text: Mario and Marco Andretti to Appear at Bridgestone Americas' Booth February 5, 2007 12:00 AM CHICAGO – Racing legend Mario Andretti, often referred to as the greatest racer in motorsports history, and his grandson Marco Andretti, current driver for Andretti Green Racing in the IndyCar Series, will be making appearances at the Bridgestone Americas booth (#NH1) at this year's Chicago Auto Show. A number of top level Bridgestone Americas executives will also be at the booth which showcases the company's leading products and new technologies, interactive tire displays and racing display cars including an IndyCar, a Formula 1 car and an exact replica of the car driven by Mario Andretti when he won the 1967 Daytona 500 – exactly 40 years ago this month. "Over the years, the Andretti name has become synonymous with Firestone Racing," said John Gamauf, President of Consumer Tire Replacement Sales, Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC. "More so than anyone else, Mario and Marco are qualified to talk about our quality and commitment to excellence. We are very proud that Mario won so many important races – including the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 – on Firestone tires," Gamuaf concluded, "and now his grandson is collecting victories on our tires, carrying on that family tradition." Mario will appear in the Bridgestone Americas booth on Friday, Feb. 9, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturday, Feb. 10 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., where he will be signing autographs for fans and will be available for brief media interviews. He will be joined by his grandson Marco, 2006 IndyCar and Indianapolis 500 Rookie-of-the-Year and son of former IndyCar champion Michael, at the Saturday morning session. Marco will also be available for autographs in the booth from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon and from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 11. As part of a global initiative to highlight the Bridgestone group of companies' advanced technology, Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. (BSAH) will feature breakthroughs in vehicle systems and tire design, as well as the Bridgestone group's motorsports strength, in a dazzling exhibit at this year's Chicago Auto Show. Bridgestone Americas is the exclusive tire company of the show, which opens to the public Feb. 9, 2007. This marks the second of a three year commitment by the company to participate in North America's largest consumer automotive show. "We are proud to once again be the exclusive tire company for this year's Chicago Auto Show," said Christine Karbowiak, Vice President of Public Affairs, BSAH. "Our participation is a great way to showcase our advancements in technology through a broad range of products. And we have the unique opportunity to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Mario Andretti's Daytona 500 victory on Firestone tires allowing us to contrast the technology of that time with his grandson Marco's modern-day IndyCar. Our exhibit is a reflection of the company's diverse businesses in the Americas, and it also builds on the strong foundation of technological leadership by Bridgestone Corporation and its subsidiaries worldwide." About Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc.: Nashville-based Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. (BSAH) is the U.S. subsidiary of the Bridgestone Corporation, the world's largest tire and rubber company. BSAH and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone, Dayton and associate brand tires to address the needs of a broad range of customers, including consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers and those in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries. The companies also produce air springs, roofing materials, synthetic rubber and industrial fibers and textiles and operate the world's largest chain of automotive tire and service centers. Back to News


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Cast chat about the bonus features found on the upcoming Blu-ray disc...
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Celebrating the release of Scott Pilgrim vs The World on home video November 9th, select press were invited to join director Edgar Wright, actors Michael Cera and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and writer Bryan O'Malley for a unique look at many of the bonus features found on the Blu-ray disc.
Below are select highlights from the discussions held at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood last week:
Edgar Wright: This was shot in the summer of 2008 and it was the first thing we ever shot. It was basically a way of showing to the studio. At this point we already had storyboards, we had the script, but it was to answer the question of what this film was going to look like. So we made this 2-minute test with a lot of the crew, and everyone worked on it for nothing. It stars two stuntmen who ended up being in the film so I find that amusing.
Moderator: So what did you learn from making this because it's amazingly close to the final result?
Edgar: It showed how much was going to go into it, especially the post-production because with a smaller crew we took about three months to finish it. You know, like a no-budget scale. It's great if you have ambitious ideas my collaborators are able to accomplish them.
Edgar: We didn't need to be sold on Kieran Culkin in terms of whether he could do it but I wanted to see him and Michael Cera together. We pretty much actually edited all of your scenes together and Ellen Wong as well. And there are some people that like, basically came in and read once and that was it. I had to make sure that all of the actors were cool with being on the Blu-ray but I think it's great because although the dates are on there and you can see how far back some of that casting is done, the film was in pre-production in some form for well it was in development for five years but I think even Michael and Mary were first cast in 2007 and some of the other cast well, to show you how far back it goes, Aubrey Plaza and Anna Kendrick, their casting both predate Twilight and Parks and Recreation and Funny People. So it's funny because the film took a year to make and a year to edit, most of the casting tends to go back to 2008 at least.
Moderator: We're also going to see Abigail Chu's audition which has the best ending to an audition ever.
Edgar: Best audition ever! That girl never played the drums before. She learned that bit.
Michael Cera: We trained for over a month or two months and it was incredible. I never felt more confident... maybe I have, but after we started shooting we stopped training so you can see us slowly fall apart.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead: I was kind of a mess. I developed tendonitis just from practicing so much with that hammer or I'd do so much choreography that my shoulder would pop out all the time, things like that. Then I had this completely freak spinal injury I got that had absolutely nothing to do with stunt work but I had to do the stuntwork through the injury and didn't know what was wrong with me until after we finished shooting. Definitely a lot of physical stuff that I was working through on the shoot but it was kinda cool because I feel way, way stronger now than I did before the film. It's kind of a unique experience.
Bryan O'Malley: I can never put words to it; it's pretty much how I imagined it.
Edgar: You know it was something on the first draft of the script, we thought it was funny. Because Bryan would always have whispers of the songs in the books. And my idea of not showing the songs, something that you didn't see on the screen that was apparently awesome. Because you know these music bio-pic films with fictional bands in them, you hear someone say "That was the greatest song ever!" and it usually isn't. So it was a way of getting around that. And then once we started getting the tracks, you know... the Beck song, originally they were only going to play the intro and Patel was going to crash through the roof. When we heard it, it was this amazing song and to not put it in would be ridiculous. I think the songs started to expand like it was a musical and you have a little musical break and this movie has so much action it it's nice when it just stops for a song. It reminds me of old 60's and 70's films.
Michael Cera: It was so great playing those songs over and over. There was six songs I think so we just went over those endlessly and by the time it came to shoot it really felt like they were our songs. You know, because nobody else has heard them we had a lot of ownership over them. We knew how to play them and really liked them too it was nice. We kind of found our group dynamic, and learned how to hang out with each other, hang out and eat, play the songs, it was great. It was a lot of fun.
Edgar: Playing the song longer at the opening came quite later. That was a late idea. Originally the credits were at the end and it felt that more of a prologue and worked better when we did that.
Edgar: There was a funny thing that wasnt mentioned in the FX Breakdown is that a one of the extras went to the bathroom in the first bit but not in the second bit. And it wasn't until much later where we said "hang on, what's wrong with this shot?" This guy literally disappeared. So they had to digitally put this guy back in. This guy who went for a pee-break has no idea about the hours and hours of rendering that he caused. If I knew his name we would call him out!
Edgar: (On Knives meeting Scott on the bus.) Even though it was straight from the books, it ended up more dramatically pleasing to me to meet Ellen Wong at the door, to see her for her first shot.
Bryan: In all the background shots, they would take out a lot of the names of businesses and stuff to make it look more like the comic book.
Edgar: When Bryan takes a photo of Toronto and draws it, he'll simplify it. And when you look at his artwork you'll see what's not there is all the satellites and crap and extra wires and things that aren't aesthetically pleasing. So we took real shots of Toronto and sort of just rubbed stuff out to make it look as nice and simple as what you would build from memory. Even the trees are sort of stripped down to look a bit more dried up.
Edgar: In the books there was the idea that smoking was evil and people who were bad smoked and even Ramona smokes. There is a deleted scene where it says Hitler smoked.
Bryan: It got deleted from the book and it got deleted from the film.
Edgar: Doubly-deleted dialogue. So there was an idea about having that thread in there and we had it in the script where we had some of the baddies smoke, and then we did a test of Chris Evans smoking. And with Major Studios films, especially PG-13, it's not a period specific film, they say that they can't smoke. Not even the baddies. And then we started shooting everything twice, doing a take with smoking and then doing a take without. And it was such a pain in the *** that I said "f!@# the cigarette joke." We haven't got time to do two versions of everything so my enthusiasm for the cigarette joke went out and I think it's good actually because there would just be too much going on.
Mary: I'm pretty good after the fact. When you see it for the first time, I usually cringe at everything and I get nervous or embarrassed at the premiere and stuff, but after that I just get really happy to watch it. Like, I'm so excited to get the Blu-ray and watch all the behind-the-scenes stuff because it feels like they're our home movies that we get to watch all over again and relive it. So theres nothing about watching any of this stuff that would make me uncomfortable. I'm just excited to get to see pieces of my life on Blu-ray.
Michael: I feel the same way. When I watch this movie specifically, I remember everything about the day that we were doing certain scenes, it's really reliving the entire shoot and it was such an amazing time. So it's really nice watching the movie.
SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD releases on DVD and Blu-ray November 9, 2010 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Rated PG-13 for stylized violence, sexual content, language and drug references.
By David Yeh

subset: commoncrawl


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Topic: Memorial Bike/Hike
Memorial bike/hike for Doug Jensen on Saturday September 15th at 9:00 AM at Mount Revelstoke National Park, Revelstoke B.C.
My family is having a fundraiser for The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation in Doug's honour. After the bike/hike my fellow Girl Guide Leaders are hosting a BBQ for all the participants. I bought a few prizes for the event from the online store and bracelets for all. Tamia has put the event on facebook last night and we have 25 signed up already!


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The Regnum Christi Movement offers its members some guidelines of a gospel-based spirituality as an ideal of Christian life. The spiritual path that Regnum Christi members walk mainly consists in knowing, loving, imitating, and proclaiming Christ. This is the path and these are the goals.
Below, we offer some resources that can help nurture the spiritual life of Movement members and of any Christian.
Daily Prayer 2012-12-04
Listen to podcast version here.
Father Jon Budke, LC
Luke 10: 21-24
Jesus rejoiced
in the Holy Spirit and said, "I give you
praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you
have hidden these things from the wise and the
learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes,
Father, such has been your gracious will. All things
have been handed over to me by my Father. No
one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son and anyone
to whom the Son wishes to reveal him." Turning
to the disciples in private he said, "Blessed are
the eyes that see what you see. For I say
to you, many prophets and kings desired to see
what you see, but did not see it, and
to hear what you hear, but did not hear
Introductory Prayer: Christ, I believe that you can
put my talents to good use. I hope that
you will allow me to come to know you better
each day. I love you and trust that you
are guiding me through life. Not only are you
guiding me in my life; you are also letting others
be edified by my example.
Petition: Lord, help
me to trust in you through every circumstance of
1. God Reveals Himself to the Childlike: We long
to know Christ better. How we yearn to understand
a little more about God and his infinite love!
Our small intellects can barely lay hold of any notion
or attribute of the Divine Persons. Even if we
were to study long hours, we would come to
the conclusion that our learning is nothing. True knowledge of
Christ and of God doesn't come by learning from
books. True knowledge of Christ and of God is
revealed to those who learn to quiet their souls in
prayer. We need to imitate the resourceful little child
who falls on the ground and then runs to
his mother to be scooped up in a loving embrace.
If we can remember our littleness on one hand
and God's pure, loving benevolence on the other, we'll
permit—even delight in—his wiping away from our faces the blood
and tears caused by our sins. Only when we
surrender ourselves into God's forgiving, tender hands can we
say that we know him.
2. God Chooses the Childlike:
Christ singles out each one of us for a
particular mission in life. We might think of the many
people around us––educated, wise, learned people––who would surely be
better suited for the calling at hand, who could
do a far better job than we could. However,
Christ isn't looking always for the cleverest person, the one
with the quickest wit, or the one with the
best education. Many times he scrutinizes the corners of
the globe for the soul that is innocent, open to
his plan, and willing to carry it out. Simplicity
and humility are the key words when it comes to
being chosen by God to participate more actively in
his plan of redemption.
3. The Childlike Can Entrust the
Bigger Picture to God: How many prophets and kings longed
for the time of Christ, when the work of
salvation would be fulfilled! During their time of waiting they
left us an example of constancy and dedication to
the things of God, despite never seeing many of
the things promised them. They played an active role in
leading and guiding the people of their time, but
they didn't see the fulfillment of all God's entire
design. God asks us to be like them, planting the
seeds of redemption that may not sprout for years.
We, like the prophets, aren't always given the grace
to see the entire picture. That is part of being
childlike: trusting that God our Father knows what he
is doing. Cardinal John Henry Newman prayed in his
famous poem, The Pillar of the Cloud:
"Keep thou my
feet: I do not ask to see
the distant scene – one step enough for me".
Do I
entrust the big picture of my life to God
my Father, or do I try to yank the "video
control" from his loving hands?
Conversation with Christ: Christ,
I don't ask for great understanding or knowledge. Help
me to accept with the simplicity and trust of
a child all that you want to do in me.
I don't ask for great insight into the depths
of your divine attributes. I just want to grow in
friendship with you, and I know that means I
need an unshakeable confidence in your infinite love for
me. I want to allow you to love me and
direct me according to your good will.
I will open my heart more widely to God's
plan for my life.
The daily meditation is a service of Regnum Christi that offers people a Gospel reflection through e-mail. You can view the weekly meditation on this link or listen the podcast version here.
If you would like to subscribe or send a gift subscription, please fill out this form.


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Fight For Your Cigar
Posted: Jul 18, 2007 3:23pm ET
It's time to pick up the phone and to fight for your right to have a cigar at a price you can afford. News broke this week—in Cigar Insider, on this website and throughout the cigar world—that the U.S. Senate is considering a bill that would significantly increase the price of the cigars you enjoy. The legislation would add $35 billion to the State Children's Health Insurance Program, and the politicians who created this bill want those funds to come from tobacco users. And the burden that would be heaped on cigar smokers, especially those who smoke premium cigars, is completely out of hand.
Many people have erroneously described this tax as a $10 tax on cigars. What it calls for is increasing the current federal tax on cigars from 20.7 percent of the manufacturer's selling price (more on that later) to 53.3 percent. That increase is bad enough, but what gives this increase such teeth is the fact that the current tax is capped at around 5 cents a cigar, while the new plan calls for a cap of $10 per cigar. Which essentially means there will be no cap.
The manufacturers selling price, depending on the company doing the selling and other factors, is roughly one half the suggested retail price of a cigar. This tax is added first, so this tax will exacerbate any local sales taxes and state tobacco taxes you pay on your cigars.
One cigarmaker told me this would double cigar prices. Another said it would be higher than that. On top of this consumer burden is a floor tax, where those holding stocks of cigars would be forced to pay a one-time tax to cover the gap between old and new tax, or 32.6 percent. Imagine you're a cigar distributor, and you have 100,000 cigars, worth an average of $5 each. You'll have to write a check to the government for $163,000. Now imagine having 1 million cigars in inventory. That's $1.6 million, gone in one night.
This is a serious threat to the U.S. cigar business.
It's bad enough we've been pushed out of nearly every spot in the country to smoke our cigars, pushed out of restaurants, bars, casinos and clubs. It's bad enough most of us smoke alone, huddled outside against the cold or while driving in our cars, the radio our only company. This latest attack can't be allowed to pass without cigar smokers voicing their outrage.
I spoke to Norman Sharp, president of the Cigar Association of America, yesterday, and he said the best way to get your Senator's attention is to call. Don't write, don't email, and don't fax: Call. Call the Senators from your state. Let your voice be heard.
Will you call?
Comments15 comment(s)
Jose Blanco July 18, 2007 4:37pm ET
I do not know what has happen to this country, I guess any thing can happen ,what is going to be next,will they tell us who can we have sex with, and at what time who knows,I think we have enough problems all around to come up with this stupid tax,how are a lot of countries that already have problems going to survive if they can not grow tabacco,to be honest I think they do not care,lets get on the phones call up the meat heads in Washington and fight in out like O.K. Corral
michael albo califonia July 19, 2007 2:44pm ET
I dont beleive this will ever happen. With Arnold as the govenor who smokes cigars at the capitol it would never be approved in this state.
KEN NEUMANN neumann Libertyville,Il July 19, 2007 3:47pm ET
Thank you for bringing this to everyone's attention. We all need to pick up the phone and voice our opposition to this unbelievable tax. This is the most serious thing to ever to face the tobacco industry. We as retailers are not big tobacco, we are mostly locally owned and operated Mom & Pop stores. I am a tobacconist and very proud of it. Our industry is like that old story of the sleeping lion being poked by guy with a stick. We as the lion need to roar back and voice our opposition.
alan adamski Casselberry, Fl July 19, 2007 9:46pm ET
I called both Senators form Florida and the President's Office..... Staffers were polite and took my comments. Phone numbers are easily accessed thru the RTDA website..... Phone calls get the most attention and only take a couple of minutes of time.... Act now before it is to late.Alan
Jose Blanco July 20, 2007 10:13am ET
Ken as a good tabacconist you are doing your duty, I hope others would let there voice be heard,take care.
DAVE Savona July 20, 2007 10:35am ET
Adam you're correct: phone calls do get the most attention. I've made my calls, and I'm glad to hear others are joining. Ken, I'm glad to hear the pride in your post.Also, you can access the phone numbers of any Senator in the link in my blog.
Nelson Boronat Miami,FL July 20, 2007 11:23am ET
It has been written that the President will veto this bill if it passes.
Dion Giolito Reno July 20, 2007 9:28pm ET
CA has just as much to lose as the vendor/retailers do. Higher prices, out of hand taxes means less advertizing revenues, a tighter budget and quite possibly, heavy cut-backs through layoffs and god forbid, NO CA!
Manny Iriarte Miami, FL July 21, 2007 10:18pm ET
My name is Manny Iriarte...I'm a photographer in the cigar industry. I truly enjoy smoking cigars, but thats not the point. I think that this country is prepared to get money for childrens health insurance from many other places rather than having to raise taxes/prices on cigars. You don't need to be blind to see that there is much more money wasted on ther things that are less important. Childrens health insurance is essential and vital and it should have been dealt with and resolved a long time ago. Thank You.
Dave Wagner PA July 21, 2007 10:47pm ET
Dave, Thanks for posting this. I've made my calls and I'm urging others to follow your advice. Even (as stated above) if the president veto's this, it's imperative that our Senators know there are people (and voters) paying close attention to taxes on the cigar industry. The anti-tobacco voice is all some politicians hear. They should know about the rest of us too.
Matthew Caruso Jersey July 23, 2007 5:00pm ET
I made calls and sent emails. Thanks for getting the word out, Dave.
Matthew Caruso Jersey July 23, 2007 5:37pm ET
What sickens me most about this tax is that it is a veiled attempt to tax the "wealthy" as payback for the tax cuts given to the upper class during this administration.Who does this tax really hurt though? Small business. They might as well institute the champagne tax, the fur coat tax and the golf tax while they are at it.
DAVE Savona New York July 24, 2007 9:34am ET
Thanks Matthew and Dave for making the calls.
DAVE Savona New York July 24, 2007 9:40am ET
Manny, I also believe in the ultimate goals of the Children's Health Care Initiative. Who wouldn't want to make certain that all children receive health insurance? That's not my point at all. I'm against funding such a program on the back of the cigar industry. Why should cigar smokers be forced to bear the brunt of the financial burden? This bill could close down family businesses that have been around for generations. During my research for the stories I've filed on this subject, someone said a very intelligent thing: why on earth would the government want to fund such an important program with taxes on a declining (cigarette) industry?
Manny Iriarte Miami, FL July 24, 2007 9:31pm ET
Dave,This afternoon I faxed several forms signing against this bill. Your absolutely right... The government is using the cigar industry as an excuse to use that money for childrens health insurance. Ironically... They know that eventually there won't be enough funds to cover the insurances becuase they obviously know that the cigar industry is going to decline. They just want to use it so that in the future they can cover their behinds and say that they "did what they could" to try and cover childrens health insurance policies. Its not about going after the cigar industry... Its simply an esay way for them to get money and at least say they attempted to help with the insurance. They don't care about the future of the cigar industry nor the family businesses. They really don't care about anything at all... Its just they need to temporarily do something about the situation and put it to the side like they do with everything else.Its a great pleasure to discuss this matter with you.Thanks.
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text:
Anemomilos Apartments in Folegandros is a family-run hotel that first opened its doors in 1993.
Our vision still revolves around the initial goal to be able to offer the perfect setting for what we consider as one of the most precious things in life: your holidays. As a family business, our aim is to do our best to ensure that your needs are met and that you truly feel that you have found your home away from home.
We will be more than glad to host you in our property and promise to do our best in order to ensure that you have a wonderful stay, filled with pure relaxation, happy moments, and sun-kissed memories!
Welcome home!


text:
Posted 7 years ago
(26 items)
Atlantic & Great Western RR brass top, bellbottom railroad lantern made by the Adams & Westlake Co., of Chicago, IL, in the mid 1870's. This early A&W double-guard, no. 39 model, is boldly embossed on the lid reflector A. & GT. W. R.R. The underside of the base is stamped with early Wm. Westlake patent dates, the latest of which is 1873. The chimney assembly features the early, sliding globe height adjusting assembly. The clear, extended base globe is boldly embossed A & G W RR. This broad gauge RR went into receivership in the mid-1870's and was reorganized as the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio RR around 1880, making this lantern model one of the last purchased by the former company.


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TORQUAY United must be sick of the sight of Accrington Stanley's Kal Naismith.
In November the Scot scored both goals as the Reds beat the struggling Gulls 2-1 at the Store First Stadium, so when James Beattie's men made the return trip the home fans must have been delighted to see Naismith's name among the substitutes rather than in the starting 11.
But the former Rangers winger was to prove the match-winner again, coming off the bench to net the only goal of the game and stretch Stanley's cushion over the bottom two to eight points.
Naismith's return to the bench after a hip injury was a boost to Beattie, who was forced into two changes at Plainmoor with Laurence Wilson suspended and Danny Webber ill.
Replacements Michael Liddle and George Bowerman slotted in seamlessly and Youth Cup forward Max Hazeldine earned a place as a substitute.
Stanley had the best of the first half. Torquay hadn't won at home in their last four and their lack of confidence showed. Despite good possession they struggled in the final third and it was Stanley who had the best chances.
Home keeper Michael Poke was in such good form he won the home man of the match award and started his super display by turning a header from his own defender Anthony O'Connor, on loan from Blackburn Rovers, over the bar.
Peter Murphy was twice close to netting his 10th goal of the season, first seeing a driven low Lee Molyneux free kick bobble over his foot inside the box before heading a corner from the same player wide of the target.
Beattie's side would go closer still before the break when Piero Mingoia's cross was flicked by Bowerman and Kayode Odejayi got something to ball inside the six yard box. It wasn't the best of contacts by the striker but seemed destined for the corner of the net only for Poke to shoot out a right arm and superbly paddle the ball away.
The Gulls struggled to test Marcus Bettinelli, with Tom Aldred and Dean Winnard in inspired form, and the closest they came was a shot from Conor Wilkinson straight down the keeper's throat.
After the interval that changed though.
Midfielder Joss Labadie headed over when well placed, Bettinelli could only parry another strike from Wilkinson and Labadie had another header cleared off the line as the home team pressed for a goal before he was booked for diving in the area.
Stanley were not worried though and having not conceded away from home for over four hours that confidence was well placed.
A flick from Odejayi was desperately smashed behind by Lee Mansell before the same Stanley player headed Molyneux's corner over the top.
Enter Naismith. The summer signing had missed the last two games but hit the ground running, picking up the ball just outside the box with 10 minutes to go and dancing past two defenders before thumping his eighth goal of the season into the left corner of the net.
Attacking job done it now fell to Stanley's defence to preserve another clean sheet and shielded by skipper Luke Joyce the back four did superbly to deal with late Torquay pressure.
Even when Bettinelli was beaten, by another Labadie header, Liddle was on hand to clear the ball off the line and ensure only a second Stanley win on the English Riviera.


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Children can feel the festive atmosphere as they read a personalised Christmas-themed storybook, with nine titles to choose from
Precious memories can be captured and kept alive thanks to this personalised photobook with gloss-laminated covers and up to 140 pages
Images can be uploaded using an online tool and then be transformed into a personalized canvas print
Personalise the house with these water-resistant and UV-protected signs with modern design that feature combination of lettering and numbers
Customers can personalise up to five calendars with their own photos, reminders, backgrounds and themes; printed on 200gsm photo paper
Ideal as a gift, this elegant pen features a personal engraving of up to 25 characters; comes in a Parker gift box
Get this bespoke glossy or matt photo cushion adorned with a photo of choice and designed to help cherish dear memories
Transform an image of choice onto a large 22'' x 16'' canvas to add a personal touch to home decor or create a timeless memento
One square foot of pasture on the ancient grounds of Dunans Castle, with deed of entitlement signed and sealed by present Laird
Transform the favourite photos and pictures into pieces of art by printing them onto high-quality fibre artist cotton canvas
Available in a choice of size, those personalised photobooks feature customizable hardcover and 40 pages with matte finishing
Photos can be printed on a choice of matte or gloss acid-free paper with the option to add borders, elements and captions
Clients can cherish dear memories by printing their own photo on this hand-stretched canvas, or opt for a stock picture
These acrylic glass prints are resistant to light and water and have a shiny appearance; available in six sizes
Customers can decorate fridge doors or magnetic boards with these personalised magnets available in two sizes
Add a child's name to let them star in a storybook; topics range from world travel and farm animals to pirates and tractors
Get this customisable picnic blanket in a choice of size to stand out during a picnic in the park or at the beach
Customers can immortalise their most precious memories on high-quality photographic paper bound in an elegant hardcover photobook
Transfer one, five or ten two-hour VHS tapes to DVD, with each DVD personalised with chapters, menus and artwork for the case
Clients can cherish their memories with this leather photobook featuring auto-colour correction for the photos and a gloss-laminated cover
Choose a high-quality image that is at least 1MB in size and have it transferred onto a personalised canvas in a choice of size
Using high quality 12 colour printing and fade-resistant inks, these canvases come in four sizes
Families of up to 25 can band together for this photoshoot, with three costume and background changes allowed
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10 Ultra-Stylish Dog Bowls
Sure, it's easy to hit up the poster sale on campus, but everyone will be bringing back the same three designs. Stand out with a unique print like this one, "Blossom 1." inaluxe.com.
Fluorescent dorm room lighting is a real buzzkill when you just want to hang out with friends and listen to music or watch TV. You might be tempted to put up some Christmas lights, but save them for the holidays and try something new. A Moroccan lantern will give off a pretty glow. (Just add an LED light inside to get the same glowing effect as candles aren't allowed in most dorm rooms.) Lanterns, $60-$70. zarahome.com.
9 Rooms That Prove You Can Be a Pet Owner Without Giving Up on Design


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I was truly amazed at your recent issue of your magazine and to see on the front cover the words: "Cuba; is it time to end the embargo?" What was more amazing was to have my own family's house, that once was a place of human warmth, love, laughter, sorrow and happiness, taken from us only to see it as a bed-and-breakfast catering to tourists.
I am referring to your section on where to stay on page 120. The house I am referring to is the Hotel Conde de Villanueva. That Spanish merchant you mention is Adolfo Ponce de Leon Conde de Villanueva, a direct descendant of Juan Ponce de Leon and my great grandfather. When I saw this I sunk in my chair and cried. It was tragic to see my family's home portrayed as a tourist hot spot while my family had that very "hot spot" ripped from them, only to be thrown like a whirlwind into a foreign and strange land. I am very proud to be an American, mind you. I was born and raised in this country, a product of the revolution, but I take no pride in seeing that, at the expense of countless families like mine and our American freedom, a government like the Cuban government is glorified as a tourist hot spot. Remember it is a tourist hot spot at our expense.
For you to even consider that your issue is not political in nature is both insulting and condescending to the Cuban exile community and myself, a Cuban born in America. You mention very clearly that you hope your issue at least stimulates dialogue between the two nations. Again, the very nature of such an event will never happen, and if you would have put yourselves in the exile community's shoes and truly feel their pain you probably would have reconsidered another Caribbean destination as part of your exposé. Japanese Admiral Yamamoto said it best after bombing Pearl Harbor: "I think we have awakened a sleeping giant." In the exile community you have done just that.
As you know, in journalism, research is the key to a feature story. You both failed in researching the myth behind the taboo that is Cuba, and the [story of the] exile community. To think that my generation longs to go to Cuba is correct, but a Cuba free of Fidel and his band of hoods. Would you visit the same people who took everything away from you and your family and forced you into exile? For us it would be like traveling back in time to Nazi Germany and visiting the people who put your family in restricted neighborhoods before they were forced into exile or sure death if they had remained. You have no idea what your exposé has done to this community that represents about 3 million people throughout the United States. To see in the pages Raul Castro and his band of hoods exemplified throughout--I am sorry to tell you, but you failed in your research. In business, I learned a long time ago to put myself in my clients' shoes. You did not do that. Are we not your clients? Are we not your subscribers?
Our freedom of speech bled and given to us by our Founding Fathers is a true and blessed gift, not to be wielded at a whim without care of the consequences to others. We respect that freedom you and I have a right to have. This is why I am writing you.
The Cuban exile community truly deserves an apology from you because of the nature and content of your exposé. Trust me, it hit too close to home.
Francisco J. Ponce de Leon
Pinecrest, Florida
* * *
Dear Marvin,
Congratulations on the June issue of Cigar Aficionado that, as you said, is about Cuba and the Cuban people. But it is also about politics--mean and wrong U.S. politics.
The U.S. policy towards Cuba has failed to achieve any of its objectives and, after almost 40 years and nine American presidents, has proven to be an irrational, archaic and ineffective policy of the cold war era that never bore fruit.
The U.S. policy toward Cuba has been hijacked for the self-serving, Miami-based Cuban-American interests that have in mind only their narrow parochial agenda and not the legitimate U.S. interests. That is the reason that, while America has relations with countries that had shed American blood and had been its sworn enemies--such as Vietnam, Iran, Russia, Korea and China--Cuba is an exception to that pragmatic approach.
Last October, for the seventh year in a row, the United Nations called for an end to the U.S. embargo against Cuba, that it is hurting the most vulnerable sector of the Cuban population--the sick, the elderly, the women and children. The vote was 157 to 2, with the United States and Israel casting the only negative votes. That decision underlines the unanimous world reaction--including the Vatican's--against an American legislation whose "extra-territorial effects" Washington's friends and adversaries alike resent and oppose because it violates their sovereignty.
Cuba had been always a close trading partner for the United States and after the 38-year embargo, it has become a [potentially] huge market for American goods and services. But Canada, Mexico and European countries have been filling the gap left by America's absence, and the American companies are losing their share of important sectors of the Cuban economy. Because of this blockade, we can't travel to Cuba, we can't sell to Cuba, we can't invest in Cuba. Who benefits from a policy like that? For sure, not the American companies that are losing millions of dollars, and not the American workers that are losing thousands of jobs.
A few months ago, a bipartisan American group of 22 U.S. senators, three former secretaries of state and many prominent former government officials urged the White House to undertake a comprehensive review of the U.S. policy towards Cuba. It was a golden opportunity that President Clinton let pass. I'm glad that Cigar Aficionado is now taking a leading role in that debate, and I'm sure that the Congress will move again very soon in that direction. America can't enter the third millennium with an obsolete foreign policy of the 1950s.|
Carlos M. Hirsch
Bethesda, Maryland
* * *
Dear Marvin,
Your June 1999 issue of Cigar Aficionado raises several questions regarding the Cuban embargo debate. First in my mind is: how correct is Jesse Helms regarding the ownership of businesses and payments of the Cuban people? If Senator Helms is correct, Dwayne Andreas's argument that a rising tide lifts all boats would not withstand scrutiny. It would not matter to the Cuban people how much additional money American industry brought in if it was withheld by the government. It would appear that Senator Helms's statement is correct, as Senator Dodd also alluded to it in his argument to end the embargo.
Second, is the United States the only country on the face of the earth that manufactures medicines, food products, clothing? If we and Israel are the only two countries enforcing the embargo, why is Cuba not able to purchase the required goods and services from countries that are not honoring the embargo?
Third, are we merely to ignore the millions of dollars of American property taken over by Castro and then sold to third parties with no compensation given to its rightful owners?
Mr. Andreas asked if U.S. companies would look the other way when finding a problem. In the words of a popular Beatles song, "I am certain that it happens all the time." Some multinational companies don't care what governments do to their own people as long as they can turn a profit.
Castro has made no effort for any meaningful changes in Cuba. Without some justification, the United States has no reason to change its mind regarding the original purpose of the embargo. Why should we lift it now? Surely the ability to purchase cigars cannot justify keeping people in bondage?
Norman J. Stringfield
Jacksonville, Florida
* * *
Dear Marvin,
The arrival of Cigar Aficionado's special issue on Cuba was a wonderful surprise. It arrived Saturday morning as we were on our way out to the children's soccer games.
Saturday turned to Sunday and I was having a gathering of family for my aunt's 70th birthday. I was playing hostess but offered the magazine to my uncle--I thought perhaps there'd be pictures he'd enjoy. One by one, throughout the evening, I saw my elder family members page through and comment on one memory or another that the photos evoked. They didn't get the chance to read the articles but took pleasure in seeing what they had once been a part of. (I will pass the issue along to them once I'm finished with it.) My siblings expressed their hopes that one day they might walk on the beaches of Varadero with our parents to show the way.
Monday I read the magazine from cover to cover. As I read the articles I found myself wishing that I could have been along on these discoveries. It must be wonderful to see all this beauty and culture not just with your eyes but being able to use all your senses to take it all in.
The articles and the issue as a whole gave me a sense of Cuba that I had not been privy to. It is a remote part of my life, for now.
I very much wish to someday visit my birthplace. I wish I could see what my parents and grandparents carry in their hearts and minds, what they loved--what they left behind in their pursuit of freedom. It is unimaginable to me how they could of made the decision to leave Cuba.
But at the same time I could not imagine my life without the freedoms that their struggles gave us and that I often take for granted.
I envy those who travel there without scars and see only the natural beauty of the country and the warmth of the people. They go to Cuba without the conflict of guilt.
I am very grateful to your magazine because it is through your eyes that we glimpse at the beauty of Cuba. If only Cuba could have escaped the wounds of its politics. I wonder what it would have been like today.
As a Cuban American, I hope that someday soon the Cuban exiles will accept what happened and heal. That Castro will take some responsibility for his part in the decay of the Cuba that was. His ways haven't really been the solutions he promised at all--merely another set of problems. I hope he truly finds a way to help the people enjoy the privileges we Americans take for granted sometimes.
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A Speculative Currency Play for 2013
Wake up and turn on the TV. Red and green stock quotes scroll across the screen, a familiar sight. Hungry? The McDonald's down the street is open all night. Along the way, you see advertisements for Dior, Gucci, Hermes and Burberry. After breakfast, drop by the neighborhood Starbucks for your morning coffee.
This scene could fit the description of life in any major Western city. It could describe a typical morning in New York, London or Los Angeles, but it's Shanghai, the most populous city in China....580 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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text: Lawyer opposes relocating missing W.Va. girl's mom By The Associated Press May 3, 2013 Story Share CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The attorney for the mother of a missing West Virginia girl is opposing a decision by federal probation officials to move her from Wheeling to the Clarksburg area, saying she is a "social pariah" in that community because of publicity surrounding her daughter's case.Lena Lunsford was freed from a federal prison earlier this year after serving eight months for welfare fraud. She was placed on one year of supervised release.Since then, Lunsford has been under supervised released in Wheeling, where she has lived at a YWCA, attended classes at West Virginia Business College, and worked at a pizza restaurant, federal public defender Brian J. Kornbrath said in a motion filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Elkins.Kornbrath said he sought Wheeling as the location for Lunsford's supervised release because of the community reaction in the Clarksburg area to the disappearance of her daughter. Aliayah Lunsford was 3 when she disappeared from her family's home near Bendale in Lewis County on Sept. 24, 2011.Lena Lunsford was regularly threatened and insulted, despite no evidence that she was involved in any way, Kornbrath said."Defendant is a social pariah in the Clarksburg area and will find it impossible to settle without further incident. This is much less likely to occur, and in fact has not occurred, since defendant began supervision in Wheeling," he wrote in his motion, which was first reported by The Exponent Telegram.Aliayah has never been found. Authorities have made no arrests and identified no suspects.Lunsford was indicted weeks after Aliayah's disappearance on charges that she illegally swapped welfare benefits for cash five times in two months. She pleaded guilty to selling $114 worth of credit on her food-stamp card for $50 cash and reported to prison in June 2012. Her supervised release includes a condition that she live at the YWCA and participate in a substance-abuse treatment program, which allowed her to reside at the YWCA free of charge.Kornbrath said the YWCA told Lunsford last week that she is no longer a viable candidate for the program and owes the organization $720 in back rent. He said Lunsford was told that she can no longer participate in the program because her substance abuse is in remission and because she recently became pregnant.Lunsford's other six children are in state care, and the state Supreme Court has upheld a Lewis County judge's order terminating her parental rights.The U.S. Probation Office ordered Lunsford to relocate to the Clarksburg area to serve the remaining nine months because she can't afford to pay the rent owed to the YWCA and soon will have to leave, he said.Moving Lunsford will undercut her chances of succeeding while she is on supervised release, he said. It would be difficult for her to find a job and she has nowhere to live.She has filed for divorce from her husband, Ralph, and her brother won't allow her to live with him, Kornbrath said."He was seen picketing outside the federal courthouse when his own sister was sentenced," he said of the brother. Kornbrath said West Virginia Child Protective Services won't allow Lunsford to return to her aunt's residence because the woman's minor grandchildren, who live with her, would have to be placed somewhere else.Kornbrath's motion requests a status hearing to determine whether it is appropriate for Lunsford to serve the remainder of her supervised release in Wheeling. No hearing has been set. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Facebook founder visits Cabin Creek Health Systems 2 Huggins, WVU tap South Florida hoops talent 3 Safety shutoff disabled prior to June coal-mining death, report says 4 Teen pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter in Oakes Field shooting 5 WVU hopes to get injured defenders back for TCU DEP to sponsor workshop for dam owners/monitors Previous Story WVU Libraries awarded Muslim collection Next Story


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At least 30 dead in Iraq blast
A suicide bomber activated a belt of explosives on his body near a highly revered Shiite shrine in southern Iraq Thursday, killing at least 30 people and wounding 60, an official said.
The bomber blew himself up while being patted down by policemen near the Imam Ali mosque in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, said Dr. Munthir al-Ithari, the head of Najaf's health directorate. According to the AP, witnesses and officials had earlier reported two bomb blasts. According to Al-Ithari, a second bomb went off, but in a different part of the town. A police official said the second bomb targeted a U.S. military convoy, but caused no injuries.
Al-Ithari said 30 deaths and 60 injuries were confirmed so far in the suicide bombing, and the toll is likely to go up. Among the dead are 22 men including five policemen.
The bombing occurred at about 10.30 a.m. in the Grand Market in front of the Imam Ali mosque, which contains the tomb of Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law, Ali. It is one of the world's most sacred shrines for Shiites, the minority sect of Islam.
Four Iranians were among the injured, al-Ithari said.
Also Thursday, fighting was reported in the Sunni area of Salam in northern Baghdad between locals and members of al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia, witnesses said.


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AT&T, IBEW Reach Tentative Agreement in Wireline Contract Negotiations
Dallas, Texas, March 26, 2013
AT&T* today announced that a tentative agreement has been reached by its subsidiaries with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers System Council T-3 in wireline contract negotiations primarily covering Illinois and northwestern Indiana.
The four-year agreement, which will be submitted to the union's membership for a ratification vote in coming days, covers nearly 6,500 wireline employees. The IBEW employees covered under the agreement are members of IBEW Local 21 in Illinois and northwestern Indiana, and in other locals spread across the country.
The two sides agreed last month to start negotiations early. The current contract expires on June 22, 2013.
If the agreement is ratified on or before May 7, a ratification bonus of $1,000 will be paid to each eligible employee. The agreement will be effective June 23, 2013 and expire June 24, 2017.
The agreement includes general wage increases in each year of the contract – 2.25 percent the first year, 2.5 percent the second year, 2.75 percent the third year, and 3 percent the fourth year. It includes a 1 percent pension band increase in each year of the contract for most employees. And it maintains one of the most robust health care plans in the nation, with increases in employee contributions.
AT&T wireline employees represented by the Communications Workers of America earlier ratified, on Aug. 17, three-year contracts for the Midwest region and AT&T Corp. (CWA Telecommunications and Technology Office), on Dec. 7 a three-year contract for the Southeast region, and on Feb. 27 a four-year contract for the Southwest region. The ratified agreements collectively cover about 60,000 AT&T wireline employees.
More information will be posted as it is available at www.att.com/corewirelinebargaining


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Dierks Bentley to Perform at Bonnaroo
Dierks Bentley is contributing a little country to the 2014 Bonnaroo lineup.
The multi-genre event takes place on a farm south of Nashville and features headliners Sir Elton John, Kanye West, Jack White and Lionel Richie. Bentley is joining the festival's Bluegrass Situation SuperJam, a group of artists who will join together to play one night.
Fellow 'SuperJam' artists include actor and bluegrass artist Ed Helms, who is hosting the evening, Shovels and Rope, the Lone Bellow, Lonesome Trio and Robert Ellis. Bonnaroo takes place June 12-15 in Manchester, Tenn.
'I Hold On,' Bentley's first single off of his album 'Riser,' recently hit over 500,000 downloads, earning Gold certification. He is on tour this summer supporting the album.


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Note: This item is more than nine years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references.
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News Release
Media Contact: TPWD News, firstname.lastname@example.com, 512-389-8030
Nov. 12, 2007
TPWD Offers Grants To Support Texas Wildlife Action Plan
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is seeking grant proposals to allocate almost $1,000,000 towards projects to implement conservation practices that benefit priority species and habitats identified in the Texas Wildlife Action Plan.
The Wildlife Diversity Conservation Grants Program is funding the project with money generated from sales of the Texas Horned Lizard vehicle license plate.
"This funding is unique because it represents thousands of Texans that have purchased a Horned Lizard license plate knowing that it's going towards nongame conservation," said Matt Wagner, TPWD wildlife diversity program leader.
The Texas Wildlife Action Plan is a proactive strategy to keep common species common. It focuses mainly on "nongame" wildlife, animals that are not hunted or fished, including some that are not yet rare but could become so if proactive steps are not taken soon. Each year, threatened and endangered species receive funding through the Endangered Species Act and game animals receive support through hunter dollars spent on licenses, firearms, and ammunition.
"What's been missing is a fund dedicated to nongame species," said Wagner. "This plan fills a void and identifies priorities from a habitat perspective in the 10 ecoregions of the state. It also ranks priorities for nongame birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and numerous aquatic species." By focusing on habitat protection and restoration, the plan benefits all wildlife, including game animals and rare species.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is looking for innovative ideas on how to build partnerships with landowners to restore native habitats and incorporate land management strategies for all wildlife, in particular the lesser-known species.
"We know of declines of certain nongame animals such as horned lizards and box turtles, and most of the time it all goes back to habitat," said Wagner. "We want to measure the benefits of habitat restoration, and we'll be particularly seeking grant projects that include wildlife monitoring to measure results."
Eligible applicants include Texas Parks and Wildlife Department staff, other natural resource agencies, land owners and managers, universities, conservation organizations, land trusts and Indian tribal governments. Proposals must be received by Dec. 15, 2007.
Forms and guidelines to apply for grants, and the Texas Wildlife Action Plan, may be found on the TPWD Web site. Information about conservation license plates to benefit wildlife diversity, big game, largemouth bass fishing, state parks and wetlands is also online.
On the Net:
- Wildlife Diversity Grants: http://tpwd.texas.gov/business/grants/wildlife/wl_diversity_conservation/
- Texas Wildlife Action Plan: http://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/pwd_pl_w7000_1187a/
- Texas Conservation License Plates: http://www.conservation-plate.org
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Don't miss out on a lower price on this hotel
Get an overview of this hotelPortland rustic urban retreat with modern amenities
Popular property highlights
Near shopping
Evoking a rustic mountain lodge, this four-story hotel is 5 miles from downtown Vancouver and 13 miles from downtown Portland; shopping and restaurants are within a half-mile.
Pool with spa tub
Heathman Lodge displays the work of Northwest artists and craftspeople, and offers complimentary high-speed Internet access as well as a fitness area with lap pool, sauna, and spa tub.
Handmade furniture
All 182 Heathman Lodge guestrooms have custom-made hickory and pine furnishings, as well as cable TVs, complimentary wireless Internet access, microwaves, and refrigerators.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Opens in a new window
Heathman Lodge
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
This four-story, non-smoking hotel has the ambience of a hand-hewn rustic mountain lodge, but is located in a business area five miles from downtown Vancouver and 13 miles from downtown Portland. Thick timber posts, a huge stone fireplace, wood-paneled walls, vintage Pendleton blankets, a totem pole, and specially commissioned artwork create a Northwestern look in the two-story lobby.
Heathman Lodge has an indoor lap pool with spa tub, sauna, and an adjacent fitness area with free weights and cardio and strength-training machines from the locally based Nautilus company. Complimentary wireless Internet access is offered throughout the hotel. Complimentary laundry facilities are available on the third floor. Parking is free during guests' stay.
- Indoor pool
- Spa tub
- Sauna
- Concierge services
- Fitness facilities
- Bar/lounge
- Restaurant
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- 24-hour front desk
- Porter/bellhop
- ATM/banking
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Laundry facilities
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Fireplace in lobby
- Number of floors - 4
- Elevator/lift
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Total number of rooms - 182
- One meeting room
- Area shuttle (surcharge)
- Conference space size (meters) - 929
- Free self parking
- Coffee/tea in common areas
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Conference space
- Express check-in
- Express check-out
- Free WiFi
- Year Built 1997
- Number of meeting rooms - 8
- Conference center
- 24-hour business center
- Conference space size (feet) - 10000
- Smoke-free property
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Indoor pool
- Free Wi-Fi
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Laundry facilities
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Free self parking
Room Amenities
- Premium TV channels
- Room service (limited hours)
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Free weekday newspaper
- Air conditioning
- Phone
- Free local calls
- Refrigerator
- Coffee/tea maker
- Microwave
- Shower/tub combination
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Iron/ironing board
- Daily housekeeping
- Cable TV service
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Cribs/infant beds available
- Private bathroom
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- Desk
- Free WiFi
Where to Eat
Hudson's Bar & Grill - Classic American dishes and seasonal Northwest comfort food, such as Pan-Seared Halibut, Horseradish-Crusted Salmon, and Pancetta-Wrapped Venison Strip Steak. Desserts include Campfire Custard, and Caramel Apple Napoleon. Open kitchen, slate fireplace, and high ceiling. Extensive wine list. Adjacent lounge with jazz and contemporary music Wednesday-Saturday evenings. Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.
Nearby Things to Do
The hotel has an indoor lap pool, spa tub, sauna, and a fitness area with free weights and Nautilus cardio and strength-training machines.
The Discovery Loop Trail is 6 miles from the hotel. Perfect for walking, jogging, or biking, the trail winds for about 2 miles past several historical sights and joins the Waterfront Renaissance Trail at Vancouver Landing along the Columbia River.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the hotel; fees may apply.
- Golfing nearby
- Water skiing nearby
- Mountain biking nearby
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- Accessible bathroom
- In-room accessibility
- Roll-in shower
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 4 PM
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are available.
- Cribs (infant beds) are available.
- Pets not allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Hotel Name
- Heathman
- Heathman Lodge
- Heathman Lodge Hotel
- Heathman Lodge Hotel Vancouver
- Heathman Lodge Vancouver
- Heathman Vancouver
- Heathman Hotel Vancouver
We should mention
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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I have scrapbook max 2 and have been looking for the eraser on the program. I phoned my granddaughter and she talked me through the steps, hers has it but mine doesn't. Can enyone tell what the problem is and what to do to fix it. Thank you verry much. Denny
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text:
Holiday boutique at Highlands Elementary
Highlands Elementary School will host a holiday boutique from 2 to 8 p.m. Dec. 6, at the school, 1326 Pennsylvania Blvd., in Concord.
All proceeds will support school programs. Seller tables are $25. Space is limited. For information, call Erin James at 415-640-1021.
Helen Diller Foundation calls for nominations
Nominations are open until Jan. 6 for the Helen Diller Family Foundation Teen Tikkun Olam Awards, identifying Jewish teens whose volunteer service projects demonstrate a determined commitment to make the world a better place.
Up to 10 teens, five from California and five from across the country, will each receive an award of $36,000, to be used to further their philanthropic work or their education.
Teens must be U.S. residents, 13-19, and self-identify as Jewish. They may nominate themselves, or be nominated by teachers, community leaders, rabbis, but not family members.
Go to www.jewishfed.org/diller/teenawards, call 415-512-6437, email email@example.com.
Families sought to host exchange students
Host families are needed for incoming foreign exchange high school students. Students are 15-18 years old, are English-speaking, have their own spending money and carry health insurance.
Families can consist of a single parent, a childless couple or a retired couple.
Host families are eligible to claim a monthly charitable contribution deduction on their itemized tax returns for each month they host a sponsored student.
Families interested in learning more about the program or to arrange for a meeting with a community representative, can call Pacific Intercultural Exchange at 866-546-1402.
Items included on a space-available basis; not all submissions published. Email email@example.com or fax 925-943-8362.


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LAKEPORT -- The location of a future Clearlake Oaks substation remains unclear with several options still on the table after the Lake County supervisors and sheriff debated the topic Tuesday.
"We need some place to operate this. It's an issue of public safety. It's an issue for the men and women of the sheriff's office," Sheriff Frank Rivero told the Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) at the Lakeport courthouse.
County administrative staff presented information about two potential sites in Clearlake Oaks: the county-owned visitor information center and the old bank space in the Big Oak Center.
Deputy county administrator Alan Flora said staff thought the former bank building wasn't going to be an option but recently learned the owner and new manager were interested in talking with the county.
Rivero said he met with Lake County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) management and members of the Lake County Deputy Sheriff's Association, and they unanimously deemed both sites were "not appropriate."
The sheriff wanted the BOS to reconsider a property on Shady Lane. He said he worked with the owner and negotiated a lower price and other options for BOS consideration.
"The building that I suggested the last time and I keep suggesting is as close to perfect as we're going to find," Rivero added.
The supervisors did not make a decision about any location, in part influenced by policies they adopted less than an hour before.
Under the newly approved rules for leasing and purchasing properties, department heads will have to tell the administrative office why the addition is needed. A department-head's designee could also introduce the need for a proposed lease.
Administrators will go over the proposal initially and forward it to the Space Committee for approval. The committee would then prepare a joint presentation to the BOS for conceptual approval, which if obtained would trigger steps leading to final consideration.
The BOS sent the Clearlake Oaks substation options back to staff to go through that process.
District 2 Supervisor Jeff Smith said he thought Rivero wouldn't be happy with any alternative offered by the BOS.
"I really feel like if it's not the Shady Lane building, it's nothing," Smith added.
Rivero rebuffed Smith's assertion, saying, "It's not Shady Lane or nothing."
Three LCSO command staff representatives and a member of the deputies' union joined Rivero at the meeting -- a turnout that drew criticism from District 4 Supervisor Anthony Farrington.
"There's a lot of taxpayer's dollars being spent on this issue when you come before the board with five members of your staff," Farrington said to the sheriff.
A decision deadline could be approaching. County officials want to move the LCSO out of the Clearlake substation, housed in a building the department shares with the courts, by the end of February.
The discussion was not continued to a specific date, but several supervisors indicated they wanted to address the issue again by the Jan. 8 meeting.
In other business, the BOS issued proclamations expressing appreciation to Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro and his Lake County field representative Ruth Valenzuela.
Chesbro no longer represents the county as a result of redistricting. He was unable to attend Tuesday's meeting because of jury duty.
The supervisors accepted a $15,000 donation from the Friends of the Middletown Gibson Library to go toward costs of shelving, furniture and computers for the town's new library.
The supervisors approved a nearly $36,000 contract with Sacramento-based Nichols Consulting Engineers to design a water tank with a capacity of 50,000 to 60,000 gallons for County Service Area 13, Kono Tayee.
Two LCSO deputies will head to Allen, Texas in mid-January after the BOS authorized out-of-state travel for them to attend mobile audio video training.
The discussion about a proposed agreement for a needs assessment study for the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility was rescheduled for next week.
The supervisors will meet 44 times next year after approving their 2013 schedule.
Jeremy Walsh is a staff reporter for Lake County Publishing. Reach him at 263-5636, ext. 37 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter, @JeremyDWalsh.


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'The measure of Vanek's progress is in the numbers. It's not that he leads all American Hockey League rookies with 30 goals. That might have been expected from the University of Minnesota star who dazzled Buffalo with his offensive gifts during the 2003 Frozen Four. More telling is Vanek's plus-4 rating, a positive compiled even though 16 of his goals have come on the power play and therefore are stricken from the equation.'
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|Strength of Schedule Report
May 4, 2012
Prospectus Hit and Run
Worse Than Pujols, NL Edition
On Wednesday, I examined a half-dozen American League hitters who are off to chillier starts than even Albert Pujols in an attempt to shine a light on a handful of developing stories centered around underperforming players. Of course, none of those hitters has the track record or the job security of the Angels' newest marquee attraction; neither do seven billion other people on Earth. In other words, they're a wee bit more likely to find themselves riding the pine or worse if they continue to flounder, and at the very least, their small-sample struggles—and for this the threshold is 70 plate appearances, not long enough for any key hitter statistic to stabilize—are worth your attention.
All statistics are through Wednesday, and all players are listed in alphabetical order to protect the guiltiest.
Ike Davis, Mets (.180/.232/.292, .177 TAv)
He survived spring training intact but began the year by going 0-for-18, falling one at-bat shy of the franchise's all-time mark for season-opening futility before collecting a single off Stephen Strasburg. Since then, he's shown intermittent signs of life, homering three times in a four-day span from April 15-18, and going 8-for-20 over a five-game stretch from April 26-May 1, with a three-hit game on April 29. Even so, he came into Thursday ranked as the league's second-worst hitter according to True Average, and the majors' worst according to VORP (-9.3). Meanwhile, the Mets' offense is sputtering along at 3.80 runs per game, 10th in the league, and 0.26 below average.
Where Do We Go From Here? Poring over Davis' splits, the alarming thing that jumps out is that he's just 3-for-43 at home, all singles, with 18 strikeouts in 46 plate appearances. By contrast, he's hitting .283/.327/.500 with eight strikeouts in 49 PA on the road, numbers that, with an extra walk or two, would make for a perfectly acceptable line. It's tempting to wonder whether Davis has changed his stroke to account for Citi Field's friendlier dimensions for hitters, but a look at his 2012 splits shows that the lefty's distribution of batted balls are being pulled and going opposite field with almost the exact frequency as in 2010.
Another possibility is that he's putting extra pressure on himself in front of the hometown fans as a way to compensate for the team's depleted lineup; after all, the last time he was in the Mets' lineup, they still had Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes, and currently, both Jason Bay and Andres Torres are on the disabled list. The good news for Davis is that at 13-12, the Mets are off to a better start than expected, and while manager Terry Collins has moved him out of the cleanup spot for the moment, he's highly unlikely to mothball a hitter who forecasts to be the team's most productive this side of David Wright, with a weighted mean True Average of .288.
Danny Espinosa, Nationals (.188/.286/.247, .207 TAv)
The 25-year-old second-sacker is a player who doesn't hit for a high average, but Espinosa's got some pop, some speed, and the ability to take a walk; last year, he hit .236/.323 .414 with 21 homers for a .261 TAv. Contact is an issue; he struck out 166 times last year (third in the NL), and in doing so 30 times this year (second), his rate has climbed from 25.2 percent to 30.3. He's been particularly bedeviled by changeups, and pitchers appear to be noticing; last year, he saw them 14.5 percent of the time and whiffed at 13.2 percent of those, while this year, he's seen them 19.3 percent of the time and whiffed at 22.1 percent (all data from TexasLeaguers.com).
Where Do We Go From Here? As of last Friday, Nats manager Davey Johnson bumped Espinosa from second in the batting order to sixth (with one game hitting third), moving Steve Lombardozzi into his former slot. A switch-hitting 23-year-old who batted .309/.360/.430 in 616 PA split between Double-A and Triple-A last year, Lombardozzi is a natural second baseman who is getting an extended look at third base with Ryan Zimmerman on the DL due to a shoulder injury. Given that he's added a bit of spark (.293/.383/.341 in 49 PA) to a lineup that can use all the help it can get, it stands to reason that Lombardozzi could cut into Espinosa's playing time once Zimmerman returns, which could be by early next week. Even so, Espinosa's ability on both sides of the ball and broad array of secondary skills should keep him in the mix.
Freddy Galvis, Phillies (.192/.222/.295, .173 TAv)
Where Do We Go From Here? Utley could head out on a rehab assignment soon, but there's no timetable for him to rejoin the Phillies; he's several weeks away, at the very least. Utilityman Pete Orr has outhit Galvis in all of 25 PA (.292/.320/.458), but the 32-year-old's lifetime .255/.287/.327 line doesn't offer hope he can maintain that. A better alternative would be 31-year-old lefty Mike Fontenot, a career .263/.332/.406 hitter whom the Philles have stashed at Triple-A after he was released by the Giants at the end of March; he's 11-for-30 with five doubles at Lehigh Valley. He could stop the bleeding until Utley returns.
Ryan Roberts, Diamondbacks (.159/.241/.246, .187 TAv)
Where Do We Go From Here? With Stephen Drew starting the year on the disabled list, the Diamondbacks' infield is already a man down, but even with only one Willie Bloomquist to plug that hole inadequately, that hasn't stopped Kirk Gibson from turning to his bench for more help. Thirty-six-year-old Cody Ransom started seven games at third across a 10-game stretch, and he's been swinging a hot bat (.308/.400/.654 in 30 PA). A career .226/.311/.402 hitter, he's more likely to return to that level than to sustain that sizzling streak, but it's worth remembering that if a futilityman such as Roberts can come out of nowhere to claim a job, so can one such as Ransom.
Scott Rolen, Reds (.178/.241/.315, .198 TAv)
Where Do We Go From Here? It's fair to wonder whether Rolen is still recovering from surgery, but he swung the bat just fine during spring training (.356/.442/.578 in 52 PA), and has said his shoulder feels good. Still, he's averaged just 111 games over the last five seasons, and the Reds do have an understudy on hand in the form of 26-year-old Todd Frazier, who split time at the hot corner with Juan Francisco (since traded to Atlanta) after Rolen went down last year. Frazier hit a lopsided .232/.289/.438 with six homers in 121 PA for the Reds, enough power to lift his TAv to .270; his weighted mean PECOTA forecast of .258/.317/.443 would be slightly more productive, though he's still got a ways to go to match Rolen's outstanding defense.
Alfonso Soriano, Cubs (.250/.262/.275, .187 TAv)
Where Do We Go From Here? Sooner or later, the Cubs will admit that Soriano is a sunk cost and either eat most of his salary by trading him, or nearly all of it by releasing him. Until they have a worthwhile replacement in mind, there's little point in doing that, but that day would appear to be approaching. First baseman Bryan LaHair is raking at a .381/.459/.794 clip so far, and with fellow first baseman Anthony Rizzo hitting a sizzling .372/.422/.638 at Triple-A Iowa, the fact that LaHair has experience at both outfield corners (five games in left and nine in right in the majors, 135 and 23, respectively, in the minors) is something that could come in handy for the Cubs someday soon. "I wouldn't even look at it as a position change for me," said LaHair recently. "I've been playing the outfield my whole life. I'm very comfortable in the outfield."
That said, such a move isn't imminent, as Kevin Goldstein pointed out. Rizzo got into some bad habits with his swing last year and was a total bust in the majors with the Padres (.141/.281/.242 in 153 PA). The Cubs are in no hurry to promote him until they're sure he's ready, and without any likelihood of competing for a playoff spot, there's absolutely no rush. It's a good bet they'll keep Rizzo down until later this summer to avoid him threatening Super Two status after the 2014 season. He has 68 days of service time under his belt and would be on track for post-2014 arbitration eligibility by gaining another 66 days this year plus full seasons in 2013 and 2014. So don't expect Soriano to be kicked to the curb just yet.
14 comments have been left for this article.
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Dear Cubs-
May 04, 2012 04:57 AM
Phillies arent playing Galvis for his bat. He's en elite defender and the Phils are all-in on run prevention.
May 04, 2012 10:01 AM
here's when that doesn't make sense, though, assuming that you have a better offensive option: (1) when worley or hamels is pitching (low GB%); (2) when the Phillies are playing from behind and need offense.
May 04, 2012 10:11 AM
Re: Ike Davis. At least one person I know has been 'scouting' Ike Davis for fantasy purposes. Said scout dropped Davis this very morning because "he can't hit a curve ball." Not sure if there's anything to this, but it's entirely possible that the book is out on Ike Davis. Get ahead and throw offspeed and he can't touch you. Chime in, Mets fans...
May 04, 2012 10:15 AM
what about the Tommy Hanson curve he hit 400 feet?
May 08, 2012 08:09 AM
"not worth the toilet paper they're printed on" God , that's funny.
May 04, 2012 12:41 PM
The Cubs announcers have been talking about it quite a bit, but it seems like Soriano has made some changes to his defensive game, and according to UZR has been worth 6.9 runs above average there so far this year. ZIPS still projects him to hit .246/.292/.435 the rest of the year, and with his defense (it assumes another ~+5 this year) that's 1.7 WAR. And including this game, his OBP is higher than Pujols's...
May 04, 2012 13:35 PM
I feel like Rickie Weeks should be on this list. He has been atrocious at the dish to start the year. No?
May 06, 2012 07:39 AM
The post states that Andres Torres is on the DL. He returned from the DL about 5 days ago and has played CF for the Mets each day since his return.
May 06, 2012 09:28 AM
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A couple tidbits on WET.
First, the newest video, 'Love Struck,' is up at IGN. Be sure to tune in each week for new videos and documentaries.
In other news, if you pre-order WET from Gamestop you'll save $10 on the game. WET is set for release on September 15th on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.


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Getting employee training right
In our April cover story, Senior Tech Editor Dan Hebert, PE, talks about the state of the art in training for the automation profession and how it is evolving to fit the needs of process control end users.
By Dan Hebert, PE, Senior Technical Editor
If you've ever sat through a death-by-PowerPoint training session, you know how boring and ineffective one-size-fits-none training can be. Fortunately, training by internal personnel, system integrators, and vendors is evolving to fit the needs of process control end users and to satisfy management demands for real returns on training investments.
Why Train?
Before we look at specific training methods, let's answer the question, "why train at all?" The first and most obvious reason to train is to increase productivity. Productive employees increase overall company productivity and justify training expenses.
But there are many other reasons to educate employees. "We train so we can accomplish tasks internally without depending on contractors," says Jerry Wilkey, electrical foreman at Lehigh White Cement, Allentown, Pa. Doing work with existing staff saves money and time, and can also improve morale.
Many end users think training is a great way to solve vexing problems. "Time away gives the employee time to develop new perspectives on solving nagging problems," opines Jeff Waufle, IT technical services supervisor at Las Vegas Valley Water District in Nevada.
Training also enables teamwork, which can then be brought to bear on other problems. "Training gives us a much larger pool of people to solve customer's problems," says Joe Malter, a senior project engineer with system integrator PSI Controls.
Training opens the door to new problem solving methods. "Education can introduce our clients to technologies and solutions they didn't realize existed, helping them to solve difficult problems," reports Marc Immordino, product training manager at Wago, Germantown, Wisc. Wago makes electrical connectors and decentralized automation components such as I/O devices, PLCs, power supplies, and signal conditioners.
Training can show employees new and better ways of doing things. "Training enables people to recognize opportunities for improvement beyond requested scope," according to Dick Ciammaichella, director of control systems integration at CSIA member, the RoviSys Co..
Hands-on training in a lab environment with actual instruments used in the students' process plants is a training best practice. (Photo courtesy of FCI.)
Employees become more effective when trained, but while they're in training, others must step in to take their place. This can be a good thing. "We find that employees covering the duties of an employee in training get real-time practice in their back-up tasks. This increases our bench strength," says Waufle.
Companies must sometimes train to address very specific operational requirements. "Training our employees with automation technologies helps us retain valuable data," reports Joe Mauro, East Coast LFG manager for Minnesota Methane/United Gasco, East Brunswick, N.J. "In our business, lost data can cause large economic losses. If we lose flow or temperature data, local environmental agencies can and do levy large fines for these lost data points."
Besides direct operational benefits, training helps companies attract, retain and motivate employees—an especially critical benefit in process control industries, where the shortage of technical personnel is chronic.
Keep Your Best Employees
"Training increases employee retention and loyalty. It's myopic and incorrect to assume that the employee will take the training and move elsewhere. Departure is for other reasons," says Geoffrey Kerr, electrical engineering manager at automotive covering maker, The Haartz Corp., Acton, Mass.
Others second Kerr's opinion. "Training gives employees a sense of loyalty to the company, and it also creates a team identity for groups of people that train together," says Ethan Frounfelker, a sales engineer at electrical distributor Mercer Midwest of Milwaukee, Wis. Employees that feel kinship within their firm are much more likely to stay.
Workers often cite stress as a major reason for leaving a job, and training can relieve stress by making workers more confident and comfortable with technology. "Training creates a less stressful work environment, and eases the stressful transition period for new employees or for an employee changing jobs within the company," observes Stephen Raines, a project engineer with textile company Albany International.
Training also increases morale. "Employees feel important after training because their company is investing in them, and helping them grow professionally," says Kelly Hoffmann, director of learning and development at system integrator and CSIA member Maverick Technologies. "This goes a long way in retaining talent, and it keeps the workforce prepared for the future by allowing the company to expand and grow with emerging trends and technologies."
Training makes managers' jobs easier for other reasons as well. Managers can delegate more to a trained workforce. "Training our employees thoroughly establishes a clear line of accountability and responsibility for our workforce," relates Jennifer Rogers, marketing director at wire, cable and networking components distributor Accu-Tech.
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