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Japanese machinery builders suffer from low equipment investments

2012-03-15T06:37:00.000-07:00

According to the account settlements for the fiscal year ending in March, many major Japanese makers of textile and apparel machinery suffered sales decreases as equipment investments in the textile and apparel industries remained at a low level. Even for operating profits, the textile and apparel machinery business of Shima Seiki Mfg., Ltd. registered a a growth of 15.9%, while the textile machinery business of Toyota Industries Corp. registered losses.

Toyota reported that its consolidated sales of textile machinery in the fiscal year ending at the end of March decreased by 8% from the previous fiscal year to 30,705 million yen. Textile machinery registered operating profits of …

Justices Skeptical of Gun Ban

2012-03-15T04:12:00.000-07:00

The Supreme Court appeared ready Tuesday to endorse the view that the Second Amendment gives individuals the right to own guns, but was less clear about whether to retain the District of Columbia's ban on handguns.

The justices were aware of the historic nature of their undertaking, engaging in an extended 98-minute session of questions and answers that could yield the first definition of the meaning of the Second Amendment in its 216 years.

A key justice, Anthony Kennedy, left little doubt about his view when he said early in the proceedings that the Second Amendment gives "a general right to bear arms."

Several justices were skeptical …

Walnut Acres Cuban black bean soup scores

2012-03-15T01:51:00.000-07:00

Walnut Acres Organic

Cuban Black Bean Soup

Price: $2.89

One cup: 150 calories, 0 g

fat, 630 mg sodium

***

Walnut Acres, which has been making organic foods since 1946, hasadded two new soups to its line. The Cuban black bean, with kernelsof crunchy yellow corn, is as warming as the sun. It's tomato-based,with celery, carrots, red bell peppers and organic brown rice. Tasty!

The other …

Implications of the new FCC anti-slamming rules

2012-03-14T23:27:00.000-07:00

In late December 1998, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted new rules to combat slamming - the unauthorized switching of a consumer's telephone service. The rules eliminate the so-called "welcome package," require verification on inbound, as well as outbound, telemarketing orders and require verification on carrier freezes (in which the local company agrees not to change the customer's service without direct instructions from the customer). In addition, the FCC decided to absolve consumers from any payment to alleged slammers for the first 30 days of service.

Of all the changes, however, the most surprising was the FCC's decision to put the first round of slam ming …

MVP Jackson leads Storm past Mercury in Game 1

2012-03-14T21:07:00.000-07:00

SEATTLE (AP) — Lauren Jackson had 23 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Seattle Storm to an 82-74 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

Jackson, who won her third WNBA MVP award before the game, set a team playoff record for rebounds.

Svetlana Abrosimova added 16 points for the Storm, Le'Coe Willingham had 10, and Sue Bird handed out 10 assists in Seattle's 19th straight home win.

Penny Taylor scored 16 points and Candice Dupree added 15 for the Mercury. Diana Taurasi, who averaged 22.6 points during the regular season, scored nine on 2-of-15 shooting.

Seattle held the Mercury 25 points below their postseason …

Dubai state-linked companies hit by new downgrades

2012-03-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

A top international credit rating firm is further cutting its ratings on six Dubai state-linked companies because it says it cannot assume the government will stand behind their debt.

Moody's Investors Service said it made the cuts Tuesday following statements by government officials since Dubai announced plans to restructure its Dubai World …

Bulls make their point vs. pesky Stoudamire

2012-03-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

The Bulls were built big for a specific purpose two summers ago:to beat the Orlando Magic in the 1996 Eastern Conference finals.

That big team clicked so well, it set an NBA record of 72regular-season victories, swept the Magic and won a fourthchampionship in the 1990s.

Now the Magic is in descent, and that king-sized roster couldmean trouble for the Bulls as they face a playoff sequence thatmight include games against some of the league's best point guards- Rod Strickland of Washington, Tim Hardaway of Miami and Gary Paytonof Seattle.The Bulls got a preview of the potential for trouble Mondaynight when pesky point guard Damon Stoudamire led the …

Lillehammer to host 2016 Winter Youth Games

2012-03-14T14:06:00.000-07:00

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Twenty-two years after hosting the Winter Olympics, the Norwegian town of Lillehammer will stage the second edition of the Winter Youth Games in 2016.

Lillehammer, host of the highly successful 1994 Olympics, was the only candidate for the youth event.

The Norwegian bid was officially approved Wednesday by the International Olympic Committee's executive board.

IOC President …

Pirates end 17-game road skid, beat Cubs 2-1

2012-03-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

Paul Maholm pitched a season-high eight innings, Jose Tabata hit a go-ahead double in the ninth and the Pittsburgh Pirates ended a 17-game road losing streak with a 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on Monday night.

The last time the Pirates won on the road was May 25 in a 2-1 victory at Cincinnati. It was their third win in 21 games overall.

The Cubs dropped to 2-8 against last-place Pittsburgh this season and are 10 games below .500.

Maholm (5-6) allowed one run and seven hits. He did not walk a batter.

Octavio Dotel hit Aramis Ramirez with a pitch leading off the ninth but rebounded for his 15th save in 18 chances.

Before the …

Clendenin: Who's in charge?: Town charter, if found, could specify whether mayor or council has authority

2012-03-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

DAILY MAIL STAFF

It wasn't exactly the shootout at the O.K. Corral, but the scenewas surreal.

Amid supporters and protesters gathered around Clendenin townhall, police officer C.L. Burkhamer returned to work.

This occurred on Wednesday night. Burkhamer had arrested Mayor BobOre on Saturday. The mayor had fired the officer on Monday.

Just a few moments after the officer arrived, however, towncouncil asked him to take the night off for insurance and safetyreasons until Kanawha Circuit Judge Tod Kaufman could rule as towhether he indeed is a Clendenin police officer. A decision wasexpected by mid-day.

Burkhamer was reinstated by the town's council in …

Japanese stocks dip amid fading hopes for US rate cut

2012-03-14T07:04:00.000-07:00

Japanese stocks fell Monday for the first time in four sessions as investors' hopes for a substantive U.S. rate cut has faded.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell 31.98 points, or 0.20 percent, to close at 15,924.39 points, following a 0.5 percent rise Friday. The broader Topix index of all first-section issues lost 3.25 points, or 0.21 percent, to 1,558.51.

Modest U.S. job data released Friday suggested to some investors that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates a quarter point when its policy-makers meet Tuesday instead of a half-point.

Still, the U.S. jobless rate held steady at a relatively low 4.7 percent in November, the Labor …

2 charged in alleged $75 million health care fraud

2012-03-14T04:44:00.000-07:00

Two former executives of the bankrupt health care company Canopy Financial Inc. were charged Monday with swindling investors out of $75 million and illegally pocketing $19 million from accounts that were supposed to pay the medical bills of individuals nationwide.

Canopy's former president and chief operating officer, Jeremy Blackburn, 36, formerly of Malibu, Calif., had already been charged in a criminal complaint filed in December with operating a $60 million fraud. He was released on a $1 million bond.

A criminal information filed by federal prosecutors on Monday said the amount of fraud discovered by federal investigators had grown to $75 million. Also …

Where is the justice?

2012-03-14T02:01:00.000-07:00

WIDOW Pat Cager has hit out at the four-year sentence given to theman who killed her husband Tony, bosun of the pleasure cruiserBalmoral.

Robert Lock, DJ at Pat and Tony's 30th wedding anniversarycelebration on board the ship in Bristol, kicked Mr Cager violentlyin the head. He was jailed for four years and four months formanslaughter.

Lock, aged 38, of Knightstone House, Crow Lane, Henbury, had beendue to be tried for Mr Cager's murder.

But in a dramatic move at Bristol Crown Court yesterday, Lockadmitted manslaughter, along with assaults on members of Mr Cager'sfamily who had gone to help him.

Mrs Cager, who now lives in Plymouth, said: "He was lovely. He didnothing, absolutely nothing to deserve this. England has let himdown.

"He had 12 years in submarines. He nearly lost his life twice onhis submarine.

"He has worked hard all his life and this is how he has beenrepaid, and all that person has got is four years.

"Someone got that the other week for pinching a mobile phone.Whereis the justice in this country? Tony's not been shown any justice.

"I have lost a very loving husband, my children have lost a lovingfather and, as Gavin has pointed out, when he gets married anygrandchildren won't have a grandfather.

"Think, in four years that bloke can walk and I will still bewalking around without a husband. It is so unfair. He doesn't deserveto live, that swine."

She said her husband would be buried at sea and that, instead ofhaving flowers at his funeral, they had asked for donations to bemade towards a commemorative wheel on the Balmoral.

Bristol Crown Court was told that Lock, who has 32 previousconvictions stretching back to when he was 14, had been booked to bethe DJ for the wedding anniversary party for Mr Cager and his wifePat on board the Balmoral after advertising in the Yellow Pages.MarkEvans QC, prosecuting, said that initially the celebrations on boardthe ship, which was moored at Princes Wharf, next to Bristol'sIndustrial Museum, had gone well and Lock had been offered thepossibility of future work on board the ship.

But Lock then got into a drunken argument with his partner, CarolBurchill, and assaulted her.

He was ordered off the boat and attacked Mr Cager when he went tospeak to him and asked him to calm down.

Lock was standing on the quayside above the level of the boat andkicked Mr Cager so hard in the head he collapsed with bleeding to hisbrain and died shortly afterwards.

Mr Evans said: "His daughter Nicola Delap ran to his aid. Hekicked her to the head, rendering her unconscious for a fewseconds.Mr Cager's son Gavin Cager intervened and received a similarkick."

He added that Lock later bit a policeman as he was arrested in StNicholas Street.

Mr Justice Maurice Kay jailed Lock for four years for themanslaughter, four months consecutively for causing the policemanactual bodily harm and four months concurrently for assaulting MrCager's children.

Richard Smith QC, defending Lock, said he had shown remorse. Hesaid Lock had acted in the heat of the moment while very drunk.

Sentencing Lock, Mr Justice Kay said: "No sentence I pass canbring back Mr Cager and all sentences seem to the aggrieved,bereaved families to be inadequate."

Commander Tom Foden, the Balmoral's Clevedon agent, said he was"astounded" by the leniency of the sentence.

He said: "The man responsible for Tony's death appears to have gotoff lightly and I fully support the views of his family.

"We have lost one of the best bosuns we ever had through no faultof his own. Tony tried to intervene in unfortunate circumstances andthere was no call for what happened to him."

Verizon's second-quarter earnings report, in brief

2012-03-13T23:09:00.000-07:00

IPHONE EFFECT: Verizon Wireless added 1.26 million subscribers under contract in the second quarter, more than it has in two and a half years. It was helped by the iPhone, which it started selling in February.

INVESTOR DISAPPOINTMENT: Verizon Communications stock fell nearly 3 percent. Analysts were disappointed that wireless revenue wasn't growing faster.

NEW CEO: Chief Operating Officer Lowell McAdam, who has been groomed to take over as CEO from Ivan Seidenberg, will do so on Aug. 1, the company announced.

Elvis, Ali photos tell stories of 2 American icons

2012-03-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

DOYLESTOWN, Pennsylvania (AP) — In a culture saturated with celebrity magazines, paparazzi and red carpets, it's hard to imagine capturing an image of a young Elvis Presley alone on the sidewalk in New York. Or a picture of Muhammad Ali at play with neighborhood kids in a parking lot.

No screaming fans, no camera flashes, no entourages.

These unguarded moments are among dozens featured in "Ali and Elvis: American Icons," a pair of photography exhibits sharing gallery space through May 15 at the James A. Michener Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Philadelphia. This is the first time the exhibits have been displayed together.

The Smithsonian-curated "Elvis at 21" show offers a glimpse into Presley's life just as his star begins to rise. Needing publicity photos, Presley's record company hired photographer Alfred Wertheimer in 1956 to shadow the rock-n-roll prince who would become The King.

Wertheimer had extraordinary access, said Smithsonian project director Marquette Folley.

"After this year, 1956, no one can ever get this close again," Folley said. "The walls go up."

The images of Ali, taken by multiple photographers, chronicle his years from teen boxer to his reign as The Greatest to a beloved figure battling Parkinson's disease. They were first displayed at a Hofstra University symposium on Ali in 2008.

Putting the exhibits together was simply an effort to take a broader look at the concepts of fame and the making of icons, said Brian Peterson, chief curator at the Michener Museum.

Certainly the two superstars had similarities. Both sons of the South, Presley and Ali enjoyed worldwide popularity but also alarmed some people with their swagger and attitude — Elvis with his thrusting pelvis and use of African-American rhythms in his music, Ali with his braggadocio and conversion to Islam.

Wertheimer's 56 images — most enlarged to 3-by-4-foot (91-by-120-centimeter) prints — capture Presley's electrifying stage persona but also his more intimate moments: standing in solitude in front of New York's Warwick Hotel; sprawling on a couch reading fan mail; and interacting with his family.

Wertheimer also chronicles one summer week that found the American idol rehearsing alone at a piano for an appearance on Steve Allen's show in New York, kissing a giddy fan backstage in Richmond, Virginia, and splashing in his swimming pool at home in Memphis, Tennessee.

"I was basically putting Elvis under my microscope," Wertheimer, now 81, told The Associated Press. "He permitted closeness."

The bulk of "Muhammad Ali: The Making of an Icon" features shots of the heavyweight champ in and around the ring: training in Miami; absorbing blows from George Foreman in Zaire; and looming over a floored Sonny Liston in Neil Leifer's famous frame from 1965.

But the exhibit starts with less familiar and more personal images from when Ali was known as Cassius Clay — shadowboxing with his family, preening in front of a mirror and riding a bike with adoring local children. It ends with pictures of Ali the celebrity and humanitarian, lighting the Olympic torch in Atlanta and receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Curator Hava Gurevich said the power of the 50-image show lies in its combination of fine art, documentary and news photography.

"It's like a kaleidoscopic view of Muhammad Ali's life," Gurevich said.

Peterson, the Michener curator, said he didn't find out until after booking them that Presley and Ali had actually crossed paths. Elvis visited Ali's training camp in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains and gave him a rhinestone cape; Ali gave The King an autographed pair of gold boxing gloves.

"I can't say it was part of our grand plan," Peterson said. "(But) it made us feel we were kind of on the right track."

The next stop for "Elvis at 21" is the William J. Clinton museum in Little Rock, Arkansas. The next stop for "Muhammad Ali: The Making of an Icon" is the Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

___

If You Go...

ALI AND ELVIS: AMERICAN ICONS: Runs through May 15 at the James A. Michener Museum, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Tickets are $12.50. Details and hours can be found at http://www.michenermuseum.org.

New York lines offer mix of moods, shapes

2012-03-13T17:25:00.000-07:00

((PHOTO CAPTION CONTINUED)) with a full sweep coat in gold and blackhoundstooth check wool trimmed in black velvet over her new ranchpants and skinny black sweater. Hino & Malee top a leather-likejacquard horizontally pleated skirt and black silk blouse with areversible red and black polka dot jacquard rain coat. BetseyJohnson camps it up with the past and present with ruffled whitelinen shirt belted over black velour jersey tights with fun and gamesaccessories. ((CAPTION ENDS)) NEW YORK Influential Norma Kamali thinks women want to look "politeand ladylike" for fall.

Chicago's Hino & Malee are softening their signaturearchitectural lines with ruffles and scallops.

And Betsey Johnson is skipping along the Yellow Brick Road with aripsnorting takeoff on the "Wizard of Oz" as only Johnson can takeoff.

Kamali is doing a line for Zamasport of Italy and another forBloomingdale's under special licensing arrangements in addition toclothes for her own OMO shops. She decided to meet the press herselfthis season instead of leaving the job to her lieutenants.

"We're in conservative times," she said as she brought out keystyles from her Zamasport collection.

Gone are the wild fake furs, replaced by fake Persian lamb. Goneare hemlines that bare the knees.

Skirts, very narrow or very full, hit properly below the knee, atmid-calf, below the calf or to the ankle. Pants, narrow or verywide, hit just above the ankle or below it.

"You have to be responsible and give consumers a choice. Theshort skirt is an irresponsible way to cure an ill for the industry."In other words, as a way to stir up excitement and change.

Kamali put her punch behind the Zamasport line, which this fallwill go into 15 U.S. specialty stores. Until now, it has been soldonly in Europe. She said prices will run $400 to $1,200.

There are beautiful sculptured jackets and swing toppers overslim skirts or pants. "Long and thin," she commented, "I think it'sthe newest."

Jackets and coats, the latter usually very long with fittedbodices and full swing skirts, have a lot of detail. There's a redwool jacket with black passementerie trim, which, she says, a womancould wear for 10 years. Another has buttons and collar backed inblack velvet.

She uses quilted black velvet for a very long full skirt. Theblack velvet jacket shown over a bias black velvet Jean Harlow gownis trimmed in ermine tails.

She treats these pieces as accessories to collect and keep for along time.

Some of the clothes, particularly the combination of a swingtopper or bolero over a long skinny skirt, recall the glamor of thelate 1920s or early 1930s. The full-skirted coats and long fullskirts are a lot like updated versions of Dior's famous New Look.

Kamali has trimmed down most, but not all, of her shoulders. Shepairs a sqaure-shoulder topper with wide-legged pants for newproportions.

The clothes are beautiful, and should appeal to big spenders whoreally do want to look polite and ladylike.

The main news at Hino & Malee is the softening of lines with knittops and cardigans that end in a ruffle, ruffled leather belts,scalloped fronts on clean-lined jackets, interesting collars, anddresses, coats, skirts and pants in oval shapes inspired by a rubrumlily before it opens. The rubrum shape is achieved by seamingdetail.

They also do a wide-legged pant that looks especially good. Agroup of rainwear in a red with black pindot lacquered jacquardfabric is outstanding.

Hino & Malee kept hemlines somewhere on the knee, except for anoccasional plunge and then mainly for late day.

The couple, who started their business in 1980, are scheduled toenter a new partnership April 24 - marriage.

Betsey Johnson, who refuses to grow up after a quarter of acentury in business, took on the role of Glenda the Good Witch inpetticoats and crown for her show.

Wielding her wand, she signaled groups that ranged from littleDorothy with ruffled white linen aprons to "marching meanie" stripedstretch jersey separates shown with winged helmets.

Some of the groups, with their beautiful ruffled white linenshirts and pants in cotton jersey velvet, dipped back to the 18thcentury.

And then there was 1981 with zippered canvas motorcycle jacketsand miniskirts, plus Johnson's skintight jersey tube dresses. Stripoff all the crazy accessories and fun-making and there are greatclothes, with or without layers of petticoats.

With Johnson, you just forget about hemlines and trends and gowith the flow. She dedicated the collection to the young at heart.Fortunately, her clothes are priced so the young can afford them.

SECOND FASTEST GROWING COMPANY 100 PROFILE: Milestone Engineering & Construction, Inc.

2012-03-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

SPECIALTY: Construction managers and general contractors for the commercial. industrial, institutional. and educational markets.

Frank Lemay and William Giles built their construction company from a two-man operation in an 8- by 10-foot room in to a thriving business.

Lemay, president. started the company 12 years ago and two years later combined his expertise with that of Giles, vice president. While enjoying impressive growth in a hot economy for the construction industry, both men want to make sure the Concord-based company doesn't become so big that they lose the ability to be personally involved in its projects.

"When you hire Milestone, you hire Frank and me and our experience," Giles says "You're dealing with the two principals of the company."

Giles attributes the company's success to being frank and open with clients and providing them with quality service. Milestone has projects lined up through September 2001 but Lemay expects the company's expansion will slow down ... by choice.

"We probably won't be back here again as a fastest growing company next year. We're close to our critical mass. We don't want to be any bigger," Giles says, explaining that would mean getting away from providing personal attention, which they are not willing to do.

The company has a stable base of work, with 60 to 70 percent of clients and architects coming back to them with more projects. Lemay says.

LESSONS LEARNED: "Pay attention to the client and business," says Giles. "You have to be very in touch with your projects," Lemay adds.

Russians settle for bronze in ice dance

2012-03-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

Bronze medals in hand, Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin made no apologies for the end of Russia's dominance in ice dance.

Canada's Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won the gold medal Monday night, only the third time since ice dance became an Olympic sport in 1976 that a Russian or Soviet team has failed to stand atop the podium. Considering what Domnina and Shabalin have endured the last few seasons, however, any spot on the podium was an achievement.

"We skated as well as we could," Domnina said. "Actually, we probably did more than Maxim's condition allowed us to do."

Shabalin, 28, has been skating on creaky, fragile knees the last three years. He had surgery in December 2007 to repair the meniscus in his left knee, but rushed back to the ice so the couple could be ready for the European championships. They won the title, only to have Shabalin re-injure the knee and force them out of the 2008 world championships.

In the spring of 2008, Domnina and Shabalin left Russia to train in Pennsylvania with Natalia Linichuk and Gennadi Karponosov.

The 1980 Olympic champions have trained a star-studded list of dance teams, including two-time gold medalists Pasha Grishuk and Evgeny Platov, and Domnina and Shabalin hoped the move would make them the next on that list.

They withdrew from the 2009 Europeans after Shabalin fell on his knee during compulsories, but came back to win their first world title last spring.

But the knee was bothersome again this year, and the Russians were forced to sit out the Grand Prix series.

"No medal is worth what we went through," Domnina said. "Maxim deserves a quadruple medal for his courage."

While Domnina and Shabalin refused to use Shabalin's knee as an excuse, it's clear they've lost a step _ especially when compared with the younger Canadians and Americans. The Russians weren't nearly as fast or powerful, and couldn't match their technical difficulty.

They finished with 207.64 points, almost 14 points behind Virtue and Moir and more than eight behind the Americans. Just how big a deficit is that? Think Spain vs. Faeroe Islands in World Cup qualifying.

"We are happy with the bronze medal. It was a long, difficult way for us, and we are happy we did it," Shabalin said. "We gave everything out there on the ice."

Margaret, 3, back safe and unhurt after kidnap Kidnapped three-year-old Margaret Hill has returned home, hungry and covered in mosquito bites, but unharmed, her father said.

2012-03-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

Kidnapped three-year-old Margaret Hill has returned home, hungryand covered in mosquito bites, but unharmed, her father said.

The British youngster who lives in Nigeria with her parents Mikeand Oluchi, was snatched as she was being driven to school onThursday.

Margaret is reported to have said she was "fine" and happy to seeher mother.

The little girl was reunited with her parents last night and MrHill said no ransom had been paid to secure his daughter's release.

He said: "She was released due to the pressure put on the peopleby the security services of Nigeria."

He added that the little girl was covered head to foot in mosquitobites and that they planned for her to see a doctor today to bechecked out.

Margaret had been "in a little bit of a trance" when she was firstreturned to them but then came back to life and began talking to hermother, he said.

Asked about how she had been treated and where she was kept, hesaid: "She was in the bush ... in some sort of hut ... I don't thinkshe had much to eat because she is hungry now."

Describing the ordeal of the past few days, Mr Hill added: "Thepressure is unbelievable, it's difficult to explain. You stop eatingand can't think of anything else. You are just worrying all thetime."

The kidnappers had targeted his wife and repeatedly phoned herbecause they believed she was the "weakest link", Mr Hill added.

He said he did not believe they were real militants from the Deltaand added that his daughter's kidnap had not put him off Nigeria ingeneral.

He said: "I do not have a problem with Nigeria, I think about 99%of people are very good. It's the one per cent that spoils them all."

Mr Hill, who is originally from County Durham, has lived inNigeria for around 10 years and works in the energy industry. He alsoruns a popular nightspot in Port Harcourt.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he was "delighted" andthanked those who worked to secure Margaret's release.

"I am grateful to the Nigerian authorities for all their help andI hope the perpetrators will be swiftly brought to justice."

Gunmen seized Margaret while the car taking her to school wasstuck in traffic on Thursday in Port Harcourt, an oil industrycentre.

It was the first abduction of a foreign child in the increasinglylawless oil region of Africa's biggest oil producer.

More than 12 foreigners are currently in captivity, including fiveseized on Wednesday from a Royal Dutch Shell oil rig.

Wild's Foster Has Surgery on Leg

2012-03-13T04:28:00.000-07:00

Minnesota defenseman Kurtis Foster's broken left leg is the latest gruesome reminder of the dangers of touch-up icing in the fast-paced NHL.

Foster will miss the rest of the season, including the playoffs, after crashing hard into the boards Wednesday night during a race to the puck with San Jose rookie Torrey Mitchell. Foster had surgery Thursday to repair a displaced fracture in his femur, and a stabilizing rod was put into his leg.

Mitchell, who unintentionally touched and tripped Foster just enough to upset his balance, was trying to prevent an icing call against the Sharks by racing to touch the puck before Foster. Icing occurs when a defensive team shoots the puck across two red lines and puts it behind the other team's goal _ but play doesn't stop unless the offensive team touches the puck first, leading to several scrambles for the puck in most games.

Some of those scrambles are mildly exciting, but Foster's injury is just the latest in a long line of nasty injuries caused by those mad dashes and quick stops. Despite nearly annual discussions in league meetings, including last month's general managers' meetings, the NHL still hasn't adopted no-touch icing, in which referees stop play as soon as an iced puck crosses the goal line.

"It's just one of those things that tells you there should be automatic icing, which I've been talking about for years," Sharks coach Ron Wilson said after the game. "But I guess that's a play that people _ at least I've heard _ that's what fans love to see, a big car wreck like that.

"I don't know the extent of (Foster's) injury, but whatever it is, we shouldn't have those kinds of car wrecks. For all the times you might have somebody beat a guy to a puck on an icing, it doesn't ever offset a situation where two guys collide and somebody gets hurt on the play."

The Sharks have particular experience with the injury. In March 2004, forward Marco Sturm broke his leg and dislocated his ankle after running into the boards feet-first while chasing a puck with Colorado's Adam Foote.

Wilson, influential CBC commentator Don Cherry and other like-minded hockey people have lobbied for years to institute no-touch icing, the same rule used in international play and several minor leagues.

Just as the NHL refuses to require the use of visors in a sport with frozen pucks flying at players' faces, Wilson thinks a combination of tradition, perceived excitement and machismo keeps no-touch icing out of the league.

Others also say the no-touch rule slows down the game with a handful of extra stoppages in play.

"We've talked about it at (NHLPA) meetings," Toronto forward Matt Stajan told the Canadian Press on Thursday. "It comes up every year. It's up to the competition committee. I'm sure they'll look at it again in the summer.

"Personally, I like the race for the puck, but obviously people are getting hurt. Sometimes hits are being thrown, and you wonder about the respect factor. Every time there's an injury, it makes everyone aware of it again. Eventually there will probably be something done."

Mitchell clearly didn't mean to hit Foster in a dangerous manner during the second period of the Wild's 4-3 shootout loss to the Sharks, yet Foster still left the ice on a stretcher due to the severity of his injury. Foster will spend at least two days recovering at O'Connor Hospital in San Jose before returning home, team spokesman Aaron Sickman said.

"When a guy goes down, you have to battle through it," defenseman Kim Johnsson said after the game. "You have to keep winning games. Seeing Foster like that, you don't want to see anyone get hurt like that."

It's a big blow for the Wild, who have three upcoming road games in Canada. Minnesota is just three points ahead of Calgary, Colorado and Vancouver in the tight Northwest Division.

If Brent Burns and Nick Schultz are the team's top two defenseman, Foster was right there behind them. At 6-foot-5, he has plenty of size to be a physical presence at the blue line, but also has been showing a knack for getting involved on the offensive end.

"I thought he was playing great," Minnesota coach Jacques Lemaire said. "He was playing his best hockey. It's a big loss."

___

AP Sports Writer Jon Krawczynski in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

Go Comedy! Improv Theater announces inaugural cast

2012-03-13T01:17:00.000-07:00

Go Comedy! Improv Theater announced their inaugural casts for the All Star Showdown at 8 and 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Auditions were held in early August with more than 100 people vying for a chance to perform with the new theater located at 261 E Nine Mile Road in Ferndale, and three casts were selected to perform.

The Resident Company includes Lauren Bickers, Troy Davies, Chris DiAngelo, Anne Faba, Garrett Fuller, Michael Hovitch, Pj Jacokes, Suzie Jacokes, Heather Kovacik, Louie Krause, Tim Krzyczkowski, Bryan Lark, Jaime Moyer, Scott Myers, Matt Naas, Jamen Spitzer, Cara Trautman and Mke Wilson. The Resident cast will also feature Dave Davies, Joe Davis, David Herbst and Quintin Hicks.

The House Team, serving as understudies to the Resident Company and performing on Thursday nights, includes Dyan Bailey, Billy Crawford, Tiffany Jones, Gary Lehman, Sean May, Bill Nicholson, Lesley Phillips and Billy Zakolshi.

The Launch Group, a showcase for the area's upcoming improvisers, will perform on Wednesday nights and includes Steve Forbes, Julia Garlotte, Sarah Grogan, Jen Hansen, Jeff Mansk, Nate Mitchell, Ryan Parmenter, Tommy Simon, Meghan Trudell and Ce-Anne Yates.

Upon opening, Go Comedy! will offer the finest in improv and sketch comedy, a fully realized training center and already offers road shows, classes and workshops available for private parties, corporations and schools.

For more information, call 248-327-0575 or visit www.gocomedy.net.

Iran to Meet With EU Official Over Nukes

2012-03-12T22:19:00.000-07:00

VIENNA, Austria - The European Union's foreign policy chief and Iran's senior nuclear negotiator tentatively agreed to meet Wednesday in a last-ditch attempt to bridge differences over Tehran's atomic program, U.N. and European officials said.

With the Vienna meeting seen as the last chance for Iran to avoid sanctions, U.N. Secretary- General Kofi Annan threw his weight behind a negotiated solution, saying Monday that confrontation with the Security Council "will not be in Iran's favor or that of the region."

The officials, who agreed to share confidential information about the meeting with The Associated Press only if their names weren't used, stressed that the date and venue of the talks could still change.

While word leaked last week that Iranian chief negotiator Ali Larijani agreed to meet with top EU envoy Javier Solana to discuss ways to solve the impasse, details of the talks were being officially kept secret in an apparent attempt not to jeopardize any chance of their success.

Asked to confirm the reports, Cristina Gallach, the spokeswoman for Solana, would only say that "the lines of communications are being kept open" between the two sides.

At issue is Tehran's defiance of the Security Council's Thursday deadline for it to freeze uranium enrichment, a potential pathway to atomic arms. The oil-rich nation insists the program is peaceful, intended only to produce fuel for nuclear reactors that generate electricity.

Senior negotiators of the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany are expected to convene in Berlin on Thursday to discuss the results of the Solana-Larijani meeting.

Annan appealed for moderation instead of confrontation. "The best solution to the issue is talks," he was quoted as saying by the official Qatar News Agency while on a stop in Doha, Qatar, after visiting Tehran.

The U.S. and its allies are increasing pressure for punishing a defiant Iran. But they agreed last week to give the Solana-Larijani talks a chance in an attempt to mollify Russia and China, which are reluctant to endorse harsh and swift U.N. punishment for Iran, a major trade partner.

Beside his failure to nudge Iranian leaders toward an enrichment halt, Annan's Tehran visit was marred by Iran's announcement Sunday that it will host a conference to examine what it calls exaggerations about the Holocaust, during which more than 6 million Jews were killed by the Nazis.

The U.N. chief met on Sunday with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who told him that Iran favored talks on its nuclear program but would not halt uranium enrichment before entering negotiations as demanded by the West.

Iran's unyielding stance appears to be based on the calculation that Russia and China, both veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council, will oppose sanctions.

On Monday, the Iranian government insisted a hostile U.S. attitude was to blame for the crisis.

"There is a good trend over the nuclear issue," government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham said. But he added: "Some countries and powers like the U.S. want to turn the logical trend into an illogical one."

Still, with Annan failing to secure any commitment to halt uranium enrichment from Iran's leaders, other nations shared U.S. doubt about the Solana-Larijani meeting.

"We must remain skeptical" that the talks will achieve results, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told Germany's ambassadors. "If not, the road to the U.N. Security Council will be unavoidable."

In June, the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany offered Iran a package of economic and diplomatic incentives to limit its nuclear program. Iran didn't respond until Aug. 22.

While Tehran's response has not been made public, government officials and diplomats have said it did not address a freeze on uranium enrichment - the key condition set by the six powers.

Iran's slowness in responding to the incentives package prompted the Security Council to issue a resolution July 31 ordering Tehran to halt uranium enrichment by the end of August.

Iran also said Monday that it had tested a new air defense system to counter missiles and aircraft during large-scale military exercises throughout the country, state-run television reported.

Footage showed at least four surface-to-air missiles being fired from mobile launching pads. The report did not say if the missile was equipped with a guidance system.

Iran's military test-fired a series of missiles during large-scale war games in the Persian Gulf in March and April, including a missile it claimed was not detectable by radar that can use multiple warheads to hit several targets simultaneously.

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Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi in Tehran and Stephen Graham in Berlin contributed to this report.

US dollar higher against the Japanese yen midafternoon

2012-03-12T19:28:00.000-07:00

The U.S. dollar was trading at 111.01 yen at 2:50 p.m. (0550 GMT) Thursday, up from 110.55 yen late Wednesday in New York.

2012-03-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

San Francisco approves giant redevelopment project

2012-03-12T11:47:00.000-07:00

After more than 20 years of environmental cleanup efforts, San Francisco's largest swath of undeveloped land will someday be home to thousands of families, as well as parks, businesses and perhaps even a new football stadium.

The county Board of Supervisors last week overwhelmingly approved a project to turn the abandoned Hunters Point Naval Shipyard into a bustling 700-acre (283-hectare) residential and commercial center on the southeast shoreline of San Francisco Bay. The Miami-based developer, Lennar Corp., is in the process of negotiating with lenders to finance the initial home construction, which could begin later this year.

Supporters say the development, which will stretch west to Candlestick Park, will breath new life into the rough-edged Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood by bringing jobs, affordable housing and recreation options into an area plagued by gang crime and poverty.

"This is a part of San Francisco desperately in need of revitalization," said Board of Supervisors President David Chiu. "This area is the last remaining plot of land to help develop the future of what San Francisco is going to be."

But critics have raised concerns that portions of the federal Superfund site are a long way from being environmentally sound. They also fear the disappearance of the city's last predominantly black community, citing the displacement of poor black residents during the earlier redevelopment of San Francisco's Western Addition neighborhood.

"Part of San Francisco died yesterday," Supervisor Chris Daly, the board's lone dissenting vote on the current proposal, said Wednesday. "The city is essentially green-lighting gentrification."

Daly had lobbied unsuccessfully for an amendment requiring 50 percent of the new homes to be set aside as affordable housing. The current plan reserves 32 percent of the units for low and moderate income residents.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which oversees the cleanup of the shipyard along with the Navy, is approaching the development plan with cautious optimism, stressing that there is still work to be done.

"It's getting really close to where we feel the site can be safely transferred and development can occur, and we're trying to clean things up as fast as we can," said John Chesnutt, a manager in the EPA's Superfund Division.

The 936-acre (378-hectare) base, which was closed in 1974, is one of 20 former military sites in California whose high levels of pollution have earned them a spot on the EPA's National Priorities List.

The shipyard received its Superfund designation in 1989, and the Navy has since spent $700 million addressing hazards such as toxic metals and chemicals and low-level radiation contamination. Only one 88-acre (35-hectare) parcel of land has been fully transferred to the city, while the rest is still undergoing decontamination work.

Now that the Board of Supervisors has acted, the EPA will enter into a formal legal agreement with Lennar Corp. to ensure the developer takes certain environmental safety precautions during the construction phase, Chesnutt said. Those include applying a cover layer of soil or pavement over "hot spots" where the original soil was contaminated.

As a symbol of the shipyard's evolution from environmental blight to eco-friendly urban model, the development plan includes space for a green technology research hub within the 2.65 million square feet (0.25 million square meters) of commercial space.

The new community also will include about 10,500 new homes, 885,000 square feet (82,218 square meters) of retail space and more than 300 acres (121 hectares) of open space. Additional land has been set aside for a new stadium if the 49ers decide to stay in San Francisco rather than move to Santa Clara. Hunters Point is between San Francisco International Airport and downtown, and not far from the current stadium.

Lennar Corp. first won control of the shipyard site in 1999, when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom was a county supervisor. He called the current board's vote on Tuesday a "proud and historic day" for the city and for those who had devoted the past decade to seeing the project to fruition.

"Together we have secured a critical engine for our city's economic future and embraced a new vision of jobs, housing and hope for the Bayview-Hunters Point community," Newsom said in a statement.

At full build-out, the development is expected to generate $11 billion in additional property tax revenues and create up to 12,000 direct jobs, according to an economic impact report earlier this month by the city controller's office.

The majority of San Francisco residents seem to view the shipyard development favorably. In 2008, 61 percent of city voters approved Measure G, endorsing the plan and starting it down the path toward an environmental review and final approval by the city.

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On the Web: Hunters Point Shipyard, http://www.hunterspointcommunity.com