The Work from Home Calculus: Productivity + Inequality - Corcoran's ...

Yahoo?s newish CEO, Marissa Mayer, recently reversed the company policy that allowed, even encouraged, employees to work from home.? This action has generated a lot of news copy, both for and against, and as is now the norm the masses are weighing in via social media.? Most views I?ve read tend to be stridently for or against working from home, with little middle ground:? one camp assumes such a policy encourages lazy people to watch Ellen all day while the hard workers toil; the other camp assumes such a policy extracts more output from workers who no longer know when the workday ends.? There are endless variations on the theme.? I first worked remotely in 1991 while living outside Boston for a Denver-based company, and since then I?ve seen every permutation and combination of work-from-home policy and I?ve seen both experienced and novice executives fumble with managing in such an environment.? My view is that such a policy is a simple study in microeconomics:? if you?re clear what outcome you?re solving for, the correct policy is easier to choose.? Wearing my former CEO hat, here are the issues I think about when deciding whether an employee may work from home.

Inequality ? Let?s tackle this right up front. Few businesses can operate 100% virtually. This means that, sooner or later, some people will have to be centrally located and won?t have the option to work remotely. Get over it. Your H.R. professionals will quake at the notion of treating employees inequitably, but that?s just one of many reasons H.R. professionals rarely end up as CEO. The fact is, treating everyone the same is a stupid idea. Hersey and Blanchard in their Situational Leadership theory posit that people have to be managed differently based on their individual skill set and the task at hand. One person might need to be micro-managed for a task that another person can handle unsupervised. ? As I?ve discussed previously, too often managers make decisions out of a misguided sense of fairness, whether it?s cutting all budgets proportionally during down times without regard to profit contribution, or, in this case, refusing to allow a work-from-home policy because if we can?t offer it everyone, then we can?t offer it at all. Simply put, good leaders focus on what?s right for the business and what?s right for the individual, and when you have to break ranks and treat someone differently in order to achieve a better outcome, and you can do so without imposing undue hardships on the business, you act.

Productivity ? Studies have shown that people are generally more productive when outside distractions are minimized.? I?d provide a few references here, but it doesn?t take a double blind study to agree that limiting the interruptions of phone calls, sneezing co-workers, lengthy commutes, endless status meetings, emails, periodic fire alarm drills and long lunch breaks can lead to increased focus and output. In fact, as many companies have learned, those who work from home often fail to adhere to regular work schedules and often work far more than if they were sitting in an office or cubicle for 7.5 hours each day. But the key is to recognize which tasks can benefit from prolonged and isolated focus, and which tasks are unsuitable. I can?t answer that for you, but I have enjoyed success asking my various teams to conduct a self-assessment and recommend which of their jobs could be performed remotely, and I?ve been pleasantly surprised at the candor and objectivity. And at the risk of beating a dead horse, I have rarely been impressed with my H.R. staff?s assessments, primarily because so few of them understand the business, let alone individual job designs or tasks. Will some of your employees occasionally watch television, or duck out for a dentist appointment? Of course. But no workplace, even those with an open floor plan, prohibitions against personal phone calls and restricted access to social media, is fully productive at all times.? Also, if you or your managers are unable to hire responsible adults, then I question your own competence.

Collaboration ? Technology exists that fosters virtual collaboration, whether it?s the awe-inspiring Cisco Telepresence video-conference system, the document management systems allowing simultaneous annotation by multiple parties or business-oriented social media like Chatter or Yammer (although let?s not get carried away with our virtual tools!)? Trouble is, many organizations invest in technology as if its presence alone will somehow change behaviors. The fact is, where there is a culture of collaboration, people will find ways, even inelegant non-technology ways, to interact; where there is no culture of collaboration, no technology will solve the problem (One example, law firm CRM, a technology asked to solve a problem lawyers refuse to acknowledge; here?s another).? Some who work remotely will suffer from the lack of creativity and innovation sparked by interaction with others ? often spontaneous and unscripted and unrelated to the given task.? Salespeople who primarily operate independently and in the field, but who periodically need more brochures or contracts reviewed, can typically do so without ever setting foot in an office. Programmers who are constantly sharing code or who regularly need input from other teams writing code sets immediately upstream or downstream tend to perform worse when they delay collaboration until pre-set meeting times rather than simply getting up and walking two rows over to compare notes. Again, you?ll have to assess the importance of collaboration in your own organizations, but don?t underestimate its importance, even in jobs that don?t ostensibly appear to benefit from it.

Cost ? A former colleague of mine substantially raised his profile and career prospects by spearheading a controversial initiative to close all regional offices and send employees home to work, saving millions of dollars in office leases, equipment and presumed lost productivity from employee commute times.? Like many organizations, we talked of long-term strategy in our annual reports but spent most of the year focused on short-term performance, and make no mistake we saved a lot of money and boosted earnings for a few years through this initiative.? But be sure to focus on the net savings, once the transition costs are calculated. For example, in our case we had to purchase desktop computers or laptops for scores of employees, reimburse in full or in part for an extra phone line (this was before ubiquitous high speed internet access), and reimburse for hotel meeting rooms and countless Starbucks for confabs of small groups who needed to interact regularly. Our savings were still substantial, but your mileage may vary.? An economist might also point out that one man?s cost savings is another man?s cost shifting. For example, those who regularly visited customers were now required by IRS guidelines to treat their first and last appointments of the day as a commute, which is not typically a reimbursable business expense. The company saved a few bucks in the short run, but the employees devised ingenious solutions to limit their personal outlay by re-arranging their days (and impairing their productivity) in ways that we didn?t anticipate. (For more on the cost savings vs. cost shifting debate, see this health care example.)

Quality of Life ? An employee who was facing some troubling family health issues and who needed to be home approached me and asked if he could work from home.? The nature of the work he performed for me was pricing analysis, forecasting and modeling, and he could access all systems from home and join meetings by phone or, with sufficient time to plan, in person.? He was far too valuable to lose, and his remote working arrangement posed no burden to the company (other than feelings of inequity from other cubicle-bound colleagues), so I agreed.? For quite some time he was able to attend to his family issues and deliver a quality work product.? When his situation changed, he returned to the office, grateful to his forward-thinking employers for the opportunity.? Without question, the loss of income would have burdened him as would the loss of his specialized expertise have burdened us. It was an optimal arrangement.? For me, even when I was a HQ-based executive, I periodically worked from home in order to avoid the stress of my harrowing hour-plus commute on the highways of New Jersey.? Simple common sense suggests that, all else being equal, a happier employee is a more productive, stable employee.

Your own calculus may differ.? To me this is a fairly straight-forward linear programming equation.? Factor in the things that matter to you ? cost, quality of life, productivity, collaboration, equality, etc. ? weight the factors accordingly, determine specifically what you?re solving for, and do the math.? If cost savings is what matters most, you may choose a different path than someone focused on employee retention or someone focused on a short-term max productivity to push a product out the door.? And don?t invite the contribution of the silly protectors of the status quo, the H.R. staff, unless they can add demonstrable value.? Whatever you choose, make it a rational choice based on a variety of factors.? And if you choose to conduct this analysis at home on your comfy recliner while watching funny daytime TV, you have my blessing.

?

Source: http://www.corcoranlawbizblog.com/2013/02/work-from-home/

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Affordable Branding Strategies for Small Business Owners ? Small ...

Advertising dollars for a small business are as crucial as time and employees.? They need to work, and work right away.? Find affordable branding strategies for small businesses can be difficult? With small businesses, each advertising dollar needs to be spent as effectively as possible to generate new leads.? Often times, the branding and awareness type of advertising that larger companies use on traditional mediums like radio and television are a completely out of reach expense for small business owners.

With budgets being smaller and generally needing to produce new leads rather than just brand a company, any sort of branding campaigns for small business need to be done with a low cost.

At TLG we are asked the question often, ?how can I brand my small business??.? It is a great question, and after a feeling out process to determine advertising budget and available resources we often settle on a combination of print and online banner advertising.? For the purposes on this article, we?ll talk specifically about the online banner advertising.

We?ve discussed the benefits of online advertising for small businesses thoroughly on this blog, but display advertising is a topic that we have not covered in as much detail.? An online banner advertisement is a form of advertising where a business places a flash banner (.swf) or image advertisement on a website.? This type of advertisement is beneficial because it can display all kinds of information, and contain animation or multiple different messages to attract the website visitor to click on the ad.? Typically display advertising is targeted based on the relevancy of the content on the page, compared to the products or services that the small business is offering.

There are a number of ways to utilize online banner advertising to brand your small business, but the best method (and TLG?s preferred method) is via Google Adwords.? Google Adwords is the dominant player in Search Based advertising, but has even more control, and a wider reach using their display network.? Google?s Display Advertising Network allows small businesses to place ads on just about any news site, blog or website that produces valuable, shared content.? It?s a great way to brand you business to a core audience, that might not necessarily be aware that your company of products exist.

Additionally, the Google Display Network is great for small businesses because it levels the playing field regarding advertising budgets.? Sure, most small businesses have only a fraction of the advertising budget of a large corporation (like Albertsons shown on the right), but the placements that a company Albertsons receives are just as available to your small business.? Maybe not for the same amount of frequency or volume, but they are still available to utilize.

Depending on the geographic reach of where your small business pulls customers from (local, regional, national) there are a number of setting options for geographic targeting that your display advertising campaign can use to reach your audience.? Once you have determined a geographic reach, it a simple matter of editing the campaigns demographic, topics and interests to ensure that you are reaching just your perfect, core audience.? For example, let?s say that you own a health & nutrition supplement retail store, and that one distinct aspect of your store is that you also sell massage chairs.? From a branding perspective, it is important to accomplish two goals; one that you sell health supplements, and the other that you have a good selection of massage chairs for sale.? These two products while having similar types of customers will require two distinct branding campaigns for online banner advertising.

The first of the messages is to promote the health products and supplements.? Individuals will have lots of options on where and how (online, wholesale, retail) they purchase their supplements.? Convenience, selection and prices are going to be an important influence on why customers will choose one supplement store over another.? So for a online branding campaign, it will be important to limit the geographic reach of the campaign to just a few miles around the business, and to make sure to target precise interests in health and fitness.

The second of the branding messages can have much different targeting in order to produce results.? Since the massage chairs are expensive, and may take multiple impressions and trials before purchase, and because there are not nearly as many retails stores that carry the product, this will mean that the audience to target will be much smaller.? For this campaign, a wider-geographic targeting area is acceptable, and the interests and topics targeting can focus more on back pain, chiropractic and pain relief.? In addition to the targeting being different, the images within the advertising and the included messaging will be vastly different as well.

By utilizing online banner advertisements to brand your business, you can brand both the general (health products & supplements) about your small business and the specific (massage chairs) while reaching only your core audience.? Controlling costs and targeting the perfect market will ensure a successful online banner advertising campaign from a branding perspective.

If you are interested in formulating a strategy on how your small business can effectively use online display banner advertising to brand, then contact TLG Marketing in Long Beach, California at 562-537-6936 for a free 1-on-1 consultation with a agency partner.

Source: http://tlgmarketingconsultants.com/blog/affordable-branding-strategies-for-small-business-owners/

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Investing in a Private Mortgage Fund: Attractive Returns & Passive ...

Sophisticated investors are always looking for ways to diversify their portfolios. An increasingly popular option for these investors is private mortgage funds. Private mortgage funds are so attractive to investors seeking diversification because they are able to generate investment income that isn?t subject to the volatility of traditional stock or bond markets.?The premise for choosing to invest in a private mortgage fund is often a combination of the limited downside risk of capital invested, an attractive return and trusting experienced professionals to manage the fund according to the prescribed investment criteria.

Many individual investors have had success with real estate investments in some form or fashion throughout their lifetime. Making real estate investment loans available to borrowers via a private mortgage fund is simply a variation of generating profit from investment real estate. Instead of receiving equity from the sale of an investment property, the private mortgage fund simply collects interest from the borrower in exchange for loaning a percentage of the value of the property. The leverage provided on a real estate investment loan can vary, but typically doesn?t exceed 65% of the property?s value. There are additional items to be reviewed and considered aside from just the amount of leverage placed on the property. These include: the experience level of the borrower, their liquidity position, the amount of any improvements required for the property, their repayment ability, and the exit strategy for repayment of the loan.

The premise of making money from buying real estate, holding it, possibly improving it, and then reselling it for a profit is not a foreign concept to many investors. Real estate investment loans allow the borrower who purchased the property to actively utilize some of their capital, expertise, and active management to generate a profit on the real estate, while the passive mortgage holder receives interest income from the loan.?Of course, holding a lien on the property is good security in the event of a loan default, but typically obtaining the property back through foreclosure isn?t the goal for most private mortgage funds.

The collateral position of the loan, commonly referred to as the loan-to-value ratio (LTV) is one component of the real estate investment loan equation. This ratio is calculated in two ways. It can be calculated based upon the as-is or after repair value of the property compared to the loan amount. This option looks at the loan amount strictly based upon the as-is or after repair value, but usually the purchase price paid by the buyer is also considered when determining a loan amount.?The private mortgage fund may look at the loan to cost ratio (LTC). This is the percentage of the lender's cash compared to the buyer's cash placed into the transaction. To highlight the distinction between the two ratios, let?s consider the following example:

An investor puts a single family home under contract for $80,000 and the home requires $40,000 of improvements, which once completed will make the home worth $160,000.

For XYZ Private Mortgage Fund, they allow 60% of the after-improved value for a loan amount which would be:

??????????????? $160,000 x 60% = $96,000 max loan amount

For funds like the one I manage, we allow up to 60% of the total project costs to be financed:

??????????????? $80,000 + $40,000 = $120,000 Total project cost x 60% = $72,000 max loan amount

As the above two formulas illustrate, there are variations of how private mortgage funds look at the value and analyze the risk of exposure for a real estate investment loan.?While knowing the collateral position is certainly important, the liquidity of the borrower is equally important to ensure against a loan default. Borrower liquidity level requirements can vary between lenders, however for a fix and flip type loan, the monthly interest, an overage amount for the improvement budget, and holding costs should at minimum be verified by the lender.

The author Oscar Wilde famously stated, ?Experience is one thing you can?t get for nothing?. This sentiment translates very well as it pertains to real estate investing. While not a requirement for many real estate investment loans, it is something we look very closely at in our fund. We feel that private real estate investment loans should not be the borrowers first ?go round? for making money in real estate. Often Murphy?s law of, anything that can go wrong will go wrong, can at times, apply to real estate investments. Because of the complexities and unknown factors involved with real estate investments, there can be a significant learning curve. Having previous experience to deal with setbacks, in my opinion, make for a more resilient borrower when difficulties come up, and ultimately assists in reducing the risk of a loan default.

Josh Manier is Managing Partner of Island View Private Loan Fund, LP which provides a platform for self-directed IRA investors and high net worth individuals to conservatively invest in private mortgage loans, obtaining attractive returns while preserving their principal invested. The fund specializes in non-recourse financing for self-directed IRA holders looking to renovate, build new construction, or who need assistance structuring owner financing for their investment real estate transactions. He can be reached at 952-345-3445 or via email at josh.manier@ivplfund.com. Additional information can be found at www.ivplfund.com.

Source: http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/articles/investing-in-a-private-mortgage-fund-attractive-returns--passive-60525.aspx

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Budding Service Management App Mhelpdesk Hits 5K Customers

Mhelpdesk is fielding a message to small businesses: help us help you. Headaches can ensue when businesses use separate applications to manage the daunting inflow and outflow of service tickets, scheduling and billing. With little to no communication between those applications, a lot can fall through the cracks. That?s where Mhelpdesk is aiming to make a difference. Mhelpdesk merges those functions into a single unified application that it hopes will attract businesses with its simplicity and functionality.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Mx9A4k2gy-c/

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Rennard 'sex scandal' - Political Scrapbook

Nick Clegg?s version of events on the harassment allegations against Lord Rennard is unravelling at an alarming rate. The deputy prime minister had previously claimed that his office were informed of ?general concerns? regarding the party?s chief?executive?in 2008.

But with a former Lib Dem MP revealing she told the deputy prime minister about Rennard?s behaviour when he became party leader in 2007, Clegg was forced to defend himself?on a radio phone in this morning.

His poor attempt to account for this gap is already being likened to Richard Nixon:

?I can only tell you the truth as I can recollect it now?

And it got worse, with caller ?Cathy from Dulwich? turned out to be, errr, Cathy Newman from Channel 4 News, who seized on his admission that Rennard didn?t simply resign as chief executive for ?health and family reasons? as claimed at the time.?LBC producers didn?t seem to be impressed, however, and cut her off before she could follow up.

If it looks like a cover up and smells like a cover up ?

Source: http://politicalscrapbook.net/2013/02/rennard-sex-scandal-clegg-version-of-events-unravels-on-radio-phone-in/

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The New Pay As You Earn Program for Student Loans

This is a guest post by?Amanda L. Grossman, a personal finance writer and the creator of?FrugalConfessions.com.?In this post, we asked her to help explain the new Pay As You Earn Program recently launched by the Obama administration.

I remember having a financial discussion with my uncle one day over lunch. In that conversation he told me that he paid the last of his student loans off at the ripe age of 28. He had never opened up much about his financial past, though I knew he had been a writer/cartoonist/online entrepreneur since college and that sometimes he struggled to make ends meet. Still, I remember looking oddly at him from my 21-year old face because I was wondering how on earth it was that someone could hang onto their student loans until their late twenties.

Several years later, I got the opportunity to answer my own question.

I graduated from a four-year liberal arts college in 2005. Along with a diploma, great contacts, and an amazing education, I left with around $36,000 in debt. Considering the fact that tuition, room, and board at my college was $32,000 per year, I knew that I had come away with a bargain. But this did not ease the knot in my gut that had formed during my financial aid exit interview.

So how old was I when I paid off the last of my student loans? Two months shy of my 28^th birthday, just like my uncle!

I was fortunate in that I had a steady job for most of the time between graduating college and paying off the last of my loans. But even with steady employment and a low cost of living, it took me a solid five years to do so. This made me wonder: how do people afford to repay higher college loan debts than my own if they are struggling to find a job or if their level of income doesn?t match their loan payments?

A recently launched program called the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) program provides hope to some student loan borrowers who are facing financial hardship. Below, I?ll explain how this program works and who is eligible for it:

How Does the Pay As You Earn Program Work?

At its heart, the Pay As You Earn Program is intended to be a life-preserver for those who are facing difficult financial circumstances and who therefore are having a hard time paying off their student loan(s). The program allows you to pay only a percentage of your monthly income rather than the usual minimum monthly payment.

It?s true that paying federal student loans as a percentage of income earned is not a new concept ? the Income-Based Repayment Plan (IBR) and the Income-Contingent Repayment Plan (ICR) are two long-standing similar programs.

However, the Pay As You Earn Program offers more leeway on federal student loan repayments than either of these two existing plans. In an attempt to allow some breathing room, the Pay As You Earn Program gives the chance to repay loans made under the Direct Loan Program based on ability. A person?s ?ability? to pay is based on their adjusted gross income (AGI) and family size.

The formula that the government uses to determine the monthly payment expected under this program is?10% of the difference between your AGI and 150% of the Poverty Guideline for your family size. If, based on your circumstances, loan amount, and interest rate, your calculated monthly payment does not cover the interest accrued, then the government will pay your unpaid accrued interest on subsidized loans for up to three consecutive years from the date repayment begins.

Also, any remaining student loan balances after 20 years of qualifying payments will be forgiven.

Who Is Eligible for the Pay As You Earn Program?

Your eligibility depends on whether or not you have loans under the Federal Direct Loan Program, whether or not you are considered a ?new borrower? (for the purposes of this program, a ?new borrower? is defined as someone who both did not owe any money on any federal student loans as of October 1, 2007, and also received a disbursement of a Direct Loan on or after October 1, 2011), and being able to demonstrate partial financial hardship.

You have a partial financial hardship if the monthly amount you would be required to pay on your eligible federal student loans under a 10-year?Standard Repayment Plan?is higher than the monthly amount you would be required to repay under Pay As You Earn.

But how do you know if you have a financial hardship? Well, if the amount you?d be paying with a?Standard Repayment Plan?is higher than what you?d be required to pay under Pay As You Earn, then you would be eligible. So yes, it all comes down to calculations.

Financial Considerations to Make

There are some very attractive aspects of this program. First and foremost, the program will allow some student loan borrowers to make ends meet by reducing their monthly payment. Other than that, ones that, attractive aspects that jump out to me specifically are: the ability to potentially have the government subsidize interest after graduating college, that fact that capitalization of interest is limited to 10 percent of the original balance, and that your loans will be forgiven after 20 years of payments (which will reduce the number of people having to?pay off student loans off in retirement).

Smaller monthly payments also mean that your cash flow will increase. However, there are things you should consider before applying for this program:

• Any of the debt forgiven in an income-based repayment program, including Pay As You Earn, is taxable as income.
• The principle of the loan is not forgiven before 20 years, and so by making lower monthly payments you are prolonging the repayment of the loan. This means that the amount of interest paid will be substantially higher over the life of a 20-year loan than over the life of a 10-year loan (the standard repayment period). Student loan interest may be deductible; however, the deduction will not make up for the amount of extra interest you will be paying over the extended period of time.
• You must file new documentation of earnings and family size every year. This means your monthly payment could change, and you could even lose eligibility depending on natural income changes over the progression of a career (a lot can happen in 20 years!).
• Your other student loans will be on their own repayment plan, as they are not part of this program. So you could be looking at several payments to make each month.
• Your account must be in good standing in order to qualify for this program. In other words, if you have already defaulted, this may not be the option for you.

How to Apply for the Pay As You Earn Program

If you wish to apply for the Pay As You Earn Program, first get in touch with your loan servicer as they can answer any questions that you may have as well as help you to figure out if this is a good solution for you.

If you then want to apply, you will need to complete the electronic?Income-Based (IBR)/Pay As You Earn/Income-Contingent (ICR) Repayment Plan Request. You will need a PIN, a copy of last year?s tax returns (fill out IRS Form 4506-T to request a transcript), and any other documents your lender may request.

Good luck, and let us know in the comments below if you have any questions!

Image credit: andresr

This post was published by Ben, Writer and Content Strategist for ReadyForZero. ReadyForZero is a company that helps people get out of debt on their own with a simple and free online tool that can automate and track your debt paydown.

? Get ReadyForZero

Source: http://blog.readyforzero.com/pay-as-you-earn/

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Obama travels to Virginia to warn of spending cuts (Washington Bureau)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/287523127?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Rocket explodes in Israel, first attack from Gaza since November truce

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A rocket fired from Gaza exploded in Israel on Tuesday, the first such attack since a November truce, and a militant group said it launched the strike to retaliate for the death of a Palestinian in an Israeli jail.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a militant group in Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's West Bank-based Fatah movement, called the rocket a "first response" to inmate Arafat Jaradat's death in disputed circumstances on Saturday.

"We must resist our enemy by all available means," the group said in a statement emailed to reporters. "We stress our commitment to armed struggle against the Zionist enemy."

Hamas, the Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip, said it was investigating the attack, which caused no casualties and followed a surge in West Bank protests since Jaradat's death and intermittent hunger strikes by four other prisoners.

The rocket hit a road near the southern city of Ashkelon, police said. Israel responded by closing the Kerem Shalom border crossing through which produce and other goods are moved into the Gaza Strip, but it took no immediate military action.

The rocket was the first to hit Israel since a November 21 truce brokered by Egypt that ended eight days of cross-border air strikes and missile attacks in which 175 Palestinians and six Israelis were killed.

In addition to the fire from Gaza, a surge of unrest in the occupied West Bank has raised fears in Israel of a new Palestinian Intifada, or uprising.

Abbas accused Israel of inciting the unrest but urged calm.

"We did not want things to go as far as they have. We do not want tension or any escalation," Abbas said in the West Bank, in his second appeal in as many days to tamp down the violence.

TORTURE ALLEGATIONS

On Monday, thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank turned out for the funeral of Jaradat, 30, who died a week after his arrest for throwing stones at Israeli vehicles.

Palestinian officials said he had died after being tortured in prison. But Israel said an autopsy carried out in the presence of a Palestinian coroner was inconclusive.

In confrontations after the emotive funeral, Israeli police shot and wounded five Palestinian youths in Bethlehem and outside a West Bank prison, leaving a 15-year-old boy with a critical head injury, Israeli and Palestinian medics said.

An Israeli military spokeswoman, commenting on the incident, said troops had opened fire at Palestinians who threw homemade hand grenades at a Jewish holy site called Rachel's Tomb.

Before the rocket attack from Gaza, media reports said Israeli officials had hoped the Palestinian protests were winding down.

Palestinian frustration has also been fuelled by Israel's expansion of Jewish settlements in territory captured in a 1967 war and deadlocked diplomacy for a peace agreement since 2010.

The U.S. State Department said American diplomats have contacted Israeli and Palestinian leaders to appeal for calm.

The United Nations coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Robert Serry, called Tuesday's rocket fire "totally unacceptable" and urged an investigation into Jaradat's death.

(Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza; Writing by Allyn Fisher-Ilan; Editing by Jeffrey Heller)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rocket-explodes-israel-first-attack-gaza-since-truce-053441696.html

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2013 Mayor's Small Business Award Winners | Hawaii Reporter

Maui Mayor Alan M. Arakawa

REPORT FROM THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR - Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa, in conjunction with the Maui Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to announce the winners of the 2013 Mayor?s Small Business Awards, which was held February 21 at the King Kamehameha Golf Club Waikapu Ballroom.

"Small business is?Maui?County's most important economic engine, and we should never forget the sacrifices that business owners make every day to keep their businesses operating,? said Mayor Arakawa. ?They take on risk, work long hours, and put their personal assets on the line while providing jobs, services and goods to our community.??We are fortunate to have such a strong small business community in?Maui?County?and are privileged to honor them.?

This year?s nominees are an exceptional group of small businesses who are all deserving of awards.??The winners in each category are as follows:

?

Young Small Business Person of the Year

David ?Boze? Kapoi (Pride Ink)

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Exceptional Small Business (10 or fewer employees)

Paris?Nabayi (Cilantro Mexican Grill)

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Exceptional Small Business (11-25 employees)

David & Ululani Yamashiro (Ululani?s Hawaiian Shave Ice LLC)

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Exceptional Small Business (26-50 employees)

Daniel Boren (Skyline Eco-Adventures, LLC)

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Outstanding Non-Profit Business

Habitat for Humanity?Maui

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Lifetime Achievement Award

The Late Douglas Wayne ?Butch? Akina & Sandra Akina (Akina Aloha Tours)

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Mahalo to event co-sponsors Bank of Hawaii, First Hawaiian Bank, Central Pacific Bank and Muneyiko & Hiraga, INC., as well as to event supporters SCORE and VIP Food Service.

Many thanks to the Maui Chamber of Commerce for helping to co-produce the event along with the Mayor?s Office of Economic Development.

Congratulations to all 2013 Mayor?s Small Business Award Nominees and Winners.

?

Short URL: http://www.hawaiireporter.com/?p=296002

Author: Hawaii Reporter

Hawaii Reporter is an award-winning, independent Hawaii-based news and opinion journal founded in 2001 and launched in February 2002. The journal's staff have won a number of top awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, including the top investigative news reporting awards, business reporting awards, government reporting awards, and online news reporting awards. Hawaii Reporter has a weekly television news show, News Behind the News, which airs on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. and Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.

Hawaii Reporter has written 7903 articles for us.

Source: http://www.hawaiireporter.com/2013-mayors-small-business-award-winners/123

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Fans injured at NASCAR race explore legal options

A spectator, center, is transported from the grandstands by emergency personnel after Kyle Larson's car hit the safety wall and fence along the front stretch on the final lap of the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. Several fans were injured when large chunks of debris flew into the grandstands. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

A spectator, center, is transported from the grandstands by emergency personnel after Kyle Larson's car hit the safety wall and fence along the front stretch on the final lap of the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. Several fans were injured when large chunks of debris flew into the grandstands. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) ? The attorney for three NASCAR fans injured last weekend during a race the day before the Daytona 500 says they are exploring a possible lawsuit, but some experts say they could face tough obstacles in winning damages.

Matt Morgan, the Orlando-based lawyer for the fans, said at a news conference Tuesday than any suit would focus on the safety fence used along the track at Daytona International Speedway. He said he hopes to reach a settlement with NASCAR to avoid a lawsuit.

More than 30 people were injured last Saturday after a horrific wreck in a second-tier NASCAR series race sent chunks of debris, including a heavy tire, into the stands. Morgan declined to provide the identities of his clients, but said two of them were seated directly in front of the crash and sustained injuries ranging from a fractured fibula to abdominal swelling. All have been released from the hospital.

Some experts say there could be grounds for a lawsuit, and that courts have looked past liability waivers written on the backs of sporting event tickets. Others maintain the ticket is a legal contract that could be hard to overcome in court.

"Ultimately, I believe it would be gross negligence," Morgan said. "We all know that when you go to a race you assume a certain amount of risk. But what people don't assume is that a race car will come flying into the stands... That's why they make the fences."

Asked to comment on the fans' retention of a law firm, NASCAR spokesman David Higdon wrote in a statement, "We are unaware of any lawsuits filed."

Daytona International Speedway is owned by International Speedway Corp., a NASCAR sister company. Spokesman Andrew Booth said, "As per company policy, we do not comment on pending litigation."

Donnalynn Darling, a New York-based attorney who has been practicing personal injury law for 30 years, said there is a theory that a spectator who buys tickets to a sporting event assumes the risk of objects coming out of the field of play, such as a foul ball at a baseball game.

But she said there is also a foreseeable risk question that promoters of events also accept.

"Did the sporting event promoter take action to prevent that specific risk?" Darling asked. "In terms of this fence...it was put up to prevent people from being hurt. You have people who were not only injured by falling debris, but by the failure of the fence."

Others say such restrictive clauses on the back of tickets are generally disfavored by Florida courts.

"If it's just something written on the back of the ticket and not called to the attention of the person purchasing, there's reason to believe many courts in Florida won't hold that they consented efficiently," said University of Florida emeritus law professor Joseph Little.

Still, Paul Huck, an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law, said contract law could take precedence.

"A ticket to one of these events is like a contract ? and its provisions limiting liability are generally enforceable," he said. "We enter into these types of contracts on a regular basis, and we often don't give it a second thought that we may be limiting or even giving up certain legal rights when we do so."

Darling also said that the fence's manufacturer at Daytona would likely be "very much responsible" because of it being foreseeable that debris could go through a fence that has holes in it.

That seems to be theory that Morgan is adopting. He referenced a 2009 crash at NASCAR's racetrack in Talladega, Ala. in which a car that launched into the catch fence sent debris into the stands and injured several fans.

"At that point in time a group of engineers got together and they said 'It's time for us to manufacture a safer fence,'" Morgan said. "To my knowledge, that was done. But what we have to investigate at this point in time is what was done...If you can ever point to monetary considerations being put ahead of people, then there's a big problem."

Darling predicted that NASCAR would try to settle with the injured fans.

NASCAR "had an obligation to protect the fans that are so loyal, and it is bad from a public relations standpoint," Darling said. "So they're going to do something."

___

AP Auto Racing writer Jenna Fryer contributed to this report.

___

Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-26-NASCAR%20Daytona-Fans%20Injured/id-b2b0786b7b6343dab858d0614a16e04f

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Central bank clamps down on car loan financing - inSing.com

Car buyers who do not have cash up front and who rely on bank loans to finance their purchase will now find it harder to own their vehicle of choice.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore said yesterday it will re-introduce restrictions on motor vehicle loans granted by banks and financial institutions.

The changes come into effect Tuesday, 26 February 2013.

The maximum loan amount a buyer can get will depend on the open market value (OMV) of the vehicle bought.

This value is assessed by the Singapore Customs, based on the price paid or payable when the vehicle is sold for export. This price includes purchase price, freight, insurance and all other charges related to the sale and delivery of the car to Singapore.

For a vehicle with an open market value that does not exceed S$20,000, the maximum loan granted is 60 per cent of the price, including relevant taxes and the price of the Certificate of Entitlement.

For a vehicle with an open market value of more than S$20,000, the maximum loan granted is 50 per cent of the price.

SHORTER LOAN REPAYMENT PERIOD

On top of that, the repayment period for the loan will be shortened to a maximum of five years.

A check on the One Motoring website by the Land Transport Authority shows that vehicles with OMV of less than S$20,000 in 2012 include the Toyota Corolla Altis (1,600cc), Toyota Vios (1,500cc), Honda Jazz (1,300cc) and Nissan Sylphy (1,500cc), which are the models commonly sought after by the average Singapore car buyer.

The authority said in its statement that the financing restrictions are ?necessary to encourage financial prudence among buyers of motor vehicles?.

?In this prolonged environment of very low interest rates, there is greater risk of buyers over-extending themselves on motor vehicles,? the authority added.

These new limits will not apply to loans taken by buyers of commercial vehicles or those buying motorcycles.

The last time the central bank put financing restrictions on motor vehicle loans was from February 1995 to January 2003, when it capped the loan at 70 per cent of a vehicle buying price and the maximum loan repayment period was seven years.

Source: http://news.insing.com/tabloid/central-bank-clamps-car-loan/id-f16d3f00

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LOCAL RECREATIONAL RESULTS: Swimming, Gymnastics ...

LOCAL SWIMMING

NORTH DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS

Regency Park Swim Team participated in the meet on Feb. 15?17 at Chinn Aquatic and Fitness Center in Prince William County. Team finished in third place overall (Girls finished second; Boys finished third). Individual Scorers: Girls?Jordan Durocher 4th, Margo Weber 8th;Boys?Brennan Paterson 1st.

Banzon, Christina (12): 50 Breast 40.96, 5th; 100 Fly 1:24.93, 7th; 200 Back, 2:37.91, 7th;

Brown, Madison (10): 500 Free, 7:36.86, 5th; 100 Back 1:19.62, 3th; 50 Back 35.90, 1st;

Carney, Kyle (10): 100 Back 1:30.88, 4th; 200 Free, 2:52.74, 1st; 100 Free 1:20.99, 7th;

Clarkson, Annabella (11): 50 Breast 41.14, 6th; 100 Breast 1:30.95, 6th;

Cole, Nathan (9): 200 Free, 3:12.59, 5th;

Cox, Anastasia (12): 100 Free 1:06.87, 2th; 100 Back 1:17.18, 3th; 50 Back 35.24, 2th; 200 Back, 2:46.98, 4th;

Daniel, Isabella (8): 25 Breast 23.84, 3th; 50 Breast 53.48, 8th;

Darensbourg, Kennedy (10): 100 IM 1:31.44, 8th; 50 Back 42.17, 7th;

Durocher, Jordan (8): 25 Free 16.08, 2th; 100 IM 1:26.14, 1st; 100 Free 1:13.49, 1st; 50 Free 34.19, 2th; 100 Breast 1:37.10, 5th; 50 Breast 46.06, 1st;

Durocher, Troy (9): 50 Free 33.14, 6th; 100 IM 1:30.31, 5th; 100 Back 1:28.42, 7th;

Elliott, Brandon (11): 50 Back 36.62, 8th; 100 IM 1:18.58, 6th; 50 Free 30.66, 7th;

Futrell, Brenna (10): 100 Breast 1:43.83, 4th;

George, Jeffrey (11): 500 Free, 6:31.77, 2th; 200 IM, 2:46.99, 6th; 200 Back, 3:01.78, 6th;

Hudak, Cole (10): 100 IM 1:30.89, 6th; 100 Back 1:26.20, 4th; 100 Free 1:20.17, 6th; 50 Fly 38.58, 7th;

Hudak, Ryan (12): 100 Fly 1:16.13, 2th; 200 Back, 2:56.10, 5th;

Hudson, Trevor (8): 25 Free 17.06, 7th; 50 Fly 38.95, 1st; 50 Back 45.97, 8th; 50 Free 37.77, 5th; 25 Fly 18.32, 2th; 50 Breast 53.23, 3th; 25 Back 20.58, 3th;

Kilkenney, Kaylee (12): 500 Free, 6:38.17, 5th; 200 IM, 2:47.16, 2th; 200 Free, 2:31.46, 5th; 50 Free 31.50, 8th;

Koch, Nicole (11): 500 Free, 6:50.65, 8th; 200 IM, 2:41.77, 1st;

Kyer, Michael (11): 500 Free, 6:34.86, 3th; 100 Free 1:03.37, 7th; 200 IM, 2:46.25, 5th; 200 Free, 2:23.05, 1st; 200 Back, 2:47.91, 3th; 100 IM 1:17.77, 4th;

Mesick, Megan (12): 100 Back 1:21.84, 7th;

Paterson, Brennan (11): 100 Free 59.30, 1st; 50 Fly 30.47, 1st; 50 Breast 38.80, 1st; 100 Back 1:11.47, 3th; 200 Free, 2:09.40, 1st; 100 Fly 1:07.11, 1st; 100 IM 1:08.68, 1st; 50 Free 27.40, 2th;

Peck, Garrett (8): 50 Breast 55.02, 5th; 25 Back 21.92, 6th;

Peck, Kyle (7): 25 Fly 21.09, 7th;

Perdomo, Cristal (9): 500 Free, 7:07.88, 1st; 100 Fly 1:20.13, 1st; 100 Free 1:09.45, 3th;

Polanosky, Natalie (11): 200 Back, 3:08.02, 8th;

Robinson, Nia (9): 100 Fly 1:41.72, 3th;

Ross, Marissa (9): 500 Free, 7:28.78, 3th; 50 Free 32.23, 7th; 100 IM 1:21.48, 5th; 50 Breast 42.68, 2th; 100 Back 1:23.61, 1st; 50 Fly 37.07, 7th;

Ross, Noah (12): 50 Back 35.44, 6th; 100 Breast 1:33.42, 7th; 50 Free 30.02, 2th;

Sandoval, Alice (11): 50 Fly 31.28, 4th; 50 Breast 38.93, 8th; 100 Back 1:10.28, 2th; 100 Fly 1:12.13, 6th; 100 Breast 1:23.09, 4th; 100 IM 1:10.23, 1st; 50 Free 28.52, 6th;

Sandoval, Samantha (9): 100 Breast 1:47.76, 7th;

Schmidt, Valerie (12): 50 Fly 35.29, 7th; 200 Fly, 2:53.81, 3th; 100 Fly 1:17.94, 1st; 100 IM 1:20.79, 8th;

Short, Caleb (7): 25 Free 16.45, 4th; 25 Breast 25.06, 7th;

Simila, Brooke (10): 50 Breast 41.72, 1st; 100 Back 1:23.34, 7th; 200 Free, 2:37.09, 3th; 100 Free 1:11.83, 8th; 100 Breast 1:35.27, 4th; 50 Back 38.02, 7th;

Smith, Eric (12): 200 Free, 2:27.90, 8th; 100 Breast 1:21.76, 5th;

Stephens, Marquise (11): 200 Breast, 3:39.56, 7th;

Turbyfill, Andrew (10): 50 Free 33.27, 7th; 100 IM 1:28.11, 4th; 50 Breast 48.15, 4th; 100 Back 1:27.92, 5th; 50 Fly 41.45, 5th; 100 Breast 1:43.17, 1st;

Urian, Maddie (11): 200 IM, 2:47.50, 3th; 50 Back 36.82, 7th;

Weber, Margo (12): 100 Free 1:01.25, 4th; 200 IM, 2:34.86, 5th; 100 Back 1:11.48, 6th; 50 Back 32.82, 4th; 200 Back, 2:32.51, 1st; 100 IM 1:11.13, 2th; 50 Free 27.91, 4th;

Wilcox, Justin (12): 100 Free 1:03.22, 1st; 50 Breast 37.02, 3th; 100 Back 1:16.40, 3th; 50 Back 34.34, 7th; 200 Back, 2:37.34, 1st; 50 Free 29.01, 8th;

Wilcox, Macy (9): 200 IM, 3:11.43, 8th;

Yankovich, Katrina (12): 500 Free, 5:59.24, 3th; 200 IM, 2:36.27, 7th; 50 Breast 38.65, 7th; 200 Back, 2:37.20, 5th; 100 IM 1:12.70, 5th;

Yazdi, Shahin (10): 50 Breast 49.71, 8th; 100 Breast 1:45.02, 3th;

NORTH DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Sharks Swim Team participated in the meet on Feb. 15?17 at the Chinn Aquatic and Fitness Center.

Born, Isabel (11): 200 Breast, 3:17.79, third; 50 Breast, 41.33, seventh; 100 Breast, 1:29.83, fourth

Born, Sarah (9): 100 Back, 1:29.73, second; 100 Breast, 1:45.29, fifth

Day, John (8): 50 Breast, 57.46, seventh

Foley, Sean (12): 500 Free, 6:50.73, eighth; 200 Back, 2:56.02, fourth

Friend, Aaron (9): 50 Back, 42.63, third

Leaman, Olivia (12): 50 Breast, 38.51,first; 200 Free, 2:18.82, eighth; 100 IM, 1:12.58, fourth

Lohr, Dylan (12): 500 Free, 6:39.88, sixth; 50 Fly, 31.88, fourth; 100 Back, 1:14.43, seventh; 100 Fly, 1:13.97, sixth; 50 Back, 33.44, third; 50 Free, 28.95, seventh

Morrison, Hannah (11): 200 Breast, 3:21.55, fifth

Mueller, Steven (12): 200 Breast, 3:46.75, eighth

Sherwood, Matt (12): 100 Free, 1:04.08, second; 50 Fly, 35.48, sixth; 200 IM, 2:44.57, third; 100 Back, 1:18.95, eighth; 200 Free, 2:25.53, third; 50 Back, 34.92, fourth; 100 IM, 1:16.01, second

Smolen, Daryn (11): 50 Free, 30.44, second

Williams, Trey (9): 200 IM, 3:37.54, third; 100 Fly, 1:45.06, third; 200 Free, 3:17.67, seventh

NORTH DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP

Tsunami Swimming participated in the meet held at the Chinn Aquatic and Fitness Center in Woodbridge. Fourteen New Tsunami Team Records were broken at the North District meet, Abigail Cook set sixs, Annika Luce set three New Team Records, Courtney Wolfgang set two New Team Records, Michael Luce and Cameron Murray each set one New Team Record. The 11-12 Boys 400 Free Relay also set a New Team Record.

Ainsley Allred G(10): 100 Breast 1:41.89 2nd.

Abigail Cook G (10): 500 Free 6:50.68 1st, 200 Free 2:39.66 4th, 100 Back 1:19.78 5th, 50 Free 31.90 5th,,200 IM 3:06.08 5th,,100 IM 1:24.23 6th,,100 Free 1:11.48 7th,, 50 Fly 43.03 7th, 50 Back 38.04 8th.

Ben Eckerson B(9): 200 Free 3:07.52 3rd.

KATIE Fiddler G(8): 25 Breast 25.41 7th.

Sierra Gibson G(12): 100 Back 1:17.01 2nd, 200 Back 2:40.67 2nd, 50 Fly 35.20 6th, 500 Free 6:15.42 7th, 50 Free 29.20.

Annika Luce G(8): 200 IM 3:19.26 2nd, 50 Back 42.87 2nd,,25 Free 16.46 3rd, 100 Free 1:26.82 4th,100 IM 1:40.23 5th, 25 Back 20.73 5th, 25 Fly 20.15 6th, 50 Fly 47.13 7th.

Ashlety Luce G(8): 200 IM 3:52.01 3rd, 20 Breast 25.24 6th, 100 IM 1:45.87 8th, 100 Free 1:36.42 8th.

Michael Luce B(8): 25 Free 15.80 3rd, 100 Free 1:26.61 3rd, 200 Free 3:12.56 4th, 25 Breast 23.55 5th, 25 Fly 19.67 5th, 50 Free 38.48 6th.

Ryan McOsker B(7): 25 Back 20.51 2nd, 100 Free 1:33.31 7th, 200 Free 3:31.42 8th.

Cameron Murray B(10): 50 Back 36.79 1st, 50 Fly 34.89 1st, 100 Fly 1:18.90 1st, 500 Free 7:24.00, 1st, 50 Free 33.11 2nd, 100 Back 1:23.30 2nd, 200 IM 3:16.81 5th, 100 IM 1:31.62 7th.

Joe Stephens B(12): 100 Back 1:09.41 1st, 200 Back 2:24.47 1st, 50 Fly 31.18 3rd, 400 IM 5:28.14 3rd, 50 Free 27.65 3rd, 200 IM 2:37.73 4th, 100 Free 1:02.03 5th, 100 IM 1:11.30 200 Free 2:15.39 6th.

Jacob Talkington B(12): 100 Free 1:07.92 7th.

Courtney Wolfgang G(12): 50 Fly 30.06 1st, 200 Fly 2:36.78 1st,100 Fly 1:10.21 1st, 200 Back 2:18.14 2nd.

11-12 Boys 400 Free Relay: 4:45.41 6th (J Stephens, J Talkington, A Plonka, D Wheeler)

NORTHERN DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Rappahannock Area YMCA Stingrays (RAYS) participated in the meet (12 & Under Champs) on Feb. 15?17 at the Chinn Aquatic and Fitness Center in Prince William County. Overall, the RAYS finished first as a team, with the girls finishing first, the boys finishing second. Individual scores, the following RAYS swimmers finished: Michaela Sizemore 5th, Kinsey Brooks and Makayla Williams tied for 8th in the female category, and Chase Hensen 6th and Patrick Pins 9th in the male category.

Eden Baroody (10): 10 & Under 100 Back 1:36.49Y 8th; 10 & Under 200 Free 3:04.64Y 8th.

John Baroody (8): 8 & Under 50 Fly 49.00Y 4th; 8 & Under 100 Free 1:31.45Y 5th; 8 & Under 50 Free 40.15Y 7th; 8 & Under 50 Breast 55.21Y 6th.

Devin Bateman (9): 9-10 50 Free 33.36Y 3rd; 10 & Under 100 Fly 1:29.42Y 3rd; 9-10 100 IM 1:27.43Y 2nd; 9-10 50 Breast 47.38Y 2nd; 10 & Under 100 Back 1:31.51Y 6th; 9-10 100 Free 1:21.21Y 8th; 9-10 100 Free 1:21.21Y 8th; 9-10 50 Fly 37.10Y 5th.

Ian Bennett (7): 8 & Under 50 Fly 58.07Y 5th.

Connor Brooks (11): 11-12 50 Back 36.22Y 7th.

Kinsey Brooks (10): 9-10 200 IM 2:48.97Y 1st; 10 & Under 100 Fly 1:23.88Y 5th; 9-10 100 IM 1:18.25Y 2nd; 10 & Under 100 Back 1:18.25Y 2nd; 9-10 100 Free 1:08.68Y 1st.

Nicholas Brooks (12): 11-12 200 Breast 3:16.59Y 5th;

Olav Brooks (8): 8 & Under 50 Fly 43.90Y 3rd; 8 & Under 100 IM 1:37.82Y 3rd; 8 & Under 25 Breast 24.36Y 6th; 8 & Under 50 Back 45.02Y 4th.

Tessa Campbell (9): 9-10 100 IM 1:31.31Y 7th; 9-10 50 Back 40.77Y 2nd.

Carlie Clements (8): 8 & Under 100 Free 1:21.18Y 4th; 8 & Under 50 Free 36.09Y 4th; 8 & Under 50 Breast 47.13Y 3rd; 8 & Under 25 Back 19.66Y 1st.

Abby Dickinson (10): 9-10 200 IM 3:24.89Y 7th; 10 & Under 200 Free 3:00.99Y 4th.

Sydney Duffy (10): 9-10 50 Free 32.95Y 1st; 9-10 50 Breast 47.75Y 7th.

Logan Euker (9): 9-10 50 Free 34.70Y 7th; 9-10 100 IM 1:27.60Y 3rd; 9-10 50 Breast 43.83Y 2nd; 10 & Under 100 Breast 1:35.53Y 2nd; 9-10 50 Back 43.90Y 7th.

Moira Euker (11): 11-12 500 Free 6:32.59Y 3rd; 11-12 100 Free 1:06.96Y 3rd; 11-12 200 Free 2:27.48Y 3rd.

Bayley Furuie (12): 11-12 200 Breast 3:15.79Y 3rd; 11-12 50 Breast 41.87Y 7th; 11-12 100 Breast 1:29.66Y 2nd.

Kayla Geller (12): 11-12 200 Breast 3:35.57Y 8th.

Josh Gilbert (12): 11-12 50 Back 34.86Y 3rd; 11-12 100 IM 1:18.99Y 8th; 11-12 50 Free 29.67Y 1st.

Maggie Heath (10): 9-10 200 IM 2:50.81Y 2nd; 9-10 50 Free 31.15Y 2nd; 9-10 100 IM 1:20.09Y 4th; 9-10 50 Breast 44.79Y 8th; 10 & Under 200 Free 2:32.06Y 2nd; 9-10 100 Free 1:09.74Y 4th.

Pam Heiken (8): 8 & Under 25 Free 17.37Y 7th; 8 & Under 50 Fly 45.61Y 4th; 8 & Under 50 Back 45.39Y 4th; 8 & Under 25 Fly 19.04Y 3rd; 8 & Under 25 Back 20.13Y 2nd.

Chase Hensen (10): 9-10 50 Free 31.42Y 2nd; 9-10 100 IM 1:25.64Y 5th; 9-10 50 Breast 43.76Y 1st; 10 & Under 100 Back 1:19.08Y 1st; 10 & Under 200 Free 2:34.16Y 2nd; 9-10 100 Free 1:08.58Y 2nd; 10 & Under 100 Breast 1:36.82Y 6th; 9-10 50 Back 38.05Y 3rd.

Cole Hensen (12): 11-12 100 Free 1:00.99Y 4th; 11-12 200 IM 2:38.77Y 2nd; 11-12 100 Back 1:12.75Y 4th; 11-12 200 Free 2:16.27Y 7th; 11-12 200 Free 2:16.27Y 7th; 11-12 50 Back 33.60Y 5th.

Tyler Hilderbrand (10): 10 & Under 100 Breast 1:48.79Y 5th.

Celia Howell (12): 11-12 100 Free 1:07.67Y 6th; 11-12 50 Fly 35.75Y 8th; 11-12 100 Back 2:40.83Y 3rd; 11-12 200 Back 2:40.83Y 3rd.

Sarah Hybl (10): 9-10 200 IM 3:07.34Y 6th; 9-10 50 Free 32.03Y 6th; 10 & Under 100 Fly 1:26.89Y 7th; 10 & Under 100 Back 1:19.77Y 4th; 9-10 100 Free 1:11.25Y 6th; 9-10 50 Fly 35.34Y 2nd; 9-10 50 Back 37.14Y 6th.

Alex Johnson (12): 11-12 50 Back 36.44Y 6th; 11-12 100 IM 1:19.97Y 7th.

Georgia Johnson (11): 11-12 500 Free 6:10.05Y 6th; 11-12 100 Free 1:02.86Y 8th; 11-12 50 Fly 33.90Y 2nd; 11-12 200 Free 2:16.89Y 5th; 11-12 50 Back 33.81Y 7th.

Bridger Johnston (11): 11-12 100 Free 1:05.32Y 3rd; 11-12 50 Fly 36.02Y 7th; 11-12 200 IM 2:48.29Y 8th; 11-12 50 Breast 40.83Y 7th.

Hunter Johnston (8): 8 & Under 50 Back 45.74Y 7th.

Joan Leist (11): 11-12 100 Fly 1:23.49Y 5th.

Erin Lipkin (11): 11-12 100 Free 1:05.89Y 1st; 11-12 200 IM 2:51.25Y 8th; 11-12 200 Free 2:30.26Y 4th; 11-12 100 IM 1:19.04Y 6th;

Aly Lodigiani (12): 11-12 500 Free 5:59.31Y 4th; 11-12 200 Free 2:15.50Y 4th.

Gillian Mansfield (11): 11-12 100 Breast 1:28.01Y 2nd; 11-12 100 IM 1:16.37Y 1st.

Anna Mead (9): 9-10 50 Breast 43.33Y 4th; 10 & Under 100 Breast 1:34.78Y 3rd; 9-10 50 Back 37.70Y 5th.

Makenna Moore (12): 11-12 100 Free 1:07.95Y 8th; 11-12 100 Back 1:21.86Y 8th.

Reilly Moore (10): 10 & Under 100 Fly 1:22.64Y 2nd; 9-10 50 Breast 46.51Y 2nd; 10 & Under 200 Free 2:42.52Y 7th; 9-10 50 Fly 35.71Y 4th.

Adam Morrison (11): 11-12 50 Breast 40.49Y 5th.

Kelly Morrison (8): 8 & Under 25 Free 16.72Y 4th; 8 & Under 100 IM 1:42.97Y 6th.

Patrick Pins (10): 9-10 200 IM 2:45.66Y 1st; 9-10 50 Free 30.21Y 1st; 9-10 100 IM 1:17.66Y 1st; 10 & Under 200 Free 2:32.22Y 1st; 9-10 100 Free 1:08.86Y 3rd; 9-10 50 Fly 38.92Y 1st.

Genevieve Ross (12): 11-12 50 Fly 34.10Y 3rd; 11-12 50 Breast 41.73Y 8th; 11-12 100 Fly 1:24.98Y 8th; 11-12 50 Free 30.38Y 1st.

William Ross (9): 9-10 50 Free 34.66Y 6th.

Mikayla Saar (8): 8 & Under 50 Back 48.45Y 8th.

Rebecca Saar (12): 8 & Under 50 Back 48.45Y 8th.

Martin Schalk (9): 9-10 50 Free 31.86Y 3rd; 9-10 100 IM 1:27.12Y 6th; 9-10 50 Breast 49.23Y 7th; 9-10 100 Free 1:10.77Y 6th; 9-10 50 Back 42.13Y 2nd.

Caitlyn Segrest (10): 9-10 100 Free 1:15.14Y 1st.

Michaela Sizemore (11): 11-12 400 IM 5:10.45Y 1st; 11-12 100 Free 1:01.01Y 1st; 11-12 50 Fly 31.60Y 6th; 11-12 200 IM 2:33.25Y 3rd; 11-12 50 Breast 37.54Y 3rd; 11-12 100 Fly 1:11.51Y 4th; 11-12 100 Breast 1:23.19Y 5th; 11-12 50 Free 28.84Y 8th.

Caroline Storen (11): 11-12 100 Breast 1:29.83Y 4th.

Kayla Surles (11): 11-12 200 Breast 3:12.80Y 2nd.

Natalie Szenas (9): 9-10 100 IM 1:28.15Y 1st; 10 & Under 100 Back 1:32.73Y 4th; 9-10 50 Fly 39.50Y 1st; 10 & Under 100 Breast 1:42.42Y 3rd.

Hannah Tse (8): 8 & Under 50 Fly 46.35Y 6th; 8 & Under 25 Breast 25.78Y 8th; 8 & Under 50 Back 47.50Y 6th.

Madilyn Walker (12): 11-12 50 Fly 30.40Y 2nd; 11-12 200 IM 2:27.87Y 1st; 11-12 50 Breast 40.31Y 4th; 11-12 100 Back 1:10.55Y 4th.

Shay Walker (10): 10 & Under 100 Fly 1:23.39Y 4th; 10 & Under 100 Back 1:15.46Y 1st; 10 & Under 200 Free 2:28.78Y 1st.

Stephen Wallach Jr (11): 11-12 500 Free 6:27.37Y 1st; 11-12 100 Free 1:07.45Y 6th; 11-12 200 Breast 3:01.77Y 2nd; 11-12 50 Breast 39.42Y 4th; 11-12 200 Free 2:26.88Y 6th; 11-12 100 IM 1:18.46Y 5th.

Ashley Wang (8): 8 & Under 100 Free 1:14.55Y 2nd; 8 & Under 50 Free 33.61Y 1st; 8 & Under 25 Fly 17.04Y 1st; 8 & Under 50 Breast 46.70Y 2nd.

Helen Wang (10): 9-10 200 IM 2:51.00Y 3rd; 9-10 500 Free 6:51.63Y 2nd; 9-10 100 Free 1:09.10Y 2nd; 9-10 50 Fly 34.71Y 1st; 10 & Under 100 Breast 1:34.15Y 2nd.

Makayla Williams (8): 8 & Under 25 Free 17.09Y 5th; 8 & Under 50 Fly 44.98Y 3rd; 8 & Under 100 IM 1:36.61Y 2nd; 8 & Under 50 Back 48.27Y 7th; 8 & Under 100 Free 1:22.33Y 3rd; 8 & Under 50 Free 36.64Y 6th; 8 & Under 25 Fly 19.00Y 2nd; 8 & Under 25 Back 20.93Y 6th.

Fiona Williamson (8): 8 & Under 50 Fly 47.43Y 8th; 8 & Under 100 IM 1:43.87Y 7th; 10 & Under 200 Free 3:07.96Y 8th; 8 & Under 25 Back 21.84Y 7th.

Allison Yablonski (11): 11-12 100 Free 1:07.31Y 5th; 11-12 200 Free 2:32.61Y 8th; 11-12 50 Free 31.24Y 6th.

LOCAL GYMNASTICS

EXCALIBUR CUP

Stafford Royals gymnasts competed at the meet on Feb. 15?17 hosted by Excalibur Gymnastics at the Virginia Beach Convention Center:

LEVEL 4

Kaitlyn Lawson (ChA): Floor 8.950 5th

Nora Peters (JrB): Vault 9.100 5th, Uneven Bars 9.350 3rd, Balance Beam 8.725 4th, All-Around 35.525 6th Gianni Morgan (JrB): Vault 9.150 4th

Kaelan Beggan (SrA): Vault 9.150 5th

Alexis Lingerman (SrB): Vault 9.150 3rd

LEVEL 5 (Team: 11th out of 23):

Mackenzie Fox (ChB): Uneven Bars 9.30 3rd, Balance Beam 9.225 5th

Breana Spain (JrA): Vault 9.15 3rd, Uneven Bars 9.525 1st, Balance Beam 9.40 3rd, All-Around 37.075 2nd

Emily Grooms (JrA): Uneven Bars 9.40 4th, Balance Beam 9.40 5th, Floor 9.20 5th, All-Around 36.725 5th

Lizzie Cole (JrB): Vault 8.70 6th, Uneven Bars 9.35 3rd

Jamie Macecevic (SrA): Vault 9.05 4th

LEVEL 6

Madison Klump (JrA): Uneven Bars 8.90 2nd

Karrie Stuchell (SrA): Vault 9.050 4th, Uneven Bars 8.45 3rd

Lauren Shaner (SrA): Vault 8.950 6th

Leah Morgan (SrB): Uneven Bars 8.35 4th, Floor 8.30 5th, All-Around 32.725 6th

Rachel Hunter (SrB): Balance Beam 8.60 6th

Kayla Rice (SrB): Vault 9.275 1st, Uneven Bars 8.70 1st

LEVEL 7

Brianna Arre (ChB): Vault 8.85 4th, Uneven Bars 8.20 6th, Balance Beam 9.275 6th, All=Around 35.325 6th

Katherine Pontarelli (SrB): Vault 9.000 5th, Balance Beam 9.025 5th, Floor 9.150 3rd

Faith Kelley (SrB): Uneven Bars 8.10 4th, All-Around 34.050 6th (tie)

LEVEL 8

Abigail Whitehead (Ch): Uneven Bars 9.50 1st, All-Around 35.850 4th

Brooke Hensen (SrB): Vault 8.775 4th, Floor 9.150 2nd, All-Around 33.675 5th

Aaliyah Kerr (SrB): Vault 9.275 1st, Uneven Bars 9.50 1st, Balance Beam 9.40 1st, Floor 9.350 1st, All-Around 37.525 1st

VIRGINIA ALL-STARS ? INTERMEDIATE

Ayzjah Mercer (Ch): Balance Beam 8.200 6th (tie), Floor 9.000 2nd

Brooke Keyes (Jr): Balance Beam 8.675 6th

Rachel Reisenfeld (SrA): Uneven Bars 8.900 2nd (tie), Balance Beam 8.925 2nd, All-Around 34.100 6th

VIRGINIA ALL-STARS ? ADVANCED

Anna Jordan (Jr): Uneven Bars 9.100 2nd, Balance Beam 8.925 6th, All-Around 35.925 5th

Hailey Roman (Jr): Balance Beam 9.225 3rd, Floor 9.200 5th, All-Around 35.825 6th

Alysia Gray (Sr): Uneven Bars 9.150 5th, Balance Beam 9.000 5th, Floor 9.100 6th; All-Around 36.175 6th

Caroline Posillico (Sr): Floor 9.175 5th

Sabrina Surles (Sr): Uneven Bars 9.250 4th

HAMPTON VA SPORTS FESTIVAL

Gymnasts from Paragon Training Center competed in the meet, hosted by Gymnastics, Inc., in Hampton on Feb. 16.

ALL STAR NOVICE

Kailey Carreno (6-7): Vault 7.95, 6th; Bars 8.45, 6th; AA 32.525, 6th

Emily Stoltenberg (6-7): Beam 8.35, 6th; Floor 8.2, 5th

Samantha Potts (8 Jr): Vault 9.525, 2nd; Bars 9.05, 4th; Beam 9.5, 1st; Floor 9.5, 1st; AA 37.575, 1st

Madison Harris-Bowman (8 Jr): Vault 9.575, 1st; Bars 9.425, 1st; Beam 9.15, 5th; Floor 9.15, 4th; AA 37.3, 2nd

Lacey Wilson (8 Jr): Bars 9.05, 5th; Floor 9.0, 6th

Makenna Simpson (8 Sr): Bars 8.45, 6th; Floor 9.1, 3rd

Martha Stitt (9): Vault 8.7, 6th; Bars 9.3, 2nd; Floor 8.65, 5th; AA 35.725, 5th

Kayla Horn (9): Bars 8.6, 5th

Lauren Bartyczak (10): Vault 9.45, 1st; Bars 9.475, 1st; AA 36.5, 3rd

Bella Stofka (10): Floor 8.9, 6th

ALL STAR INTERMEDIATE

Paige McElrath (7-9): Vault 7.75, 3rd; Bars 8.05, 4th; Beam 8.4, 4th; Floor 8.65, 4th; AA 32.85, 4th

Cameron Lyons (10): Vault 8.2, tied 5th; Bars 8.4, 4th; Floor 8.95, 2nd; AA 33.95, 6th

Isabella Cranshaw (11): Vault 8.6, tied 3rd, Floor 9.4, tied 2nd

Sarah Fleming (11): Bars 9.025, 1st; Floor 8.65, 6th; AA 34.6, 5th

Ashley Pelligrino (12): Vault 8.525, 4th; Bars 9.05, 1st; Beam 8.1, 5th; Floor 9.2, 2nd; AA 34.875, 3rd

Jocelyn Conroe (13): Vault 8.9, 3rd; Bars 9.125, 2nd; Beam 8.55, 3rd; Floor 9.25, 1st; AA 35.825, 2nd

Masey Low (13): Vault 9, 2nd; Bars 9.275, 1st; Beam 9.05, 2nd; Floor 9.15, 3rd; AA 36.475, 1st

Sydney Nickens (14+): Vault 9.1, 1st; Bars 9.65, 1st; Beam 8.9, tied 3rd; Floor 9.2, 2nd; AA 36.85, 1st

Brittany Krohmer (14+): Vault 9, 2nd; Bars 9.075, 4th; Beam 8.525, 5th; Floor 9.15, tied 3rd; AA 35.75, 4th

Kaitlin McClullen (14+): Bars 8.65, 5th; Beam 8.45, 6th; Floor 9.15, tied 3rd; AA34.2, 6th

Arianna Ponce (14+): Vault 8.75, 3rd; Bars 9.1, 3rd; Beam 9.05, 2nd; Floor 9, 5th; AA 35.9, 3rd

Diana Chavez (14+): Vault 8.2, 5th

EXCALIBUR CUP

Gymnasts from Paragon Training Center competed in the meet, hosted by Excalibur Gymnastics, in Virginia Beach, on Feb. 15?17.

LEVEL 4 (teamd 1st)

Lauren Moss (Child A): Vault 8.875, 5th; Bars 9.3, tied 3rd; Beam 8.75, 3rd; Floor 9.1, 3rd; AA 36.025, 3rd

Aubrey Nagy (Child B): Vault 9.25, 1st; Beam 8.95, 6th; AA 36.1, 6th

Camille Trotta (Child B): Bars 9.5, 2nd

Hannah Grau (Child B): Vault 9.2, tied 2nd

Deana Harris (Jr A): Vault 9.05, 6th; Bars 9.625, 2nd; Floor 9.4, 1st; AA 36.8, 2nd

Violet Fanara (Jr A): Vault 9.275, 1st; Bars 9.85, 1st; Floor 9.15, tied 5th; AA 36.425, 5th

Gabby Henning (Jr A): Vault 9.1, 4th; Bars 9.55, tied 4th

Kayleigh DiMattio (Jr A): Beam 9.1, 1st

Sophia Housand (Jr B): Bars 9.9, 1st; Beam 9.325, 2nd; Floor 9.5, tied 1st; AA 37.525, tied 1st

Kourtnie White (Jr B): Vault 9.4, 1st; Bars 9.75, 2nd; Beam 9.25, 3rd; AA 37.45, 3rd

Mailee Roberts (Jr B): Vault 9.225, 3rd; Bars 9.5, 4th; Floor 9.1, 6th; AA 36.825, 4th

Rachel Turman (Sr A): Vault 9.45, 1st; Bars 9.925, 1st; Beam 9.125, 2nd; Floor 9.35, tied 2nd; AA 37.85, 1st

Sara Miranda (Sr A): Vault 9.225, tied 4th; Bars 9.75, 2nd; Beam 9.1, tied 3rd; Floor, 9.45, 1st; AA 37.525, 2nd

Meghan Broyan (Sr A): Bars 9.65, 3rd; Beam 9.1, tied 3rd; Floor 9.35, tied 2nd; AA 37.225, 3rd

Samantha Tollefson (Sr A): Vault 9.275, 2nd; Beam 8.9, 6th; Floor 9.175, 6th; AA 36.35, 5th

Mia Allison (Sr A): Vault 9.15, 6th; Bars 9.2, tied 6th; AA 36.125, 6th

Maya Moffett (Sr A): Vault 9.225, tied 4th

Mazie Rudloff (Sr B): Vault 9.325, 1st; Bars 9.5, tied 4th; Beam 8.925, 6th; Floor 9.3, 2nd; AA 37.05, 2nd

Aurelia Manzanedo (Sr B): Vault 9.15, 5th; Bars 9.65, 1st; Beam 9.1, 3rd; Floor 9.6, 1st; AA 36.9, 4th

LEVEL 5 (teamd 2nd)

Kaylie Sutton (Child A): Vault 8.95, 4th; Bars 9.9, 1st; Beam 8.95, tied 5th; Floor 9.45, 2nd; AA 37.25, tied 1st

Peyton Van Dyk (Child A): Vault 8.85, 5th; Bars 9.45, 3rd; Beam 9.35, 1st; Floor 9.6, 1st; AA 37.25, tied 1st

Anneliese Koenig (Child A): Vault 9.1, 1st; Bars 9.4, 4th; Beam 8.95, tied 5th; Floor 9.425, 3rd; AA 36.875, 3rd

Rayla Buckner (Child A): Vault 8.5, tied 6th; Bars 9.25, 5th; Beam 9.0, 4th; Floor 9.325, 4th; AA 36.075, 4th

Zoe Gayle (Child A): Floor 9.075, 6th

Madelyn Miller (Child B): Vault 8.8, tied 4th; Bars 9.35, 1st; Beam 9.075, 3rd; Floor 9.2, tied 4th; AA 36.425, 2nd

Alley Arnold (Junior A): Vault 9.0, tied 4th; Bars 9.775, 1st; Floor 9.375, 1st; AA 36.95, 2nd

Trinity Luxeder (Junior A): Vault 9.1, tied 1st; Bars 9.55, 2nd; Beam 8.925, 6th; Floor 9.3, 4th; AA 36.875, 3rd

Paige Lingo (Junior A): Bars 9.2, 5th

Zayda Rodriguez (Junior B): Vault 9.225, 3rd; Bars 9.725, tied 1st; Beam 8.925, 6th; Floor 9.3, tied 5th; AA 37.175, 2nd

Chloe Bullock (Junior B): Vault 9.2, 4th; Bars 9.3 4th; Beam 9.15, 4th; AA 36.775, 3rd

Angela Potts (Junior B): Bars 9.725, tied 1st; Beam 9.0, 5th; AA 36.725, 4th

Harmony Derrick (Senior A): Vault 8.875, 2nd; Bars 9.275, 2nd; Beam 8.75, tied 5th; Floor 9.375, tied 1st; AA 36.275, 2nd

Kayleigh Turner (Senior A): Vault 8.55, tied 4th; Bars 9.25, tied 3rd; Beam 9.175, 1st; AA 35.825, 3rd

Ashley Young (Senior B): Vault 9.0, 2nd; Bars 9.475, 1st; Beam 8.9, 4th; Floor 9.5, 2nd; AA 36.875, 1st

Shelby Lam (Senior B): Vault 9.1, 1st; Bars 9.4, tied 2nd; Beam 9.0, 3rd; Floor 9.125, 4th; AA 36.625, 2nd

Kailey Schoolfield (Senior B): Bars 9.4, tied 2nd; Beam 9.15, tied 1st; Floor 9.275, 3rd; AA 36.125, 3rd

Makala Purifoy (Senior B): Vault 8.825, 3rd; Bars 9.15, 4th; Beam 8.85, 5th; AA 35.150, 4th

Erin Davenport (Senior B): Vault 8.65, 4th; Bars 8.55, tied 5th; Floor 8.8, 5th; AA 34.45, 6th

LEVEL 6 (teamd 4th)

Carly Baker (Jr A): Vault 9.175, 6th; Bars 9.325, 2nd; Beam 8.95, 1st; AA 36.15, 2nd

Kameryn Daniels (Jr A): Vault 9.25, 4th; Bars 9.35, 1st; Beam 8.9, tied 2nd; Floor 9.175, 1st; AA 36.675, 1st

Mia Hall (Jr B): Bars 9.15, 2nd; AA 34.625, 6th

Haylee Randall (Jr B): Vault 9.15, 2nd; Beam 8.55, 5th

Abigail Taber (Jr B): Vault 9.3, 1st; Bars 9.0, 3rd; Beam 8.5, tied 6th; Floor 8.875, 3rd; AA 35.675, 2nd

Annabelle Parker (Sr B): Vault 9.275, 4th; Beam 8.825, 3rd; AA 35.2, tied 4th

McKenna Whitesell (Sr B): Vault 9.375, 2nd; Bars 9.1, 2nd; Beam 9.0, 1st; Floor 9.35, 1st; AA 36.825, 1st

BASKETBALL

YOUTH FOUL SHOOTING CONTEST

Stafford Parks and Recreation

8?9 girls: 1. Brooklyn Duncan; 2. Isabella Richards; 3. Amber McComber.

8?9 boys: 1. Dawson McKoy; 2. Deshawn Henderson; 3. Andrew Goodman.

10?11 girls: 1. Morgan Dugan; 2. Lorelei Griffis; 3. Sierra Barbee.

10?11 boys: 1. Trevor Franklin; 2. Nevan Moran; 3. Ayden Jessee.

12?13 girls: 1. Amiah Mitchell.

12?13 boys: 1. Brian Diaz; 2. Maurice Johnson; 3. Andrew Merrow.

14?17 boys: 1. Angel McComber.

14?17 boys: 1. C, J. Kannan; 2. Cullen Johnson; 3. Tyler Rohrman.

Permalink: http://news.fredericksburg.com/sports/2013/02/25/local-recreational-results-swimming-gymnastics-basketball/

Source: http://news.fredericksburg.com/sports/2013/02/25/local-recreational-results-swimming-gymnastics-basketball/

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Florida town remembers Trayvon Martin a year after killing

SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) - A year after the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager in this central Florida town, there is a small memorial, a new police chief and an effort to improve race relations.

Trayvon Martin, 17, was gunned down on February 26, 2012, as he walked to his father's fiancee's home in one of Sanford's gated communities. The man accused of his killing, George Zimmerman, 28, a white Hispanic on neighborhood watch, is set to be tried on June 10.

A judge could grant immunity to Zimmerman at a pre-trial hearing on April 29 under Florida's controversial Stand Your Ground law, which allows people to use lethal force in self defense if they are in fear of serious bodily harm.

Martin's death drew top-tier civil rights leaders, such as the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, who brought a national spotlight to this town just north of Orlando and not far from Disney World.

That spotlight forced the town of 53,000 to confront police work that seemed to be a throwback to the days of separate and resolutely unequal racial sensibilities.

"This situation, with all eyes on Sanford is making them (city leaders) do something about it now," said Cindy Philemon, 49, who helps run the local black heritage museum and welcome center.

A year later Martin's family says it does not want the case considered in racial terms. "We don't want people to see this as a black kid. I want people to see this as a teenager ... who was walking, minding his own business," Martin's mother, Sabrina Fulton, told the NPR radio show "Tell Me More" on Monday night.

Despite the pain of losing her son, Fulton said she was glad that a debate had opened up about Florida's Stand Your Ground law.

The family is backing an amendment to the law seeking to restrict its application. "You can't follow, pursue and chase anyone, be the aggressor, have a confrontation with him, shoot and kill him, and then go home to your bed and nothing happens," she said.

During the weekend, volunteers in the black community hastily worked to complete a modest memorial of stuffed animals, cards and crosses in time to remember the first anniversary of Martin's shooting. It has also become a way for Sanford to remember the many other black victims of violence whose stories largely went untold.

City Manager Norton Bonaparte, who is black, said Sanford had begun to tackle deep-seated problems between police and the black community that were exposed in public forums after Martin's death.

"In honoring Trayvon's life, we have to make ourselves a better community," Bonaparte said.

The police chief at the time of Martin's shooting lost his job over criticism that his department and prosecutors chose not to charge or arrest Zimmerman.

The new chief starts his job in April.

"Now, it's like the police are getting more involved in being with the community," Philemon said. "They are starting to do their part in interacting with us. They say there is not as many shootings as there once was."

Another resident, Thelma Holmes, 62, agreed saying, "It is better than what it was before, because we had a lot of killings of young men ... The people and the police, they're both trying."

Trayvon's death will not be forgotten.

"It started people to come forward. So his death is not going to be in vain," Philemon said. "And he will always be remembered."

Martin's parents and lawyers will be in New York City, not Sanford, to hold a candlelight vigil on Tuesday night.

Zimmerman, who is charged with second-degree murder, was granted bond and ordered to surrender his passport, agree to be electronically monitored, reside in Seminole County, and observe a nighttime curfew.

(Editing by David Adams, Leslie Gevirtz and Bill Trott)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/florida-town-remembers-trayvon-martin-killing-034053549.html

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Prenatal DHA reduces early preterm birth and low birth weight

Feb. 25, 2013 ? University of Kansas researchers have found that the infants of mothers who were given 600 milligrams of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA during pregnancy weighed more at birth and were less likely to be very low birth weight and born before 34 weeks gestation than infants of mothers who were given a placebo. This result greatly strengthens the case for using the dietary supplement during pregnancy.

The results are from the first five years of a 10-year, double-blind randomized controlled trial to be published in the April issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and online Feb. 20. A follow-up of this sample of infants is ongoing to determine whether prenatal DHA nutritional supplementation will benefit children's intelligence and school readiness.

"A reduction in early preterm and very low birth weight delivery could have clear clinical and public health significance," said Susan Carlson, A.J. Rice Professor of Dietetics and Nutrition at the University of Kansas Medical Center, who directed the study with John Colombo, University of Kansas professor of psychology and director of the Life Span Institute.

"We believe that supplementing U.S. women with DHA could safely increase mean birth weight and gestational age to numbers that are closer to other developed countries such as Norway and Australia," she said.

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) occurs naturally in cell membranes with the highest levels in brain cells, but levels can be increased by diet or supplements. An infant obtains DHA from his or her mother in utero and postnatally from human milk, but the amount received depends upon the mother's DHA status.

"U.S. women typically consume less DHA than women in most of the developed world," said Carlson.

During the first five years of the study, children of women enrolled in the study received multiple developmental assessments at regular intervals throughout infancy and at 18 months of age. In the next phase of the study, the children will receive twice-yearly assessments until they are six years of age. The researchers will measure developmental milestones that occur in later childhood and are linked to lifelong health and welfare.

Previous research has established the effects of postnatal feeding of DHA on infant cognitive and intellectual development, but DHA is accumulated most rapidly in the fetal brain during pregnancy, said Colombo. "That's why we are so interested in the effects of DHA taken prenatally, because we will really be able to see how this nutrient affects development over the long term."

The study is funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Kansas, Life Span Institute.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. S. E. Carlson, J. Colombo, B. J. Gajewski, K. M. Gustafson, D. Mundy, J. Yeast, M. K. Georgieff, L. A. Markley, E. H. Kerling, D. J. Shaddy. DHA supplementation and pregnancy outcomes. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2013; DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.112.050021

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/nutrition/~3/fBjXBFUmRW8/130225131537.htm

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