Culinary Art Schools

North Adams - A trio of first-time WinterFest Chowderfest participants captured the top awards decided by a judge panel during yesterday's day-long celebration of winter. Two of the winning restaurants are new to the city as well. First Time's The Charm Judges Award chowder winners are first place, Freight Yard Pub, second place, Red Sauce Ristorante, and third place, the Hot Dog Ranch. The pub is at the Western Heritage Gateway State Park, the "ristorante" is on Ashland Street, and the "ranch" is on State Street. The chowder-tasting event drew a large crowd to the Holiday Inn. Event organizer Rod Bunt, of the Mayors Office of Tourism and Culture, mixed and mingled with the crowd. "I'm ecstatic with the turnout," Bunt said. "This is one of the biggest crowds we've ever had." The crowd had their say in the chowder competition.

Viruses Removed From Drinking Water Using New UD Technology

University of Delaware researchers have developed an inexpensive, nonchlorine-based technology that can remove harmful microorganisms, including viruses, from drinking water.

UD's patented technology, developed jointly by researchers in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the College of Engineering, incorporates highly reactive iron in the filtering process to deliver a chemical "knock-out punch" to a host of notorious pathogens, from E. coli to rotavirus.

The new technology could dramatically improve the safety of drinking water around the globe, particularly in developing countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over a billion people--one-sixth of the world's population--lack access to safe water supplies.

Four billion cases of diarrheal disease occur worldwide every year, resulting in 1.8 million deaths, primarily infants and children in developing countries.

A NEW CAMPAIGN FOR FOOD AID

A variety of politicians and activists are making a new attempt at tackling the perennial challenge of ensuring that needy New Yorkers can get the food to which they're legally entitled. From bureaucratic red tape to misinformation about eligibility, barriers stand between citizens and food stamps and efforts to lower the barriers and boost participation are underway.

According to the Human Resources Administration (HRA), a total of 1,081,331 city residents were enrolled in the food stamp program as of this November. But there are another 700,000 New Yorkers eligible for food stamps and not receiving them, according to a report released last month by FoodChange, a nutrition advocacy group.

Recent activist and political efforts are focused mainly on increasing participation among legal immigrants, because approximately a quarter of those eligible but not involved more than 180,000 people are legal immigrants.

Snappers Announce 2007 Daily Promotions

Kid's Eat Free/Catch a Game Sunday's - Kids get a free hot dog and soda with the purchase of a regular priced kid's ticket. Following the game, play catch on the field for 20 minutes and all kids in attendance can run the bases, courtesy of McDonalds. (weather and field conditions permitting) Leinie's bottles are just $2.00 courtesy of Ott-Schweitzer.

MONDAY

Must Win Miller Monday's - The Snappers must win on Monday's! If not, every fan in attendance receives a general admission ticket to the next Wednesday home game courtesy 1380 AM ESPN Radio. 12oz. drafts of Miller products are just $1, thanks to our friends at Ott-Schweitzer.

TUESDAY

College Night/Dollar Night - Fans showing a valid college ID get a general admission ticket for $1. All fans can enjoy hot dogs, soda, popcorn, and 12oz.

UPI NewsTrack Quirks in the News

ALAMEDA, Calif., March 2 (UPI) -- A California artist's cardboard cutout of President Bush with a knife through his head earned him his second visit from the U.S. Secret Service.

Michael McDonald displayed the work in his front yard in Alameda. Like some of his other art, it appears to have disturbed and annoyed some of his neighbors, including three who reported it as a potential threat against the president.

That drew Secret Service agents.

"They said, 'You've got a knife sitting in the head of the president of the United States,'" McDonald told the Oakland Tribune. "I said, 'No, I got a knife in a piece of cardboard.'"

McDonald, a Vietnam-era veteran, makes no secret of his dislike of the president and Vice President Dick Cheney, but he appreciates the Secret Service.

Ann's Organic Garden: A gentler way to discourage moles

Each spring, dormant moles wake up hungry. They cruise from garden to garden, seeking their favorite food: worms. When we make rich, healthy soil, we encourage worms as well as plants. Thus, the better a job we do at soil building, the more moles will find our gardens good.