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Get an overview of this hotel4-star beach resort with a full-service spa
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Popular property highlights
Nestled on the beach, this Ko Chang resort is 0.2 mi (0.3 km) from Ko Chang Medical Clinic International and 2.5 mi (4 km) from Klong Plu Waterfall. Lonely Beach and Kai Bae Beach are also within 3 mi (5 km).
Resort Features
Catch some rays at the beach or spend the day relaxing at The Dewa Koh Chang's full-service spa. Then enjoy a meal at one of the resort's 2 restaurants.
Room Amenities
All 59 individually decorated rooms feature free WiFi and minibars. Guests can enjoy deep soaking tubs, and other standard amenities include balconies, room service, and LCD TVs.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Opens in a new window
The Dewa Koh Chang
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
Spend the day at the beach and work on your tan with sun loungers (chaise longues) or relax in the shade with umbrellas. Pamper yourself with a treatment at the full-service spa and enjoy amenities at The Dewa Koh Chang like an outdoor pool and a children's pool.
Dining is available at one of the resort's 2 restaurants and guests can grab coffee at the coffee shop/café. Guests can unwind with a drink at one of the resort's bars, which include a beach bar, a poolside bar, and a bar/lounge. Public areas are equipped with complimentary wireless Internet access. This beach resort also offers a spa tub and a sauna. Complimentary self parking is available on site.
The Dewa Koh Chang has designated areas for smoking.
- 24-hour front desk
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- Airport transportation (surcharge)
- Total number of rooms - 59
- Babysitting or childcare
- Bar/lounge
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Business center
- Coffee shop or café
- Concierge services
- Full-service spa
- Cruise terminal shuttle (surcharge)
- Ferry terminal shuttle (surcharge)
- Hair salon
- Designated smoking areas
- Pool umbrellas
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Laundry facilities
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Outdoor pool
- Spa treatment room(s)
- Poolside bar
- Beach bar
- Free self parking
- Beach umbrellas
- Beach sun loungers
- Pool sun loungers
- Beach towels
- Number of restaurants - 2
- Sauna
- Spa services on site
- Spa tub
- Children's pool
- Wedding services
- Free WiFi
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Outdoor pool
- Children's pool
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry facilities
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Free self parking
Room Amenities
- Balcony
- Air conditioning
- Phone
- Minibar
- Coffee/tea maker
- Free bottled water
- Daily housekeeping
- Private bathroom
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Slippers
- Separate bathtub and shower
- Deep soaking bathtub
- Rainfall showerhead
- Desk
- In-room safe
- Cable TV service
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- In-room massage available
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Room service (limited hours)
- Individually decorated
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- Rollaway/extra beds (surcharge)
- Free WiFi
Where to Eat
Buffet breakfasts are available for a surcharge.
The Restaurant - Overlooking the pool, this restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The Beach - This beachfront restaurant serves lunch and dinner.
The Cafe - This café overlooks the pool.
The Pool - This café is located by the pool. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar.
Room service (during limited hours) is available.
Nearby Things to Do
An outdoor pool, a children's pool, and a spa tub are on site. Other recreational amenities include a sauna.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Mountain biking nearby
- Windsurfing nearby
- Snorkeling nearby
- Kayaking on site
- Boat tours nearby
Spa Services
THE SPA has 2 treatment rooms including rooms for couples. Massages are available on the beach and in the spa; other services include facials, body wraps, and body scrubs. A variety of treatment therapies are provided, including aromatherapy and hydrotherapy. The spa is equipped with a sauna and a spa tub.
Children under 12 years old are not allowed in the spa without adult supervision.
- Massages on beach
- Body wraps
- Body scrubs
- Aromatherapy treatments
- Hydrotherapy treatments
- Sauna in spa
- Spa tub in spa
- Massages
- Number of treatment rooms 2
- Couples treatment rooms
- Body treatments
- Facial treatments
Hotel Policies
Check-in time ends at midnight
Check-in time starts at 2 PM
Special check-in instructions:
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are available for THB 1500.0 per night.
- Pets not allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
- New Year's Eve gala dinner fee
Optional extras
- Fee for buffet breakfast: THB 500 for adults and THB 250.00 for children (approximately)
- Airport shuttle fee: THB 2500.00 per vehicle (one way)
- Rollaway bed fee: THB 1500.0 per night
Hotel Name
- Dewa Hotel
- Dewa Hotel Koh Chang
- Dewa Koh Chang
- Koh Chang Dewa
- The Dewa Koh Chang Hotel Koh Chang
We should mention
This property offers transfers from the cruise terminal and ferry terminal (surcharges may apply). Guests must contact the property with arrival details 24 hours prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation. Reservations are required for massage services and spa treatments. Reservations can be made by contacting the resort prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation. A fee for a mandatory New Year's Eve gala dinner is included in the total price displayed for stays on 31 December. The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.


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willamette was okay.
i prefer much tighter courses. the majority of the NW courses are similar from my experiences. they tend to put them in the open and use a few pieces of vegetation to dictate the holes whereas i'm spoiled and am used to them carving fairways through thick woods.

subset: commoncrawl


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Look at Manny Diaz's smile. Isn't it sweet? And those clean-shaven, baby-soft cheeks. Now observe the eyes. They are the color of sorghum, compactly framed by delicate webs on each side and lightly shadowed crescents below. His widow's peak hairline accentuates a black mane so pomade smooth it glistens like wet paint. On campaign literature and posters the gray has been airbrushed out, leaving an image of beguiling innocence, youthful freshness.
And that is precisely the Manny Diaz he wants you to know -- at least for now. From Overtown to Brickell Avenue, the 46-year-old Miami mayoral candidate's winning cosmetics are plastered across 150 bus benches, countless campaign signs, and more than 45,000 brochures (which also feature a photograph of his aesthetically pleasing family).
Other advertisements are in nonstop rotation on Spanish-language radio and television. Birthday cards emblazoned with his slogan, "The Choice for Change," arrive at the homes of elderly voters. His adorable six-year-old daughter can be found with him at senior lunches, handing out chocolate-chip cookies bearing wrappers that remind: "Manny for Mayor." My, isn't he young and energetic, the seniors say.
But it's not just the elderly who have embraced him -- or at least his image. Seventy college and high school students have been spending their Saturdays as volunteer campaign workers. Not only can they relate to him personally (he plays the drums and listens to Led Zeppelin, after all), but they see him as a refreshing change from his scandal-scathed, politically recycled opponents.
Diaz is supremely confident he'll make it out of the November 6 primary election and into a runoff one week later. But he hasn't let his confidence lead to complacency. Since kicking off his campaign this past June, he's been on a marathon walking tour of the city. So far he's visited more than 4000 homes, an effort that requires four hours each day, six days each week.
On this particular afternoon his blue dress shirt is soaked with perspiration. Walking briskly down the sidewalk on SW 24th Street near 27th Avenue, he swats at a mosquito as he passes a thermometer hooked to a chainlink fence. It reads 99.6 degrees.
"Ya think it's hot?" he teases as he hops up concrete steps to knock on another door. Diaz doesn't talk much, but when he does it's often an attempt at wry humor, and while that's an appealing asset, it won't be enough to overcome his biggest handicap: Too many people don't know who he is -- this despite his having amassed a stunning half-million-dollar campaign war chest. (Al Lorenzo, Diaz's campaign manager and the Oz behind the successful campaigns of underdogs such as Miami-Dade school board member Marta Perez, Miami City Commissioner Johnny Winton, and a bevy of state legislators, says underestimating Diaz is like underestimating the Karate Kid. "He's washing the car, catching flies with chopsticks to get ready," Lorenzo says as he raises his arms and knee in imitation of the famous Karate Kid stand. "He's just waiting, you know. And then, whammo! It's going to be all over with.")
The candidate leans forward to ring the doorbell. Gladys Saez appears. Her eyes open wide and she covers her mouth with both hands, as though she's just won a sweepstakes. "¡Yo se quien tu eres! [I know who you are!]" she exclaims. "Tu eres el que cuidó al niño. [You're the one who took care of the little boy.]" Saez has recognized Diaz not from his bus-bench ads or direct-mail brochures but because he was one of Elian Gonzalez's most visible lawyers. Saez has a celebrity standing on her doorstep.
She ushers him into her kitchen and brews him Cuban coffee. They chat for fifteen minutes about her family and the weather but don't discuss the election. She doesn't ask about issues. Disappearing into another room, she returns with a cordless phone. "Guess who's in my kitchen?" she brags to a friend. The candidate's eyebrows jump as he sips a glass of water. Another vote?
People don't tend to dive behind their couches when Manny Diaz raps at their door. Even in Miami's predominantly black neighborhoods, where Diaz's efforts on behalf of Elian were decidedly unpopular, he is greeted politely if not enthusiastically. And though he repeats often that his campaign has nothing to do with the Cuban boy, he isn't foolish enough to fight his double-edged celebrity, even if that means tolerating the occasional resident who mistakes him for José Garcia-Pedrosa, another Elian attorney-turned-mayoral candidate.
"He's not unknown in political circles, but voters don't really know him," says pollster Sergio Bendixen, whose June survey ranked Diaz dead last in every category, including name recognition. "Manny is in a great position, though. He has no negatives, which is more than Carollo and Suarez can say, and he can mold public opinion of himself."
But there remains another obstacle for Diaz, and it's a big one. "Manny's gotten off to a slow start with his platform," explains Bendixen. "I've heard him say he wants to be the mayor in a very general way that's almost sloganlike. For a new candidate, having a clear reason for running apart from just being new is crucial. We need to hear what he stands for, who he is, what kind of vision he has for the city. Who is Manny Diaz?"
The odor of cigarette smoke hangs in Diaz's Coconut Grove law office. Sunlight pours through bay windows and splashes across bare walls he hasn't had time in four years to decorate. His wood desk is bare except for a pile of papers stacked neatly in one corner. An oversize ashtray sits next to his computer. "I can't seem to quit," he confides, referring to the Salems he's smoked since he was a teenager. "And now probably would not be the best time anyway." Still clocking twelve-hour days at his civil practice -- Diaz & O'Naghten -- Diaz begins work at 6:30 a.m., making phone calls to potential campaign contributors. After pushing his campaign into overdrive in midsummer, he's taken on very few cases, unusual for an attorney accustomed to juggling many.
Colleagues describe him as obsessively organized and claim he maintains a filing system that rivals the Pentagon's. His wife, Robin, adds that he's not an "at home by 6:00" kind of guy. In fact his manic work habits commonly cause him to lose weight and sleep when he's involved with something important. At the height of the Elian saga, he dropped fifteen pounds and pulled all-nighters one after another. Long-time friends know him as a lifetime overachiever. Remember that kid in high school who was president of the senior class and the student council? The one who got the girls, scored the touchdowns, made good grades, and had perfect skin? Well, he's grown up now, and he's running for mayor.
Born in Havana on November 5, 1954, Diaz was reared by his homemaker mother, Elisa, and strict father, Manolo, an orphan educated in Fulgencio Batista's military schools. After moving to Miami in 1961, Diaz attended Belén Jesuit Preparatory School, regarded as a veritable incubator for future leaders. There he became the "MVP of everything," recalls classmate Carlos McDonald, now an aide to Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth (also a Diaz supporter). "Manny was class president, president of the student council, a great athlete," says McDonald. "He was a popular kid. I think we all just assumed he would run for something someday."
Diaz was on track to fulfill Belén's traditionally high expectations by receiving a scholarship to Columbia University. But the eighteen-year-old's academic dreams were dashed when he got his high school sweetheart pregnant. "It was definitely a surprise," he remembers, "but I loved her and I thought it would work. Family has always come first for me. My parents were supportive. We had to deal with what life had handed us." He gave up Columbia and went to Miami-Dade Community College instead. "Not to disparage Miami-Dade," he says, "but I felt like I had worked hard and that I would go Ivy. But you just have to remain who you are and stay committed to family."
He and his new wife Patricia McNamara struggled to raise Manny Jr., now a 27-year-old assistant football coach at North Carolina State University. The young couple lived in a small Miami Beach guest house that McNamara's father, a real estate businessman, loaned them.
While she earned a nursing degree, he took care of the baby, went to school part-time, and worked for the National Enquirer. "I had to get a job, and that's what I could find. I would go to Eckerd and count all the magazines in the rack and make an X on each one," he says, laughing at the memory. "Those were desperate days."
By the time he graduated from MDCC, he and his wife had amicably split. She took Manny Jr. and he took out more school loans, enrolling at Florida International University and graduating with a degree in political science. Immediately he went to University of Miami's School of Law. He helped his parents buy a new house with a bonus he received from his first job as an attorney.
Diaz's motivation in running for mayor is intertwined with his father's death in 1999. Manolo Diaz, beloved in Miami's Cuban community for his exuberant sense of humor and love of baseball, instilled in his son an appreciation for activism. "When I was six my father organized a strike in his electrical union against Castro and was sent to jail for about a year," he recounts. "I remember that I was outside playing one day and there were some announcements over the radio that they had shot prisoners along the wall.' All of a sudden adults came rushing out into the yard crying. So the kids started crying. Apparently they had announced that Manny Diaz' had been shot, which we assumed was my father. We lived daily with the fear that my father wasn't coming back, and I began to understand what it meant for politics to become like breathing, for your life to depend on how strong and honorable your government is."
His father's death had a profound effect on him. "I felt a void in my life," he says. "I looked around the city, to the place where my parents had invested their dreams. It felt different, like someone had over the years taken something from it. People have forgotten what I knew growing up here. Neighborhoods are the heart of a city. There's a woman who couldn't get out of her apartment for three days because of flooding, elderly people who don't have furniture or air conditioning; people won't leave their homes at night for fear of being a crime victim. The streets are torn up, garbage isn't picked up on time."
His brooding has coalesced into something that resembles a political platform, albeit a pretty straightforward one: neighborhood improvement. Generally blaming Miami's past leaders for "building skyscrapers but ignoring people," Diaz wants closer scrutiny of how the city spends millions it receives from the federal government for rehabilitating distressed neighborhoods. He plans to provide financial incentives for tightly focused projects on targeted streets. Civic and business leaders, he says, have pledged their assistance in hosting workshops for start-up entrepreneurs.
Many of the candidate's ideas about rebuilding Miami's poorer areas come from U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek, who has endorsed Diaz in a mailing sent to 9000 black and Haitian voters. Considering Meek's impressive pull in those communities, her endorsement is a major coup. "Manny is one of the most honest, passionate, accepting people I know. There was no question I would support him," says Meek, noting that her friendship with Diaz stretches back more than twenty years, when he helped her campaign for the Florida House of Representatives.
"He sat down with me and listened to what I thought should be done in black neighborhoods," she goes on. "That's one his best attributes: He listens to people, then thinks, then acts. I've seen him be fair with all people. He's passionate, concerned about economic development. He promised me he would focus on the inner city."
Promises are fine, says Bishop Victor Curry, but black Miamians are skeptical. The influential pastor of New Birth Baptist Church, Curry also is the popular host of a radio talk show on the church's station (WMBM-AM 1490) and former president of the NAACP's Miami-Dade chapter. He issues a warning about promises: "We've heard too many of those. This year it's all about your record. We don't have problems with Manny because of Elian. Elian has nothing to do with our future. Do the things in Mr. Diaz's past suggest that he would support the citizen review panel [to oversee the city's police department]? Would he be sensitive to the poorer areas of the city that have gone for decades without attention?" In a mailing directed at black and Haitian voters, Diaz has pledged his support for the review panel, which will come before voters November 6. The letter, though, does not spell out his reservations. "I'm definitely for it," he explains, "but I'm concerned about the timing -- like if it's going to interfere or hamper police investigations. I don't know if I agree that police shouldn't participate [on the panel]."
Just a year after graduating from law school, 25-year-old Diaz, known in local political circles for his work on Meek's campaign, was asked to lead a newly formed organization called SALAD (Spanish American League Against Discrimination). Initially reluctant, he feared the post would disrupt his law career and cast a constant political spotlight on him. "When I was still in school, I got to know local politicians, and the one thing that stuck out was their personal and business lives were a mess," he recalls. "I didn't want to go through that. Then Mariel happened."
In April 1980 Fidel Castro opened the Cuban port of Mariel and allowed nearly 125,000 Cubans, many of them criminals or mental patients, to immigrate to the United States. According to the State Department, approximately 90,000 settled in South Florida. Nearly all were protected from deportation by the special status afforded Cuban immigrants by federal law.
Similar protections, however, were not extended to Haitian immigrants, several thousand of whom were deported between 1980 and 1984 under orders of the Reagan administration. Diaz opposed what he perceived to be a double standard, and as leader of SALAD (he had overcome his reservations), he coordinated with attorneys around the nation to help Haitian refugees obtain legal advice, encouraged people to pressure public officials, and led a lobbying effort to introduce legislation that would make immigration laws more evenhanded.
Although that was more than two decades ago, Diaz stresses his Mariel position in campaign ads and has reminded key Haitian, Cuban, and black leaders of it. "Manny showed me a newspaper article from that era," says state Rep. Phillip Brutus, the first Haitian to be elected to Florida's legislature. "Mariel meant to me that he had enough guts to say what he felt, when he didn't have anything to gain; he wasn't running for office. I just couldn't [endorse] anyone else."
In 1981 Diaz marched SALAD into another high-profile battle, this time against Citizens of Dade United, a predominantly Anglo group that successfully introduced a referendum (passed by 60 percent of voters) prohibiting the county from conducting business in any language other than English. In the press Diaz blasted it as "ridiculous, petty, and senseless." The county, exploiting the ordinance's broad language, continued to provide emergency, medical, tourism, and other services in Spanish. "It was a disgusting display of bigotry," Diaz remembers. "The beginning of the Eighties was really tense in Miami. You think there's some distrust now between different groups? Back then it was unreal."
Gaining confidence, Diaz was becoming an effective rhetorical machine gun, strafing any group that appeared exclusionary. In 1983 he unloaded on Miami Beach Mayor Norman Ciment for suggesting that the city erect roadblocks to keep foreign immigrants from moving to the Beach. Diaz told the Miami Herald that Ciment's suggestion was "the most appalling and irresponsible statement ... from a public official in a long time." A month later Diaz grilled the Burger King corporation for a memo it sent to its Miami restaurants forbidding work-related discussions in Spanish. If the policy wasn't changed, Diaz announced, Hispanics would have it their way -- at McDonald's. The chain quickly retracted the ban.
Diaz then took aim at an old-line Miami institution, the Orange Bowl Committee, for rejecting membership applications from a black, a woman, and two Hispanics. Next he aligned SALAD with the Dade Hispanic Officers Association, which had filed a complaint against the Miami Police Department for not hiring or promoting enough Hispanics.
In 1984 Diaz stood before a gathering of the county's elected officials and political activists and turned what was expected to be an inconsequential luncheon speech into a full-throttle assault on Cuban-American Republican campaign strategies that pandered to Hispanic voters. In the same diatribe, he ripped Anglo Democrats for not encouraging Hispanic Democrats to run for office. Although he resigned from SALAD in 1985 to concentrate on his law career, Diaz couldn't bring himself to completely leave the political arena. In fact he immediately began helping Bob Butterworth raise money and garner voters for his first run for attorney general in 1986. "Manny was a force," remembers Butterworth. "He helped me from the beginning. He's not just a guy coming out of nowhere. He knows politics and would, considering the competition in that race, make a great mayor for Miami." (The attorney general has contributed $1500 to Diaz on behalf of himself, his wife, and her business.)
Asking people for money may not be something Diaz relishes, but he has been exceedingly successful at it. As of September 30, the latest date for filing campaign reports, he'd received $530,785. Attorneys and insurance industry insiders have been the biggest givers. "I just picked up the phone and called a few friends," he shrugs. Among those friends is U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, for whom Diaz raised money when Nelson was elected state insurance commissioner in 1994 and 1998. In turn Nelson appointed Diaz to the Florida Joint Underwriting Association, the state insurance pool, where he established contacts that have paid off in his bid for mayor.
Nelson introduced Diaz to a range of Tallahassee movers and shakers, people who today are bringing him both campaign contributions and criticism. "I don't know how you can say you're new when all you've got around you supporting you are these people who've played the political game for a long time," says mayoral opponent José Garcia-Pedrosa. "These people will eventually want a payback."
Long-time Miami political consultant Ric Katz says that kind of carping is unfair. "If you're mostly unknown, you have to raise substantial money to buy media," he notes. "You take a certain amount of hits for it, but that's insider politics that the public rarely grasps."
As of last week Diaz had not contributed one dollar of his own money to the campaign. He hasn't needed to. Not that he doesn't have the means. He estimates his net worth at between two and three million dollars, most of which was amassed while working as chief counsel at Terremark, Inc., a Coconut Grove development company. During the mid-Eighties Terremark, headed by entrepreneur Manny Medina, was flying high. Flush with success and eager to extend his reach, Medina in 1986 purchased Monty's Bayshore Restaurant in Coconut Grove from its namesake owner, Monty Trainer. (Diaz represented Medina in the deal.) Monty's, which sits on city-owned waterfront land, was a historic watering hole for Miami's power elite. Thanks to Trainer, it also was steeped in controversy. Many people thought Trainer's lease agreement with the city was a sweetheart deal, a perception that seemed to be confirmed by city auditors, who accused him of bilking taxpayers out of nearly $200,000. (Trainer eventually went to federal prison after being convicted of tax evasion.)
When Medina's real estate empire began to crumble in early 1991, he subleased the restaurant and adjoining shops to Manny Diaz and political insider Stephen Kneapler. Today Diaz owns fifteen percent of the operation, which now includes a Monty's restaurant in Miami Beach. He says his annual income from the Monty's businesses and his law practice totals $500,000. Despite the potential for conflicts of interest should he become mayor, Diaz says he does not intend to sell his interest in Monty's in the Grove.
But the appearance of a conflict could present dangers, a possibility already anticipated by campaign manager Al Lorenzo. "I call them UFO's -- unidentified flyers," Lorenzo says. "The other guys will put them out linking Manny to Monty, Manny to anything to make him look bad. But they are completely stupid if they think that Manny's part-ownership of one of the most profitable, popular restaurants in town is going to look bad."
Ric Katz agrees. "Guilt by association usually backfires," he warns. "I don't know whether the other candidates are going to exploit that. My guess is that someone probably will."
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Two weeks after the terrorist attacks, while America was still hard-wired to 24-hour news coverage, Lorenzo sat at Versailles restaurant. Prior to the assaults, he explained as he doodled on a paper placemat, the plan had been to purchase lots of media, including billboards, in the closing weeks. But media is expensive, and contributions dropped off dramatically after September 11. Predictions of raising a million dollars by the end of October vanished; the campaign will probably be lucky to reach $700,000. (As of September 30, Maurice Ferré had raised $343,000, Willy Gort $231,000, and Joe Carollo $226,000. The other candidates -- Xavier Suarez, José Garcia-Pedrosa, Emiliano Antunez, Danny Couch, and Miguel Alfonso -- trailed far behind.) "Let's say I go full-court press and buy all the television airtime I can," he said, sketching a basketball court on the placemat. "Then we start dropping bombs, and the news dominates."
Lorenzo's prescience has offered little comfort. The proven efficacy of broadcast media has been upended. One thing, though, remains certain: His candidate must continue walking the neighborhoods, knocking on doors, visiting senior centers, and reminding voters who has endorsed him. (On October 8 he added the Miami gay-rights group SAVE Dade to his list.)
A recent Miami Herald/Univision poll provides hope. It showed that Diaz would be among the top three vote-getters on November 6. In a runoff against Carollo, Diaz would waltz to victory. "A lot of time was wasted talking about me in terms of the [earlier] Bendixen poll and how poorly I registered," Diaz says. "What a difference a few months make. People are listening to me, getting behind me. Ferré and Carollo can talk, talk, talk. But change is going to happen. I promise you."


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Porter believes Springer matches up with Hunter
Houston manager thinks Detroit's veteran outfielder is perfect mentor for his player
LAKELAND, Fla. -- Astros prospect George Springer had a chance to spend a few moments on Monday talking with Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter, whom Springer grew up idolizing. The meeting was arranged by Astros manager Bo Porter, who considers Hunter one of his closest friends in baseball.
Porter has said several times this spring that Springer's game -- speed, power, high energy -- is reminiscent of Hunter, a former All-Star and Gold Glove Award winner, and he thought it would be a good idea for Springer to latch onto him as a possible mentor.
"I told George, 'When you are a young Major League player, you want to kind of find someone that possesses the same skill set you possess, has played a high level and you want pick that person's brain,'" Porter said. "That's why I put him in touch with Torii Hunter. They're going to exchange numbers, and he's a great mentor for George to latch onto that would really help him as he progresses in his Major League career."
Springer grew up in Connecticut and actually met Hunter while he was playing at Double-A New Britain in the Twins' organization from 1997-98. He told his father he liked the way Hunter played the game, diving for balls and running into the wall to make a play if he had to.
"He's always been the guy who I look up to ever since," he said. "It's going to be a great honor to see him play again in person. I see the highlights of him all the time and he's obviously a fantastic player. He plays the game the right way."
Springer said being compared to Hunter is an honor.
"It's something special to me as a kid, especially as a player, for Bo to compare you to anybody," he said. "I'm obviously extremely thankful what Bo's done for me. He's given me an opportunity, and I'm going to go out and play and have fun."


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JR wrote:Sideways placement influences hyzer/flat/anny and the distance between the feet has an influence on nose angle. The longer the foot separation the harder it is to bend forward at the waist for nose down throws. Even standing still the stance changes from sideways foot placement because it tilts the whole body like the leaning tower of Pisa. It can influence hyzer/any a lot. Especially if you don't clear your hips getting them jammed.
I never thought about the distance between your legs influencing nose down, but that's a very good point.


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A major in physical education examines the relationship of sports, athletics, and physical fitness to our culture and cultures throughout the world. The physical education student's preparation includes the acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values from a vast array of courses. These courses include not only movement activities but also an understanding of associated physiological, biomechanical, sociological, psychological, historical, philosophical, and pedagogical principles. This broad theoretical foundation of relevant disciplines is applied to the professional aspects of teaching, coaching, and administration of contemporary physical education. In addition, interested students may pursue careers in adapted physical education, athletic training, and physical therapy.
The physical education major endeavors to support the Muskingum University mission to develop whole persons in a global society. The movement activities incorporated throughout the curriculum develop students physical well being, while the associated content principles stimulate their intellectual development. The involvement of athletic competition in the student's education provides an opportunity for modeling ethical practices and integrity. The breadth of this preparation enables students to chose many professional paths as they seek vocationally productive and personally satisfying lives.
Maps & Directions
Academic Affairs
Undergraduate Admission
Financial Aid
Graduate & Continuing Studies
Business Office
Academic Catalogs


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NEW ORLEANS — On the eve of Super Bowl XLVII, the NFL handed out its most coveted awards during the league's second annual "Honors" at New Orleans' Mahalia Jackson Theater. The biggest winner was the man who just had one of the biggest seasons in NFL history:
NFL MVP, Offensive Player of the Year
Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings. When you rush for 2,097 yards, carry your team's offense to the playoffs and do it all a year after tearing multiple knee ligaments, you become the definition of most valuable.
Peterson's performance in the season-ending win over Green Bay—where he broke 2K and led Minnesota to the NFC's second-wild card berth—was the push he needed to hold off his four challengers, who also played on playoff teams.
"Midway through the season, that's when I felt that I was better than I was before," Peterson said. "It wasn't easy. I had to work hard all the time—mentally, just believing you're going to come back and be better, that's a huge part of it."
Given there was little separation between quarterback MVP candidates Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers (last year's winner for the Packers), Peterson stood out in a strong season for workhorse running backs. Peterson also combined his powerful efforts with the prolific numbers to win offensive player of the year—an award that went to hometown quarterback Drew Brees last year for his 5,000-yard season with the Saints.
"I had confidence going in—I knew had a good chance to win it," Peterson said of being named MVP. "I told myself this—just go out there and play your heart out every opportunity you get, and the awards will come to you. That eases your mind, focusing on that main goal."
Peterson received 30 1/2 MVP votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league. Manning got the other 19 1/2 votes. For offensive player of the year, Peterson received 36 ballots to Manning's eight.
Peterson, who led the Vikings from a 3-13 mark in 2011 to 10-6 this past season, is the first running back to win MVP since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006.
Comeback Player of the Year
Peyton Manning, QB, Broncos. Manning got this award over Peterson probably because unlike the 27-year-old Peterson, he didn't play at all in 2011 while battling through neck surgery. But Peterson's ability to come back stronger than ever from major knee surgery may go down as the most impressive injury rehabilitation by an athlete of all time. It's easy to forget, however, that Peterson still produced 970 rushing yards and 12 TDs in '11 and unlike Manning, he didn't have the challenge of resetting his career with a new team in '12. Manning, who is nine years older than Peterson, also didn't know if he would play football anywhere again.
"I played for a long time, and thought I left everything out there on the field," Manning said of the uncertainty coming out of his final season with the Colts. "I enjoy the game, it's something I have great passion for—I truly feel fortunate to still be playing.
"I did not know what to expect of having double variables, coming off an injury, not playing for a year, and joining a new team with a new system, new teammates. That certainly added a lot to my plate. I thank the Broncos organization for giving me the resources to have a comeback season."
AP Defensive Player of the Year
J.J. Watt, Texans. This was the easiest choice of the night, as the AP honor mirrored Sporting News' nod. Watt was far and away the most active and disruptive defender in the league, with his 20.5 sacks, 22 tackles for loss and his 16 passed defended. If that wasn't off the charts for a 3-4 end, he also delivered 42 other hits on the quarterback and forced four fumbles. According to a release from Texans' PR, Watt contributed to 95 plays that were negative or neutral for Houston's opponents. He, along with fellow second-year players Aldon Smith (49ers) and Von Miller (Broncos, defensive rookie of the year for '11), also should be the early top three candidates for the award in '13.
AP Offensive Rookie of the Year
Robert Griffin III, QB, Redskins. Griffin (3,200 yards passing, 815 yards rushing, 27 total TDs) got the nod over fellow breakout quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson, and his Redskins teammate, running back Alfred Morris. Griffin made it a point to mention Morris twice, both with his acceptance speech and when addressing the media later.
Most years, Morris, with 1,613 yards rushing, would have been a lock. But he was overshadowed by the electric dual threat who hands him the ball. There's no doubt the fact Griffin plays in big-market Washington helped him finish ahead of Indianapolis' Luck and Seattle's Wilson. That happened despite the fact the other two also went to the playoffs and Wilson's Seahawks beat Griffin's Redskins head-to-head in the wild-card round.
AP Defensive Rookie of the Year
Luke Kuechly, LB, Panthers. Kuechly delivered as the ninth overall pick with 164 tackles, one sack and two interceptions for Carolina. Although the Panthers broke him in on the outside, he really hit his stride in the middle after Jon Beason was lost for the season. Kuechly was a hard-hitting cleanup man, but his skills in pass coverage set him up to have long-term success in a league where keeping up with tight ends and other inside receivers is critical. Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner, a runner-up, has the same kind of makeup after posting numbers similar (140 tackles, 2 sacks, three INTS) to Kuechly.
AP Coach of the Year
Bruce Arians, Colts. Arians got Sporting News' award for coordinator of the year for his great work with Luck in Indianapolis. His offensive acumen also contributed to him getting the full-time head-coaching job with the offensive-starved Cardinals. But going 9-3 as the Colts' inspired interim leader while Chuck Pagano was treated for leukemia was the more impressive feat for Arians. It will be a challenge for him to produce the same results in his first year in Arizona, but he can't be counted out if he gets the chance to work with another promising rookie quarterback.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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SAN FRANCISCO -- Michael Morse hasn't stopped smiling in his time as a Giant, but it would have been understandable if he had worn a frown under his headphones as he rode his scooter into AT&T Park on Thursday.
The Giants had lost three straight games to Morse's former team, the Washington Nationals, and the slugger awoke Thursday to find himself savaged in an error-filled "Washington Times" column that repeatedly questioned Morse's intelligence.
Morse's response was to seek out Hunter Pence, his closest friend on the team.
Was Morse angry? Disappointed? Looking to make a statement?
"He was extra positive," Pence said. "He came up to me and said, 'I was positive all night, I've been positive all day. Let's go have some fun.' "
Morse went out and had three hits, Pence reached base fives times, and Tim Hudson threw seven strong innings to lead the Giants to a 7-1 win over the red-hot Nationals.
"At least we could show them that the team they beat the first two or three days, we're better than they saw," Hudson said.
After a matchup of division leaders, that was about as close as any Giant would get to admitting they needed to make a statement Thursday. For one, it's June, and as many in the winning clubhouse pointed out, there is plenty of baseball to be played. But more than that, these Giants don't believe in making statements. They don't worry about the big picture.
"We black out results as much as possible," Pence said. "It's all about perspective, right? If you lose, you find a way to get better. If you win, you won."
The Giants have done plenty of winning, but that's done nothing to change the "one day at a time" attitude. Even before this series, there was no talk of October, not even in hushed tones. When the Giants lost the first three games and generally looked like the second-best team on the field, there was no panic.
"We don't have to say anything and pump each other up," left fielder Tyler Colvin said.
Instead the Giants just set about finding the familiar path, and for most of this season, that has meant scoring first and piling on. Colvin got the lineup going with an RBI triple in the second inning. He scored on Brandon Crawford's ground out.
That was plenty of support for Hudson, who leads the major leagues with a 1.81 ERA. Hudson wiggled out of one minor jam after another, getting an occasional boost from the fielders up the middle. Center fielder Angel Pagan made a diving catch in left-center to rob Jayson Werth of extra bases in the fourth. Shortstop Crawford turned an athletic double play on speedy Denard Span in the fifth, saving a run.
"It's comforting to know that you're always one pitch away from getting out of a jam when you have one out," Hudson said of the team's penchant for double plays. "They've done a great job out there defensively."
Hudson gave up just one unearned run, overtaking Cincinnati's Johnny Cueto (1.85) for the major-league ERA lead. He said he doesn't worry much about being a "stopper" for losing streaks, and the Giants haven't even had many through two and a half months. But Hudson has put an end to any momentary lapses. The Giants improved to 10-2 with the right-hander on the mound, 7-0 at AT&T Park.
"With Huddy, you know that the team lost three in a row. He's a guy that's going to bulldog his way through," said Nationals infielder Kevin Frandsen, a former Giant. "He's going to compete. He's going to make sure his team has a chance to win and get things changed. He challenged, made pitches when he needed to." "
As Hudson churned through innings, Pence and Morse led a versatile attack. They combined for six singles and three runs, and Colvin reached base three times. Crawford had two hits, scored once and drove in a run. Hector Sanchez put the game out of reach with a two-run single in the eighth inning.
After three lackluster days, the Giants avoided what would have been their first ever four-game sweep at AT&T Park.
"We hit a bump in the road, but this is a tough group," manager Bruce Bochy said. "They have a lot of character. They didn't think about the three previous games."
When they wake up Friday, they won't think about Thursday's, either.
Scutaro's back injury has been so baffling the Giants have never even set a timetable for his return. He had a PRP injection in the lower part of his back last month and recently returned to the team's Scottsdale, Arizona, facility to resume conditioning work.
Scutaro will take some light swings sometime this week to see if the injection truly helped.
"Obviously there's a lot of concern with what may be the next move," Bochy said.


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Since its initial construction in the 1960's, San Diego California's Qualcomm Stadium has hosted Super Bowl games, MLB World Series and All Star Games. In March of this year, it also hosted ODB Production's first stop on their 2010 Lowrider Experience tour. The tour was announced in November 2009, and it included a 10-stop schedule in cities throughout the United States, beginning in San Diego.
The grounds of Qualcomm Stadium were filled with some of the finest rides from the Southern California area. UCE Car Club showed up with quite a line up. As Kita put it, they had "quality over quantity". JD's '63 Impala, "Hustle Harder," and Joe Hilyer's '63 Impala ,"Overtime," were stationed at each end of the UCE line-up. Both cars were definitely perfect examples of the quality we are used to seeing from UCE Car Club.
The Imperials Car Club were also in San Diego, and their crew had JR Garcia's April 2010 Impala Cover Car on display. Elite Car Club showed up in full force with a line up laced with beautiful paint jobs, courtesy of Mario's Auto Works. Also making their way down South for the show was Good Times. Majestics, Groupe, and the Rollerz Only came out as well, boasting multiple chapters to support the show. Pachuco Car Club, Classic Memories, Dukes, Oldies, and Viejitos brought out some of their finest Bombs, much to the fans' delight.
There were a number of local San Diego area car clubs on hand at the show as well. Individuals, The Crowd, Latin Touch, Impalas, Members Only, New Wave, Just II Loww, and Touch of Diego were just a few of the clubs representing the San Diego Lowrider Nation. Each club brought out a whole line up of great looking rides, each of them worthy of representing the host city.
ODB made sure that there was plenty of activities for the fans to indulge in, besides checking out the car show. There was a play area for the kids at the show, as well as plenty of quality vendors like OG Abel, Chronic Candy, and Thump Records, who sold everything from T-shirts and hats to music and accessories. Qualcomm had food vendors at the show, who walked around selling cold drinks and helped make the lines in the food court more manageable.
About mid-day, the hopping contest was underway and although there were only a handful of competitors, they put on one heck of a show! They did not stop hopping until parts were flying off the cars, leaving some of the hoppers inoperable. In the end, Ary and his HiLow Mazda took home the cash.
The day was filled with live entertainment from the deejay as well as local musical groups. The headliners of the show were Baby Bash and Mike Jones, who kept the crowd moving and shaking throughout their performances. As always, the bikini contest concluded the live entertainment portion of the show.
The show was a great start to the tour. Make sure you check out the show when it comes to your city! The shows are only successful with the support and participation of you, the Lowrider enthusiast. Thanks to Beto and his team for the hospitality and a great time at the show. See you at the next one!


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Move out Policies Rent and contract Services
Spindler Hall is a historic residence hall run like an apartment. A smaller building with 80 residents, the hall is a favorite for senior, graduate and non-traditional students at Western Michigan University. It provides independent living that is an economical alternative to apartment living. Located on historic East Campus, Spindler Hall is near the Graduate College, the Little Theatre and the College of Health and Human Services. Bronco Transit and Kalamazoo Metro Transit stops are nearby.
To be eligible to live at Spindler Hall, you must either be a WMU graduate student, an undergraduate senior or a non-traditional student at least 21 years of age. Students must be enrolled for at least one credit hour in both the fall and spring semesters.
Hall highlights
- Traditional residence hall with single rooms and community bathrooms.
- One laundry room located in the basement.
- Gaming room, community kitchen and large patio.
- Front office with service desk.
- Co-ed by floor.
- Furnished option only.
- Wireless and high-speed Ethernet service.
- Card and key access for security.
- Contract by semester.
The staff
Hall director: Adam Wall
Graduate assistant: Jessica Brecht
Resident manager
Hall office: (269) 387-7101


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The mission of the Economics, Accounting and Business Department is to help produce well-rounded members of the business community who understand the necessity of profit balanced by the constraints of ethical conduct, legal behavior, and risk. All four majors in our Department (Economics, Accounting, Accounting-Public, and Business) are designed to provide the tools necessary for our graduates to succeed in both the world of commerce and in graduate degree programs. We seek to challenge our students to objectively analyze economic circumstances, to construct feasible and ethical alternatives, and to make appropriate decisions that balance the welfare of the firm with the overall impact on society.
The Economics, Accounting and Business Department mission supports the mission of Muskingum University by providing high quality academic programs in the context of a liberal arts education. We help develop whole persons who can think critically, behave ethically, and engage socially so that they may lead vocationally productive, personally satisfying, and socially responsible lives.
Maps & Directions
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Academic Catalogs


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16 U.S. Code § 47–1 - Administrative site for Yosemite National Park
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(a) Establishment of site
To enable the Secretary of the Interior to preserve the extraordinary natural qualities of Yosemite National Park, notwithstanding its increasing use by the public, the Secretary is hereby authorized to provide in the manner hereinafter set forth an administrative site in the El Portal area adjacent to Yosemite National Park, in order that utilities, facilities, and services required in the operation and administration of Yosemite National Park may be located on such site outside the park.
(b) Acquisition of land
For said site the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to acquire by purchase or donation, or with donated funds, approximately twelve hundred acres, as shown on map numbered NP–YOS–7011, of non-Federal land, interests in land, and appurtenances thereto, and, to avoid severing parcels in private ownership which extend beyond the area so depicted, the Secretary of the Interior may acquire in their entirety such parcels of land or interests therein.
(c) Transfers of jurisdiction
The Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior are authorized to arrange and effect mutually satisfactory transfers of jurisdiction over land administered by each in the El Portal area. Land so transferred to the Secretary of the Interior shall thereupon be excluded from the national forest or forests involved and thereafter be administered by the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to this section as a part of said administrative site. Land transferred to the Secretary of Agriculture pursuant to this section shall thereupon become national forest land subject to all laws, rules, and regulations applicable to land acquired pursuant to the Week's law.
(d) Pre-existing claim, location, or entry
Nothing herein contained shall affect any valid claim, location, or entry existing under the land laws of the United States, or the rights of any such claimant, locator, or entryman to the full use and enjoyment of his land.
(e) Status of acquired land
Until further action by the Congress, the lands acquired by or transferred to the Secretary of the Interior hereunder shall not become a part of Yosemite National Park, nor be subject to the laws and regulations governing said park, but the Secretary of the Interior shall have supervision, management, and control of the area and shall make and publish such rules and regulations as he may deem necessary and proper for its use and management: Provided, That he may grant nonexclusive privileges, leases, and permits for the use of land in the area and enter into contracts relating to the same, subject to the limitations and conditions applying to the similar authority provided in section 3 of this title.
(f) Availability of funds
Funds now or hereafter appropriated or otherwise available for operating and capital programs in the areas administered by the National Park Service, including funds for acquisition of land and interests in land, are made available to acquire land, interests in land, and appurtenances thereto, within the administrative site, and to further the purpose of this section.
Source(Pub. L. 85–922, §§ 1–6,Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1772.)
References in Text
Week's law, referred to in subsec. (c), is act Mar. 1, 1911, ch. 186, 36 Stat. 961, which is classified to sections 480, 500, 513 to 519, 521, 552 and 563 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 552 of this title and Tables.
Subsecs. (a) to (f) are based on sections 1 to 6, respectively, of Pub. L. 85–922.
Land Exchange, El Portal Administrative Site, California
Pub. L. 105–363, § 4,Nov. 6, 1998, 112 Stat. 3298, authorized transfer from the United States of land within the El Portal Administrative Site to party conveying to United States an adjacent property known as the Yosemite View parcel, and provided for equalization of values of Federal and non-Federal lands, applicability of other laws to the exchange, boundary adjustment, map, and additional terms and conditions.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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Even when she's not on the runway, former supermodel Janice Dickinson still manages to steal the show. She strutted in promptly at showtime for the 2(x)ist fashion show dressed in a clingy Diane von Furstenburg printed wrap dress, black tights and ultra-high Christian Louboutin heels. She was full of energy — dancing around, blowing kisses for the camera and interacting with everyone around her. When the show started, she finally took her front row seat, where she shouted at the models from the Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency as they came down the runway. Not content merely observe, Dickinson whipped a disposable camera out of her Balenciaga bag and started snapping photos with such vigor that she almost fell out of her seat! Who could even keep their eyes on the runway with so much going on in the first row?
Photo: Michael Tran/FilmMagic


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Sales: 888-508-7562 Service: 888-365-4295
1 Vehicle Found
1 Vehicles Available for Transfer in Hendrick Automotive Group
Pre Owned 2010 Nissan GT-R Premium
Your Price $61,988
See Important Disclosures Here
Pricing Information
- Your Price $61,988
- Stock#
- Miles
- 20800
- Trim
- Premium
- Engine
- Gas V6 3.8L/
- Horsepower
- 485
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- Mall of Georgia Mazda
New and Used Lexus at your Charlotte Lexus Dealer, Hendrick Lexus Northlake
Here at Hendrick Lexus Northlake we have the Lexus of your dreams! Come into your Charlotte Lexus Dealer and let us show you the huge inventory of new and used Lexus cars and SUV's. We have a great sales and service staff on hand to answer any question you have about your Lexus of choice. No matter new or used, we have the Lexus you want and we are ready to get you into it and on the roads of Charlotte!
$649.00 Dealer Administrative Charge is not included in advertised price. All prices and offers are before state, city and county tax, tag, title and license fees. Out of state buyers are responsible for all state, county, city taxes and fees, as well as title/registration fees in the state that the vehicle will be registered. All prices and offers include all rebates and incentives which the dealer retains unless otherwise specifically provided. Dealer not responsible for errors and omissions; all offers subject to change without notice, please confirm listings with dealer. MSRP contains base MSRP, any factory installed options, and delivery, processing and handling charges. Delivery, processing and handling fee is based on the value of the processing, handling and delivery services Lexus provides, as well as Lexus overall pricing structure. Lexus may make a profit on the delivery, processing and handling fee.


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Brandi Eaton of Stow took first place for her short play, "A Telegram in the World of Smartphones," at Weathervane Playhouse's fourth annual 8X10 TheatreFest.
Eaton's play was one of eight selected from 150 submissions. These eight were staged July 11 through 13 at Weathervane. The audience was asked to vote for the top three plays.
Second place play was "The Psycho's Path," by Aaron McDavis of Rowlet, Texas, and "You've Got the Wrong Dragon," by Rebecca Gorman O'Neill of Denver, Colo.
Eaton's play was directed by Bill Morgan and Pat Robertell-Hudson. Robertell-Hudson, a Silver Lake resident, won first place in the first 8X10 TheatreFest at Weathervane. Bringing the play to life were actors Scott Keating Davis, Kyla Williger and Al Klesh.
In addition to selecting the winning plays, the audiences also voted for the special prop, which must be included in all the entries for next year's 2015 competition - a vintage hand mirror.Pictures of the mirror and all the details about next year's competition will be posted on the Weathervane website in late fall 2014.
The fifth annual 8x10 TheatreFest will be July 10, 11 and 12, 2015.


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Weaved Panama hat featuring a hand-painted Leaf design.
Get your very own hand painted genuine Panama hat straight from the source in Ecuador. All hats are hand painted by artist María José Félix in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
The hats are 100% woven toquilla straw.
Slight variations in design and color will occur, as each hand-painted hat is unique and original.


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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.
LEADERS: Azerane Bam BinkyBunny JerseyGirl LBJ10 LittlePuffyTail LongEaredLions RabbitPam
It still feels very surreal that he's gone. He was a big part of my life.
He was so photogenic and handsome. Everyone who saw him or his pictures commented on how beautiful he was.
The Rainbow Bridge gained a very beautiful angel...
This was the pic that made it on Disapproving Rabbits. Momma was very proud.
Last Christmas
One of my all time faves. Stormy as an Ewok, Halloween 08
This is a pretty recent pic. I love this one.
His famous "Couch Zooms". I miss these in the morning.


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ATLANTA—Sean Weatherspoon wasn't in any hurry to leave the Georgia Dome field Sunday afternoon after his Falcons' dominating 34-0 victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Giants—the team that knocked Atlanta out of the playoffs last season.
He sauntered out to midfield, said a few words to New York quarterback Eli Manning and greeted a few more Giants in his path as he crossed to the stands beyond the far sidelines.
MORE FALCONS-GIANTS: Recap | Box score | Play-by-play
There were a couple special people he wanted to share the moment with. "My parents were on the other side this week, so I went over there, just to talk to my dad and salute the family," said Atlanta's star outside linebacker. "I had like 20 tickets today. Just paying homage for the people who sacrificed a lot for me to get to where I am."
From there, he walked back toward the tunnel that leads to the Falcons' locker room, stopping to shake hands or celebrate with anyone who happened to glance his way. Before heading out, he handed a football to one of the ladies who helps run his charity, SPOONful of Hope Foundation. He smiled and pointed at fans as he finally disappeared into the tunnel. This one was a win to be celebrated with anyone and everyone wearing black and red.
"They wanted this just like we did," said Weatherspoon, the third-year outside linebacker out of Missouri. "They had to sit with the fact, for a whole year, that this team knocked us out last year. When you get an opportunity to go against them again, you make the most of it. I think we did, and they were fired up."
On Jan. 8, the Giants smothered the visiting Falcons in the wild-card game, sending Weatherspoon and his teammates back to Atlanta to figure out what went wrong in a demoralizing 24-2 defeat. That game, as much as anything over the past few seasons, contributed to the thought that the Falcons aren't built for the postseason, that they're a good regular-season team but not tough enough for the second season.
Weatherspoon and Co. spent Sunday afternoon proving that's no longer true. Atlanta had jumped out to a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter, but Manning and his Giants picked up a couple first downs and faced third-and-2 the Atlanta 33-yard line. Tom Coughlin gave running back Kregg Lumpkin the ball, but Weatherspoon stopped him short of the first down.
On fourth-and-1, Weatherspoon stopped Lumpkin again.
On New York's very next drive, Manning moved the Giants down to the Atlanta 11 with less than two minutes remaining in the half. But Weatherspoon and Stephen Nicholas teamed up to stop Lumpkin, and then instead of attempting the short field goal, the Giants went for it on fourth down. Manning's pass fell incomplete, though, and Atlanta entered halftime with the shutout intact.
"It's pretty much like they're saying, 'We're better than you, and we're going to go for it on fourth down,' " said Weatherspoon, who finished with nine total tackles and a quarterback hit Sunday. "You've got to step up."
For good measure, the Falcons' defense stopped one more fourth-and-short opportunity in the third quarter, after Atlanta pushed its lead to 24-0. That stop essentially slammed the door shut on the Giants. "Absolutely gigantic," coach Mike Smith said. "Those three fourth-down stops are like turnovers. We know that when you make them as a football team it can change the momentum."
In the locker room after the victory, some Falcons—such as veteran John Abraham, who forced a fumble Sunday—said there was no special meaning to this game, that the playoff loss to the Giants was irrelevant. But motivation is a funny thing, and what is irrelevant to one player is very relevant to another.
For Weatherspoon, this obviously important.
"He was really, really hyped and amped during practice and in the locker room, and that's what it takes," said veteran tight end Tony Gonzalez, who caught a 12-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. "That's what good football teams are built on, good leadership and good focus during your week, in your preparation."
The Falcons needed a good effort after the debacle in Charlotte last Sunday, when they were dominated by Cam Newton and the Panthers in a 30-20 loss.
This was a completely different story.
"(The effort) was better than it's been, because it had to be," Gonzalez said. "If we're the type of team we think we are, we can't have performances like we did last week. That's inexcusable. That's ridiculous, like I said after the game."
The game against the Giants was kind of ridiculous, too, but in a completely different way.
The defense held New York to 256 total yards. Special teams kept David Wilson, who had 227 yards on kickoff returns last week, from returning a kickoff past the 20-yard line. The offense put up 394 yards with Matt Ryan completing 23 passes for 270 yards, breaking his own single-season team records in both categories. As Coughlin put it, "Atlanta was very, very good, and we were very, very bad."
The win gives Atlanta a sparking 12-2 record—best in the NFC by 1 1/2 games and tied with Houston for the best in the NFL. It also gives the Falcons—even if some of them won't admit it—a little respect as an elite Super Bowl contender.
Of course, the outspoken Weatherspoon isn't afraid to admit anything.
"I'm tired of that," he said. "That's why we played like this tonight. And we're going to play like this the rest of the year. That's the goal."


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BOCA RATON, Fla. - Office Depot hasannounced a new partnership with the National Intergovernmental Purchasing Alliance (National IPA), enabling Office Depot to provide another cooperative purchasing vehicle for thousands of government agencies nationwide.
The company has partnered with National IPA to market its current agreement with the State of Florida's Department of Management Services to public agencies nationwide. National IPA is a cooperative purchasing organization, established through a collaborative effort of public agencies across the United States, with the specific purpose of reducing procurement costs by leveraging group volume. In September, Office Depot announced that it was one of three statewide vendors awarded the State of Florida contract through a competitive solicitation process for office and educational consumables. Office Depot's new program with National IPA will enable thousands of government agencies nationwide to purchase under Office Depot's State of Florida contract at the same deep discounts offered to Florida agencies.


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Texans' Watt, Vikings' Peterson offer MVP-caliber faceoff
Updated 7:40 pm, Saturday, December 22, 2012
HOUSTON — Tom Brady has defeated Peyton Manning this season. But Brady didn't beat Manning personally. How could he? They were never on the field together except to shake hands after Brady's Patriots whipped Manning's Broncos.
That's what makes today's matchup between the Texans and the Vikings so out of the ordinary. Rarely are two Most Valuable Player candidates afforded the opportunity to state their case directly to the other because, in the 21st century, defensive players usually get only passing mention when MVP conversations occur. But Houston's J.J. Watt, in only his second season, is shaking things up. He's messing with conventional wisdom.
Should the NFL's co-sack leader (191/2) and all-around disruptive force of nature at defensive end gain the upper hand in his one-on-one battle with the NFL's rushing leader, Adrian Peterson, voters may have to re-think the way they think. It wouldn't hurt if the Texans also triumph, giving them the de facto AFC regular-season championship with a 13-2 record.
"I'm not just saying this because he's my teammate," said receiver Andre Johnson, "but what J.J. has done is amazing. He's affecting the game in so many ways. To me, he's the MVP of the league.
"I think it's him or (Peterson). A.P.'s just as special as J.J. What he's doing after ACL surgery is unbelievable. To have two special players like that on the field at the same time. ... You don't see that happen too often."
Sports Channel
Vikings Hall of Famer Alan Page is the only defensive lineman to be named the MVP/Player of the Year since the Associated Press began choosing one in 1957. A tackle, Page played much the way Watt does, making a disruptive nuisance of himself in myriad ways, although the specifics are difficult to account for because the NFL made little effort to track defensive stats in Page's day. The Vikings say he had nine sacks in 1971, his MVP season, and we have to believe them because there was no official count.
Tackles for losses? Passes batted down? The ledger is blank. But numbers, of course, aren't necessary to recount Page's greatness. One of the Vikings' most famous Purple People Eaters, he helped take Minnesota to four Super Bowls. Although the Vikings went 0-4, their offense's failings shouldered most of the blame. They scored 34 points against the Chiefs, Dolphins, Steelers and Raiders combined.
Page's MVP season ended with a 20-12 defeat in the first round of the playoffs to the Cowboys, a game in which Minnesota held Dallas to 183 yards and 10 first downs. The Vikings turned the ball over five times.
Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor (1987) remains the only defensive player since Page to claim the MVP title.
And, the celebrity status of Brady and Manning notwithstanding, Peterson would seem to be the favorite with two weeks remaining. Coming off major knee surgery — he went down in Washington last Christmas Eve — he's chasing Eric Dickerson's all-time single-season rushing record, a feat Johnson called "phenomenal for someone who got hurt like he did."
Still, Watt has considerable support among his coaches and in every corner of the Texans' locker room. They see him do remarkable things every day. They know what he's all about. Or, as head coach Gary Kubiak said, "The legend grows. He's a very humble kid who's just always working. Watching practice today, watching him chase the ball downfield. ... That's why he's such a great player. Every day looks the same."
"J.J. is the most valuable player — and not just because he's my friend," argued the Texans' other defensive end, Antonio Smith. "Why? We're one of the best teams record-wise. All the numbers speak for themselves.
More Information
at TEXANS (12-2)
Kickoff: Noon, Reliant Stadium, Houston
TV/Radio: DirecTV (Ch. 706), KZDC-AM 1250, KCOR-AM 1350 (Spanish)
Line: Texans by 8, O/U 44 1/2
Series: Vikings lead 2-0.
Last meeting: Vikings won 28-21 on Nov. 2, 2008.
"... Frankly, I'm just tired of everybody thinking only offensive players can be MVP. Why is that? I've see a few defensive teams win Super Bowls these last few years. So what I'm saying is get out of the old, step into the new. Vote J.J. Watt."


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Activity note: Hotel check-in is available from 2:00 p.m.
Morning: The group leader will be in the lobby of the hotel to greet arriving travelers. Leave your luggage with the desk clerk and join the group leader for a walk in the neighborhood late morning to identify ATMs, pharmacies, stores, restaurants, etc. Guest check in is available from 2:00 p.m.
Lunch: We will gather in the lobby where the group leader will lead the way to the hotel restaurant for lunch. Plated table service. Water is included; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon: Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone with a warm welcome and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. Except breakfast, meals will be plated (each dish served to guests by a wait staff) from a set menu unless otherwise specified. Water is included with all meals and other beverages including wine, tea and coffee will be available for purchase unless otherwise specified. Unless indicated differently, transportation will primarily be provided by motor coach. Free time is reserved for your personal independent exploration. Please note that program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Evenings at leisure offer opportunities to make the program more meaningful and memorable through personal independent exploration, attending performances or other events, or simply relaxing and making new friends among fellow participants. The Group Leader will always be happy to offer suggestions. Before dinner, the group leader will greet everyone and lead introductions with a Welcome Cocktail (or fruit juice).
Dinner: At the hotel's rooftop restaurant. Fixed menu, plated table service. Water is included; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening: Continue getting to know your fellow participants, settle in, and get a good night's rest for the day ahead.
Activity note: You will be on your feet most of the morning. Walk along uneven paths and original pavement of cobblestone. Good walking shoes are a must for the visit to the Colosseum, especially for the steep and uneven steps to reach the upper level. Elevator near the entrance of the Colosseum. If, at the conclusion of the visit, you want to ride the elevator down the ground level, you will have to double the amount of walking to meet the rest of the group at the exit.
Breakfast: This day and for the next four mornings, the breakfast buffet at the hotel offers juice and water, an egg dish, sliced cold cuts, assortment of cheeses, cereal, muesli, yogurt, fresh fruit, breads and pastries, jams, honey and butter, and a selection of hot and cold beverages.
Morning: In the hotel meeting room, begin to unravel the multiple layers of Roman history through the sharp insight of a professor who will set the stage for your explorations. After a short break, board the coach for the brief ride to the closest drop off point in the pedestrian only area of the Colosseum/Forum. A local expert leads the visit of the Colosseum, built in the year 80 CE and unveils some interesting anecdotes of entertainment so many centuries ago.
Lunch: At a restaurant in the Piazza del Colosseo.
Afternoon: Guided visit continues to Via dei Fori Imperiali. With the temples and columns as a backdrop, the local expert's description will bring to life the Forum as the center of the commercial, civic and religious activity of Rome. Coach back to the hotel. Some free time before dinner.
Dinner: At a characteristic trattoria near the hotel that features regional cooking. Fixed menu, plated table service. Water and a glass of wine are included.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Coach drop off point is a few blocks from and an uphill walk to the museum entrance. Reserved entrance time at Vatican Museums diminishes the wait in line. The visit requires negotiating multiple flights of steps and walking the long corridor to the Sistine Chapel (distance is about 1/2 mile). Please note that even with a reserved entrance you can expect crowds as thousands of people visit the museum collections and Sistine Chapel every day of the year.
Breakfast: Buffet at the hotel.
Morning: In the hotel meeting room an art historian presents The Art Treasures of the Vatican in preparation for the visit to the Vatican Museums where we will explore some of its treasures and view a portion of its immense art collection. Set out by coach to the closest drop off point for the Vatican Museums. Meet the local expert who leads the visit of part of the vast collection. The extraordinary works of art in the museum will amaze you, notable are the ancient Roman statues, and of course, Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. Your guide will lead you out a back staircase which leads to the entrance of St. Peter's Basilica. Inside the basilica marvel at Michelangelo's Pietà and Bernini's bronze canopy over the main altar. At the conclusion of the visit, walk across the Piazza San Pietro to board the coach back to the hotel.
Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.
Afternoon: Free afternoon to explore a museum or a city neighborhood on your own. Suggestions are given on site.
Dinner: At a restaurant near the hotel.
Evening: At leisure. Enjoy a stroll and perhaps a drink or gelato at a café near the hotel.
Activity note: Extensive walking (about a mile) in the heart of Rome's pedestrian only area from coach drop off point and between the area from Piazza Navona to the Pantheon. Stairs to reach second floor of the Gallery Borghese.
Breakfast: Buffet at the hotel.
Morning: After breakfast, a local expert leads the walk in the heart of Rome to three landmarks: the Baroque Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon, Roman temple built in 126 CE. The walk concludes at Piazza Navona, whose buildings are set on the seating of Domitian's stadium.
Lunch: Lunch at a restaurant just off the elegant Piazza Navona.
Afternoon: Coach to the Borghese Gallery, the private pleasure and reception palace of Cardinal Scipio Borghese, an avid art collector and patron of the young Bernini. Reserved entrance time. On display in the Gallery are important paintings by Caravaggio, Raphael, Botticelli and Titian. The highlight of the collection are the emotionally charged sculptures by Bernini, a true evocation of the Baroque. Coach back to the hotel.
Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy the type of eatery that fits your budget and taste. The group leader will have suggestions where to go for small plates, or a full-course dinner.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: The Palazzo Massimo is situated right around the corner from the hotel. Few stairs to reach the entrance, elevators inside. Short walk (350 yards) from the hotel to the train station, comfortable ride on the train, short walk (300 yards) to the Florence hotel. The 1/4 mile orientation walk explores the neighborhood of the hotel and the Duomo.
Breakfast: Buffet at the hotel.
Morning: Check out of hotel. Your bags will be delivered to the hotel in Florence. The hotel in Rome will safely store your carry on bags during the morning excursion. Short walk to Palazzo Massimo alle Terme to see a fine collection of ancient Roman art with spacious and light filled exhibition spaces. Notable is the seated bronze boxer and frescoes from Villa Livia, Augustus Caesar's wife's dining room. Walk to a restaurant in the neighborhood of the hotel.
Lunch: Enjoy a light lunch, fixed menu, plated table service. Water is included; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon: Stop back at the hotel to pick up your carry-on bag. Walk to Termini, the train station. Travel on the train with just your carry-on bag. High speed train to Florence departs mid afternoon; the ride is about 1.5 hours. Short walk from the Florence train station to the hotel. Check in and settle in. Late afternoon neighborhood walk to orient you to the location of ATMs, pharmacies, stores and shops.
Dinner: Enjoy Tuscan dishes at Ristorante Benedicta, the fine restaurant in the lobby of the hotel. Fixed menu of Tuscan fare, plated table service. Water and a glass of wine are included.
Evening: Enjoy a leisurely stroll in the heart of Florence on your own.
Activity note: The walk from the hotel to the Duomo is about half a mile.
Breakfast: This day and for the next four mornings, the breakfast buffet at the hotel offers juice and water, an egg dish, sliced cold cuts, assortment of cheeses, cereal, muesli, yogurt, fresh fruit, breads and pastries, jams, honey and butter, and a selection of hot and cold beverages.
Morning: Walk to the Duomo, the heart of Florence. Meet the local expert for the visit of Florence's cathedral and most famous landmark and another site of interest in the Duomo Museum complex. The museum has recently reopened after a major renovation and modernization.
Lunch: At a restaurant near the Duomo and mercato.
Afternoon: Some free time after lunch. Nearby is the Market of San Lorenzo, the downtown historical fresh fruit and meat market. Along the road, "bancarelle" vendor carts sell various Florentine specialties: leather, scarves, pottery and souvenirs. A late afternoon classroom session on Medieval Florence and the Medici family at the hotel's meeting room.
Dinner: On your own.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: The walk to the Bargello, about 3/4 mile, traverses the heart of Renaissance Florence. The walk from the Bargello to the Accademia museum is 6/10 of a mile.
Breakfast: Buffet at the hotel.
Morning: Set out on foot for the National Museum of the Bargello where an art historian will give insight on Florentine Renaissance sculpture. Late morning presentation by an art historian provides an overview of medieval and Renaissance art in preparation for the visit to the Uffizi Gallery. The group leader will add on a brief information session to go over the logistics of moving about in Venice.
Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.
Afternoon: Set out on foot for the Accademia for an onsite lecture on Michelangelo's David, one of the most famous statues in the world. Admire the unfinished statues known as the "Prisoners" because they appear to be forcefully emerging from the marble. After the art historian concludes the explanations, feel free to remain in the Accademia to visit other exhibitions, such as early musical instruments, or the museum book shop.
Dinner: At a nearby restaurant.
Evening: At leisure. Take the long walk back to the hotel along the Arno River.
Activity note: Short walk to the Uffizi. A small elevator (cap. 3 persons) for disabled visitors may be accessible at the Uffizi Gallery. There is a long flight of stairs to reach the exhibition rooms of the gallery. Expect some crowding in the museum; it is a popular destination for art aficionados.
Breakfast: Buffet at the hotel.
Morning: Set out on foot for the reserved entrance time for the Uffizi. The visit is self-guided and you are free to spend as much time as you wish. This is the most extensive collection of art, tracing the development from Gothic to medieval to Renaissance to Mannerist paintings in the world. You will find many recognizable masterpieces, including Leonardo da Vinci's Annunciation, Botticelli's Birth of Venus and the Primavera, some Titians, Michelangelo's Holy Family, and a few Caravaggios as well as Artemisia Gentileschi. There is a coffee bar at the end of the second corridor, on top of the Loggia, with a wonderful view of the watch tower and Duomo where you can get a refreshment and rest.
Lunch: Lunch on your own. Enjoy a light lunch in a cafe or restaurant in Piazza della Signoria or at the food court of the Mercato di San Lorenzo. Many vendors offer exclusive farm to table menu.
Afternoon: Free time to explore Florence at your own pace.
Dinner: At the hotel restaurant, a set menu. Water and wine are included.
Evening: At leisure. Enjoy a stroll along the bank of the Arno River to the Ponte Vecchio.
Activity note: Walk from the hotel to the train station is 350 yards. High speed train to Venice. The walk from the Venice train station (Santa Lucia) to the hotel is about 400 yards.
Breakfast: Buffet at the hotel.
Morning: Check out of the hotel, depositing your bags in the lobby. The group leader will supervise the loading of the bags onto a van headed directly to Venice. The bags will be transferred to a barge to be delivered to the hotel. Set out on foot for the Florence train station. High speed train to Venice departs mid morning, arriving just in time for lunch at the hotel. Short walk to the hotel.
Lunch: At the hotel restaurant.
Afternoon: Check into your room after lunch. Settle in and meet in the lobby around 4 pm. In the hotel meeting room, a local historian will share insights into Venice's Legacy. Set out with the group leader on a Neighborhood walk that will point out the location of ATMs, pharmacies, stores and vaporetto stops.
Dinner: At a restaurant near the hotel.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Ride the public vaporetto to St. Mark's Square. Walks in Venice involve crossing multiple bridges that span the canals. The visit through the many rooms of the Ducal Palace requires climbing a few flights of stairs. Narrow passages through the rooms of the Prisons and over the Bridge of Sighs.
Breakfast: This day and for the next four mornings, the breakfast buffet at the hotel offers juice and water, an egg dish, sliced cold cuts, assortment of cheeses, cereal, muesli, yogurt, fresh fruit, breads and pastries, jams, honey and butter, and a selection of hot and cold beverages.
Morning: Travel along Venice's famed Grand Canal on a vaporetto boat (Venice's public transportation system) to St. Mark's Square. Meet the local expert for the visit of the Ducal Palace, seat of civic and political power. Doges embellished the residential quarters and ceremonial chambers of the Great Council with lavish artwork, including murals by Tintoretto and Veronese. The visit concludes in the spacious courtrooms and the Prisons, connected by the Bridge of Sighs. Those convicted of crimes walked from the courtroom to prison across the infamous bridge, so called because of the prisoners reaction knowing it was their last glimpse of light and air.
Lunch: Sample some Venetian dishes at a trattoria. Fixed menu, plated table service. Water is included; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon: Free afternoon. Use the vaporetto pass to ride up and down the Grand Canal or explore the Lido. The pass issued to you is valid for unlimited rides on the major routes during your stay in Venice.
Dinner: At a restaurant near the hotel.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Walks in Venice involve crossing multiple bridges that span the canals. Assistance offered getting in and out of the gondola.
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: Ride the vaporetto to the Rialto. Meet the local guide who leads the walk through the oldest part of Venice. The walk concludes at the market where you will have some free time to browse the carts selling fruits, vegetables and seafood.
Lunch: At a restaurant near the Rialto, sample a variety of Venetian dishes. Fixed menu, plated table service. Water is included; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon: Short walk to San Marco for an expert-led visit of the cathedral. Built during the 13 C.,there are more than 45,000 sq. ft. of mosaics adorning the church, giving the impression of streets of gold. Experience the city from a different point of view as you enjoy a gondola ride along the canals of Venice. Some free time before your independent dinner.
Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy the type of eatery that fits your budget and taste. The group leader will have suggestions where to go for small plates, or a full-course dinner.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Enjoyable boat ride to the island, minimal effort to walk around the streets of Murano. Low bridges to cross if you explore more of Murano or venture to Burano on your free time.
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: Vaporetto to the island of Murano, famous for the craft of glass making. Part of the city and about a mile off in the lagoon, Murano is a mix of low houses and glass making workshops. Some free time to stroll the narrow streets along the canals.
Lunch: On your own. There are various cafés and trattorias on the small island of Murano.
Afternoon: Free Afternoon. With your vaporetto pass you can easily take the boat from Murano to explore the island of Burano, whose leaning tower rivals that in Pisa. Here you can find Venetian lace and small shops where you can watch the crafters create their handiwork. Or, return to main cluster of islands that make up Venice by getting off the vaporetto at San Marco or the stop closest to the hotel.
Dinner: Recap your adventures and share your favorite memories with your fellow participants at our farewell dinner at the hotel. Fixed menu, plated table service. Wine is included with this meal to toast new friendships.
Evening: At leisure. Use your vaporetto pass for an evening ride down the Grand Canal when the boats are not as crowded and the light from the palazzi shine and create ripple effects on the water.
Activity note: Transfer by water taxi from the hotel's private dock. Your bags will be loaded onto and off the boat but at the airport dock there are some steps to reach the road. Under a covered path, the walk to the terminal (about 300 yards) flanks the parking lot. If you have trouble managing your luggage on the flat path you can use a baggage cart. Drop in a euro coin to release the trolley at the airport dock; it will be returned to you when you lock the trolley at the terminal's baggage cart stand.
Breakfast: Breakfast buffet at the hotel; continental style for participants with early morning departures.


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— Ships from Portland, Oregon USA.


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POLICE are stepping up patrols around the Town Gardens as they hunt three suspects in relation to the stabbing which took place on Thursday.
Shortly before 1pm in the busy park two men were seen fighting, one of whom was seen brandishing a knife.
Witnesses reported seeing tables and chairs being thrown around close to the ice cream stall, surrounded by parents and children out for the day.
A 25-year-old man was headbutted and stabbed in the leg and bicep and was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
A section of the park was cordoned off while investigators and a dog unit searched the area during the day.
Inquiries are ongoing with the offender not yet in custody, and officers have three individuals they are looking to speak to in relation to the incident.
The attack was not random according to investigators, and the weapon believed to have been used in the stabbing has now been recovered by police.
The victim sustained serious injuries but was released from hospital yesterday.
Residents are being reminded about the importance of public safety, and while a police presence will remain in the gardens during the weekend the park remains open for general use.
Det Sgt Phil Walker, of Swindon CID, said: "This was a violent incident which took place in a busy public park during the summer holidays.
"Officers were on the scene within minutes of the incident being reported and the weapon used was quickly seized by officers.
"The investigation continues and we are pursuing several lines of inquiry.
"I would ask anyone with information on the assault to contact Wiltshire Police immediately."
Supt Andrew Carr said: "We currently have three suspects we are actively seeking in relation to this investigation.
"I would like to reassure the Old Town community that a robust police investigation is well under way.
"What we would say is this was not a random attack. We are asking for any further witnesses to contact us with any information they have about the incident.
"We are putting extra patrols in the area throughout the weekend to provide reassurance to the local community.
"This was clearly a horrific incident in full view of parents and children in a public area. We would remind people to be vigilant and be aware of their personal safety at all times.
"It is likely that you will see a heightened police presence in and around the local area in the next few days.
Anyone with information should contact Wiltshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be left anonymously.


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SANTA ANA – An Army doctor who grew up in La Habra accused a scoutmaster of sexually abusing him in a civil lawsuit filed Wednesday against the Boy Scouts of America and its affiliates.
Drew Belnap's lawsuit accuses the scouting organization of negligence and knowing but failing to tell authorities that Scoutmaster John Atwood, now a registered sex offender, was or may have been sexually abusing minors.
"Defendants cloaked within the facade of normalcy" their and Atwood's actions with Belnap and other minors, the lawsuit contends, seeking unspecified damages.
Belnap, 39, said he reflected on his own life and how he was affected by abuse after seeing reports on a court-ordered release late last year of long-secret files kept by the Scouts relating to charges of sexual abuse.
In a telephone interview from his attorney's San Diego office, Belnap said he chose to file a lawsuit now over a summer 1991 incident because he feels the organization needs to do more to protect children.
Deron Smith, spokesman for the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America, said in an emailed statement that the protection of youth is paramount to the organization, which "extends its deepest sympathies to all victims of abuse and to their families."
The Scouts have continued to develop and enhance efforts to protect youth by regularly consulting with experts from law enforcement, child safety and other disciplines, Smith said.
"The BSA requires background checks, comprehensive training programs for volunteers, staff, youth and parents and mandates reporting of even suspected abuse," he said.
Belnap, who is a scoutmaster with a troop in Colorado, accuses the Scouts of failing to take steps or put in place reasonable safeguards to avoid unlawful sexual conduct by Atwood, whom he came to know at 15 when he began attending Schoepe Scout Reservation at Lost Valley in Warner Springs in 1989.
The camp is operated by the Orange County Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
The "environment at Lost Valley was conducive to the abuse of minors by adult authority figure," the lawsuit contends, with communal showers for boys and men and alcohol allowed on the premises.
Belnap was 6 when he became a Cub Scout and joined the Boy Scouts of America when admitted to Troop 1871 in La Habra at 11. He became an Eagle Scout in 1991.
That summer, while driving Drew to the reservation, Atwood took the then-17-year-old to a desert camp overnight instead, the suit says. Atwood then got Drew drunk and sexually assaulted him several times, the lawsuit says.
About a week later, Drew told his parents, who informed police. Atwood, a popular Scout leader at Lost Valley, was later convicted of sex offenses stemming from incidents with Belnap and another boy, according to the lawsuit, and is listed in the Scouts' ineligible volunteer files.
"Drew suffered horrendous abuse, all the more tragic because it was so easily preventable," Belnap's attorney, Irwin Zalkin, said.
Belnap, who graduated from Sonora High School in La Habra, said he was an honor student before he was abused but did poorly afterward. He lost hope of getting into Brigham Young University and found himself on academic suspension after his freshman year at Ricks College in Idaho.
He managed to turn his life around, he said, after a two-year mission for his church. He got into medical school and then joined the Army. in 2000.
The veteran, who served a tour in Afghanistan, said he continues to suffer from the effects of the incident.
"I am vulnerable in the sense that I am still suffering despite my accomplishments," Belnap said.
Contact the writer: 714-834-3773 or email@example.com


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Here's a fun way to doctor up gluten-free vanilla cake mix and coconut, creating a tropical cupcake that's so sweet it needs no icing at all.
Pineapple-Coconut Cupcakes
- 3 Tbsp flaxseed meal*
- 1/2 cup filtered water, plus 6 Tbsp
- 1 package GF vanilla cake mix from Bobs Red Mill
- 1/2 cup chopped pineapple
- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 12 pieces cut pineapple chunks
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Preheat the oven to 325F. Line 12 muffin cups with liners and spray with cooking spray.
Drain the canned pineapple chunks, then chop up enough pieces to make 1/2 cup. (Use water-packed pineapple or fresh pineapple chunks.)
If you are starting with whole flaxseeds, put them (dry) in a blender or spice grinder and grind them into meal. Pour the flaxseeds and the water into your mixing bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the next five ingredients and mix using a whisk, stand mixer, or hand mixer until well blended and whipped up.
Use a scoop or measuring cup and fill the tins 3/4 full. Smooth the tops as best you can. (Gluten-free flour doesnt always rise and form as well as regular flour, so create the shape you want before baking.)
Gently press one pineapple chunk (point down) into the center of each cupcake and add some flaked coconut around it, pressing it gently into the top of the batter so it sticks.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, testing for doneness with a toothpick. Allow to cool in the pan (on top of a wire rack) for about 10 minutes, then remove from the pan, placing on the wire rack to cool completely.
Notes: If eating within one day, just cover with a clean kitchen towel. If you need to store them, place one paper towel in the bottom of your storage container, then add another paper towel on top. According to Julie of Savvy Eats, this is the best way to keep muffins and cupcakes moist but not soggy.
* You can use 3 eggs in this recipe in place of the flaxseed meal and 6 Tbsp of the water.
For more amazing recipes, visit The Recipe Renovator.com.