To help make holiday travel easier, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is lifting traffic restrictions on 121 of 183 projects statewide during the Memorial Day weekend.

Beginning at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 28, and continuing until 6 a.m. on Tuesday, June 1, MDOT is suspending road work wherever possible in anticipation of the estimated 1.1 million motorists who will travel Michigan roads for the holiday weekend, according to AAA Michigan.

“The Memorial Day holiday marks the beginning of the busy summer travel season in Michigan,” said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. “Let’s make sure it’s also our safest travel season yet. Please buckle up, put the cell phone down, and pay extra attention whenever you travel through construction zones.”

As in recent years, highway construction zone speed limits with “Where Workers Present 45″ signs require motorists to reduce their speed to 45 mph where workers are present. Motorists can maintain the posted speed limit, except when in the vicinity of workers. This change helped reduce the number of work zone crashes, injuries and fatalities last year, while improving traffic flow in those areas.

While construction zones may be closed for the weekend, motorists can expect to see safety belt enforcement zones in full swing across the state. Motorists are advised to buckle up to avoid a ticket, and possibly save someone’s life.

MDOT is responsible for nearly 10,000 miles of highways that carry 53 percent of all traffic and around 70 percent of commercial truck traffic.

For up-to-date information on MDOT projects, go to the list of statewide lane closures by clicking on THIS LINK.

Following is a list of work zones that will remain active, or have lane restrictions, during the Memorial Day weekend. If necessary, detour routes will be posted at the project location.

The following 62 projects will have some restrictions:

- I-75 southbound bridges over Mackinac Trail and the Carp River, Mackinac County, will have one lane open.

- M-28 at the Presque Isle Bridge, Gogebic County, will have one lane of alternating traffic controlled by a temporary signal.

- M-129 between M-80 and 10 Mile Road, Chippewa County, will be closed to through-traffic. The Charlotte River Bridge is closed with traffic detoured on M-80, Gaines Highway, I-75 and M-28.

- US-2 in Crystal Falls, Iron County, will have traffic controlled by a temporary signal.

- US-2 in Rapid River, Delta County, will have one lane open in each direction at the US-41 intersection.

- US-41 in Marquette, Marquette County, will have one lane open in each direction, with Front Street closed. Access to downtown Marquette will be maintained on Grove Street.

- US-41 in Menominee, Menominee County, will have through-traffic detoured on 30th Avenue and 13th Street.

For more information, contact James Lake, Superior Region Communications Representative, at 906-786-1830, ext. 323.

Northern Lower Peninsula

- M-32 Business Spur in the village of Hillman, Montmorency County, will have a lane shift with a temporary bridge.

- US-10 from US-131 to the Lake County line, Osceola County, will have shoulder closures.

- US-23 will have a lane shift from French Road to Hamilton Road, Alpena County.

For more information, contact Bob Felt, North Region Communications Representative, at 989-731-5090.

- I-196 between US-131 and Fuller Avenue in Grand Rapids, Kent County, will be reduced to one lane in each direction to College Avenue. Eastbound I-196 is closed between College and Fuller. Westbound I-196 is closed between College and Ottawa avenues. Coit Avenue over I-196 will be reduced to one southbound lane. Eastern Avenue over I-196 is closed. The following ramps will be closed: northbound US-131 to eastbound I-196; Michigan Street to eastbound I-196; College Avenue to westbound I-196 and eastbound I-196; and Fuller Avenue to westbound I-196.

- M-21 over the Flat River in downtown Lowell, Kent County, will be reduced to one eastbound lane. Westbound M-21 is closed and detoured on local streets.

- M-21 between M-66 and Lovell Street in the city of Ionia, Ionia County, will be closed with a posted detour.

- US-31 Business Route (BR) over the south branch of the Muskegon River (known locally as “The Spider Web”) in the city of Muskegon, Muskegon County. Northbound US-31 BR (outbound traffic) is closed to US-31, with two lanes remaining open to M-120.

For more information, contact John Richard, Grand Region Communications Representative, at 616-451-4063.

- I-94 at Westnedge Avenue in Kalamazoo/Portage, Kalamazoo County, will have two lanes maintained in each direction. The following ramps are closed: westbound I-94 to southbound Westnedge Avenue; eastbound I-94 to southbound Westnedge Avenue; eastbound I-94 to northbound Westnedge Avenue; northbound Westnedge Avenue to eastbound I-94; and southbound Westnedge Avenue to eastbound I-94.

- I-94 Business Loop through downtown Benton Harbor, Berrien County, will be reduced to one eastbound lane with westbound traffic detoured.

- I-196 over the Paw Paw River at Mile Marker 3, Berrien County, will be reduced to one lane in each direction.

- M-40 through downtown Paw Paw, Van Buren County, will be reduced to one lane in each direction.

- M-96 bridge over the Kalamazoo River mill race in Augusta, Kalamazoo County, will have one lane open and traffic will be regulated with traffic signals.

- M-222 at Eastern Avenue in Allegan, Allegan County, will be open with traffic maintained using a traffic shift. There is a truck detour in place that will extend through the holiday.

For more information, contact Nick Schirripa, Southwest Region Communications Representative, at 269-337-3927.

Central Michigan and Thumb

- I-69 from M-15 to M-24 in Genesee and Lapeer counties will have eastbound and westbound traffic shifted onto eastbound lanes with one lane open in each direction.

- I-75 from Hotchkiss Road south to Crane Road in Saginaw and Bay counties will have three lanes maintained in each direction with a traffic shift.

- I-475 southbound lanes from the I-75/I-475 split north to Atherton Road in Genesee County will remain closed with traffic detoured. I-75 traffic will be rerouted to the I-75/I-69 interchange, then travel east to the I-75/I-475 split. Northbound I-475 will have one lane open from Atherton Road north to I-69.

- I-675 northbound lanes in Saginaw County will remain closed from Exit 2 to Tittabawassee Road. Tittabawassee Road north to the north junction with I-75 will be open.

- M-13 over the Kawkawlin River in Bay County will have one lane maintained in each direction over the bridge.

- M-13 at M-46 in Saginaw County will remain closed with a detour posted.

- M-83 at Dead Creek in between Curtis and Townline roads (just south of Bronner’s) in Frankenmuth, Saginaw County, will have one lane alternating in each direction with traffic maintained using temporary traffic signals.

- M-84/I-75 in Bay County will remain closed with a detour posted.

For more information, contact Anita Richardson, Bay Region Communications Representative, at 989-754-0878, ext. 227.

Southern Mid-Michigan

- The Northfield Church Rest Area on southbound US-23, just north of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, is closed for reconstruction.

- The ramp from N. Territorial Road to southbound US-23 near Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, is closed with a detour posted.

- The ramp from Geddes Road to southbound US-23 in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, is closed with a detour posted. Also on Geddes Road over US-23, there is one lane maintained eastbound with westbound traffic detoured.

- I-75 near Monroe, Monroe County, has two lanes of traffic maintained in each direction with a traffic shift.

- I-94 at Dettman Road near Jackson, Jackson County. Dettman Road is closed with a detour posted.

- I-94 from Sargent Road to the Jackson/Washtenaw county line has two lanes of traffic maintained in each direction with a traffic shift.

- I-96 from M-100 to M-43 in Clinton and Eaton counties has two lanes of traffic maintained in each direction via median crossovers.

- I-96 from US-127 to Meridian Road in Ingham County has two lanes of traffic maintained in each direction via median crossovers.

- M-43 near Park Lake Road in Meridian Township, Ingham County, has one lane open in each direction with a traffic shift.

- M-52 is closed just south of M-21 in Owosso, Shiawassee County, with a detour posted.

- M-99/M-50 in downtown Eaton Rapids, Eaton County, will have one lane open northbound; southbound traffic detoured.

- Old US-27 over I-69 and the Looking Glass River near DeWitt, Clinton County, has single-lane closures in each direction.

For more information, contact Kari Arend, University Region Communications Representative, at 517-750-0406.

- The left lane of northbound I-75 is closed over the Rouge River.

- Eastbound and westbound I-96 single-lane closures between Livernois and Davison avenues.

- Northbound and southbound M-1 (Woodward Avenue) are reduced to a single lane each between Tuxedo and Chandler streets.

- Eastbound and westbound M-8 (Davison Avenue) have a single-lane closure between M-10 (Lodge Freeway) and I-96.

- Westbound M-8 (Davison Freeway) is closed from Conant Avenue to I-75, while eastbound M-8 has a single lane open from I-75 to Conant Avenue for reconstruction. Westbound motorists are detoured north on Conant Avenue to westbound McNichols Road, then southbound I-75 back to westbound M-8.

- Northbound and southbound M-85 (Fort Street) are closed to through-traffic between Oakwood Boulevard and Schaefer Highway.

- The right lanes of northbound and southbound M-85 (Fort Street) are closed at Springwells Avenue.

- Eastbound and westbound US-12 (Michigan Avenue) each have the two right lanes closed between Livernois Avenue and Clark Street.

- Northbound and southbound I-75 have two lanes open each at Nine Mile Road for ongoing reconstruction.

- I-96 has three lanes open in each direction, with a traffic shift and reduced speeds, between Novi and Beck roads. In addition, the ramp from northbound M-5 to westbound I-96 is closed.

- Eastbound and westbound M-59 have two lanes open each via a traffic shift, between Crooks and Ryan roads.

- The M-102 (Eight Mile Road) ramp to northbound M-10 is closed.

- Northbound US-24 (Telegraph Road) has two lanes open from 12 Mile to Maple roads, while southbound US-24 has two lanes open from Long Lake to Maple roads.

- Northbound and southbound US-24 (Telegraph Road) have two lanes open each, between Square Lake and Orchard Lake roads.

- Northbound and southbound US-24 (Telegraph Road) have two lanes open each, between M-102 and I-696.

- Eastbound and westbound I-94 have a single lane open each via a traffic shift, between Allington Road and St. Clair Highway. The eastbound I-94 exit to Fred Moore Highway is closed.

- The two-lane ramps at the I-94/I-696 interchange are reduced to a single lane.

- The ramp from Ecorse Road to eastbound and westbound I-94 is closed.

- The northbound I-275 ramp to eastbound I-94 is closed.

- Northbound and southbound I-275 have a single lane open each, between Will Carleton Road and I-94.

- Northbound and southbound M-39 (Southfield Road) have two lanes open between I-75 and I-94.

- Eastbound and westbound US-12 (Michigan Avenue) have a single lane open each, between Brady Street and Outer Drive.　

MDOT Lifts Road Restrictions For Holiday Travel

(the typical lawn swing w/awning had a hive between the covered foam pad and the canvas the foam sits on. There was a small chew mark on the back (this is a new swing), and I am wondering if wasps have gone inside to the foam. Have you ever had this problem. Also, what to do, many still want to hang out after we soaked the hive w/water & crushed it.

A wasp question. I discovered a hive in my fabric lawn swing?

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Is the Sasha and Melia Swing Set a Communist Blight on America?The Obama’s have gone in and wrecked the White House lawn by putting up a swing set. This is the work of Socialist Marxist and Commy left wingers. I hear now they will have a Organic garden at the White house…what about Global Warming, this proves it does not exist! Is Bill Ayers going to work the garden with Jane Fonda?Is this the end of America as we know it? How can we stop him?

Conservatives, Is the Sasha and Melia Swing Set a Communist Blight on America?

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By Ian Browne / MLB.com

• Ellsbury remains out with soreness in side
• Ortiz ‘crushed’ by Lima’s death
• Victor, Drew join Ellsbury on bench

ST. PETERSBURG — Wednesday night marked the first time in more than a year that Red Sox slugger David Ortiz batted third in manager Terry Francona’s lineup. On a night J.D. Drew (hip flexor) and Victor Martinez (bruised left big toe) were both out of the mix, Ortiz was elevated from his usual No. 5 slot in the batting order.

The improved positioning in the batting order was yet another sign of how dramatic Ortiz’s resurgence at the plate has been of late. Entering Wednesday’s game, Ortiz was hitting .359 with eight homers and 21 RBIs in May, raising his average from .143 to .258 over that span. In the fifth inning Wednesday, Ortiz hit his ninth homer of May and 10th overall, a two-run shot off Matt Garza.

What has been the biggest key to Ortiz’s rebound?

“Working, you’ve got to work,” Ortiz said. “Work, work and work. That’s all I know. To stay consistent, you’ve got to just work and keep your head straight. That’s about it. I don’t feel like I have changed anything. I just feel more confidence. It’s all [a matter of], good results give you confidence. That’s what I believe. Because when you work, work, work and work and you don’t see no good results, your confidence never shows up.”

It is certainly no coincidence that the Red Sox — who had won six of seven entering Wednesday and 15 of their past 22 — have gotten hot at the same time as Ortiz.

“I don’t think it could ever hurt,” Francona said. “The more guys swinging the bat, the better, especially a guy that’s as dangerous as David. You’re not just talking about singles, you’re talking about extra-base hits and home runs.”

Ortiz clearly has a lot of confidence these days, good-naturedly exchanging banter with teammates and media members on a regular basis again, just like he did during his prime.

Earlier this season, Francona was forced to answer daily questions about Ortiz’s slump. He much prefers discussing the slugger’s turnaround.

“I think there’s a lot of things,” Francona said. “I think what it is, he’s a good hitter, and he’s gotten himself in more positions physically where he can show his bat speed. I think one thing leads to another. Take a good swing, you feel good about yourself, you have something to show for your at bats, you relax a little bit. I think it all kind of comes hand in hand.”

During Ortiz’s slump, some theorized that his bat speed had gone down. Nobody is saying that any longer.

“I mean, you hear people say, ‘Well, he didn’t have bat speed.’ Sometimes you get yourself in a position where you can’t show it,” Francona said. “Your hands are forward, your feet are forward, your head’s forward, and the bat head’s lagging back. We’ve all seen it in the last whatever period of time — the bat head’s not lagging. He’s shown that ability where he gets that bat head through the zone pretty ferocious, without trying to muscle him to do it.”

Ellsbury remains out with soreness in side

ST. PETERSBURG — The last thing Jacoby Ellsbury wanted so soon after returning from the disabled list was more uncertainty with his health. But that’s exactly what has happened for Boston’s leadoff man and center fielder, as Ellsbury was out of the lineup for the second successive night because of recurring soreness in his left side.

“It’s tough,” said Ellsbury. “You work so hard to come back from something and you have a little setback like this. I think I’ll know a little bit more information [Thursday], once we get back up to Boston.”

Ellsbury was on the disabled list from April 12 until Friday due to a contusion of his left chest, not to mention a hairline fracture in four ribs.

He only had normal soreness in his first three games back in the lineup, but felt some discomfort while taking batting practice before Tuesday’s game. Ellsbury felt only minimal improvement Wednesday. He underwent X-rays and a CT scan on Tuesday, which didn’t reveal any breaks.

Ellsbury will be examined by the team’s medical staff, which has monitored the injury all along.

“Well, I felt pretty good during the game the last three games,” Ellsbury said. “I had the scheduled day off [Tuesday]. I just did my normal routine. I was hitting, and it started barking on me. That’s when I talked to the trainer and kind of let him know what was going on. Progressively after I was done hitting, it actually got a little worse.”

Ellsbury felt better when he woke up Wednesday, but when he tried to test it at the ballpark, he could tell something was still amiss.

“It was kind of barking on me again,” said Ellsbury. “We shut it down.”

It is too early for Ellsbury or the Red Sox to know if he will need to return to the disabled list.

“I hope not,” said manager Terry Francona. “I think before we say that, I’m not sure. I’d like to know what it is first. We’re just kind of doing a lot of guessing. We’ll take all the pictures that were taken [Tuesday] with us back to Boston. We’ll have all the people that have already seen him kind of review everything. I don’t know that anything really changes. We’re certainly going to try to have everything checked out, but it’s probably how he feels. If you feel something, we want to be careful. So that’s kind of where we’re at.”

Ortiz ‘crushed’ by Lima’s death

ST. PETERSBURG — In the hours leading up to Wednesday night’s game, Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz was still trying to see if he could make things work logistically to attend funeral services later this week in New York for former Major League pitcher Jose Lima, who died of an apparent heart attack Sunday.

“He has my blessing, if he decides [to go],” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. “There’s actually something in New York and something in the Dominican. I think he would like to try to get to New York, if possible. And I told him he has our blessing if that’s what he determines he wants to do.”

Ortiz considered Lima a close friend and had been in recent contact with the former righty, who was 37.

“Oh, Lima was like a brother to me,” said Ortiz. “We go way back. Man, it’s just devastating to know that somebody who was doing so good would just go away like that. That crushed me. I was really crushed.”

When Ortiz was in the throes of an early-season slump this season, Lima reached out to him.

“I don’t think there’s one person that can say anything bad about Lima. Lima was a guy full of great spirit,” Ortiz said. “He brings good things, wherever he was going. We talked a while back when things wasn’t going too good for me. He was trying to tell me something, but all he did was just make me laugh. Everything coming out of his mouth was funny. But that was him, man. Just a person full of happiness. Just seeing him just go away like that, it hurt.”

It wasn’t that long ago that Ortiz and Lima spoke for what proved to be the final time.

“I talked to him, I would say, a few weeks ago,” Ortiz said. “He reached out, because he doesn’t have my phone number so he reached out through Torii Hunter because he was living in L.A. Yeah, man, I remember he said he was about to send a letter to me because he couldn’t get a hold of me. He was the best. He was the best. Rest in peace, man.”

Victor, Drew join Ellsbury on bench

ST. PETERSBURG — It is times like Wednesday when Red Sox manager Terry Francona is most grateful for having a deep bench. Not only was Jacoby Ellsbury out of the mix with recurring soreness on his left side, but catcher Victor Martinez (bruised left big toe) and J.D. Drew (hip flexor) were also out of the mix.

While center fielder Mike Cameron was back in the lineup for the second consecutive day since coming off the disabled list, he was flanked by Jeremy Hermida in left field and Darnell McDonald in right. Jason Varitek caught in place of Martinez.

Martinez, who sustained the injury when he was struck by a foul ball from Jason Bartlett in the second inning on Monday, said he felt improvement. The problem is that he can’t put his spikes on without being in agony.

“Hopefully, once I get better with the shoes on, I’ll be in there,” said Martinez. “But we’re in great hands with Jason [Varitek].”

In a perfect world, the Red Sox will get Martinez back on Friday night, when knuckleballer Tim Wakefield takes the mound against the Royals at Fenway Park.

Varitek handled Wakefield early in his career, but hasn’t worked with him since catching him for one inning in 2008.

The rest for Drew was mainly precautionary. He has had ailments to both legs in recent weeks, in addition to the hip problem.

“This is a day where I think you take a day instead of having a guy go too far and then having [to miss] three or four,” said Francona. “I think the last couple days, it’s been the hip. But I think he’s done a good job of playing through it, knowing that we needed him. Again, I just think looking at we’re on turf, we’re going to get home at 4 [in the morning], you can pick a day. So, in my opinion, doing it before something worse happens is a better idea. Sometimes you try to go too far and you lose three days.”

Ian Browne

Red-hot Papi returns to familiar spot

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Once inside the two metal gates, she pushed up the visor of her burqa and stood still, the sunshine warm on her face, while her two daughters and youngest son raced to the swings. She smiled as they soared higher and higher.

“This is the one place that’s ours,” said an out-of-breath Fardia Azizmay, 19, Sarwe’s older daughter, as she jumped off a swing and looked over a pile of a dozen blue burqas, tossed off by women as they entered. “For us, home is so boring. Our streets and shops are not for women. But this place is our own.”

The small park, protected by a half-dozen gun-toting guards, has become a favorite destination for Kabul women wanting a safe, quiet place to meet with friends, complain about their husbands, discuss their kids, line one another’s eyes with black kohl or just shed their burqas and play, female activists here say.

But play is not the only draw. The park, paid for by India, also feels like a miniature college campus. India’s Self-Employed Women’s Association, or SEWA, which runs it, has set up a training center on the grounds for mothers and daughters who may never have been to school.

In classrooms overlooking the park, women learn embroidery and organic farming. They pickle tomatoes, bottle jam and sew at a row of new machines. It is all part of a $1.3 billion Indian aid program for neighboring Afghanistan that includes building roads and power plants as well as reaching out to women and girls through clinics and classes.

Although women make up more than half of Afghanistan’s population, fear of fundamentalist militant groups has caused them to nearly disappear from public life, especially in the rural south, where U.S.-led forces are trying to root out Taliban fighters. Some of those insurgents still pressure women to cover up and to avoid schools and workplaces, defying the Afghan constitution’s guarantee of equal rights for both sexes.

“Our classes and our park are so busy – but only because India went to the Kabul slum areas and talked to the women about coming,” said Tamana Ghaznewil, 19, an Afghan who works at the park. “For many women, having someone come from another country and offer this little garden was really new. Some asked me, ‘Why would they see me, an Afghan woman, as important?’ “

In the midst of war-torn Kabul, a park for women

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I ordered this item to cover a swing on my patio – for dust, not moisture as I live in the high desert.It is very well made, but so heavy I couldn’t even lift it high enough to go up over the swing canopy – and I’m pretty strong – so I returned it.I do think it’s a bit overpriced, but what isn’t now?

Click Here

Review of Classic Accessories Veranda Canopy Swing Cover

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Look at that!  It’s so cool!  If such baked-goods ambition and audacious geek pride are the province of world class nerdery, then I saw that G.I. Joe stands tall right next to “Star Wars” and Nintendo as ways to keep geeks from bothering actual girls. Now, back to the countdown…

7. COBRA MORAY HYDROFOIL (1985) Another boat I’ve never owned, but just look at this thing!  It looks like it’s doing 40 knots while it’s just sitting there. There has been some argument and speculation as to what inspired the design of a combat hydrofoil that looks like a cigarette boat with the Punisher’s armory strapped to the top, but everyone can agree that that this ship is one of the swiftest snakes slicing seawater.

6. COBRA NIGHT RAVEN (1986) G.I. Joe might have had the advantage in troops and tanks, but Cobra had the coolest planes. The SR-71-inspired Night Raven was a sleek, sinister black aircraft in a scale you just don’t see much of anymore. Around 3 feet long, with room for two in the cockpit and a detachable spy craft, the Night Raven still stands out in a collection. As beautiful as Chad Hucal’s photography is, you really can’t appreciate this until you see it in person and feel its heft in your hands…and make whooshing jet noises.

 5. COBRA HISS (1983) This tank was the iconic mainstay for Cobra in the comics, toy and cartoons.  I’ts fun as a toy has no relation — or does it? — to the fact that it’s a deathtrap for tank crewmen. This is an armored vehicle with both an open cockpit and a glass canopy. Those poor, poor Hiss drivers.

4.G.I. JOE TOMAHAWK (1986) What tanks were to older generation, helicopters have become to the contemporary one. Battlefields move faster now and you can do more with a helicopter than a tank. And so it it is with the Tomahawk; you could use it for aerial assaults, behind-the-lines troop deployment or in rescue missions to pull out wounded Joes. The fun of toys lies in living in your own little world, and in my world, this chopper could do anything.

3. G.I. JOE SKYSTRIKER XP-14F (1984)  If you had to pick one piece out of the entire line, something to put up in a museum, and show to future generations how amazing G.I. Joe was, it might be this one. It’s a work of art; a swing-wing triumph of toy engineering based off of the ultimate Cold War fighter plane of the 1980’s, the F-14 Tomcat.  Big, beautiful, and a contender for the top spot on this list on any other list.

2. COBRA RATTLER (1984) If I had to go out on a limb, and name the single most awesome toy ever produced for the G.I. Joe line, this might be the winner among fans. First introduced in the Marvel comics as the Destro-designed Tank Smasher, the tilt-wing VTOL Cobra Rattler is like the anime stepchild of an A-10 Warthog, all nose cannons and bomb racks, wrapped up in lovely Cobra blue. Ever-present in the cartoon, and depicted with incredible detail in the comics, the Cobra Rattler is such a fan favorite that Hasbro was making them as recently as 2008, so that a new generation of kids could run around and carpet-bomb the living room.

1. G.I. JOE USS Flagg (1985) This is it!  This is the big, bad daddy of the whole line G.I. Joe series and in the opinion of many collectors, the king of the entire action-figure sector. Again, pictures fail to do this thing justice, because this is to my knowledge, the biggest action-figure anything made, ever.  It’s over 7 feet long, and the deck of the U.S.S. Flagg was big enough to hold every vehicle and figure produced in the previous years! This is the vehicle/playset that every kid in the 1980s wanted. It was massive. It was so big, you needed to get rid of your bed, your dog and your little sister just to make room.  Which I would have — in a heartbeat – if only I had the military budget required for this floating piece of heaven.

They used to retail for $89.99 but now by some estimates a sealed Flagg might go for $10,000! That number is way higher than I’ve ever seen but if it’s on the Internet it must be true. Sigh. I still can’t afford it.

So what do you think?  Should the Rattler have been No. 1? Run your opinions up the flagpole in the comments section. Special thanks to YoJoe.com and Yo Joe! photographer and archivist Chad Hucal for providing pictures that look better than my collection.

– Ambrose Kalifornia

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Photos: YoJoe.com

TOP 10 LIST: We salute the best G.I. Joe vehicles of the 1980s

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For the fourth straight year, Kaiser Permanente volunteers returned to the Gulf Coast to work in partnership with service organizations dedicated to rebuilding communities devastated in 2005 by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Sixty volunteers participated in the 2010 Gulf Coast Rebuilding Project in partnership with HandsOn Mississippi and HandsOn New Orleans, nonprofit organizations that facilitate volunteerism. The two-week service project is part of Kaiser Permanentes long-term commitment to help the people of the Gulf Coast recover and rebuild.

Many of our workforce and membership have roots in the Gulf, and the whole nation was shocked at the devastation, commented Raymond J. Baxter, PhD, senior vice president, Community Benefit, Research and Health Policy. Community Benefit is an integral part of Kaiser Permanentes mission and strategy. The series of natural and man-made disasters in the Gulf region over recent years has not only impacted the local economy, but has created unseen effects on the mental, emotional and physical health of the communities. We are there because it is the right thing to do.

Kaiser Permanentes 60-person contingent, split into two teams, included physicians and other caregivers, and non-medical employees. Its the largest group of volunteers the integrated health care organization has sent to the Gulf Coast.

The first team of volunteers arrived in Gulfport and Biloxi, Mississippi, during National Volunteer week, April 18 through April 24. Volunteers removed invasive plant species and storm debris from the Biloxi Bay natural watershed area; restored student facilities at a middle school; built recreational features at a skate park; finished two homes in partnership with Lutheran Episcopal Services in Mississippi; and cared for uninsured patients at two local free clinics.

Don Edwards looks forward to getting back into his home.

The level of commitment shown by Kaiser Permanente and its employees through their hard work and self-sacrifice is impressive, and we appreciate our long-standing partnership with them, said Catherine M. Gautier, HandsOn Mississippis executive director. The team provided more than 1,000 hours of volunteer service on the Mississippi Gulf Coast during National Volunteer Week and served as a model for engagement and outreach.

The second Kaiser Permanente team arrived in New Orleans on April 24. Volunteers helped rebuild and refinish four homes that had sustained severe damage after weeks of being submerged in 2005, and have been uninhabitable since. Volunteers outfitted in hazmat suits braved 80-degree weather and high humidity levels to remove dangerous black mold, while another group installed flooring, hung sheetrock and prepped walls for interior and exterior painting.

Sherilyn Shay Dominick, who owns one of the four homes, worked right alongside the volunteers. She lovingly nicknamed the group Team To-Shay, a play on the French word touch, which means to defeat. In a moving interview, Miss Shay said the team helped to defeat Hurricane Katrina with their energy and hard work, and said, I look at them now as an extended family and as good friends, and I hope that I will always have them as part of my life.

On the final day, volunteers gathered early in the morning to build and install new equipment at the Wisner Playground. In partnership with KaBOOM, a national non-profit whose mission is to create great playspaces through the participation and leadership of communities, the group joined volunteers from Americorps and HandsOn New Orleans to erect a colorful swing set, spiral slide and rock climbing wall, and to build a stage and theater seating, picnic table sets and a pergola. With the clock ticking and a storm threatening, the volunteers completed all projects in record time.

HandsOn New Orleans is grateful for corporate groups like Kaiser Permanente who engage in service projects that help support ongoing recovery efforts in New Orleans, said Kertrina Watson Lewis, HandsOn New Orleanss executive director. Over the past four years, the folks from Kaiser Permanente have positively impacted our lives and neighborhoods, modeling what it means to be a good corporate citizen, as well as a good friend. Thank you.

Each of the volunteers who served on this project in 2010 has committed to lead a community service project in their own community, applying the skills and learnings from the Gulf Coast service experience.

Kaiser Permanente Employees, Physicians Return to Gulf Coast, Renew Annual …

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