kimblr.com

As the time for Father’s Day draws closer with reminders from commercials on television and gift promotions in all the stores, we find in our quiet times of reflection those special memories of our fathers and grandfathers.
As I thought about what my favorite memory of my own father would be, I slowly realized that the reason why I chose to drop my maiden name and retain my middle name from birth and why I insist on adding that “E” to my signature was from a very special summer day in my youth. My father had driven me to the Aliquippa Harbor one summer morning to show me his new lobster boat, and as I stood on the rocks admiring the boat in my favorite colors, white and green, I read the side and realized that he had named it after me, the “Jana E.” He had a hard time expressing emotions, alcoholics often do, but in that moment he was able to show me that he loved me, and I’m forever thankful.
We all have special memories of our family; and I thought I’d share the favorite memories of some friends, with the sincere hope that readers take time this weekend to share their own favorite memories with their families…it’s those tales from our hearts that weave the fabric of our families and keep our history alive.
“Well, my grandpa and I used to ride around in this old red 1990 Corolla and pretend it was the Batmobile. It was pretty fun; he would tell me about his time in the Navy, the Communists and how they almost ruined the world, and the Capitalists and how they were ruining the world. He told me about the good old days, and he used to sing “You Are My Sunshine”; it still makes me realize there are still things worth living for.”- Garion Z. White, 2008 graduate of Mayo HS, attending the Citadel in the fall.

scnow.com

“The scenes in this book are true,” Jim Sheeler writes of “Final Salute,” his book about fallen military personnel. “I witnessed most of them firsthand, and have the tear-smeared notebook to prove it.” Nobody who reads Mr. Sheeler’s account of just how the families of the dead are notified, the lost loved ones enshrined and their memories preserved and honored will have any question about where those tears came from.
By Jim Sheeler
Illustrated. 280 pages. The Penguin Press. $25.95.
At The Rocky Mountain News, where Mr. Sheeler won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for the feature writing on which “Final Salute” is based, he says that the publisher asked the staff to treat this story as carefully as the marines fold their dead comrades’ flags before burial. If this material received unusually reverential treatment, that too is understandable. Mr. Sheeler took one of the great underreported stories of the Iraq war and brought it to light.
While “Final Salute” is not a muckraking book, it is still quietly horrifying. It bears witness to the ways in which casualties from Iraq are shielded from sight. Mr. Sheeler’s readers may not have realized, for instance, that dead soldiers’ coffins have been hidden in cardboard boxes (ostensibly to protect the coffins), toted by forklifts and stowed in the cargo holds of passenger planes.
Among the eloquent Rocky Mountain News photographs included here is a shocking image — by Todd Heisler, now of The New York Times — of commercial airline passengers looking out plane windows at Reno-Tahoe International Airport in Nevada, trying to see what is happening beneath them. Down there, in the cargo hold, a Marine honor guard is preparing to deliver the flag-draped coffin of Second Lt. James J. Cathey to its final resting place.
Since Mr. Sheeler followed the individual stories of several military men and their families (no dead female soldiers are included in the book), “Final Salute” seemingly qualifies as an extended human-interest story. To some extent that’s what it is, if human interest includes the pain and frustration of surviving the death of a loved one (or breadwinner) in battle. But the book is given tighter focus by the man whom Mr. Sheeler treats as a central figure: Maj. Steve Beck, a marine who specializes in helping the bereaved. When Major Beck became a marine, he had never heard the term “casualty assistance calls officer.” Now he knows exactly what it means. And Mr. Sheeler’s readers will too.

nytimes.com

‘02. Hugh Grant. An irresponsible playboy becomes emotionally attached to a woman’s 12-year-old son. (PG-13) (2:00) E!: Wed. 1 P.M., Thu. 9 A.M.
‘97. Clint Eastwood. A veteran thief catches the president of the United States in adultery and a murder cover-up. (R) (2:30) TNT: Sun. 9 A.M., 2:30 A.M. (CC)
‘49. Spencer Tracy. Married lawyers clash in and out of court over a woman’s right to shoot her husband and his lover. (NR) (2:00) TCM: Mon. 1:30 P.M. (CC)
• Adventures of Kitty O’Day
‘44. Jean Parker. A telephone operator plays homicide detective with her boyfriend, making it harder for the police. (NR) (1:15) TCM: Fri. 6:45 A.M.
• The African Queen
‘51. Humphrey Bogart. An imperious woman makes a gin-soaked boat captain fight Germans in the World War I Congo. (NR) (2:00) TCM: Mon. 6 P.M. (CC)
• Agent Cody Banks
‘03. Frankie Muniz. Recruited by the CIA, a teen works under cover to befriend a girl whose father is a pawn for an evil organization. (PG) (2:00) ABCFAM: Sat. noon (CC)
• Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London
‘04. Frankie Muniz. A 16-year-old CIA agent poses as a clarinet prodigy while trying to recover stolen mind-control software. (PG) (2:00) ABCFAM: Sat. 2 P.M. (CC)
• Air Force One
‘97. Harrison Ford. Demanding the release of a political prisoner, a terrorist and his gang hijack the U.S. president’s plane. (R) (2:30) TNT: Sun. 2 P.M. (CC)
‘94. Brendan Fraser. Attention-hungry musicians decide to grab the media spotlight by taking staffers at a popular radio station hostage. (PG-13) (1:40) STZ: Fri. 8:30 A.M. (CC)
• Akeelah and the Bee
‘06. Laurence Fishburne. Akeelah, an 11-year-old girl living in South Los Angeles, discovers she has a talent for spelling, which she hopes will take her to the National Spelling Bee. (PG) (2:00) TMC: Sun. 8:45 A.M., 6 P.M., Thu. 7 A.M., 2:50 P.M. (CC)

post-gazette.com

Spring Gallery Night, Madison’s semi-annual celebration of the visual arts organized by the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, returns this Friday, May 2, from 5 to 9 p.m., with a record-breaking 58 venues participating. (Curiously, the University of Wisconsin’s Chazen Museum of Art, which has two striking shows of circus art on display) is not participating this time.)
Art and craft lovers can enjoy an evening filled with grand openings, benefits, free dance lessons, discounts on purchases and new works of art on display across the city. The evening offers a unique opportunity to meet artists and view their latest works.
Gallery Night exhibition spaces include museums, galleries, coffee shops and - especially this year - other businesses and alternative art venues in east, west and central areas of the city.
The printed guide to Gallery Night, with details about offerings and locations, is available free of charge at participating establishments. A map and list of Gallery Night participants will also be available in the May 1 edition of Isthmus and online at www.mmoca.org.
Highlights of Spring 2008 Gallery Night include:
“¢ A double opening of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra’s fundraising “Art of Note” show of art violins at Grace Chosy Gallery, 1825, Monroe St. (see photo at below right) and the dual show “Human/Nature” with new paintings by area artists Randall Berndt and Charles Munch (see photo at top left) will be featured.
“¢ The Curved Artists U-Haul Gallery will drive its exhibition to three locations.
“¢ Bungalow 1227 will donate 10 percent of its profits to the YWCA.
“¢ Douglas Art and Frame will exhibit portraits dating from the 1800s to the present.
“¢ Steep & Brew Gallery will present live Tango performances.
“¢ Anthology will showcase made-in-Madison paper creations.
“¢ Madison School & Community Recreation will provide Art Cart activities for children.

madison.com

Lenders report that it costs up to $50,000, or almost half the loan balance, each time they write off a foreclosure.
What to do if you get into trouble?
If your home is at risk of foreclosure, don’t wait, said Teri Duffy, executive director of the Housing Community Resource Center in Vancouver.
“Notify the bank as soon as you know your payment will be late,” said Duffy, who oversees the only local nonprofit that provides foreclosure counseling.
For immediate guidance, contact the Housing Community Resource Center at 360-690-4496.
By CAMI JONER and COURTNEY SHERWOOD, Columbian staff writers
Jennifer and Mathew Murphy are about to lose their Vancouver home. Lamont Shaindlin lost his in April. In an east Vancouver subdivision, one out of every nine houses has entered foreclosure since the start of the year.
The Clark County foreclosure rate has been rapidly climbing since mid-2007, largely overlooked because most reports examine the larger Portland-Vancouver area, which has not gone up as much.
In Clark County, 4.44 out of every 1,000 homes were in foreclosure in the first quarter of the year. In the Portland-Vancouver metro area it was three out of every 1,000, and 5.09 nationwide, according to RealtyTrac, a national real estate-tracking service.
Across the county, 1,049 houses were in foreclosure through April, up fourfold from 2007. The spike has been fueled in part by a tightening credit market and a weaker housing economy, but house-flipping speculators also played a big role.
Speculators own as many as one in five homes in some newer neighborhoods in the county, and now many are losing those properties.
Behind the numbers are tears and tough choices for hundreds of local homeowners who can no longer afford their loans, and big financial losses for those whose real estate investments helped fuel the situation.
Rising payments got the Murphys, Hazel Dell residents who say they did not understand the details of their adjustable rate mortgage, in trouble.

columbian.com

Children pelted onto the stage at Davenport’s Lincoln Academy, Thursday, eager to match their dancing feet to the energetic movements of the Vanginanga Troupe of Rwanda.
Dancer Vincent Nsengiyumva’s face radiated joy as he and Jean-Claude Shumbusho, both performing artists, vigorously pounded mallets against the ingoma, or traditional drums, and leapt between beats. Hundreds of young feet imitated the jumps, causing the auditorium floor to quiver for a few seconds.
“I thought it was awesome. I was scared at first but then I was having fun,” Alexis Naguina, a fifth grade student, said
“It felt like I was doing an African spiritual. Me and my friends were dancing,” Detarius Smith, a third grader, added.
The program began with a warm Lincoln welcome and Nsengiyumva and Shumbusho dancing in long blond wigs and clutching spears. Bells, worn on ankle wraps, jingled with each movement. The program featured traditional instruments of the inanga (guitar), amakondera (cow horn), and umuduli (string instrument).
“Today I bring a message of hope to the people,” says Nsengiyumva, who also teaches African drumming and dance.
The Rwandan troupe, all survivors of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, are sharing their native dance, song and instruments with Quad-City audiences through May 3. Those appearances are part of the Quad-City Arts visiting artist series. Their next stop is Ohio and their travels will take them on to Italy, Canada, Africa and around the world.
Claudine Mukamabano danced out onto stage, carrying a baby doll on her back and a basket and rolled up mat in her hands. She knelt and showed how the five baskets fit inside each other as she cared for the “baby.”
All the women in the country make those peace baskets,” Nsengiyumva said. “Women in my country are the ones who bring everyone together. Now we have peace.”

qctimes.com

21 Questions: The New York questionnaire.
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Body Issues: Chronicling the unending quest for physical perfection.
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Fashion Calendar: Pencil in these sales and events.
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Reviews: Our critics weigh in.
Show & Tell: News from around the tents.
Tastemakers: Read all Tastemakers posts

nymag.com

In the end, Rick Malnati was true to himself in making the decision Friday to resign as basketball coach at New Trier after a successful 12-year run.
“I’m leaving a pretty special place,’’ Malnati said. “You don’t get any better than New Trier. I love New Trier, the kids and all the support. It was such a comfortable place to work and teach.
“But being comfortable is not something I strive for. I need to be a little scared when I go to work. I need a change to make me better. I need to have a little more drive. That’s who I am.
“I’m not leaving for some particular other job. It’s more like a leap of faith. And I’m not limiting myself to a job on the college level. I’m looking for another challenge.”
Malnati was a standout point guard at New Trier West and went on to play that position at Bradley. After graduating from college, he worked for 15 years in the family business—Lou Malnati’s pizza restaurants—and then the dozen years heading up the Trevians.
Few coaches in the state were better at getting the most out of his players. Rarely blessed with major-college recruits, Malnati’s precision-passing offense featuring high screens and backdoor cuts and the way his system maximized three-point shooting led the Trevians to a number of upsets.
Perhaps the most memorable was the United Center supersectional in 2002, when Proviso East boasted a lineup of three Division I recruits—Dee Brown (Illinois), Shannon Brown (Michigan State) and Charles Richardson (Nebraska). The Trevians pulled off a stunning upset and finished fourth in Class AA.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with all the kids,” Malnati said. “Look at Todd Townsend. He is an assistant coach at Northeastern now. He is really an exceptional young man and what a turnaround in his life.”

blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com

In Loving Memory
The Best Mother Ever
CLEARWATER—Nick Bollea, 17, son of professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, entered a plea of no contest Friday on a charge of reckless driving involving serious bodily injury, a felony.
Bollea will spend the next eight months in the Pinellas County Jail and complete 500 hours of community service. He must also make restitution in the amount of $6,528.10 and will be placed on five years of probation. His driver’s license has been revoked for three years. The charge is in connection with an Aug. 26 accident which left his passenger with serious brain damage.
He will not be allowed to drink alcohol during his probation and must undergo alcohol evaluation and treatment. He must also attend DUI and advanced driving school within a year.
Bollea was operating a 1998 Toyota Supra, owned by Hulk Hogan and was racing with Daniel Jacobs racing before losing control.  The vehicle struck a curb, spun 180 degrees across two lanes of traffic before crashing into a palm tree. Investigators determined Bollea was driving in excess of 60 miles per hour close to or at the time of the crash. The posted speed limit in that area is 40 miles per hour. The road was also wet due to a recent rain shower.
Jacobs pleaded no contest in February to a charge of reckless driving and was sentenced to probation.
Bollea’s passenger, John Graziano III, 22, a Marine veteran, suffered a broken skull and remains comatose. He was reportedly not wearing a seat belt. Bollea, who was wearing a seat belt, was not seriously injured. Graziano is a resident at James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa.
Graziano’s guardian, Peter Musante, filed a lawsuit in March against Hulk Hogan and his family. 5-09-08
COPYRIGHT 2007 - NORTH COUNTRY GAZETTE All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of the publisher.

northcountrygazette.org

BALTIMORE (Map, News)- Valerie Hayes hasn’t received her economic stimulus payment yet, but she’s already thought about how she’ll spend it.
“I’m going to pay a bill first, and then I’m going to buy some summer clothes,” said Hayes, 54, of Baltimore, as she ate lunch outside in the Inner Harbor on Wednesday.
Some taxpayers are starting to see the stimulus payments hit their bank accounts this week if they chose direct deposit on their tax forms. The Internal Revenue Service is issuing payments of up to $600 for individuals and up to $1,200 for married couples, plus an additional $300 to couples for every child they have younger than 17.
Other Baltimore-area taxpayers said they’re planning to use the money to pay various bills.
“My income taxes are already going to some bills, so this will add to it,” said Jevon Bennett, 26, of Baltimore.
Valencia McIntosh, 24, of Baltimore, said she’s going to “pay off student loans,” while Warren Pennington, 57, of Baltimore, said he plans to use the money to “pay gas and electric bills.”
Some people, though, plan to spend all of their stimulus money on discretionary purchases.
“I’m just going shopping with mine,” said Michael Powell, 23, of Baltimore.
“I just bought a house, and I want one of those lawnmowers with zero turning radius,” said Stavros Papaminas, a lawyer for Allstate.
Others are even using the money for random purchases.
“I’m going to get my dog fixed,” said Amy Oxenhan, 22, of Pasadena.
According to a recent survey from the Washington-based National Retail Federation, 41 percent of consumers plan to use their stimulus payments on purchases, 28 percent plan to pay off their debt, 19 percent plan to save the payment, 4 percent will invest the money and 4 percent will pay medical bills.

examiner.com