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Tiffany Cromwell Wins Omloop Het NieuwsbladSun 24 Feb 2013
Tiffany Cromwell won a two-up sprint against Megan Guarnier (Rabobank) to capture the first European race of the season. With two former winners as teammates, Cromwell was part of a three-pronged attack for ORICA-AIS at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Patience paid off for the young Australian who initiated the race winning move between the final two sections of cobbles.
"It's a fantastic team effort," said Cromwell. "Any one of us could take the win today. As always, we supported each other, and I was happy to finish off the job."
The opening hour of racing was a fairly quiet affair. The peloton first split up the Côte de Trieu.
"The race unfolded as we had expected," explained Cromwell. "Usually not much happens until around the 50 kilometre mark. Until then, we are just meant to keep out of trouble and ensure we had numbers when the sectors start. "
The peloton split into three groups following the Côte de Trieu. The groups came back together. The field split again over the Patersberg. The small groups that formed merged to create a 60 strong lead group ahead of the Edelareberg.
"I'm absolutely ecstatic with the girls," said Sport Director Dave McPartland. "I'm just really happy with how they race. They're stepping it up as a team. It was impressive to see that they remained calm and focused as we got closer to the finish. We had an impact, but it was not creating the type of selection that had wanted to make – and they never panicked about that."
With all eight climbs completed and five cobbled sections yet to come, a 16 rider front group solidified. ORICA-AIS was the best represented with Loes Gunnewijk, Emma Johansson and Gracie Elvin joining Cromwell in the move.
"We had representation each time the race split, but nothing was really happening despite all the action," noted Cromwell. "There was a strong headwind, and most teams weren't willing to help force the split."
Cromwell took matters into her own hands with the final pavé sector looming.
"We had been using our numbers to our advantage and launching attacks that were going nowhere," said Cromwell. "Finally, I went and Megan came with me. We got a gap immediately but she wasn't working with me. I still considered it a good opportunity, so I worked – maybe a bit too much. Eventually Megan started rolling through. It was enough to hold off the chasing bunch."
"We're very lucky to have the likes of Emma and Loes who showed what true teammates they are today by supporting Tiff when she went down the road," added McPartland. "Gracie was brilliant as well. She made the front group in her first European race with the team and had enough left to help Emma in the sprint. It was an excellent effort by everyone."
Cromwell forced Guarnier to the front in the last kilometre. She came around the American to open up the sprint.
"I started sprinting with 300 metres," Cromwell explained. "Megan didn't contest the sprint. I don't think she had anything left."
With a lead-out from Elvin and Gunnewijk, Johansson won the bunch sprint to take third, giving ORICA-AIS two riders on the podium in Ghent. Johansson is a two-time former Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winner while Cromwell earned her first classics victory today.
"Last year, Tiff learned from some of the best in the business with Judith [Arndt] and Loes," said McPartland. "This year, Tiff knows how the team works and understands what is expected of her. She's a rider I can always count on to take risks. A lot of times these risks don't pay off, and this deters some riders. Not Tiff. There's nothing conservative about how Tiff races. She takes risks, and she puts herself in a position to be rewarded."


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The Young Racers Club is your chance to be regonized as one of the premier youths in racing
In an effort to promote and encourage young people to enter and stay in our sport, Circle Track and Stock Car Racing magazines feel it is critical to bring attention to the younger participants in auto racing and to give them the opportunity to be recognized in a national spotlight.
To do this, the Young Racers Club (YRC) was established starting in the June 2005 issues of both Circle Track and Stock Car Racingmagazines and Web sites. This club is open to any racing participant (driver, crew,etc.) from the ages of 16-23. Entry is FREE and each month a winner is selected at random and will have their picture published in the magazines and online along with a picture of the car they are involved with and a short bio of their racing participation and future plans. They will also receive a $250 gift certificate from the Sponsor of the Month.
Click here for the Young Racers Club entry form and either mail it to Young Racers Club, 9036 Brittany Way, Tampa, FL 33619 or submit via e-mail at email@example.com. Please include a picture of the car and a picture of yourself when sending the entry form. Pictures cannot be returned. See the sidebar below for the complete rules.
Summer Tessneer
Mill Springs, NC
Sixteen-year-old Summer Tessneer is this month's Young Racers Club winner. The Mill Springs, North Carolina, resident comes from a racing family and actually has two cars that she races: a Mustang and a Pinto. "My whole family raced, so I wanted to carry it on," says the teen.
Although Summer has only been racing for two years, she has consistently placed in the Top 5 in races at Harris, Thunder Valley, and Cherokee Speedways. In 2005 she finished Third in points in the Young Guns division. She followed that up with a Second-Place points finish the next year.
Summer recently had some bad luck on the track when she flipped her Mustang. She was knocked unconscious and had to be taken to the hospital. Luckily, all the X-rays were negative and she came away with nothing more than a small bruise on her arm. In fact, this hard-core racer was back at the track the following day.
Summer credits her dad with giving her the support and drive to excel behind the wheel, and points to fellow racer Blake Kirby as her racing hero. "He helps me out a lot and we have become very good friends." While she would like to someday get a shot at racing in NASCAR, she is very content racing at her home track. "I just love the speed of the car and the adrenalin rush when I'm on the mud," she says.
Well, Summer, those of us here at the magazine have wrecked our share of race cars (and even some passenger cars) over the years, so we know how hard it can be to get back to the track, especially when you're on a budget. Hopefully, the $250 gift certificate from RHS that's coming your way will help take the sting out of that wreck. Glad you're OK!
Kyle Ebersole
Hummelstown, PA
July's Young Racers Club winner hails from Hummelstown, Pennsylvania. Sixteen-year-old Kyle Ebersole started racing go-karts at age 10 at Path Valley Speedway and Shippensburg Speedway in Central Pennsylvania. He raced weekly for a few years before making the move to the Pennsylvania Dirt Karting Association (PDKA) in 2004. He raced there for two years and finished Fourth and Fifth in two separate classes during the '05 season. While racing in the PDKA, Kyle also took a spin in six WKA National events, where he posted two podium finishes and one fast-time award.
In 2005, he also started racing Tobias Slingshots at Linda's Speedway in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Ebersole's first year in a Slingshot was pretty good, with one win in 12 starts and a 12th-Place points finish. But he really shined in 2006. "We decided to not only run weekly at Linda's Speedway, but run the Slingshot by Tobias Southern Tour and National Tour," said Ebersole. "By the end of the year, I competed in 34 races and had 4 wins, 21 Top 5's, and 31 Top 10's." Those numbers translated into two championships: Linda's Speedway Track and Slingshot by Tobias Southern Tour. In addition, he finished Second in the National Tour Series.
In 2007, Kyle is making the jump to asphalt Modifieds. He'll race weekly at Mountain Speedway in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The 10th grader at Lower Dauphin High School says he will also be racing in some dirt Modified races and hopes to continue to race in more Slingshot events. That's a full schedule for a teenager who also enjoys skiing, music, golf, and hunting.
Kyle has proven his abilities behind the wheel of a Slingshot, and he says that if he is successful in the weekly Modifieds, he has his sights set on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Look out, Mike Stefanik-Kyle Ebersole is headed your way. A $250 gift certificate from Day Motorsports will, no doubt, help this young Pennsylvania driver outfit his new Modified for the '07 season. Good luck, Kyle, and keep us posted on how you do!
Jon Beach
Otisville, MI
Hailing from the Wolverine State is this month's Young Racers Club winner, Jon Beach. The 17-year-old Otisville, Michigan, resident began his racing career in 2004 at the age of 14. He drove six Factory Stock races at Auto City Speedway in nearby Clio. Six races did not satisfy Beach's need for speed, and the following year he ran the full season of Factory Stocks at Auto City. That year, his rookie season, was a good one. He finished Ninth in points out of 72 drivers, was crowned Rookie of the Year, and won a heat race and a semi-feature.
In 2006, it was time to move up to the Modifieds and do a little touring. In addition to Auto City, Beach also ran at Whittemore Speedway, Dixie Motor Speedway, and Owosso Speedway, all in Michigan, as well as Toledo Speedway in Ohio. He raced mostly at Owosso, where he won his first career feature, finished Fourth in points, and won another Rookie of the Year title, this one for the open wheel Modified division. In 20 races during 2006 he collected one win, 15 Top 5 finishes, and 18 Top 10 finishes. Not too shabby for just his second full year behind the wheel.
But Jon Beach is more than just another hot shoe. He works on his cars, too. At 17, Beach has already built several 355ci small-blocks. He also is experienced at running engine and chassis dynos as well as fabricating bodies, a skill he learned from his father, who has been doing it for more than 20 years. In addition, when Beach finishes school this year, he will be a certified welder.
Now everybody knows that going fast is only half of what it takes to be a great racer. You have to race safe, too, and a $250 gift certificate from Safe-Quip will help Jon do that as he heads into the '07 season.
Matt Spencer
Harris, NC
Sixteen-year-old Matt Spencer hails from Harris, North Carolina, about an hour and a half from Charlotte, and he is this month's Young Racers Club winner. Matt races a Ford Pinto in the Young Guns class at Harris Motor Speedway, which is right near his home. He began racing in the middle of the '06 season, and despite having just 11 races under his belt, he finished the year Sixth in Young Guns points.
Growing up in the shadow of a racetrack, it is easy to become a fan. "I've been a big fan, so I wanted to try it," says Spencer. But transferring from fan to driver isn't as easy as you might think. Matt's parents didn't have the money to fund a racing effort, so his mother said that if Matt earned enough money on his own, she would give the go-ahead to start racing. Matt worked hard at a number of different jobs, and before long there was a race car sitting in front of the family's home.
His first taste of racing went really well, and he even notched a Top 5 finish. "I got to where I really like it, and now I want to keep on doing it as long as I can," says the teenager.
When asked who his racing hero was, it was an easy choice for Matt: "I want to be just like my dad. He used to race." The kid has a keen eye and says that he closely watches the different styles of today's racing stars in an effort to better his own abilities.
In addition to Harris, Matt also raced at Cherokee and Thunder Valley Speedways. In 2007, he hopes to run full time at Harris while branching out to even more tracks, gaining more seat time. A $250 gift certificate from Sunoco will certainly help when it comes to racing at different tracks. Good luck, Matt.
Justin Petcosky
Vestal, NY
April's Young Racers Club winner hails from Vestal, New York. Justin Petcosky may be just 17 years old, but the high school senior has already enjoyed a 10-year racing career. It began at the tender age of 7 when he was bitten by the racing bug after a visit to a Microd track near his home. A Microd, if you don't know, is a go-kart-sized race car featuring steel frames and rollcages, powered by a Briggs & Stratton engine capable of reaching speeds in excess of 45 mph.
Recognizing his love of racing, his parents bought him a car and they headed to the track. Petcosky was pretty decent right out of the box, winning the first race he ever entered. Success followed him over the next seven years as he continued to compete in the Microds before making the switch to Legends Cars at age 14. In his first year in a Legends Car, Justin placed Seventh in his division and won "Rookie of the Year." The following year he captured two track championships: Tioga Motorsports Park and Chemung Speedrome. He was also named the 2004 New York State Semi-Pro Champion.
Although an injury sidelined him in 2005, he continued to impress in 2006. Back behind the wheel of his Legends Car, he finished Second in points at Chemung Speedrome after capturing 1 win in 11 starts. But perhaps more impressive was his 11 Top 10 finishes, with 9 of those being in the Top 5.
The first member of the Petcosky family to race, Justin definitely wants to pursue a career in motorsports. His next goal is to move up to an asphalt Late Model. A $250 gift certificate from TCI will certainly help in getting to that next level. Good luck, Justin!
Nick Anderson
Adamsville, Alabama
This month's Young Racers Club winner comes to us from the great state of Alabama. Nick Anderson has been racing since he was 16. He started off running the Four-Cylinder division at Sayre Speedway, a 1/4-mile asphalt track about 15 miles outside of Birmingham. He won a race in his first year of racing and quickly moved up to the Pure Street class, where he notched five victories over the next two seasons.
He then made the move to the Limited Modified division. It turned out to be a smart move. After winning six out of eight races this season, Anderson was crowned the 2006 Track Champion at Sayre Speedway. He has also found success at Birmingham International Raceway, the much bigger 5/8-mile asphalt track just up the road.
Anderson got exposed to racing thanks to his dad, a racer at Sayre. But when Anderson got a job in Barry Martin's machine shop, the racing bug took hold. He worked his way up in the shop and eventually could do most of the work on heads and blocks by himself. Anderson started racing while working for Martin.
While Anderson's dad no longer races, he does help his son. But Anderson helps himself, too. The 20-year-old goes to college (he sold a '70 Chevelle to pay for it) and works at the local hospital repairing medical equipment to help support his racing habit.
Future plans include a title defense at Sayre to gain more seat time in the open-wheeled Modifieds. But he also has a 400 block, which he is thinking about turning into a 377 for the Dixie Modified class. A $250 gift certificate from Comp Cams will, no doubt, help Anderson finish that build. He is eager to make the jump because the Dixie Modifieds run a rules package similar to that of many area speedways, such as Huntsville and Mobile.
Nick Anderson is a true racer and loves building motors and racing his Modified: "That thing is a blast to drive. I'd probably drive it to work if I could."
Brandon "Froggman" Ennis
Raleigh, North Carolina
February's Young Racers Club winner comes to us from Raleigh, North Carolina. Brandon "Froggman" Ennis races Limited Late Models at Wake County Speedway. The 20-year-old finished up his season at the 1/4-mile asphalt track with one win, nine Second-Place finishes, a Fourth-Place points finish, and the Most Popular Driver Award. But he won't be content until he captures that track championship, his goal for 2007.
Froggman started racing go-karts nine years ago, but has been concentrating on the Late Models for the past four years. He's also planning on running some Super Late Model races next season to gain more experience. His racing hero is his dad, who quit racing so that Brandon could get behind the wheel. Froggman has his eye on the Craftsman Truck Series, but is taking it one season at a time right now.
If you're wondering how he got that nickname, it happened when he could barely walk. He was sitting on the floor of his dad's garage when a family friend said, "He looks like a frog. I'm gonna call him Froggman." It stuck.
A $250 gift certificate from Racing Head Service (RHS) will go a long way for Froggman. He broke a valve in the last race of the season and damaged the head. Look at it this way Brandon-now you can get a new one courtesy of RHS!
Sadie Klein
Muskegon, Michigan
This month's YRC winner, Sadie Klein, races in the Bomber Division at both Winston Motor Speedway and Thunderbird Race Park in western Michigan. Both tracks are challenging 3/8-mile clay ovals, and Sadie has already posted feature wins at each track this year despite being in only her first season in a V-8-powered car.
When she was only 7 years old, Sadie started racing go-karts at Ravenna Motor Park, which is an asphalt road course. The next year, she tried her hand at dirt ovals, racing at Manistee Kart Park, Thunder Speedway, and Stateline Speedway. Even though she never raced a full season of karts, she managed to be the runner-up for a championship before age 12.
When Sadie turned 12, her dad (Frank Klein) was still racing a Michigan Modified. Frank gave his daughter the option to move to fullsize race cars, and since then has given up the wheel to focus on Sadie's racing. They ran a four-cylinder car in the Young Guns division for two years and racked up a Fourth and a Second in the overall championship standings. The next year, the team moved up to the Mini Stock division and won five features, finishing the season Second in the final points tally.
Now that she's running the V-8 Bomber, Sadie has her eye on a track championship. As of this writing, she is sitting Third in points at Winston Motor Speedway. For 2007, the team hopes to race on the asphalt at Berlin Raceway. As this month's YRC winner, Sadie will receive a $250 product certificate from Day Motorsports. That prize should come in handy as this team continues to move up through the ranks.
Chaz Exum
Dallas, Texas
This month's Young Racers Club winner is Chaz Exum of Dallas, Texas. Chaz runs an IMCA Modified at Thunderbird Speedway, a 1/4-mile dirt oval in Crandell, Texas. The year 2006 marks Chaz's third year behind the wheel of the Modified. He finished 12th in points his first year, and last year he finished Third. Needless to say, this year Chaz and the C.E.M. Motorsports team are eyeing the track championship.
Chaz co-owns the race car along with his crew chief Chubby McCool, and they say that they really appreciate all the fan and sponsor support they receive at Thunderbird Speedway. Like all racers, Chaz would love to make a living behind the wheel and says that driving a WoO Sprint Car would be a dream come true.
A $250 product certificate from this month's sponsor, Safe-Quip, will help keep Chaz protected behind the wheel.
Levi Hobbs
Winter Haven, Florida
Git 'R Done Racing was established in 1999 as a family hobby between David Hobbs (not the famous racer/TV commentator) and his son Levi. A four-cylinder Dodge Daytona was converted into their first race car, and they competed at the 1/4-mile semibanked oval at Auburndale Motor Speedway in Winter Haven, Florida. Levi competed in the "Kids Club" class for three years with much success before the racer's hunger for more speed and better competition led the team to move up to the next level.
The Fastruck series runs at several tracks throughout Florida and uses GM metric chassis and crate engines with fiberglass pickup truck bodies. This seemed like the logical series for Levi and the family to progress into as he moved up the ladder. The Fastruck series has a separate division for kids between 12 and 16 called Fastkids. The Git 'R Done team purchased a used chassis and wiped out Levi's savings, plus some of Mom and Dad's, to get it on the track. His first year in the series, Levi finished Seventh in points with no DNFs and picked up tremendous experience and confidence. The next season, he finished Third overall in the Fastkids points standings.
In 2006, Levi moved up to the adult division of Fastrucks and has already captured one pole, one win, and five Top-5 finishes in just eight races. He's Third in the championship standings as of this writing. Like anyone who has ever strapped into a race car, Levi wants to make a living as a professional driver. He has his sights set on moving up to a Limited Late Model next year and wants to get into a driver development program to run in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
The $250 of Sunoco Racing gas supplied by this month's YRC sponsor-Sunoco Race Fuels-will help Levi and the Git 'R Done team cover expenses this season. Thanks, Sunoco, and best of luck on your career aspirations, Levi.
Micah Veleba
Sutton, Nebraska
It was almost inevitable that this month's winner of our Young Racers Club sweepstakes would end up behind the wheel of a race car. Micah Veleba, 18, first went to the racetrack when he was only 1 week old. His uncle, Kent Tucker, was a regular competitor at various Nebraska short tracks. Micah always wanted to get behind the wheel himself but was told by his father Randy that he would have to wait until his uncle retired. You see, Randy Veleba co-owns Sutton Auto Supply and figured they could only afford to sponsor one racer in the family at a time.
In 2003, Kent Tucker hung up his helmet and sold his familiar No. 57 Late Model. It took Micah until 2005 to obtain a car of his own and get it ready to compete at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Nebraska. Micah chose to put the number 57 on his Hobby Stock race car as a tribute to his uncle, but he added the "JR" designation to indicate that he was a second-generation driver.
Micah spent 2005 learning his way around the 3/8-mile semi-banked dirt oval at Junction Motor Speedway. He finished Third in points and won the Rookie of The Year title. His father Randy says that he's proud of how much Micah has learned about the mechanical aspects of a race car in such a short time, and he's had plenty of practice doing bodywork.
The '06 season finds Micah running Fifth in points after suffering many mechanical woes. The $250 product certificate from this month's sponsor, TCI, should at least help him in the transmission department. He's brought on some new sponsors this year and would like to make a good showing for them. Micah is a senior in high school and is the point guard for his school's varsity basketball team.
Micah's racing endeavor is truly one of those stories you like to hear around America's short tracks-an uncle as a racing mentor, a father who prepares his son's car, and a young man who has learned respect and built character through competing on the racetrack.
Erica Harmon
Lake Almanor, California
22-year-old Erica Harmon of Lake Almanor, California, is this month's YRC winner. Erica competes regularly at the Lassen Speedway, a 1/4-mile dirt oval in Susanville, California, as well as the 3/8-mile clay oval known as Reno-Fernley Raceway in Fernley, Nevada.
Erica not only started racing in 2000, she started accumulating track championships as well, winning the Mini Stock division crown. The next season she jumped up to the Street Stock class, where she competed for four years, taking the championship in 2004. In 2005, Erica tried her hand at an IMCA Modified and, as you may have guessed, won the Modified division championship at Lassen Speedway that year.
When Todd Bruso of ESPN Radio of Reno, Nevada, learned of Erica's championship, he contacted her for an interview and mentioned that he thought she was the first female to win a Modified championship west of the Mississippi.
Erica credits her car owner, Steve Buhr, and crew, Josh Gillis and Charlie Farris, for helping her get to the winner's circle. She also mentioned that she has 21 proud sponsors that have contributed to her success on the track.
As this month's YRC winner, Erica will receive a $250 product certificate from the fine folks at Comp Cams. That should come in handy as she decides what racing division to conquer next.
Danny Efland
Irmo, South Carolina
17-year-old Danny Efland is one of those guys you would say has auto racing in his DNA. His father, Tom Efland, was testing at the racetrack when he got the call that Danny's birth was imminent. The team rushed home 150 miles to Irmo, South Carolina, in time for his birth, celebrated, then headed back to the track to prepare for the SCCA National Championship races.
Danny started his own racing career in karts at the ripe old age of 7, and amassed three WKA National Asphalt Championships, two WKA National Dirt Championships, and seven State Kart Championships (South Carolina and Alabama). WKA Triple Crown and WKA Grand National Championship trophies also reside in the Efland race shop. He accomplished all of this while maintaining his standing in the academically gifted program in his school despite travel that took him to races from New York to Florida.
In 2002, Danny made the move to stock cars by campaigning a Pro-Modified Mustang at the Florence Motor Speedway and the Summerville Speedway, both 4/10-mile banked asphalt ovals. With a goal of just learning how to drive a fullsize stock car, Danny surprised everyone by winning numerous races, the Rookie of the Year title, and the Florence Motor Speedway Track Championship.
Danny spent 2003 and 2004 gaining experience in the UARA-STARS Late Model Stock Touring Series. He finished Eighth in points while competing against some of the biggest names in the region. He also gained valuable experience by running such fabled tracks as Nashville, Hickory, Coastal Plains, and Myrtle Beach. In 2005, Danny managed two Late Model wins at Florence and made his USAR Hooters Pro Cup debut finishing 24th at USA International Speedway in Lakeland, Florida.
This year has started with a bang. Three poles, two wins, and a Second – all in just three races at Florence Motor Speedway, where Danny is running for the Late Model Championship. He also plans to make several USAR Hooters Pro Cup races, including those at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Lakeland, Florida. The $250 Young Racers Club award certificate presented by Racing Head Service should help the team stretch its budget a little further this year. Keep tabs on Danny by checking out his Web site at www.dannyefland.com.
Brannon Simpson
Chesapeake, Virgina
This month's YRC winner is 19-year-old Brannon Simpson, who first caught the racing bug while sweeping his dad's race shop at a very young age. By the time he turned 13, Brannon was driving a Mini Stock at the 3/8-mile Dixieland Speedway in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. He won The Most Improved Driver award in 2001 while finishing in the Top 10 in points at the challenging dirt track.
Brannon then made the jump to the Budweiser All Star Limited Late Model division, where he again won The Most Improved Driver award while also taking home the Hard Charger award and finishing in the Top 10 in points. In 2005, Brannon stepped up to the highly competitive Super Late Model division at Clary's Speedway, a 1/4-mile, semi-banked red clay oval located in Brinkleyville, North Carolina.
Knowing that it takes more than a heavy right foot to make a career in racing, Brannon is enrolled in The Motor Sports Technology Program at Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville, Virginia. There, he is president of the PHCC Motor Sports Association, which allows students to prepare and support an asphalt Late Model stock car for competition at local tracks. Brannon's goal upon completion of his degree is to work in the business of racing-preferably as a driver, of course.
Steven Simon
Erie, PA
If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, and taking on the E-mod class at Pennsylvania's Eriez Speedway and New York's Stateline Speedway can be a way to speed up the learning curve. Our May Young Racers Club winner jumped into the fray full tilt in 2005. Steven Simon is a third-generation racer who has taken the lessons from 2005 and put them right into the '06 season preparation.
The 18-year-old racer came out of the grandstands to go into the Go-Kart ranks. He has been around the sport most of his life. His grandfather owned cars and his father did some racing as well. After a brief hiatus, the family got back in when Steven showed an interest in Karts. He found success in the ranks, earning a championship in the process. Meanwhile, word was out that an E-Mod was for sale. That car became the Simon family effort for 2005.
Like most racers, Steven had to listen to the critics who thought the jump from Kart to E-mod was too big, but the critics seldom know what they are talking about. There were no expectations of setting the world on fire, but the mechanical problems dimmed a lot of hopes. Broken bellhousings led a list of setbacks that plagued the team through most of the year. By the end of the season, the bugs had been worked out and performance results showed it. While the bulk of the season was focused on the local Eriez Speedway, Steven was also able to venture to nearby Stateline toward the end of the year. He had moved from Seventeenth to the Top 5 late in the race before being caught up in a mishap that led to a disappointing finish.
For 2006, preparations are underway in the chilly Pennsylvania winter to get the car ready for the season ahead and some possible travel. The car used in 2005 will be raced again in perhaps its last season under current ownership. Steven credits his family and sponsors, including GAR Construction, CTR Trucking, and Chipper's Tavern as well as Hurricane Motorsports, for the help.
As the winner of our Young Racers Club drawing, Steven will be receiving a $250 product certificate from Sunoco Race Fuels. Find out more about Sunoco at www.racegas.com.
Boomer Olson
Viroqua, WI
The competition at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, is tough in any division. The Ray Hutson Chevrolet Sportsman class is a good example, and that's the class where our latest YRC winner plies his trade. Boomer Olson is a 19-year-old racer who meets up with some of the best weekly racers on a regular basis. The '05 season started off on the right foot as Boomer topped his heat race. Two weeks later, he scored a Second in the heat and moved to a Fourteenth-Place run in the feature. A pair of Top-15 runs in May led to increased success in June, including a Fourth in the B feature and a Fourth in the Bud Dash. As July wound down, Boomer parked victorious in the running of the Bud Dash. His first Top 10 in the feature came the following week, but the progress was not done. After finishing Tenth on August 6, he came home as the runner-up in the main on August 20. His best qualifying effort came on September 3, timing Fourth among the competitors, but that race was wiped out by rain.
Boomer drives an '88 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, powered by a B&B Racing Engines 355ci engine, generating 325 hp. Al Olson is the car owner, with Marty Smith serving as crewchief. Crew help also comes from Keaton Hilby. Sponsors for the '05 season included Culver's, Village Market, R.A. Transport, City Styles, Shari & Shaggy's Party Barn, G&F Distributing, Effinger Equipment, American Legion Post #138, Degenhardt Garage, Carol's Drift Inn, and Collision Specialist.
As the winner of the April Young Racers Club drawing, Boomer will receive a $250 certificate from TCI.
Jeremy Colangelo
Sanford, FL
There is often more to a racer than what we see on the track. In the case of Jeremy Colangelo, there is a caring young man who is using his skills to benefit others.The 19-year-old Sanford, Florida, resident competes at Orlando (Florida) Speedworld in Legends Cars, racing in the Pro division. Every time he crosses the line beneath the flag stand at the track, someone else benefits from his work.
This year, Jeremy has coupled his racing effort with a fundraiser to benefit the Children's Miracle Network (CMN). For each green-flag lap he races, Jeremy donates $1. Several of his sponsors match the effort. Some even donate $3 for every lap he leads. As of November 7, 2005, Jeremy turned 1,248 laps and led 167 of them. Roughly, that's somewhere between $12,000 and $15,000 going to a good cause.
"I've been involved with CMN for about 10 years," Jeremy said. "My family has always been involved. We would do fundraisers and help out. I've got a trophy here from June 1997. I'm very competitive, and they had a competition to see who could raise the most money. There were about 30 kids in it. I pressure washed, pulled weeds, whatever I could do to win."
Involving the racing effort seemed a natural way to continue to support CMN. The fruits of his labors were recently brought home when he learned of the plight of a middle school classmate who had suffered through some health problems and benefited from the CMN programs.
On track, Jeremy started as a BMX racer, moving into Quarter Midgets. After competing in events such as the Grands in Pueblo, Colorado, and a specialty course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he ran another year before going to the Legends Cars. A limited effort in 2003 was followed by a full-blown effort that saw four wins and 18 Top 5s as Jeremy was the highest finishing Semi-Pro at the track. His '05 effort included seven wins and 15 Top 5s (the season hadn't ended at this writing). He also participated in the Hardee's Summer Shootout at Lowe's Motor Speedway and was invited to be part of a Legends race at the December Mopar PRI Sprint & Midget Classic.
Jeremy has dedicated his '05 season to cousin Justin, who passed away. He realizes the importance of everyone who assists him, including Granny and Grandpa Don, his mother, father, brothers, and cousin Brandon. Jeremy also acknowledges Rick Carelli, who has served as a source of inspiration for his racing.
As the winner of our March Young Racers Club drawing, Jeremy will receive a $250 certificate for purchase of products from Comp Cams.
Amber Coffman
Urbandale, IA
Our latest winner in the Young Racers Club is a true testament to the idea of a racer coming from the grandstands onto the track. Amber Coffman was a race fan who watched the competition, but she got the urge and seized the opportunity. It must have been quite contagious, because her father became a racer at the same time.
Amber competes in the Front Wheel Drive division at Boone Speedway in Iowa, home of the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals each September. "I was a big race fan, and they would have drawings where you could get out and drive a car," Amber related. "I won some of those drawings and got the chance, and I decided to get my own car."
The '05 season marked her first full year of racing in the FWD class. There are no sponsors for the team as yet. Amber gets help from her father, who is a Dwarf Car racer, and her fiance.
"It's awesome. I like it," says Amber of her racing.
Her best finish of 2005 was a Sixth-Place run in the growing class. Amber assists in the work on the race car; sometimes there's a lot. A week before the season championships, she rolled the machine. She was not hurt in the incident. She is also attending school to become a mechanic.
As a woman racing in a male-dominated world, Amber tells the girls who want to go racing to go for it. "Don't let the guys intimidate you," she offers.
As the winner of our February Young Racers Club drawing, Amber will receive a $250 certificate for purchase of products from G-Force Racing Gear.
Jason Taghikhani
Franklin, WI
There are only 24 hours in a day, but Jason Taghikhani manages to fill most of them. The winner of our Young Racers Club drawing has put together an impressive resume on both sides of the pit gate in just a short amount of time.
His uncle was a Late Model racer at Wisconsin's Slinger Super Speedway for 30 years, but Jason's interest was only slight until his later years of high school. During the summer, he dropped his football program and then started to develop a race team. In this case, starting a race team meant doing it the right way-by earning it. Jason poured money earned at his job into buying a truck, trailer, and car to go racing. As a result, he missed the first half of the season to get the Street Stock on track. At the end of the year, the track dropped the class, forcing him to look elsewhere for his racing thrills. In 2005, he stepped up the program to become involved with the Mid-American Stock Car Series, a highly competitive group that hits tracks in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois.
"It's tough," says Jason of the traveling circuit. "Now you have 20 guys who can win, and you're not guaranteed a starting spot like you would be at a local show. You run with guys who have experienced these tracks before, and you're seeing them for the first time. They have lots of experience."
In mid-September Jason made his mark. He was Second in the points with a handful of races left and was leading the drive for Rookie of the Year.
So far, he sounds like a typical racer, right? Here comes the good part.
Jason is a full-time student who is a senior at Marquette University. He is a declared mechanical engineering major, the president of his SAE (Society of Automotive Engineering) chapter, and he also works a full-time job. So now you have commitment to work, school, and a race team. Summers aren't so bad, but when school starts again, it gets pretty hairy. "Toward the end of the racing season is when we have our first exams," Jason pointed out. "I'm the kind who needs to spend time studying, and it's hard to do when you're working on the race car, especially if it was wrecked."
Jason will take his education (His mom insists he finish and get his degree) and his racing experience and put them together to see what the future holds. "I want to take it as far as I can," he says.
As our latest winner in the Young Racers Club, Jason will receive a $250 certificate from Aero Race Wheels.
Andrew Broucher
Somerset, PA
His motive is clear. Andrew Broucher wants to be a racer. At 18 months old, he was at a race at Pocono, where his family worked with Bud Moore Engineering. In his early teen years, Andrew used his savings and bought a used Go-Kart. He loved it from the moment he first sat in the seat. Under the guidance of his father, Randy, a former dirt track racer, Andrew was advised to start in the rear of the field. In doing so, he learned quickly by watching and passing others. He was pushed off the track and his Kart was beaten on, but he never quit. He started racking up feature wins in the Junior divisions, finished second in points in 2004, and moved to Senior Light in 2005. The goal at the start of the year was to win one feature and score some Top 5s. As of August 27, there were 5 feature wins and 12 Top 5s. He held a 100-point lead at Pennsylvania's Acme Speedway, having led the division from the first week.
His experience hasn't been confined to just ovals. He has raced the road course at Beaver Run and several other area tracks. At the age of 16, he competed in a Hobby car at the esteemed Jennerstown Speedway, a track that appears to be part of his destiny. The family hopes to move Andrew into a Late Model so that he can compete with the top talent in thearea.
Andrew's goal is to move into the major leagues of racing, but he is backing his bet with a sense of purpose. This is not a driver who only carries a gear bag. As an 11th grader, he is enrolled in mechanics courses at the vocational technical school. Each week, the Kart engineis torn apart and Andrew puts the Kart back together for the week's competition.
For Kart racers, there are no big sponsors, and every bit of support is helpful. Andrew has received backing from local businesses and family members, including Advance Auto Parts, John Howard's, Hair.com, and Frank's Pizza. Tom and Cody Hardesty in Maryland have provided strong engines for his Karting. Andrew gets strong support from his parents,Randy and Amy.
As our December 2005 winner, Andrew will receive a $250 certificate from Day Motor Sports, a one-stop shop for all racing needs.
Brandon Dean
Huntersville, NC
Getting experience at places like Hickory (NC) Motor Speedway, Motor Mile (VA) Speedway, and Myrtle Beach (SC) Speedway means you are constantly racing against tough competition. It's been said that if you want to be the best, you have to compete with the best. Brandon Dean is on that path.
No matter where he races his Late Model Super Truck, Brandon goes with the idea of winning. The family-backed effort works without the luxury of major sponsorship dollars, but the 18-year-old driver puts the truck into contention time and time again. He's rapidly becoming known in an area where racing is clearly king.
Brandon started racing at the age of 5 in a go-kart. His dad was racing dirt Late Models, and Brandon caught the fever honestly. "I fell in love with it," he said of his early racing. He won numerous WKA state and national titles, culminating in 2000 with the triple crown and national championship, dominating North Carolina and South Carolina. He'd reached one pinnacle.
The next step brought him to the dirt of Lancaster (SC) Speedway, where he competed in the Four-Cylinder class. He won a few races. The dirt stint was short, though, because the road to the top is usually paved. "I liked asphalt racing the first time I drove," Brandon said. At the age of 15, he couldn't run in a NASCAR-sanctioned class, so hisexperience came in the Pro Cup cars and he started drawing attention, becoming Rookie of the Year at Hickory in 2003. He's had the chance to travel some and compete. There are plans for a Late Model or, if the right situation develops, some USAR Hooters Pro Cup or NASCAR Southeast Series races soon.
Brandon graduated with honors and will continue his education at the University of South Carolina, possibly attending UNCC in the future. His plans are directed toward mechanical engineering, a discipline that will help his eventual goal, driving a race car.
"If I could make a living driving a race car, that would suit me fine," he states.
Brandon has dedicated his season to his grandfather, Vernon "Poppaw" Dean, who passed away recently.
For the latest information on Brandon, visit his Web site atwww.brandondeanracing.com.
Brett Korves
Swansea, IL
Brett Korves is facing tough competition in the '05 season, but he's not backing away from the challenge. He's a rookie in the UMP Modified division, racing at Belle-Clair Speedway in Belleville, Illinois.
The 16-year-old racer started in Go-Karts at the age of 12, winning the Junior Division championship in his second year. He moved into full-bodied stock cars, climbing before the wheel of his grandfather's Sportsman car for a few races at the age of 14, running at Highland (IL) Speedway. At Belle-Clair, his age prevented him from going intoModifieds, so Brett raced a Pure Stock. He won a feature event, several heat races, and was named Rookie of the Year.
As plans for the '05 season rolled around, there were some decisions that had to be made. Brett's car was part of a three-car team, which spanned three generations. Rather than spread themselves so thin, the decision came to make Brett the driver. Dennis Tribout Sr., his grandfather and owner of the Modified, stepped away from his race car. So did his uncle, Dennis Tribout Jr., who gave up his Modified racing after also competing in Sportsman cars. A new chassis from a new company (Razor) was purchased with engine work done by Belleville Automotive. In mid-June, Brett stood a strong Sixth in the point standings and has been drawing plenty of attention for his results. He has been named Hard Charger by www.stlracing.com, which covers the entire area's short-track racing. It's really impressive when you consider how many tracks and drivers are in the area.
Brett would like to keep the racing momentum going. He met and competed with Kenny Wallace during a mid-week race. His aspirations are to move up the racing ladder.
Brett is backed by a solid core of supporters. In addition to his grandfather and uncle, other family members are active with the team. Mom Shelly handles the notes and makes sure they have the right setup information. Dad Jack serves as the car chief. Brett has a brother, Todd, and a sister, Kayla. Others helping on the team include crewchiefSteve Krakowiecki, John Krakowiecki, Scott Vielweber, Brian McGuire, Rich Schobert, Mike Causey, Mike Harris, Dan Dudek, and Abbey Fritz. Sponsors of the effort are led by the family business, Tribout Bingo & Carnival Supplies. Weil Trailer Sales, Steve Schmitt of Highland, Dairy Queen, Vinyl Visions, Belleville Wholesale, Causey Excavating, Pioneer Steins, Mid America Web Solutions, JSK, T.R's Place, Print Master, and Dutch Hollow Janitorial Supply are also backers.
As our latest winner, Brett Korves will receive a $250 certificate from TCI.
Alison Quick
Redding, IA
Alison Quick has a competitive drive within her that is starting to leave the competition in its wake. Her drive is to excel in everything in which she is involved, and that's a pretty lengthy list. In addition to racing a NASCAR-sanctioned Modified in 2005, she was concurrently playing summer softball and running track for her school. She hadqualified for the state finals in the 4x800m relay at the time of this writing.
Alison didn't come from a racing family, though her uncle was a tractor puller and father had competed in demolition derbies. Watching the Daytona 500 and then seeing the Indianapolis 500 put the idea squarely into her head. Family friends raced Go-Karts, so that became the firststep. From there, she moved to Super Mini Cup and won the national championship in her first year. The next step was a Legends Car, but the track was four hours away and changed nights to Friday. The distance and school obligations made it impractical, and when Alison turned 16, she got her NASCAR license to run Modifieds at Adams County (Iowa) Speedway and Lakeside (Kansas) Speedway.
Alison met NASCAR's Don Hawk, who suggested getting in touch with Lyn St. James. Alison completed Lyn's Driver Development Program and became the recipient of the Kara Hendrick Scholarship. She was also selected to be a part of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity combine.
At the end of the '04 season, Alison was honored with the Adams County Speedway 2004 Citizenship Award. A 9-year-old fan suffering from a brain tumor had selected Alison as his favorite driver, and on July 4, she gave the young fan a ride around the racetrack in her Modified. That night, she won her feature.
The 2005 Alison Quick racing effort is supported by Kelly Tire & Exhaust, Longfellow Drilling, RMI, Davidson Construction, Advanced Ag, Glendenning Motor Company, SWBS, Campbell Trucking, Ironman Racing, RHR, Newton's Sporting Goods, Frank's Body Shop, Ricker AC Heating & Plumbing, Quick Charolais, and Quick Contracting. To learn more aboutAlison Quick racing, visit Alisonquick.com.
As winner of the Young Racer's Club, Alison will receive a $250 certificate from Comp Cams.
Austin Matthews
Dexter, MO
The success of Carl Edwards on the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit has awakened the racing world to understand that there is plenty of talent that competes weekly in Missouri. It's a fact that Show-Me state race fans have known for generations.
One of the young guns in Missouri racing is 17-year-old Austin Matthews. Austin is starting his rookie season in IMCA Modifieds with a Dirt Works chassis powered by a 355ci Chevrolet engine. Austin has worked through the ranks to get to the Modifieds. After a stellar career at the controls of go-carts, winning titles, and features in various divisions, Austin stepped up to the Mini Sprints. His efforts in three years of racing found him prepared for the challenges of the heavier Modifieds.
Austin will be racing primarily at Poplar Bluff Speedway and Malden Speedway, but could venture to West Plains Motor speedway or even out of state to Arkansas' Batesville Speedway. In his early exploits in 2005, Austin had scored two heat wins in April and was making consistent progress toward top feature finishes.
The team is a family operation. His main wrench is his father, Bryce, while his 12-year-old brother Corbin has a keen interest in the mechanical side of the operation and helps where he can. Mom, Sherry, provides vital service to keep the program up and running. This is truly a racing family.
As the August winner of the Young Racer's Club, Austin Matthews will receive a $250 certificate from G-Force. With its emphasis on safety, G-Force is the choice of many racers, young and old alike, for the best in safety gear.
Sean Bass
Gibsonton, FL
By the time you read about our latest winner of the Young Racer's Club, there's likely to be a driver development agreement in the works. Sean Bass has been tearing up Florida short tracks with regularity during the past few seasons, and the broader world is starting to take notice.
A good indication came on April 1. Competing in the Truck division and the Mini Stock division at Orlando Speedworld, Sean made two stops in Victory Lane. To go back and forth between a four-cylinder car and a V-8 truck is an accomplishment in itself. To park each of them inVictory Lane is even better.
Sean started racing in the Kid's Club at Auburndale Speedway. As his wins mounted, the desire to move up was obvious. A short stint in a Super Stock class is on the resume, but the results really came in with the Mini Stock and Truck. Sean captured races in his first year in trucks, including a big victory on the 3/4-mile USA InternationalSpeedway. He won an '05 Truck race during the World Series of Asphalt Racing at New Smyrna Speedway's lightning fast 1/2-mile. Altogether, there have been feature wins at many Florida tracks, and size really doesn't matter. Big or small, Sean has proven he can win them all.
Sean would like to take the next step into the higher levels of racing, and word has filtered through the pit areas that there have been clandestine inquiries made about his plans. In addition to his on-track achievements, Sean also maintains a straight-A grade point average. In 2004, he won state honors in architecture competition for high schools.
As the July winner of our Young Racer's Club, Sean will receive a certificate valued at $250 from Aero Race Wheels for use on any of his race vehicles.
Brian Geiszler
Boring, OR
Brian Geiszler has been winning races for nearly half his life. The 18-year-old open-wheel standout started in Quarter Midget competition in the Pacific Northwest at the age of 9. In that time, he raced on dirt and asphalt, including indoor winter racing. Brian finished Second oneyear by a single point with four wins on his record.
At the age of 12, Brian jumped into a 250cc Micro Sprint to run the 1/8-mile and 1/4-mile tracks in Oregon and Washington. He scored wins at four of the six tracks, including three victories in Madras, Oregon. In 2002, he was named the state of Oregon champion in the 250cc class.
The '03 season saw 16-year-old Brian back on asphalt behind the wheel of a 360 Limited Sprint. He competed in the Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association (NSRA) with a used car and gained valuable experience against the full 360 Sprint fields. When 2004 rolled around, a better engine and a brand-new chassis awaited. However, the new car didn'tarrive until the season was three races old, and there was the usual learning curve. In his first race, Brian won his heat but did not finish the main. The next event saw a flat tire diminish his hopes late in the race. The next race brought a Third Place run and the Top-10 finishes just kept coming. He captured a feature win in Idaho, becoming the youngest driver to win a feature in NSRA competition.
Along the way, Brian had the opportunity to experience wingless racing, and he adapted quickly. Running the big 5/8-mile at Monroe, Washington (Evergreen Speedway), Brian scored a Top-10 with the Western States USAC class and has found a new home. The 2005 plans center on running the entire USAC sanctioned slate in the Western States Series.
Young racers like Brian Geiszler are helping to keep the sport thriving. We congratulate Brian and wish him continued success.

subset: commoncrawl


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Staff writer
Streets may be snow packed, but that did not stop Girl Scouts across the county from beginning their cookie sales over the weekend.
County scouts sold 20,000 boxes of cookies last year and hope to match, if not surpass, that amount this year.
But this year cookie sales are a little different. Last year Girl Scouts changed the way scouts sell cookies from taking orders, to having the cookies on hand to sale.
"I think it works better this way," Marion County cookie cupboard manager Brenda Soyez, said. "With the cookies on hand they're easier to sell."
Junior Girl Scout Jaden Slifer also likes having the cookies on hand versus ordering them. Her goal is to sell 450 boxes this year, 50 more than she sold last year.
"I like it better," she said, "because I don't have to wait to sell more."
Scouts from Marion spent Friday evening sorting their cookies and participating in a kick off celebration before officially beginning cookie sales Saturday.
Each troop orders a certain amount of cookies before sales begin and divides them among the troop. Soyez sent her scouts home with 60 boxes of cookies to start.
"If they sell out, or need another flavor I keep extra," Soyez said.
Extra is an understatement for anyone who walks into her cookie storage area at the Historic Elgin Hotel. Around 150 cases or 1,800 packages of cookies are housed there and Soyez expects scouts to sell all of them.
She also likes having the cookies on hand because it teaches the scouts responsibility.
"Where as before the girls simply turned in order forms, now they have to keep track of their inventory and money paid to them," Soyez said. "Cookie sales are a big deal and it takes a lot of time and effort and the girls learn a lot."
"I've learned to be more responsible," Slifer said, "and how to talk to people."
Another relatively new program the scouts have kicked off with cookie sales is Cookie Share.
Cookie Share gives people who may not want cookies, because of diet or health reasons, a chance to donate packages of cookies to others.
"It's for people who want to support the scouts, but don't want the cookies," Peabody Scout leader Tina Spencer said. "I encourage the girls to ask if someone wants to donate a box to someone else."
Customers can choose to donate boxes to military troops and their families, Kansas Food Bank, local food pantries, or Catholic Charities.
"It's a great way to help the scouts and others," Spencer said.
Cookies are on sale through March 9. All seven classic flavors are available plus this year's signature flavor Cranberry Citrus Crisp. Scouts will be selling door to door this week, and will have booths in front of local grocery stores including Carlson's and Dale's in the coming weeks.
Cookies sales make up the majority of the troops funding for the year.


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This blog was first published on StAR's website by Jean-Pierre Brun.
On January 14, 2011, Tunisia's President Zine El Abbedine Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia in the wake of a popular uprising against his 24 year-long rule. Ben Ali was the first head of State to fall in the Arab Spring – the outpouring of discontent against long standing autocracies in the region. Following his forced departure, the interim Tunisian government charged the former President with money laundering and drugs trafficking, and sent out international requests to obtain his arrest and the freezing of assets he allegedly stole. In 2011, Ben Ali was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment for inciting violence and murder and also convicted (along with his wife) of wide scale theft.
Three years have passed, but efforts to uncover their assets are still incomplete and ongoing, raising concerns on the real impact of the efforts against impunity. Does this show that the Tunisian authorities and the international community have failed in their quest for justice?
While much remains to be done, it is wrong to dismiss the significant achievements that have been made to date. Firstly, notable progress and the recovery of some assets have happened with remarkable speed with further successes likely to follow in the coming months. Secondly, the Tunisian effort has set a precedent and a model for capacity building.
After the fall of Ben Ali, in February 2011, Tunisian authorities established - with the assistance of the StAR Initiative (a partnership of the World Bank and the UNODC) - a special committee for the recovery of stolen assets to put in place strategic planning, leadership, and cooperation – both domestic and international. The committee then designed a comprehensive strategy combining various investigative and legal tools, including domestic criminal prosecution, informal international cooperation, mutual legal assistance requests, as well as participation as a civil party in criminal proceedings in France and Switzerland.
The StAR Initiative also helped the Tunisian Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) gain access to global financial networks, as well as forge ties with organizations such as, Interpol, The Egmont Group (an informal international network of financial intelligence units) and Eurojust (the EU agency for judicial cooperation in criminal matters). StAR also helped facilitate important ties through the work of the Arab Forum on Asset Recovery. Last but not least, it provided the training and technical assistance for the creation and the reinforcement of specialized units in Tunisia and elsewhere.
Following these moves, more than $80M, two airplanes and two boats were identified and then frozen or seized in Switzerland, France, Belgium and Italy. One of the planes, seized by order of the Paris Prosecutor's Office and owned by Ben Ali's son in law, was returned to Tunis in July 2011. The other plane in Switzerland and the two yachts in Italy and Spain were also subsequently recovered. While the value of these assets represent only a small portion of what is estimated to have been stolen from Tunisia, their recovery was critically important in showing that property located in foreign jurisdictions can be returned even before the finalization of the legal cases.
In April 2013, an even more visible success demonstrated that the consistent and patient efforts of the Tunisian authorities and others were paying off. Tunisia recovered $28.8 million hidden in a Lebanese bank account controlled by Ben Ali's wife. This success, which has to be confirmed by the Appeals court, was the result of unprecedented cooperation within the Arab World, strong political will in Lebanon, and efforts undertaken by the United Nations special advocate, Qatar's Attorney General Al Marri, as well as the StAR initiative, to develop bilateral contacts between Lebanese and Tunisian practitioners.
In the coming months, there are good prospects that Tunisia stands to gain even more with the return of funds frozen in Switzerland and real estate identified in Paris. But getting the remaining carefully hidden assets will not be easy. The experience of the past three years has shown that while it takes time, it can be done. But it will be a complex, lengthy and uncertain process.
First, it will continue to require from Tunisian authorities lengthy investigations to get leads, follow money trails, lift corporate veils, establish beneficial ownership of bank accounts and other assets, and link them to criminal offences.
Second, it will require more mobilization in financial centers where assets or defendants are located. Tunisian authorities can continue to succeed only if their counterparts provide effective responses to their mutual legal assistance requests, and in some cases, show more proactive mobilization of resources and political will.
And third, international initiatives, including the Arab Forum and StAR, should provide even more assistance to initiate and boost bilateral cooperation between Tunisia and its counterparts through bilateral contacts, which were instrumental in past successes and will be crucial for future progress.
In sum, asset recovery for Tunisia is far from failure, but also short of success – showing what can and needs to be done. It proves that a comprehensive and coherent asset recovery strategy can produce significant progress in spite of major challenges. It is now time for financial centers, including in Europe, America and the Middle East, to deliver even more timely and effective assistance.
Join the Conversation
Thank you for the interesting blog. It is very promising to see all this progress. I would be interested to learn more about the challenges in international investigations and cooperation which can delay and complicate the process of international asset recovery.
good post. Very interesting to see how it takes time to get back some assets.
Thank you for this post. It is worth noting in this context that Tunisia has for the second year submitted to the UN Human Rights Council (Geneva)on behalf of the African Group a draft resolution on the negative impacts of the non repatriation of funds of illicit origin. A resolution which was again adopted by 33 vote, with a NO from the United States and 12 abstentions from western countries.
The correct link is :


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Anne Croy
Healthy mother, healthy child
The normal role of white blood cells is to battle infection throughout the body – but that's not their only function. Dr. Anne Croy, a reproductive immunologist in the Faculty of Health Sciences, is studying a particular type of white blood cell, or leucocyte, that floods into the uterus early in pregnancy to play a critical role in enlarging the blood vessels that carry nutrients from the mother to the developing placenta, a jelly-like sac that supports the growing fetus. If these arteries are narrower than they should be, the blood flow is restricted, which harms both mother and baby.
The white blood cells Croy studies – forebodingly called Natural Killer lymphocytes – are an intriguing puzzle. Normally they make up about one per cent of normal human blood. In stark contrast, they comprise 75% of the blood at the embryo implant site early in pregnancy or during a woman's menstrual cycle when the uterus prepares for a potential pregnancy.
This discrepancy is no accident. "It's not like these cells are just passing through and want to say hello," says Croy. "This is a specific functional recruitment of significance."
As they do in humans and other mammals, the white blood cells moving into the uterus cause the arteries at the embryo implant site – known as the maternal-fetal interface – to dilate and lose their smooth muscle coating. This enables up to 500 times more blood to flow through the modified arteries than is the case in a "virgin" uterus. The higher blood flow is critical.
"The last thing a developing fetus wants is an interruption to its blood supply," says Croy. "The fetus doesn't have functional lungs and its heart doesn't work until later in pregnancy, so continuation of pregnancy after implantation depends completely on the mother's blood to exchange nutrition, oxygen and glucose with the fetus, and for waste excretion."
"It's not like these cells are just passing through and want to say hello," says Croy. "This is a specific functional recruitment of significance."
One potential complication stemming from below-normal blood flow to the human placenta is a syndrome called preeclampsia, which is characterized by high blood pressure in the mother, possibly leading to kidney failure and necessitating premature delivery of the baby. Although the child may be born healthy, studies show that long-term consequences of preeclampsia to the mother can include cardiovascular disease and stroke. Another syndrome of reduced blood flow to the placenta, intrauterine growth retardation, causes babies to be born at term, but dramatically underweight.
Croy examines the maternal-fetal interface using specially bred, immune-deficient mice. She rebuilds components of their immune systems with genetically altered cells, which enables her to study the impact of the gene changes on the functions of the Natural Killer cells in a normal pregnancy when the mice are mated. Croy monitors what happens using tiny radio transmitters surgically implanted into each mouse. These measure the mouse's blood pressure and other properties of circulation continuously. She also uses a miniature mouse ultrasound machine to monitor the flow of blood in living mothers and fetuses. These are highly specialized techniques.
For the past 12 years, Croy has collaborated with Dr. Aureo Yamada, who studies the same subject at the University of Campinas in Sao Paulo State, Brazil. Both investigators hold awards from their respective federal trade and education branches to orchestrate a series of student exchanges that have sent Queen's PhD students to Brazil and brought Brazilian PhD students to Queen's. The purpose of the visits is to transfer knowledge about Natural Killer cell cultures and pregnancy failure, which is Yamada's expertise, and the use of radiotelemetry and ultrasound techniques in healthy mouse pregnancy, which is Croy's expertise. Too, for the past seven years, Croy and her Queen's colleagues who study pregnancy have organized the Human Placenta Summer Workshop, an in-depth, 60-hour course on the placenta that takes place at Queen's.
For her work in promoting healthy human pregnancy, Croy was elected a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in September 2012.
Anne Croy was one of the recipients of the 2015 Prizes for Excellence in Research. Read her interview in (e)AFFECT…
The workshop serves as a platform for two-way communication of information between basic scientists like Croy and clinical scientists working with pregnant women. Since its inception, the workshop has disseminated knowledge about techniques for studying the human placenta to more than 100 trainees from 25 different countries.
The ultimate goal of Croy's research is to develop approaches that can safely increase the blood flow to the human maternal-fetal interface when this is compromised (by, for instance, diabetes or high blood pressure). She already shares a patent for a biological agent that does this in pigs.
"A human immune therapy is a long way off, but that would be the Holy Grail," says Croy. "The point of all of my research is to promote the health of human mothers and their babies."
Profile by Alec Ross
(e)AFFECT Issue 2, Fall 2012
Learn more about:
Dr. Croy's research


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Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey was informed at a pre-hearing conference Thursday that he is due back in court July 23 for his next go-round as a result of his being charged with driving under the influence.
Heyward-Bey went before Judge Donna Little at Superior Court in San Francisco on Thursday morning. At that time, Judge Little told Heyward-Bey that a jury trial will be set July 23 unless the case is resolved.
Assistant district attorney Alex Bastian said by phone that Heyward-Bey was present Thursday and that Heyward-Bey is slated to appear again in Dept. 17 at the Hall of Justice in less than a month.
The Raiders start training camp in Napa on July 29. Coach Dennis Allen last month said that he and the Raiders are keeping tabs of Heyward-Bey's legal issue.
"It's a situation that we're aware of and we're monitoring," Allen said. "We'll see how the whole legal proceedings carry out and then we'll kind of go from there."
Heyward-Bey, 25, was arrested and charged with one count of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and one count of driving while having a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher, in the early morning hours April 7. He was arraigned May 31 after blood-alcohol tests revealed 0.12 and 0.13 levels.
Heyward-Bey could not be reached for comment. Last month, he said: "I just kind of regret bringing bad attention to the team."
He entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment, which he did not attend.
Heyward-Bey's lawyer, Ivan Golde, said Wednesday that there might be some procedural issues related to the traffic stop and arrest.
"After investigating all the procedures and all the chain of events, it appears not everything was done according to the rule of law, and there may be some questions that need to go before a jury," Golde said.


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BEIRUT — The leader of a powerful al-Qaida-linked group in Syria gave a rival breakaway group a five-day ultimatum to accept mediation by leading clerics to end infighting or be "expelled" from the region.
The ultimatum announced in an audio recording by the leader of the Nusra Front aims to end months of deadly violence between the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and other Islamic factions. The fighting has killed hundreds of people since the beginning of the year and is undermining their wider struggle against President Bashar Assad.
It comes two days after the killing of Abu Khaled al-Suri, who had acted as al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahri's representative in Syria. Rebels and activists believe he was assassinated by two suicide attackers from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Both the Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant are considered terrorist organizations by the United States.
Al-Zawahri has named the Nusra Front al-Qaida's branch in Syria and broken ties with the Islamic State, which has increasingly clashed with rebel brigades in opposition-held areas of Syria. The Islamic State has angered other factions with its brutal tactics and campaign to Islamize areas under its control in the northeast.
More than 2,000 people have been killed in the fighting between the Islamic State and rebel groups, including the Nusra Front.
Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the Nusra Front leader, suggested in the audio recording arbitration by clerics to stop the infighting. He warned the Islamic State that it would be driven from Syria and "even from Iraq" if it rejected the results of arbitration. He did not elaborate on how his group might do that.
"We are waiting for your official answer within five days of issuing this statement," al-Golani said in the audio message posted on militant websites. "By God, if you reject God's judgment again, and do not stop your arrogant overlording over the Muslim nation, then (we) will be forced to launch an assault against this aggressive, ignorant ideology and will expel it, even from Iraq."
Al-Golani suggested the arbitration be conducted by three senior al-Qaida ideologists, including two imprisoned in Jordan and one imprisoned in Saudi Arabia. He did not say how they will handle the arbitration while they are in detention.
Syria's conflict began with largely peaceful protests in March 2011 and gradually descended into civil war. Islamic extremists including foreign fighters have joined the war against Assad, playing an increasingly powerful role in the effort to topple him.
More than 140,000 people have died in the past three years, according to opposition activists.
On Tuesday, the chief of the United Nations relief agency supporting Palestinian refugees spoke of a rare visit he paid a day earlier to the besieged Palestinian camp of Yarmouk in Damascus.
Filippo Grandi, the Commissioner General of UNRWA, said the extent of damage to the refugees' homes in Yarmouk was shocking.
"The devastation is unbelievable. There is not one single building that I have seen that is not an empty shell by now," he said in neighboring Beirut.
The state of those still in the camp was even more shocking.
"It's like the appearance of ghosts," he said of the people coming from within Yarmouk near a distribution point he was allowed to reach.
"These are people that have not been out of there, that have been trapped in there not only without food, medicines, clean water — all the basics — but also probably completely subjected to fear because there was fierce fighting
Grandi welcomed last week's U.N. Security Council resolution calling for immediate access for humanitarian aid to all areas of Syria. He said that the resolution, unanimously adopted by the Security Council, "gives us a tool to argue in favor of access that is stronger than any other tool we've ever had before in Syria."
He said it's too early to say what effect the resolution has had on the ground, but that "everybody has to comply." Both sides have hindered access in the past, he added.
UNRWA shipments to Yarmouk were cut for months, leaving residents to suffer from crippling shortages of food and medicine. Since last month, small shipments resumed, although they remain intermittent.
More than 100 people have died in in the area since mid-2013 as a result of starvation and illnesses exacerbated by hunger or lack of medical aid, according to U.N. figures.
Yarmouk, located in southern Damascus, is the largest of nine Palestinian camps in Syria. Since the camp's creation in 1957, it has evolved into a densely populated residential district just five miles (eight kilometers) from the center of Damascus. Several generations of Palestinian refugees have lived there.
Grandi said around 18,000 of the camp's original 160,000 Palestinian refugees are still inside Yarmouk.
The most vulnerable Syrian refugees in neighboring countries are also at risk of hunger and sickness, said the U.N.
In neighboring Lebanon, nearly 2,000 Syrian refugee children under five years old are at risk of dying from hunger and need immediate help to live, the U.N. children's agency said in a report issued Tuesday.
"Malnutrition is a new, silent threat among refugees in Lebanon, linked to poor hygiene, unsafe drinking water, diseases, lack of immunization, and improper feeding practices of young children," said UNICEF representative Annamaria Laurini.
Nearly half the at-risk children live in makeshift tents in the eastern Lebanese Bekaa Valley that barely offer shelter from the cold, have no power or running water.
There are nearly 1 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
Youssef reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Barbara Surk in Beirut and Albert Aji in Damascus contributed.


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Ann Gilbert, director of Fitness for Shapes Total Fitness for Women, leads a team of 16 fitness managers and more than 250 personal trainers and group fitness professionals. She is well-known as a presenter and has received the IHRSA/ACE Trainer of the Year Award. For the past 10 years, she has served as a faculty board member for the Fitness Academy, an educational resource for continuing education in the Tampa Bay, FL, area. She can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Having a clear understanding of why people participate in a boot camp, why the camp setting is so attractive and why popular trainers choose to jump into boot camp programming will allow a fitness director to launch an indoor boot camp program that can increase retention, referrals and revenue within the club.
When interviewed, boot camp members cited having the freedom to choose a time to work out, having a say in what open space to meet and having the ability to break away from the boredom of repetitive group fitness programming as the main reasons that they chose a boot camp programming option.
Higher wage percentages, the ability to set one's own hours and not having to conform to a club's system of operation are reasons many trainers break away and launch an outdoor camp. Most trainers purchase a start-up kit, complete with instructions on marketing, programming and creating a professional business plan, but they have a concern with their ability to retain campers and assure a regular income. By offering indoor boot camps that some of your valued trainers can lead, you can offer these trainers a steady stream of participants and income.
Here are simple steps to make your indoor camp a success:
1. Hire the right people. The success of any new programming within your facility starts with having the right professionals on board. You must establish an in-house training program that includes a focus on marketing, prospecting and sales. Then, recruit trainers and instructors who want to make a career change or who want to make fitness a full-time job with health and insurance benefits. Look for those wanting to work on a team that allows the professional to have a bit more flexibility and variety in scheduling camps. Create a hiring package that can be used when recruiting in-house, online and within the community. Finally, design a launch kit that includes how to design and sell a program within the walls of the facility.
2. Profit sharing. To attract the right trainers, you must have an attractive profit sharing option for them. Offer incentives for your trainers and instructors to assist in growing the camps. Create a system of monthly or quarterly reviews to assure the professionals focus on increasing participation from within the member base. Focus on the number of members they can market to within the club setting and discuss the benefit of having a renewal and referral base from which to pull. Create a new member integration or hand-off system where new members, or those taking camps on the outside, can be directed specifically toward the new programming.
3. Make space. Before you can get started, you need to ensure you have space for your indoor camp. Design a setting for your camp. If possible, remove outdated equipment and create an exclusive space, allowing the campers the freedom they have had in the outdoor setting. Make room for tires, ladders, ropes and steps. Formulate your own in-house obstacle course using the less populated areas of the facility. Move cardio equipment and other stationary pieces so that the members can watch the action while burning calories.
4. Establish a schedule. The boot camp must be held day or night, rain or shine, and whether or not a trainer is available on that day. Once on your schedule and part of the branded programming options, the goal is that the member knows the camp will always be held. Training a team of coaches will help to establish the program as part of your brand and will allow the trainer to forecast a steady income, making working for a facility a more attractive career option.
5. Market the new programming in-house and throughout the community. The marketing focus must be on how the camper will achieve optimal results and maximum safety while participating in the indoor camp. Note the benefits of not having to plan around environmental challenges, weather changes or not having enough participants to hold the session. Speak about the level of certification your trainers have and the required training they go through. Create a feeling of security by displaying AED and first-aid equipment within the area. Schedule demonstrations or clinics so all know what to expect firsthand when participating in the programming.
6. Use success stories and testimonials. Marketing your indoor boot camps by using testimonials of members who have had success with these options will drive members to investigate the popular programming option. Claims of faster results, spot reducing, an increase in self-esteem and a new jump-start on a fitness program are the ways that a boot camp instructor can motivate a member to jump into the programming. Seldom will you see a mention of personalization, one-on-one attention or personal fitness assessment. Instead, the focus is on action, intensity, group competition and ways to stimulate the participant to strive to new levels.
7. Always return to the "why." Those who participate in boot camps do so because they seek results. Few look for equipment, a class lineup or even one-on-one attention. Most want the feeling of success that the militaristic formats can bring. Most desire to be driven to new heights, to be taken beyond where they can go alone—and they want to do so in a group setting. Price is not a concern for most. As you and your staff give tours of the club, make sure to read all the testimonials, stop at the marketing displays that show the members in action, and highlight the results that the participants get because of the boot camp.


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What started off so wet has now turned into one of the driest summers on record.
Hot and dry. That pretty much sums up what farmers experienced across the Midwest the latter half of August.
"We could be losing more test weigh as we continue with this hot and dry weather," says Nathan Wentworth, who farms outside of Decatur, Ill. "A rain could still fill out this test weight a little bit, I think, but we're not going to go backwards; we're not going to gain anything,"
Wentworth has seen a year of extremes. What started off so wet, has now turned into one of the driest summers on record.
Watch the full "AgDay" report and get a frost update:
"We had pretty tremendous potential right after pollination. It was filled out, blistering almost all the way to the end," he says. "And since then, we haven't received much rain. So, now we have ears that look like this, where we've reduced our kernel length by eight to 10 kernels per ear."
He says that equates to about 20 to 40 bu. per acre in yield loss. And while the tipback isn't in every acre of every field, it will definitely pull his overall yield numbers down.
"Average yields in this area are around 180 bu. per acre, but it's not uncommon to see well above 200 (bu. per acre)," he says.
This year, he's thinking the range will be wide, coming in anywhere from 150 bu. per acre to 200 bu. per acre.
The scorching temperatures are also drying his crop down. He says some fields may even be harvested in two weeks. Most, however, won't be dry enough until late September, which is behind average.
"We've got a few fields where ears are hanging down," says Wentworth. "So, we'd like to get in the field in the next couple of weeks to at least get that before we start seeing some ear drop."
He's also seeing firing on stalks, so getting in the field quickly will be a priority, as stalk quality is going downhill, too.
This late in the season, it's soybeans taking center stage. Many farmers say they're one good rain away from a decent crop, but the clock is ticking.
"With the kind of difficulty we saw getting soybeans planted, then the dry conditions mid-summer that really took out some of the top levels of soil moisture, and now the heat that's come on, it's going to be very difficult for the soybean crop," says ag meteorologist Bryce Anderson.
"Pod numbers, I don't think we're seeing anyting really bad, but it's just going to be a matter of if we get a rain now to fill the pods out," he says.
With little rain, crops are showing signs of stress. And just a year later, it's too much of a reminder of the 2012 drought many would like to forget.
Inputs Monitor Regional Index: Anhydrous Gives Ground Amid Strong NPK Declines
World's Largest Milk Powder Drier Kicks into Gear in New Zealand


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Everybody has an opinion and I am expressing mine which no doubt will leave me wide open to the regulars who load up the The Lancaster News' Web page comments. One detractor suggested I return to my "Remember when" days and leave the governing to adults.
Well, sir, look at the kind of job the adults are doing.
The year 1959 is best remembered in Lancaster as the year the University of South Carolina at Lancaster was founded. That same year, however, Wylie Park was created by the Richards-Wylie family as part of the development of Forest Hills in the city of Lancaster.
House Democrats announced they will not submit a budget for 2011. Congressman John Spratt is the lead person with responsibility for the House budget. Budgeting is a fundamental responsibility of governing and without budgeting there is no way to get the national debt under control.
Without a budget, there is a spending spree in Washington. Americans are demanding fiscal responsibility and this is the answer from the Democratic leaders in Washington?
If I told you that, in a year when most state agencies saw cuts of 30, 40 or even 50 percent, there was one agency that got almost a 50 percent increase, would that strike you as being, well, wrong?
It certainly struck me that way. And last week I voted to sustain S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford's veto of that expenditure. But not enough other senators agreed and that funding increase was approved.
What agency got that extra money this year? The South Carolina Senate.
Here is how it happened:
Happy Birthday, America! This year, there will be 234 candles on your red, white and blue cake.
We celebrate our freedom going back to July 4, 1776.
That's the day our young nation adopted the Declaration of Independence, which declared our independence from Great Britain.
During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the American colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia.
So, what does last week's ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on handguns mean? Legal experts on both sides of the gun control debate predict it will mean more challenges to gun-control laws – challenges that might very well be decided in future Supreme Court rulings.
The decision will also almost certainly void gun-control laws in Chicago and Oak Place, Ill., that forbid residents to have handguns in their homes.
On July 2, I was shopping at Wal-Mart in Lancasster. After loading my items into my car, I left my purse in the shopping cart and drove away.
Some kind person found my purse and turned it in to the staff in the store. I would like to thank that person. I have tried to find out who you are, but have been unsuccessful. I want you to know that your kindness and honesty have not gone unnoticed.
With all the bad news that is reported, I think it is time we stop and give thanks for all the good people who are still in this world.
I read the editorial about saving the old Lancaster County jail. I do not believe it needs to be restored because it is useless to the public. How many people have come to look at it?
Everything old is not historic. We now have an old courthouse that probably no one will go in. There are old jails in every town. That does not make them unique. It is not like everyone who has been there has such good memories.
The editorial mentioned Robert Mills, the architect who designed the jail. I have never heard of him. Now, if he was Frank Lloyd Wright, that would be different.
There were two articles in the Wednesday edition of The Lancaster News that caused me concern and that require strong comment and rebuttal.
On page 4A, there is a human interest story about a flag being damaged that I thought unfairly characterized the reputation of Renee Bozeman, who reported that her American flag had been vandalized.
The building, which once was the home of Barr Street High School and Barr Street Junior High School, sports new life.
The building, which for the most part has seen little or no activity since 2003, has been renewed through the work of Hope on the Hill, a local group led by the Rev. Wayne Murray to boost opportunities for youth.
Plans called for the renovated facility to open in late June, but the opening is now set for Saturday due to complications with the alarm system.
I am delighted that The Lancaster News reported July 2, 2010, that there was strong support to save the old jail.
The price to rehabilitate the jail seems reasonable. This building has stood since 1823, about 200 years. That proves how well it was originally constructed. The structure is designated as a National Historic Landmark.
I want to respond to Jenny Arnold's article, "Reaching rebellious youth focus of community forum." There have been candlelight meetings, marches and prayer meetings to bring awareness to the problem of young people killing young people. But there are no solutions that the community likes. Before we can generate a solution to any problem we must understand the cause of the problem.
When I read the four letters to the editor in Wednesday's paper, I thought of some lines from W.B. Yeats' "The Second Coming."
"The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity."
At a time when our state's reputation has reached its nadir in the nation and the world, there are plenty of people who want to drag us back to the Middle Ages and turn our affairs over to the generals and clerics.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
– The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
The First Amendment was written because at America's inception, citizens demanded a guarantee of their basic freedoms.
"We hail thee Carolina and sing thy high praise..."
Those opening words to the University of South Carolina alma mater carry a little deeper meaning today.
The USC Gamecocks, a never-say-die unit personified, are the toast of the college baseball world. The Gamecocks scratched and fought for their elite status, college baseball's "Cock of the Walk," if you will, with the 2010 NCAA national championship they won Tuesday.
"It's so hot I saw a dog chasing a cat and they were both walking," online commenter laconservative wrote on our June 25 story, "More hot temps in forecast."
Beamsabre chimed in, "I saw a pack of Cub Scouts lighting a bonfire to cool off."
"It's so hot the boys in the hood are wearing short sleeve shirts," reverind ike added.
The TEA Party of Lancaster County is having a rally at noon July 3 at the former Elrod GMC building, 845 Lancaster Bypass East.
We are coming together to generate support for the nationwide effort to take back our country.
As we all know, our country is in trouble. We pray constantly for God's help in turning around the mess we are in, but it has often been said that God helps those who help themselves. And that is what we want to do – help our country.
After reading "More Food Choices for Students at Lunch" in the June 4 edition of The Lancaster News, I decided to log in to the newspaper's Web site. I wanted to see if there were any reader comments on the announcement that the school district director of food services and the president of the school board were pleased and proud to add Philly cheese steaks and chicken wings to the school lunch menu for next year.
Susan Johnson's June 13 letter, "Judicial system has to follow through," is factually incorrect.
She states that the solicitor said the person arrested for dealing drugs was never prosecuted. The solicitor is a part of the executive branch of government – not judicial. Whether or not to prosecute a case is in the sole discretion of the elected solicitor – not the judge.
We can picture the scene when veteran Lancaster City Councilman John Howard shook his head and said, "I think I'm in the twilight zone." Howard often quips at council meetings, and he's never been a council member to mince words.
And when he wondered if he was in some netherworld at the June 3 special City Council budget meeting, he did so for good reason. The majority on council had just voted to tap into the city's reserve funds to give employees a 2 percent raise.
Copyright © 2019
The Lancaster News is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Lancaster County and Lancaster, South Carolina, and the surrounding area..


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The Man of Steel trailers released so far paint director Zack Snyder's Superman movie reboot as a contemplative and morose take on the character. Costar Russell Crowe (who's playing Jor-El) has been emphasizing the film's scale and scope as something the previews cannot fully do justice. Meanwhile, his onscreen son Henry Cavill insists Snyder's superhero flick is less dark and more action-packed than screenwriter David S. Goyer and producer Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy.
Well, Warner Bros. has begun Man of Steel test audience screenings, and the initial consensus is positive so far (bear in mind, many responses are coming from fans). More interesting, however, is that initial descriptions very much align with what the cast and crew have been claiming, with regard to Snyder's movie being realistic, but not overly-serious, in its approach to the fantastical comic book mythos.
JoBlo received the following Man of Steel early screening reaction/description from "a scooper (whom we know and trust 100%)," which arrives pre-packed in bullet-point form and covers several points of interest dealing with the film's overall tone and style.
You can check it out below:
- Imagine a Nolan story with Snyder effects/action.
- It's the best movie of the year.
- There's TONS of action with Superman kicking all kinds of ass in his suit.
- The cape is CG'd most of the time so it can look awesome.
- They have intentionally left out most of the the Super action in trailers to save it.
- It's not nearly as dour and serious as the trailers suggest.
- The movie is complete, minus the 3D post-conversion, which is currently taking place.
Again, passing over the scooper's "best movie of the year" claim (obviously, it's just one response from an excited fan), their Man of Steel descriptions should help lay to rest misconceptions about this being more Nolan's film than Snyder's; not to mention, complaints that Snyder is abandoning his own trademark style in favor of grounded action and spectacle more on par with The Dark Knight Rises.
Visually-expressive titles like Snyder's Watchmen and 300 movies (as well as his less-popular Legend of the Guardians and Sucker Punch) demonstrate his strength as an action filmmaker, which is part of the reason I've long been interested to see how he brings Supes to life - especially, while making it seem believable that Kal-El could exist in the real-world. Content-wise, Goyer and Snyder are smart in drawing from modern comic storylines like Mark Waid's "Superman: Birthright" and Geoff Johns' "Superman: Secret Origin."
Action and contemporary relevance are both departments where Man of Steel aims to dominate Bryan Singer's Superman Returns, in addition to overshadowing the now-outdated effects and battle sequences pitting Superman against General Zod and his troops in Superman II. As for everything else, well... that remains to be seen (though, the early signs are encouraging).
Man of Steel stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Antje Traue, Laurence Fishburne and Ayelet Zurer.
Look for it in theaters on June 14th, 2013.
Source: JoBlo


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NEW YORK, April 19 (UPI) -- General Motors Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson said the company's recent slide in the stock market was due to forces beyond his control.
"There is a lot of turmoil in the world," Akerson said in New York at the IHS Automotive Forum.
Akerson said the whole industry was knocked for a loop by the March 11 earthquake in Japan, The Detroit News reported Tuesday. "When the crisis first hit … we were all white knuckled," he said.
He also said GM had personnel in Japan within 48 hours of the earthquake to monitor the situation and access disruptions in the automaker's supply chain.
At this point, he said, GM has lined up secondary suppliers for critical electronics components.
Akerson, in the Big Apple for the start of the New York Auto Show, said rising oil prices were also to blame for the company's recent slide from $33 per share at its initial public offering in November to a recent price of $29.27 per share.
Akerson also said the U.S. Treasury Department, charged with divesting the federal government's holdings in the automaker, "will tell you when they are getting out."
The government still owns 26 percent of GM, having taken a substantial position with the company to help it exit from bankruptcy in 2009.
"I don't know what's going to go into their calculus. I think there are many, many variables in their consideration, and they don't share that with us," Akerson said.