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

Nathan McLean had three cans of Silly String in his pockets and two in his waistband to spray at friends during Live Oak High School graduation ceremonies Thursday night.
McLean was one of 106 seniors in shiny purple caps and gowns preparing to graduate.
He smiled, but said he was sad that his friendships might only survive through e-mails.
“It’s kinda bittersweet,” McLean said. “You’re excited to be graduating, but you’re leaving all these people you’ve spent your life with — some of us since kindergarten.”
Along with the Silly String, which many of the seniors carried, they planned to give school district officials marbles as they shook hands and received their diplomas.
Laura Anderson said she felt honored to be this year’s class valedictorian, but that she hates public speaking.
She shared some favorite high school memories while waiting to walk the stage.
She said she liked going to football games every Friday night and showed her school spirit Thursday by wearing purple eye shadow and gold glitter fingernails.
Anderson said she was ready to go to college and move on.
The salutatorian, Cynthia Martinez, wore four medals, a gold stole and a red and gold rope around her neck. She said her parents were excited and proud of her accomplishments after their fifth year in the United States.
The graduates clapped and cheered in anticipation as they walked two-by-two from the gym doors to the football stadium.
“Don’t be sad that high school is over,” said Jessica Sood, senior class president. “Be happy that it happened and embrace the people who made it worthwhile.”
Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Katy Sweeny at 749-4708 or ksweeny@appealdemocrat.com
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appeal-democrat.com

• For complete analysis of who’s in and out of the 2008 NBA draft, click here.
ORLANDO, Fla. — The first full day of the Orlando pre-draft camp gave us a few surprises in the games and more NBA rumors.
I spent the last 10 hours watching games and talking to NBA scouts and executives. Here is what they’re saying about Wednesday’s performances:
The best matchup of the night pitted UNC’s Ty Lawson versus Tennessee-Martin’s Lester Hudson. Lawson came in with the blue-chip pedigree but with a draft stock that’s taken a beating this year. Hudson came in with a small school background and a checkered past, but he had wowed scouts and executives in the early drills.
Hudson’s stock looked to be on the rise while Lawson’s seemed to be free-falling.
Both players came off the bench at the 10-minute mark and guarded each other. The verdict was an overwhelming knockout for Lawson, who dominated Hudson on both ends of the ball.Lawson’s tenacious defense forced Hudson into five early turnovers and a couple of bad shots. Meanwhile, Lawson kept pushing the ball and making things happen on the offensive end.
Hudson ended the game with four points on 2-for-6 shooting, with five assists and five turnovers.Lawson’s numbers weren’t spectacular — he had 10 points, four assists and shot 4-for-10 from the field — but several GMs walked away impressed with Lawson.
“He came out with great energy and played like he had something to prove,” one GM said. “He kicked Hudson’s [butt]. I think he helped himself.”
Even with Hudson’s poor performance, NBA executives still feel Hudson is going to be in the league. The Spurs met with him earlier in the day and several other teams are scheduled to interview him.
“Up until that first game, he showed great poise, athleticism and the ability to score from wherever,” one GM said. “I really think he has a shot at being a quality NBA player. He reminds me a little of Lindsey Hunter when he came into the league.”

sports.espn.go.com

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"Yesterday during third module lunch on the Ninth Grade Academy hallway a head of an unidentified carcass was recovered," began a letter from Surrattsville High School’s principal, Alice Swift-Howard, to parents last Wednesday.
Two freshmen at the Clinton school said the head appeared to belong to a goat. They said the school’s staff removed the grisly find in a matter of minutes and then called off the class trip to the Kings Dominion theme park.
But school officials said that there was no connection between the two events and that the request for the trip had never been approved.
Swift-Howard told parents that the administrator on duty in the hallway alerted security about the animal carcass.
“At no time was the school population compromised (inside) as the security and administration were diligent and the incident was handled according to policy,” she wrote.
She also said the school had installed additional cameras and assigned faculty members to additional duty posts to help catch any future pranksters and to ensure the safety of students.
“We urge you to reinforce and require that your children adhere to the school rules and encourage them that school pranks of this nature are unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” she wrote.
John White, the school system spokesman, at first wondered whether the prank was connected to the school’s mascot, but on learning that Surrattsville’s mascot is the hornet, concluded that "it sounds like a prank that wasn’t very tasteful."

washingtonpost.com

In the South Shore community of Patchogue, where American flags often fly from front-porch rails, an effort to rename a high school after a 1994 graduate who was granted the nation’s highest military honor after dying in a firefight in Afghanistan has drawn vocal support.
But there is quiet grumbling that the community is being made into a living memorial to one individual.
Already, the Patchogue post office is named after Navy Seal Lt. Michael P. Murphy, as is the Brookhaven Town beach at Lake Ronkonkoma, where Murphy was a lifeguard. The Patchogue-Medford High School lobby holds a prominent display honoring Murphy, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor last October. He was killed in June 2005.
“The question is, how many heroes do we have, and how many school buildings are there?” said one public employee.
This story is based on scores of interviews in the United States, Afghanistan and Pakistan, along with official records, military and media reports. To flesh out the story of the four U.S. Navy SEALs who were sent to Afghanistan to track a reputed terror leader, reporter Martin C. Evans spoke with U.S. Navy officials, family members and military colleagues of the four men. He also spoke with Navy officials about SEAL training, and with other military officials about conditions in eastern Afghanistan where the four SEALs were sent on their mission. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, reporter James Rupert spoke with experts on the fighting in Afghanistan, U.S. military officials, and the goat herder who rescued the lone survivor of a gun battle that took the lives of three of the SEALs
A school board meeting this week drew about 400 people after a veterans group urged supporters of the name change to attend.
“There are 217,000 people buried at Calverton, and only one of them has the Medal of Honor,” said Bryan Davis, referring to the national cemetery. Davis taught Murphy at Saxton Middle School.

newsday.com

Meditation series coming to an end
WILDOMAR —- The Cafh Foundation will present a meditation and dialogue for adults on “Making a Better World: What are My Responsibilities?” on Wednesday.
It’s the final in a series free monthly meditations The Cafh Foundation has offered in conjunction with a class for children ages 5 to 9 called Living from the Heart. Both groups meet from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 21776 Palomar St.
The Cafh Foundation is working to unfold consciousness in human beings.
Call Patricia Lagler at 678-3557 or visit www.cafh.org.
Chronic pain group meets
TEMECULA —- A Chronic Pain Support Group meets from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays at Rancho Community Church.
All who live with chronic pain can seek answers and find support from people who are experiencing this illness.
Child care is available. The church is at 31300 Rancho Community Way.Call 303-6789, Ext. 407, or 757-0645.
Shriners Hospital plans screenings
CORONA —- Shriners Hospital for Children, Los Angeles, will hold a free pre-admittance screening clinic from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Vicentia Elementary School in Corona.
Children with orthopedic disabilities, burn scars, missing limbs or spinal cord injuries are eligible for free medical care at Shriners hospitals.
Call (714) 563-9111 or (714) 839-3292.
Center plans health fair
MURRIETA —- A senior health fair is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Murrieta Gardens.
The free fair will include checks of blood sugar, blood pressure, vision, skin cancer and height and weight.
The event is at 24200 Monroe Ave. Call (951) 600-7676.
Cardio Pilates classes to begin
TEMECULA —- Cardio Pilates classes will begin April 28 at Harveston Community Park. Classes will be held from 5 to 5:45 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays through June 4.
The first 15 minutes of class consist of cardio exercise and the last half-hour is Pilates. The six-week class costs $40. Participants must be at least 14 years old.

nctimes.com

By JOE RYAN
STAMFORD — The first thing that strikes you about Allie Oakes is her poise.
The junior co-captain of the Westhill High School boys golf team answers questions with an air of confidence that tells you a long putt in a big tournament is not going to make her weak in the knees.
In fact, it is that type of competition she thrives on as she has achieved two-time, all-state status and shared the girls individual state title last year. Oakes shot an 80 at Blue Fox Run in Avon, tying Newington’s Kirsten Lapointe for 2007 title.
She said the example given set by last year’s captains, Andy Granowitz and Travis Denicola, gave her insight into the kind of leader she wants to be. She wants to help the younger players like the former captains had helped her.
“Last year was a great year and I learned a lot from our captains, Andy and Travis, ” said Oakes. “It’s not only playing golf, but being a good role model for the guys out on the course.”
She still has some aspects of her game she wants to improve, but the Vikings are facing a rebuilding year and she wants to help her team and keep her personal goals in perspective.
Oakes got an early start in her pursuit of the sport that’s been called “a good walk spoiled.”
Her passion for the game started when she was about seven years old. Her father introduced her to the game. It allowed her to share a common activity with him and gave her an outlet away from the team sports she had been playing.
She found the peace of the course alluring and the singular challenge of self-improvement fulfilling. While sometimes kids get frustrated by the nature of the game and it inspired Oakes to work harder.

thestamfordtimes.com

Before she underwent breast augmentation surgery last summer, Melissa Wohl said she felt self-conscious about her body - especially at the beach.
“I wasn’t as developed as some of my friends, who were filling out their bathing suits,” said Wohl, 19, of Wantagh, who now attends Binghamton University. “I guess I felt like I didn’t fit in.”
Wohl is among an increasing number of young women looking to plastic surgery for a boost in confidence as well as cup size.
Last week’s death of Stephanie Kuleba, 18, of South Florida, during breast augmentation surgery has drawn attention to what some describe as a growing trend. Kuleba, whose parents say she sought the surgery to correct an inverted nipple and asymmetrical breasts, died Saturday of what may have been a rare genetic reaction to general anesthesia.
According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of women 18 and younger who have had breast enlargements has risen nearly 500 percent over the past decade - a sharper climb than the 300 percent increase in breast augmentations among all age groups.
Dr. Stephen Greenberg, a plastic surgeon in Woodbury, estimated he has seen a 20 percent to 30 percent rise in cosmetic procedures among young people. Often, he said, a girl will come in with her parents, who are buying her a breast augmentation as a birthday or high school graduation gift.
“There are girls and women who are devastated by the fact that they don’t have breasts and their friends do,” Greenberg said. “They don’t play gymnastics and they don’t go on dates or they can’t wear certain clothing, and I hear these things every day.”
Greenberg attributed the trend in part to young women who see their parents undergoing cosmetic procedures, or relate closely to the celebrities who have them.

newsday.com

I missed this story when it first happened.
Apparently before the Hawaii caucus, Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii — a supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY — assailed the Honolulu private school, the Punahou School, attended by Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, in an attempted to paint Obama as a rich elitist.
In an interview with The Honolulu Advertiser before the caucuses, Inouye said: "If you ask the people in Hawai’i what they know about Barack Obama, I think the honest answer is, ‘Very little.’ He went to school in Hawai’i but he went to Punahou, and that was not a school for the impoverished….to suggest that Punahou maybe set his life plan in place, I find it very interesting," said Inouye, who attended public school.
Obama responded in an interview with KITV: "Shame on Danny for trying to pull that stunt. I went to Punahou on a scholarship. I was raised by a single mom and my grandmother."
Inouye has apologized to Punahou President James Scott and he sent a copy of the letter along with a note to Obama.
”It was just a misstatement,” said an Inouye spokesperson. ”It was never the intent to disparage Punahou in any way. It is without a doubt one of the finest schools in our nation.”
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I’ve admired Sen. Inouye for a long time, ever since I heard that he keeps the door to his office in the Senate always open, believing that there is nothing that should be discussed behind closed doors. So, it saddens me that he is not above such sleazy political tricks like atacking a candidate through his history. Not a proud moment for the senator, or fot his state!!
I am sick of all of these people criticizing obama, but the next day, all of a suddenly they “apoligize”, or are made to apoligize. Oh, but when OBAMA criticizes, there is NEVER an apology, even if one is obviously called for. Like the Army General that said lately that obama’s story of the soldiers was “ok by him”—–please—-think, people….if obama were to become President, these people criticizing him would have to PAY—–he’d make sure they did, one way or another.

blogs.abcnews.com

CORAL GABLES, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The University of Miami has been selected to host the 2009 McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Boys and Girls Games, it was announced today in Milwaukee, site of the 2008 Games. UM was represented by Kirby Hocutt, who will become Athletic Director on June 1.
The Games, scheduled to be played at the BankUnited Center on the University of Miami’s Coral Gables campus, will be played April 1, 2009, and will be nationally televised on ESPN.
“We are very excited to host the 2009 All American Basketball Games,” said Alex C. Rodriguez, local McDonald’s owner/operator and chairman of the Miami game. “Seeing the up-and-coming basketball stars and all their fans here next year will be very exciting for South Florida.”
Throughout its history, the McDonald’s All American Games’ primary purpose as a fundraiser for RMHC has been fulfilled alongside its ability to showcase the nation’s top high school basketball players. A portion of the proceeds from the 2009 Game will benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Florida. Since the Game was first played in 1978, more than $5 million has been raised for RMHC and other children’s charities.
“Hosting the Game here in South Florida provides us with an excellent opportunity to not only raise money for our charity, but to increase awareness about all that we do to help local children live happier, healthier and more productive lives,” said Soraya Rivera-Moya, executive director of RMHC of South Florida. “All of our programs directly improve the health and well being of children right here in South Florida.”
The 2009 McDonald’s All American Game will be played April 1 at the BankUnited Center at the University of Miami in Coral Gables. The McDonald’s All American Boys Game will be broadcast live on ESPN and the McDonald’s All American Girls Game will be broadcast on ESPNU. Visit www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com and www.mcdonalds.com for more information on the McDonald’s All American Game.

businesswire.com