четверг, 15 марта 2012 г.

African runners win Hub marathon again

Crystal Hubbard

Africa celebrates another winning year at the 102nd running of the Boston Marathon, considered to be the Mecca of Marathons, with the 1998 victories of a Kenyan and an Ethiopian.

Moses Tanui of Kenya and Fatuma Roba of Ethiopia surged to victory in the Men's and Women's Open divisions in 2:07:44 and 2:23:21, respectively. Franz Nietlispach of Sweden and Louise Sauvage of Australia won the Men's and Women's Wheelchair Divisions.

The times set by Tanui and Roba are the third fastest in their divisions in marathon history.

Overcast skies and tail winds helped three of the four champions …

No. 22 Utah beats UNLV 42-21

Brian Johnson threw for two touchdowns and scored on a 56-yard run as No. 22 Utah celebrated its return to the national rankings with a 42-21 win over UNLV on Saturday.

The Utes (2-0) scored three touchdowns in the third quarter and pulled away after a shaky first half, holding the Rebels (1-1) to 11 yards of offense in the third period and only 83 total yards in the second half.

Utah scored 35 straight points and avenged a 27-0 loss at Las Vegas last September.

UNLV's Frank Summers ran for 82 yards in the first half, but the Utes stymied big back in the second and he finished with 87 yards on 23 carries.

…

Exciting times ahead for firm

In spite of the recessionary times, Cobb Farr had a successfulyear in 2009.

"One of the mainstays of the company has been the Land andDevelopment department," says Philip Cobb, who heads the companywhich was established over 10 years ago.

In addition to offering expert advice and appraisals on potentialdevelopments, Cobb Farr also provides an excellent and bespokeservice for the sale of new developments.

One of Cobb Farr's clients, Ashford Homes, with its head officein Melksham, has an exciting year ahead with a number of newdevelopments coming to fruition within Trowbridge, Bradford-on-Avonand Bath.

The most recently completed is Riverside Mews on St …

среда, 14 марта 2012 г.

Britain Freezing Talks With Iran

LONDON - Britain said it was freezing talks on all other issues with Iran until it freed 15 Royal Navy crew members seized last week, and the British military released what it said was proof its boats were within Iraqi territorial waters when they were seized.

CNN-Turk television meanwhile quoted the Iranian foreign minister as saying the female British sailor may be released later Wednesday or on Thursday. The Iranian Embassy said both countries were capable of resolving the crisis through cooperation.

Britain's military said its vessels were 1.7 nautical miles inside Iraqi waters when Iran seized the sailors and marines on Friday.

Vice Adm. Charles Style told …

Iginla scores 2, Flames beat Detroit 4-1

DETROIT (AP) — Jarome Iginla scored twice on similar one-timers, and the Calgary Flames beat the slumping Detroit Red Wings 4-1 on Thursday night.

Detroit has lost six straight (0-5-1) after winning its first five. The Red Wings held Calgary to 22 shots managed only Danny Cleary's second-period goal off …

Oosthuizen pulls away to dominating Open title

Louis Oosthuizen has won his first major golf championship with a dominating seven-stroke victory at the British Open.

The South African started Sunday with a four-stroke advantage. It turned into a romp when his closest challenger, England's Paul Casey, took triple-bogey at the 12th. Oosthuizen (WUHST'-hy-zen) shot a 1-under 71 in the final round for a 16-under 272 total.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) _ Put away the bagpipes and break out those vuvuzelas. Louis Oosthuizen was closing in on his first major championship.

The 27-year-old South …

CSBS names McClure treasurer

CSBS names

McClure treasurer

D. Eric McClure, acting commissioner for the Missouri Division of Finance, has been elected treasurer of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS). He will be completing the unexpired term of Bruce Hendrickson, who recently …

No. 10 Indiana Beats Michigan

D.J. White scored 21 points and had a career-high 22 rebounds and No. 10 Indiana won its ninth straight, 78-64 over Michigan on Tuesday night.

Freshman Eric Gordon had 23 points for the Hoosiers (13-1, 2-0 Big Ten).

Freshman Manny Harris had 19 points for the Wolverines (4-11, 0-3), who have their worst 15-game record in more than two decades.

Michigan's DeShawn Sims made a shot from about 50 feet just before the halftime buzzer and his 3-pointer early in the second half pulled the Wolverines within five points.

Then, White and Gordon took over and turned the game into a rout.

Indiana's stars combined to put the Hoosiers ahead …

Crossing guard, and a lot more

For the past decade or so, Pat Hamel kept a close eye on the kids walking to and from River Woods Elementary School in Naperville.

Tough duty, considering the veteran crossing guard made things a lot safer at the busy Naperville Boulevard/River Woods Drive intersection, about a block from the school.

But "Miss Pat" — as a couple of generations of schoolchildren, parents and staff knew her — went above and beyond. That included everything from handing out treats on holidays to clipping coupons for families who use them.

"The morning of the day she died, she had given one of the mothers a whole pile of coupons," River Woods Principal Robyn Rippel …

They hate me. They really hate me!

I was trying not to take it personally. Really.

OK, I was taking it personally. Why else had they all called to say they'd be at the house in time for dinner on Friday but no earlier? Therefore no cocktail hour(s). I admit it: Fm an out-of-control control freak. I was making a perfect meal: Bobby Flay 's barbecued salmon; Israeli couscous, which I was spiffing up with saffron and grill-roasted red peppers; and a salad (from a bag - I can be lazy about salads). We would start with Pernod from the freezer, and dessert would be a delightfully thick and creamy drink made to order.

Then it hit me: they were avoiding what I claimed was that week's "cocktail du weekend"! I'd …

Medical helicopter crashes in Texas, killing 4

A medical helicopter crashed on an isolated ranch in a national forest early Sunday, killing a patient and three crew members and strewing debris over a wide area.

The PHI Air Medical helicopter crew was taking a 58-year-old patient from a hospital in Huntsville to one in Houston for surgery, said Butch Davis, Walker County chief sheriff's deputy.

The flight left Huntsville Memorial Hospital at 2:45 a.m., and the hospital lost contact with it two minutes later, Davis said. Searchers didn't find the wreckage in the Sam Houston National Forest for almost six hours.

"We had to bring a 'dozer in to get us a right-of-way into the wreckage," he …

Can 'Occupy' protests last without leaders?

NEW YORK (AP) — They were out to change the world, overthrow the establishment and liberate the poor. But first somebody would have to do something about those bongo drums.

At the Occupy Wall Street protest camp in Manhattan, protesters agonized over what to do about drum players who had turned part of the site into an impromptu dance floor. The neighbors were complaining about the racket. The protesters had tried to put a time limit on the noise, but the drummers were refusing to obey.

"It's an issue, definitely," sighed protester Kanene Holder, 31, late last week. "We'll have to work it out."

Reining in a few pesky percussionists would seem to be an easy task for a …

Court upholds conviction of Total in oil spill

A French appeals court has found petroleum giant Total SA and three other defendants criminally responsible for a 1999 oil spill that blackened France's Atlantic coasts.

The court has upheld a 2008 ruling that faulted Total for "maritime pollution" and ordered the company to pay a euro375,000 ($505,000) fine after it shipped fuel in a rusty tanker that broke apart in rough seas and caused France's worst-ever oil spill.

The spill sullied about 400 kilometers (250 miles) of Atlantic coastal beaches.

The others whose convictions were upheld were the Italian company that inspected the vessel, the ship's Italian owner and the head of the Italian company that operated the vessel.

The appeals court ruled Tuesday.

вторник, 13 марта 2012 г.

FAIR IS FOUL Fans, players need to know their place

There is some baseball talk in the May Maxim in an article titledFoul Ball" that might interest Cubs and/or Yankees fans. Among thosequoted:

*Dodgers reliever Eric Gagne, on the episode in which a teammatewent into the stands to retrieve his cap: We had a fight at WrigleyField four years ago, and Chad Kreuter jumped into the stands. Therewere 10,000 fans trying to hit everybody. When the fans come onto thefield, they should be beaten. And when players go into the stands,they should get beaten."

*Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, on pulling a prank on a teammate:I got Marcus [Thames] pretty good two years ago. He hit a home runoff Randy Johnson in his first major-league at-bat, so I had to gethim. We have dogs come into our locker room to sniff for explosives,so I had people put something in his bag. The dogs started sniffing,and the cops pulled out this package. The kid was shaking. The copstook him away before we let him in on it."

*Athletics left-hander Barry Zito, on ethics (with a reference toCubs right fielder Sammy Sosa): I know if I had a glove with a pieceof sandpaper glued onto it, I wouldn't accidentally use that oneduring a game. I can't prove Sammy's picking corked bats for dayswhen he's not feeling right, but a lot of things are leading to morehome runs. The game is geared toward fans, and fans love hitting."

*Yankees slugger Jason Giambi, on salaries: That makes me laugh:greedy players. If fans saw what the [bleeping] owners make, they'dsay, [Players] don't make [bleeping] anything!' It's like KevinCostner making $20 million a film. I work harder than he does."

China's Xinjiang to get $1.5 billion boost

China plans to inject nearly $1.5 billion into a western region that is the site of simmering unrest, boosting its economy in hopes of reducing ethnic tension after riots last year killed nearly 200 people.

Various regions across Xinjiang, including 82 cities and towns, will received investment from 19 provinces and municipalities around China next year to help improve housing, employment and education opportunities under the plan, the state-owned China Daily newspaper reported Wednesday.

The plan aims to increase living standards, build the region into a "well-off society" after 10 years and maintain long-term stability, the newspaper said, citing a report in Oriental Outlook magazine, a publication of the official Xinhua News Agency.

The report in the magazine was published late last month. No reason was given why the China Daily did not report the news until Wednesday.

Xinjiang has been the site of simmering unrest for years, with ethnic Uighurs (pronounced WEE-gurs) saying they have been marginalized as more and more Han Chinese move into the area. Chinese experts say the plan, if successful, will help ease those tensions and any potential unrest.

"Improving Xinjiang's economy is the only way the government can stabilize the region, not by guns or increased security," said Hu Zhaoliang, a professor of regional development at Peking University, who has researched the region.

"By helping locals with language barriers and giving them better opportunities, the resentment will slowly wane," Hu told The Associated Press.

The plan calls for pairing financially strong regions such as manufacturing-powerhouse Guangdong province and Beijing with less-developed cities in Xinjiang, such as Hotan and Kashgar, the China Daily reported. It did not give financial figures but said areas outside Xinjiang will be required to provide training and education in addition to financial support.

The program will be launched in 2011 and is expected to yield significant results within five years, Vice Premier Li Keqiang was quoted as saying by the China Daily.

The ethnic problems in the far-western region boiled over last July into riots that also left nearly 1,600 people hurt.

China's worst ethnic violence in decades began when Uighurs, a Turkic-speaking minority ethnic group, clashed with police during a protest in the Xinjiang capital of Urumqi.

The Uighurs see Xinjiang as their homeland and resent the Han Chinese who have moved into the region in recent decades. They say the Han have unfairly benefited from the riches of Xinjiang, a strategically vital Central Asian region with significant oil and gas deposits.

Han Chinese in Xinjiang accuse Uighurs of being more concerned with religion than business, and unfairly favored by quotas for government jobs and university places.

China blames the rioting on overseas-based groups agitating for greater Uighur rights in Xinjiang, but has presented no direct evidence. The region was smothered in heavy security following the violence.

"If China had acted sooner, not as much resentment and anger would have been built up in the region," said Hu. "Now, with this new plan, the government is hoping to create more stability and prevent unrest."

China's leaders, who recently replaced Xinjiang's unpopular Communist Party boss, Wang Lequan, are expected to hold a major development meeting later this month on the region.

China's other major ethnic area, Tibet, has also suffered from tensions, and the government has poured billions of dollars into the region, encouraging development of transportation and other industries in the long-isolated region.

China has touted its success in developing Tibet's economy, creating jobs and substantially raising the standard of living. But critics worry the rush into Tibet could wreck much of the high-altitude region's delicate ecosystem, and an influx of the majority ethnic Han Chinese threatens its Buddhist culture and traditional way of life.

Figures on government spending and debt

WASHINGTON (AP) — Figures on government spending and debt (last six digits are eliminated). The government's fiscal year runs Oct. 1 through Sept. 30.

Total public debt subject to limit Jan. 30	15,252,831
Statutory debt limit	16,394,000
Total public debt outstanding Jan. 30	15,295,053
Operating balance Jan. 30	108,977
Interest fiscal year 2012 through December	62,662
Interest same period 2011	56,780
Deficit fiscal year 2012 through December	321,735
Deficit same period 2011	368,960
Receipts fiscal year 2012 through December	555,437
Receipts same period 2011	531,797
Outlays fiscal year 2012 through December	877,173
Outlays same period 2011	900,757
Gold assets in January	11,041

Group's Man U scoop

Sportswear retailer JJB Sports has clinched a six-year deal givingit exclusive rights to sell a range of Manchester United productsacross its 430 UK stores.

Poland pays tribute to late Solidarity icon Bronislaw Geremek at funeral Mass in Warsaw

Hundreds of friends and admirers packed a church in Warsaw's historic old town on Monday for the funeral of Solidarity icon and former Polish Foreign Minister Bronislaw Geremek.

Geremek was highly respected as a scholar, statesman and key adviser in the Soviet bloc's first free trade union, Solidarity, which helped topple communism in Poland and across the Soviet bloc. Since 2004, he had also served as a member of the European Parliament.

The 76-year-old died July 13 in a car accident in western Poland.

President Lech Kaczynski, Prime Minister Donald Tusk and former President Lech Walesa were among the dignitaries at the funeral Mass held in St. John's Cathedral.

Geremek's coffin, draped in Poland's red and white national flag, was flanked by four rifle-bearing soldiers standing at attention.

"What I'll tell you today is of no use to you, but conscience demands the truth in the face of death: in my view, you were the greatest of Poles, the greatest of patriots," Walesa said. "I thank God that I met you."

Warsaw archbishop Kazimierz Nycz, who led the Mass, read a letter from the Vatican noting Pope Benedict XVI's sadness upon hearing of "the tragic death" of Geremek, who was also a widely respected medieval historian.

"His departure is a huge lost to the world of scholarship and politics in Poland and Europe," the letter read.

Members of the Solidarity trade union, one in a yellow worker's helmet and others holding up union banners, stood to the side of the church in homage to Geremek.

He was to be buried at Warsaw's historic Powazki cemetery.

FBI Probes N.Y. Jumbo Jet Vandalism

NEW YORK The FBI said today it is investigating recent vandalismof several Tower Air jumbo jets.

The Federal Aviation Administration and Port Authority policealso are investigating, FBI spokesman Joseph Valiquette said.

Someone has gotten into five Boeing 747s at John F. KennedyInternational Airport in the last three months to cut numerous wiresconnected to vital systems, Newsday reported.

Investigators have not ruled out terrorism as a motive becauseTower Air flies to Israel, unidentified federal sources told Newsday.

Authorities also are investigating the possibility that adisgruntled worker is to blame.

Valiquette declined to discuss exactly what happened or whomight be behind the problem.

There was "never ever a question with respect to . . . flightsafety" airline owner Morris Nachtomi told Newsday.

In each case, crews discovered the damage after getting falsereadings from cockpit instruments during pre-flight checks.

If the tampering had not been discovered before takeoff, falsereadings could have misled the pilot. The type of 747 that wasdamaged seats 400 passengers.

Tower also flies to U.S. cities and Europe.

Investors purchase career school

A New York investment firm bought employee-owned York Technical Institute and has ambitious growth plans for the career school.

Liberty Partners, a private equity firm in New York City, bought York Technical from employees and a minority owner for an undisclosed amount. It took control of the school May 2.

Liberty is hungry for further acquisitions and may expand YTI by purchasing similar institutions in Central Pennsylvania, said Tim Foster, a company official. York Technical is Liberty's first investment in higher education.

Employees owned 88 percent of the school through their retirement plan and voted to sell their stake in January. John McCartan, a Pittsburgh resident who bought into the institute in 1983, sold Liberty the remainder.

"For the institution as a whole, it provides an opportunity to continue to grow and develop and do good things in the community," said Harold Maley, YTI's president.

None of York Technical's managers or employees will be laid off as a result of the deal, officials said. YTI employs about 240 people.

The school has grown rapidly, and Liberty plans to spur that growth along with further investments, Foster said.

"Certainly, we will see new programs, and we may well see new sites," he said.

YTI opened a location in Lancaster County in October 2003.

Foster leads Liberty Partners' higher education division, which also was formed May 2, and is YTI's new executive chairman. He will be based at the school's main campus in Springettsbury Township.

Liberty hopes to buy other brick-and-mortar schools, especially in the region, and to invest in distance learning, Foster said.

"We definitely see ourselves as a school for this region," he said.

YTI's board was reshuffled. It will be composed of four Liberty representatives and Maley, who handed over the chairmanship to Foster. Local education professionals and employer representatives who were on the school's board of directors have been retained as an advisory board, Foster said.

Most of YTI's employees owned a piece of the school through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, Maley said. In ESOPs, employees own a certain share of their company and receive payments based on the value of that share when they retire.

Liberty offered employees an attractive buyout that they accepted by an overwhelming majority, officials said. They have the option of taking cash payments or rolling the money over into a new 401(k) plan.

John Jamison is a 2002 YTI graduate who studied electronics and now owns Installation Doctor, a York business that installs radios and other devices in cars. His experience at YTI was crucial to making him successful, Jamison said.

"We worked together as a team a lot. That really helped my people skills a lot," he said.

Jamison said he was concerned the school would no longer be in local hands.

"(Local owners) have sort of got a better understanding of the community ... which I think makes a big difference," he said. "(The new owners) may not know much about York, P-A. I don't know if they're just worried about their bottom line."

The deal moves the institution out of local control for the first time, said Daniel G. Meckley III of Spring Garden Township, who owned it with a group of investors during the 1980s.

Although it could lose some of its local flavor, the school would not suffer for lack of a resident owner, Meckley said. "I don't think it really makes much of a difference," he said. "The school will stand or fall based on the way it operates and its content."

He said the school would have greater access to capital, as well.

York Technical's new owners have much more money available for potential expansion projects than the school could have mustered on its own, Maley and McCartan said.

During negotiations, York Technical officials told Liberty Partners they wanted students' well being to remain a top priority, McCartan said.

York Technical has been financially successful, officials said. The school's revenues grew by 22 percent between fiscal years 2003 and 2004 and will grow by 17 percent between fiscal years 2004 and 2005, Foster said. Profits have grown nearly as quickly, he said.

The school sold itself in an auction-style process and received about eight or nine formal offers, McCartan said. The sale process took more than a year, Maley said.

The for-profit, post-secondary education sector has grown rapidly in the last decade, said Sean Gallagher, a senior analyst at Eduventures Inc., a Boston consulting and research firm focused on the education market.

For-profit institutions enrolled close to 10 percent of all postsecondary students in 2004 and reeled in revenue of $15.4 billion, he said. Gallagher said the field is competitive, efficient and focused on career-oriented disciplines. "These schools couldn't continue, they couldn't stay in business, if they weren't delivering a quality product to their students."

Reps for Pacquiao, Mayweather mum on mediation day

Representatives for Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. wrapped up a lengthy mediation session on Tuesday with no word on any progress on the drug-testing issues endangering the boxers' prospective March 13 bout.

Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum and Mayweather's promotional team all said they had been told to make no public comments after their meeting in Santa Monica. The mediation finished nearly nine hours after it began in front of Daniel Weinstein, a retired federal judge.

Arum's Top Rank and Mayweather's representatives at Golden Boy Promotions agreed to the mediation in an effort to resolve their dispute over the methods and frequency of drug testing for the bout, which will be held at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas if a compromise is reached.

Although both fighters have agreed to extensive urine testing, Mayweather has demanded random blood testing as well. Pacquiao has balked at unlimited blood testing, instead proposing two blood tests before the fight and another immediately afterward.

Pacquiao also complicated the negotiations by filing a lawsuit last week alleging Mayweather and most of his camp's key players defamed him by falsely accusing him of using performance-enhancing drugs.

Neither side would say whether more mediation will be held on Wednesday, but the length of Tuesday's meeting appeared to be a positive development for the potential fight. If little progress could be made, the session likely would have been scrapped early, with the sport's top two fighters moving on to replacement bouts instead of meeting in what's expected to be the richest fight in boxing history.

After impressive pay-per-view numbers in their most recent bouts last year, both fighters stand to make more than $25 million in their welterweight meeting. Except for drug testing, the camps have settled every significant detail of the fight, according to Arum and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer.

If the fight falls through, Pacquiao is expected to attempt to win a title in a record eighth weight division with a bout against 154-pound (70-kilogram) champion Yuri Foreman in Las Vegas on March 20, while Mayweather could fight former 140-pound (63 1/2-kilogram) champion Paulie Malignaggi at the MGM Grand on March 13.

Boxing's two most prominent promotional companies have appeared before Weinstein in the past, including a session in 2007 in which they resolved the promotional rights to Pacquiao, who had deals with both companies at one point.

понедельник, 12 марта 2012 г.

Dombrowsky, Hon. Leona, B.A. (Hastings-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington) Minister of the Environment

DOMBROWSKY, HON. LEONA, B.A. (Hastings-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington) Minister of the Environment.

B. Apr. 29, 1957 in Belleville, Ont. Dau. of Leon Courneyea and Patricia Parks. Ed. at Univ. of Toronto (B.A., 1979). M. Jun. 30, 1979 to Helmut. Four children: Richard, Andre, Anthony and Maria. Political Career: Provincial: First elected to the Ont. Leg. g.e. 1999. Re-elected g.e. 2003. Official Opposition Critic for Children. Appt'd: Official Opposition Deputy House Leader, 2002 and Min. of Environment, Oct. 2003. Municipal: First elected as a School Trustee, 1985. Former Chair, Hastings-Prince Edward Separate School Bd. Former First Chair, New Amalgamated Algonquin-Lakeshore Catholic Dist. School Bd. Private Career: Mem., Tweed Parks and Recreation Ctee, 1991-97. Former Dir., Ont. Catholic Trustees Ass'n. Party: Lib. Address: Leg. Office: 135 St. Clair Ave. W, 12^th Fl., Toronto, Ont., M4V 1P5, (416)314-6790, Fax: (416)314-6748 Riding Office: 15 Dairy Ave., Napanee, Ont., K7R 1M4, (613)354-6630, Fax: (613)354-0232; Email: ldombrowksy.mpp@liberal.ola.org.

DOMBROWSKY, HON. LEONA, B.A. (Hastings-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington) Ministre de l'Environnement. N�e le 29 avr. 1957 � Belleville, Ont. Fille de Leon Courneyea et Patricia Parks. Fit ses �tudes � l'Univ. de Toronto (B.A., 1979). M. le 30 juin 1979 � Helmut. Quatre enfants: Richard, Andre, Anthony et Maria. Carri�re politique: Provinciale: �lue pour la premi�re fois � la l�gis. de l'Ont. �.g. 1999. R��lue �.g. 2003. Porte-parole de l'Opposition officielle en mati�re des Enfants. Nomm�e: Leader parlementaire suppl�ant de l'Opposition officielle en 2002 et min. de l'Environnement en oct. 2003. Municipale: �lue pour la premi�re fois comme conseill�re scolaire en 1985. Ancienne pr�s., comm. d'�coles catholiques de Hastings-Prince Edward. Ancienne premi�re pr�s. de la nouvelle comm. amalgam�e d'�coles catholiques du dist. d'Algonquin-Lakeshore. Carri�re priv�e: Mem., Ct� de parcs et loisirs de Tweed, 1991-97. Ancienne dir., Assoc. des commissaires d'�coles catholiques de l'Ont. Parti pol.: Lib. Adresse: Bureau L�g.: 135, av. St. Clair Ouest, 12^e �tage, Toronto, Ont., M4V 1P5, (416)314-6790, Fax: (416)314-6748 Bureau Circonscription: 15, av. Dairy, Napanee, Ont., K7R 1M4, (613)354-6630, Fax: (613)354-0232; Courriel �lectronique: ldombrowksy.mpp@liberal.ola.org.

Win tickets to see Bath take on Leeds in final Rec outing of the season

COMPETITION The Bath Chronicle has teamed up with MBNA, anofficial sponsor of the Guinness Premiership, to offer Bath Rugbysupporters the chance to win one of four pairs of tickets to cheeron their team against Leeds Carnegie at The Rec on Saturday, May 8.Steve Meehan's men are chasing a play-off spot and bring down thecurtain on their regular 2009-10 campaign against a Leeds sidebidding to avoid an immediate return to Championship rugby.

They will be out to complete a double over therelegationthreatened visitors, having triumphed 20-15 at Headingleyback in January.

MBNA is a major supporter of sport in the UK. Through the BathRugby credit card, MBNA shows support for the club and helps developthe game in the process.

For every approved credit card application, MBNA will make acontribution to the club, which will be invested in its futuredevelopment.

For a chance to get your hands on the tickets simply answer thefollowing question: What is the name of Bath Rugby's new owner?Either email your answer, together with your name, address and adaytime telephone number, to sport@bathchron.co.uk, inserting 'MBNAcompetition' in the subject line, or post it to MBNA competition,Sports desk, Bath News & Media, Westpoint, James Street West, BathBA1 2DA.

The deadline for entries is Thursday, April 29 at 12 noon.

Normal Chronicle competition terms and conditions, which can befound at www.thisisbath.co.uk, apply and the sports editor'sdecision is final.

Anyone interested in taking out a Bath Rugby credit card shouldvisit www.rugbycreditcards.com.

For further information on MBNA, visit www.mbna.co.uk.

CONCACAF Champions League Glance

(Home teams listed first)
QUARTERFINALS
First Leg
Tuesday, Feb. 22

Columbus (United States) 0, Real Salt Lake (United States) 0

Cruz Azul (Mexico) vs. Santos Laguna (Mexico)

Wednesday, Feb. 23

Toluca (Mexico) vs. Monterrey (Mexico)

Thursday, Feb. 24

Saprissa (Costa Rica) vs. Olimpia (Honduras)

Second Leg
Tuesday, March 1

Santos Laguna (Mexico) vs. Cruz Azul (Mexico)

Real Salt Lake (United States) vs. Columbus Crew (United States)

Wednesday, March 2

Monterrey (Mexico) vs. Toluca (Mexico)

Thursday, March 3

Olimpia (Honduras) vs. Saprissa (Costa Rica)

SEMIFINALS
First Leg
March 15-17

Monterrey-Toluca winner vs. Santos-Cruz Azul winner

Real Salt Lake-Columbus winner vs. Olimpia-Saprissa winner

Second Leg
April 5-7

Olimpia-Saprissa winner vs. Salt Lake-Columbus winner

Santos-Cruz Azul winner vs. Monterrey-Toluca winner

FINAL
First Leg
April 19-21

Santos-Cruz Azul_Monterrey-Toluca winner vs. Olimpia-Saprissa_Real Salt Lake-Columbus winner

Second Leg
April 26-28

Olimpia-Saprissa_Real Salt Lake-Columbus winner vs. Santos-Cruz Azul_Monterrey-Toluca winner

Bush raises Republican cash, touts housing efforts

President Bush raised cash for Republican candidates in two Southern states on Tuesday, sandwiching in a quick stop to call attention to the nation's housing woes.

In Mississippi, Bush led a closed fundraiser for Sen. Roger Wicker, the former congressman who was appointed to Trent Lott's vacated seat. Wicker is competing in a Nov. 4 election against Democrat Ronnie Musgrove to fill the remaining four years of Lott's term.

Later, Bush shifts to Arkansas, where he was to participate in a round-table conversation at a nonprofit counseling agency that helps people who are struggling to pay their mortgages.

The president caps his day at another closed fundraiser, for Arkansas Republicans.

Bush's focus on housing comes as a mortgage-rescue plan has stalled in the Senate over a tax dispute. The measure would allow the government to back $300 billion in cheaper loans for homeowners facing foreclosure. Senate leaders hope soon to get back to the bill, which includes elements Bush supports, including an overhaul of the Federal Housing Administration.

The administration opposes parts of the rescue-plan, too. White House spokesman Tony Fratto said Bush urged Congress to get him a housing bill he can sign nearly a year ago.

"It's hard to believe that we've gone 10 months now waiting for Congress to act," he told reporters traveling with Bush aboard Air Force One.

The combination of weak housing sales, falling home values, tighter lending and the weak economy has forced many strapped homeowners into foreclosure. Many can't find buyers, or they owe more than their home is worth and can't get refinanced into an affordable loan.

Foreclosure filings in May were up nearly 50 percent compared with a year earlier.

Nationwide, 261,255 homes received at least one foreclosure-related filing in May _ up 48 percent from a year ago, foreclosure listing service RealtyTrac Inc. reported this month.

By dropping in a bit of official business on Tuesday, the White House defrayed the cost of the trip for candidates and state parties, and made the trip less overtly political.

Ultimately, taxpayers end up paying most of the bill for any political travel by the president. The formula used to determine those costs predates Bush's tenure as president.

Wicker's campaign manager, Austin Barbour, said no fundraising totals were available for the Mississippi event. With roughly 500 people attending the $1,000-a-ticket luncheon, the total raised was likely at least $500,000 for Wicker and the state's Republican Party.

Wicker was among the Republicans who bucked Bush in this election year by voting for the farm bill. The president said the massive $290 billion bill was bloated with spending, including farmer subsidies. He vetoed the measure, but Congress overrode him.

NEW MICRO PRESS PUBLISHER: Brooklyn's The Crumpled Press

The Crumpled Press has put out 10 titles since its inception in 2005 when they launched their first two books, Still Leaves and 911.

Founded by Nicholas Jahr, Jordan Kenneth Mclntyre and Alexander Bick, the press recently added managing editor Aaron Tugendhaft in 2007.

Tugendhaft says the books are printed using either laser or inkjet printers from computer files, adding, "We combine the latest technology with the pleasures of an archaic form of production." Or, as the press's website clearly states: "The Crumpled Press is a small press dedicated to producing hand-bound editions of work that would otherwise be 'crumpled' and tossed in the waste." The press also promises that each Crumpled Press book and pamphlet is made by hand for "a distinctive look and feel."

In the forward to one of the press's most recent publications Anthony Grafton's Codex in Crisis the editors disclose their pub- lishing manifesto, "When we created The Crumpled Press, in 2005, we sought to re -ani mate the pamphlet as an expressive form. But we soon realized that blogs had filled this niche. We began to think more seriously about the specificity and durabil- ity of print: we learned the languages of paper, type and binding. This doesn't mean that we rejected new technologies - indeed, our work would be impossible without the personal computer, the Internet and the laser printer. Just as photography forced painters to reconsider their art, however, the Web has forced us to reconsider the possibilities of print."

When it comes to distributing the titles, the main focus seems to be through their website, or through word -of- mouth. 'We do sell our books in a limited number of stores - mainly in geographical areas where we have access for one reason or another." A list of these stores are on the website. Tugendhaft says some stores are beginning to order books straight out, but the relationships usually begin as consignment sales and then evolve.

When it comes to designing the books, everyone lends a hand, "but mainly it is the work of Jordan Mclntyre." Tugendhaft says. "We also get help with graphic design sometimes from Aaron Mosher."

When it's time for the laborious process of hand stitching, stapling and assembling the books, the press has a "pool of friends" who donate their time to help fold, cut and sew. Tugendhaft says on average, about three to six people come to help for any given binding event and that "the pool is always growing."

[Sidebar]

'Just as photography forced painters to reconsider their art, however, the Web has forced us to reconsider the possibilities of print."

A political tip sheet for the rest of us

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT: Fearful that splits in their movement will help Mitt Romney win the GOP nomination, conservative leaders want their followers to figure out which Republican to back — and do so quickly. They are organizing meetings ahead of South Carolina's primary on Jan. 21 to discuss how to proceed. Romney won the Iowa caucuses because conservative voters split among several candidates. The concern is that that scenario will play out again in South Carolina, Florida and beyond if Rick Santorum, the second-place finisher in Iowa, and Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry all stay in the race.

WHERE WERE THEY:

Four of the six Republican contenders were out on the trail.

Romney started in New Hampshire; the state's primary is Tuesday. He then flew to South Carolina to appear with two of his highest-profile supporters: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the party's 2008 presidential nominee, and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. South Carolina holds its primary on Jan. 21.

Gingrich, Santorum and Huntsman spent the day in New Hampshire.

Ron Paul recharged at home in Lake Jackson, Texas.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry also spent the day at home.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR ME:

MY WALLET: Republican Mitt Romney's tax plan would boost taxes on poorer families but cut them for the middle class and the rich, according to a new study by the independent Tax Policy Center. On average, families making less than $20,000 would see their taxes increase by more than 60 percent if tax cuts enacted under President Barack Obama are allowed to expire. People making more than $1 million would get tax cuts averaging 15 percent. A spokeswoman for Romney's campaign said his plan holds the line on tax rates for individuals and families and dramatically reduces the corporate tax rate to create jobs.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS:

— "This president is a crony capitalist. He's a job killer." — Romney, on President Barack Obama.

— "Romney's economic plan? Timid. Parts of it virtually identical to Obama's failed policy. Timid won't create jobs and timid certainly won't defeat Barack Obama." — Gingrich's new TV ad airing in New Hampshire and South Carolina.

— "I'm not a Romney hater, but I do not believe he can take on Obama and I do not believe he is real conservative." — Retiree John Anderson, 65, of Pittsburg, N.H., after a Gingrich campaign event.

— "Time." — Huntsman, when a reporter asked him to describe his biggest challenge in New Hampshire.

— "Am I perfect? No. I've made mistakes, and I've been upfront about that." — Santorum.

ALL TOGETHER NOW:

That's how the candidates will spend part of the weekend, which features a pair of nationally televised debates.

It will be their first joint appearances since Romney, Santorum and Paul finished first, second and third in the Iowa caucuses, the first voting of the nominating season. It will also be field's first appearance without Michele Bachmann, who has dropped out of the race.

ABC News and local TV station WMUR are sponsoring Saturday's debate, which starts at 9 p.m. EST, at Saint Anselm College in Manchester. The moderators include ABC's Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos.

The candidates will meet again Sunday morning in Concord in a debate sponsored by NBC's "Meet the Press" and Facebook. David Gregory, the program's host, will moderate.

среда, 7 марта 2012 г.

N. Korea Apparently Preparing Nuke Test

SEOUL, South Korea - Satellite images indicate North Korea appears to be getting ready for a second nuclear test, officials said Tuesday, as the defiant communist regime held huge rallies and proclaimed that U.N. sanctions amount to a declaration of war.

China, the North's longtime ally and biggest trading partner, warned Pyongyang not to aggravate tensions. The U.N. has condemned the Oct. 9 atomic blast, and U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill told reporters in Seoul on Tuesday that another nuclear explosion would be "a very belligerent answer" to the world.

As the White House acknowledged that the isolated nation might try a second test, Secretary of State Condoleezza …

Duluth Pack is bursting at the seams.

Byline: Peter Passi

Jul. 23--You might suppose that a 125-year-old company already would have seen its brightest days. But Tom Sega, Duluth Pack's new president, begs to differ.

Duluth Pack rang up almost $5 million in sales last year, but Sega said he believes Duluth Pack has just begun to scratch the surface of the national market for its products. He foresees growing the company's revenues by about 20 percent during Duluth Pack's 125 year of business.

Sega joined Duluth Pack in April with plans to not only lead the company but to take an ownership stake in the business. He joins a couple of silent partners from Fargo, N.D., who acquired the company in 2001, in the name of BKR Investments. At the time, Duluth Pack had slightly more than $1 million in annual sales.

Duluth Pack has had to expand its reach to boost sales. The company continues to operate a conventional bricks-and-mortar store in Duluth's Canal Park neighborhood, but that accounts for 30 percent of sales.

Most of Duluth Pack's orders come from people who never set foot in Duluth. Sega estimates catalog sales generate about 45 percent of Duluth Pack's business, and another 15 percent comes from the company Web site. The remaining 10 percent of Duluth Pack's business is derived from sales of items it produces under contract for private label customers.

Sega sees catalog and online sales playing an increasingly large role in the future growth of the company. This year, Duluth Pack will distribute 1.75 million catalogs -- the most it ever has.

He also foresees additional stores potentially opening in other parts of the nation, such as the Twin Cities, Chicago, Seattle and Denver.

Sega said Duluth Pack's operations will remain planted firmly in the town for which it was named.

DEEP ROOTS

Duluth Pack, aka Duluth Tent & Awning, traces its history back to Camille Poirier, a French-Canadian who arrived in Duluth in 1870 carrying with him an assortment of tools and a small provision of leather. Poirier opened a cobbler shop but soon branched out beyond footwear.

In 1882, Poirier filed for a patent on a canvas bag he had designed, featuring a buckled flap, shoulder straps, a tumpline, a sternum strap and even an umbrella holder. He called his creation the Poirier Pack, but it came to be commonly known as the Duluth Pack.

In 1911, Poirier sold the business including the rights to his pack to Duluth Tent & Awning. It was the beginning of an association that continues to this day.

The Duluth Pack quickly became the bag of choice for canoe travel, and its popularity has not waned with time.

"The design has had such staying power because it works," said Michael Furtman, a veteran canoe tripper, outdoor author and photographer from Duluth.

"The traditional Duluth Pack is designed to ride low in the canoe and low on your shoulders, so you can still portage a canoe while wearing it," he explained.

Furtman said the canvas packs hold up well to heavy use, as well. Furtman has reviewed a host of other manufacturers' canoe packs, including several made from newer high-tech materials, such as high-test nylon. While he gave high marks to some of these bags, he concluded they had nothing on the Duluth Packs he grew up using.

"I've never found anything to wear any better," he said.

Duluth Pack guarantees all its packs for life.

UNCOMPROMISED PRODUCTION

Duluth Pack still sews all its bags in Duluth, where it employs 50 people.

Workers hand-cut and stitch every piece of canvas and leather that goes into its products. Even riveting operations aren't mechanized, with the company opting instead for experienced craftsmen wielding ball-peen hammers. All this work takes place inside the original storefront Duluth Tent & Awning first occupied at 1610 W. Superior St. in 1911.

Sega said that maintaining Duluth Pack's traditional manufacturing techniques in Duluth is critical to maintaining the quality and reputation of the company's products, even in an age when most needlework has been exported to lower-cost labor markets, often in Asia.

"We can't afford to compromise our quality, our name or our history," he said, adding, "Maybe I've only been here three months, but I'm very protective of that."

Still, Sega recognizes some imminent changes will be necessary to accommodate growing demand for products.

"We're bursting at the seams," he said. "We'll try to make it through the rest of the year in this building, but we've outgrown it, and we will need a new facility."

In addition to dealing with increased volume, Duluth Pack has been diversifying its product line, thereby complicating operations. The company now makes more than 100 different items, including book bags, luggage, gun cases and purses.

Sega aims to make Duluth Pack's catalog even fatter in years to come.

Sega said the company is focusing much of its energy on research and development.

"Our goal each quarter will be to have two to three new products or new modifications to introduce that make our existing products even better," Sega said.

Patti Kedrowski, a Duluth Pack seamstress for the past six years, is in the process of helping to develop a piece of rolling luggage for the company and said she enjoys the variety of her work.

"It keeps your mind active, working on so many different aspects of the job," Kedrowski said.

Renee Bergren, a 10-year employee of the company, said she still looks forward to going to work each day behind her sewing machine, which she has affectionately named Gus.

"These folks are like family to me, and I love what I do," she said.

Bergren said workers at Duluth Pack are encouraged to take pride in their work, and each item leaves the plant signed and dated by the person who made it.

Sue Oja, who has worked 16 years at Duluth Pack, never forgets that she's making items that will serve people for a lifetime, sometimes longer.

"It's pretty neat when someone comes in here with a pack their grandpa owned," she said. "Some of these items become like family heirlooms or almost a member of the family. People just won't part with them."

Sega considers the company's staff perhaps its greatest asset.

"These people are all artists," he said, observing, "One of our most difficult tasks going forward, as we grow, will be to hire industrial sewers of the same caliber."

PETER PASSI covers business and development. He can be reached weekdays at (218) 279-5526 or by e-mail at ppassi@duluthnews.com.

To see more of the Duluth News-Tribune, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.DuluthSuperior.com.

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