Central Penn Business Journal accepts only electronic versions of press releases and all other announcements, including submissions for our Awards, Calendar, Newsmakers and On the Move sections.
This streamlines our information management and helps us get your news into the paper more quickly.
Here is a rundown of e-mail addresses we use:
Promotions, new hires and board appointments: people@ journalpub.com
Free and low-cost seminars and events: …
Government soldiers fought Tamil Tiger rebels along Sri Lanka's northern front lines in a series of battles that killed 15 guerrillas and three soldiers, the military said Monday.
The latest fighting took place throughout Sunday in the Vavuniya, Welioya and Jaffna regions bordering the separatist rebels' de facto state in the north, a defense ministry official said.
In the worst of the violence, soldiers killed 10 Tamil Tiger rebels in Vavuniya in a battle that also killed one soldier, the official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity due to government regulations.
Other battles in Jaffna and Welioya killed five rebels and two soldiers, he …
[HEADNOTE]
THE INTANGIBLES THAT INFLUENCE HOW ANY SYSTEM WORKS MAY SOUND SOFT AND FUZZY, BUT IN FACT THEY ARE DIFFICULT TO DEVELOP
When a plane crashes or a corporation fails, we seek out the causes with mixed motives. Initially, we want to find out who is at fault so that suitable punishment may be meted out. Ultimately, we want to fix the underlying system so similar disasters may be avoided in future.
The underlying system, however, is composed of people who likely will resist being "fixed." So there is a natural pressure to name pilot error or greedy managers for the problem. Blaming individuals usually means nothing need be changed - no one's authority is …
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels thinks he could beat President Barack Obama in 2012. He just hasn't decided whether he'll try.
The Republican governor said Tuesday he was confident about his chances of beating Obama, but that's not factoring into his deliberations on a White House run.
"I think the chances would actually be quite good," Daniels said, speaking to reporters after giving public service awards to state employees. "The quality and the number of people who have said they'd like to be associated is really quite awesome to me."
Daniels' comments came a week after he said he wasn't ready to debate Obama on foreign policy. They also appeared to …
President Barack Obama's top economic adviser said Saturday the U.S. is experiencing an economic recovery on paper but a "human recession" because of job losses.
Lawrence Summers, director of the White House National Economic Council, told a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos that the latest figures showing strong U.S. economic growth suggest Obama's policies to prevent economic collapse "have been successful."
Most people who looked at the 5.7-percent increase in fourth-quarter growth believe that will continue "at least at a moderate rate for the next several quarters," he said.
"What is disturbing is …
HOUSTON He is the symbol of corporate Cubdom, when you thinkabout it. Kevin Tapani is an affable family man who is impossible todislike, never makes waves in the clubhouse, keeps a year-round homeon the North Shore and has overcome injuries to optimize his career.
In other words, he is cost-effective. Or, cheap.
The big-city spenders in Los Angeles signed Kevin Brown for$105 million and gave him use of a private plane. The big-cityspendthrifts in Tribune Tower re-upped Tapani for $12.5 million thisweek, while suggesting he find his own transportation. Frequentflyer points?"I think I got an L pass," he said kiddingly, "but I had tobuy it myself."On …
WASHINGTON (AP) — As the No. 1 seed, Pittsburgh is the better team.
No. 16 seed North Carolina-Asheville, at least for the moment, is the more interesting team.
Coach Jamie Dixon and his Pitt Panthers know the routine, so they offered the usual politically correct, nondescript answers on the eve of Thursday's 1-vs.-16 NCAA tournament duel that has always, without exception, gone in the favor of the 1.
Coach Eddie Biedenbach and his Bulldogs, meanwhile, are riding an unfamiliar wave they know could crest at any moment, so they might as well relax and say whatever's on their mind.
And they did.
"We're not one of the top 68 teams in the country," Biedenbach …
Valerio Cleri of Italy won the 25-kilometer open water race at the European swimming championships on Saturday.
Cleri timed 5 hours, 16 minutes, 38.3 seconds, beating Bertrand Venturi of France by 16.4 seconds. Another Frenchman, Joanes Hedel, was third.
The event was held on the north coast's Lake Balaton, 130 kilometers (80 miles) south of …
If York County joins a move to add up to 1 cent to the state's sales tax, county residents would pay roughly $17 million to the total revenue collected in the region.
The sales-tax proposal is designed to raise money for a commuter railroad line, as well as museums, arts organizations and other causes in the area.
If the new tax also covered York, it would raise more than $83 million a year for the region, said Neal West, chairman of a task force that developed the tax proposal.
If the tax is a full I percent, about onethird of the new revenue, or $27.3 million, would come from Lancaster County, West said, based on rough estimates. Dauphin would collect $21.3 million, …
A collaboration of botanists and computer scientists is being awarded a $50 million federal grant to conduct research into plant biology with an eye toward resolving global problems related to agriculture, environment and energy production.
The five-year National Science Foundation grant announced Wednesday will pay for research on topics such as climate change, development of biomass energy, and agricultural land use, said foundation Director Arden L. Bement. The University of Arizona is leading the project.
"This is truly revolutionary," Bement said of the linkup of plant and computer scientists.
"Plants obviously feed us, clothe …
A U.S. service member was killed Sunday following an insurgent attack in southern Afghanistan, NATO said.
Alliance spokesman Col. Wayne Shanks confirmed an American died Sunday but declined to provide details, pending notification of the family of the service member.
Twenty-four NATO troops, including 16 U.S. service members, have been killed in Afghanistan so far this month.
NATO is pouring troops into southern Afghanistan as part of a stepped-up security operation in Kandahar, where insurgents have waged a campaign of targeted killings against government officials.
On Sunday, two militants on a motorbike opened fire on a car belonging to …
Chinese shares retreated Wednesday on profit-taking after a weeklong rally, led by declines for financials and nonferrous metal stocks.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed down 46.86 points, or 2 percent, at 2291.55, ending a rally that saw it rise 9.8 percent over seven sessions. The Shenzhen Composite Index for China's smaller second exchange shed 2.2 percent to 757.07.
"The confidence of investors started to fade after such a long rally, but this is just a technical reverse. With a lower dollar and higher oil prices, expectations of global inflation are still there," said Cao Xuefeng, an analyst for Huaxi Securities in the western city of Chengdu.
Bank of China, the country's third-largest commercial lender by assets, fell 2.3 percent to 3.39 yuan after the bank said its 2008 profits grew 14.4 percent, the slowest pace in three years. Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., China's biggest commercial lender, dropped 1.6 percent to 3.77 yuan, while China Construction Bank, Ltd. lost 1.9 percent to 4.20 yuan.
Nonferrous metals dipped after soaring in previous sessions, with Aluminum Corp. of China off 2.6 percent to 10.41 yuan, and Jiangxi Copper Ltd. down 1 percent to 22.3 yuan.
Auto shares fell after government raised gasoline and diesel prices Wednesday. Dongfeng Automobile Co. declined by 3.5 percent to 4.09 yuan and SAIC Motor Corporation Ltd. gave up 4.3 percent to 9.61 yuan.
In currency trading, the yuan was unchanged against the U.S. dollar at 6.83120.
The alleged lover of Asia's richest businesswoman defended his claim Thursday to her multibillion-dollar estate in a trial that has captivated Hong Kong, saying the two of them shared a life of feng shui, cooking and playing with model helicopters.
Businesswoman Nina Wang was one of the territory's most colorful people, known as "Little Sweetie" for her girlish outfits and pigtails. She died at age 69 of cancer in April 2007.
In his second day of testimony, 49-year-old feng shui adviser Tony Chan Chun-chuen said he and Wang were lovers and that she left him her fortune in an October 2006 will.
But the Chinachem Charitable Foundation, set up by Wang and her late husband, holds a competing will dated July 2002.
Chan said he and Wang shared many interests, including feng shui, the traditional Chinese practice of improving fortunes by actions like the placement of objects.
"We played every day. We shared many activities every day. Feng shui was one of our interests, but we also liked to play with model helicopters. We cooked together, we traveled together," he said.
Chan said he advised Wang to dig holes at properties owned by her husband's company in 1992 to improve her luck.
"Digging holes became a husband-and-wife game I played with Nina," Chan said.
He testified Wednesday that his affair with Wang was already ongoing when his wife was pregnant with their eldest son.
Wang inherited her husband's fortune after an eight-year court battle against her father-in-law.
Her husband was abducted in 1990, and despite the family paying $33 million in ransom, he was never released and his body never found. Wang went on to build her husband's company, Chinachem, into a massive property developer, with office towers and apartment complexes throughout Hong Kong.
In 2007, Forbes magazine ranked her as the world's No. 204 richest person with a fortune of US$4.2 billion, but it is not clear how much her fortune is currently worth.
CAREER BACKGROUND
Finance director for more than 25 statewide initiative campaigns and has implemented more than 250 individual fundraising programs. Past clients include: California Trial Lawyers Association, California Nurses Association and the California Forestry Association.
PERSONAL
Age 40, Single. Graduated from Berkeley with an AB in rhetoric.
CLAIM TO FAME
Created a new fundraising niche through the use of traditional grassroots techniques in low and high donor programs; was the first to specialize in initiative and special interest fundraising.
BEST DAY
When I exceed my goaLs.
WORST DAY
No such thing. Knock me down and I'll get right back up.
TEN YEARS FROM NOW
Influencing public opinion through political, corporate and media communication programs.
IMMEDIATE GOALS
Teaching more people how to raise money to empower them in their interests; increasing focus on strategic planning and public affairs activities.
POLITICAL HEROES
Aristotle, Alan Cranston, Cesar Chavez, Natan Sharansky.
SECRETS OF SUCCESS
Hard work, humor, being a good performer.
BIGGEST GRIPE
When clients fear the act of asking for money more than they fear the outcome of not having enough money to communicate their message; when candidates and finance committee people think they can simply hire someone like me and step back from the process.
PREDICTIONS
The sun will rise, the sun will set and money will still be a factor in gaining a place for our individual and collective agendas at the table of local, state and federal governments. Campaign finance reform will continue to spread at the state and local level. Despite all the posturing, campaign finance reform at the federal level will remain elusive.
FAVORITE BOOKS
The Rhetoric & The Poetics of Aristotle, by Aristotle; On the Road by Jack Kerouac; The Prince by Machiavelli.
FAVORITE MOVIES
"American Graffiti," "Star Wars," "Windy City," "The Nutty Professor" (Jerry Lewis's original), any Three Stooges short featuring Curly Howard, "Damn Yankees," "The Big Chill."
BEST MOMENT IN A CAMPAIGN
When we reach or exceed our fundraising goals ... helping people do something for themselves they never thought they could do - and still have fun with the process.
WORST MOMENT IN A CAMPAIGN
When we fall short of our targets; it's a sad day when someone walks by our clients without the client's hand having been in their pocket; when clients do not want to pay compensation due - no matter whether or not we exceed our goals.
A front moving slowly through the Southeast and Mississippi Valley is expected to provide heavy rain and thunderstorms. Heavy downpours are forecast from eastern Oklahoma through North Carolina.
The Gulf Coast is expected to experience heavy rain, with severe weather possible from eastern Texas through southern Georgia.
Precipitation is also likely in the Central Plains from Kansas through Nebraska.
A vast high pressure system stretching from the Northern Plains into the Northeast is likely to keep the area dry, although some isolated showers are expected in the Northeast early in the day.
A Pacific storm is likely to bring rain and possibly high elevation snow in Washington and Oregon.
Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Saturday ranged from a low of 12 degrees at Yellowstone, Wyo. to a high of 105 degrees at Bullhead City, Ariz.
___
On the Net:
Weather Underground: http://www.wunderground.com
National Weather Service: http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov
Intellicast: http://www.intellicast.com
IT's been said that in business, there is no such thing as standing still. If you're not moving forward, you're falling behind. Innovation and competition are in a state of perpetual motion.
That's true when it comes to business, technology - and publishing.
Readers' tastes and needs change. And magazines, be they printed or published online, are constantly inventing ways to draw readers in, to keep them engaged, and to inform and entertain them. Any magazine that fails to adapt risks irrelevancy.
The look of this magazine had not been touched in any significant way since its launch five years ago - an eternity in any industry. Much has happened in that time, which spans the wake of the Internet bubble burst to the rise of mobile computing and Web services. So, six months ago, we asked our art director, Victor Williams, to figure out what Baseline readers needed and to redesign the magazine to better serve them.
What You Have in Your Hands
Williams, an award-winning art director who previously worked at Sports Illustrated, Life and The Wall Street Journal, has produced an easy-to-read, easy-to-navigate publication that features more compelling graphics and illustrations; bolder, cleaner headlines and story type; and a better flow from one section to the next within the magazine.
You'll also notice that we're tying our print publication more closely with our Web site. Throughout the magazine, you'll see links to www.baselinemag.com. For instance, in the front of the book, we now feature an expanded online table of contents directing you to special features. On our letters page, you'll find reader feedback to Baseline's Web logs, such as the I.T. Project Management blog written by award-winning senior writer Kim S. Nash. And within our stories, you'll see links to related stories and background information from the substantial repository of Baseline's articles and research.
One thing we haven't changed is our content. You have consistently told us how much you value our news analysis, columns, workbooks, vendor profiles and, especially, our in-depth case studies. If anything, we're committed to producing ever-more-thorough reports.
We plan to do that both in print and on our Web site, where traffic this year is double what it was in 2005. Since the beginning of the year, we've been making a number of changes to the site. We've also beefed up our online news operation, started producing additional case studies for the site, and are expanding our already rich library of tools, research and expert opinion.
We have also hired a new online editor, Doug Bartholomew, an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years' experience. Doug had been running a successful publishing business, but decided to give that up for a chance to join Baseline.
Over the years, Doug has been at IndustryWeek, where he wrote and edited for the Industryweek.com Web site, started a weekly blog, won an award for Web-based commentary on the demise of Oldsmobile, and was a Neal Award finalist for his e-business articles. His work has also appeared in a number of big-time publications, including the Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, Chief Executive and Corporate Finance.
Doug will be working closely with Todd Spangler, a veteran Baseline staffer, who was named last month as our News Editor, overseeing both our print and online news efforts.
In five years, Baseline has become one of most influential business and technology publications. Most important, we've garnered an extremely loyal readership of the nation's most forward-thinking business and technology leaders.
But we won't rest on past accomplishments. We're committed to serving your needs now and in the future. And I invite each of you to tell me how you think we're doing, and what you think we could be doing even better.
John Mccormick
Editor-In-Chief
John_mccormick@ziffdavis.Com
Standing in the Gap: A Profile of Carrie Jackson
Carrie Jackson has stepped forward to fill the void left in AUDELCO (Audience Development Committee, Inc.) by the death of Vivian Robinson, its founder and director. AUDELCO, founded twenty-five years ago, was created to generate recognition and awareness of the arts in Black communities and to build new audiences for theatre and dance companies.
Carrie Jackson was born in Savannah, Georgia and raised in Harlem. Always ambitious, she worked days and went to school at night, receiving an Associate Degree in Accounting and a Bachelor's Degree in Finance. Recently, she also received a certificate in Non-profit Management from Columbia University. Early in 1993, she decided to retire from her demanding position as a senior financial analyst at a New York City investment firm and become a financial consultant for nonprofit agencies, starting with AUDELCO. I recently spoke to Jackson about her new position.
V.T: People who are involved in Black Theatre will be glad to know that the dream did not vanish with the dreamer. What made you decide to undertake this tasks?
C.J: Basically because of the need for the organization to continue. The organization was not and is not in a position to hire someone who we thought was competent to take on the task. I have been handling the business of AUDELCO since last September. It was only logical for me to officially take on the title to be able to handle things with some sort of authority.
V.T: How and when did you become involved in theatre?
C.J.: In the mid-to-late 1980s. I had experienced the death of my mother, father, and brother within a four year span and my life had changed. I was in a saddened state of mind. A friend of mine had been doing work at National Black Theatre (NBT) and she invited me to come and volunteer, mainly to get me out of the house and give me some thing to do other than work to keep me occupied. I volunteered for house management at NBT and after a year or so the house manager, Mamie Stone, suggested that I volunteer with her to work at the AUDELCO Awards.
V.T.: How did you meet Vivian Robinson?
C.J.: I met Vivian at the pre-production meeting and was in awe of the efficient job that Ms. Robinson was doing in getting people to recognize Black Theatre. It was exciting.
V.T.: I understand that you have a responsible full-time position. Where do you get the energy to do a regular job plus work for AUDELCO?
C.J.: By splitting energies, utilizing resources of other volunteers and helpers.
V.T.: Vivian Robinson had some dedicated supporters and committed staff members to assist her. Have people rallied around or are you finding that you have to regroup and recruit assistance?
C.J.: For the most part there has been a rallying but recruiting new, enthusiastic volunteers is an ongoing task. I presently get continuing support from Darcel Brittingham, Renee Chenoweth, Fred Powell who is our chairman, Mary Davis, and others.
V.T.: Since you have been in the director's seat, tell us about some of your duties.
C.J: The director is the public image of AUDELCO. Some things the director does are make sure that the business gets taken care of. Our primary concern is with the welfare of Black Theatre. So the director and staff attend many plays and keep abreast of the artists' activities, create events that will bring audiences to see Black Theatre (besides the paperwork involved) proclaim the excellence of various artists by giving them the coveted AUDELCO Award.
V.T.: I hear that one of the first things you did was to find a new office space.
C.J.: The new office is at 2469 Frederick Douglas Boulevard (8th Ave.) between 132nd and 133rd Streets on the ground floor. It is conveniently located and handicap accessible. It is also a bit larger than our past headquarters. Some people have been very generous. Columbia University donated a copier, the Abyssinian Development Corporation donated furniture, Sandra Reeves Phillips donated artwork from her collection. Other donations are still coming in and will be gratefully accepted and acknowledged.
V.T: Monday, November 18, [was] be the presentation of the AUDELCO Awards. It has always been a glorious event where we get to dress up and honor our own.
C.J.: It [was] a glittering, gala event in honor of Vivian. It [was] our Silver Reunion.
V.T.: What new future plans would you like to see executed by AUDELCO?
C.J.: To continue to fulfill out original mission to create awareness of and provide audiences for theatre and dance in the New York City area. I would like to see us become a full research center for Black Theatre, a connecting link to other venues, exploring other outlets for their [artists'] talents. We are sincerely reaching out to the Black Theatre community for support, in order to continue what was started by the Queen Mother of Black Theatre. Memberships to AUDELCO start as low as $25. Join us in applying the Kwanzaa principals of unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith to help in the development of us becoming a self supporting and self-sustaining, economically sound community.
Other services AUDELCO provides are: The coordination of monthly activities to promote attendance to cultural programs; the annual month-long Black Arts Festival, since 1982; maintaining the Black Theatre Archives of scripts, costumes, etc.; the newsletter, "Intermission;" a series of productions geared towards young audiences; "Theatremania," the annual auction fundraiser in May; Open House (during Harlem week) and an out-of-state theatre trip.
Photo (Carrie Jackson)
Police say an 85-year-old patient shot and wounded a nursing supervisor in a Connecticut hospital.
They say the nurse suffered non-life-threatening wounds while trying to subdue the patient Tuesday afternoon. They say he was rushed to the emergency unit for treatment.
Police say the man pulled a gun after the nurse went in to treat him and shot the victim three times after he tried to grab the weapon.
The patient shot himself in the leg while being restrained after the attack and has been hospitalized. He faces charges, including first-degree assault and carrying a revolver without a permit. Bond is set at $250,000.
Police have not said why he had a gun in the hospital.
Danbury Hospital is a 12-floor facility with nearly 400 beds and 4,000 employees.
| Oakland @ Texas @ | |||
| ab r h bi @ ab r h bi | |||
| OCarer ss 4 1 1 0 Kinsler 2b 5 0 1 0 | |||
| Kenndy 2b 5 3 3 2 MYong 3b 5 1 2 0 | |||
| Cust dh 5 0 1 1 AnJons dh 4 0 1 0 | |||
| Hollidy lf 4 0 2 0 N.Cruz rf 2 1 0 0 | |||
| Giambi 1b 4 1 1 1 Blalock 1b 4 1 2 1 | |||
| Crosby 1b 0 0 0 0 C.Davis 1b 0 0 0 0 | |||
| KSuzuk c 4 0 1 0 Byrd cf 4 1 2 1 | |||
| RSwny cf 4 0 1 0 DvMrp lf 3 0 0 0 | |||
| Cnghm rf 3 0 0 0 Sltlmch c 4 0 1 2 | |||
| Hannhn 3b 4 0 0 0 Andrus ss 3 0 0 0 | |||
| Hamltn ph 1 0 1 0 | |||
| Vizquel pr 0 0 0 0 | |||
| Totals @ 37 5 10 4 Totals @ 35 4 10 4 | |||
| Oakland 100 001 201_5 | |||
| Texas 000 000 220_4 | |||
| E_Blalock (1), Kinsler (4). DP_Oakland 1, Texas 2. LOB_Oakland 8, Texas 7. 2B_O.Cabrera (6), An.Jones (9), Byrd (18), Saltalamacchia (7). HR_Kennedy 2 (4), Giambi (6). SB_Holliday (4). CS_Dav.Murphy (3). | |||
| IP H R ER BB SO | |||
| Oakland | |||
| Braden 6 5 2 2 2 6 | |||
| Breslow H,4 1-3 1 0 0 0 0 | |||
| Wuertz H,5 1 1 2 2 1 3 | |||
| A.Bailey W,4-0 BS,3-5 1 2-3 3 0 0 0 1 | |||
| Texas | |||
| Millwood 6 5 2 2 2 5 | |||
| Holland 2 4 2 2 0 3 | |||
| F.Francisco L,1-1 1 1 1 1 0 1 | |||
| Braden pitched to 2 batters in the 7th. | |||
| HBP_by Millwood (Holliday). Balk_Holland. | |||
| Umpires_Home, Gerry Davis | First, Brian Gorman | Second, C.B. Bucknor | Third, Mike Everitt. |
| T_2:57. A_22,952 (49,170). |
