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Gray clouds hovered above as the evening grew cold. Couples held hands as they cuddled in a horse-drawn carriage, listening to the clopping of horse hooves.
Despite the harsh economic times and cold weather, the Valentine business is alive for some venues.
“The romance of the day, that’s what carriage rides are all about. Romance and happiness.”tiffany jewelry said Liz Ragsdale, co-owner of Whitehaven Carriage.
She and her husband, Marion, have owned Whitehaven Carriage for 16 years. Saturday was their first Valentine’s Day operating in Denton.
“I think in our economy today, people need something to relax.” Marion said.
“And it gives their husband an opportunity to …,” said Liz.
“… get out of the doghouse,” Marion said with a laugh.
With many businesses feeling the impact of the financial crunch, the Ragsdales are thrilled they haven’t felt much of it.
“We feared every year when we heard that … but they come back every year,” Marion said.
Whitehaven Carriage was booked on Valentine’s Day. Marion handed roses cufflinks and chocolates to couples and families as Liz drove the white carriage guided by two Percheron horses.
“We’re big on customer service; I think that’s what keeps us in business.” Marion said.
He said that 75 to 85 percent of their business comes from repeat customers.
Joe and Johanna Iaia of Denton were among those with Valentine’s Day reservations. They rode a horse-drawn carriage on their wedding day nine years ago.
“We’re kind of reminiscing,” Johanna said. “I scheduled this as a surprise for Joe.”
The Ragsdales offered three packages that included a 25-minute ride, romantic music and a photograph. Chocolates and roses were also given, depending on which package was purchased.
The carriage packages were priced lower than they were when the Ragsdales worked money clips out of Dallas. Marion said he did that out of consideration for their new location in Denton and the economic hardships some are facing.
“If we did Valentine’s Day for the money, it would be weak. You can’t do it for the money,” Marion said.
But Valentine’s Day isn’t their biggest seller. Liz had a full schedule of carriage rides for the night and Marion had to turn away couples attempting to take part in the romance at the last minute.
“It’s a totally different world when they’re on a carriage,” Marion said.
Northwest Missouri State University issued the following news release:
Conference rivals Northwest Missouri State and Missouri Western square off in a tiffany jewelry Valentine’s Day tussle Saturday at MWSU Fieldhouse in St. Joseph, Mo. Tip is 7:30 p.m.
The Griffons (11-12, 8-8 MIAA) can clinch their first MIAA tournament berth since 2006 with a win on their home court and ultimately sweep the Bearcats (10-12, 5-10) for the first time in 10 years. Missouri Western was 1-11 against Northwest since 2002 prior to a 66-63 win in Maryville back on Jan. 7.
It’s nearly a must-win for Northwest, which currently stands one game behind Missouri Southern and 2.5 games behind the Griffons for the eighth and final spot in the tournament. The Bearcats next two opponents hold a combined record of 17-29 (.370). Their final three boast a mark of 54-15 (.783).
Northwest has just one road win this season, that being a 72-63 decision against lowly Truman on pendants Jan. 10. The Bearcats are averaging 11 fewer points and shooting 11 percentage points lower in true road games.
Northwest is coming off a 75-72 home win against Pittsburg State last Saturday and has had a week to prepare for the Griffons due to the mid-week bye. Missouri Western, meanwhile, got just one point from leading scorer Dominique Thuston, but pulled out an 83-77 win on the road at Nebraska-Omaha Wednesday. Marcus Rhodes and Lonnel Johnson combined to score 44 points.
Rhodes had a team-high 17 points in the first meeting between Missouri Western and Northwest. The Griffons saw a 10-point, second-half lead dissolve down the stretch, but held the Bearcats scoreless in the final 97 seconds to earn the win.
Mike Larsen scored 15 points to lead Northwest against Missouri Western. Elijah Allen added 14 and earrings Hunter Henry finished with 12 points and 10 boards.
Henry, the MIAA’s top rebounder, has averaged 18.7 points and 9.3 rebounds in road games this season. He became the second player in program history with 1,500 career points and 750 career rebounds during last weekend’s win against Pittsburg State.For more information about US Fed News contract awards please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, US Fed News, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.
Pitney Bowes Business Insight, the leading global provider of location and communication intelligence offerings, released demographic insights into America’s top metropolitan and micropolitan areas where one sex greatly outnumbers the other. To determine if an area has potential, Pitney Bowes Business Insight analyzed the ratio of men to women, aged 25 to 34, the age range where most marriages occur. Highlights from the research include: Hip Males Seeking Urban Females–Macon, one of the largest cities in Georgia, topped the metropolitan area list as the best location for men seeking women, with 114 women per 100 men in the 25 to 34 age group. Other choices for men who prefer larger metropolitan areas include: Monroe, LA; Hattiesburg, MS; Florence, SC and Midland, tiffany jewelry TX. Fall in Love in a Small Town–For men who prefer women from smaller towns, the odds are in their favor in Mexico, MO. There are only 100 men aged 25 to 34 for every 131 women in that age group. Other micropolitan area marriage markets for men include: Selma, AL; Tuskegee, AL; Greenville, MS and West Helena, AR. Going to the Chapel and We’re…–So where do metropolitan women aged 25 to 34 have the greatest potential to find an eligible bachelor? According to Pitney Bowes Business Insight, the Jacksonville, FL metropolitan area may be where they’ll find their soul mate. Jacksonville has 230 men aged 25 to 34 per 100 women in that age group. The city’s famous Friendship Fountain has also been the site of many marriage proposals. Other choices for women who prefer larger metropolitan areas include: Hanford-Corcoran, CA; Hinesville-Fort Stewart, GA; Lawton, OK and Fayetteville, NC. Love Blooms in Unexpected Places–For women who prefer smaller areas, Susanville, CA, a former logging and mining town, has 344 men aged 25 to 34 per 100 women. Single women may also consider: Beeville, TX; Arcadia, FL; Palestine, TX and Canon City, CO — all micropolitan areas with many more men than women in the 25 to 34 age range (see also <http://www.newsrx.com/library/topics/Pitney-Bowes-Business-Insight.html> Pitney Bowes Business Insight).
“Valentine’s Day is a time when everyone seems to be thinking about meeting that special someone,” said Leslie Nogue, product manager at Pitney Bowes Business Insight. “While this information may be interesting to people looking for love, Pitney Bowes Business Insight provides geo-demographic details–such as marriage status, lifestyle preferences and consumer habits–to companies in all industries. This information helps retail, restaurant, real estate, media and financial services organizations to gain a better understanding of existing customers, uncover silver earrings new ones and ultimately make more strategic and profitable business decisions.” About Pitney Bowes Business Insight Pitney Bowes Business Insight (PBBI), a division of Pitney Bowes Software Inc., provides a unique combination of location and communication intelligence software, data and services that enable organizations to make more informed decisions about customers, competition and market expansion. Pitney Bowes Software is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE — PBI). With the industry’s most comprehensive set of solutions for maximizing the value of customer data, PBBI provides the tools required to more effectively locate, connect and communicate with customers in today’s global markets. Leading organizations rely on PBBI solutions to increase the accuracy and effectiveness of customer information delivery and drive profitable growth. Visit www.pbbusinessinsight.com and www.pb.com for more information. Of Note This press release contains forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties. Any statement not a statement of historical fact is a forward-looking statement, including without limitation statements concerning demand for and benefits of Pitney Bowes products and integration of its products with existing solutions. Actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those factors contained in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the heading “Risk Factors.” Pitney Bowes takes no responsibility to update any forward-looking statements.
Defense attorneys will appeal Maurice Johnson’s conviction and sentence of life without parole for his role in the 1999 Valentine’s Day Cleveland triple murder.
Mitchell Bryant, co-counsel for Mr. Johnson, said Tuesday afternoon he and his co-counsel, Steven Ward, will file an appeal after Judge Amy Reedy sentences his client on a related conviction for especially aggravated robbery charge
Mr. Bryant said he was disappointed the jury found his client guilty Monday on three counts of first-degree murder for the Feb. 14, 1999, slayings of O.J. Blair, 18; Cayci Higgins, 19; and Dawn Rogers, 25.
Prosecutors alleged that Mr. Johnson and co-defendant Michael Younger broke down tiffany jewelry the back door at 431 19th St., bound the three victims’ hands behind their backs and shot them in the backs of their heads as they knelt on the floor.
The jury on Monday convicted Mr. Johnson evening after about six hours of deliberation and took three hours Tuesday to decide on the sentence. They could have chosen the death penalty or life with parole.
Teri Walters, niece of Ms. Rogers, spoke to the jury in what’s known as a victim impact statement before they began deliberating Mr. Johnson’s sentence.
“I tried to let them know how much she loved her children,” Ms. Walters said. She emphasized all of the milestones her aunt would miss — birthdays, graduations, weddings and other special events.
Ms. Walters said it was hard to influence someone to choose a death sentence because that has to be an individual decision.
But she said Mr. Johnson’s life sentence will still allow him to see his family, even if it’s through glass.
“He’ll still get to experience milestones with his children,” she said.
Ms. Rogers won’t see her children grow, she said.
Despite the pain she feels for her family’s loss, she said, she still feels sympathy for Mr. Johnson’s family.
Richard Fisher, who was co-prosecutor with Paul Moyle, said the district attorney’s office and silver bangles especially Cleveland police detective Duff Brumley’s tenacious efforts investigating the case were what made the conviction possible.
Mr. Younger and Twanna “Tart” Blair also are charged in the case and face the death penalty.
Mr. Fisher said he and the defense attorneys for Ms. Blair are to meet with Judge Reedy on Friday to set a date for her trial. No date is set for Mr. Younger’s trial.
Switzerland’s Ministry of Justice has decided to evaluate the use of electronic monitoring tiffany jewellery for people convicted to light prison terms for minor offenses. A small budget has been made available for a test and evaluation program. Under the Swiss federal system, prisons and similar facilties are controlled by the Cantonal (state) justice and police departments. The implementation of electronic monitoring bracelets, as a result, will be the responsibility of each individual Canton (state). Also it is up to the individual Canton to decide if it wants to introduce electronic monitoring bracelets. The Swiss Federal Ministry of Justice will limit its involvement to study the technical and legal feasability. In addition it will propose the required legal ammendments and provide pertinent guidance.
Until the end of November 1998, Cantons seeking to participate in the evaluation process, in particular their Dept. of Justice & Police, must submit their proposals to the Federal authorities. The Ministry of Justice will then provide funding (for the evaluation) as deemed appropriate. The evaluation includes the technical equipment per se (monitoring bracelets) and the testing of the pertinent software and feed-back system. It is planned to set up two monitoring networks one covering German speaking and the second one covering French and Italian speaking Switzerland – provided the test results are positive.
The police department of the Canton of Basel (city) seems to have taken the lead in this process. earrings As a result, it was assigned the responsibility by the Federal authorities to coordinate all testing and evaluation activities. FCS Bern has provided names and addresses of pertinent U.S. manufacturers, in particular the Boulder CO based BI Corp. FCS Bern also learnt that Israeli and French brands have entered the bidding process.
Contact addresses:
Project coordinator: Polizei-Departement Basel Stadt Mr. Hans Jurg Buhlmann Spitalstrasse 41 CH-4056 Basel, switzerland Phone +41+61 267 7767
Federal agency: Bundesamt fur Justiz Bundeshaus West Ms. J. Schurmann CH-3001 Bern, Switzerland Phone +41+31 322 4171
or: US & FCS Bern c/o US Embassy Jubilaumsstrasse 93 CH-3005 Bern, Switzerland bangles Werner E. Wiedmer, Industry Specialist
To see more of the Chicago Tribune, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.chicago.tribune.com/
Nov. 12–The metal bracelet that an Elk Grove Village company has sold by the hundreds of thousands as a pain relief device has only a placebo effect, according to a Mayo Clinic study being made public Tuesday.
QT Inc. has sold its Q-Ray bracelet through TV infomercials and the Internet for $50 to $180, claiming the bracelet is electrically charged, or “ionized,” in a way that can increase strength and soothe pain.
But the study involving 610 people, conducted by a researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., found no such benefit.
“This was dead negative,” Peter O’Brien, a Mayo Clinic statistician who worked on the study, said Monday. “The bracelet doesn’t do anything beyond what you would get with a placebo… [There is] no medical or biological effect.”
The results of the study are reported in the November issue of Mayo Clinic tiffany Proceedings.
Que Te “Andrew” Park, president of QT Inc., could not be reached Monday for comment.
Park has toned down some of the claims for his product since last year, when QT Inc. was sued by a consumer organization. An attorney for the group, Consumer Justice Center, of Laguna Niguel, Calif., would not comment Monday on whether the suit had been resolved.
In an interview last year, Park explained the bracelet in terms of alternative medicine concepts, saying the bracelet pulls excess ions–or electrical charges–out of the body, easing pain.
Park said his company sold more than $10 million worth of the bracelets, C-shaped pieces of metal with knobs at the ends, between September 2000 and March 2001.
Park has supplied free bracelets to professional sports teams, including the White Sox, Blackhawks and Fire, and team trainers said some players reported that the bracelets helped.
The lead Mayo Clinic researcher, Dr. Robert Bratton, got interested in the topic after seeing some patients wearing various brands of “pain relief” bracelets and fielding questions from many others who were curious about whether they worked.
Although pain experts had scoffed at the notion that a bracelet could affect the body’s nervous system, let alone reduce pain, no one had conducted a rigorous medical study of the devices.
Early last year, Bratton and his assistants gathered 610 people with muscle or joint pain. They gave “ionized” Q-Ray bracelets to half the group and identical inactive bracelets to the other half. QT Inc. supplied the bracelets. Neither the researchers nor the test subjects knew which bracelets were which.
The popularity of pain-relief bracelets was evident in the test subjects themselves. Of the 409 participants who answered a survey question before starting the test, 80 percent said they believed the bracelets could reduce pain.
In the study, people in both groups reported less pain while wearing the bracelet. But that’s to be expected, O’Brien said.
“If you give people just a sugar pill and tell them it will take away their pain, people will tend to believe it and report less pain,” he said.
That explanation doesn’t wash with at least one satisfied Q-Ray user, who said emphatically money clips Monday that the relief he felt from arthritis pain in his hands was not due to the power of suggestion.
“I’m a believer in energy therapy anyway,” said Allan Misch, 55, of Columbia, Md. “I think it’s an area that’s really underexplored…
[And] let’s say it is the power of suggestion, so what? The bottom line is, it helped.”
In a statement, Bratton said the study was important because so many patients are interested in alternative medicine.
“We need to look at what our patients are doing for their various problems and undertake objective, controlled studies,” he said.
Many people with chronic pain are tempted by unproven remedies such as bracelets or magnets, said Dr. E. Richard Blonsky of Chicago.
“You hate to see them wasting money on something that’s basically useless,” he said.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following press release:
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announces the following recall in voluntary cooperation with the firm below. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of product: Metallic costume bracelets
Units: About 7,100
Manufacturer: Riviera Trading Inc., of New York, N.Y.
Hazard: The bracelets contain high levels of lead and pose a lead poisoning hazard to children.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported.
Description: The recalled bracelets have heart, oval, and rectangular shaped charms tiffany jewelry that have the phrases; “I like sports,” “I like movies,” “I like shopping” and “I like music” printed on them. The bracelet also contains various colored plastic trinkets.
Sold at: Belk, Bloomingdales, Carson Pirie Scott, Kohl’s, Parisians and Proffitts Department stores nationwide from October 2003 through November 2004 for about $6.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately take these bracelets away from young children and contact the company to receive a refund.
Consumer Contact: Call Riviera toll-free at (800) 524-0110 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.
After over 200 appearances in major television shows and Hollywood films, actor Kavi Raz is changing direction with ‘The Gold Bracelet,’ his first major directorial debut.
The film is about a Sikh man faced with the post 9/11 realities.
Raz arrived in Hollywood in the mid-seventies in pursuit of a career as an actor, tiffany jewelry an unheard of venture at a time when roles for South Asian actors in Hollywood television shows and films were limited. “People, especially friends and relatives scoffed at the idea of my becoming an actor. They thought it was a passing fancy and would soon be over. But no, I had a dream and take what it may I journeyed on to make my dream a reality,” Raz reminisces.
Raz’s perseverance paved the path and opened doors for many others to follow when he became the first ever South Asian actor to be signed on as a regular in a major television series ‘St. Elsewhere,’ an award winning show that appeared on NBC in the early-eighties. Standing out among the other cast members for his looks and talent, Raz became very popular with the viewers. That landmark appearance opened the doors to Hollywood for many others.
It also led to appearances on other shows such as ‘The A Team,’ ‘Hardcastle and McCormick,’ ‘Hunter,’ ‘Mash’ and many others. Raz starred in the feature films — ‘Night Train to Katmandu,’ ‘Warning Signs,’ ‘Terror Squad,’ — among others.
When Raz first arrived in Hollywood, he took a very pragmatic approach to acting, enrolling at The Lee Strasberg Institute where he embellished himself in the love of his life for four years, training with some of the finest acting coaches in the world.
In line with that training and hard work, Raz furthered his education at UCLA and CSULA, money clips pursuing his post-graduate studies in theater.
In the late 70s, he started a professional theater company, naming it The Wandering Players Theater Company. A befitting name for a company that staged plays throughout Southern California.
The company staged several world and U.S. premieres of plays from India. The works of Rabindranath Tagore were exposed to Western audiences for the first time as well as plays like Sakharam Binder and Shakuntla.
It was the first professional South Asian theatre company in the U.S.
Presently, Raz is busy on all fronts of the film industry, writing, producing, directing and acting.
He recently wrapped playing the lead role in ‘Big River,’ a feature film that was shot in the pendants deserts of Arizona.
Raz will be seen in Albert Brook’s yet untitled film released later this year by Warner Brothers. He is also busy in completion of ‘Rising Shores’ a feature film that he recently shot and is in the midst of casting his next venture ‘Saints No Angels,’ shooting in Arizona.
Article copyright News India-Times.
Photograph (Kavi Raz)
The Vermont Department of Health issued the following news release:
In the wake of a tragic child death in Minnesota, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Reebok have issued a voluntary recall of Reebok Heart-Shaped Charm Bracelets.
The recall involves an 8-inch long metal bracelet with a heart-shaped charm. The name tiffany “Reebok” is engraved on one side of the charm. The charm bracelet was provided as a free gift with the purchase of various styles of children’s footwear sold in shoe stores nationwide from May 2004 through March 2006.
“Anyone who has received this charm bracelet should dispose of it immediately,” said Kevin Doering, environmental health chief at the Vermont Department of Health.
There have been no Vermont deaths related to lead poisoning in a decade or more. However, more than 300 children in Vermont are poisoned each year by ingesting lead, mostly related to lead paint.
“Although the majority of identified cases of lead poisoning in Vermont can be attributed to lead dust and chips from paint in older housing, consumer products are an area of growing concern,” said Doering. “We want to make sure that parents know about this recall, but we also want them to know that it’s not a good idea to let money clips children mouth metal objects such as jewelry, keys or zipper pulls.”
Small inexpensive jewelry and other metal items are often manufactured outside of the United States where there is little to no governmental control over the use of lead in manufacturing processes.
Vermont is increasing efforts to prevent childhood lead poisoning. In January, Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Paul Jarris and Attorney General William H. Sorrell launched the “Get the Lead Out of Vermont” initiative to develop new approaches to eliminating childhood lead poisoning in Vermont.
More information about prevention of childhood lead poisoning is available on the Health Department’s website – healthvermont.gov or by calling 1-800-439-8550 (M-F). Information about the Reebok recall and other consumer product recalls is available at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commissioner website – www.cpsc.gov(exit VDH).
People involved in alcohol-related crimes in DuPage County could soon find themselves tagged on the ankle with a bracelet that could tell if they’ve been drinking again and would electronically report that information to authorities.
DuPage County State’s Atty. Joe Birkett, who is running for lieutenant governor, said he’s implementing a pilot program with the bracelet, called SCRAM, for Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring. It would provide 24-hour monitoring of alcohol offenders, making the county the first in the state to try the program. Counties in 38 other states already use the system.
The system resembles the electronic monitoring system in place for some high-risk offenders on bail that the county has been using since 1999, but with some additional capabilities.
The system consists of an 8-ounce bracelet with a memory chip that is worn on the ankle.
The bracelet measures alcohol consumption by sampling the ethanol vapor that comes from perspiration. A modem is placed in the subject’s home or other location. At a certain time each day, the person stands within 30 feet of the modem so the bracelet can transmit the stored information, which is then sent to the Web, where monitors can review the results.
Birkett said the program would start with volunteers who recognize they have a tiffany drinking problem and want to abstain from alcohol to get a lesser sentence, but eventually could be mandatory for bail, probation or court supervision cases.
Birkett said he did not know how much the system will cost the county but said he believed the cost would be close to the county’s home monitoring system, which he said costs about $12 a day per person. He said the costs might be paid by the offenders, who would opt for the bracelet for the possibility of reduced sentences.
The bracelets could also help keep lower-level alcohol-related offenders out of jail, saving more money for the county, he said.
“If we can curb behavior without locking people up, we should explore that,” Birkett said.
Birkett said the program may be implemented in the coming months.
arozas@tribune.com
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