Investment is the military process of surrounding an enemy fort (or town) with armed forces to prevent entry or escape.[1][2] It serves both to cut communications with the outside world, and to prevent supplies and reinforcements from being introduced.

A circumvallation is a line of fortifications, built by the attackers around the besieged fortification facing towards an enemy fort (to protect the besiegers from sorties by its defenders and to enhance the blockade).[3][4] The resulting fortifications are known as 'lines of circumvallation'.[5] Lines of circumvallation generally consist of earthen ramparts and entrenchments that encircle the besieged city. The line of circumvallation can be used as a base for launching assaults against the besieged city or for constructing further earthworks nearer to the city.

A contravallation may be constructed in cases where the besieging army is threatened by a field army allied to an enemy fort.[6] This is a second line of fortifications outside the circumvallation, facing away from an enemy fort. The contravallation protects the besiegers from attacks by allies of the city's defenders and enhances the blockade of an enemy fort by making it more difficult to smuggle in supplies.[7]

Thucydides notes the role circumvallation played in the Spartan siege of Plataea during the initial stages of the Peloponnesian War in 429 BC.

Julius Caesar in his Commentaries on the Gallic War describes his textbook use of the circumvallation and contravallation to defeat the Gauls under their chieftain Vercingetorix at the Siege of Alesia in September 52 BC.

Another example from the pre-modern period is the siege of Constantinople in 717-718 AD. At that time, the Isaurian dynasty of emperors ruled in Constantinople. The Isaurian dynasty's founder, Leo the Isaurian, originally named Konon, was commander of the theme (i.e. province) of Anatolia, appointed by the Emperor Anastasius II Artemius. During Konon's term as general of the Anatolics, the Emperor Anastasius II had been deposed by the troops of the elite Opsician regiment, and replaced by an unwilling tax collector named Theodosius. He (Theodosius) finally accepted the offer of the purple, and was made Emperor Theodosius III. Theodosius, however, alienated the support of the Opsicians, and Konon, changing his name to Leo, took advantage of this and decided to use them to take the purple for himself. He allied with Artabasdus, the commander of the theme of Armenia, and was able to depose Theodosius III, becoming Leo III upon his accession to the Byzantine throne. Meanwhile, the leaders of the Islamic Empire took advantage of the violent anarchy within the Byzantine state to prepare a huge host, comprising more than 100,000 troops and 1,800 ships, to take them to the capital Constantinople. Upon arriving outside the Theodosian walls, the Arab host had some knowledge that the Emperor Leo had allied with Bulgaria under their khan Tervel, and so in preparation for the Bulgarian army, built such military investments, but they failed to work, and so the Arab army was defeated by a number of factors; the failure of their circumvallations and contravallations, the lack of supplies near the end of the siege, the (mostly) sudden and shocking arrival of Tervel's Bulgarian army, and most importantly, the use of a dangerously flammable substance invented by the Byzantines, an unknown mix of various ingredients that may have included naphtha, saltpetre, petroleum, pine resin, calcium phosphide, quicklime, sulphur and niter, that was called sea fire (Ancient Greek: pyr thalssion) or Roman fire ( pyr rhomakn), but is called Greek fire in modern historiography due to the Crusaders thinking that the Byzantine state was an Empire of the Greeks.

The basic objectives and tactics of a military investment have remained the same in the modern era. During the Second World War there were many sieges and many investments. One of the best known sieges of World War II, which demonstrated the tactical use of investment, was the siege of Stalingrad. During the first half of the siege the Germans were unable to fully encircle the city, so the Soviets were able to get men and supplies in across the Volga River. In the second half of the battle, the complete investment of Stalingrad by the Soviets (including air space which prevented the construction by the Germans of an adequately large airbridge) eventually forced the starving Germans inside the city to surrender. It was thus also the turning point of the Eastern front, when the Soviets began their push back, the end of their defensive campaign and the very beginning of their offensive one to ultimately take Berlin.

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Investment (military) - Wikipedia

The talk around the table Aug. 16 sounded knowledgable enough. Apple was doing well, but the prevailing consensus is that its overvalued. Costco has also been strong, but a lawsuit from Tiffany & Co. was something to watch. Netflix had also been a good buy, but Disney announcing it would create its own streaming service could hurt the price.

The discussion was happening far from any stockbroker's office, in a conference room at Friends In Deed. Seven people gathered for the monthly meeting of the Profit Investment Group, a small group of Green Valley residents who jointly invest in the stock market. While all knew next-to-nothing about the market when they started, everyone said they have found the experience educational, not to mention profitable.

Each club member is charged with following one of their stocks and preparing a report on how it has done in the past 30 days and what experts say about its health going forward. The group currently owns stock in seven companies, from Apple to Yum! (the parent company of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC). Part of the discussion centered on diversifying and looking at financial companies such as Visa or American Express.

After a thorough reporting of their portfolio, the club decides by vote count whether to buy more stocks, sell what they have or hold for another month. At its August meeting, they decided to sit tight for another month and re-evaluate whether they need to shake up their investments. That month-to-month rhythm is the normal routine, but, in case of swifter developments in the market, an emergency group including the president, vice president and secretary can meet to respond more immediately.

All members pay a minimum of $25 a month to invest, though if 20 percent of the club's money is coming from one person, that person cannot give any more. New members must attend three meetings before they are allowed to start kicking in their own money. While they once had 20 members, today they are at seven.

Dave Armstrong, the club's president and a member since 1999, said that while stocks have fluctuated, not a single members has ever lost money investing with the club. Everyone has received a 100 to 200 percent return. Even the market downturn in 2008-9 didn't affect their bottom line, he said. Their stocks performed normally and without problem.

One of the only downsides is when someone has to leave the club. The club needs to sell stock to return their investment, which means potentially getting hit with capital gains taxes.

Armstrong is one of the more seasoned members of the group now, but when he started his only experience with the market was the employee shares from General Foods during his working years.

And while the financial gains are nice, Armstrong said he views the club as a non-threatening way to expose oneself to the stock market. The stakes are generally low and the group has been successful.

Nobody has their life savings in the club, he said.

Graham Kidde has been a member for less than two years, having heard about the club through a neighbor while poolside one day. He used to have a stockbroker and an account for his wife, but it was the club that gave him an in-depth view on how to evaluate stocks. That's what he likes he now knows how to more objectively pick a company that will return good dividends.

They are very thorough about their evaluations and don't make knee-jerk reactions, Kidde said.

That's not to say there haven't been missteps. In March, the club looked at investing in PayPal, with the stock at $42. It had dropped recently and the members decided to wait until it reached $41 before buying. Except it went up. And up again. Eventually, they pulled the trigger at buying it but at $58 a share.

Years ago the group also bought shares in Harley-Davidson, but sold them quickly after two months. Shortly thereafter the stock shot up, leaving the members kicking themselves. The rule now is that the club must hold onto a stock for three months before they can sell it.

Ellen Besse has been a member since 2007. She decided that she should learn about the stock market shortly after retiring as a librarian. She was part of a similar organization in her native Indiana, but with one key difference it was all women. That group had been very conservative, willing to sell stocks at the first sign of trouble. The mixed group here is a little more daring and willing to take more risks, she said.

It doesn't matter, she said, that they all started and in many ways still are stock market neophytes. In fact, active stock brokers aren't allow to join, though Armstrong points out that none has ever applied.

Besse said that's the whole point. The group is intentionally a gathering of novices gaining experience through trial and error.

Everyone in the stock market can't be Warren Buffet, she said.

David Rookhuyzen | 547-9728

See more here:
On the money: Local investment group sends novices into the market - Green Valley News

Editors Note: Making other countries more effective U.S. security partners is a vital part of counterterrorism, counterinsurgency and U.S. foreign policy in general. Yet it seems to fail often, and support for such aid appears to be declining. Part of the problem may be in how the United States does such assistance. Stephen Tankel of American University and Melissa Dalton of the Center for Strategic and International Studies argue that the United States should reverse its traditional approach. Instead of punishing partners that don't live up to their end of the bargain, the United States should reward those that docarrots, in other words, not sticks.

***

Security assistance is an expensive tool of statecraft, even if it is just one component of a total foreign aid allotment that represents only about one percent of the total U.S. budget. In FY 2015, the tab totaled an estimated $16.8 billion. Security assistance includes all grant assistance programs through which the United States provides defense articles, military training, and other defense-related services. The United States uses this assistance not only to build the capacity of allies and partners, but also to try to shape their behavior. Though this latter effort often fails, recipients rarely suffer the consequences.

A rare exception occurred last week. Trump administration sources acknowledged that the United States plans to withhold up to $290 million in aid to Egypt over democracy and human rights concerns. This is likely to prompt renewed debate over whether U.S. security assistance can be leveraged to promote behaviorial change in a recipient country. The decision was particularly surprising because President Trump has exhibited little interest in promoting democracy or human rights concerns. Yet perhaps it should not have been considering that he is skeptical about helping other countries deal with their problems, especially given the costs involved. Many Americans appear to share his skepticism.

The critics have a point. The reality is, the U.S. government has few mechanisms to reliably track how its security assistance dollars are performing in terms of return on investment for meeting strategic and policy goals. There have been a number of steps taken in the last three years to start to change that, through executive and legislative branch action. However, even the most ardent supporters of alliances and partnerships must acknowledge that the return on security assistance is often lower than it could be. More than merely wasting taxpayers dollars, this damages U.S. credibility and reinforces the belief that maintaining alliances and partnerships is simply not worth the costs involved.

We firmly believe security assistance should remain a critical pillar of U.S. statecraft. We also believe the United States could get a better rate of return on some of these programs by changing the way it conditions assistance. Changing the way the United States conditions assistance could change that for the better. This will not solve the problem of how to optimize our relationships with other countriesthere is no silver bullet for thatbut it would help the United States get more bang for its buck. This is a sentiment that should appeal to the dealmaker-in-chief.

The Swiss Army Knife of Statecraft

Security assistance objectives can be grouped into two buckets:

The first set of objectives falls under the umbrella of building partner capacity, which has become a catchall for a wide array of programs. This set of objectives includes building the capacity and capabilities of recipients to operate independently against shared threats; buttressing the military strength of friendly countries to positively influence the balance of power and provide deterrence and assurance in a given region; supporting coalition partners that assist the United States in an ongoing conflict; promoting interoperability to enable joint military missions; reducing internal instability and promoting governance and rule of law in countries where threats to the United States could manifest; and professionalizing partner forces.

Wielding influence and securing tactical cooperation is the second. This may translate into trading assistance for access to bases, airspace, or other transit routes. The United States sometimes uses assistance to incentivize short-term tactical cooperation against shared threats. In other cases, assistance is intended to reassure allies and partners of Americas commitment to its security, either in general or against common enemies. Here it is worth noting that plans to slash the State Departments budget and cut foreign assistance compound concerns about U.S. abandonment and further reduce American influence. Finally, the United States has tried, often without success, to use assistance as a lever to shape a recipients behavior either domestically or internationally.

As a result of competing priorities, the United States often chooses not to condition assistance ... or attempts to do so in an ad hoc manner.

Some U.S. objectives overlap with one another. Others conflict. And lest we forget, our partners also get a vote. American objectives for security assistance often do not align with theirs, due in large part to differences in how the United States and a recipient prioritize and perceive threats. The number of different objectives at play complicates efforts to condition assistance; enforcing conditions to achieve one set of objectives could hamper efforts to achieve another set. For example, after the Bahraini governments security forces launched a major crackdown on protesters during the Arab uprisings, the United States temporarily restricted arms sales to the country. Some members of the Obama administration also argued for placing conditions on security assistance. Others worried that this would undermine Bahrains support for U.S. basing and access, which is important for Afghanistan, Iran deterrence, and counterterrorism operations. As a result of competing priorities, the United States often chooses not to condition assistance, as was the case with Bahrain, or attempts to do so in an ad hoc manner. Worst of all, the United States sometimes imposes conditions, but then blinks first and backs down when they are not met.

Playing Chicken with Assistance

Any conversation about conditioning assistance should begin with what fails to work and why. Failed efforts to change a recipients behavior by conditioning assistance often share one or more characteristics. First, these efforts are almost always unilateral, meaning the United States imposes conditions without negotiating with the recipient in advance. Conditions are also sometimes retroactive, which is to say they are placed on already existing aid packages, which the recipient may view as an entitlement. This has been the case with Egypt.

Although Congress appropriates and authorizes this assistance every year, the United States has traditionally provided foreign assistance to both Egypt and Israel since the 1979 peace treaty to smooth security cooperation and maintain a balance of power between the two countries. Egypt has received $1.3 billion in military assistance per year since 1987. Following Egypts waves of authoritarian crackdowns in 2013, the Obama administration temporarily froze F-16 aircraft deliveries and other equipment to the Egyptian military. It lifted the hold two years later following improved relations with Egypts President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and amid growing concerns about jihadist insurgency there. Some U.S. lawmakers objected to the decision to lift the holds, pointing out that Egypt had failed to follow through on governance reforms. The administrations decision to lift the holds also may have been an acknowledgement that they were not effectively changing Egyptian government behavior. In parallel, the U.S. administration also began to restructure U.S. assistance for Egypt to focus more on counterterrorism, deemphasizing large conventional arms sales that had historically been a feature of the relationship. Throughout this period, Egypt viewed these restrictions as an affront to its decades-long assistance relationship with the United States. Notably, Egypt and Israel are two of the few countries that would not see its foreign military financing (FMF) shrink in the Trump administration.

The Trump administration has reportedly expressed concerns over Egypts implementation of a law restricting the activities of NGOs to development and social work, as a way for the Egyptian government to further constrict popular dissent and civil society. As a result, the U.S. administration is reprogramming $65.7 million in FY 2017 FMF (as well as $30 million in FY 2016 Economic Support Funds) and withholding $195 million in FY 2016 FMF, the latter pending Egyptian improvement on its human rights and democracy record. Egypts view that it is entitlted to its annual FMF appropriation, along with the importance of the U.S.-Egyptian security cooperation relationship, will likely obstruct meaningful changes in Egyptian government behavior with respect to democracy and human rights.

[T]here is often an imbalance between what the United States is asking and what it is offering, as well as a misperception of the degree of leverage the United States has to get what it wants.

Second, although the executive branch can place its own internal conditions on releasing assistance, it is Congress that can mandate by law whether or not money is spent. Legislators are often reluctant to tie the hands of the executive branch and so build in waivers on the conditions they devise. This creates situations in which Congress imposes conditions and the administration caves (and waives) when the conditions are not met, usually for overriding U.S. national security imperatives. This cycle of imposing conditions and waiving them has been most evident in the case of Pakistan, where the Obama administrations worries about jeopardizing access to Afghanistan or losing other limited counterterrorism cooperation overrode congressional attempts to change Pakistans behavior in terms of supporting various terrorist groups and correcting the civil-military imbalance in the country. Over time, this pattern eroded the credibility of the conditions. There are fewer examples of Congress imposing conditions that cannot be waived, but here the record is not especially promising either.

Third, there is often an imbalance between what the United States is asking and what it is offering, as well as a misperception of the degree of leverage the United States has to get what it wants. As one of us found in a recent study and the other demonstrates in a forthcoming book, the non-compliance costs for the partner must be higher than the costs of adherence. Conditions are unlikely to work if they are intended to realize changes in behavior that would require a recipient government to alter its vital national interests or elites in that government to cede power. For example, after the Arab uprisings, the Sunni-minority regime in Bahrain dispatched its security forces to crack down on Shia protesters seeking governance reforms. The United States tried to use negative conditionality (placing a hold on assistance) to halt this behavior, but to no avail. When negative conditionality fails, this puts the United States in a precarious position because it must be prepared to stand firm. Yet, if a recipient is providing a good that America is loath to loseas was the case in Bahrain, Pakistan, and Egyptthis makes it easier for that country to refuse entreaties on other issues and keep assistance flowing. This damages U.S. credibility and encourages countries to extract as much assistance as possible, while doing the minimum in return. It also makes defending the utility of security assistance more difficult.

Implementing Positive Conditionality

Negative conditionality, which is what many people think of when the idea of conditioning assistance comes up, entails threatening to end, suspend, or reduce assistance if conditions are not met. Positive conditionality, which has been used for years in the development world, promises assistance in return for good behavior that is defined in advance. Rather than authorizing aid and then withholding it, the United States would identify positive actions that a recipient is consideringor at least open to takingand then incentivize them. Critically, we argue the process of identifying these actions and benchmarks to measure them should be done in consultation with the recipient. This would help to reduce the potential for mismanaged expectations on either side and get the recipient more invested in the process, signaling that it is a partner and not merely a proxy benefiting from U.S. paternalism. It would also reduce the chances for caving by the United States. Positive conditionality may also be the most optimal route for cases where the United States has little leverage over a recipient, but where the recipient desires further U.S. engagement and investment. We envision at least three different ways to implement this approach.

First, draft a memorandum of understanding with the partner nation that articulates a road map for the relationship. Currently, all grant security assistance to U.S. foreign partners carries conditions to ensure that the partner implements the assistance according to an agreed upon schedule and plan. In reality, this mainly guarantees that the partner can absorb the assistance and that sustainment needs are met. There is no established policy framework for leveraging security assistance to achieve broader foreign policy goals. The type of roadmap we envision would address this deficiency. It would include the shared goals of U.S. assistance, metrics for success, methods of measurement, and the consequences for the partner if these metrics are not met. For example, the United States might tie additional or more sophisticated assistance to benchmarks for reforms. Such a document should be classified or kept in sensitive channels to ensure maximum frankness in crafting the document and to enable deft diplomatic and public messaging on both sides.

Second, tie the ongoing provision of a certain piece of equipment or weapons system to its use for a specific, measurable purposesuch as a shared operational objective like clearing, securing, and transforming terrority from a terrorist organization and transitioning it back to civilian authorities. This would be more expansive than current end-use monitoring, which mainly aims to ensure that arms and equipment are not misused and remain within the security force to which they are assigned. We envision using their provision as a way to incentivize certain actions, for example by providing specific munitions on the condition that the recipient takes certain actions with them that meet U.S. security objectives. A key to this type of conditionality lies in providing specific goods that other countries do not manufacture, thereby enabling the United States to control the flow of these goods based on a partners behavior. These goods must also be consumable, unlike a weapons platform that can be reused and which is not easily taken back.

Third, set aside a portion of the total amount authorized for security assistance to the partner for a grant program modeled on those administered by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). In the MCC process, partner nations identify their priorities (for achieving sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction in the case of MCC money), and work with MCC teams to refine an assistance program. Countries must also meet certain criteria to qualify for MCC funds, the monitoring of which is typically rigorous and transparent. In a security assistance model, partners could be rewarded for achieving strategic and military goals that tie to sustainable governance and stability. Higher order or more difficult goals could be matched with a greater degree or sophistication of security assistance, with partners being able to graduate to more competitive grant levels once lower threshold goals are met.

In cases where MOUs are signed, negotiating roadmaps that include longer-term milestones could also ameliorate partners anxieties about abandonment. Positive conditionality is unlikely to prompt major changes in a partners behavior, but neither is the current approach toward assistance. The approach outlined above could promote tactical shifts in behavior or incremental steps toward reform that might have strategic effects over time. The U.S. security assistance relationship with Lebanon, particularly in the development of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF)s special operations forces (SOF) to counter Sunni extremist groups in Lebanon since 2007, can provide examples of rewarding performance with increasing capabilities. This assistance helped Lebanese SOF retake control of a refugee camp fromFatah al-Islam, an al-Qaeda associated terrorist group. Today, Lebanese SOF are a critical partner in ensuring the Islamic State and al-Qaeda affiliates do not seep through the Lebanese-Syrian border.

Finally, where capacity buildingvice cooperation or reformis the objective, positive conditionality can ensure that the partner is investing its own funds to support or sustain the capacity being built. Investing earlyi.e., before a crisisprovides additional space to take a firmer line with partner forces. This is not always possible. Where it is, the United States should seize these opportunities.

Read the original:
How to Improve Return on Investment for Security Assistance - Lawfare (blog)

Whats the best-performing exchange-traded fund, mutual fund or index for 2017? An ETF that invests solely in bit-coin, the virtual currency. This ETF posted the highest year-to-date return through July, of 185 percent, according to Steele Expert, a database of mutual funds, ETFs and indices produced by Steele Systems, Inc. In comparison, the S&P 500 Index returned about 11 percent.

The same ETF beat all others over the three-year period ending July 2017. The ETF posted the highest three-year total return, 352 percent (65.4 percent average annual return). In comparison, the S&P 500 Index returned about 36 percent (10.7 percent average annual return).

The ETF has about $475 million in assets under management and invests in bitcoin, which according to its disclosure is currently unregulated, highly speculative and volatile.

If you have not followed the development of bitcoin since its introduction in 2009, let me share some basics. A virtual currency, bitcoin is an alternative payment system to currency issued by governments. A FINRA Investor Alert on bit-coin, called Bitcoin: More Than a Bit

Risky, puts it this way: Think of [bit-coin] as a sophisticated computer program that encrypts, verifies and records bitcoin transactions.

FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, regulates all securities firms doing business in the United States. Bitcoin is created by mining.

Quoting from the alert: Like mining for gold, the process is labor-intensive. Mining serves two purposes. First, miners use software algorithms to add transaction records to bitcoins public ledger of past transactions and verify legitimate bitcoin transactions. For their efforts, bit-coin miners get transaction fees. In addition, if the miner finds a new block, the miner is awarded new bitcoins. A finite number of bitcoins can be mined (21 million, based on the mathematics underlying bitcoin mining).

You can buy bitcoins online and at exchanges, but you dont get a physical paper or coin in exchange. Instead bit-coin exists in a digital wallet. The value fluctuates, and in fact is extremely volatile, and subject to wide price swings, according to the alert.

As a result, both regulators and speculators have been drawn to this virtual currency. Speculators are attracted by the possibility of outsized returns (and, as with any speculative investment, there is a potential for outsized losses).

And regulators raise warnings. Let me quote further from the alert.

Buying, selling and using bitcoins carry numerous risks: Digital currency such as bitcoin is not legal tender. No law requires companies or individuals to accept bitcoins as a form of payment. Instead, bitcoin use is limited to businesses and individuals that are willing to accept bitcoins. If no one

accepts bitcoins, bitcoins will become worthless.

Platforms that buy and sell bitcoins can be hacked, and some have failed. In addition, like the platforms themselves, digital wallets can be hacked. As a result, consumers can and have lost money.

Bitcoin transactions can be subject to fraud and theft. For example, a fraudster could pose as a bitcoin exchange, intermediary or trader in an effort to lure you to send money, which is then stolen.

Unlike U.S. banks and credit unions that provide certain guarantees of safety to depositors, there are no such safe-guards provided to digital wallets.

Bitcoin payments are irreversible. Once you complete a transaction, it cannot be reversed. Purchases can be refunded, but that depends solely on the willingness of the establishment to do so.

In part because of the anonymity bit-coin offers, it has been used in illegal activity, including drug dealing, money laundering and other forms of illegal commerce. Abuses could impact consumers and speculators; for instance, law-enforcement agencies could shut down or restrict the use of platforms and exchanges, limiting or shutting off the ability to use or trade bitcoins.

To read the Investor Alert, go to http://tinyurl.com/y94xt7s2

Also of interest is the bitcoin index (NYXBT).

On another note, not connected with the EFT, the Securities and Exchange Commission suspended trading of the securities of a bitcoin company incorporated in Canada Thursday through the morning of Sept. 7.

The reason: Concerns regarding the accuracy and adequacy of publicly available information about the company including, among other things, the value of [the companys] assets and its capital structure.

You can read more at the following link: https://www.sec.gov/litigation/suspensions/2017/34-81474.pdf

Should you buy a speculative ETF based on soaring past performance? My regular readers know the answer: Only if you are a gambler who can afford to lose the entire investment.

Julie Jason, JD, LLM, a personal money manager (Jackson, Grant of Stamford, Conn.) and award-winning author, welcomes your questions/ comments (readers@juliejason.com). To hear Julie speak, visit http://www.juliejason.com/events

More:
Bitcoin shows big returns, but remains a risky prospect for investment - Norman Transcript

Greg Stiles Mail Tribune @GregMTBusiness

There is a gold mine so to speak on a 37-acre patch of land off Voorhies Road.

Eden Valley Orchard and EdenVale Winery are rich in agricultural history and encompass a potential enological motherlode.

Soon after Anne and Tim Root acquired the property in 1999, they sought approvals and permits that could one day turn the estate into a premier food and wine culinary destination as Southern Oregon's upstart industry matured.

That day is nearing, and the Roots are looking for someone to develop and transition Eden Valley and EdenVale into a marquis event and tourism location centered around wine. It comes at a $6.6 million price with the commitment to invest much more than that.

"This is an attractive winery property with a great location between Ashland and Jacksonville, where a good part of the tourist travel circulates through our valley," Anne Root said. "We have the great history of pear agriculture going back to 1885. I saw that this property at some point could be the centerpiece of the region."

Root did a rough master plan in 2000 for the acreage surrounding Voorhies Mansion, a National Register of Historic Places property that was completed in 1898. A pear orchard screens the estate from the road and a vineyard producing a dozen varietals borders the backside. The winery built in 2003 now incorporates pear cider into its annual production. In addition to an unlimited winery permit, Root obtained approvals for a conference center and 100-seat restaurant to go with the amphitheater that handles crowds of 2,500 or more.

A buyer or partnering organization will have to possess similar visionary traits.

"It's going to be a complicated acquisition for somebody," she admitted. "Essentially, what we're selling is the development rights. Someone will have to come in and invest $30 (million) or $40 million. A lot of cool buildings need to be built to handle the education part, and the conference and hospitality part."

Just as Asante Foundation is growing the Oregon Wine Experience well beyond the region, Root sees the potential for Eden Valley Orchards to become an upscale wine, culinary and hospitality center. She envisions a culinary education component similar to what Greystone Cellars offers in the Napa Valley.

"Our hope for this project is to find someone to take it to the next level," Root said. "I wanted to do the background, infrastructure, and get the thing set up. But I had never envisioned taking it to the next level, which is a regional destination location. We're wanting someone, or an organization, that has the capacity and heart to do that, to preserve the history, showcase the history, and make this an integral part of our entire Southern Oregon region."

Joseph Stewart named his first pear orchard Eden Valley in 1885. However, there is an Australian Eden Valley Winery, so EdenVale was adopted for the winery to avoid trademark issues. The 8,000-square-foot winery was designed to expand and adjust to future needs.

"In 2003, there wasn't much of a wine industry here, and we didn't know the direction it was going," Root said. "So we built in all sorts of potential that you could expand, or go different directions."

More important, however, was the 2001 approval for unlimited winery production.

"It's a real asset," she said. "It's unusual to have unlimited winery production out in the rural countryside, anywhere in Oregon. We can accommodate any size production that a future buyer might want."

The vineyard on the property is for demonstration purposes, with grapes used to produce EdenVale's annual average of 4,000 cases acquired from nearby vineyards. But there is room to develop additional pear blocks or plant more grapes, Root said.

With large organizations such as Santa Rosa, Calif.-based Jackson Family Wines always on the hunt for new brands, vineyards and property, Root's aspirations for Eden Valley aren't far-fetched.

Liz Wan, an Applegate Valley wine consultant, said one only needs to look north to the Eola-Amity Hills American Viticultural Area to see a transformation in the industry as major players invest in existing operations.

"We're seeing large winery operations continue to blossom and build," Wan said. "You're seeing it from California to Washington, there is a globalization of wine expertise."

Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or business@mailtribune.com. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/GregMTBusiness, and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/greg.stiles.31.

Continued here:
Investment opportunity? - Mail Tribune

Tim Petersen and his clan have long-term interest in their building in HighPointe Business Park in west Greeley.

They built it in 2012 with expansion and growth in mind. But this summer, Petersen sold it to an investment group out of Denver for $4.9 million.

"I sold it because I felt the market was at the top," said Petersen, the head of the Petersen Development Co., which runs a natural pet food brand, Wild Calling! Pet Foods.

"It was a good time to sell. Northern Colorado is really on fire right now," Petersen said.

Hot real estate buys have been a hallmark of the northern Colorado market for a good three years now. Hundreds of industrial properties, apartment complexes and commercial buildings traded hands in the past year and a half.

Industrial centers remain at a premium, and Kenneth Monfort, grandson of Greeley's iconic cattle rancher and son of Rockies' co-owner Charlie Monfort, was an eager buyer of Petersen's building.

"Industrial is being underserviced in the area," said Monfort, who now lives and works in Denver. "It may be worth saying that groups like ours are looking at potentially building space out there for industrial."

Real estate investment was all but dead in the recession, it's now back in full swing, retail and industrial.

"Savings accounts and bonds are so low, so all the money is coming to real estate because cause you can get a higher rater of return," said Mark Bradley, an agent with Realtec Commercial Real Estate Services in Greeley.

Rich Werner, CEO and president of Upstate Colorado Economic Development said the growth of the region will drive that investment.

"Investors are looking at these numbers and seeing these opportunities and investing accordingly," Werner said.

Bradley and Ron Randel, with Wheeler Management in Greeley, both say they are seeing some interesting investments in fast-food, where buyers are paying high prices to get their long-term investments in hand.

"It comes from people not being able to find good investment income, like retired people who will settle for less return on their money. They don't get that anywhere else but (from) a long-term lease," Randel said.

Prices are pretty inflated, however.

"There's obviously investors that are paying quite a bit of money for investment properties, because there's such a shortage of those," Bradley said.

Petersen said he's found that many outside investors are looking into Weld County because of its growth and because the Denver market is full.

"People would just call me out of the blue wanting to know if I wanted to sell," Petersen said. "I thought, 'This is crazy.' We had so much interest, I thought we'll go out and test the market."

Petersen quickly found it was the right time to sell. This is old hat to him anyway. In 2008, he sold his distribution company. Two years later, he sold a commercial building he owned in east Greeley. By 2012, he was building his building at HighPointe.

Petersen was approached to sell his 40,000-square-foot building a while back and will continue to lease the property for the next seven years. PolyTech, a company that supplies Vestas Blades in Windsor, occupies half the building, and it has a five-year lease.

But this market has Petersen curious.

"I just sold this one, and I don't have any (projects) currently, but we'll sure start looking now," Petersen said.

For many real estate agents, investment buying is par for the course; properties change hands all the time. They don't see any upswings in investment buying, though all commercial real estate is hot.

In his first big venture outside his family's companies, Monfort said investing in Greeley was like coming full circle. His partnership, IH Holdings Eleven, was the official buyer of the Petersen building.

Monfort, who grew up in Eaton, said he hopes to capitalize on real estate development in small, rural towns in northern Colorado and Wyoming, "not the flashy, sexy urban products."

"I would just say the full circle aspect of doing stuff back home in Greeley will always be a priority for me," Monfort said. "I wouldn't have looked at it (the Petersen building) otherwise."

Link:
Big west Greeley investment buy is one of many in Weld - Greeley Tribune

Coaches and athletes sometimes use the littlest things, real or perceived, to motivate them. They try to prove that other people cant put limitations on them.

Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook is one of those people who is motivated by things others say cant be done. Years ago a booster said the volleyball team wouldnt be able to go on foreign trips if not for all of the money the football program brings in for the Nebraska athletic department. Now, because of a larger arena and the success of the four-time national champion Huskers, the volleyball program covers its own expenses.

Now Cook has written a book, Dream Like a Champion, that will soon be in bookstores in Lincoln. The books cover says the book is about wins, losses and leadership the Nebraska volleyball way. Cook and Hail Varsity magazine managing editor Brandon Vogel wrote the book together.

Cook says one of his motivations for writing a book goes all the way back to when he was in high school in San Diego.

Cook's mom was in high school when he was born. Nobody in his family had ever gone to college, and it wasnt on his radar, either. He was a pretty good football and basketball player, and some of his coaches said he should think about playing in college.

He took the SAT, a college admission exam, but didnt have a good enough score on the English section. So Cook thought he couldnt go to college.

But a teacher tracked him down, he got enrolled in two English courses that semester, and he worked at it. He took the test again and got the score he needed and received a scholarship to play basketball at Linfield College in Oregon.

That kind of always stuck with me, Cook said during a recent interview. Well, its one of the reasons why I wanted to coach, but it also stuck with me like, OK, some test determined I wasnt smart enough. The English teacher -- her name was Judy Corbin -- I always felt like someday I wanted to prove that all that was worth it, and one way I could do that would be writing a book. So thats just something that planted a seed a long time ago.

Cook said another motivation for the book is for the fans of the program. We met in his office, where he can sit at his desk and look out on the arena at the Devaney Sports Center. When he talks about the fans, Cook sometimes looks out on the arena, where those fans sit during the matches.

This book to me is also a payback to our fans, and the support that weve had, he said.

After Nebraska won the national championship in 2015, Cook decided it might be time to write that book. He got hooked up with Vogel, and they began writing in the summer of 2016.

During the writing process Cook and Vogel had long interviews, and then Vogel would write. But Cook also sat at a computer and wrote a few of the chapters himself. He said ideas for the book would come to him while he was riding his bike on the MoPac trail in Lincoln, near his home.

One of the neat moments since the book was finished was when Cook got a copy of the University of Nebraska Press catalog, listing books that were about to be published.

I opened it up and the book is in there, along with other professors' books, and everything, Cook said. I felt like, Thats pretty big-time right there.

Cook tried to write about what has worked for the volleyball program and what he believes in, and share stories that back that up.

I enjoyed the book. Ive written about the volleyball program for several years, but there were still some stories I hadnt heard before.

The bombshell was Chapter 7, where Cook writes about the day he almost died on a mountain near Lake Tahoe. Cook, admitting he was young and a little obnoxious, fell about 100 feet off a cliff while he was rolling boulders off the cliff, and he landed on some rocks. He writes about his long rehab, and what he learned from it.

You also get insight into how no detail is too small for Cook, including going to Dallas to help find a vitamin for the players to take to strengthen their bones.

Another great story is about Kelsey Fien, once considered by the coaches to be a RM recruiting miss. But she improved a lot, and ended up having the kill to clinch the Huskers national championship in 2015 in front of 17,000 fans in Omaha.

Cook writes about his regrets, one of which details why he says that ever since a high school match he coached in 1983, his approach is that the best players always play, regardless of their age, or the situation.

One thing youll notice is that the names of the players still on the team aren't listed in the book. Cook said there was a concern from the athletic department that players could later take legal action. Most fans will know whom Cook is writing about, though. Some of the answers to those missing names are Mikaela Foecke, Kelly Hunter and Olivia Boender.

Cook also said he made an agreement that he wont be paid for writing the book.

As we talked, I was curious about Judy Corbin, the teacher who helped Cook get into to college. Cook doesnt know if shes alive, but hes sent a copy of the book and a note to a leader at the school, in hopes they can find her.

Writing the book was more of a motivation to prove to myself I could do it, and for that English teacher and coaches that believed in me, and got me to college, Cook said. Because Id hate to think what my path would have taken if I didnt go to college.

Go here to read the rest:
Wagner: Motivation for John Cook's book goes back to high school ... - HuskerExtra.com

Let others inspire you to improved health.

INSPIRING: A scene from one of the films to be shown at the Womens Adventure Film Tour at Tower Cinemas on September 6. Picture: Supplied

Finding a reason to get moving can be the biggest hurdle for many.

And everyone is motivated by different things.

I always say, find something that works for you. Try new things, sign yourself up for an event or be inspired by the people around you.

With spring upon us, now is the time to find what motivates you and get yourself ready for a spring clean as far as your health is concerned.

There are a few things coming up that could provide motivation.

The first is the Womens Adventure Film Tour, which is travelling around Australia as a celebration of Womens Health Week.

The Womens Adventure Film Tour is a collaboration of Jean Hailes for Womens Health, Aspire Outdoor and She Went Wild.

It will be in Newcastle on September 6, with a screening at Tower Cinemas from 7pm-9pm.

The Tour features a selection of short films of inspirational womens adventure and cultural stories.

According to Janet Michelmore, executive director ofJean Hailes for Womens Health, The films are not only inspirational, but demonstrate how the way you feel physically has a profound effect on your state of mind and emotional well-being.

This balance between our physical and mental health is an important element of overall good health and a focus for this years Womens Health Week, she said.

Watching other people be active or hearing their stories always gets me motivated and may be just the thing that gets you inspired too.

Speaking of Womens Health Week, Wild Women on Top, who are a hiking group famous for their annual Coastrek events around Australia,are hosting a free 5km hike around Sydney Harbour on September 8.

The walk will highlight the health benefits of hiking, including the social element as well the positive impact on physical and mental health. Women can regsiteratwww.wildwomenontop.com.

I am motivating our whole family to move through September by signing them up to Steptember, whereyou take 10,000 steps per day for 28 days straight to raise funds for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance.

Funds raised through the campaign go towards providingvital equipment, therapy and services to children and adults living with cerebral palsy, as well as for groundbreaking research into the prevention and hopefully one day a cure for CP.

The cause has particular resonance for us as we know a beautiful young boy by the name ofJoe Bankswith cerebral palsy.

Seven-year-old Joe developed CP during birth and cannot walk unassisted.

Joes mum, Rachael Laing, told me kids like Joe would love to be able to walk even a couple of steps.

So, that is why we are doing it. Because we can, and in the process of being active ourselves and improving our own health, we can help others, which I think is a strong message to give our own kids.

Hopefully a few of you out there will sign up to. For more information, go towww.steptember.org.au.

GOOD CAUSE: Taking part in Steptember will help kids with Cerebral Palsy like Newcastle's Joe Banks, pictured with his sisters Audrey, left, and Millie, right.

This is it, we have just four days left of winter. So get ready to launch into your spring campaign on Friday.

Here is a session to get you started. Itis a combination of strength and fitness and takes on a pyramid format. That means, for each exercisedrop by one or two repetitions as you move through the set. For example, start with 10 squats, run, eight or nine squats, run, all the way down to two or one squats. Run, walk or skip for 20-30 seconds between each.

Exercises: Squats, dead lifts, push-ups (or shoulder punches), rows, lunges, bicep-shoulder press, triceps extension. Finish with core work.

Walk With Us for World Suicide Prevention, September 8, Dixon Park:Lifeline Hunter Central Coast is holding a walk to Merewether Baths and back in support of suicide prevention in the community. There will be a breakfast and yoga in the park to follow. Register atwww.lifelinehunter.org.au.

Walk 4 Hope, September 16, Croudace Bay:A 4km walk raising funds and awareness forHuntingtons Disease.www.huntingtonsnsw.org.au.

Fernleigh 15, October 22, Fernleigh Track:This 15-kilometre course can be done as an individual or in a five-person relay.www.runnsw.com.au.

Renee Valentine is a writer, qualified personal trainer and mother. r.valentine@fairfaxmedia.com.au.

Read more from the original source:
Find your motivation to get active this spring. - Newcastle Herald

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- A low pick in the Pioneer Football League preseason coaches' poll is motivating for Morehead State University.

The Eagles (4-7 in 2016) were predicted for an eighth-place finish in the PFL, the nation's only non-scholarship football-only NCAA Football Championship Subdivision conference. San Diego was picked to finish first for the seventh consecutive season. Dayton also picked up first-place votes and was second in the poll followed by Marist and Drake.

San Diego won the 2016 regular season championship and advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs.

"We are excited about the upcoming season and believe that we can compete for a PFL title, just like we did in 2015," Morehead State head coach Rob Tenyer said in a release (www.msueagles.com). "That season, we were picked near the bottom of the league and used that as motivation throughout the season. We're looking to do the same in 2017."

The Eagles graduated quarterback Austin Gahafer and wideout Jake Raymond, who both left Morehead State with several PFL records.

Redshirt sophomore running back Trevor Jones (5-foot-9, 186 pounds) from Irvine, Ky., returns after rushing for 500 yards and nine touchdowns in a pass-dependent offense last season.

College Sports Madness selected senior cornerback Braylyn Cook, junior cornerback Brandyn Duncan, sophomore safety Juanyea Tarver and senior offensive lineman Kyler Corbett for its Preseason All-PFL team. Cook was on the first team while Corbett and Tarver were part of the second team. Tarver was tabbed as a kick returner and Duncan was a third-team pick.

Cook (6-foot, 183) from College Park, Ga., led the defense with 17 passes defended and 14 pass breakups in 2016. Cook intercepted a team-best three passes and totaled 36 tackles.

Corbett, a 6-2, 281-pound native of Liberty Township, Ohio, blocked for an offensive unit that generated 445.7 yards and 32.4 points per game while ranking among the best teams in the PFL in passing yards at 310 per game.

Tarver, who hails from Kennesaw, Ga., ranked among PFL leaders in kickoff returns, averaging 21.4 yards per return. The 5-10, 162-pounder He totaled 642 yards on 30 returns.

Duncan, a 5-9, 182-pound product of Lexington, Ky., ranked second on the team, only behind Cook, in passes defended (13) and pass breakups (13). He also registered 39 total tackles.

Tanner Duncan (6-4, 260) is a freshman offensive lineman from East Carter High School in Grayson, Ky., Dalton Frasure (6-3, 233) a redshirt freshman tight end from Prestonburg, Ky., and Caleb Montgomery (5-10, 180) a freshman defensive back from Vinton County High School in McArthur, Ohio.

Follow this link:
Morehead State has motivation entering season - Huntington Herald Dispatch

Kenny Britt doesnt sugarcoat it: Training camp and everything that comes with being an NFL player in the month of August is the toughest part of life as a professional football player

The ninth of Britts career wasnt any easier than the previous eight. Even with a modified practice schedule that limited his usage, Britt joked he can no longer just show up for the day ready to go, instead needing a warm-up before warm-ups to get his body right for the grind that awaits him.

Every ounce of motivation counts, and Britts family ensured he had more than enough to power through the dog days and come out as fresh as possible as he embarks on his first season with the Browns.

Britts wife, Sabrina, sent her husband off to training camp with a detailed care package. Along with various candies and snacks, Britt had an envelope to open each week. Themed for each chapter of training camp, the notes reminded Britt just how capable he was to make it to the end and reap the ultimate award of more time with his tight-knit family.

Training camp is the hardest part of playing this game, especially going year after year, Britt said. As your body tires down, it's a little motivation and stuff, little tips and reminders to get my mind right and go play.

She understands how training camp is and what my mindset is. She tries to plans everything out with my schedule so I can just focus on football and mainly football. She does a great job with the kids. Even the off-the-field stuff, family back home and taking care of the house.

The first note this year was titled Nervous, but the contents didnt match its title. Britt had nothing to fret.

Hey lets be honest. Are you ever really nervous? LOL no, Sabrina wrote. Thats because you are so sure of yourself and your capabilities as you should be. You have been cooking ... from Bayonne High to (Rutgers) and now here at the Browns.

On the final day, Britt opened an envelope titled The Ender.

You did it! You made it through training camp for the 9th time! Sheeeesh! We are all so proud of you and who you have become on and off the field.

Sabrina has been by Britts side for 11 years and the couple has been married for the past five. Their daughter, Ava, arrived when Britt was in the first stage of his career with the Tennessee Titans and is now old enough to make her own contributions to the care package.

Before a recent preseason game, Ava delivered Britt a box of cookies that came with a heart that said Love u Dad and a note of her own.

The game has become even more fun for Britt ever since Ava started understanding what he did for a living. She was at the center of a moment Britt describes as one of the best of his career in 2015, when he hand-delivered a ball to her after catching a 60-yard touchdown pass.

Before each game, Britt finds Ava in the crowd and gives her a kiss.

I go up and give her a kiss and motivate her and she motivates me, Britt said. She doesn't like the big rockets and explosions so she's always crying, so I go calm her down.

Kenny Jr. is still too young to grasp what his father does for a living. His sad reactions whenever Britt has to retreat to the hotel to beat curfew are some of the toughest moments Britt experiences throughout training camp.

Soon, though, hell be just like Ava, who is already starring as the only girl on her flag football team.

I told my wife as I'm getting older, I'm starting to feel my body and I don't know if I've got another two-three years in me, Britt said with a laugh. (Sabrina) told me you can't retire until he understands you played in the NFL. It's pretty cool.

More:
Kenny Britt's family ensures he's always close to home with constant motivation - ClevelandBrowns.com