| Local News & Events
California Water Service Co. was recognized this month by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. for increasing the efficiency of several of its pumps and saving enough electricity to power 76 homes for a year, remove 39 cars from the road and avoid 281.87 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, according to PG&E. The pump optimization projects, three of which occurred in Salinas, involved changing the lubrication system and installing higher efficiency motors. Electricity costs incurred to pump water are passed through to customers on a dollar-for-dollar basis. .
A Lebanese chef's vision: Make falafel, not war
In a region where Arabs and Israelis also fight bitterly over who invented the falafel, food has powerful political potential. This, at least, is the vision of Kamal Mouzawak, a chef, television personality, writer, and the creator of Souk el Tayeb, a twice-weekly farmers' market in Beirut that has withstood political tensions and even war to bring together the Lebanese. "In Lebanon we have many different religious sects with seemingly nothing in common," Mouzawak said. "Except food. Muslims and Christians in the north eat the same food. Muslims and Christians in the south eat the same food. The differences are regional." Take the mamoul, a buttery cookie stuffed with dates or nut paste, that is eaten by Christians for Easter and by Muslims for Eid el Kebir, a feast that marks the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
Local restauranteers get ready for Friends of the Coal Bowl
HUNTINGTON -- A special menu concoction. Beefed-up staffs and food supplies. An emphasis on preparing to showcase your food and service before a bigger audience. Those are some of the ways local restaurant operators and caterers are getting ready for The Friends of the Coal Bowl football matchup between Marshall University and West Virginia University on Sept. 8. .
Our view: The truth-cast: One hurricane is one too many
It's the last weekend, and probably the hottest, before most kids in Central Louisiana head back to school. The forecast calls for temperatures of 100 degrees and higher into next week. If you head outdoors, be careful. Things to do this weekend include a birding hike today at the Louisiana State Arboretum in Ville Platte; the New Play Festival III tonight at the Kress Theatre in Alexandria, and a concert by the Pine Ridge Quartet in Aimwell. For details, check the calendar in the Saturday a.m. section and online at www.thetowntalk.com. Elsewhere in the news, hurricane forecasters predict fewer storms; a Baptist seminary will offer a homemaking program this fall; and some experts say the next decade will be a bit warmer. Our views follow: .
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