Jewellery's web blog

Name of Product: Children’s “Groovy Grabber” tiffany Bracelets

Units: About 4 million

Manufacturer: A&A Global Industries, of Cockeysville, Md.

Hazard: The paint on the metallic band beneath the decorative cover contains high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: The recalled bracelets are made of flexible metal bands wrapped in tiffany accessories decorative plastic covers. The bracelets come in various colors and designs, including smiley faces, Chinese symbols, dogs, cats, aliens, checker boards, and flames.

Sold in: Vending machines located in malls, discount, department and grocery stores nationwide from November 2005 through March 2007 for 25 cents.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled bracelets away from children and discard them.

Customer Contact: For additional information, contact A&A Global Industries at (800) tffany keys 638-6000 ext. 314 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at http://www.aaglobalind.com

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products — such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals — contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC’s hotline silver bangles at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC’s teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270 or visit CPSC’s Web site at http://www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC’s Web site at http://www.cpsc.gov.

Firm’s Recall Hotline: (800) 638-6000

CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772

CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Credit: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

IN MARRIAGE AND MYTH, RINGS ARE the tiffany and co jewelry everyone is after. But for a growing number of African women, it’s O Bracelets that offer the keys to a better life. Since the magazine debuted them in May 2007, our partner, Fair Winds Trading, has trained 250 jewelrymakers in Rwanda, Zambia, and Kenya; the women earn up to 12 times the average daily wage, allowing them to put food on their tables and send their children to school. Orders for the previous O Bracelets (May 2008) not only paid the women of Umoja, Kenya, for their work but raised an extra $47,000 to help install a water system for eight villages.

This new African gemstone collection is made by Rwandans like Marie-Rose Mukambasabire, 26, who says, “If all the girls my age had as good a job as I do, the spread of HIV/AIDS would diminish. Most girls are infected because they fall into the trap of men who offer them material things.” And 10 percent of the price will go to Hope Shines, a mentoring program for orphaned girls. One supporter is Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagame, who notes that the Hutu and Tutsi, enemies during the 1994 genocide, are coming together tiffany necklaces to bead bracelets. “That’s where reconciliation takes place,” he says. “Then to see that things they make with their own hands can bring income, and to know they are linked to women in the U.S. who are interested in their products — the whole story is one of tremendous transformation in these women’s lives.”

[Photograph]: PHOTOGRAPH BY BEN GOLDSTEIN STYLIST: CLAIRE TEDALDI FOR HALLEY RESOURCES

TO ORDER: Go to macys.com/obracelet, and get an ethical bang (and bangle) for your buck.

Every year when I head to the Rio for the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas,tiffany my goal is obviously to win some gold bracelets, but my main focus is on winning the player of the year award, which is an accomplishment that is much more draining and difficult than winning one tournament.

In 2004, I was named player of the year, and since then have knocked on the door consistently but have failed to repeat. Last year, my buddy Erick Lindgren won the honors with a total of 245 points. That’s an impressive total, but with the Main Event yet to be played this year, five players have 240 points or more.

It has been just an amazing series on many levels. While I have cashed in eight tournaments — a personal record, as well as the highest number at this year’s WSOP — my accomplishment pales in comparison to what we’ve seen over the last month.

*Jeff Lisandro: He established a triple crown for the ages, winning three gold key rings bracelets in the same year. That feat has been done before, by Phil Ivey, Ted Forrest and Phil Hellmuth, but there was something extra special about Lisandro’s feat. He won three bracelets in three different forms of stud poker: Seven-Card Stud, Razz and Seven-Card Stud high/low. In total, Lisandro has cashed six times for 355 player of the year points, good enough to give him the lead going into the Main Event. He’s not in the clear yet, because there are several players in striking distance.

*Ville Wahlbeck: Who? Exactly. Wahlbeck has taken the WSOP by storm this year, racking up 320 POY points by showing off his overall poker skills in several different disciplines from Razz to 2-7 Draw to two final tables in mixed-game events. Wahlbeck is a professional poker player who has had lots of success with online poker, but this year’s WSOP was his coming-out party onto the world stage. Wahlbeck made four final tables with first-, second-, third- and sixth-place finishes; the sixth place came in the prestigious $50,000-buy-in H.O.R.S.E event, which requires excellence in five different disciplines.

*Phil Ivey: If poker were to have a Tiger Woods, he would be that man, and it has nothing to do with the vague resemblance. Ivey is widely regarded as the best all-around poker player in the world. And when he’s motivated, he wins gold bracelets. This year, he has won two for a career total of seven. At 33, he is the youngest player to win that many.

The all-time leader is Hellmuth with 11 gold bracelets, but the only thing stopping Ivey from necklaces surpassing that total is motivation. Ivey is a high-stakes gambler and makes most of his money playing in high-stakes cash games in Las Vegas. Winning bracelets is more of a hobby for Ivey. If there is any player in the world who can win 20 bracelets in a lifetime, Ivey is clearly at the top of that list.

Ivey and Lisandro have won multiple bracelets this year, but two other professionals have struck gold more than once: Brock Parker and Greg Mueller.

Four players have won multiple bracelets, breaking another WSOP record. The other feat worth mentioning, and it was very close to being truly historic, involved Russian Vitaly Lunkin. He won the 40th anniversary $40,000 buy-in No Limit event, followed that up with a second-place finish in the $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha event and then came close to winning the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event, finishing fourth.

This year’s WSOP results should put an end to the foolish debate as to whether poker is a game of Tiffany Accessories skill. The WSOP already will go down as one of the most memorable ever, and the Main Event championship has yet to begin.

Despite economic woes globally, the WSOP thrived and records were broken in several events.

It’s still hard to predict how many players will chase WSOP glory in the Main Event, but here is a safe bet for you: I will be one of them.

Daniel Negreanu is a professional poker player with four WSOP bracelets

The Salvation Army held its “Big Ring” event Tuesday, officially starting the tiffany jewellery bell ringing request for donations that goes along with the holiday season.

Officials were hoping to raise $12,000 in just 12 hours, with multiple kettles stationed around the Valley Dairy at North Washington Street and University Avenue. The goal of the kettle drive, which goes until Christmas, is to raise $106,000, plus an additional $154,000 in mail and online donations.

Salvation Army Maj. Ed Wilson said volunteers began ringing bells last week, but Tuesday’s event was the official start. “This is really where we get the fundraising going,” he said. “We always look forward to this event because it really does get people excited for the season.”

The snowy weather Tuesday was maybe even a boost to the event because “people are feeling more Christmas-y,” Wilson said.

A big attraction

This year’s “Big Ring” became somewhat of a tourist trap Tuesday with the addition of “Big Sal,” money clips the world’s largest kettle, on loan from Salvation Army offices in the Twin Cities. The 8-foot-by 8-foot kettle is similar in some ways to towns that boast of having the world’s largest bass or largest buffalo, Wilson said.

Weighing more than a ton, “Big Sal” was an eye-catching sight in the Valley Dairy parking lot. He said he got a lot of curious looks from UND students as he drove it down University Avenue early Monday morning after picking it up in Minneapolis.

The kettle will make its rounds around North Dakota and Minnesota the next few weeks.

Wilson said the holiday charity drive is the Salvation Army’s major campaign. “One-third of our budget is raised in a very short six weeks,” he said.

That money is important because of the programs it provides to people in Grand Forks, East Grand Forks and all of Grand Forks County, Wilson said. The Salvation Army offers housing assistance, prescription medicine assistance and youth programs, and also runs a food shelf.

But many in the area associate the Salvation Army with the organization’s emergency disaster assistance, especially important during spring flooding along the Red River Valley.

New this year

Donors may notice a few changes this year — including the switch from metal to plastic kettles, which are designed pendants more securely and make it harder for people to grab a few bills out of the kettle.

And donating will be easier this year, with the addition of $1 “paper kettles” for purchase at local businesses. There are 22 local bell ringing sites this year, more than in the past, with new additions including L&M Meats and all Hugo’s locations. The previous locations will still be involved, including the Columbia Mall, Wal-Mart and Grand Cities Mall.

Some kettles in other parts of the country can even accept credit cards, but those are just on a trial basis and Grand Forks isn’t yet participating, Wilson said. But donors can still give cash, coins and checks at the local kettles, or can donate online by visiting www.thesalarmy.org and following instructions to designate the gift to the Grand Forks Salvation Army.

Wilson said the poor economy has made it harder than ever to get donations. “It’s going to be tough,” he said. “Some of our donors aren’t giving as much as they did last year.”

In fact, many donors only gave 50 percent of the amount they had donated in the past, he added. Still, Wilson seemed earrings optimistic his organization would be able to raise its $260,000 total goal before Christmas.

He’s spent 25 years with the Salvation Army, including about 18 months now in Grand Forks, but didn’t have to think twice when asked if he is sick of listening to the bell ringing each year.

“Never,” Wilson said. “When I hear the bell, it really is ringing in the sound of hope.”

Reach Johnson at (701) 780-1105; (800) 477-6572, ext. 105; or send e-mail to rjohnson@gfherald.com.

The rowdy Phillies fan who got tossed from a playoff game in October, stopped on his way tiffany and co out to fill out a job application, and then allegedly stole an envelope containing three World Series rings, failed to appear for his court hearing today.

For that, Matthew Mervine, 22, of Berlin Borough, Camden County, got slapped with a bench warrant.

But he somehow figured out he was supposed to be in Municipal Court at 11th and Wharton in South Philadelphia and went to his local police station to let them know he didn’t mean to blow off his criminal case, said Capt. Laurence Nodiff, commander of South Detectives.

Philadelphia police were contacted and they told Mervine to show up at the Criminal Justice Center in bangles the next few days and schedule a new court date, Nodiff said.

What, if any, penalty he might face is uncertain. Often, bench warrants are lifted and the case proceeds if the person shows up with a reasonable excuse.

Nodiff said he didn’t know what excuse Mervine had for failing to appear.

Mervine could not be reached for comment.

On Oct. 8, Mervine and some friends were ejected from Game 2 of the playoff series against the Colorado Rockies for being obnoxious.

On his way out, police said, Mervine decided to go to the Phillies offices to apply for a job. After filling out an application — with his name and address — Mervine noticed a manila envelope with the name of a former Phillies player on a counter, police said. He then swiped it, police said. The envelope contained three 2008 World Series rings worth $1,100 each. The rings are different from the $11,000 rings given to players, coaches and other employees.

The case was easy to solve: the application contained Mervine’s name and address, and the entire episode was caught on video. Within a few hours, police arrested Mervine at his home on Coleman Road, and charged him with theft and receiving stolen property.

Contact staff writer Robert Moran at 215-854-5983 bracelets or bmoran@phillynews.com.

Louisiana State University issued the following news release:

The sights, sounds and all the 19th century trimmings of Christmas time in the country come alive during buy tiffany the annual LSU Rural Life Museum’s “A Rural Life Christmas” on Sunday, Dec. 6, from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Guest can relive memories of an old-fashioned Christmas, while experiencing seasonal activities that are traditional to south Louisiana. Smell the freshly cut greenery and what’s cooking in the period open-hearth kitchen. Candlelight and cypress wreaths will adorn each building to add to the old-fashioned Louisiana Christmas atmosphere.

Costumed re-enactors and artisans will perform various activities including candle making, soap making by Julia Hooker, blacksmithing by Karl Nettles, rosary crafting by Elaine Bourque, textiles by Linda Hall, doll making by Monique Metrailer and much more.

Nineteenth century yard games and storytelling by local professionals will continue throughout the day. Wagon rides tiffany pendants will be offered for everyone to enjoy. The day’s festivities will conclude with a traditional bonfire, as it lights the way for Papa Noel’s annual visit with the kids.

For Christmas shopping, the museum’s gift shop will feature an assortment of traditional, handcrafted Louisiana pieces. This year, tickets to the annual Zapp’s Beerfest will be made available for purchase to go into those Christmas stockings.

Jambalaya and gumbo dinners will be available for purchase and hot apple cider will be served to visitors. Tickets may be purchased on the day of the event. Admission is $7 per person, and children 10 years old and younger are admitted for free.

The event will be held at the Rural Life Museum at 4650 Essen Lane in Baton Rouge. For information, call 225-765-2437.For tiffany earrings more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.

Melissa Foley, 225/578-3869.

If you haven’t flown in a while and plan to take to the skies this holiday season, brace yourself.

You’ll find fewer flights, more crowded planes and enough fees — for everything from blankets to bags christmas gift — to give you sticker shock. That’s on top of the perennial holiday hassles of ferrying gifts and worrying about winter weather delays at a time Americans continue to feel the pressures of the economic downturn.

“It will be worse than last year — fewer seats, higher (passenger loads) and higher fares and fees,” says Bob Harrell, of airline and travel consulting firm Harrell Associates.

Airlines drastically cut holiday fares after the economy buckled late last year. Since then, carriers steadily have reduced flights and switched to smaller planes to make sure they don’t wind up flying with rows of empty seats.

The number of seats available on domestic flights in November and December has dropped 3.3% from last year, according to an analysis by OAG-Official Airline Guide. Last year, the number of seats available in that period was down 9.7% from 2007.

The reductions mean that if a traveler could gaze into the sky the day before Thanksgiving and see all the tiffany rings planes flying, “It would be the same amount as there were in 1999,” says Rick Seaney CEO of FareCompare.com. “We’ve lost a decade of (growth in) domestic aviation.”

Fewer flights mean more crowded planes. It could make it harder for some travelers to get the flights they want. And with fewer seats available, if travelers miss their connections, it may be awhile before they can get another, especially if the entire family is flying.

“You may not get a seat for days,” says George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com, “and we’re talking about holiday travel, so it’s crucial that you be there … to carve the turkey and open the presents.”

Decisions by many airlines to cut service and stop flying some routes have hit smaller communities especially hard. As a result, local residents and family and friends who want to visit them have fewer options this season. More than in years past, travelers living in or visiting people in smaller communities will have to drive an hour or more to a bigger airport to get a non-stop flight to their destination or a lower fare.

Paul Toth, CEO of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority in Ohio, expects most Toledo-area residents will drive the roughly 50 miles to Detroit. There, they can choose among several large and low-cost carriers and have a chance at more competitively priced tickets.

“During the holiday … we’ll continue to lose more than 90% of our travelers who will drive to Detroit to use the services at Detroit Metro,” Toth says.

The airline industry’s struggles, leading to cutbacks in less lucrative markets, have taken their toll on Toledo. During the last five years, Toth says airlines have slashed the available seats for flights in and out of Toledo Express Airport by 70%. And in the last 12 months, American Eagle alone has cut capacity by 25%.

“Toledo has kind of taken it on the chin as far as capacity cuts go,” he says.

Fewer flights, but …

During the Thanksgiving holiday period, large U.S. airlines expect 4% fewer fliers than last year, according to the Air Transport Association, which represents most of the big carriers.

That doesn’t mean fares will drop. Slashing the number of seats to meet reduced demand gives airlines the leeway to push fares higher, travel analysts say.

“With the capacity cuts, the airlines kind of got in front of this issue … so they can charge more,” says Genevieve Shaw Brown, senior editor with Travelocity. “Last year, there was an anomaly, when fares, as you got closer to Thanksgiving, suddenly started to drop. This year is following a much more typical pattern of, the closer we get to the holidays, the higher the fares.”

As of early November, holiday fares were still lower than those offered at the same time last year. But ticket prices have been creeping up. Many airlines also imposed $20 surcharges each way for flights on peak travel days, such as the Sunday after Thanksgiving or the day after New Year’s. Some travel watchers expect holiday fares to ultimately be the same as, or a bit more than, last year’s as airlines try to boost their bottom lines.

Travel specialists say travelers should book now. “Every day you wait adds $5 to your trip, so if that $5 means something to you, go ahead and buy,” Seaney says. “In general, procrastinators end up getting stung.”

Tom Parsons, CEO of BestFares.com, who’s tracked fares for 28 years, cites an example of a trip between San Francisco and Tampa, flying Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.

It would have cost a flier $278 round trip if it was booked on June 30. By the week of Oct. 19, the fare was up to $418. And on Nov. 16, the cheapest trip was $618. “In the last 30 days, it’s jumped another $200,” Parsons says. For airlines, he says, this “is their last hurrah until probably spring break, when they can actually demand more money than they’ve been getting.”

With Americans still reeling from the recession, the cost of travel is a key concern. An AOL Travel/MapQuest survey of 1,000 respondents this month found that 30% of those flying this holiday season said cost was the most stressful part of air travel.

“They’re clearly impacted by the economy,” says Beth Caulfield, AOL Travel editor in chief. “They’re spending tiffany bracelets less, but they’re being very selective about what they choose to spend, and not spend on, so they can maintain their holiday traditions.”

Travelers may be able to find a few sales between now and Christmas, and some analysts say alternate metro airports — Fort Lauderdale instead of Miami, Oakland instead of San Francisco, — could offer better deals. But a sure way to save money is to be flexible with travel dates.

“You can save 25% to 30% by traveling either on the holiday itself or by traveling a day or two away from the peak travel date,” says Barbara Messing, vice president of Travel-Ticker.com.

Round trips departing on Thanksgiving Day, a non-peak time, and returning Dec. 1 cost, on average, nearly $200 less than those starting the day before Thanksgiving and returning the Sunday after, Brown says.

“That’s significant, particularly when talking about a family trip,” she says. “If you can save close to $800 for a family of four by adjusting your dates, a lot of people in this economy would be willing to do that. The other upside of travel on Thanksgiving itself: You find fewer crowds at airports, shorter lines at security, less crowded flights. So if you can make that work, it’s a money saver, and I think a stress saver.”

Get online early

With fuller flights, it’s a good idea to check in online to save time at the airport and get the most comfortable seats. “If you’re on a flight (that’s) 100% full,” Brown says, “you want to be the person who checked in online 24 hours before and selected the aisle seat, not the one who shows up at the airport and gets stuck in the middle.”

But on a few airlines, reserving a seat far in advance can cost you. AirTran charges passengers $6 for reserving a seat — $20 for one in the exit row — more than 24 hours before the flight. In October, British Airways also began charging some passengers for reserving a seat more than 24 hours in advance.

There are other charges that those who haven’t flown in a while may not expect. US Airways, for instance, charges for pillows and blankets on domestic flights, as does Allegiant.

Fees for items and services that were once free, such as in-flight meals or checking a bag, are not new. Many made their debut last year, when airlines looked for ways to raise revenue as fuel prices soared and the recession kept many people from flying.

But this year, many of those fees have increased. And some carriers, such as United and US Airways, charge $5 tiffany cufflinks more if the baggage fee is paid at the airport rather than online.

There are also some changes to look forward to this year, such as a chance there will be fewer delays. “With less passengers in the air and less planes in the air, on-time arrivals have (improved) in the past year, as well as baggage handling,” Seaney says.

Those who haven’t flown lately also will find that several airlines, including Delta and American, now offer in-flight wireless Internet service on some flights. Virgin America, partnering with Google, is offering free access to Wi-Fi on all its flights from Nov. 10-Jan. 15. And Delta and Continental are among airlines offering satellite TV.

Many charges have gone up, but a few have dipped. United eliminated the fee for redeeming miles through its frequent-flier program within 21 days of travel. Frontier has dropped all fees for mile redemptions.

The fee for bringing your pet along on a Delta flight dropped this summer from $150 to $100.

The travel slump also has sparked steep discounts at some hotels during the holidays, particularly Thanksgiving, industry watchers say.

“This is a fantastic time to stay in a luxury hotel,” says Messing, who says four-star hotels in Chicago are offering rates of $99 a night, roughly $200 less than what would be asked in a stronger economy.

Some longstanding travel tips are still worth following this holiday season.

Travelers should remember, for example, that although carrying wrapped gifts aboard flights or checking them as luggage is allowed, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recommends against it, because the gifts might have to be opened by security personnel.

And leaving plenty of time to get to the airport is especially important during the busy holiday season. Many airlines recommend arriving at least 90 minutes before a domestic flight.

Of course, if you don’t want to worry about frantic sprints through the airport, packed flights and worrying about when or where to wrap your nephew’s Elmo toy, you could wait until after the holidays to visit relatives.

Or you could drive.

“If you’re thinking of a vacation, one within driving distance makes sense,” Brown says. “If you can eliminate airfare altogether … that’s a great option.”

TEXT OF INFO BOXES BEGINS HERE

Tips for travelers

*Catch the day’s first flight. Early flights usually are cheaper.

*Check for sales after noon on Tuesday. That’s when most airlines have matched discounts announced on Monday night.

*Sign up for e-mailed fare alerts from airlines and travel websites such as FareCompare.com and Travelocity’s FareWatcher Plus.

*When booking a flight, give your name as it appears on the ID you’ll show at the airport.

*Check in online before your flight to save time and money.

*Don’t carry on or check wrapped packages. They may be opened at security checks.

* Visit www.tsa.gov to see what you may take through checkpoints.

*Be at the airport at least 1 1/2 hours before a domestic flight, two hours before an international trip.

*Carry on a change of clothes, medication, snacks and toys in case you get stuck.

By Charisse Jones

Fewer flights in some cities

Travelers have less chance to fly in and out of many cities. Percentage change in the number of seats on tiffany money clips domestic flights in November and December compared with the last two holiday seasons at some airports.

Airport ‘07-’08 ‘08-’09

Birmingham -11.6% -9.5%

Burlington, Vt. 12.5% -23.2%

Chicago (O’Hare) -12.9% -2.6%

Cincinnati -23.9% -23.8%

Cleveland -11.5% -7.5%

Detroit -7.3% -7.1%

Hartford, Conn. -12.9% -13.0%

Little Rock -12.5% 5.8%

Los Angeles -14.0% 1.0%

Louisville -16.8% -5.4%

Madison, Wis. -10.3% -13.1%

Memphis -9.5% -6.0%

New York (JFK) -8.0% -7.2%

Oakland -27.8% -8.6%

Omaha -9.2% -0.4%

Ontario, Calif. -30.7% -5.6%

Pittsburgh -12.0% -9.3%

Raleigh/Durham -12.4% -7.5%

Reno -18.0% -12.2%

San Diego -9.0% -6.5%

Swarovski, the leading producer of crystal stones and crystal fashion jewelry tiffany jewelry, today unveiled the newly refurbished crystal star that will crown the 2009 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. Nadja Swarovski, Vice President of International Communications, and Thomas Madden, Managing Director of Tishman Speyer, co-owners of Rockefeller Center, were on hand to reveal the enhancements to the star, which include a cutting-edge computerized new lighting system with energy-efficient LED bulbs.

The star’s 12 rays are outfitted with 720 LED bulbs on 3,000 feet of wire to create a dazzling, twinkling effect through customized light sequencing programmed by a complex computer system. This is the first year that the Swarovski star, which debuted at the top of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 2004, will feature dynamic light movement.

A team of nine artisans and engineers spent three months employing a unique combination of art, science and technology to complete the new design. The team spent 1,200 hours installing, programming and testing the star to ensure the effects would withstand the challenging winter weather conditions 76-feet above Rockefeller Center.

The Swarovski star is comprised of 25,000 crystals, with 1,000,000 facets, measures 9 1/2 feet in diameter and is 1 1/2 feet deep. Weighing 550 pounds — including 300 pounds of crystal panels — it is composed of six outer rays and six smaller inner rays. The main surfaces of the rays are made of point-mounted safety glass, the same shatter-proof glass that adorns the facades of New York City buildings. The crystals are affixed to the inner sides of the glass in a tight, scale-like pattern to ensure maximum brilliance.

“The redesign of the star exemplifies the Swarovski tradition of blending innovation with timeless tiffany key rings elegance,” said Nadja Swarovski. “We are proud to continue to enhance the star’s beauty and to share our vision with visitors to Rockefeller Center from around the world.”

“We are pleased to once again partner with Swarovski to present New Yorkers and visitors alike with a magnificent symbol of the holidays at Rockefeller Center,” said Thomas Madden, Managing Director of Tishman Speyer. “The new elements to the star are sure to dazzle the millions who visit the iconic tree each year.”

The Swarovski Star now sits atop the 76-foot-high, 40-foot wide, over 10-ton Norway Spruce from the home of Maria Corti. An exact replica of the Swarovski Star will also be on display in Rockefeller Center to allow visitors the opportunity to get a closer view of the detailing and craftsmanship.

In addition to the redesign of the star, Swarovski will offer a selection of holiday jewelry and ornaments on sale at the Swarovski holiday kiosk at Rockefeller Center, at Swarovski boutiques nationwide and online at www.Swarovski.com. The collection includes stylish star-themed crystal jewelry and an Annual Edition Ornament.

The 77th Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, December 2nd, from 7 P.M.tiffany necklaces -9 P.M. The two-hour ceremony will be televised live, locally on WNBC-TV from 7 PM-8 PM and nationally on NBC from 8 P.M.-9 P.M.

Rockefeller Center officially began the Tree Lighting Ceremony in 1933, when a Christmas tree was erected in front of the then-RCA Building and covered with 700 lights. Christmas trees in Rockefeller Center have ranged from 50-foot Pines to 100-foot Norway Spruces and are viewed by millions of spectators during the holiday season.

Spectators can view the lighted tree each day from 5:30 A.M. – 11:30 P.M.; all day (24 hours) on Christmas; and from 5:30 A.M. – 9 P.M. on New Year’s Eve. The last day to view the tree is January 9, 2009.

A South Lakeland village is preparing for a special pre-Christmas tiffany jewelry cultural weekend which will also puts the spotlight on the environmental challenges facing our rural landscapes.

The Victory Hall in Broughton-in-Furness will be alive with crowds of film, music and countryside enthusiasts – for two days, beginning 5 December – when it hosts a ‘Weekend in the Country’, which has been made possible with funding from Lake District National Park’s Sustainable Development Fund.

The festival will bring together:

*ten films which explore aspects of the rural landscape;

*talks by Northern Art Prize winner, Karen Guthrie and conservationist Bill Shaw; and

*a live performance by songwriter Nancy Elizabeth, who captured the mood of the pendants countryside by recording her first album inside a Welsh farmhouse!

Each element of the festival explores in some way just what it means to live and work in an ever-changing rural environment, and organisers Bric Arts are hoping this will strike a chord with the audience.

“The majority of the films have never been shown in Cumbria before and in presenting them in an informal and enjoyable way, Bric hopes to generate a discussion and to raise people’s expectations in terms of what they can expect from local arts events,” said event organiser Sam Allan.

“We’re delighted to support this kind of village community event, which also has the added value of looking for answers to the kind of environmental and landscape issues that effect so many villages in the Lake District,” added Clive Wickham, the national park’s SDF co-ordinator.

The festival – which will include a ‘village fete’ style food stall and hot mulled wine – has been devised by earrings community arts organisation BRIC with additional funds from CGP Duddon Parish Trust and the Parish Pump. All profits from the festival will be donated to the Victory Hall for its ongoing maintenance.

Tickets and further information are available from:www.bricarts.org.uk or www.skiddle.com (open in new windows) and Broughton Tourist Information Centre 01229 716 115 For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.

You can call the Colorado blue spruce standing in Lake Superior Plaza whatever you tiffany jewelry want. Minnesota Power isn’t giving it an official label.

A news release from Minnesota Power announcing that the 50- to 60-foot tree would go up Wednesday referred to it as a holiday tree, and that is what it was called in coverage of the event held at 30 W. Superior St. This sparked a debate in the comments section of duluthnewstribune.com, pitting Team Christmas against Team Holiday.

“Some call it a Christmas tree, some call it a holiday tree,” Minnesota Power communications manager Amy Rutledge said Thursday. “When it’s set up for us, it symbolizes the start of the holiday season. It’s important to focus on the fact that it’s a community tree.”

This is the 25th year that Minnesota Power has put up a tree, which was donated this tiffany necklaces year by a local family. It will be lighted Nov. 20, before the Christmas City of the North Parade, and taken down sometime after New Year’s Day.

Rutledge said there was never an internal discussion about what to call the tree. The news release said “holiday tree,” but a Minnesota Power employee referred to it as a Christmas tree on television.

Rutledge said that no one complained to Minnesota Power about what the tree has been called.

The holiday vs. Christmas debate itself seems to be a sort of holiday tradition. During the 1990s, the decorated tree at the White House was referred to as a “holiday tree.” The one recently shipped from Arizona to the U.S. Capitol has been tagged as a Christmas tree, and has been since 2005.

In 2005, the Rev. Jerry Falwell started the “Friend or Foe” campaign to combat what he said was an attack on Christmas. This included boycotting major retailers such as Target and Wal-Mart that used “holiday” instead of “Christmas” in advertising.

A local Catholic priest’s take: If the tree is on Minnesota Power’s property, then they can call it whatever they want.

“If it were on my land, it would be called a Christmas tree,” said the Rev. William Graham, the rings chairman of the Catholic studies department at the College of St. Scholastica. “I think Minnesota Power, since they own the land, they get to decide. They’ll get no lip from me.”

The News Tribune couldn’t confirm Thursday whether the tree stands on company land or public land, but Lake Superior Plaza is clearly a public space.

Rabbi Amy Bernstein of Temple Israel said it should be called a Christmas tree, but she thinks there are good intentions behind calling it a holiday tree.

“It’s an attempt to be inclusive and respectful of other traditions,” she said.

But since there isn’t a tree associated with Hanukkah, Bernstein added, it doesn’t make any sense.

“It’s a Christmas tree,” she said. “Nobody else has a tree.”

Dave Jensch, the station manager at the Northland’s NewsCenter, said the tree was referred to as a Christmas bangles tree during Wednesday’s 6 p.m. newscast show and a holiday tree at 10 p.m.

Jensch said his station typically uses the term “holiday” but has no plans to lose the “Christmas” in the Christmas City of the North Parade, which it sponsors. A name change — to the “KBJR Christmas Parade” — was experimented with a decade or so ago.

“And people went crazy,” Jensch said, adding because of the link to the Merv Griffin song “Christmas City,” it’s unlikely it will ever change.

Bill van Druten of the Lake Superior Freethinkers has a take that goes beyond whether it’s a holiday tree or a Christmas tree.

“It’s foolish to cut down a living tree for that sort of nonsense,” he said. “We can have a very happy December or holiday without destroying nature.”

Credit: Duluth News Tribune, Minn.