forex online trading: 2012

четверг, 15 марта 2012 г.

As confirmed by your story, "Home is where the hurt is [Aug. 25]," this week's home sales numbers show the new homeowner stimulus did not work.

Everyone knows that real estate prices have skyrocketed over the past 20 years, and now there is an …

Bits & Bites

insight, news + reports at a glance

Canadian tax system in top 15%

Canada ranks 28th in the world for its ease of paying taxes, according to a report by the World Bank Group and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The report, Paying Taxes 2010, measures how easy it is to pay taxes in 183 countries by assessing the administrative burden for companies to comply with tax regulations and also by calculating a company's total tax liability as a percentage of pretax profits. Specifically, the study used three indicators: the total tax rate (the cost of all taxes borne by the company); the time it takes to comply with the major types of taxes and the number of tax payments. Canada …

Thai worker in Israel wounded by Palestinian rocket attack from Gaza: army

At least one Thai farmworker was wounded by a rocket fired from Gaza, Saturday, the Israeli military and rescue officials said.

The man was hit by shrapnel as he worked at a chicken coop in an Israeli communal farm near Gaza and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, the army said. Israeli rescue services described his injuries as "moderate" and later reported a second man lightly injured in the …

PLUMBING Clogged aerators hint at problem

Q. I'm getting a buildup of particles and debris in all thefaucets in my home. I have to remove the aerators weekly and cleanthem out. Is there anyway to stop this and prevent it from happeningin the future?

A. The aerators are located at the very end of most faucets andare the control that allows water and air to mix into a soft streamto prevent splashing from the faucet. They simply unscrew from thefaucet spout, and in most cases you'll find a small screen on theinside.

This screen actually works like a rough filter and traps particlesjust like you've been finding in your faucets. The aerators aretelling you that debris is floating around in your plumbing …

среда, 14 марта 2012 г.

State should stop predatory lending now

The city's residential real estate boom is adding big dollars to the personal wealth of thousands of homeowners as they cash in on their homes' increased value through loans that refinance their mortgages.

Many borrowers are getting cheated, too.

Foreclosures on loans by subprime lenders are skyrocketing as a result of deals "loan sharks" are making in unprecedented numbers with unsuspecting homeowners who are led to believe that interest rates and other charges on their refinanced mortgages are fair.

In 1993, there were 69 foreclosures on subprime non-FHA or VA loans in Chicago. Last year, the number rose to 2,382, …

Dodgers 7, Rockies 5

Colorado			Los Angeles
ab r h bi		ab r h bi
Fowler cf	3 0 0 0		Paul lf	3 0 0 0
E.Young cf	2 0 0 0		Kapler lf	2 1 1 2
Herrera ss	4 1 2 1		I.De Jesus 2b	5 1 3 1
Stults p	0 0 0 …

EUROPE NEWS AT 1200GMT

She'd like to thank the academy

The Marines couldn't be any tougher than Nick Bollettieri's SoccerAcademy in Bradenton, Fla. That's right, soccer. Bollettieri built areputation for developing such tennis stars as Andre Agassi andMonica Seles. But he's into soccer, golf and baseball, too.

Wake up at 5:45 a.m. You're shaken by a dormitory staff person,not a drill sergeant. Put on your running shoes and work out until 7.Breakfast. School from 8 to 12:30 p.m. Six classes, includingphysics, American history, pre-calculus, honors English and Spanish.Lunch. Practice from 2 to 5:15. Weightlifting twice a week. Dinner.Homework. Sleep.

Spare time?

"What is the meaning of that?" Christa Iwanski said. …

Lesbian cadet who quit seeks return to West Point

FINDLAY, Ohio (AP) — Katherine Miller got pretty good at hiding her sexuality in high school, brushing off questions about her weekend plans and referring to her girlfriend, Kristin, as "Kris."

She figured she could pull it off at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, too. After all, "don't ask, don't tell" sounded a lot like how she had gotten through her teen years.

But something changed when she arrived at West Point two years ago. She felt the sting of guilt with every lie that violated the academy's honor code. Then, near the end of her first year, she found herself in a classroom discussion about gays in the military, listening to friends say gays disgusted …

Death toll from earthquake that struck India, Nepal, Tibet rises to 48

GAUHATI, India (AP) — Death toll from …

Chicago State baseball set to open new season

As the temperatures hover around the zero mark in the city, first -year Chicago State head baseball coach Husain Mahmoud sits in his office at the Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center and thinks-warmer thoughts-like the start of the new season.

"We're looking to turn things around in baseball here," Mahmoud said. "We've struggled the last few seasons, but now our players are starting to develop a winning attitude."

After working out inside at the Jacoby Dickens Center the last few weeks, the Cougars will open the season Feb. 22 when they take part in the Savannah State Historically Black College Baseball Classic in Savannah, Ga.

After a brief three-game road …

Warriors Hold Off Raptors

Monta Ellis scored 33 points and Baron Davis had 23 points and 15 assists in the Golden State Warriors' seventh victory in eight games, 117-106 over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.

Stephen Jackson added 19 points for the Warriors, who overcame several awkward matchups with Toronto's larger lineup to beat the Raptors for the fourth straight time in Oakland. Golden State took an early 20-point lead before falling behind in the fourth quarter, but Davis and Ellis confidently led a comeback for the Warriors' third straight win.

T.J. Ford scored 13 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter for the Raptors, who lost for the sixth time in eight games. Anthony …

Bali bombing suspect re-enacts alleged crime

BALI, Indonesia (AP) — An Indonesian militant accused of making the explosives used in the 2002 Bali bombings is back on the resort island to re-enact his alleged crime for authorities.

Umar Patek showed investigators Thursday how he allegedly mixed the chemicals used for Southeast Asia's deadliest terror attack. Many of the 202 people killed were foreign tourists, crammed into two popular nightclubs.

Patek was captured in Pakistan on Jan. 25 and will stand trial in Indonesia. A trial date has not been announced.

Patek has admitted taking part in the bombings but has said his role has been exaggerated.

Re-enactments are a common feature of Indonesian criminal investigations.

Stocks fall as data show drag of higher oil

Stocks tumbled Tuesday as a troubling reading on wholesale inflation underscored the drag of high energy prices on the economy. Investors, also growing anxious again about banks' credit woes, sent the Dow Jones industrial average down more than 100 points.

Tuesday's economic data illustrated how the steep run-up in energy costs this year is affecting businesses. The Labor Department said its index of producer prices jumped 1.4 percent in May _ the largest increase since November.

The core producer price index, which strips out often volatile food and energy prices, rose by a mild 0.2 percent. But Wall Street remains concerned that companies are having to swallow ballooning costs _ and may soon be forced to pass them on to already strapped customers. Although crude dipped to about $134 a barrel Tuesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange, it remains near record levels.

Subodh Kumar, global investment strategist at Subodh Kumar & Assoc. in Toronto, said inflation concerns are weighing on stocks as investors try to readjust their models to factor in the effects of energy prices staying high. The price of oil has doubled in the past year, prompting some investors to call it a bubble, but others say a pullback in prices would only lessen _ not eliminate _ the pricing pressure.

"The market and bonds are recalibrating themselves lower because of inflation," Kumar said.

Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs _ despite posting a tamer-than-expected 11 percent decline in quarterly profit _ aggravated jitters by releasing a downbeat report on the broader banking industry. The report estimated that credit losses from deterioration in the mortgage and lending markets will not peak until early 2009, and that U.S. banks, having already raised about $120 billion in capital, will need to raise an additional $65 billion.

"We're back in the mode where people are guessing how many more billions of financial institution write-offs there are going to be. ... That, and what's going to happen with inflation," said Scott Wren, equity strategist for Wachovia Securities.

The Dow fell 108.78, or 0.89 percent, to 12,160.30.

Broader stock indicators also declined. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 9.21, or 0.68 percent, to 1,350.93, while the Nasdaq composite index fell 17.05, or 0.69 percent, to 2,457.73.

Bond prices rose on sluggish economic data. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, fell to 4.20 percent from 4.27 percent late Monday.

Besides the rise in wholesale inflation, the government reported a 3.3 percent decline in May home construction and a 1.3 percent dip in building permits _ signs of persistent weakness in the struggling housing market. Another report showed a 0.2 percent dip in industrial production in May, following a 0.7 percent decline in the previous month.

The worst-performing stocks among the 30 Dow companies were financial companies: American International Group Inc., American Express Co. and Bank of America Corp.

AIG fell $1.73, or 5.1 percent, to $32.28, as A.M. Best Co., which specializes in rating insurance companies, downgraded its financial strength ratings on AIG. The agency said that AIG's decision Sunday to replace its CEO suggests a "deeper level of systemic challenges facing AIG."

Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the world's largest investment bank, posted a better-than-expected profit of $2.05 billion during its second fiscal quarter. But along with the rest of the financial sector, Goldman shares slid $2.65 to $179.44.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. trimmed its capital spending forecast for fiscal 2009, saying it plans to build fewer so-called supercenters amid a slowdown in the U.S. economy. The stock, one of the 30 that comprise the Dow industrials, declined 62 cents to $58.69.

Declining issues outnumbered advancers by about 3 to 2 on the New York Stock Exchange. Consolidated volume came to 3.72 billion shares, after 3.62 billion shares on Monday.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies dropped 4.17, or 0.56 percent, to 736.57.

Light, sweet crude for July delivery fell 60 cents to settle at $134.01 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The dollar fell against most other major currencies, while gold prices rose.

Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average fell 0.04 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 closed up 1.16 percent, Germany's DAX index advanced 0.98 percent, and France's CAC-40 rose 0.61 percent.

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On the Net:

New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com

Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com

вторник, 13 марта 2012 г.

HK stocks climb 2.5 pct on China stimulus hopes

Hong Kong stocks climbed Friday on speculation China would launch another round of stimulus measures to back the economy and financial markets.

The blue chip Hang Seng index shrugged off weakness in regional markets to rise 336.31 points, or 2.5 percent, to 13,846.09.

Analysts said investors were hopeful that China would introduce new stimulus policies or further slash interest rates over the weekend to spur economic growth.

"These are just some wishful thinking by the investors as we are not certain whether China will launch them or not," said Jackson Wong, investment manager at Tanrich Securities.

China's central bank last week slashed a key interest rate by the largest amount in 11 years and the government last month announced a $586 billion spending package to boost the slowing economy.

Among the gainers Friday, financials and property developers finished higher on expectation of a rate cut. Banking giant HSBC gained 3.6 percent to 81.40 Hong Kong dollars and China Construction Bank rose 2.8 percent to HK$4.41.

Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd. moved 3.1 percent higher to HK$67.50, Sino Land added 0.2 percent to HK$5.29, but Sun Hung Kai Properties shed 0.6 percent to HK$54.30.

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On the Net:

Stock Exchange of Hong Kong: http://www.hkex.com.hk

Rapper Proof killed in Detroit nightclub shooting

DETROIT - Proof, a member of rap group D12 and a close friend of Eminem, was shot to death early Tuesday at a nightclub along Eight Mile, the road made famous by the 2002 film that starred Eminem and in which Proof had a bit part.

The death of Proof - real name Deshaun Holton - was confirmed by Dennis Dennehy, the publicist for D12's label, Interscope Records, as well as by Detroit police spokesman James Tate.

"Memorial service arrangements are still being made, and his friends and family would appreciate privacy during this difficult time," Dennehy said in a statement.

Eminem and Proof, 32, seldom were seen in public without each other. Proof was the best man at Eminem's wedding in January, and they have been close friends since before Eminem became a superstar.

The music video for the Eminem song "Like Toy Soldiers" shows Eminem pacing a hospital hallway as doctors try to revive Proof, who has been shot. Later, Eminem attends Proof's funeral as the song's lyrics lament the escalation in violence between rappers.

It was Proof's idea to form D12, a six-member Detroit-based rap group that counts Eminem among its members.

D12 has been around since the mid-1990s, when the members met at Detroit's Hip-Hop Shop, a clothing store by day/hip-hop club by night.

Proof's family members gathered at a home on Detroit's northwest side after hearing the news of his death. The residential street in front of the two-story home was lined with vehicles, and people hugged each other on the sidewalk.

Proof was shot inside a small bar in a strip of businesses along Eight Mile, which is the dividing line between Detroit and its northern suburbs. Tate said two people were shot in the head - one fatally. He said an argument at the C.C.C. nightclub escalated into gunshots.

The other victim - a 35-year-old man - was listed in critical condition, Tate said.

Wende Berry, a spokeswoman for St. John Health System, said Holton was dead on arrival at St. John Conner Creek, an outpatient treatment facility. Berry confirmed that he had a gunshot wound.

Police said shots were fired inside the bar around 4:30 a.m. By the time officers arrived, both of the injured men had been taken from the bar in private vehicles, Tate said.

Evidence technicians and detectives remained inside the bar Tuesday morning. A spot of blood was on the street in front of the tavern, and police marked shell casings in a parking lot across the street.

Patrol officers said the bar is a frequent source of problems on the city's east side. Tate said police have taken 18 incident reports there since 1996. The latest was a vice raid in December in which six tickets were issued, most involving minors possessing or drinking alcohol.

The bar, he said, was legal, but was operating outside of its licensed hours.

Another member of Eminem's inner circle - rapper Obie Trice - was shot while driving on a Detroit-area highway in December. AP

Spanish court convicts 5 on terror charges

Spain's National Court has convicted five men of recruiting fighters for the Iraqi insurgency and sentenced them to jail terms of up to nine years.

The court says the men belonged to a cell that also helped suspects in the Madrid terror bombings of 2004 evade police detection and flee Spain.

Three of the five _ two Moroccans and a Turk _ were sentenced to between seven and nine years for membership of a terror group, while another Moroccan and an Algerian were sentenced to five years in prison for collaboration.

Among the five was the alleged ringleader, Omar Nakhcha of Morocco, who was arrested in 2006.

SNEED

Scoopsville . . .

Sneed hears rumbles that federal grand jury subpoenas wereissued to a gaggle of employees at the Chicago Stadium box officeduring the past few weeks. To wit: The feds are probing a ticket-scalping scam that allegedly defraudedmegabucks from the Chicago Bulls. The feds were told the employees scalped unused season tickets andbootlegged them at exorbitant prices. At least three employees weredischarged four months ago. The scam was reportedly unknown to Bullsmanagement and could involve up to 20 percent of the tickets sold foreach game. The scam might include Hawks tickets, too. Sneed tipped the federal probe on May 28. Hellooooo, Walterrrrrr

Ring. Ring. Hello, Walter. Walter Jacobson, Fox 32's newmega-anchor. The guy who luvvvvs to tweak geeks for messin' up. Isit true you were stopped going 70 m.p.h. in a 55-m.p.h. zone andticketed for having an expired license plate, no city sticker, andfor driving without a seat belt a week ago? Answer: "Yes, I did receive the tickets," Jacobson told Sneed. "Yousee, I was late to my kid's birthday party and, in addition, all myforms for license renewal were still packed away in boxes due to themove. But I've sent everything in now." We knew Walter would do theright thing. Hmmm. That wasn't Walter trying to squeeze his 18-foot car into a17-foot space on Belden Street Sunday night, getting additionaltickets from a cop? Nawwwwwww. The Police Blotter . . .

Dateline: The Brutality Line? - Does Chicago have its own RodneyKing police brutality case brewing? According to a $4 million 1991federal court suit, which goes before Judge James Alesia on Aug. 16,a 34-year-old black Chicagoan claims he was viciously beaten by fourwhite Chicago police officers on Sept. 28, 1990. The suit was filedby Paul Grant, who was charged with disorderly conduct for loiteringin a North Side building. Grant's attorney, Timothy J. Touhy, claims the four cops broke everybone in Grant's face, knocked out his teeth and caused brain injuriesafter handcuffing Grant's hands behind his back and beating him witha flashlight - and when some of the building's residents attempted tostop the beating, they were told to mind their own business. Staytuned. File 'em . . .

The Big Kahunaaaa - Sneed hears Cook County Board PresidentRichard Phelan, who just filed campaign financial disclosure reportsshowing he had $1.5 million cash on hand June 30 - and then raisedanother $200,000 in July - is cookin' big time! Translation:Phelan's war chest for the governor's race is bigger than any otherDem gubernatorial challenger in the nation - except for Californiastate Treasurer Kathleen Brown. Local Lore . . .

Film producer Albert Berger, son of Chicago architecturalmaven Miles Berger and wife Sally, hits town tomorrow to attend theChicago premiere at the Fine Arts Theatre of the film "King of theHill," based on author A. E. Hotchner's novel. (Hotchner's bestfriend, actor Paul Newman, threw the film's New York premiererecently.) Also joining Berger and co-producer Barbara Maltby at thepremiere will be Hotchner and the film's director, Steven ("sex, lies& videotape") Soderbergh. Nunsense . . .

Garb gab: During a break in the filming of "Sister Act II" inSan Francisco, actress Whoopi Goldberg suggested to her "sisters"that they go shopping. So they did - while in costume. Among thestores they visited: Giorgio Armani. Ehhhhhhhhh? . . .

Oscar-winning Anthony Hopkins ("Silence of the Lambs") is thehoped-for star of a bio-pic about deaf composer Ludwig van Beethoven.Mel Gibson's company is producing. Giddy Up! . . .

Back in the saddle . . . again . . . and again and - actor GeneHackman, who won an Oscar for "Unforgiven," has just wrapped work on"Geronimo" opposite Julia Roberts' old flame Jason Patric. He nextrides off to play the bad guy opposite Sharon Stone (as a galgunslinger) in "The Quick and the Dead." And he'll do a small rolein Kevin Costner's "Wyatt Earp" pic. Who says the Western is dead? Sneedlings . . .

Congratulations to entrepreneur Nelson Carlo and his betrothed,Maritza Marrero, who are tying the knot Aug. 14. . . . Basketballlegend Wilt Chamberlain was at the Four Seasons last weekend. . . .Today's birthdays: Martin Sheen, 53; Tony Bennett, 67; Roland Burris,56; Samantha Thompson, 15.

Nebraska Bankers Association Area Banker Meetings: Updates on agriculture and other matters

Current issues facing the Nebraska Bankers Association and its members were reviewed at Area Banker Meetings last month in Beatrice, Norfolk, Omaha, York, Scottsbluff, North Flatte and Kearney.

At the Beatrice meeting Aug. 14, a variety of matters were covered by Ron Kranz, chairman-elect of the NBA and president and CEO of First State in Fremont; George Beattie, NBA president and CEO; and Jerry Srilmock, associate general counsel.

Beattie reported that the association is working with the University of Nebraska to measure the effect on communities of credit unions' tax exemption, adding that the hope is to take the study to the national level. Stilmock was happy to pass on the news that all three of the state's members of the U.S. House of Representatives have refused to sign on to the credit unions' CURIA bill, which would expand their membership and business opportunities.

Kranz suggested that political involvement by bankers is especially critical this year because, due to term limits kicking in, 22 of 49 senators in the state's unicameral legislature will be replaced in November. He urged campaign contributions, hosting fundraisers and other assistance to help get the right candidates elected. Looking ahead, in 2010 there will not be a single senator in the legislature who is in it today, Kranz pointed out. "We've got to get good ones," he said.

Beattie also reported to the members on A-FAN - the Alliance for the Future of Ag in Nebraska - an effort launched recently by Nebraska farm and commodity organizations to help farmers and ranchers work through various issues as they modernize or modify agricultural and livestock operations to ensure economic viability. The NBA endorses the effort and has provided some financial support, Beattie said.

A-FAN points out that in recent years farmers and ranchers who have made or attempted to make changes in their operations to keep up with modern challenges and demands have been subject to intimidation and harassment. This has led some farmers to forgo potential on-farm income opportunities, which hurts rural economies, rural employment and the rural tax base.

The organization assists farmers by connecting them with professionals who can help develop livestock operations that comply with regulations, are environmentally responsible and meet community expectations.

Young people are the life blood of banking and Beattie urged the NBA members to get career bankers in the 21-39 age group involved in the newly formed Young Bankers of Nebraska. A series of eight "Lunch & Learn" sessions were held around the state in August.

Another matter on the Area Banker Meeting agenda was Amendment 1, a proposed constitutional amendment to authorize counties, cities and villages to acquire, own, develop and lease real and personal property for use by charitable non-profit enterprises.

Under the measure, which is supported by the NBA and will be voted on Nov. 7, these entities would be allowed to issue revenue bonds to defray the cost of acquiring and developing or financing property by non-profits.

Stilmock explained that tax-exempt financing historically has been available in Nebraska only to select groups of non-profits. Tax-exempt bonds currently may be issued for various 501(c)(3) nonprofits, but unless they are engaged in manufacturing or an industrial activity the project to be financed must be in a blighted area.

Nonprofits that would benefit from Amendment 1 would include YMCAs, Goodwill agencies, chapters of the American Red Cross and other human service providers, according to Stilmock.

Featured speaker at the meetings was Vincent Amanor-Boadu of the Innovation Center at Kansas State University in Manhattan. His subject was "Agriculture in Transition: Positioning for the Next Big Thing."

He defined the impending "big thing" as satisfying local consumers' global needs, which requires moving away from a dunking based on a homogeneous market looking for a homogeneous product or service.

"In banking, our business is maximizing value for shareholders," Amanor-Boadu reminded the NBA members. "Helping our clients make the appropriate shift is fundamental to our business."

The appropriate shift, he added, is one that helps the client achieve a business objective that is aligned with personal obectives, and engenders excitement and commitment to see results.

"Understanding where they are and how they are dealing with transition forces is critical to our ability to help them," he added. "Sometimes it's tough love but usually it is careful and gentle handholding."

[Author Affiliation]

By Bill Poquette, Editor

Orders for Big-Ticket Goods Down Again

WASHINGTON - Orders for big-ticket manufactured goods unexpectedly fell again in September, raising new worries about how much harm a severe housing slump and credit crunch are causing to the overall economy.

The Commerce Department reported Thursday that orders for durable goods dropped 1.7 percent last month following an even bigger 5.3 percent plunge in August. It marked the first back-to-back declines in more than a year and took economists by surprise. They had forecast new orders would rebound by 1.5 percent in September.

The September drop reflected weakness in such areas as autos, fabricated metals, computers and electronics products and electrical appliances.

Flames acquire potential free agent Bouwmeester

The Calgary Flames have added Jay Bouwmeester to their already impressive defense corps, at least for the next four days.

Bouwmeester, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday, was acquired by Calgary in a trade with the Florida Panthers as the NHL entry draft wrapped up Saturday with the final six rounds at the Bell Centre.

Florida acquired Jordan Leopold _ also on the verge of free agency _ and a third-round pick, which the Panthers used to draft right wing Josh Birkholz 67th overall.

The trade gives Flames GM Darryl Sutter a window of exclusivity in negotiating a new contract with Bouwmeester and his agent, Bryon Baltimore.

"I think we have everybody under contract that we want under contract, and we're trying to get him under contract," Sutter said.

The suspense leading up to the start of the 2009 entry draft peaked at its outset Friday night when New York Islanders general manager Garth Snow tabbed high-scoring center John Tavares as the No. 1 pick overall.

Shortly afterwards, Philadelphia acquired defenseman Chris Pronger in a multi-player deal that saw Anaheim reacquire forward Joffrey Lupul.

Those who thought more trades would follow were sorely disappointed. With a few minor deals completed Saturday, aside from the trade involving Bouwmeester, Toronto GM Brian Burke noted that it's difficult to find a trading partner willing to take on multi-year deals in the current economy.

"Right now, if you've got contracts of any term on them it's really hard to move guys," Burke said. "I thought there'd be more activity but I'm not quite sure why there wasn't."

With Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Regehr already anchoring their defense, the Flames decided to take an early run at one of the top young blueliners in the game.

"The test will be if they sign him," Burke said. "If they sign him, then it was a very successful gamble. I mean, this kid's a good player."

A 6-foot-4, 214-pound native of Edmonton, the 25-year-old Bouwmeester had spent his entire career with Florida, which drafted him third overall in 2002.

"I chatted a couple of times with his agent and at that point in time it was just clear that they really wanted to have the opportunity to exercise his free agency right," Panthers acting GM Randy Sexton said. "About 18 months ago they gave us a list of teams that they were interested in and Calgary was right at the very top. He's an Alberta boy and Darryl's an aggressive guy, he's clever, he's creative _ I think he'll find a way to get them."

Bouwmeester, who had 15 goals and 27 assists last season, never made a playoff appearance in six full seasons with the Panthers. He has 53 goals and 150 assists in 471 games.

"To be able to play with guys like Dion and Robyn for a long time, that to me is pretty significant," Sutter said.

Leopold, who has been traded four times, also is eligible for free agency next week.

"We're going to try to sign him," Sexton said. "We don't know if we will or not but we're going to try. We think he's a mobile puck-moving guy who will be a really fine replacement for Jay."

The Flames also traded defenseman Jim Vandermeer to Phoenix in exchange for center Brandon Prust.

The Coyotes picked up defenseman Sami Lepisto from Washington for a fifth-round pick in next year's draft, and Los Angeles dealt center Brian Boyle for a third-round pick, also in 2010.

Minnesota acquired center Kyle Brodziak from Edmonton for fourth- and fifth-round draft picks.

NHL bloodlines were in full evidence once again during the draft.

After Tampa Bay chose Brent Ashton's son, Carter, 29th overall one night earlier, Landon Ferraro, the son of Ray Ferraro, was taken 32nd overall by Detroit with the second pick of the second round.

Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh used the 61st pick to take defenseman Philip Samuelsson, the son of Ulf Samuelsson, who won consecutive Cups with the Penguins in 1991 and 1992.

Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque, whose son Chris was chosen 33rd overall by Washington in 2006, saw another of his sons drafted when the New York Rangers selected Ryan Bourque in the third round, 80th overall.

"Well, just his influence on me has been tremendous," Ryan Bourque said. "Even off-ice, just to see him day in and day out with the way he handles things, his character and professionalism. Then you've got on-ice things such as skills and it's just been great to have him there and to learn from him."

Buffalo drafted left wing Marcus Foligno, the son of former Sabres star Mike Foligno, in the fourth round, 104th overall. Mike Foligno's older son, Nick Foligno, is a left wing with the Ottawa Senators.

понедельник, 12 марта 2012 г.

Suspended sentence for attack woman

A pregnant woman has been given a suspended sentence forattacking her neighbour's home with a hammer.

Claire Johnston, 21, of Corston View in Odd Down, was given aneight-week prison sentence, suspended for one year, for an incidentwhich took place on September 14.

She had pleaded guilty to criminal damage and been convicted ofassault and a public order offence at an earlier hearing.

In the early hours of the morning she had approached a homeelsewhere in Odd Down and been caught on CCTV smashing the glass ofthe front door with a hammer.

Around an hour after the 12.15am attack, the mother of the familywho live in the house, who cannot be named for legal reasons, hadgone to an alleyway close to the house.

There, her husband and a friend had confronted Johnston and afemale friend of Johnston's.

Her husband told the mother to leave, but the two other womenscreamed profanities at her before Johnston rushed at her and forcedher against the alleyway fence.

The victim, who was left with a small mark on the left hand sideof her eye, managed to run back to her home while the two menrestrained the women.

At 6.55pm that same day the family's teenage daughter had gone toa nearby park with a group of friends.

Johnston arrived at the park a few moments later with anotherwoman and started pointing at the girl and walked quickly towardsher.

Kelly Marshall, prosecuting, told Bath Magistrates' Court thisweek that the girl feared for her life.

She said: "She feared for what might happen so she began to walkaway. They were shouting behind her so she started to run and toldher friends to run with her.

"She was crying a lot because she was so scared."

The court heard that Johnston had said: "I'm going to f..... killyou and your f...... mother."

The girl's father arrived at the park and the youngster got intohis car and he drove off.

Jonathan Lewis, defending, said Johnston had become involved withan argument between a friend and the family.

He said: "It was with a misguided sense of loyalty that shebecame involved."

He also told the court that Johnston, who has had communityorders and curfews in the past, was now six months pregnant and hadturned her life around with the support of her mother.

Mr Lewis added that his client had had drugs problems in the pastbut had been on methadone for the past two years and had been seeinga support worker on a weekly basis.

Johnston was also ordered to pay pounds300 compensation to thevictim for the assault and the damage to the door.

City public schools open

Chicago public schools opened today to the good news that 26schools were taken off the academic probation list, but with smallpockets of problems caused by power failures and busing snafus.

Schools chief Paul Vallas said the "dramatic reduction" in thenumber of schools on probation - because less than 15 percent oftheir students are reading at national norms - was "further evidencethat test scores are up and kids are improving academically."

Three elementary schools were added to the probation list,bringing the number on probation to 55 out of 484. In addition, 37high schools out of 74 are on probation.

At Disney Magnet, a new early start busing plan left 200 parentscomplaining about problems. However, Vallas said Disney was one ofonly four schools with busing problems Tuesday, and that number wasnot unusual for opening day.

Storms overnight knocked out power to 20 schools, but by middayonly six or seven were still dark, though they were open, saidSchools Chief Operating Officer Tim Martin.

At McPherson Elementary, 4728 N. Wolcott, Mayor Daley rang anold-fashioned school bell and declared today "the most important dayin Chicago because it's the opening day of school."

School Board President Gery Chico said that since 1995, when themayor's management team took over the school system, "peaceful"openings have become the norm, and strikes now are plaguing suburbanschool systems, such as Glenbard High School District 87, where thesecond day of a teachers strike kept schools from opening.

Energy, supply costs boosted some business' revenues

Some companies found that rising fuel and supply costs helped generate more revenue. Others found that the higher costs ate into their profits. A few companies were hit both ways.

The effects of rising costs were reflected by some of the businesses on the Business Journal's annual ranking of the midstate's top 100 privately held companies. We ranked them by 2005 revenue.

Higher revenue did not mean higher profit in the case of North Metal & Chemical Co. From the numbers on our list, it looks like North Metal did a bang-up business in 2005. Its revenue jumped from about $21 million in 2004 to nearly $35 million in 2005. It went from 106th to 83rd on the list. That's a big increase for a firm that employs seven people. But those numbers can be deceiving, said Fred Fay, president of North Metal in York.

Most of North Metal's products include molybdenum, a metal that protects against decay. Antifreeze, for example, contains molybdenum to keep the car's engine from corroding.

Molybdenum often is used to protect steel. So as the cost of steel rose due to higher demand in China, so did the cost of molybdenum. In 2000, the metal cost about $2.50 per pound. By last year, the price was up to $40 per pound, Fay said.

So his company's revenue increase reflected the higher price of molybdenum, which he passed along to his customers.

"Our profits barely rose," he said. This year, the price of the metal has settled back down to $25 per pound, Fay said. But that forces him to sell inventory at market rate, below what it cost him to purchase it. "We are fighting to make a profit this year," he said.

While high materials costs hurt North Metal, high energy prices helped Harman Stove Co. in 2005. The stove manufacturer has been inundated with orders from all over the world for wood-pellet stoves, an alternative to gas and oil for heating homes.

"Everybody was looking to reduce their energy costs," said Todd Kaufman, national sales manager for Harman Stove. Only 5 percent of the company's 64.11 percent revenue jump reflected a rise in materials costs, Kaufman said. The rest came from demand for alternative heat. Harman Stove did little extra marketing of its product in the past two years, but the business continues to grow, Kaufman said. He has had to turn down requests for business in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, sticking to the companys U.S. and Canadian markets. A new warehouse is under construction on the company's land in northern Dauphin County. Kaufman expects revenue to double this year. That would bring revenue from $56.55 million in 2005 to about $113 million in 2006.

Materials costs and a favorable market caused a revenue increase at Benchmark Construction Company Inc. in 2005, said Jeff Sturla, vice president of business development for the Lancaster County company.

"In the past couple of years, we've seen the cost of construction rising at double-digit rates. So as we've seen those things grow, that would take a certain portion of the growth (in our company)," Sturla said. A larger portion of the revenue increase could be attributed to demand for commercial structures and Benchmark's push to increase its market share, he said.

Benchmark's core market, commercial construction between Lancaster and Philadelphia, is especially active. Benchmark is seeing more health-care projects, while its senior-living projects are holding steady. The company is also exploring other types of construction, as the contractor for the Pennsylvania Academy of Music in Lancaster, Sturla said. So it has not suffered the hit from higher supply costs that other businesses have seen.

"The cost of construction has gone up, but so has the demand," he said. Sturla anticipates a revenue increase in 2006, but he said it's too early to tell if it will rival the increase Benchmark experienced in 2005. That year, the company brought in $47.97 million, nearly 58 percent more than its 2004 revenue.

Australian Olympic chief Coates says podium protests possible in Beijing

Australian Olympic chief John Coates said Saturday he believes there is a good chance some athletes will launch protests on the medal podium at the Beijing Olympics.

"It is a real possibility," Coates said following the Australian Olympic Committee's annual general meeting.

"The IOC doesn't want the competition to be prejudiced in any way by any demonstrations. They may happen and they'll have to be dealt with depending on how serious they are."

China has been heavily criticized by world leaders for their human rights record and for their recent crackdown in Tibet. The Olympic torch's journey around the world was marred by protesters ahead of the Aug. 8-24 Games.

Coates said there could be podium demonstrations in Beijing similar to the black power protest on the medal podium by American track athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

Smith and Carlos raised their black-gloved fists and bowed their heads during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Both were expelled from the games.

Coates' comments came as the AOC loosened its protest guidelines for Australian athletes at the Beijing Games. The new guidelines, announced at the annual general meeting, expand on protest rules issued during the week by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The AOC says athletes must respect the dignity of the host nation China, their fellow athletes and the Olympic charter.

But it said athletes were free to express their opinions on Tibet, human rights and other such issues in media interviews and online blogs, but cannot place protest signs or propaganda on clothing or equipment.

It said any breach of the Olympic charter would result in disqualification from the Games.

"We don't want banners and T-shirts and things in the village which is meant to be a place where 10,500 athletes get together," Coates said.

"You can imagine that if the Iraqi team turned up with T-shirts telling us and Britain and the U.S. to get out of Iraq, there could be some unpleasant things happen in the village. And similarly I think we have to respect the athletes of all countries, including China, in the village."

Defense begins in Calif. transit shooting trial

As a group of young men questioned why they were being detained on an Oakland train platform, and grew irate when they saw a transit officer manhandle one of their friends, Oscar Grant tried to reassure them everything was going to be OK.

"'Just be cool,'" Jackie Bryson recalled Grant saying to him. "'We are going home tonight.'"

Grant, 22, never made it home. He was shot and killed by another officer Johannes Mehserle, who worked for Bay Area Rapid Transit and has been charged with Grant's murder on New Year's Day 2009. Mehserle, 28, has pleaded not guilty and resigned shortly after the shooting.

Bryson was called as one of the first defense witnesses on Tuesday at Mehserle's trial. He gave an account of the fateful events that led up to the shooting, including Grant telling officers that he would surrender. Moments later, Mehserle shot Grant in the back while he was face down on the ground.

"He stands up and says '(expletive) this' and he shoots him," Bryson said of Mehserle, who resigned shortly after the incident.

The shooting was captured on video by several bystanders and flared racial tensions that helped lead court officials to move the trial from Alameda County to Los Angeles. Mehserle is white and Grant was black.

A heated exchange in the courtroom came Tuesday as attorney Michael Rains questioned Bryson.

Rains played a video taken by a BART security camera that showed Bryson after the shooting walking toward a train as an officer points a Taser stun gun at him. Bryson said he was near Grant against a wall, yelling at his friend to stay awake.

"What got you that distance that close to the train?" Rains asked.

"My friend just got shot," Bryson, 23, said. "I don't know what I was doing. I was in shock."

"You were in handcuffs, right?" Rains asked.

"You understand somebody just got shot in front of me for no reason by somebody that is here to protect us," Bryson said. "He's supposed to be the good one. You want to make me look stupid like I'm the bad one? Come on, now."

After jurors left the courtroom for a break, Bryson wiped away tears with a tissue as he spoke with Alameda County Deputy District Attorney David Stein.

The defense has contended that Mehserle struggled to handcuff Grant.

Bryson, dressed in a navy suit swiveling in a chair on the witness stand, testified that when Grant was taken to the ground he was on his back before being rolled over.

Grant is seen in two videos on his stomach as Mehserle stands over him and fellow officer Tony Pirone has his knee across his upper body. Bryson said he believes Mehserle may have said, "'I'll tase you,'" before shooting Grant.

Rains has contended Mehserle mistakenly pulled out his handgun instead of his stun gun. In his opening statement, Rains said Mehserle told Pirone before the shooting, "Tony, Tony, Tony, I can't get his hands. I'm going to tase him."

Bryson's testimony may have been tainted after admitting he has a general mistrust of police _ and even prosecutors _ as well as lying about a fight that brought officers to the Fruitvale station.

However, Bryson testified that he was in handcuffs for more than five hours the morning of the shooting after being detained and claims Pirone, who was fired in April, paid him a visit while he was in a holding cell.

"He put his chair up, kicks his feet up and sits there for five minutes with a smirk on his face," Bryson said on cross-examination by Stein. "He kept smiling and laughing."

Pirone, who has been described by some train passengers as being hostile and aggressive toward Grant and his friends, is heard on one of the videos twice using a racial epithet at Grant. Pirone testified last week Grant uttered the same slur first.

Also called Tuesday was Mehserle's former partner BART officer John Woffinden, who said he arrived with the defendant to the train platform and was met with a barrage of profanities and racial slurs by people aboard the train and from some of Grant's friends.

Woffinden had been standing in front of the group of men, including Grant, who had been detained after reports of a fight aboard the train. Woffinden said he heard the shot but didn't see what happened.

"At the time, I thought it was a Taser being deployed," Woffinden said. "The sound sounded too muffled to be a gunshot."

Woffinden added after the shooting that he looked at Mehserle and tried to reassure him that the officers would handle the situation.

"How did he look to you?" Rains asked.

"Scared. Shocked. Upset," Woffinden said.

Stosur, Golovin Advance in Sydney

SYDNEY, Australia - Australian Samantha Stosur and Tatiana Golovin of France advanced to the second round of the Sydney International with straight-set victories Monday.

Stosur beat Vera Zvonareva of Russia 6-1, 6-4 and Golovin defeated Chinese qualifier Peng Shuai 6-4, 7-5 early on the first full day of competition in the joint ATP and WTA Tour event at the Sydney International Tennis Centre.

Serving for the match, Stosur saved two break points before pushing Zvonareva into an unforced error on the Australian's second match point.

The 22-year-old Stosur will play Martina Hingis or Jelena Jankovic in the second round. Hingis and Jankovic played later Monday.

Hamas Accepts Peace Conference Proposal

CAIRO, Egypt - The Hamas-led Palestinian government agreed Sunday to an international peace conference with Israel after the Arab League - angered by Israel's military offensive in Gaza - voted to end a financial blockade on the Palestinians.

Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar of Hamas endorsed a statement by Arab foreign ministers calling for the peace conference during a meeting in Cairo to respond to a U.S. veto of a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the Gaza offensive.

Israel responded by saying it would not hold talks with Hamas unless it agreed to demands, backed by the U.S. and Europe, that the group recognize Israel, renounce violence and abide by existing agreements between Israel and Palestinians.

Zahar said the Palestinians had asked for the peace conference "in order to reach just and comprehensive solutions." The acceptance marked the first time the Hamas-led government has indicated it would consider making amends with the Jewish state.

The West cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in international aid and tax revenues to the Palestinians after Hamas took power in March in an effort to pressure the Islamic militant group to moderate its anti-Israel ideology.

Israel made clear that Hamas' shift fell short of its demands. Mark Regev, a foreign ministry spokesman, said he was not aware of the conference proposal. But he said Hamas could not be a party to talks with Israel unless it met the international community's stipulations.

"A multilateral conference doesn't make Hamas legitimate," Regev said. "What makes Hamas legitimate is accepting the international benchmarks."

Hamas' decision came as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert arrived in Washington Sunday ahead of a meeting with President Bush on Monday.

The Arab League statement said ministers sought a conference to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "according to international resolutions and the principle of 'land for peace'." Arabs want Hamas to endorse a 2002 Arab initiative that calls for peace in exchange for land seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war - the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem.

Sunday was the first time Zahar had attended an Arab foreign ministers' meeting since Hamas became the ruling party. The Arab League had previously refused to let him join unless Hamas accepted the peace initiative.

Arab ministers also decided Sunday to end a financial blockade on the Palestinians to show their anger over U.S. veto in the Security Council on Saturday.

The U.N. draft resolution would have condemned the Israeli offensive in Gaza that has killed more 50 people recently and also demanded that Israeli troops pull out of the territory. U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said the Arab-backed resolution was "biased against Israel and politically motivated."

It was the second U.S. veto of a draft resolution on Israeli military operations in Gaza this year.

"There will no longer be an international siege," said Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheik Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.

The economic sanctions against Hamas have debilitated the Palestinians and have led to clashes between the Islamic militants and the more moderate Fatah party led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas has been trying to form a more moderate government and renew the peace process with Israel.

Arab banks have not transferred funds to the Hamas-run Palestinian Authority for fear of U.S.-led sanctions. The United States and European Union lists Hamas as a terrorist organization and takes steps against those who transfer funds to such groups. It was not immediately clear whether Arab banks would immediately begin transactions in response to Sunday's decision and if sanctions would be imposed if they did.

State Department spokesman Kurtis Cooper said he had no immediate comment on that question.

Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said the decision to break the Western-lead financial blockade was a message to the United States.

"Our message is loud and clear to those who take unfriendly positions against Arabs," Moussa told reporters in Cairo.

In an immediate show of support, Kuwait's foreign minister said his country would send $30 million to the Palestinians, and Bahrain's foreign minister said the Arab countries would begin contacting international financial institutions to get the money transferred to the Palestinians.

Mohammed Awad, secretary general of the Palestinian Cabinet, said at least $52 million would be ready for immediate transfer. The Arab League should now be able to transfer the money to the government accounts instead of to the president's coffers, he said.

"Most banks follow their governments. They must remove the blockade," Awad told The Associated Press in Gaza City.

The money would go to paying salaries, Awad said.

The ministers also decided to ask the U.N. General Assembly to hold a special session to discuss the situation in the Palestinian territories.

Israeli artillery killed 19 civilians in a crowded Gaza neighborhood of Beit Hanoun on Wednesday, the latest bloodshed in an offensive meant to halt militant rocket attacks.

The incident marked the highest number of Palestinian civilians killed in a single strike since fighting erupted six years ago.

среда, 7 марта 2012 г.

Beckley lineman keeps personal rivalry going: Signing Day '07

DAILY MAIL SPORTSWRITER

HUNTINGTON - There are several reasons Micah Carter committed toMarshall.

For one, there's the obvious Beckley pipeline that has pumped outsix Marshall football players during the past 16 years. Carter is No.7.

For another, there's the offensive line tradition.

Carter, 6-foot-2, 295 pounds, will follow in the blockingfootsteps of Mike Guilliams (1996-99) and current Marshall starcenter Doug Legursky.

And don't forget MU quality control coach Shaun Sarrett. He's alsoa former Beckley High offensive lineman, who played for Kent State.

But the main reason Carter will sign his national letter-of-intent on Wednesday to play for Marshall is so he can maintain hisrivalry with Nitro High standout Chad Snodgrass.

See, Snodgrass has committed to West Virginia University.

Get the picture?

"When I heard he signed with WVU, I was leaning toward Tennessee,"said Carter, who is Marshall's only in-state recruit. "I had heard hewas leaning toward Ohio State.

"But knowing he was staying in state, I couldn't let him own WestVirginia by himself. I decided to go to Marshall then. That was it.So, now, our rivalry is going to continue with WVU and Marshall.

"We're going to have to put it aside for the North-South game.That's the one time we'll be teammates."

Otherwise, Carter and Snodgrass have been high-profile foes.

"You don't get any better without competition," said Carter.

"When we play teams like Capital, I talked trash to people acrossfrom me. I'd say, 'You're nothing, compared to Chad.' My competitionin the state was Chad and Josh Jenkins (Parkersburg).

"I looked forward to those guys. I didn't look past an opponent,but I couldn't wait to get to Chad because he was going to be thebest competition I would face.

"We played them last year (2005) when we were undefeated and I wasreal cocky. I didn't think anybody could hang with me. But, then, Iwent one-on-one with Chad and it was like facing myself. I actuallygot challenged."

Now, the challenge will carry over from high school to college.

"Everybody is excited about that," said Carter.

Speaking of excited, that's precisely what MU Coach Mark Snyderwas when he laid eyes on Carter during the Beckley native's officialvisit here two weekends ago.

Instead of the 320-pound offensive lineman Snyder expected, he sawa comparatively svelte 295-pound Carter.

"I was wrestling for a while to stay in shape, so I dropped to285," explained Carter. "I went undefeated for a while. I finished 24-3. Regionals are coming up, but I want to get back in the weight roomand build my strength back up.

"I want to get my bench press back up. It's around 400, 405 rightnow. It should be up to 425. So, I'm weighing 295 pounds right now.

"Coach Snyder wants me to come into camp around 295, 300. Theysaid it was good for me to lose that weight. I lost about 30 pounds.It was easy. My conditioning coach down here told me what to do, so Iknew it was going to be easy.

"I mean, the conditioning was a test of will power."

A teenager displaying that much mental discipline is a good sign.

"When I was wrestling, I felt the difference between then andfootball season," admitted Carter. "I was in the best shape of mylife. Everyone said that for my size, I was quick on my feet.

"That's going to be good for me with Marshall playing teams likeMiami (Fla.) that have some of the quickest defensive linemen in thenation."

And who does Marshall play against the very next week in the 2007season? Carter already knows the answer, of course.

It's Snodgrass and the Mountaineers.

That means there are two rivalries that aren't going away.

Marshall vs. WVU and Carter vs. Snodgrass.

* n n

IN OTHER Marshall recruiting news, the Herd has added three verbalcommitments to the Class of 2007. The trio includes 6-3, 284-pounddefensive tackle Delvin Johnson from Woodruff, S.C.; 6-3, 305-pounddefensive tackle Brandon Bullock from Absegami, N.J.; and 6-5, 265-pound offensive tackle Ryan Tillman from Centreville, Va.

Johnson made an official visit to MU last weekend.

"Coach Snyder never pressured me, but he was to the point insaying how much they wanted me," Johnson told Rivals.com, arecruiting Web site.

"During the weekend he offered me a full scholarship to playfootball at Marshall. That was big for me."

Johnson also was considering South Carolina, Clemson, Maryland,Tennessee State and South Carolina State.

Bullock also was highly recruited. According to Rivals, the NewJersey native had scholarship offers from Cincinnati, Rutgers,Syracuse, Temple and New Mexico State. He also made an official visitto MU last weekend.

"I had my mind made up that it was going to be Marshall about twoweeks ago," Bullock told Rivals. "They have been the only school onmy mind. The loyalty they have shown me goes beyond any otherschool."

Tillman is a Hargrave Military School product.

Marshall recruiting A look at reported verbal commitments toMarshalls 2007 football recruiting class: Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown School Dequan Bembry CB 5-10 175 Hawkinsville, Ga.Hawkinsville HS John Bruhin OL 6-4 305 Powell, Tenn. PowellHS Brandon Bullock DT 6-3 305 Absegami, N.J. Absegami HSMark Cann QB 6-4 210 Landrum, S.C. Landrum HS Micah Carter OL 6-2 295 Beckley Beckley HS Vinny Curry DE 6-4 252 Cincinnati Harmony Prep School Terrell Edwards RB 6-0 205 Mobile, Ala. UMS-Wright HS Montel Glasco DT 6-3 280 Westfield, N.J. Lackawanna (Pa.) CC Sergio Glenn OT 6-6 325 Winston-Salem, N.C. North Forsyth HS Kellen Harris LB 6-2 205Sharon, Pa. Sharon HS Corey Hart LB 6-1 205 Loachapoka,Ala. Loachapoka HS Delvin Johnson DT 6-3 284 Woodruff, S.C.Woodruff HS Johnny Jones DE 6-5 250 Clewiston, Fla. Clewiston HS Darius Marshall RB 5-10 188 Milledgeville, Ga. Baldwin HS Shane Moore DT 6-2 280 Greensboro, N.C. NEGuilford HS Franchez Pitts SS 6-3 198 Loachapoka, Ala. Loachapoka HS Chris Smith QB 6-3 220 South Point, Ohio South Point HS Ryan Tillman OT 6-5 265 Centreville, Va. Hargrave (Va.) Acad. C.J. Wood OT 6-4 275 Gainesville, Ga. Gainesville HS

Massive Assaults on Wildfires Questioned; Preventive Protection of Homes Shown to Be More Effective, Far Less Expensive

A wall of fire barreled through the forest with a jet-engine roarnear Secesh Meadows last August, and local fire chief Cris Bent knewhis work was about to be tested.

Residents of the tiny mountain hamlet in central Idaho preparedfor the worst. Just a month earlier, a forest fire had burned 254homes near Lake Tahoe, and the 2007 fire season appeared ready toclaim its next community.

But as the raging East Zone Complex fire reached the cluster ofloosely spaced homes, the flames dropped to the ground, cracklingand smoldering. The fire crept right up to doorsteps. But withoutthe intense flames that spurred the blaze just moments before, nohomes burned -- a feat fire managers attributed largely to Bent'spush to clear flammable brush from around houses.

"We were well prepared," Bent said.

The town's ability to withstand a frontal assault by a majorwildfire demonstrates what fire behavior experts have been sayingfor more than a decade: Clearing brush and other flammables andrequiring fireproof roofs will protect houses even in an intensewildfire -- without risking firefighters' lives.

More provocatively, the research suggests that fighting fires onpublic lands to protect homes is ineffective and, in the long run,counterproductive.

It is also far more expensive.

This is the paradox of wildland fire management in America: Mostscientists and fire managers agree that fire is a healthy and neededpart of the forest, and that fighting these blazes serves only tobuild up fuels and boost the size and frequency of catastrophicfires.

But federal agencies keep attacking almost every wildfire, manydeep in the woods, and the rising costs of suppression divert moneyfrom protecting homes and communities -- which can be saved withthe right, often inexpensive, measures.

The result: Billions of taxpayer dollars are spent on what mostexperts agree is the wrong approach. The lives of firefighters areput in danger on fires that don't need to be fought. And homes areleft vulnerable, their fate often decided by wind direction and theavailability of federal firefighters to protect private property.

Federal agencies still put out nearly every fire that starts. Outof about 80,000 blazes that start every year, an average of just 327are allowed to burn. Only about 430,000 acres of the 9.8 millionthat burned nationally last year were allowed to burn withoutsuppression, in what managers call "wildland fire use" blazes.

Fire suppression costs have ballooned, rising by a factor of morethan six in just a decade, to $1.86 billion last year. Meanwhile,funding to make private homes and communities safer has dropped bymore than 30 percent since 2001 -- to less than $80 million in2008 -- and more cuts are proposed for 2009.

And Congress may soon make it even easier for forest managers tospend tax dollars on fire suppression. Last month, an unlikely unionof House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Rep. Bill Sali (R-Idaho) supported a fund to cover costs of fighting catastrophicfires.

The fire in Secesh Meadows didn't surprise Jack Cohen, the U.S.Forest Service's top expert on how fires burn homes.

Most of the public and even many firefighters and fire managersthink the fire racing through the canopy of the forest -- theintense "crown fire" -- is the main threat to homes.

But the reality is that most crown fires lose their intensitywhen they reach the edge of a community. Trees are spread morethinly in residential areas, intersected by roads and driveways andlawns, so the fires tend to drop to the ground, where they burn withless intensity and are easier to manage than the blazing crownfires.

Cohen has studied dozens of fires across the nation since the1990s, and he sees the same behavior every time.

Most homes are ignited by flying embers, thrown as far as a mileand a half ahead of the crown fire. Or they catch fire when theground fire reaches brush and trees within 100 feet of thebuildings.

The homes themselves burn with high intensity -- and can sendoff their own embers to start new fires -- but often the treesaround the burned homes are left with their green canopies intact.

That tells Cohen that there is no "wall of fire" blazing througha community and consuming everything in its path.

Instead, he says, it shows the fires can be fought within thecommunities -- and that raging fires on public lands don't need tobe stopped in the wilderness to protect private property.

Cohen's research demonstrates that requiring forest homeowners tohave a fireproof roof, to clear gutters of pine needles, and to keepbushes and trees 100 feet from a home is far less expensive and moreeffective for protecting homes than fighting fires on public lands.

Cutting trees to thin the forest around communities -- thepreferred method of treating federal lands to reduce fire danger --reduces airborne embers that ignite many house fires. But thattactic is still more expensive and less effective than clearingdirectly around homes.

"We have the ability to be compatible with fire," Cohen said."But we mostly choose not to be. . . . Our expectations, desires andperceptions are inconsistent with the natural reality."

Cohen's conclusions are sound, said David Olson, a Boise NationalForest official who has more than 30 years of experience fightingand managing wildfires. But to rely solely on a tactic known in thewildfire management community as "firewise" preparation assumes thatevery homeowner in a fire-prone community will follow all of Cohen'sinstructions and not cut corners.

It is human nature, Olson said, to not prepare ahead of time.

"We will do nothing until a crisis occurs," he said.

One way to better protect homes and businesses and save federaldollars is to put more of the onus on the homeowner.

Local governments should enact planning and zoning rules thatrequire homes to be built with fire-resistant roofs and 100-footbuffer zones, Olson said.

"We need to prepare the subdivision before it's even built,"Olson said.

Officially, the responsibility for taking preventive steps lieswith local fire departments like Bent's and with homeownersthemselves.

But federal firefighters have made protecting homes on privateproperty one of their highest priorities, second only to keepingfirefighters and residents safe.

In 2004, $535 million of the federal agencies' $1 billionfirefighting budget went to protecting homes and property, accordingto a 2006 audit by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's inspectorgeneral.

The federal program, the inspector general said, "removesincentives for landowners . . . to take responsibility for their ownprotection and ensure their homes are constructed and landscaped inways that reduce wildfire risks."

"They're definitely going in the wrong direction by providingmore funds for suppression," said Alison Berry, research fellow forthe Property and Environment Research Center, a libertarian thinktank in Bozeman, Mont. "We should be focusing more on prevention andpreparedness."

Bent, the Secesh Meadows fire chief, said the federal policy goesagainst the traditional American view of personal responsibility.

"As homeowners I think we have an obligation to take care of ourplaces and ourselves," Bent said.

In 2006, he used a $60,000 federal grant to remove brush andtrees from around Secesh Meadows houses -- a firewise tactic. Hewas able to persuade only 37 percent of the residents to participatein the program, though some who declined already had cleared theirproperty. His effort, along with federal firefighters andvolunteers, was enough to save the town.

But firefighters had to devote extra effort -- meaningincreased danger and cost to taxpayers -- to protecting homes thathad not been prepared, Bent said.

"That really personally annoyed me a great deal," Bent said."We're risking the lives of young men and women to protect a homethe homeowner could have treated at their leisure."