanted man around Europe and had a lucrative offer on the table from Russia.But he had a four-hour chat with O’Neill convincing each other that they were the right fit.O’Neill told TalkSPORT: “We didn’t feel that possibly we would be in a position to get him but having met the lad – he spent a day up here with us in Stoke – he liked what he saw and we liked what we saw in him in terms of what his vision was.“And when you’ve got a player that has had the career at the level that John has had you are always a little bit worried about them coming to a team in the Championship.“But we did a lot of due diligence on him, got references from people like Tony Pulis who he played under at Middlesbrough and other people that he’s worked under. “But the most important thing was that John was really keen to come. He wants to try to finish his career in the Premier League having obviously been in China and having been abroad again in Turkey and hopefully he can do that with Stoke City.”Pulis signed Mikel on a short-term deal in January 2019 and it was quite clear he was a big fan.He said at the time: “He has the quality, the stature, the experience, people around will grow. People grow around because of his personality. He played against my teams quite a few times. He was always one that stood out.“I think he’s a player’s player, I’m not so sure supporters will ever appreciate what John does as much as his co-players, he’s that type of player.”Mikel made 18 appearances and Pulis added: “John is one of those rocks, a building block that you lay the foundations on. “I’m not surprised about the impact he has had. I spoke to a lot of people before I spoke to John.“When you have been out of the country for two years and haven’t played competitive football – no disrespect to the Chinese League – then there is always some doubts but everyone I spoke to said he was a wonderful person, very grounded, very down to earth.“That’s the big issue with players: it is character, character, character. And John has that in his locker.“People here will be able to say better than me whether there have been players over the years who have turned up just to take the coin.RelatedPosts Stoke City manager salutes Mikel Mikel opens Stoke City goal account Mikel: I want to instil winning mentality at Stoke “John is not going to do that. He isn’t about the money. He just seem to be enjoying it. I was 100 per cent it was the right move.“It was difficult to convince everyone it was right because we have so many midfield players and I am not sure what the supporters thought of us bringing another one in, but he was never going to be a gamble for me. He was always going to help us.”Tags: MiddlesbroughMikelStoke CityTony Pulis
Broward Deputy Responding to I-95 Crash Hits Off-Duty Deputy, Driver
A crash on I-95 in Deerfield Beach Friday night appears to have caused another accident, ultimately involving two deputies.According to a report, a Broward Sheriff’s deputy responding to a crash involving a Toyota Corolla on the highway hit an off-duty Sheriff’s Office deputy who had stopped to help the Toyota’s driver.Veda Coleman-Wright, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office, says the Toyota’s driver and the off-duty deputy were standing on the shoulder next to the guardrail. That is when the responding deputy lost control, side-swiped another Sheriff’s Office vehicle, and then hit the pair standing on the side of the highway.Coleman-Wright adds that the roadway was wet at the time of the crash.The names of the deputies and the driver involved in the incident have not been disclosed.The deputy has been treated and released. However, Coleman-Wright is unsure whether the driver of the Toyota has also been released from the hospital, but says the injuries are not life-threatening.The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the crash, while the Broward Sheriff’s Office investigates the part involving the deputy.
Washington snaps USC’s winning streak
Riding to the Seattle airport Saturday evening, the USC baseball team was somber and quiet, knowing it had let an opportunity to sweep a Pac-10 series slip away.But interim coach Frank Cruz remained emphatic that the team keep its head up and move on to the next one.Dropoff · Senior starter Logan Odom tossed just four and two-third innings on Saturday, allowing six runs on eight hits. He also hit a season-high four batters in the team’s 8-2 road loss to the Huskies. – Carlo Acenas | Daily Trojan And by the time the team took a bus from the Los Angeles airport back to the USC campus, it was again in good spirits. After all, the Trojans had come away with a conference series win for the third-straight weekend, taking two of three games from Washington.“I’m disappointed we didn’t win on Saturday,” Cruz said. “It’s the last taste in your mouth, so that’s what you feel. But beyond that, any time you take two of three on the road, it’s a solid weekend.”Washington snapped the Trojans’ five-game winning streak with an 8-2 victory Saturday at Husky Ballpark after USC won the first two games 2-1 and 12-9.Washington led 3-1 in the series finale after four innings, but blew the game open in the fifth inning when it scored five runs with two outs. Following a pair of groundouts, senior starting pitcher Logan Odom loaded the bases, allowing a pair of singles and a hit batsman.Cruz inserted reliever freshman Kyle Richter to try to quell the rally, but he was greeted with a two-run double from Chase Anselment and a three-run home run from Joe Meggs that gave the Huskies an insurmountable 8-1 lead.With Easter on Sunday, the Trojans traveled to Seattle a day earlier and began their weekend series with Washington on Thursday rather than the traditional Friday.Junior Andrew Triggs seemed to enjoy the Thursday start. The Trojans’ ace pitched a complete game, allowing only five hits and one run. He also struck out a career-high 10 batters.“Triggs pitched great on Thursday,” Cruz said. “He really had his sinker going.”But Triggs’ best play might have come on a ground ball to first in the sixth inning. With the tying run heading to third base, the pitcher became a goalie, dropping down to block a throw in the dirt when he covered first base as USC attempted to turn a double play.The offense provided all the run support Triggs would need in the second inning when freshman shortstop James Roberts doubled home a pair of runners with two outs.“The guy that goes unsung is James Roberts,” Cruz said. “He’s been so consistent. He made a big relay throw Saturday and threw another guy out at the plate Friday. He’s hitting .279 and has played great defense. He’s very reliable as a freshman.”Roberts had hits in all three games to add to his team-leading .400 batting average in conference play.On Friday, the Trojans put on an offensive display in a 12-9 victory, scoring in the double-digits for only the third time this season.Junior catcher and leadoff hitter Kevin Roundtree smacked three hits, including his first home run of the season. Roundtree eclipsed his season RBI total with three runs driven in.Juniors Ricky Oropesa and Matt Foat also had multi-hit, multi-RBI games. Oropesa added his team-leading sixth home run of the season.Though USC had taken an 11-2 lead, things got close in the late innings when Washington scored seven runs in the seventh. But junior Ben Mount slammed the door, pitching two and one-third perfect innings and striking out three to pick up his second save of the season.With junior closer Chad Smith out for the season with an elbow injury that will require Tommy John surgery, Mount has stepped up in late game situations.“He really tried to pick up the slack for Chad Smith being out,” Cruz said. “He worked on his form and has really pitched well the last couple of weeks.”The Trojans will be back in action Tuesday when they take on Long Beach State at 6 p.m. at Dedeaux Field.