PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The potato is on the verge of being virtually banished from the nation's school lunch program, but not if Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Mark Udall of Colorado have anything to say about it.
Collins, who grew up in Maine's potato country and picked potatoes as a girl, wants to restore some respect to the humble spud, a popular and inexpensive …
A rash of ethics lapses has given Democrats an election-year headache: how to convince skeptical voters that they're any cleaner than Republicans they accused of fostering a "culture of corruption" in 2006.
From the conduct of governors in Illinois and New York to back-room deals over President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, Democrats are drawing their own criticism when it comes to the ethics of public officials.
The party that pledged to "drain the swamp" if given control of Congress finds itself sinking in the muck nine months from Election Day, when every member of the House and 36 Senate seats will be chosen.
The sword …
Rush 41 Cobras 38
This was to be Walter Payton's team.
The late Bears star was part of the ownership group when Chicagowas granted its second Arena Football League franchise June 28, 1999.Illness limited his involvement in the creation of the Chicago Rush,the city's newest sports team, which made its Allstate Arena debutSaturday with a 41-38 victory against the Carolina Cobras to improveto 1-1.
As Payton's illness became critical, the operation duties fell onmanaging partner Alan Levin and partners Peter Levin and ArthurPrice. They were pleased with the opening-night festivities, whichlured an enthusiastic 10,732 to a building prominent in the historyof the …
RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) — The same principles that protect U.S. soldiers from being sued by enemy combatants apply to private contractors hired to help conduct a war, attorneys for two companies that provided interrogators at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq told a federal appeals court Tuesday.
Attorneys for Virginia-based CACI International Inc. and New York-based L-3 Communications Corp. urged a three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse rulings by two lower courts denying them immunity from lawsuits by alleged torture victims at Abu Ghraib.
A lawyer for Iraqi detainees argued that even in a war context, private companies can be sued for actions not …
A federal appeals court says it was constitutional for the United States to require visitors from two dozen Arab and Muslim countries and North Korea to register with immigration authorities.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan issued its ruling Wednesday in cases brought by several men who claimed their constitutional rights were violated.
The …
Railway lines connecting Cheadle to Derby and Stoke-on-Trentcould be brought back into use.
Moorlands and City Railway (MCR) is in talks about restoringCheadle's disused railway line, off Station Road.
The company has already restored the Cauldon Lowe railway lineand is planning on reopening the disused Leekbrook line to Alton,and eventually have trains running to Stoke-on-Trent.
If negotiations are successful, there could also be a lightrailway in operation on the three-mile track from Cheadle toCresswell.
David Kemp, MCR commercial director, said: "We are interesting inlooking at whether it would be a realistic or viable railway routefrom …
MELBOURNE, Australia - Kimi Raikkonen won in his first race for Ferrari, dominating the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Sunday for his 10th Formula One victory. Raikkonen started from pole position, and led almost throughout the race to edge world champion Fernando Alonso, who was making his McLaren debut.
McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton, F1's first black driver, finished third.
Raikkonen's Ferrari teammate, Felipe Massa, finished sixth after starting the race from the back of the grid.
Raikkonen ensured Ferrari maintained its momentum after leading winter testing. The Finn, who previously drove for McLaren, joined Ferrari to replace seven-time world …
Norway's coalition parties announced Friday steps to bolster the government's 20 billion kroner ($2.9 billion) economic stimulus program with larger tax breaks and longer-term benefits for laid off workers.
The government unveiled on Jan. 26 a package of tax cuts and increased spending intended to dampen the impact of the global financial crisis on the country.
Reidar Sandal, a member of the Labor party's finance committee, praised his government's original measures as "comprehensive, goal oriented and effective."
He said the three parties in the majority coalition _ Labor, Center and the Socialist Left _ suggested the additions in …
A legislative leader whose opposition killed a proposed WhiteSox stadium in Addison urged the team on Monday to again consider amove to suburban Cook County or Du Page County.
Senate Minority Leader James "Pate" Philip (R-Wood Dale) saidthat a $120 million Sox stadium could be built more quickly and morecheaply in the suburbs and that a suburban location would be wiserfor the Sox "because that's where the fans are."
Meanwhile, the Sox have given St. Petersburg, Fla., a $25,000check to help finance a feasibility study to determine whether aspring training facility there can be enlarged to accommodate the Soxuntil the $85 million Florida Suncoast Dome is …
ATLANTA (AP) — The former player linked to the suspension of Georgia receiver A.J. Green faces a felony drug charge from an arrest during a traffic stop in Georgia last year.
Chris Hawkins, 28, is charged with felony trafficking of cocaine and misdemeanor marijuana possession stemming from the April 2009 incident. The former North Carolina and Marshall defensive back, who bought the jersey in a transaction that led to Green's four-game NCAA suspension, is due in court on the drug charges next month.
Green has missed two games for selling an Independence Bowl jersey for $1,000, and the NCAA ruled Hawkins qualified as an agent. The school is appealing the ruling and an NCAA …
Intel said it has no plans to close a factory in Jerusalem on Saturdays, despite violent protests by ultra-Orthodox Jews who accuse the chip maker of desecrating the Jewish Sabbath.
About 1,500 protesters demonstrated Saturday outside the company's facilities, located in Jerusalem's Har Hotzvim industrial zone near ultra-Orthodox areas. Intel spokesman Kobi Bachar said Sunday the protests were sparked by the opening of a new facility at the site.
But he said the company has operated on Saturdays for more than 20 years and will continue to do so.
"Nothing has changed. We have been open there for 24 years in accordance with the law," …
The variety of complex steering systems on the road make diagnosing steering damage a difficult, but important task.
Diagosing and repairing a steering system that has been damaged in a collision requires a basic understanding of these mechanical systems. Regardless of model-specific challenges, steering systems share many basic techologies and components necessary to make the vehicle obey the steering input of the driver. The following details common steering system concepts, components and diagnostic techniques.
Regardless of the specific type of steering system, getting control of the vehicle's direction involves the steering wheel, the steering shaft and linkage that connect the shaft movement to the front wheels. The steering system may be either manual or power-- assisted-a manual steering system relies on the driver to provide the force needed to change wheel direction, while a power-assist steering system uses hydraulic pressure as an assist, reducing the input force required.
The basic operation is the same for both manual and power steering. As the driver turns the steering wheel, the steering shaft (located within the steering column) rotates.The steering shaft is connected to a steering gear (either a separate gearbox or the pinion gear of a rack and pinion unit).The movement of this input gear causes linkage to move left or right. Linkage connects the steering gear to the steering arms, which results in the wheels turning to the right or left as needed.
Mechanical Advantage and Steering Ratio
"Mechanical advantage" is the ratio of the output force to the input force applied to a mechanical device. Using mechanical advantage, a small input force can result in a larger output force. As the driver applies a relatively small input force to the steering wheel, a much greater output force is applied to the wheels. A 10-lb. force applied to the steering wheel may produce up to 270 lbs. or more force at the wheels.When the steering wheel is turned, this results in movement of the tire/wheel assembly. This means that whatever force is used by the driver must result in moving the steering gear, which applies movement to the steering arms. When the steering arms move, this force must be great enough to move the tires.This means overcoming the frictional force of the tires against the ground. Considering the weight of the vehicle that is applied to the tires, this represents a great amount of weight that must be overcome. Realizing this, you can gain an appreciation of the work that must be done by the steering system. Mechanical advantage produced by the steering gear system allows wheel movement to take place.This mechanical advantage is due to the steering ratio of the steering gear.
Steering ratio is the number of degrees that the steering wheel must turn in order to pivot the front wheels by one degree.
Steering ratios vary, depending on the type of vehicle and its intended use.Typical automotive steering ratios range from about 24:1 with manual steering to about 14:1 with power steering assist.The higher the steering ratio, the easier it is to turn the wheel and steer the vehicle. The lower the ratio is, the more effort is needed at the steering wheel. A quicker-ratio steering may need higher force at the steering wheel, but may pivot the wheels faster, for faster steering response.
Steering ratio is determined by steering gear ratio and by steering linkage ratio. Steering gear ratio in the pitman arm steering gear depends on the angle and pitch of the worm and sector gear teeth. In a rack and pinion steering assembly, the steering ratio is determined by the number of teeth on the pinion gear. The fewer teeth on the pinion gear, the higher the ratio. The more teeth on the pinion gear, the lower the ratio.
Types of Steering Systems
Some steering gears provide variable ratio steering. This allows the steering ratio to change, or vary, as the steering wheel is turned away from its straight-ahead position. A typical change might be from 16:1 to 13:1. For the first 40 degree of steering wheel movement in either direction, the steering ratio remains constant. This faster steering ratio offers more control for highway driving. As the steering wheel is turned beyond 40 degrees from the straight ahead position, the steering ratio decreases. This lower and slower steering ratio helps the driver in city driving when cornering or parking. The steering wheel doesn't have to be turned as far in order to pivot the wheels.
A small number of cars use a four-wheel steering system. In this type of system, the rear wheels turn as well as the front wheels.The purpose is to provide greater handling control and greater ability to make tight turns. The rear wheels of a four-wheel steering system can be controlled either mechanically or electronically. In order to provide more control at low speeds, the rear wheels may pivot in the opposite direction as the front wheels, allowing the rear of the car to pivot more. This can be useful in tight spaces or when parking. At higher speeds, the rear wheels will steer in the same direction as the front wheels, providing greater stability during cornering and high-- speed lane changes.
The manual steering system has four major components. First, the steering wheel and steering shaft are the "input" portion of the steering system. This allows the driver to input steering commands.
Then, the steering gear connection changes the rotary motion of the steering shaft into linear motion (left and right motion).The steering gear translates the input commands of the steering wheel and shaft into "output" commands.
Another component is the steering linkage, which connects the steering gear to the steering arms. Since the wheels are attached rigidly to the steering arm assemblies, the wheel turns whenever the steering arms move to the right or left. The steering motion that connects the steering gear to the wheels involves linkage that handles steering "output."
Finally, the steering arms are part of the wheel mounting assembly. Steering arms are basically extended lever arms that connect the wheel to the steering linkage.
A power steering system uses a device that assists the steering effort. This makes it easier for the driver to turn the steering wheel. A power-assist steering system multiplies the force that the driver applies at the steering wheel.
The most common type of power assist is the hydraulic type.This features a hydraulic pump (a power steering pump) that pressurizes hydraulic fluid to the steering gear system, helping the driver to move the gears. In some cases, a vehicle might be equipped with electronic power steering, where an electric motor provides the power assist.
All hydraulic power steering systems basically work in the same way. A hydraulic pump pressurizes the hydraulic fluid.Through hydraulic hoses and tubes that attach the power steering pump to the steering gear, this pressurized fluid is then made available to the steering gear when it's needed. When the steering wheel is turned, the control valve in the power steering gear opens and closes various fluid passages inside the gear housing. The pressurized fluid enters the gear housing, causing the piston to move, which places hydraulic force at the gears, helping them to move. This power assist reduces the amount of steering effort needed by the driver.
Many vehicles today use speed-sensitive power steering.This is a variable-assist system that uses an electronic control to decide how much power assist is needed at any given time. Additional parts in this type of system may include a special electronic control module (ECU) called a power steering control module, a steering angle sensor, vehicle speed sensor, and solenoid valve. Some cars will not use a steering angle sensor, and will only use the vehicle speed sensor signal to provide input to the ECU.
If a steering angle sensor is included, this sensor detects the rate of steering wheel movement, and the vehicle speed sensor detects vehicle road speed. These signals are inputs that go to the electronic controller. In turn, the controller decides how much steering assist is needed, and sends a signal to the solenoid valve. Cars equipped with a variable assist power steering system will feature a separate diagnostic connector at the steering ECU, allowing the technician to retrieve diagnostic codes for this system. Electronic variable power assist can be found on vehides with either rack and pinion steering or recirculating ball steering.
A mechanical four-wheel steering system features a mechanical connection between the front steering gear and rear steering gear. This may be done with a long steering shaft that connects to a pinion output shaft at the front rack, and to a special rear steering gear.The rear steering gear is then connected to each rear wheel by a rear tie rod. During small input turns of the steering wheel, such as during highway driving, the rear wheels are steered by a small amount, in the same direction as the front wheels. When the steering wheel is turned more during low speed operation, the rear wheels will turn in the opposite direction as the front wheels.
An electronic four-wheel steering system uses an additional power steering pump for the rear steering gear, and a separate rear control valve assembly for the rear. When the steering wheel is turned, the hydraulic pressure that is applied to the front steering gear acts on the rear steering system's control valve.This directs pressurized fluid to move from the rear power steering pump to the rear power cylinder. The power cylinder then forces the rear trailing arms to move right or left. In this type of system, the rear wheels always move in the same direction as the front wheels, up to a maximum of 1.5 degrees. The rear wheel steering angle changes in proportion to vehicle speed, wheel traction and steering wheel input. Some cars may use electromechanical four-wheel steering. This features a mechanical connection, using a steering shaft that connects the front steering gear to the rear steering gear. In addition, the ECU sends control signals to the rear steering gear. At low speeds, the rear wheels will turn in the opposite direction of the front wheels, and at high speeds, the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the front wheels.
Electronic Rack and Pinion
Some cars may be equipped with an electronic rack and pinion power steering gear. Instead of using a flat rack with straight teeth as found in a conventional rack, this type of steering gear uses a helical-gear rack driven by a moving ball nut.
The ball nut is acted upon by a fast-acting electric motor.A magnet and a magnetic sensor mounted on the pinion shaft works as a torque sensor, which signals the ECU, telling the computer how much steering torque is being applied by the driver, and in what direction. As the magnetic sensor detects greater movement, the signal sent to the ECU becomes stronger. This causes the ECU to send a varying voltage to the electric motor inside the rack housing. The ball nut, which is directly attached to the electric motor, then runs over the helical grooves on the rack, causing the rack to move right or left as needed. An electric power steering rack does not use a hydraulic system, so there is no power steering pump, hoses, reservoir or fluid.
Pressure Testing
Before performing a pressure test, inspect all hoses and fittings for condition. If any hoses are soft and spongy, hard and brittle, cracked, reveal worn rub spots, etc., the hose must be replaced immediately. Tubes that are rusted, dented, cracked or otherwise damaged must also be replaced.
A fluid pressure test can be performed to determine if the pump, hoses, tubes and steering gear is operating under proper internal pressures. A fluid pressure gauge is installed at the high pressure (feed) tube at the steering gear. Using a power rack and pinion as the example, disconnect the pressure feed tube from the rack and pinion steering gear housing and attach the feed tube that runs from the pump to the gear to the IN position of the gauge. Connect the pressure inlet port of the steering gear to the OUT position of the gauge. With the power steering system bled and the engine idling, and the gauge valve open, turn the steering wheel from lock to lock several times.With the engine idling, close the gauge valve and note the gauge reading.A pressure reading of about 925 psi may be noted, though this may vary depending on the system (always check the service manual).
With the engine idling, open the valve fully. Measure the fluid pressure at engine speeds of 1,000 rpm and 3,000 rpm.The difference in fluid pressure should be about 71 psi or less. With the engine idling and the valve fully open, turn the steering wheel to a full-lock position. Fluid pressure should be at least 925 psi (again, specific pressure specification may vary). Turn the engine off and allow the system to cool to room temperature before disconnecting the gauge. Once the tubes are reconnected to the steering gear, bleed the system and check fluid level.
Power Rack and Pinion Diagnosis
If vibration is felt in the steering wheel and/or the dash during parking or low speed operation, it is possible that air is trapped in the power steering fluid. The vibration should go away after a few miles of operation. However, a loose or worn tie rod or tie rod end might also be the cause. If the steering catches, binds or sticks in certain positions, or is difficult to turn, there are a number of possibilities, including low power steering fluid, under-inflated tires, dry, non-- lubricated front ball joints, worn lower ball joints, dry outer tie rod ends, a loose power steering drive belt, faulty power steering pump, excessive friction in the steering column, a binding lower ball joint, a worn front strut spring seat and bearing or excessive friction in the steering gear. If the steering is hard to turn, or if the driver experiences momentary increases in effort when turning the steering wheel, the power steering pressure switch might be bad, or the steering gear assembly might have a leak in the high pressure circuit. Other causes might include under-inflated tires, low power steering fluid level, dry ball joints, worn lower ball joints, or low power steering pump pressure. If the rack and pinion unit was damaged in a collision, the toothed rack might be bent or chipped.
Steering Column Diagnosis
During a front-end collision, the steering column may have to be replaced because of the design, which may allow the column to collapse in order to absorb impact energy. In most cases, the steering column must be replaced if the vehicle was involved in a collision that deploys the air bag, even if the damage appears to be light.The steering shaft assembly may feature an intermediate coupler that connects the upper shaft to the lower shaft. This is also easily damaged in a collision and may require replacement. If a chirp, squeak or rubbing sound exists, this may involve the steering column. Inspect for contact between the shroud, intermediate shaft, column and steering wheel. Re-align or clean and lubricate as needed. If the steering catches, binds or sticks in certain positions, the bind may be in the steering column. Check the shaft for bind, and check the steering coupler. If excess play exists in the steering wheel, check the steering shaft universal joints for wear or damage
[Author Affiliation]
Mike Mavrigian is the founder and owner of Birchwood Automotive Group in Creston, Ohio. He has written automotive technical articles for industry publications since 1977. Mavrigian also builds custom project vehicles for a variety of OEM and aftermarket companies at his technical facility.
Whether they listened to someone tell how gun violence affected their lives or they told a story of their own, the underlying message was the same for all Chicagoland students - stay away from guns.
Various assemblies and rallies were held at schools throughout the city yesterday encouraging students to take a pledge to not use guns. It was part of the 12th Annual National Day of Concern urging children to find non-violent ways to solve conflicts.
Chicago police officers from the Prairie District spent the day at several schools reading Gorp's Gift to students from first to third grades. The book's message is about the importance of staying safe and what a child should do if they find a gun.
After listening to the story, most of the children had the same questions for the officers, "Why do you have a gun if they hurt people?"
"We are authorized to have them so we can protect you and your family. If you see a gun in your home, or anywhere else, don't touch it. Go and get an adult," Officers Irish McCray-Jones and Ruth Singleton told students at St. Jerome Catholic School on the South Side.
Officer Juwana Williams told students at Drake Elementary School on South King Drive that police officers are trained to carry and use guns. When asked if he ever used his gun, Williams said, "Thankfully, only when practicing."
Farther south, the principal at Burnside Scholastic Academy told students that they were attending the most important assembly the school will ever have. Many children across the city have not learned the valuable lesson of staying away from guns, Dr. Anthony Biegler, principal at Burnside, said.
To help get the message across, third grader Taiya Jones told her schoolmates to "take a proactive stance against gun violence" and led the crowd in taking the pledge.
"I will never bring a gun to school; I will never use a gun to settle a personal problem or dispute; I will use my influence with my friends to keep them from using guns to settle disputes," Burnside students, faculty and guests recited loudly.
In addition to a three-minute skit performed by a Burnside student and teacher about how important is it for children to obey their parents and stay out of harm's way and not get influenced by gangs, a small memorial was held for Dominique Ryan Willis.
Willis, an innocent bystander, was killed in gun crossfire in July after having dinner with friends.
Burnside students also heard the emotional story of a Chicago police detective who lost his son to gun violence in 2003.
Detective Clifton Underwood's son was killed in a West Side club after a fight broke out between rival gangs. He died before Underwood made it to the hospital.
"This is a bittersweet day for me. I spent 27 years dodging bullets. That's nothing compared to losing one's life," Underwood, the coordinator of the "We Care" Role Model and Peer Jury programs for the Chicago Police Department, said while holding back tears.
Students at Harper High School in Englewood spent the day honoring the 40 students who were killed by gun violence during the last two school years, including one of their own Starkesia Reed. A stray bullet from a gang shoot-out killed Reed in March 2006.
During the ceremony, the 40 names were read and 40 balloons were released.
"After each name was called, we rang a chime and had a moment of silence.
"We also released a white balloon for ancestry and a blue balloon for hope and commitment to bring back love in the community," Lorraine Harrell, of the 21 st Century Community Learning Center, said.
A total of 4,332 children under 17 years were victims of gun violence in the city between January 2006 and July 2007.
So far this year, 69 people under the age of 20 were killed by guns, according to Vance Henry, director of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy.
[Author Affiliation]
by Kathy Chaney
Defender Staff Writer
Pakistani officials say a suicide bombing at a bus terminal near the capital has killed at least five people and wounded 16 others.
Rehman Malik, the head of Pakistan's Interior Ministry, says it is unclear if the bomber deliberately targeted the area in the blast late Monday or if the explosives went off prematurely.
Television images showed rescue workers helping the wounded to ambulances and gloved investigators picking debris from among several badly damaged cars and minibuses after the blast.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
ISLAMABAD (AP) _ A bomb exploded at a busy bus terminal near of the Pakistani capital on Monday, killing four people and wounding several more, officials said.
The blast in Rawalpindi came as Pakistan's leaders sought to end a political crisis that has raied doubts about their focus on fighting Taliban and al-Qaida militants.
TV images showed rescue workers helping the wounded to ambulances while gloved investigators pick debris from a darkened street among several badly damaged cars and minibuses.
City police officer Anaytullah Farooqi said the bomb appeared to have gone off in one of the vehicles.
Army Radio says Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has received dozens of death threats since the government decided to slow construction in Jewish West Bank settlements.
Channel 10 TV has published the contents of one of those letters. The author threatens to "murder" Barak if he's "planning on destroying settlements in Judea and Samaria," referring to the West Bank.
The author of the letter, which reached Barak's office Tuesday, also threatens to kill Barak's children.
The threats are taken seriously in Israel. In 1995, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish extremist opposed to his peace moves with the Palestinians.
The slowdown was announced in late November under pressure from Washington, which hopes to relaunch Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
BEIJING - China will not allow any new Internet cafes to open this year, state media reported Tuesday.
The Xinhua News Agency said 14 government departments, including the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Information Industry, had issued a notice saying that "in 2007, local governments must not sanction the opening of new Internet bars."
It said there are about 113,000 Internet cafes in China. Many are smoke-filled rooms with rows of computers set up for online gaming.
The Chinese government promotes Internet use for education and business, but tries to block the public from seeing material online that is deemed subversive or pornographic.
In January, President Hu Jintao ordered Chinese Internet regulators to promote a "healthy online culture" to protect the government's stability.
China's online population grew by 23.4 percent last year to 137 million people, about 10 percent of its 1.3 billion population, the China Internet Network Information Center reported last month. The figure puts China on track to surpass the U.S. in the next two years as the nation with the most Internet users, the government has said.
The Pittsburgh Penguins must be wondering if an entire team is eligible for the NHL comeback player of the year award.
The Penguins were one more losing streak away from being out of playoff contention when Dan Bylsma took over as interim coach on Feb. 15. Last season's Stanley Cup finalists barely had a winning record and were stuck in 10th place in the Eastern Conference.
A team that seemed poised a season ago to be a power for years instead found itself in the running to be the NHL's most disappointing. The Penguins had two exceptional scorers in Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby but not much else _ no locker room chemistry, no resiliency, no reliable goaltending and not much of a power play.
Their confidence? Nonexistent. Their psyche? Fragile at best. Their propensity to make the kind of mistakes that led to locker room rants by feeling-the-pressure coach Michel Therrien? All too common.
The Penguins weren't responding to Therrien's my-way-or-else style, one that resulted in 94 regular season wins the previous two seasons but wasn't working with players who were too worried about committing mistakes to make the kind of instinctive plays needed to win low-scoring ice hockey games.
So, as it usually is in the NHL when a talented team is playing poorly, it was old coach out, new coach in.
What followed Bylsma's hiring was one of the NHL's most remarkable turnarounds in recent seasons, 16 wins in 23 games that have carried the Penguins into the postseason for a third consecutive season. It also has stamped them as an opponent not many teams would choose when the playoffs begin next week.
"It saved the season," goalie Marc-Andre Fleury said of general manager Ray Shero's decision to replace Therrien with Bylsma, a studious former NHL player who has written books about coaching but lacked NHL head coaching experience.
The Penguins guaranteed themselves a seeding of no lower than seventh in the conference playoffs by beating Tampa Bay 6-4 on Tuesday, the 17th game in the last 19 in which they've gained at least one point. With two games remaining, on Thursday at home against the New York Islanders and on Saturday at Montreal, the Penguins could finish as high as fourth in the conference.
"We've kind of been running a sprint for the last month and a half, two months, and now we have to get ready for the playoffs," Bylsma said on Wednesday. "The last two games are important in how we want to play as a team, and getting sharp and ready for the playoffs ... to get refocused for an up level of intensity and emotions."
That shouldn't be a problem. The Penguins have been playing must-win games _ and have won most of them _ since mid-February.
To accomplish that, Bylsma changed styles, abandoning Therrien's disciplined, defense-first system for one designed to constantly pressure the puck, an approach that creates more risks but emphasizes the Penguins' vast offensive skills.
Most of all, Bylsma changed the way he communicated with Penguins players, telling each one what he expected rather than sending messages through the media or by the way he handed out playing time.
"They're just completely opposite coaches," forward Jordan Staal said. "Therrien is a hard coach and demands a lot from players, as well as Dan, but it's kind of a different style and I think guys are enjoying it so far."
Crosby is thriving in Bylsma's system, getting nine goals and 13 assists in his last 15 games to secure his third 100-point season in four NHL seasons.
"We had to prove it and earn our way back," Crosby said. "We've had some good results. We expected to be in the playoffs. It was tough, but it's been great that we turned things around."
Not that the Penguins don't have something to play for in their two remaining games, besides a higher playoff seeding. They want Evgeni Malkin to become their second NHL scoring champion in three seasons, following Crosby's title in 2006-07, and their fourth in the last dozen years, joining multiple leaders Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr.
Malkin goes into the final few games with a 110-108 lead over reigning champion Alex Ovechkin of Washington.
Regardless of how Malkin finishes, the Penguins are certain of going into the playoffs on the same kind of late-season surge that carried them to Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals last season.
"The guys were not really happy when we saw ourselves out of the playoffs," forward Petr Sykora said. "I think we are playing well right now, I feel as good as last year going into the playoffs. ... Going in right now, winning and playing the way we are, we can do something special again."
CHICAGO - Ali Mann scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead No. 17 Bowling Green to a 72-55 win over Chicago State on Tuesday night.
The Falcons shot better than 48 percent in the first half en route to a 35-26 lead at the break and finished at nearly 51 percent for the game.
Five players scored in double figures for Bowling Green (19-2), which shot 53 percent from the field in the second half to pull away. Kate Achter scored 14 points, Liz Honegger chipped in 13 points and eight rebounds, Carin Horne scored 11 and Amber Flynn added 10.
Jasmin Dixon and Zondranika Williams had 13 points apiece to lead Chicago State (8-15). The Cougars shot just under 38 percent from the field for the game.
The Falcons hit just four of 15 3-point attempts in the game, all in the first half, but outscored Chicago State 44-20 in the paint, and outrebounded the Cougars 40-32.
A large tornado skipped through several northern Colorado towns on Thursday, destroying dozens of homes, flipping tractor-trailers and freight rail cars, and killing at least one person.
The National Weather Service said the tornado touched down just before noon near Platteville, about 50 miles north of Denver. Over the next hour, it moved northward past several towns along a 35-mile-long track toward Wyoming.
In Windsor, a farming town of 16,000 that was hardest hit, dazed residents retrieved what they could from their homes.
"I didn't want to see this. That's for sure," Alexander Martinez, 41, said while staring at a staircase, balcony and personal belongings from his apartment that ended up in his front yard. The apartment's roof and a front wall had been torn away.
Nine people were hospitalized with various injuries at the Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, spokesman Alex Stuessie said. In Greeley, four people were treated for minor injuries at North Colorado Medical Center, administrative representative Laurie Hamit said.
Pete Ambrose, a caretaker at the campground outside Greeley, said he hid in a cinderblock restroom when he saw the twister approaching. A frightened camper who tried to outrun the storm in an RV was killed.
"I yelled at him to come with me and he tried to drive off," a despondent Ambrose said after emerging from his shelter.
Chris Robillard, deputy coroner for Weld County, identified the victim as Oscar Michael Manchester, 52, who had been living in a camper in the area for several years. An autopsy was scheduled for Friday.
"My house is gone," Ambrose said. "I lost my dog. I lost my cats. I lost my camper. I lost everything."
Crews removed downed power lines and poles from Windsor's streets Thursday evening and bulldozers cleared debris.
Several minor tornadoes were reported in northern Colorado on Thursday, the National Weather Service said. Meteorologist Jim Kalina said two or three major storm cells affected the area and that the weather service was trying to confirm how many tornados touched down.
Video footage of the large tornado showed a dark gray funnel perhaps a quarter-mile wide accompanied by heavy hail and rain.
Richard Dykstra, 65, was in his Windsor pest control office with six other people when it began to hail and the roof began to slide off the building. "We had about 90 seconds, but we managed to get into the basement," Dykstra said.
He said he ran to a day care center where his grandson was. No children were hurt, and they were herded into a vault at a nearby bank until the storm system cleared.
"It passed right over us like a big, white monster," said Thomas Coupe, 87, of Windsor.
The tornado overturned 15 railroad cars and destroyed a lumber car on the Great Western Railway of Colorado, said Mike Ogburn, managing director of Denver-based Omnitrax Inc., which manages the railroad. Fourteen of the overturned cars were tankers, but they were empty.
All of northeastern Colorado was under a tornado watch through Thursday night, the National Weather Service said.
About 130 people waited at a downtown Red Cross shelter for friends to pick them up or for evacuation orders to expire, but the shelter was moving to nearby fairgrounds because of a lack of power. A second shelter opened at an events center in Loveland.
Gov. Bill Ritter declared a state of emergency for Weld County and toured the area. He said he talked to the Federal Emergency Management Agency about possible assistance.
Area police departments sent officers to patrol affected neighborhoods and deter looters, said Windsor Police Chief John Michaels.
Some 60,000 customers lost power in the area, but power was later restored to all but 15,000 of them, according to Xcel Energy. The company said it lost two large transmission lines and about 200 utility poles, and that it responding to several gas leaks at homes near Windsor.
In Southern California, area residents flooded TV stations with pictures and video of funnel clouds and at least one tornado on the ground. The storm unleashed mudslides in wildfire-scarred canyons and dusted mountains and even low-lying communities with snow and hail.
California Highway Patrol Officer Alex Santos was watching the wild weather from a highway overpass in Moreno Valley, about 55 miles east of Los Angeles, when he saw two tornados closing in.
"There was so much dust you couldn't see. Next thing I know I see this big rig getting toppled over," he said. One twister "was going straight up into the clouds. I was kind of in disbelief and I realized I had to get down there."
Santos said the driver of the tractor-trailer had to be cut free from the cab and suffered lacerations to the head and injuries to the back.
The National Weather Service in Cheyenne, Wyo., was trying to verify whether a tornado touched down in Laramie, where a storm packing strong winds damaged several buildings and overturned vehicles Thursday afternoon. There were no reported injuries from the storm.
Meteorologist Brian Chapman said the agency would inspect the damage Friday before determining whether a tornado touched down.
"Indicators are very strongly in favor of it being a tornado, but normally we don't confirm yes or no until we send an inspection team to survey the damage," he said.
The weather service said a tornado was spotted 11 miles east of Cheyenne as a severe storm moved through the area at nightfall. Chapman said there no immediate reports of injuries. Phone calls to local law enforcement agencies were not immediately returned.
In Laramie, the storm in damaged an apartment building and at least one house on the eastern edge of town, police Commander Dale Stalder said.
On its Web site, the Wyoming Department of Transportation posted video showing a tractor- trailer on its side and a boat that apparently had been blown off of a flatbed trailer on the Interstate 80.
Rocky Mountain Power said 7,300 customers in the Laramie area were without power Thursday evening.
Several tornadoes also touched down in western Kansas on Thursday, said Scott Mentzer, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Goodland, Kan.
He said a few barely touched down, but that a couple moved along 30 to 50 miles on the ground in Sheridan and Decatur counties.
The tornadoes damaged several buildings, but there were no reported injuries.
About 100 people have died in U.S. twisters so far this year, the worst toll in a decade, according to the National Weather Service, and the danger has not passed yet. Tornado season typically peaks in the spring and early summer, then again in the late fall.
This could also prove to be the busiest tornado season on record in the United States, though the final figure on the number of twisters is not yet in.
___
Associated Press writers Steven K. Paulson in Gilcrest, Catherine Tsai in Windsor, Don Mitchell in Denver, Mead Gruver in Laramie, Wyo., Gillian Flaccus in Santa Ana, Calif., and Matt Joyce in Cheyenne, Wyo., contributed to this report.
Gala dinner, gigantic concert marks Gatling's 15th anniversary
There is no doubt that Lafayette Gatling Sr., president and CEO and his wife Marguerite Gatling, vice president of Gatling's Chapel Inc., are possessed with a love of singing, which is why there will be plenty of music for the 15th anniversary of their organization.
Beyond their enjoyment of music, particularly singing, there was a vision to serve people, which inspired Lafayette to become involved in caring for those who lost their beloved relatives.
While the Gatlings considered their hopes, they based their actions and future on Christian principles and therefore all those whom they have served have been satisfied and those who assist them in the company are supportive of their ideals.
Their aim and motto are "Gatling's Crossroads To Greater Success" that has led the couple to unveil the Gatling's Community Development Project in Country Club Hills. The project began Oct. 15, 1994 with the purchase of 445 acres of land located in Country Club Hills. It is the largest tract of land left in Cook County under development.
Said the Gatlings, "As we enter the first year of the millennium, we praise God for the progress that's been made in their efforts to develop the largest, vacant tract of land left in Cook County. Construction is underway for a multi-screen Cineplex Theater and the grand opening is near. Other phases will consist of a shopping center and other projects that will provide great service for the people.
Bandleader, producer and composer Gene Barge will lead the orchestra in music fit for a king during the gala dinner. He is producer of the CPR Recording Studio that has as its label Thisit Records.
All through the year, the Gatlings are committed to preserve traditional gospel that inspires rather than excites and entertains. In addition, there is the Gatling Print Shop, a Gospel Music Foundation and True Gospel Productions Inc., managed by Dr. Princella Hudson-Gilliam.
The 15th anniversary concert will be held on Sunday, June 4 at 3 p.m., consisting of music and the spoken word at Gatling's Chapel Annex, 10133 S. Halsted St.
Special guests will be Dr. Robert L. Holloman, pastor of Nebo Missionary Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, N.C. and Dr. Ernest Jones, pastor, and the Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church, Michigan City, Ind.
Article Copyright Sengstacke Enterprises, Inc.
Twenty years ago, on the night of June 3, rumors were flying about an impending military crackdown against demonstrators in Beijing. That's when Feng Shijie's wife went into labor in his hometown, Kaifeng.
The baby born the next morning, June 4, is now an undergraduate at Kaifeng University. After class, he plays games online or shoot hoops at a campus basketball court. He can list the latest Hollywood releases and NBA stats. But he knows next to nothing about the pro-democracy movement that ended in a bloody crackdown the day he was born.
"My parents told me some incident happened on Tiananmen Square on my birthday but I don't know the details," says Feng Xiaoguang, an upbeat graphic design student in faux Nike shoes and an imitation Prada shirt.
Xiaoguang is one of China's 200 million so-called 'post-1980' kids _ a generation of mostly single children, thanks to the one-child policy, born on the cusp of an unparalleled economic boom. Aged between 20 and 30, they are Web-savvy, worldly, fashion-conscious _ and largely apolitical.
Asked what kind of reform the Tiananmen students were after, Xiaoguang says he doesn't know.
"Did it have something to do with the conflicts between capitalism and socialism?" he asks.
It would be hard for him to know more. The subject is taboo. The demonstrations are classified as a counter-revolutionary riot and rarely mentioned in public. Textbooks touch on them fleetingly, if at all.
Few young people are aware that millions of students, workers and average people gathered peacefully in Beijing and other cities over seven weeks in early 1989 to demand democratic reform and an end to corruption. They are not told how communist authorities finally silenced the dissent with deadly force, killing hundreds.
Chinese leaders today argue that juggernaut growth and stability since the early 1990's prove that quelling the uprising was the right choice. Indeed, young Chinese people are materially better off now than they have perhaps ever been, with annual income per capital soaring to about 19,000 yuan ($2,760) in 2007, up from just 380 yuan ($55) in 1978.
But the tradeoff has been that young Chinese have no real role in shaping their country's future _ and may not be very interested in having one.
An official survey released this month found 75 percent of college students hoped to join the Communist Party, but 56 percent of those said they would do so to "boost their chances of finding a good job." The rest wanted to join for personal honor _ 29 percent _ while 15 percent were motivated by faith in communism, said the Internet survey of 12,018 students by the People's Tribune.
An accompanying commentary said students today are clearly "cold" about politics and cited concern from education experts about "extreme egotism" among the youth.
At Peking University, a hub for the 1989 protests, only one political group cracked the top 15 extracurricular clubs _ the elite Marxism Youth Study Group, reputed to be good for career networking.
The generation that demonstrated on Tiananmen Square grew up surrounded by political discussion, scripted as it often was, and lived through mass movements that demanded full public participation, notably the tumultuous Cultural Revolution that ended in 1976.
But the 1989 crackdown put an end to most public debate on the topic of whither China. Few now risk serious political discussion even behind closed doors, with good reason.
Consider The New Youth Study Group, a short-lived club of young Beijing professionals that met privately to talk about political reform and posted essays online, including one titled "China's democracy is fake." Four of the members were convicted of subversion and intent to overthrow the Communist Party in May 2003 and sentenced to between 8 and 10 years in prison.
With this fear of political dissent, it's hard to tell whether young people like underground musician Li Yan are being shallow or shrewd when they shrug off Tiananmen. Li Yan, also known as Lucifer, was born in May 1989 and is a performing arts student in Beijing with a cultivated rebel image.
"Young kids like us are maybe just more into popular entertainment like Korean soap operas. ... Very few people really care about that other stuff," says Lucifer, before mounting the stage at a Beijing club to belt out "Rock 'N Roll for Money and Sex."
Tiananmen veterans read the reaction as apathy and lament it.
"All those magnificent ideals have been replaced by the practical pursuit of self-centered comforts," says Bao Tong, former secretary to Zhao Ziyang, the Communist Party leader deposed for sympathizing with the 1989 protesters. "The leaders today don't want young people to think."
According to Bao, 76, China's youth are in the arms of the government being fed candy. They could continue this way if the economy remains strong and the government distributes wealth more equitably, he says, but he doesn't think either is likely.
Others say the reckless optimism of the Tiananmen era is the reason young people today lack ideals. The fearless naivete of 1989 serves as a cautionary tale, not inspiration.
Sun Yi's father was a Tiananmen-era dissident. In a self-published magazine in 1990, he openly criticized the crackdown and was soon imprisoned for speaking out. She admires her father but wonders if his sacrifices, a broken marriage and seven years in jail, were worth it.
"It was a really heroic undertaking, but still I feel he gave up so much, too much," says Sun, a 22-year-old engineering student in Sydney, Australia. "His voice was heard by some of the people but not many, not many compared to the population in China. Is that worth it?"
Wu Xu, 39, was a Tiananmen participant. His generation was plagued by insecurity, he says, and hoped that China could "catch up" to the West politically and economically.
"This generation is totally different," says Wu, author of a recent book about Chinese cybernationalism. "There is no kind of feeling of inferiority. ... They have had the advantage of the last thirty years of China's economic performance."
Wu contends that China's youth know more than they let on, and while they tend to be fiercely proud of their country they are also highly critical of their government. He calls them "a double-edged sword with no handle," because their opinions cut in many directions and are not guided by any single ideology or organization.
Xiaoguang, the boy born that June 4, bears out the theory. He criticizes the United States for the "inadequate apology" it made after a mid-air collision between an American spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet in 2001. He is angry at CNN for allegedly exaggerating Chinese military brutality against Tibetan rioters last year. Both views parrot the government. Later though, he scoffs at classmates keen to join the Communist Party and grouses about corruption.
His convictions are worn loosely, like a fashion, and have not translated into action. Like many Chinese people today, he appears satisfied with his hobbies, pop culture and other distractions.
He lives with his parents down a dusty dirt road in a simple concrete home. A grapevine snakes up a trellis in the courtyard. The family is supported his mother's monthly 800 yuan ($117) retirement pension and his weekend odd jobs.
In his bedroom, he can watch downloaded pirate copies of Hollywood films like "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" with slapdash Chinese subtitles. At the same time, he texts friends on his Nokia phone and sends instant messages online.
His parents have scrimped and borrowed to provide their only child with these luxuries _ 2,800 yuan ($410) for the computer and 500 yuan ($73) a year for the Internet connection _ because he says he needs them for school.
An anxious scowl steals across Xiaoguang's usually cheery face as his father recounts the night he was born.
A debilitating stroke ten years ago has made speaking difficult. But, with help from his wife, Feng told how he dropped his wife at the hospital on the evening of June 3, 1989, then dashed to Kaifeng's Drum Tower where a crowd had gathered in solidarity with protesters in Beijing.
He spent an hour there and the experience inspired his son's name, which means light of dawn.
"His name has great significance. I had just seen China's dawning promise and possibility."
Thursday
AA: Edgewood Group, closed Big Book study, 7 p.m. St. Luke'sEpiscopal Church, Somerset Drive. Call 343-3198.
AA: Open meeting, 8 to 9 p.m., St. John's Episcopal Churchauditorium, 1105 Quarrier St. Call 342-4315.
AA: Open discussion, 8 p.m. at Southway Group Room, 2nd floor,Haddad Building, 4825 MacCorkle Ave. SW.
ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS: 5:30 to 7 p.m., first-floorconference room, cancer center of Thomas Memorial Hospital. Forinformation, 345-1388.
AIDS SUPPORT: AIDS Support Group, 6:30 p.m., For more information,call Covenant House Inc., 344-0530.
AL-ANON FAMILY GROUP: for friends and families of alcoholics, 7p.m. at St. Luke's Episcopal, 819 Somerset Drive.
BRIDGE: Shepherd Center of Charleston, bridge for seniors, 12:30to 4 p.m. at Riverview Terrace, $2 per player. For information, 346-6954.
CANCER SUPPORT:Prostate cancer support group, 2 to 3 p.m. at St.Timothy Lutheran Church in South Charleston.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: Educational/behavioral change program forabusers, orientation from 2 to 4 p.m., with program from 5 to 7 p.m.,third-floor community room of YWCA, 1114 Quarrier St. Call 340-3570for information.
MEDITATION GROUP: Charleston Meditation Group, free meditationsessions, noon, John Ray Room, Kanawha County Library. Beginnerswelcome, instruction provided, 30-minute silent meditation followedby brief discussion. Bring cushion, or chairs available. Forinformation, Thad Settle, 766-8424.
MENTAL HEALTH GROUP: Recovery Inc., self-help for mental health,7:30 p.m., Humphreys Memorial United Methodist Church, 1400 GrosscupAve., Dunbar. Call 768-7807 or 340-3512.
MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY: Support group, 7 to 8:30 p.m., FirstPresbyterian Church, Leon Sullivan Way at Kanawha Boulevard E. Nofees; caregivers and relatives welcome. For information, 344-9807 or(800) 248-0450.
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: 8 p.m., St. James Episcopal Church, 3001 7thAve. W., North Charleston. Closed discussion.
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Cross Lanes United Methodist Church, 5320Frontier Drive, Cross Lanes, 7:30 p.m. Open meeting.
PARENTS UNITED: Men's Group, 4 p.m. Family Service of KanawhaValley, 922 Quarrier St., Suite 201. Contact Susan McQuaide, 340-3676.
PARENTS UNITED: Mothers of Molested Children, 4 p.m., FamilyService of Kanawha Valley, 922 Quarrier St., Suite 201. Contact SusanMcQuaide, 340-3676.
PARENTS UNITED: For adults who were molested as children, 6 to 7p.m., Family Service of Kanawha Valley, 922 Quarrier St., Suite 201.Call Susan McQuaide, 340-3676.
PARENTS UNITED: Mixed group, 5:15 p.m., Family Service of KanawhaValley, 922 Quarrier St., Suite 201. For children's groups, callSusan McQuaide, 340-3676.
PROSTATE DISCUSSION: Discussion group about problems and treatmentfor men of all ages, 2 p.m. second Thursday at St. Timothy LutheranChurch, 900 Lawndale Lane. Call 925-1429.
SAFE RELATIONSHIPS SUPPORT: Safer Relationships, free groupworkshop to help make relationships as safe as possible, 5:15 p.m.Room 310, First Presbyterian Church, 16 Leon Sullivan Way. For moreinformation, call Kanawha Pastoral Counseling Center, 346-9689.
SWEET ADELINES: Almost Heaven Chapter, 7 p.m. in the Columbia GasBuilding on MacCorkle Avenue in Charleston. New members accepted.Call 768-6731 or 340-1361 for more information.
TOPS: Take Off Pounds Sensibly, 5:30 p.m. West Side MethodistChurch Fellowship Hall, 401 Roane St. For information, Naomi Peggs,346-4156.
TOPS: Take Off Pounds Sensibly, 5:30 p.m. weigh-in, 6:30 p.m.meeting, Roxalana Gospel Tabernacle annex, Steele Street, Dunbar.Call 744-3822.
WRITERS GROUP: Kanawha Valley Writers Group, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.,John Ray Room, Kanawha County Public Library. For information, callLynn Hartz, 343-1290.
If you have a meeting or special event for publication in thiscolumn, send the information to beckycalwell@dailymail.com orCalendar of Events, Charleston Daily Mail, 1001 Virginia St. E.,Charleston, WV 25301. Items must be received in writing two daysbefore the notice is to be run.
A luxury country house hotel near Bath is celebrating a doublesuccess after two of its chefs de partie won places in the final ofa national young chef competition. Mark Stinchcombe and MichaelTweedie, of Lucknam Park Hotel in Colerne, will battle it out to benamed Young Chef of the Year following regional finals at ThamesValley University They were two of four young culinary wizards fromthe chefs' section to make it through to the final round of thenational Young Chef, Young Waiter competition.
In a day-long competition, they prepared a chocolate mousse and awarm quail salad as a skills test, before cooking a chicken dish oftheir choice from a surprise basket of ingredients.
Following their success in the regional final, Mark and Michael,along with their fellow finalists, were awarded a three-day trip toChampagne, courtesy of Laurent-Perrier.
They will now compete in the national finals at WestminsterKingsway College in London on October 20.
Young Chef, Young Waiter is organised by The RestaurantAssociation and is a national competition for young people aged 25and under.
LONDON (AP) — Britain's counterterrorism minister says the national terror threat will remain at a severe level during the 2012 London Olympics.
The current threat classification means that an attack is highly likely in Britain.
Minister Pauline Neville-Jones says "we must work on the assumption that (the threat) will remain as it is."
The next — and most extreme level — is "critical."
Neville-Jones also told an Olympic security conference in London on Thursday that more needs to be done to combat cyber crime to ensure the games are not a "soft target."
WASHINGTON Several former aides to Sen. Paul Simon (D-Ill.), withhis acquiescence, have been talking him up around the country as aprospect for vice president.
Simon acknowledged that he has discussed the issue with hispromoters, asserted he didn't encourage them, but conceded he hadn'tasked them to stop.
"I am not totally uninterested, but really the odds are verymuch against it," Simon said in an interview.
Most active in promoting Simon has been Terry Michael, presssecretary in Simon's 1988 presidential campaign. Working toinfluence press coverage, Michael and others have sought outreporters to argue the pluses Simon could add to a ticked headed bythe presumptive Democratic nominee, Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton. Favorable columns
Their work has begun to pay off, producing favorable politicalcolumns in two Illinois newpapers and a buzz among Washingtonreporters.
Steve Rabinowitz, an advance man in Simon's presidential drivenow running press advance for Clinton, talked up a Simon candidacywith an influential reporter who wrote one of the Illinois columns.Brian Lunde, director of the Simon presidential campaign,acknowledged that he, too, had promoted Simon, but said he hasn'tinitiated calls, partly out of concern that a campaign for the No. 2spot on the ticket "could be counterproductive."
Michael laid out arguments for Simon in a two-page memotransmitted Monday and Tuesday over facsimile machines to most of thenational media. They included: Simon, who won re-election to the Senate by a 2-1 margin in 1990,would deliver Illinois electoral votes - a requirement to win theWhite House. Simon won re-election by the widest margin of anycontested Senate race that year. Simon was through the press wringer in his 1988 presidentialcampaign and "won't embarrass you. . . . There are no skeletons inthis straight arrow's closet." Michael added that Simon would be"adult on stage" with Vice President Dan Quayle in debates. Michael also wrote: "Simon's greatest asset would be to help holdthe liberal base while Clinton moves to the center."
Other pluses Michael cited include the geographical balanceSimon would add to the ticket as a Northerner, his "independentimage" and the "generational balance" he would contribute. "There isevidence that the eternal-youth-baby-boomers are a little ambivalentabout one of their own being ready for leadership of the free world,"the memo said.
Clinton is 45, and Simon is 63.
Michael, who goes back with Simon to his race for Illinoislieutenant governor, said he has been "floating Simon's name" sincethe campaign for the New Hampshire primary in February and approachedSimon then. "I told him I was talking to reporters, and he didn'ttell me I couldn't," Michael said. "I probably wouldn't havelistened to him anyway."
"I did not encourage or discourage him," Simon said. "It's tooearly. Serious consideration of the vice presidential thing will notcome up until after the California primary." How much interest?
Would Simon take it? "Anybody in public service would have aninterest," Simon said. "If it got down to that point, you would haveto sit down with the nominee and ask, `What would you have medoing?' "
Dee Dee Myers, Clinton's press secretary, said the governor has"refused to get into the name game." She said, "He will selectsomeone who is eminently qualified, so people will feel he will beready to be president."
Clinton has said he would consider Mayor Daley and Sen. JosephLieberman (D-Conn.). Other prospects mentioned in the press includeSen. Bill Bradley (D-N.J.), who has said he doesn't want it; Sen. BobKerrey (D-Neb.), who dropped out of the presidential race; PaulTsongas, who has suspended his presidential candidacy; New York Gov.Mario Cuomo; Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell (D-Maine);retiring Sen. Tim Wirth (D-Colo.), and Colorado Gov. Roy Romer.
Nobody heard a bark on that June morning. Nobody found an open gate. The only explanation came from a neighbor, who witnessed the early morning dognappers from across the street.
"They just straight-up took two puppies," said Shelton, 19, who lives in Durham, N.C.
Animal advocates are reporting a sharp rise in dog thefts — murky and hard-to-track crimes that often are not reported.
The American Kennel Club tracks thefts through a national database, and its figures show at least a 32 percent uptick so far in 2011. The group bases its numbers on media reports of stolen dogs and customers who call its Companion Animal Recovery service.
The AKC database showed 224 animals were stolen during the first seven months of this year compared with 150 during the same period last year and 255 in all of 2010. In 2009, 162 thefts were reported to the AKC, said Lisa Peterson, spokeswoman for the New York-based group.
"Some are taken out of homes, some are taken out of cars, some are taken out of pet stores," Peterson said. "I've even seen some taken out of a child's arms on a park bench."
Peterson said the AKC's numbers exclude lost dogs. It counts only animals that likely have been stolen — from a locked car or during a home break-in, for instance.
The motive for stealing a dog is always money — whether dogs are resold, sold to laboratories or used in fights.
Peterson said dog thieves are misguided and naive. Animals can't be pawned. High-priced dogs require registration papers. Collecting heavy ransoms is unrealistic.
Shelton's dogs were pit bulls. They, along with other large breeds, tend to be stolen most often.
In the case of Shelton's dogs, the perpetrator found enough incentive to open a 6-foot-tall fence when every resident was home.
The number of stolen pets is small compared with those that are lost or abandoned.
The SPCA of Wake County maintains an entire wall of posters of lost pets, with only a few marked as stolen.
In 2010, most of the 18,297 animals that entered the county's shelters were strays with no identification, according to Mondy Lamb, the SPCA's marketing director.
Lost and wandering dogs that haven't been stolen create a far greater problem, she said.
Stray cats, estimated at 50 million, are too common for anyone to steal, said Pam Miller at Safe Haven for Cats in Raleigh.
Still, some call the threat exaggerated. The California Biomedical Research Association, for example, describes the idea as "The Pet Theft Myth." The myth says shadowy figures are luring animals into vans and selling them to research labs, but most dogs and cats used in research are specifically bred for that purpose, the group says.
A suspicious dognapping happened to Debbie Hawes' son Zach in Knightdale, N.C. After posting a missing pit bull report, she said, Zach discovered second-hand through a rescue group that the dog had been found. But the person who recovered it didn't want to return it directly to the owner, and he wanted a $125 fee. Hawes said her son paid the fee and didn't ask questions. It was worth it to have his friend back home.
For a list of pet-theft prevention and recovery tips, got to www.akc.org/press_center/pet_theft.cfm.
Scripps Howard News Service
Pit bulls, along with other large breeds, tend to be stolen most often.
