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From the Division of Cardiology, Veterans Administration Medical Center, and Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
Correspondence to: Selcuk Adabag, MD, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Section of Cardiology (111 C), 1 Veterans Dr, Minneapolis, MN 55417; e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Part of this article has been presented in abstract form at the Heart Rhythm Society 33rd Annual Scientific Sessions, May 9-12, 2012, Boston, Massachusetts.
Funding/Support: The authors have reported to CHEST that no funding was received for this study.
Reproduction of this article is prohibited without written permission from the American College of Chest Physicians. See online for more details.
COPD is a common comorbidity in heart failure. The efficacy of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy has not been determined in patients with heart failure and COPD.
We examined the incidence of ICD shocks and mortality in 628 consecutive patients who underwent defibrillator implantation at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center from 2006 to 2010.
The mean age of the patients was 67 ± 10 years, and 99% were men. Patients with COPD (n = 246 [39%]) were functionally more limited (P < .0001) and more likely to have an ICD for primary prevention of sudden death (P = .04) than those without COPD. Over a median 4.1 years (interquartile range [IQR] 2.2-5.7) of follow-up, patients with COPD had a higher incidence of appropriate shocks than those without COPD (29% vs 17%; P < .0001), whereas the incidence of inappropriate shocks was similar (9% vs 10%, P = .61). In multivariable analysis, COPD was associated with a twofold increase in the odds of an appropriate ICD shock (95% CI, 1.3-2.9; P = .001). Incidence of ICD shocks did not vary with severity of COPD. Although all-cause mortality was higher in patients with COPD than in those without COPD (29% vs 21%, P = .029), 1-year mortality (5.3% vs 2.6%, P = .08) and the average time from first appropriate ICD shock to death was comparable (median, 2.3 [IQR, 1.2-4.4] vs 2.8 [IQR, 1.4-5.3] years; P = .29).
Patients with COPD have a higher incidence of ICD shocks than those without COPD and appear to benefit from ICD therapy.
As one of the leading causes of death in the United States, COPD is responsible for 120,000 deaths each year1,2 and is recognized as a common comorbidity in patients with heart failure. Approximately 20% of patients with heart failure have COPD.3,4
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are widely used to prevent sudden cardiac death and reduce mortality in heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction.5‐9 However, relatively little is known about the efficacy of ICDs in patients with heart failure and concomitant COPD. These patients might not experience the survival benefit expected from the ICD device because of an increased risk of noncardiovascular mortality. On the other hand, patients with COPD might have a higher incidence of ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation because of their tendency to a high catecholamine state, resulting in appropriate, potentially life-saving, shocks. Furthermore, these patients might also have inappropriate ICD shocks because of a high incidence of atrial fibrillation and other supraventricular arrhythmias.
The objective of this investigation was to examine the potential influence of COPD status on ICD therapy and outcomes. Specifically, we sought to determine the incidence of appropriate and inappropriate ICD shocks, all-cause mortality, and potential survival benefit in a large cohort of patients with and without COPD.
This study was approved (No. 4296-B) by the Research and Development Committee of Minneapolis Veterans Administration Medical Center. The requirement for individual consent was waived because of the retrospective collection of data.
From 2006 to 2011, 628 consecutive patients who underwent defibrillator implantation (ICD or cardiac resynchronization therapy with ICD) and were followed at the Minneapolis Veterans Administration Medical Center cardiac device clinic were included in this analysis. The Minneapolis Veterans Administration Medical Center is a tertiary referral center serving patients in Minnesota, North and South Dakota, and portions of Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.
Clinical data and spirometry results were abstracted from electronic medical records.10 All patients with FEV1/FVC < 0.7 on spirometry were adjudicated as having COPD. In addition, patients with COPD but without confirmatory spirometry were included because of a very low false-positive diagnostic rate (< 5%) in this cohort (e-Fig 1).
Among patients with spirometry, severity of airway obstruction was assessed according to GOLD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) criteria.11 Thus, among patients with FEV1/FVC < 0.7, those with FEV1 ≥ 80% predicted were categorized as having mild obstruction, those with FEV1 50% to 79% predicted having moderate obstruction, and those with FEV1 < 50% predicted as having severe or very severe obstruction.11 Chronic kidney disease was defined as a glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 for ≥ 3 months.
All ICDs were dual-coil and dual-chamber systems except in patients with atrial fibrillation and those who had cardiac resynchronization therapy. All patients underwent device interrogation and follow-up according to a standard protocol. Remote or in-person follow-up was performed every 3 months. For this analysis, device follow-up information was obtained from local device clinic records and the Veterans Administration National Device Surveillance Program.12,13 ICD shocks were adjudicated as appropriate or inappropriate by a cardiac electrophysiologist after reviewing intracardiac electrograms. Mortality was assessed with the Veterans Administration vital status records and Social Security Death Index.14,15
Variables are presented as mean ± SD and percentages. Nonparametric data are presented as median and interquartile range (IQR). Comparisons between patients with or without COPD were made with t test for continuous variables and χ2 test for categorical variables. Comparison of continuous variables that were not normally distributed was made by nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test. ORs of ICD shocks in patients with COPD vs those without COPD were examined with multivariable logistic regression analysis. Variables with P < .1 in the univariable analysis were included in the multivariable model. Sensitivity analyses in the subgroup of 307 patients with spirometry and 423 patients with de novo device implantations were performed. All comparisons were two sided. P < .05 was considered statistically significant.
Baseline characteristics of the 628 study patients are shown in Table 1. Patients were aged 67 ± 10 years, 99% were men, 73% had ischemic cardiomyopathy, and 89% received ICDs for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death. Of the 628 patients, 307 (49%) had spirometry data, which showed obstructive airway disease in 187. Including the 59 additional patients with COPD not confirmed by spirometry, 246 patients (39%) were categorized into the COPD group (e-Fig 1). The rest of the patients, including 120 without COPD by spirometry and 260 patients with neither spirometry nor clinical COPD, were categorized into the non-COPD group. Patients in the COPD group had a higher New York Heart Association functional class (P < .0001), were more likely to be current smokers (P < .0001), and were more likely to have an ICD for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death (P = .04) than those in the non-COPD group (Table 1). However, other baseline demographic and clinical characteristics, including left ventricular ejection fraction, were similar in both groups (0.31 ± 0.11 vs 0.32 ± 0.12 for COPD vs non-COPD, respectively, P = .22). β-Adrenergic receptor blocker use (98% vs 97%, P = .79) and heart rates (72 ± 14/min vs 70 ± 12/min, P = .13) were also similar between the two groups (Table 1).
Data are mean ± SD or %. NYHA = New York Heart Association.
Chronic kidney disease was defined as a glomerular filtration rate of < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 for ≥ 3 mo.
Over a median follow-up of 4.1 years (IQR, 2.2-5.7 years), 138 patients (22%) received one or more appropriate ICD shocks and 61 (10%) received one or more inappropriate shocks. Twenty-nine percent of patients with COPD vs 17% without COPD received appropriate ICD shocks (P < .0001) (Figs 1, 2). The incidence of appropriate ICD therapy, including both shocks and antitachycardia pacing, was also higher in patients with vs those without COPD (41% vs 25%, P < .0001). However, the incidence of inappropriate shocks was similar in both groups (9% vs 10%, respectively, P = .61) (Fig 1). The incidence of ICD shocks did not vary with smoking status or COPD treatment.
Univariable and multivariable predictors of appropriate ICD shock are shown in Table 2. In multivariable analysis, having COPD was associated with a twofold increase in the odds of appropriate shock (OR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.3-2.9; P = .001) but not with an increase in inappropriate shock (OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.51-1.55; P = .67).
ICD = implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. See Table 1 legend for expansion of other abbreviation.
A total of 152 patients (24%) died during follow-up. Mortality was higher among those with COPD than among those without COPD (29% vs 21%, P = .029) (Figs 1, 3). A total of 23 patients died within 1 year of device implantation (COPD, 5.3%; no COPD, 2.6%; P = .08). The median duration from first appropriate shock to death or last follow-up was 2.3 years (IQR, 1.2-4.4 years) in patients with COPD vs 2.8 years (IQR, 1.4-5.3 years) in those without COPD (P = .29).
Of the 307 patients with documented spirometry in the electronic medical record, 187 (61%) had airway obstruction. Of these, 30 (16%) had mild, 100 (53%) had moderate, and 57 (30%) had severe or very severe airway obstruction. In this subgroup, the incidence of appropriate ICD shocks (32% vs 19%, P = .009) and mortality (30% vs 19%, P = .035) was higher in patients with vs without COPD, respectively, reminiscent of the results in the total study cohort. The incidence of ICD shocks did not vary with the severity of COPD (Table 3).
Data are presented as %. See Table 2 legend for expansion of abbreviation.
Of the 628 study patients, 423 had de novo device implantation (176 with COPD). In this subgroup, patients with COPD had a higher incidence of appropriate ICD shocks than those without COPD (22% vs 13%, P = .02) and an increased mortality rate (29% vs 23%, P = .14).
This investigation showed that in a large cohort of patients with ICDs from a tertiary-care Veterans Administration medical center, almost 40% of the patients had concomitant COPD, which was associated with a twofold increase in the odds of appropriate ICD shocks and higher mortality than in patients without COPD. However, although overall mortality was higher in the patients with COPD, 1-year mortality and the average time from the first appropriate shock to death was not different in patients with or without COPD. These data suggest that ICD therapy is efficacious in patients with COPD.
There are few published data on the efficacy of ICD therapy in patients with COPD and the influence of COPD status on ICD shocks. In a study of 168 patients with secondary prevention ICDs, Dougherty and Hunziker16 reported that a history of COPD, congestive heart failure, and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia were associated with a fourfold increase in the risk of ICD shocks during 1 year of follow-up; however, the appropriateness of the ICD shocks was not adjudicated. Furthermore, in a retrospective case-control study, Razak et al17 compared the survival of 30 patients with COPD and ICDs to a matched control group of 70 patients with COPD but without ICDs. Left ventricular ejection fractions were similar in both groups. After 2 years of follow-up, they found that survival was significantly better in ICD-treated patients with COPD than in those without ICDs (88% vs 59%). The results of the present cohort study advance these previous observations one step farther by providing adjudicated ICD shock and survival data. Collectively, these studies suggest that ICD therapy is efficacious in patients with COPD.
In studies of long-term ECG monitoring, ventricular arrhythmias, including ventricular tachycardia, were found commonly in patients with COPD at baseline stable state and during COPD exacerbations.18‐20 Furthermore, sudden death has been identified as a significant cause of death in patients with COPD. Among nearly 6,000 participants with COPD in a multicenter trial of inhaled tiotropium, almost 8% of the deaths occurred suddenly.21,22 There are several potential explanations for these observations and the findings of the present study. First, the high catecholamine state in patients with COPD could trigger ventricular arrhythmias.23 Second, low Po2 and high Pco2 could potentially trigger arrhythmias by way of ischemia or respiratory acidosis.24 Finally, β2-agonists, a cornerstone treatment of obstructive airway disease, stimulate adrenergic receptors and could lower arrhythmia threshold.23 Indeed, inhaled β-agonists have been associated with increased risk of hospitalization and mortality in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction.25 Both β-agonist therapy and respiratory acidosis could transiently induce hypokalemia, further increasing the risk for ventricular arrhythmias.26
The incidence of inappropriate ICD shocks was relatively low in the present cohort compared with the Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial II (MADIT II) study.7 The reason for this finding could be due to the use of newer-generation devices with novel discrimination algorithms for supraventricular tachycardias and optimization of device programming parameters to reduce inappropriate ICD shocks.27‐30 The incidence of inappropriate ICD shocks in the present study was comparable to that observed in more recent cohorts.28,29,31,32
Accurate diagnosis of COPD might be challenging in patients with heart failure because shortness of breath and dyspnea on exertion are hallmark symptoms in both conditions. Although COPD status is frequently reclassified in patients with congestive heart failure, the present data suggest that in those with either clinical or spirometry-proven COPD, the incidence of appropriate shock is significantly higher in the population with COPD.10,33‐35
Several limitations in this study merit comment. First, retrospective study design increases the risk for bias and confounding. However, consecutive patients who underwent defibrillator implantation at our center were included, and device follow-up was performed according to a uniform protocol. Furthermore, multivariable regression analysis was performed to account for potential confounding. These methods would be expected to reduce the likelihood of bias, although potential bias and residual confounding cannot be fully eliminated. Second, time from first appropriate shock to death was considered a surrogate for survival benefit from defibrillator therapy. However, it is possible that some appropriate ICD shocks were delivered for arrhythmias that would have terminated spontaneously.36 Therefore, accurate determination of survival benefit would require a randomized clinical trial design. Third, ICD tachycardia parameters were not recorded in each patient. However, a systematic bias in programming in relation to COPD status is unlikely. Indeed, in a randomly selected group of 200 patients (100 with COPD), we found no significant differences in programmed ICD tachycardia parameters pertaining to COPD status. Finally, almost all the study patients were men; thus, the results may not apply to female patients.
COPD is a common comorbidity in patients with ICDs and is associated with an increased incidence of appropriate ICD shocks and higher mortality. However, 1-year mortality and the average time from first appropriate shock to death was not different in patients with or without COPD. The data suggest that ICD therapy is efficacious in patients with COPD.
Author contributions: Drs Naksuk and Adabag had full access to all of the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.
Dr Naksuk: contributed to the study conception and design; data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation; and drafting and final approval of the manuscript.
Dr Kunisaki: contributed to the study conception and design, data interpretation, critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content, and final approval of the manuscript.
Dr Benditt: contributed to the study conception and design, data interpretation, critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content, and final approval of the manuscript.
Dr Tholakanahalli: contributed to the study conception and design, data interpretation, critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content, and final approval of the manuscript.
Dr Adabag: contributed to the study conception and design; data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation; and drafting and final approval of the manuscript.
Financial/nonfinancial disclosures: The authors have reported to CHEST the following conflicts of interest: Dr Benditt is a consultant for and has equity with Medtronic, Inc; St. Jude Medical, Inc; and CardioNet. He also has equity with Boston Scientific, is a consultant for Nanostim, Inc, and has equity with and serves on the board of directors for Advanced Circulatory. Dr Adabag has received investigator-initiated research grants from Medtronic, Inc, and Boston Scientific. Drs Naksuk, Kunisaki, and Tholakanahalli have reported that no potential conflicts of interest exist with any companies/organizations whose products or services may be discussed in this article.
Other contributions: The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Minneapolis Veterans Administration Health Care System, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the US Government, or the University of Minnesota. The authors thank Deborah J. Johnson, RN, for her efforts in administering the study.
Additional information: The e-Figure can be found in the "Supplemental Materials" area of the online article.
implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
interquartile range
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Kalamazoo College football players Jimmy Frye and Dimeko Price will suit up one more time as they play for Team Stars & Stripes in the 2012 Tazón de Estrellas (Bowl of the Stars) at La Fortaleza Azul (The Blue Fortress) against the CONADEIP All-Stars in Guadalajara, Mexico at 12pm CET on Saturday, December 15.
The two Hornets are part of a 48-man roster made up of Division III seniors.
Team Stars & Stripes coaches and staff, led by head coach Don De Waard from Central College, will travel to Guadalajara on Saturday, December 8, and will be joined by the roster of 48 players on Sunday, December 9. Following two-a-day practices on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the team will have the opportunity to explore the local region before Saturday's game.
The group of players, coaches, and staff will visit the colonial city of Guadalajara, and the highlands region setting northwest of Mexico City. They will also stay on the Tec de Monterrey campus this year, and will have a chance to interact with the Mexican players throughout the week.
Dimeko Price is a senior running back from Battle Creek (Lakeview HS). He is Kalamazoo College's career rushing leader (2,861 yards) and was an All-MIAA First Team selection in 2012 after rushing for 841 yards with six touchdowns.
Jimmy Frye is a senior wide receiver from Roscommon (Roscommon HS) who finished his career with 97 catches for 1,558 yards and seven touchdowns.
Cory McCain ('11) is the last Kalamazoo College player to compete in this game.

subset: commoncrawl


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By KAYLEE OSOWSKI Morris news Service - alaska It sounds like the beginning of a joke — a businessman, a pastor and a rancher presented their views on local government to a full house of area residents. While the audience did have some laughs following various comments fr...Wed, 09/10/2014 - 4:04pm
...Wed, 09/10/2014 - 4:01pm
Robin Schmidt of the Social Security Administration's office in Anchorage will be in the Homer City Hall Cowles Council Chambers on Sept 18 to give a presentation on "Understanding Social Security" from noon-1:30 p.m. From 1:30-2:30 p.m., there will be a "mySocialSecurity" present...Wed, 09/10/2014 - 3:59pm
Having doubled its inventory in six years, the Homer Fire Station was running out of space in 1980. "Even when all the pumpers, tankers and trucks had nice homes, there would not be any room for other important activities: fixing the equipment, drying the hoses, training the volunteers," Fire Ch...Wed, 09/10/2014 - 3:58pm
Homer Police are seeking suspects in the armed robbery on Thursday of the Wagon Wheel on Ocean Drive. According to a police press release, a man at about 1:40 p.m. Sept. 4 entered the store, brandished a handgun and demanded money from the register. The man left the store with an undisclosed amount ...Thu, 09/04/2014 - 5:18pm
British adventurer Sarah Outen waves as she rides her bike, Hercules, on the Homer Spit as she sets off for New York. Kate Krautler, to her left, and Frida Renner were part of an escort of about 20 bicyclists who joined Outen part of the way out of town. Some rode as far as Anchor Point. Outen, 29, ...Wed, 09/03/2014 - 5:07pm
CoastWalk, the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies annual beach clean up and survey, starts today with a kick-off talk at 6:30 p.m. at the Alaska USA Federal Credit Union on the Sterling Highway....Wed, 09/03/2014 - 5:06pm
The Salvation Army will hold a coat give-away at its 1468 Sterling Highway location from noon-2 p.m. Sept. 13. As in past three years, the coats have been donated by Fred Meyer and are distributed throughout Alaska free of charge. "There are no requirements," said Lt. Christin Frankhauser of the...Wed, 09/03/2014 - 5:05pm
Larry Patson of Bullhead City, Ariz., holds a halibut with a tag worth $250 in the Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby. Sea Lion Cove of Homer sponsored the tagged fish. Patson was fishing with Capt. Keith Kalke of Ocean Hunter Charters aboard the Ocean Hunter. The derby runs through Sept. 15....Wed, 09/03/2014 - 4:51pm
After 13 years away from the Kenai Peninsula, former Homer News and Peninsula Clarion reporter Doug Loshbaugh is back. This time not as a journalist, however. Loshbaugh is the new assistant chief of the Anchor Point Fire and Emergency Service Area. Loshbaugh served on the Homer Volunteer Fire Depart...Wed, 09/03/2014 - 4:39pm
Homer News ©2016. All Rights Reserved.


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Seven months have passed since the state Legislature passed a law expanding bottle recycling regulations, and local businesses that handle the recyclables have varying opinions on how the law has affected them.
The new law provides a 5-cent deposit for bottled water containers. It passed the state Legislature last year after surviving a number of challenges, which stripped a number of bottled drink categories from the original legislation.
Bob Neelis, owner of T.J.'s Discount Beverage on Elmwood Avenue in Gloversville, said since the new law took effect, he's seen a substantial increase in the amount of bottles his store processes.
Article Photos
The Leader-Herald/Bill Trojan
Carol Neelis, co-owner of TJ's Discount Beverage in Gloversville, places plastic water bottles into a bin at the store on Thursday. Manager Chuck Murray is working on recyclables in the background.
The Leader-Herald/Bill Trojan
A bin of water bottles is shown at TJ's Discount Beverage.
The Leader-Herald/Bill Trojan
Carol Neelis, co-owner of TJ's Discount Beverage in Gloversville, places plastic water bottles into a bin at the store Thursday.
"It's a lot of work," he said.
Neelis said he gave a part-time employee additional hours in order to take care of the added work to organize the increased volume. He said the size of his store has been limiting and has made handling the increase somewhat difficult.
"It's not as overwhelming as I thought it might be, but we don't have a lot of room here to begin with," he said. "We shuffle things around a lot to make it work."
At Bill's Wholesale Beverages in Amsterdam, owner and President Bill Petrosino said he has "absolutely" seen an increase in the number of bottles and cans brought to his facility since the bill took effect.
"They have had to add an extra truck to my cycle to handle it," he said. "I return to the distributors a whole truck load of empties every week. Especially the water bottles and cans - I take in a tremendous amount."
Petrosino said he offers a deal in which a person can bring a large bag full of cans and receive a flat $12 for it, instead of sorting the cans and bringing them to a supermarket or smaller shop. That offer has contributed to an increase in the volume of returns he sees, he said. He said unlike many stores, he over-redeems recyclables - as in, he takes in more recyclables than he sells in original bottles and cans.
Handling the extra work hasn't been too difficult though, he said. He said he has not added any additional employees or additional hours in order to handle the increase.
"Oddly enough, I think we're just becoming more efficient," he said. "We're staying busier. There is less lull."
For at least one shop in the area, the law hasn't had much of an effect. At Naif's in Gloversville, owner Ed Abraham Jr. said he hasn't seen much of a change.
"Whether they go to the supermarket or another store instead of me, I'm not sure," he said. "But for us, there's been pretty much no difference at all.
With warm weather arriving, though, Petrosino and Neelis both said they expect an increase in the amount of bottles and cans they receive.
"I do about 50 percent of my business in May, June, July and August, so about 50 percent [of the recyclables] come back in that time too," Petrosino said.
Kayleigh Karutis covers Gloversville news. She can be reached at email@example.com.


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wassup sis?
Jake: srry i wasnt on today baby
sis.. hey.. i feel like the whole world is crushing down on me because jaz is joing the army -cries- sofely
hey sis... hru doing?
hi sis..
i been in alot of stress sis, but im ok now.
srry babe
hi sis, im back<3
Jake is out of town he'll be hom tomorrow sis love u
i wont be here tomorrow, sis. i love you but im done with the s*** with the family.- tears and walk off
sis, i love you, and i hope you for give me.
to my loving sister i cant be near sam bc im broken by jaz...
hi, im here, sis
damnit, im sorry sis and why, what happened? sis :"(
sissy, where are you? i miss you alot and love you. <3
sis, i hope you feel better soon, its like we are twins in a awesome way. i love you deeply with all my heart. :"( plz come back tomorrow.
btw, love d 2nd pic on ur pro


text: changing provider is easy as 1-2-3! you can do it right now! order your dommel account online and use the link below to create the document to cancel your current provider once your account with us is fully operational! your current provider will then accept your cancellation with immediate effect (if you enter current date as the cancellation date).create cancellation letter


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UK Credit Unions Can Accept Government Sponsored Child Savings
MANCHESTER and LONDON, U.K. - When the Child Trust Funds (CTF) payments begin April 6, Great Britain credit unions can participate, a sign of growing government support for credit unions. Parents of children born after Septemer 1, 2003 will receive up to 500 (US$950) paid directly into the special accounts. Parents can add up to 1200 (US2280) per year with no tax due on the interest. The program is to encourage savings. When the same children reach the age seven amounts up to 500 will be added by the government. "Through the Child Trust Fund and other initiatives, the Government has shown its commitment to ensuring people can build some personal assets - the lack of which is one of the factors influencing financial exclusion - and credit unions are ideally placed to help them with this commendable aim." The Association of British Credit Union, Limited's CEO Mark Lyonette said. A number of credit unions have signalled they will open the long-term accounts for their members' children. Credit unions are trusted savings institutions in many communities," said Stephen Timms, Financial Secretary to the Treasury. "Their new ability to offer Child Trust Fund cash accounts will add to the choice available to families. This will allow families to take advantage of Government money to provide the young people of tomorrow with a personal asset with which to start their adult lives."


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Three Big East teams get the season started tonight.
Notre Dame opens with Butler in the NIT Season Tip-Off. That could be a tough one for the Fighting Irish.
South Florida is just hoping to keep everybody healthy as it prepares to face Buffalo.
And Marquette squares off against Idaho State in the CBE Classic tonight. The Golden Eagles will face either Detroit or Maine on Tuesday.
After polishing off Northwood and former coach Rollie Massimino, Villanova continues its old coaches tour with a game against College of Charleston, led by Bobby Cremins, in the first round of the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas.
Mike Waters


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Domestic abuse. Battering. Intimate partner violence. These are terms that make us wince. And they should: The phenomenon is widespread in the United States, and its effects can be long-lasting and life-threatening. Breaking the pattern of domestic violence can be extremely difficult and may take a long time. It requires courage, planning, and a support network.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines domestic violence as "a pattern of assaultive and/or coercive behaviors...that adults use against their intimate partners to gain power and control in that relationship." It includes not only physical and sexual abuse but also emotional abuse. All can have serious health consequences.
Domestic violence affects people of all ethnic backgrounds; it occurs among the poor and the rich and among the well educated and the poorly educated.
First signs
Women don't consciously choose to have an abusive partner. In fact, the abuser may be charming and well liked by most of the people who know him, but at home he shows a different side.
Changes in the relationship can be difficult to see at first. The abuser's need for control often begins to show itself in little things he says and does. He may criticize the way his partner acts or looks. He may say deeply hurtful things, such as accusing her of being a bad mother. Over time, the abuser's words can chip away at a woman's sense of herself.
Control and power
At the center of domestic violence is the issue of control. The abuser is intent on gaining and maintaining power over his partner through fear and intimidation. Abuse doesn't necessarily involve physical harm. Threats can also be highly effective and should not be minimized.
The abusive partner uses various tactics to achieve control. He may intimidate and demean his partner by constantly criticizing her, monopolizing household finances, or telling her what she can wear, where she can go, and whom she can see. He may play "mind games," such as suggesting that she's hypersensitive, hysterical, or mentally unbalanced. Often he isolates the woman from family, friends, and colleagues. Abuse may also take the form of pathological jealousy, such as false accusations of adultery. Soon, the woman may find that she's cut off from all outside connections, no longer in touch with the people and services that could help her.
Isolation may also disconnect her from a sense of what's normal. She may not even think of herself as a victim of domestic violence. After an incident, the abuser often apologizes and tries to placate his victim. There may be periods of relative calm. It may take a victim a long time to recognize that her partner's behaviors aren't random but form a pattern of abuse.
Intimate partner abuse is a health issue
Intimate partner abuse can have profound effects on a woman's health, both physical and mental. Physical harm, including fractures and lacerations, is one obvious effect. Intimate partner abuse is also linked to chronic health problems and even death — from either suicide because of depression or murder by the partner.
The intense, ongoing stress may result in chronic pain or gastrointestinal symptoms. Victims of domestic abuse are more likely to have arthritis, neck pain, pelvic pain, and migraine headaches. They also have an increased risk of menstrual problems and difficulties during pregnancy, including bleeding, low birth weight, and anemia.
Getting out
Walking away from an abusive relationship is a process more than a single action. Women usually make several attempts — five, on average — before they leave the partner for good. Isolation and fear may prevent a woman from leaving, even when she knows it is probably for the best. Community support can be crucial, although a woman in an abusive relationship often has difficulty taking advantage of that support. The abuser may track her computer use, looking for visits to Web sites and evidence of keyword searches.
Care for the children
Many women stay in an abusive relationship because they think it's best not to disrupt the children's lives so long as they're not being abused themselves. But children who live with domestic violence are at serious risk for behavioral and cognitive problems. In later life, they may suffer depression and trauma symptoms, and they may tolerate or use violence in their own relationships.
What can I do to help?
You suspect that your friend is in an abusive relationship. Here are some things to consider:
October 2006 Update


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In a country where media and entertainment offer a seductive alternative to interaction and innovation, it should be no surprise Bill Gates is petitioning the U.S. Senate to strengthen American competitiveness. This is an important battle to fight but fortunately theres a movement already underway. A new generation of designers is being nurtured to reclaim the throne of American ingenuity.
This week, 340 teams of high school students from all around the world, primarily the U.S., will come together in Atlanta, GA to compete in the 16th annual FIRST Robotics Competition. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology) is an organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen to foster and challenge young engineers and to promote a greater understanding and pursuit of science and technology.
The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is one of three events coinciding at the Georgia Dome on April 12-14. These teams do compete like crazy and try really hard, said Dr. Woodie Flowers, co-founder of the FRC, but they treat each other graciously in the process. Participants will compete for a series of awards including the Division Winners award and the prestigious Chairmans Award, given to the team that best demonstrates the highest standard of conduct.
The other two events are the FIRST Vex Challenge, also for high school students, and the FIRST Lego League for middle school students. Though these two events draw more than 2000 competitors, the focus of the championship is the FRC, which alone draws more than 8000 students.
Last years competition objective was to build a robot that could collect balls from the ground and launch them through a ring or push them through a goal for points. This year, teams will compete in a game called Rack and Roll, where the objective is to have a robot grab inflated rings and position them on a post in the middle of a court. Teams receive additional points at the end of the challenge if they can lift their robot off the ground.
Despite elaborate games and intricate scoring methods, the goal of these competitions is not necessarily limited to winning. Bill Miller, director of the FIRST Robotics Competition, described a scenario from last years competition where one team was having a technical problem and the competing team provided them with the piece needed to continue. This is really collaboration, Miller said, realizing there may be times when you have to rely on a competitor in order to get a bid, or do some things that are very extraordinary. This is an example of the Gracious Professionalism that Dr. Flowers set forth for the FIRST competition.
More than 2000 companies and foundations are sponsoring this years event including: Autodesk, NASA, Underwriters Laboratories and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. Teams have a notable audience as they strive to fulfill the mission of the competition.
Visit designnews.com later this week for coverage, videos and podcasts from the competition floor.


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2009 OCU Graduate Arranges Grand Finale for Macy's Parade
Rick McKee, a 2009 graduate of Oklahoma City University's music composition program, is the arranger and orchestrator of the Grand Finale of the 83rd Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade will be broadcast live from New York City beginning 9 a.m. (Eastern) Thursday.
"Rick is a phenomenal talent," said Dr. Edward Knight, director of OCU's composition program. "He has an amazing ability to write in any style. All his friends at Project 21 are thrilled for him. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what he will be doing five or 10 years from now. His future in the field is limitless."
McKee is an alumnus of Project 21 new music consortium of composers at OCU's Bass School of Music. He worked as a freelance arranger and composer while an undergraduate, and worked full-time for Orlando-based The Imagination House last summer. After graduation in May, McKee relocated to Florida to accept a position as associate music producer for The Imagination House.
While still a student, McKee raised his profile by composing the theme song for a popular Disney fan website, "Visions Fantastic." Through the site, Jonathan Barr -- McKee's favorite Disney composer since he was very young -- discovered his music and asked McKee to write a piece for the Disney Cruise Line. McKee has now written music for Macy's, SeaWorld, Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea, Walt Disney World and a variety of other clients worldwide.
At OCU, McKee composed and scored the music for the independent movie "Unsolved;" composed and produced music for the Jenks, Oklahoma centennial celebration; wrote an arrangement for country music star Bryan White; composed for the Miss Oklahoma Pageant and for the Oklahoma City Philharmonic.
McKee's current project is taking him to record at Skywalker Sound, on George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch compound near San Francisco.


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State reps open Gig Harbor office
State Reps. Pat Lantz (D-Gig Harbor) and Derek Kilmer (D-Gig Harbor) are back in the 26th District after a fast-paced session in Olympia and have set up a local office in Gig Harbor for use as a meeting space for concerned district citizens.
The two state representatives decided to open the district office to provide a local headquarters where constituents can meet with them face to face. Lantz and Kilmers full-time legislative assistants will staff the office Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Rep. Pat Lantz and I will be having an open house to welcome the public to our new digs, Kilmer said. Come on by on Monday, June 13, from 4 to 7 p.m.
The office is located in Gig Harbor at 3208 50th St. Ct., Building C, Suite 105.
Though the Legislative session is technically over, Kilmer has been busy researching what more he can do next session while serving on the House Transportation Committee.
I (recently) joined Secretary of Transportation Doug MacDonald for a tour of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge construction project, Kilmer shared. I shared with all involved my concerns regarding the inequities regarding our states approach to tolling.
Despite those concerns, he said, it was great to see the progress that all of the workers have made on this project. Theres no doubt that the bridge is an engineering marvel, and I shared my gratitude with the workers for their efforts.
Kilmer also recently met with constituents in Southworth to discuss the potential passenger-only ferry service. He was also appointed to a new committee.
(Last week), I (attended) my first meeting of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Trade Policy (JLOCTP), Kilmer said. The committee monitors the impact of trade agreements on Washington State laws and provides a mechanism for legislators and others to voice their opinions about the potential impacts of trade agreements.
I was honored to be appointed to this committee, he added. Our states economy relies tremendously on international trade, which is partially governed by trade agreements and international organizations. I believe that our investments in sound trade policy are critical. Im looking forward to participating on this committee.
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NEW YORK — For the second straight game, a Yankee hitter was rolling around in dirt in the batter's box in pain after getting hit by a pitch.
On Friday, it was Mark Teixeira just one pitch after a Curtis Granderson home run, which caused both benches to spill out onto the field.
Saturday, it was Alex Rodriguez, who took a fastball in the hip. Based on the circumstances, plate umpire Dan Iassogna ejected Cleveland starter Mitch Talbot immediately.
Rodriguez had hit a home run in his previous at-bat today while Granderson had a solo shot two batters prior.
"After the situation we had (Friday) night, and Alex hit a big home run (Friday) night and hit another home run today, he threw the pitch directly at him," Iassogna said.
"(Talbot's) defense was that he didn't hit him intentionally."
The Yankees aren't so quick to believe that. This is now the eighth time a Yankee player has been hit during the current homestand.
Rodriguez said he's sore, but will be in the lineup Sunday. More disconcerting is the volume the hit-by-pitches are coming.
"I'm not sure it was intentional. I know it hurt like hell," Rodriguez said. "It's just the form we're getting hit is a little fishy. Obviously guys are (hitting home runs) then pitchers are shaking two or three times to get to the fastball and then we're getting smoked."
On Friday, manager Joe Girardi said he was sure as ever that the hit on Teixeira was intentional. Saturday, he remained suspicious.
"As a manager you're always going to think something's a little fishy there," he said.
Catcher Russell Martin said a soft toss "felt good" Saturday but was non-committal about being in Sunday's lineup. He said he'll wait and see how his body reacts to the workout before deciding.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that Hector Noesi will come up to replace the injured Amauri Sanit, who is suffering from a right elbow injury.
Eric Chavez (foot) was moved to the 60-day disabled list earlier in the week. Girardi said that Chavez hadn't started running yet, something the third baseman predicted would happen weeks ago. He is currently working off the tee.
Brett Gardner was caught stealing twice today, but Girardi said he wanted Gardner to continue to be more aggressive on the basepaths.
"It's the biggest part of my game, and recently I haven't been doing too good of a job at utilizing that. So like you say, I made a conscious decision to be more aggressive," Gardner said. "It just didn't work out today but I'll get right back after it tomorrow."
Derek Jeter went 0-for-4, keeping the run for 3,000 career hits stalled at 2,991.
Conor Orr: firstname.lastname@example.com


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In this issue...
Self-learning apps and programs: Friend or foe?Clavier Companion closely examines some of the apps, computer programs, and websites focused on piano instruction. Although an app can ever replace the care, wisdom, and craft of a master teacher, we found aspects of many of these programs that can enhance and expand upon a traditional teaching experience.
Also in this issue...
A Life Among Legends: An impresario looks backClavier Companion is pleased to publish excerpts from Jacques Leiser's memoirs, and this article excerpts detail some of Leiser's experiences as an agent, impresario, and photographer with the great pianist Sviatoslav Richter.
Also in this issue...
Are you a workaholic?There are three underlying dimensions to workaholism: work involvement, drive, and work enjoyment. Add the fact that piano teachers work from home, and it is easy to see why this is a struggle in our profession. In this article, learn how to make positive changes in your life to promote health, prevent burnout, and live life to its full beauty.
Also in this issue...
Keyboard StiffnessAll pianists, both amateur and professional, exhibit some degree of stiffness in their keyboard action. This articles demonstrates solutions to maximize relaxation of the forearms and wrists, and can introduced in the earliest stages of training.
Now for iPad and iPhone...
The Clavier Companion appWith the Clavier Companion app, subscribers have full access to all the content of the print magazine, plus enhanced multimedia features complementing selected articles. Receive Clavier Companion the moment it is published, and enjoy access to purchased issues for life! Prices start at just $4.99!
Tone production: Doing the right things for the right reasons
As a sophomore in college, I performed in a master class given by a former Van Cliburn Competition medalist. At one point, I was asked to play certain chords so that my fingers moved toward the fallboard as they depressed the keys, and this was supposed to change the timbre of these loud chords without actually changing their volume (providing a "richer" sound). It took all of my willpower to quietly follow this advice and not bring up the fact that the piano escapement mechanism makes the basis for the advice completely fallacious. I didn't want to be disrespectful, so I followed the advice.
This "pushing in" technique caused the hammers to strike the strings more slowly, as I predicted it would, producing a softer sound, giving the master of the class (and the audience) a most glorious false positive. I felt violated, because I had just been used as a tool to advance an illusory belief system I did not share. Asking me to simply play softer would have been equally as effective and a lot simpler. I've received instruction like this in more than a few lessons and master classes, and I have encountered many teachers and pianists who subscribe to various misguided beliefs about what can change the tone of a given note at the piano. This has led to my interest in researching the topic.
Read more: Tone production: Doing the right things for the right reasons
Creative Piano Skills, by Gayle Dunsmoor
author of Melody Adventures (MA); Keyboard Accompaniment (KA) Series www.quenmar.com
During by 40 years of active piano teaching, I have continually searched for material to encourage students with the development of their 'creative piano skills'. Although I found a plethora of material for teaching sight-reading and technical skills step-by-step, books to progressively encourage creative skills from the beginning to an advanced level were, to my knowledge, non-existent. I found this surprising, but I was determined to cover all the basses in my piano teaching. I wrote my first book and called it "Harmonization". Looking back some 30 years - that book was not very good! It was tucked away! However, new inspiration came when I suggested, a few years later, that my daughter look at what I had done and asked her to apply a C or G chord accompaniment to a basic C major melody. It was unfamiliar territory and she would not try. Unbelievable! My daughter was 13 years old with perfect pitch and a full wall of music awards from music festivals and examinations. She was about to try for the performance diploma (ARCT) with the Royal Conservatory of Music. How could a fully trained performer be unable to play two chords to a basic melody? That is the question...
What is your favorite app?
by Leila Viss
While preparing an article for my column "Teaching with Apps" in Clavier Companion, I got stuck. My objective was to name the top five apps I'd recommend for first-time iPad owners. There were just too many favorites and the fifth one was not "rising to the top" as expected. So, I decided to gather the opinions of other teachers to help determine the fifth app to appear on the short list. To do this, I posted the following question in the iPad Piano Teachers Facebook Group administered by Linda Christensen.
If you had to recommend five apps for teaching piano, what would they be? Don't think about it too long, just go.
Around 35 teachers replied to the post and their "votes" were tallied. The five apps teachers listed the most frequently are featured first. Next, I include the four apps I selected for the Clavier Companion article. The names of additional apps suggested by fellow teachers follow in alphabetical order.
As a new iPad owner and piano teacher I hope you find this list helpful as you integrate the iPad into your instruction. For veteran iPad piano teachers, you may find the list enlightening and discover new apps to add to your already-crowded mobile device.


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Age: 23
Hometown: Chatham
Circumstances: Killed in a firefight with insurgents west of Baghdad
The Star-Ledger Archive
COPYRIGHT © The Star-Ledger 2004
Date: 2004/07/26
Marine from N.J. is killed in firefight
23-year-old just started his second tour in Iraq
By MAURA McDERMOTT
Susanne Sullivan knew her son was dead the instant she spotted three men in Marine Corps dress uniforms on her block in Bradley Beach.
Vincent Sullivan, 23, a newly married lance corporal and a 1999 graduate of Chatham High School, was killed in a firefight Friday during his second tour of duty in Iraq.
The grim-faced soldiers arrived Friday night to give his family the news.
"I saw them and I knew," Su sanne Sullivan said yesterday. "I left the car in the middle of the street and ran over and asked one of them if they were looking for me."
Too distraught to drive, she allowed one of the Marines to park her car so they could escort her into her home.
Sullivan, a scout sniper, died of wounds he suffered in a battle west of Baghdad, according to his family. He is the 30th soldier with New Jersey connections to die in Iraq, and the second of the state's soldiers killed since the transfer of Iraqi sovereignty on June 28.
David Sullivan, a state senator in Illinois, learned of his nephew's death on Saturday, just as legislators there began debating a bill to increase death benefits for families of soldiers in Iraq. The measure passed 55- 0.
The call came from his brother Michael, Vincent's father. "The tragedy of war has become a very personal tragedy, at least for my family," David Sullivan said yesterday. "He was just such a happy kid. I remember playing catch and wiffle ball with him. Now he's killed in a war halfway around the world."
Vincent Sullivan's wife and mother said yesterday they know few details about how he died, and they do not expect to learn more until tomorrow when they meet with Marine Corps officials.
The dark-haired, wiry young man, known as Vince, enlisted in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, family members said yesterday.
Joining the Marines meant giving up one job as an accountant in New York City and another as assistant manager at a video store in Parsippany, said his wife, Erika. He had studied business at the County College of Morris and planned to take up his studies again when he returned.
It also meant enduring shoulder surgery to overcome an old injury so he could pass the grueling Marine Corps physical, his mother said.
As a 17-year-old, Sullivan was riding his bike in Summit when he slammed into an oncoming car, Susanne Sullivan said. The impact broke both his collar bones and shattered the car's windshield.
Sprawled on the ground, wracked with pain, he feared if he passed out he would never awaken, so he did multiplication tables in his head until the ambu lance arrived, he later told his mother.
"He told me with a straight face, 'Once you get into three figures you really have to concen trate,'" his mother recalled.
Less than a year later, he had recovered enough to compete in a national track and field competition in Nebraska, a demanding 10-sport event called the decath lon.
"He believed through willpower he could make his body do just about anything, and he proved that," his mother said.
Within weeks of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he underwent surgery to regain full use of his shoulder, passed the rigorous Marine physical and enlisted in April 2002, his mother said.
In March 2003, he rode in the first tank to enter the fiercely defended city of Nasiriya in brutal fighting near the beginning of the Iraq war, said his brother Brian.
"All I can say is that the stuff that he did and went through, he really was a hero," his brother said.
Three months later, he re turned to the United States with a new mission: to marry Erika Olsen, his closest friend and the girl he used to date in high school.
They had met in an honors physics class when he was in 10th grade. Sullivan - one year younger than her - would throw love notes to Olsen in class and bring her flowers. They split near the end of her senior year.
Olsen, a bookkeeper and dance instructor in Chatham, wrote him a letter last year while he was overseas, declaring feel ings she had hinted at for years: "I love you and I want to be with you."
Three days later, she received a note from him, telling her he did not want to be just friends anymore, that "he cared about me and he always loved me," Erika said.
The letters had crossed in the mail.
He returned a few days before July 4 last year, proposed over Labor Day weekend at the ga zebo in Chatham and married her at the Crystal Palace in Living ston two days after Christmas.
"They had wasted so much time, he didn't want to waste any more," his mother said.
"Erika was the light of his life, they were just so in love and I'm just glad they got a chance to get married and share the time that they did," his brother said.
The newlyweds never had a honeymoon.
"We were waiting until he got back," his wife said.
Nine days after the wedding, he left for training in California. The couple spent a few months together in their new home in Jacksonville, N.C., while he served as a desk clerk at Camp Lejeune, but his time was largely devoted to military duties.
Despite the danger, he was eager to get back to Iraq, and he returned July 7.
"He didn't become a Marine to sit behind a desk," his wife said.
The Star-Ledger Archive
COPYRIGHT © The Star-Ledger 2004
Date: 2004/07/30
Local News Briefs
The family of Vincent Sullivan, the U.S. Marine who was killed in Iraq last week, has asked family and friends who attend his funeral on Sunday to bring snacks and other gifts for Sullivan's platoon.
Mourners are asked to bring cookies, chips, nuts, gum or candy, or personal items like lip balm and deodorant, for a care package. All food items should be in packages that can be opened by hand, not with can openers. Sullivan's wife Erika will send the gifts to his sniper platoon in Iraq.
"I just really want them to know that we're thinking about them here and praying for them," she said.
Sullivan, a lance corporal, served with the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
The visitation will take place tomorrow from 6 to 9 p.m. at Madison Memorial Home, 159 Main St. in Madison. The private funeral service will be held Sunday at 1 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 40 S. Fullerton Ave. in Montclair. The burial will follow at Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery on Provinceline Road in Wrightstown.
Sullivan, 23, a newly married 1999 graduate of Chatham High School, died last Friday of injuries he received in battle in Al Anbar Province, according to the federal Department of Defense.
Sullivan is survived by his wife Erika, his mother Susanne and his brother Brian, among other relatives.
The Star-Ledger Archive
COPYRIGHT © The Star-Ledger 2004
Date: 2004/08/02
A last dance for fallen Marine
Widow honors husband with funeral ballet
By MAURA McDERMOTT
Erika Sullivan danced in a white dress and ballet shoes at the altar of the First Congregational Church in Montclair before the flag-draped coffin of her husband Vincent.
The song she danced to was "A Soldier's Heart" by R. Kelly. Among its lyrics: "You were ready to die for our sake."
Barely seven months earlier, she had performed a bal let dance at the couple's wedding reception while her new husband watched, the Rev. Scott Howell told a crowd of more than 200 mourners.
The pastor, who performed the couple's wedding ceremony in December, yesterday offered a funeral service for the young man, a 23-year-old Marine Corps lance corporal who was killed July 23 in Iraq.
Howell called Sullivan, a 1999 graduate of Chatham High School, "a husband, a friend, a defender of freedom," and spoke of "the passion he had for the security and well-being of his coun try." Sullivan served with the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C. He was serving as a scout sniper on his second tour of Iraq when he was killed.
The pastor described how Sullivan's mother Susanne would listen to the ballad "Vincent," or "Starry, Starry Night," when she was pregnant with her first son, and how the song's lyrics - inspired by Vincent Van Gogh's painting and his early death - prompted her to name the boy Vincent. A line in the song: "This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you." His younger brother Brian recalled Sullivan's impishness as a youth, his bravery and his love for his wife.
"We're here to say goodbye to someone that we all loved, and more impor tantly we're here to celebrate the life of a hero," he said in the eulogy. "He lived a fuller life in 23 years than most people can even hope for."
He recalled how as boys he would use Sullivan's difficulty sleeping to cover for him when their mother asked where he was at night.
"I'd tell her he was asleep and lay a guilt trip on her," offering to wake him even though it would likely keep him up all night, he recalled, to soft laughter in the church. "Little did she know that he was out with friends."
His brother would always return the favor, he said.
A stranger wrote the family a letter, praising Sullivan's courage and promising to tell his own infant son about such sacrifices, Brian Sullivan said.
"He was a great man and he did great things and I am truly proud to say that my brother was my hero," he said.
The wiry young man, known as Vince, gave up two jobs to join the Marines after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. He had studied business at the County College of Morris and planned to resume his studies when he returned.
Even in the midst of overseas fighting, he kept in touch with his former high school sweetheart, Erika Olsen. Last year, he wrote her a letter admitting he loved her. He didn't know it, but she was writing him a letter of her own, declaring her own feelings for him, Brian Sullivan said yesterday.
"The letters crossed in the mail," he said.
"He married the love of his life," he told the mourners. "I remember the pride in his eyes when he showed me the ring and told me he planned to propose. . . . I got to see them glowing with joy because they were so much in love."
The couple never got to take a honeymoon because Sullivan reported to California for training just days after their wedding.
In Erika Sullivan's eulogy for her husband, she recalled a poem he had written for her.
"You give me strength," he had told her. "You have only the last part of my name, but you have all of me."
The couple's first dance at their wedding had been "The River," a quiet, almost mournful song by Garth Brooks.
That song played yesterday, too. Dressed in her black mourning clothes, Erika Sullivan clutched her brother Robert Olsen, swaying in a sad embrace, her clenched fist pressed to his skull.
Later, she changed into a white ballet dress to perform graceful pirouettes and arabesques as the service drew to a close.
At Erika Sullivan's request, mourners contributed to a care package that she will send to his platoon. Supermarket shopping bags full of gifts - M&Ms, Oreos, squirt guns, deodorant, lip balm - overflowed from three red, white and blue boxes onto the floor of the church as mourners stepped si lently from the old stone church into the sun.
"I just really want them to know that we're thinking about them here and praying for them," Erika Sullivan said last week of the overseas troops.
The Star-Ledger Archive
COPYRIGHT © The Star-Ledger 2005
Date: 2005/05/05
Fallen soldier given unusual memorial
By PAULA SAHA
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Vin cent M. Sullivan gave up two jobs to join the military after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
He served with the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C. He was serving as a scout sniper on his second tour of Iraq when he was killed last July, when he was just 23 years old.
Sullivan, who attended the County College of Morris in Randolph, graduated from Chatham High School in 1999. In high school, he was on the track, wrestling and football teams.
There is now a track scholarship in Sullivan's name at his alma mater. But his wife, Erika Sullivan , wants people to remember another side to her husband as well, that of a talented writer and artist.
"He wrote me so many poems," she remembered. "We both shared a passion for the arts. It's kind of a side to Vince that not everyone knew. I think it's important to remember him not only for the amazing things he did for his country, but also for the amazing person he was."
He also loved to watch Erika dance.
She danced for him at their wedding. And about seven months later, she danced for him at his funeral, at the altar of a Montclair church, before his flag-draped coffin.
So Erika Sullivan, who says she and her husband were deeply connected through their artistic endeavors, has also established a scholarship that celebrates his talents as a poet and artist, the Lance Cpl. Vincent M. Sullivan Arts Scholarship.
Because of the importance dance played in the Sullivans' life, the award is being administered through the Dance Innovations Performance Foundation, an offshoot of Dance Innovations, the Chatham dance studio that Erika Sullivan has been learning from and performing with since she was a toddler.
"I felt this school is as much a part of him as it is a part of me," Sullivan said. "We were just in synch that way."
The foundation, she said, has a number of charitable endeavors. It goes into schools, and has long had a "kids for kids" scholarship program that provides scholarships in the arts to children with special needs or in special circumstances, Sullivan said.
The Sullivan scholarship will reward children who show an affinity for creative writing or the visual arts, Erika Sullivan said. The winners will be selected next week, and will be recognized at a ceremony on May 26.
As for Erika Sullivan, she works at Dance Innovations and performs with the foundation. Her dance has taken on a new meaning for her.
She tells of how she felt after she performed at her husband's funeral. "I knew he was with me," she said. "I continue to dance for him now."
The United Way of Morris County has officers and staff that do much of the work needed to sustain the agency. But there is also a very special group of young people - high school students - who volunteer their time with the organization's Youth Leadership and Service Council. The council members learn about issues in the community and volunteer with the United Way and its partner agencies.
Recently, the council raised more than $1,500 for a United Way Youth Scholarship when it organized a family game night at the Presbyterian Church in Morristown, according to a statement released by the United Way of Morris County. Participants played speed Jeopardy, had dinner and won prizes.
For more information about United Way's Youth Leadership and Service Council, please contact Yvette Carpen ter at (973) 993-1160, ext. 123, or email@example.com.
The Star-Ledger Archive
COPYRIGHT © The Star-Ledger 2005
Date: 2005/05/26
Morris remembers its Iraq heroes
By JORDAN M. DORONILA
Anyone who wanted to know how proud John Walter Wroblewski was of his Marine son only had to look at his tie - a bald eagle enveloped in the colors of the American flag.
"This country is truly indebted to our war veterans," said Wroblewski, whose son, John Thomas, a Marine 2nd lieutenant, died in Iraq last year. "Without your service, this country does not remain safe and free."
Wroblewski spoke yesterday at a crowded Memorial Day program in Morristown. After the ceremony, he recalled being surprised at first when his son told him he wanted to enlist in the Marines.
"But he looked at me straight in the eye and said that what could be more honorable than serving your country?" Wroblewski said. "From that point on, I began to look at him as a hero."
The county freeholders held the program at the Morris County Administration and Records Building to honor those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and to present them or their families with medals acknowledging their service.
Officials said the Morris County Distinguished Military Service Medal for Iraq is the first of its kind to be given at the annual ceremony. The county previously gave medals to veterans from World War I, World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars.
The service was scheduled to take place on the front lawn of the Morris County Courthouse, but due to the rainy weather it was held inside the freeholders' meeting room.
More than 120 people - veterans, their families and friends, and town and county officials - packed the room. The sharp wail of bagpipes and the pounding of beating drums filled the room. An honor guard of Jersey City police officers marched together t know why jersey city cops were there carrying the American flag.
"The world as we know it has changed," said keynote speaker James J. Rosenberg, a retired Army Reserve colonel and a former county administrator. "We have seen the all-too-graphic scenes of suicide bombing. War is a norm.
"We are free because so many lives were sacrificed" to defend the country from terrorism, he said.
Those who received medals included servicemen who have died in Iraq: Wroblewski, a native of Jefferson; Army Maj. Charles R. Soltes Jr. of Boonton Township; Army Spc. Ryan Doltz of Mine Hill; Marine Lance Cpl. Vincent M. Sullivan of Chatham; and Army Capt. Sean Grimes of Michigan, whose mother is a Dover resident.
Officials also gave medals to Morris County employees who are back home after tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Morris County employees and their family members who served are: Wanda Bell, Ronnie Joseph, Donna Laver, William Lunger, Maria Mapes, Matthew Mines, Jessie Nieto, John Rospond, Steve Seidler and John Watson III.
When family members of those who died in Iraq received their medals, they broke down in tears. After the presentations, a wreath was hung inside the meeting room.
The Star-Ledger Archive
COPYRIGHT © The Star-Ledger 2005
Date: 2005/07/24
A living memorial to love
Young widow plants tribute to Marine husband
By MAURA McDERMOTT
It's been less than two years since Erika Olsen and Vince Sullivan swayed together quietly in the Chatham Township gazebo, right before he got down on one knee and she told him, "Yes, yes, yes!"
Yesterday, the 24-year-old widow danced there alone.
One year to the day after her husband, a Marine Corps scout sniper, died at 23 in an Iraqi mortar attack, Erika Sullivan held a private memorial service and dedicated an Autumn Blaze maple sapling in honor of Lance Cpl. Vincent M. Sullivan.
"Vince never wanted to be a hero," she said of her husband, a cheerful, wiry young man who gave up two jobs to enlist after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. "He joined -- and he said this all the time -- so people like my brother and his brother wouldn't have to go over there."
The couple dated for almost a year as teenagers at Chatham High School, from which Vince graduated in 1999. They reconnected while he was in Iraq, after their handwritten letters admitting love crossed in the mail.
They became engaged after Vince's first Iraq tour, and they married while he was on Christmas leave from training at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. On July 7, 2004, six months into their marriage, he left for his second stint in Iraq.
Sixteen days later, he died. The newlyweds never had a honeymoon.
Yesterday, three dozen of Erika Sullivan's family and friends gathered at the gazebo as the Rev. Scott Howell, who married the couple and officiated at Sullivan's funeral, spoke about the young man's life and death.
Sullivan gave his life "so that the reality of war and injustice might one day be a mere memory," Howell said.
Dedicating the tree -- a hardy breed chosen for its white blossoms in spring, berries in summer and bright foliage in fall -- was Erika Sullivan's way to connect with him again, she said before the ceremony.
She visited his grave site at a veterans' cemetery in South Jersey once, but hasn't returned.
"I couldn't imagine him in the ground, that's not the way I want to think about it," she said. "That's why the tree is so much more beautiful in my mind."
Yesterday, she urged mourners to remember those who are dying overseas, even though battle deaths now seem to be announced in numbers rather than names.
"It's too easy to forget sometimes," Sullivan said. "Vince was one of those lucky heroes that had a face and had a name."
Then Erika Sullivan, a ballet dancer dressed in a simple white tank top and black pants, performed to Lee Greenwood's song "God Bless the U.S.A."
Yesterday was not the first time she danced for her husband.
She did graceful pirouettes and arabesques at their wedding two days after Christmas 2003, and she danced again at his funeral.
But this time, his white gold wedding band -- now molded into a heart -- dangled from a delicate chain around her neck.
The flowers were not the poinsettias and calla lilies that bloomed at their wedding, but sprigs of blue statice and red and white carnations.
Red-eyed men and women lined up to slip the stems into a flag pattern painted on wire protecting the 7-foot-high maple.
Among the mourners was Cpl. Steve Peterson, a Marine who was standing beside Sullivan when the mortars struck.
Peterson, who bears deep, winding scars on his right arm, was unable to leave the hospital to attend Sullivan's funeral last year.
This time he came up from Camp Lejeune.
"I really needed to be here," the Texas native said.
Also there was Joanna Wroblewski, a young Marine Corps widow like Sullivan.
The two met in May, when they accepted medals from Morris County on behalf of their husbands -- Wroblewski's husband, John, died in Iraq last year at 25 -- and instantly became close friends.
Yesterday, Sullivan said she experienced an emotion she has barely felt in a year: happiness.
"I'm still mourning him, but I really feel like today, he definitely was with me," she said after the ceremony. "I really felt his presence. For the first time, I really felt joyful."
The Star-Ledger Archive
COPYRIGHT © The Star-Ledger 2004
Date: 2004/07/30
Lance Cpl. Vincent Sullivan, 23, killed on second tour of Iraq
A service for Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Vincent Sullivan, 23, of Jacksonville, N.C., a former New Jersey resident, will be at 1 p.m. Sunday in the First Congregational Church, 40 S. Fullerton Ave., Montclair. Arrangements are by Madison Memorial Home, Madison.
Lance Cpl. Sullivan died July 23 from injuries sustained in battle while serving his second tour of duty in Iraq.
He was an accountant in New York City and was also an assistant manager for West Coast Video in Parsippany.
Lance Cpl. Sullivan attended the County College of Morris County, Randolph. A graduate of Chatham High School, he was on the track, wrestling and football teams.
Born in Chicago, he lived in Chatham and Parsippany before moving to Jacksonville six months ago.
Surviving are his wife, Erika; his mother, Susanne Sullivan; a brother, Brian, and his grandmother, Marge Rizzo.


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Dominion East Ohio offers eligible customers the opportunity to choose a retail natural gas supplier through its Energy Choice program. Customers that were previously with an Energy Choice supplier or participated in a municipal aggregation opt-in program whose contracts expire return to Dominion East Ohio's SSO rate for up to two billing periods, after which they are assigned to a retail supplier at the supplier's Monthly Variable Rate (MVR).
Nonresidential and large volume customers eligible to participate in Energy Choice are also assigned to a MVR if they do not choose a retail supplier. Eligible residential customers can elect to be put onto the Standard Choice Offer (SCO) rate instead of a MVR.
The Monthly Variable Rate (MVR) is an unregulated rate that former Energy Choice or municipal aggregation opt-in customers may pay for their natural gas consumption if they have not selected a retail natural gas supplier or aggregation program. Eligible nonresidential and large volume customers who don't choose an Energy Choice supplier will also be placed on a MVR commodity service. Customers on a MVR rate purchase their natural gas from a designated MVR retail supplier.
The MVR rate is determined monthly by each supplier.
Yes. As long the customer remains eligible for Energy Choice, the following options are available:
Yes. Dominion encourages you to review your gas supply options and pick the option with the price and plan that works best for you. For more information, visit www.DominionGasChoice.com to learn about your energy choices.
Other valuable resources and insights can be found on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio's Web site; and on the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel Web site, (for residential customers).
No. Dominion East Ohio bills customers at their suppliers' unregulated MVR and makes no profit on the natural gas portion of the bill. Instead, Dominion recovers its operating costs and a return on its investment in pipelines and facilities through its delivery charges.
No. Dominion continues to provide its current services, such as billing, meter reading, emergency response and answering bill and service questions.
Dominion East Ohio's Energy Choice program lets you choose your natural gas supply option.
Copyright ©


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The French finally take the lead in something...............hate to be so snide but the French are so smug, self righteous - such hypocrites. Pathetic
Report to slam France's human rights record
- There is a yawning gap between what France preaches and what it practices when it comes to human rights, according to a major Council of Europe report to be released this week.
The 200-page indictment — which details shortcomings ranging from chronically overpopulated prisons to police brutality to summary expulsions of asylum seekers — is especially embarrassing to a nation that takes pride in its image and history as a beacon of human rights.
"There is a widening gap in several areas between the text of the law and what is actually practiced," Human Rights Commissioner Alvaro Gil-Robles said in the report, to be released Wednesday.
France "has a relatively complete legal arsenal offering a high level of human rights protection," Gil-Robles said, but "does not always give itself sufficient means to put it into application."
The report refers to "persistent and recurring difficulties" related to human rights as illustrated by the number of cases brought in recent years before the European Court of Human Rights.
Based on the inspection in September 2005 of seven prisons and five police precincts, the report also lambastes France's weak reaction to anti-Semitic and racist crimes, and the discriminatory treatment of the country's Roma citizens, also known as gypsies.
How has France changed since the two weeks of riots last November that should have shaken the country to the core?
The answer is not much. For the vast majority of the French, the riots were little more than a televisual event, to sit at home and watch on the small screen while relaxing after work. It was possible, after all, to travel the length and breadth of the country at the very height of the riots and not know that anything untoward was happening anywhere -- provided, of course, that one did not look at the television, listen to the radio, or read a newspaper or magazine.
Look, it's gotta be Sarkozy in 2007 here hat tip:Alcibiades


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Extreme fandom can create extreme numbers.
Case in point: "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse." The third movie in the popular vampire-romance series debuted at midnight Wednesday to a legion of slavishly devoted fans. The Celebration Cinema theater chain broke its advance-ticket sales record well before the witching hour, selling 5,300 seats at its three Grand Rapids locations, easily beating the record set in 2009 by "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."
One of those tickets belonged to Lydia Korodan, who parked herself on a couch outside a Celebration Cinema North auditorium at 9 a.m. Tuesday, to get a prime seat for a midnight show. "I love the books, and the movies are good," said Korodan, 19, of Ada, who expected her mother to join her at 11 p.m. "The movies aren't great, but just being a fan is fun."
Immediately behind her in line were five Calvin College students who enjoy the experience of the midnight-opening event more than the movies themselves. They got in line at 4 p.m. "It's tradition -- we do it every year," said Emily Van Stee, 21. "Just being with hundreds of screaming 16-year-olds at midnight -- it's worth waiting in line."
Van Stee and Katie Block, 21, Erin Lundell, 21, Becky Stegink, 20, and Kayla Vanderburgh, 21, didn't buy the advance buzz that "Eclipse" is the best of the series, which includes 2008's "Twilight" and 2009's "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."
"I'm dedicated to the books, although the movies aren't the best," said Stegink. "But I need to see the movies. It's the same way for 'Harry Potter.' "'Eclipse' is my favorite book, so I hope they do it justice," she added. Ron Van Timmeren, vice president of programming at Celebration, anticipated selling 9,000 tickets at the three theaters before the midnight frenzy ended.
Nine auditoriums at local Celebration theaters also hosted a "Twilight" trilogy, which sold out weeks in advance, totaling 2,083 tickets. At Celebration North, Tu-Mi Nguyen, an 18-year-old Davenport University student, attended the triple-feature with four friends in order to see her favorite movie, "New Moon," again. She said she was happy to see how "Eclipse" translates to the big screen, and to experience it with like-minded individuals.
"If I watched it in a couple of days, I wouldn't be with other diehard fans," Nguyen said, as moviegoers in the rows behind her whooped and chattered. "These people know what we're feeling." The film, which stars Kristen Stewart as a high-schooler caught in a love triangle with Robert Pattinson's vampire and Grand Rapids-born Taylor Lautner's werewolf, is expected to earn $175 million at the domestic box office in its first five days. "New Moon" totaled $296 million last year, and "Twilight" grossed $208 million in '08.
Another large number came out of a special sold-out screening of "Eclipse" -- a charity event whose primary sponsor was The Grand Rapids Press, and was spearheaded by Press publisher Dan Gaydou, earned $136,720 for Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy. Roughly 90 percent of the money -- after expenses -- will directly benefit the charity, which provides treatments and research for the fatal Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
A pre-movie party filled the Celebration North lobby with 550 attendees, who admired the "Twilight"-themed decorations and snapped pictures with cardboard cutouts of movie stars.
"Everything has come together, with hundreds and hundreds of people contributing what they can," Gaydou said. "The love extended has been tremendous."
|'Twilight: Eclipse' party at Celebration Cinema North
Van Timmeren said the combination of the benefit and the steady stream of hyped-up moviegoers lining up for early-morning showings of "Eclipse" is exciting for exhibitors and patrons alike. "There's an energy here tonight that you only get in a movie theater once or twice a year," he said.
Monday night, AMC Star Grand Rapids hosted a sneak preview of "Eclipse," and fan reactions ranged from "better than 'New Moon'" to cautious praise. "I thought it was OK," said Melanie Swiger, 30, of Grand Rapids. "I'd have to see it more than once to know. I thought the second one was better-directed."
E-mail John Serba: email@example.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/johnserba


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The forecast tonight calls for showers and thunderstorms, some of which may produce damaging winds, large hail, heavy rainfall and frequent lightning.
Other counties included in the watch include Atlantic, Camden and Cape May counties.
A coastal flood advisory is also in effect for Salem and Gloucester counties through 1 a.m. Friday. The advisory is in effect for Cumberland County through 10 tonight.
The National Weather Service has also issued a flash flood watch for Gloucester County from 10 p.m. through 1 a.m. Saturday.


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Good news on the employment front gave stocks a slight boost, as claims for unemployment benefits remained at their lowest levels in years. But after a huge bull run to start 2012, the stock market isn't responding as positively to such news as it has recently. At around 10:45 a.m. EST, the Dow Jones Industrials (INDEX: ^DJI ) were up just 15 points to 12,954.
Within the Dow, tech stocks went in dramatically different directions. Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ ) opened down nearly 6% after reporting a 44% drop in earnings. Despite beating estimates, HP cut its profit forecast for the coming quarter, again calling into question the turnaround plan that new CEO Meg Whitman is trying to put into place. Meanwhile, IBM (NYSE: IBM ) seemed to benefit from HP's weakness, climbing almost 2%. It's possible that investors don't want to wait for Whitman's long-term strategy to take hold and are instead moving money to IBM and its better-established strategic plan.
Disney (NYSE: DIS ) rose about 0.75% after reports that it signed a deal to provide content for China's You On Demand. The deal could give 200 million cable subscribers in China access to a wide variety of recent and legacy movie titles from the company.
Finally, AT&T (NYSE: T ) rose a bit after former takeover target T-Mobile said that it would invest $4 billion toward building a mobile-broadband network and launching 4G LTE services. The move shows how T-Mobile plans to spend the money that AT&T had to pay as a result of the merger falling through, and it also suggests that T-Mobile is aiming to become a larger competitor to AT&T in the years to come.
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Regional bocce gathering
The Hancock County Sheltered Workshop, on Tuesday, hosted a bocce tournament at the Weirton Knights of Columbus Hall for clients of four regional sheltered workshops and opportunity centers. Eight teams from workshops in Hancock, Brooke and Ohio counties in West Virginia, and Belmont County in Ohio took part. This is the second year the event has been held.


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The goal of the New Jersey Coalition for Financial Education (NJCFE) is to improve the personal financial literacy of New Jersey's citizens by promoting the teaching of personal finance to people of all ages. The Coalition believes that all citizens of New Jersey must have the financial literacy necessary to make informed financial decisions.
The Coalition meets regularly in the Central New Jersey region and consists of over 500 members and representatives of government agencies, schools, businesses, and nonprofit organizations that provide financial education and related services. The Coalition is a nonprofit operated by an elected board of directors and executive director.
The NJCFE is a proud affiliate of the Jump$tart Coalition.
Lynette Khalfani-Cox is the keynote speaker at the NJCFE 10th Annual Financial Capability Upgrade Symposium, "The Shrinking Economy & Implications for Financial Education" on November 4th.
Lynnette, an award-winning financial news journalist and former Wall Street Journal reporter for CNBC, has also been featured in top newspapers including the Washington Post, USA Today, and the New York Times, as well as magazines ranging from Essence and Redbook to Black Enterprise and Smart Money. She can frequently be seen as a guest personal finance expert on CNN, MSNBC, Anderson and The Talk. Get free personal finance tips, articles and advice on her blog at AskTheMoneyCoach.com.
Wednesday - November 9, 2016
Bally's - Park Place & Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ
Free Admission & Registration for Participants - Register Here!
Free Employer Participation - Register Here!
Free Community Organization Participation - Register Here!
Click here for more information!
Click here to download the Job Help Fair Flyer!
Dr. Barbara O'Neill, Extension Specialist in Financial Resource Management, Rutgers Coope
rative Extension, in conjunction with NJCFE recently released the Tenth Edition of Financial Fitness for the Best Rest of Your Life: What Older Adults Need to Know About Money and the Ninth Edition of Money...What Young Adults Need to Know.
Click here to see Financial Fitness for the Best Rest of Your Life: What Older Adults Need to Know About Money
Click here to see Money...What Young Adults Need to Know
4/24/2015Atlantic City job fair offers financial information
10/11/20162016 Job Fair
10/10/2016401(k) choices when you switch jobs
10/10/2016The Home Refinance Plan Banks Don't Want You Knowing


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About us
Clean N Gone was founded by a team of professional carpet cleaners with more than 15 years combined experience in the cleaning business. Our goal is to provide high quality carpet, upholstery, domestic and office cleaning services to residential and business customers within the M25 area at affordable price. Most of Clean N Gones' work follows from clients' references.
All cleaning products used by Clean N Gone are 100% biodegradable, environmentally friendly, to produce a safe, clean fresh home at a price you can afford. Our professionally trained cleaning technicians use only state of the art equipment including environmentally friendly supplies. We constantly update our cleaning methods, and equipment to guarantee best result. For a safety purposes for our clients, our cleaning professionals test all cleaning solution pH levels.
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Aylsiana ("Lulu") and Autum are sisters who have a very close relationship and treasure each other's company. They both love going to the beach to run, look for seashells and capture a photo-worthy moment. They are savoring the new-found pleasures of home-cooked food and the comforting routines of a healthy family life in their current foster home.
Autum is a kind and reserved 15-year-old with a good sense of humor. Passionate about music, Autum can usually be found listening to a variety of her favorite tunes. Singing and photography are two of her favorite activities. If given the opportunity, she would love to develop other hobbies and get involved in other organized sports or groups. For instance, she recently went on her first fishing expedition and loved it. Autum envisions herself in the medical profession someday, possibly through the military, and is interested in learning more about ROTC in high school.
Lulu is an adorable, high-energy 8-year-old. If there is something active, outdoors and fun to do, Lulu is your girl. She is very caring towards her loved ones, and is eager to lend a hand with chores. She also happily delegates and gives direction – she is a leader in the making.
These two would thrive in an active family. All family types will be considered, however a family where there are few, if any, other children is preferred so that each girl can be fully doted on and given plenty of attention. They are ready for a family who can give them enrichment opportunities so they can continue to discover their interests and talents. Autum and Lulu also wouldn't mind a family who is up for a trip to Disneyland; a mutual longtime wish. Most importantly, they want a family who can truly commit to them and will be by their sides always.
If you would like more information on this child, please contact Angela Elliot at email@example.com or 800-331-0503.