1ST THURSDAY

One of the attractive features about First Thursday art is the variety in artistic aesthetic, subject and media. An evening art stroll yields such wide rewards, and you always come away with these different ways of approaching visual arts playing off of one another. Here's a small selection of some of the art you'll see this First Thursday:

BASEMENT GALLERY: SUMMER EXHIBIT

Basement Gallery will hold an opening reception for what promises to be a varied and original showing. Four very different artists make up Basement Gallery's Summer Exhibit:

John Killmaster a well-known artists and former professor at Boise State, will exhibit enamel, gouache and oil pieces. …

Panel recommends Illinois governor impeachment

A state panel recommended Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich be impeached for abuse of power, hours after his Senate pick told lawmakers he didn't strike any agreement with the scandal-plagued governor to win the plumb position.

The state panel's decision sets the stage for the full House to take action Friday and make Blagojevich the first governor impeached in Illinois history.

If the House votes to impeach, the matter would then go to the state Senate for a trial.

The 21-member committee voted unanimously to recommend impeachment. Many called it "a sad day" for Illinois.

Blagojevich has denied any wrongdoing. Spokesman Lucio …

MICHAEL SNEED

Basketball . . . The "in" basket: Paul H. Berger, the new city Revenue Departmentchief, who walks around City Hall with a Reaganesque "where am I?"look, just appointed deputy Mattie Blair to become his second incommand! A big tip: Blair really runs things anyway. A pink slip:Minutes later, Blair accepted the "resignation" of Rudy Figueroa, atax manager. The "out" basket: Deputy press secretary Laura Washington is leavingCity Hall and joining Channel 2 as a top snoop. Washington, who ranthe City Hall press room while boss Al "the Pal" Miller tagged afterMayor Washington, is joining Pam Zekman's award-winning investigativeunit. Is City Hall quaking? Is press secretary Miller …

Federer Reaches U.S. Open Final

NEW YORK - Roger Federer cut off all the angles and charged into his sixth straight Grand Slam final, overwhelming Nikolay Davydenko 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 Saturday at the U.S. Open.

Next up for the top-seeded Federer will be Andy Roddick or Mikhail Youzhny, who met in Saturday's other semi. Roddick was leading after three sets 6-7, 6-0, 7-6.

Federer will play for the championship Sunday afternoon.

Against Davydenko, Federer never had to sweat, showing off pinpoint serves, sizzling backhands and crushing forehands. His only slowdown in this semifinal romp came when he and Davydenko held up as jets roared overhead leaving nearby La Guardia Airport.

Federer won the …

Stocks Soar, Dow Rises 420 Points

Wall Street stormed higher Tuesday as investors, optimistic following stronger-than-expected earnings from two big investment banks, were also galvanized by the Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point. The Dow Jones industrial average soared 420 points, its biggest one-day point gain in more than five years.

Many investors were expecting the Fed to cut rates a full point, but appeared to overcome their early disappointment, especially since a 0.75 point cut is still substantial. The central bank's benchmark fed funds rate is now at 2.25 percent _ its lowest level since December 2004, and less than half what it was last …

Laid off? Oakton offering free classes

Oakton Community College is offering limited free tuition to local residents laid off after Jan. 1, 2008.

The "Reboot" program began this winter. Tuition is free for at least one semester for five subjects that are in demand -- including computer programming and "green" marketing.

"We had people who were driving buses, people who were in middle management and everywhere in between," said Robin Vivona, career services manager for Oakton, which has campuses in Des Plaines and Skokie.

Eighty-three people signed up before the classes filled up, Vivona says.

Without the tuition waiver, …

Relationships can grow success

What makes a business relationship work?

A friend, facilitating a workshop on this topic, sought my counsel with this question.

Here are my top 13 thoughts and theories, dos and don'ts, philosophies to embrace and things to avoid to make business relationships prosper:

1. The companies and people involved share similar core values and business philosophies.

2. The client or customer views their "provider" as a valued adviser or strategic partner, not as a vendor. (Vendors are expendable; partners are invaluable.)

3. Each sees the other as a "contributor" to their health and wellbeing, success, growth, profitability and a more favorable future.

4. …

Man arrested after shooting bride, groom, 2 others at Arkansas outdoor wedding

An apparent stranger shot the bride, groom and two other people at an outdoor wedding in rural Arkansas, then was arrested after being chased by outraged guests, a sheriff's official said Sunday.

The wedding was just ending Saturday when the suspect approached with a 9 mm pistol and opened fire, Pope County sheriff's Lt. Aaron DuVall said. No one else was hurt.

About 50 people, including children, had attended the ceremony along Piney Creek north of Dover at a spot the lieutenant said was popular for picnicking and swimming. Dover is 64 miles (103 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock.

The suspect "was not associated with the wedding at …

Holdout juror stands by her vote Says media wrongly depicted her as unyielding

NEW YORK -- A juror who held out to acquit the defendants in thenow-defunct Tyco trial said she has been misrepresented in the media.

"I wasn't unfair, but I did have a firm resting on the presumptionof innocence," Ruth Jordan, 79, told Newsday in a story publishedMonday. "I'm not sure they ever got that concept. I don't intend toget into a big thing with these people, but this is the way I feel."

The nearly six-month trial of former Tyco CEO L. Dennis Kozlowskiand former chief financial officer Mark H. Swartz was declared amistrial Friday because of pressure on Jordan, who reportedlyreceived an intimidating letter and phone call urging her to convictafter her name …

Celebrate the Real Deal Relationship Chat's 3rd anniversary with Art `Chat Daddy' Sims Sunday

Celebrate the Real Deal Relationship Chat's 3rd anniversary with Art `Chat Daddy' Sims Sunday

It was called the best kept secret in Chicago; it was also called the "hottest and most entertaining event of the new millennium," explosive, real and thought-provoking. Needless to say, with a description as such, The Original Real Deal Ultimate Relationship Chat is no longer on the clandestine tip. Everyone knows. But for those of you who aren't "in the know," there's still time, start making plans to attend Chat Daddy's anniversary celebration on Sunday. This chat's topic will be I've Got a Testimony: Trials Triumphs, Tribulations and Tragedy. It will be in the auditorium of the Center …

Navaira out of hospital after traffic accident

Grammy-winning Tejano singer Emilio Navaira and his wife, Maria, have been discharged from a San Antonio hospital after a traffic accident earlier this week.

A spokeswoman at University Hospital says the couple were discharged late Thursday, a day after their car collided with a truck.

The 46-year-old singer has …

Strojny, R-B able to survive

Riverside-Brookfield's girls softball team staved off a seventh-inning Evergreen Park rally to win its Suburban Prairie Blue opener 5-3 Friday in Riverside.

Bulldogs pitcher Margaret Strojny (5-3) gave up back-to-backtriples by Lauren McGuire and Amy Bachler to start the seventh. AbbeyLaneve's grounder to short scored Bachler to cut R-B's lead to thefinal score with one out.

But Strojny got Beth Folliard to line out and Stacey Nadelhofferto ground out to third, ending the game.

Strojny gave up six hits, walked two and struck out three in seveninnings.

The No. 10 Bulldogs (9-3, 1-0) got two-run home runs from MeghanHutchens in the first (scoring Dana …

O'Hair Leads at Players Championship

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - For Sean O'Hair, a birdie-birdie-birdie finish was the perfect way to polish off a 6-under 66 that gave him a one-shot lead over Phil Mickelson on Saturday going into the final round of The Players Championship.

Of all the great shots struck at golf's richest tournament, O'Hair thought his would turn out the worst.

He had watched Peter Lonard hole out a 5-iron for double eagle on the second hole, the rarest shot in golf. He heard the gallery roar when Phil Mickelson pulled off some magic by hitting out of a bunker through a gap in the trees no bigger than a kitchen window and onto the 10th green some 159 yards away.

O'Hair watched his 9-iron take flight on the 17th hole and wanted to throw up.

He bowed his head when he felt the wind die. He stuck his hand on his hip as he watched the ball descend from the blue sky to an island green that suddenly looked smaller. And he was so surprised when it stopped 5 feet from the cup for birdie that he slid his tongue out of the corner of his mouth, perhaps too stunned to do anything else.

"I felt like puking," he said.

It was a strange reaction for a guy who is leading the richest tournament in golf. Then again, it might be preparation for the anxiety attack Sawgrass tends to deliver to anyone trying to cash in on a $1.62 million prize.

O'Hair was at 9-under 207 and will be paired with Mickelson, who needed a few fortunate bounces for his 69.

Mickelson's tee shot on the par-5 16th caromed out of the trees, allowing him to carve an approach around the trees to 20 feet for a two-putt birdie. His tee shot on the 18th hugged the left side of the lake before finding land, setting up a final birdie.

Now for the final act.

"The last group is going to be fun," Mickelson said.

But this is hardly a two-man show. Not at this golf tournament, and certainly not on this golf course.

Lonard played bogey-free after his double eagle until getting stuck behind a tree on the final hole and dropping a shot for 68. He was two shots behind with former U.S. Amateur champion Jeff Quinney, who shot a tournament-best 64.

Jose Coceres was among five players who had at least a share of the lead, but that changed when his 8-iron hopped over the island green and he took double bogey.

"I just let the pressure of 17 get to me, and I just hit it too hard," Coceres said after his 68.

One guy who took himself out of the tournament was Tiger Woods, who failed to break par for the fifth straight round at The Players. He shot 73 - leaving him 14 strokes back at 5 over - and walked off the course without speaking to reporters.

Woods snap-hooked a fairway metal into the water for double bogey on No. 7, pulled his tee shot on the next hole and made another bogey and couldn't make up any ground on a day when everyone else was firing off birdies.

He played with Henrik Stenson, whose eagle-birdie-par finish gave him a 66.

Quinney was on his way to his 64 when the gallery came to life behind the second hole. Lonard had 211 yards to the front of the green, hit a 5-iron and couldn't see when the ball caught the slope and raced toward the hole.

"The reaction said it all," Lonard said. "But I didn't believe it until I picked it out of the hole."

That seemed to set the stage for plenty of excitement at Sawgrass. With only a gentle breeze and several hole locations that allowed for birdies, it was a race to see who could get to the top of the leaderboard and stay there.

Sergio Garcia made a swift climb into contention with eight birdies in 16 holes, only to finish by pulling a 6-iron into the water for double bogey, and getting defensive when someone asked about the shot.

"I didn't yank it, I just pulled it a little bit," Garcia said. "It went 2 yards into the water. It didn't go 30 yards in the water."

Davis Love III wasted a good round with a double bogey-triple bogey finish. Tom Pernice chipped across the 18th green and into the water on the final hole.

And there is always a nail-biting moment with Mickelson.

He was on the practice range at 8 a.m. - more than six hours before his tee time - with swing coach Butch Harmon, and the lesson seemed to pay off as Mickelson kept the ball inside the ropes and his name where everyone could see it. Then came a wayward tee shot on the par-5 ninth that led to bogey, and a tee shot into the bunker behind trees on the 10th.

Instead of the safe shot, Mickelson went through a tiny gap in the trees and onto the front of the green, escaping with par.

"It was plenty big for a ball to fit through," he said. "It was a tough enough shot where I felt like Bones (caddie Jim Mackay) would try to talk me out of it."

O'Hair never dreamed of a birdie-birdie-birdie finish. After a three-putt bogey on the 15th, he only wanted to hit the next fairway. His approach came up just short of the green, setting up a simple pitch for birdie.

Then came the 17th, where O'Hair figured he would be another victim.

"I just thought it was a good, solid 9-iron," O'Hair said. "I hit it exactly the way I wanted to, but as I hit it, the wind died. I was like, 'That's in the water.' It ended up being a great shot."

Luke Donald (65) and Carl Petterson (70) were among those in the group at 5-under 211, while U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy was in the group five shots behind.

The most surprising contender might be Quinney.

He shot 83-80 last week at Wachovia and was in the middle of the pack going into the weekend at Sawgrass.

"This is not a course where you really want to come in struggling with your game, because Pete Dye is known for intimidating golf shots," Quinney said. "Golf is just a crazy game."

Federer Beats Gonzalez, Wins Aussie Open

MELBOURNE, Australia - Roger Federer captured his 10th Grand Slam singles title without dropping a set at the Australian Open, beating Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-4 in Sunday's championship match.

Federer improved his winning streak to a career-best 36 matches and advanced through a major without dropping a set for the first time.

It was the first time since Bjorn Borg won the 1980 French Open title that a champion went through a major without dropping a set, and the first time at the Australian Open since Ken Rosewall in 1971.

Federer became the first man in the Open era to twice win three straight majors and has won six of the last seven Grand Slam titles - his only loss was in the French Open final to Rafael Nadal.

By reaching the final, Federer tied Jack Crawford's record of playing in seven consecutive finals at the majors, set in 1934.

"It is just wonderful. I have had a great run here again this year," Federer said. "I am very proud to be holding this trophy again."

Gonzalez, seeded 10th and in his first Grand Slam final, kept Federer under pressure with his big forehand, but could not quite match the all-court game of the player who has been ranked No. 1 for 156 consecutive weeks.

He broke Federer in the ninth game, the first break point chance of the match, and had two set points in the next game but failed to convert.

Federer broke back to level at 5-all, then had four set points in the next game before Gonzalez held in a game that went to deuce seven times and forced a tiebreaker.

Federer dominated the tiebreaker, jumping out to a 5-0 lead after winning a challenge against an incorrect baseline call to have the first point replayed.

Gonzalez, the Olympic doubles champion, had conceded only two points on serve in the second set until Federer broke to lead 4-3.

Federer fired an ace to close the second set and broke Gonzalez in the seventh game of the third. He set up triple championship point with a forehand winner and closed it with a backhand down the line.

He fell to his back, rolled over and then got up, hit a ball into the stands and took a bow. He held both arms high before throwing his wristband into the crowd.

For the match, Federer lost only 17 points in 16 service games plus the tiebreaker, and dropped only two points on serve in the last set.

Federer had 45 winners and only 19 unforced errors - just four in the final set - and dropped only one service game in the 2-hour, 20-minute match.

Gonzalez, who had only three unforced errors against Tommy Haas in the semifinals, had 28 against Federer to go with 31 winners.

The first set lasted 65 minutes, two minutes longer than Serena Williams needed to win the women's final 6-1, 6-2 over Maria Sharapova on Saturday afternoon.

Williams stayed in Melbourne on Sunday and was at Rod Laver Arena watching the men's final.

Just as in last year's victory over Marcos Baghdatis, Federer had to beat an opponent who had become a crowd darling.

Amid chants of "Vamos Fernando!" and "Come on, Speedy!" one particularly fervent fan clutched the corners of a Chilean flag and kissed the corners on key points.

Federer had plenty of backers, too, including his parents, who came to watch him play in Australia for the first time, and a number of faces painted like the Swiss flag. One fan waved a sign that proclaimed "Federer is betterer," and the Swiss star backed it up.

Gonzalez was trying to run around his backhand to whip powerful forehands and Federer sought to keep him from doing it, leading to a number of backhand-to-backhand rallies.

But while Gonzalez has improved his backhand, the most glaring weakness in his game, Federer showed he can rip winners from either side.

Gonzalez was grunting, not on his shots but with effort from tracking down Federer's groundstrokes to the corners. He stumbled and fell once and nearly a second time, and frequently tied his shoes to buy time.

Berlin's Jewish Museum expanding

Berlin's Jewish Museum says it is expanding to meet increasing demand for research and education.

The museum said Tuesday it will group its archives, library and education center under one roof across the street from the zigzag-shaped main building designed by architect Daniel Libeskind.

The new building, built in the 19th century as a flower market, will undergo a euro10 million ($12.7 million) renovation under Libeskind's guidance that is expected to be done by the fall of 2011.

The education center is currently in a separate building while the library and archives can only be accessed by registering in advance.

Some 100,000 are now using the research and education facilities _ double the number than when it opened in 2001. The museum saw 755,000 visitors last year.

Injured Ankle to Sideline Justice for Home Opener

David Justice will miss the Atlanta Braves' home opener tonightafter reinjuring his sprained ankle Sunday against the Los AngelesDodgers. Justice fouled a pitch off his ankle. Results of X-raysMonday were negative, but Braves officials said he likely will missabout a week. Speedskater Dan Jansen, who won a gold medal in the 1,000 meters atthe Lillehammer Olympics, threw out the first pitch in only thesecond day opener in Oakland Athletics history. Cincinnati Reds closer Rob Dibble had surgery on his pitchingshoulder, and the team expects him to be sidelined for about threemonths. A woman posing for a picture fell from the upper deck of the TexasRangers' new stadium shortly after the end of the team's home opener.Holly Minter, 26, was taken by helicopter to a Dallas hospital andwas listed in serious condition. California Angels left-hander Mark Langston is scheduled to undergoarthroscopic surgery on his pitching elbow today and will miss atleast six weeks. Minnesota Twins first baseman Kent Hrbek has confirmed he plans toretire after this season. Hrbek, who turns 34 in May, has been withthe Twins since being called up from Class A Visalia in August, 1981. Baseball's oldest player is batting .750. Charlie Hough, theFlorida Marlins' 46-year-old knuckleball pitcher, collected two hitsSunday against the San Diego Padres and is 3-for-4 this season."He's maturing as a hitter," teammate Orestes Destrade said. "By thetime he's 55 or 56, he'll have a chance at winning a batting title." Rangers pitcher Jack Armstrong was scratched from starting the firstnight game Wednesday at The Ballpark. Armstrong has tendinitis inhis right shoulder.

4th man in Army Corps bribe case to remain in jail

WASHINGTON (AP) — One of four men charged in what federal prosecutors call one of the largest government contracting frauds in the country's history will remain behind bars, a judge ruled Tuesday, after prosecutors said they had overwhelming evidence of him participating in a kickback scheme.

Harold F. Babb, the former director of contracts for Eyak Technology LLC, and three other men, including two employees of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, were arrested this month and accused in a $20 million bribery and money-laundering scheme. Prosecutors say government work was directed to a favored information technology subcontractor in exchange for kickbacks that paid for real estate, fancy clothes and other luxuries.

The three other men have already been ordered held. They are Kerry F. Khan and Michael A. Alexander, both Army Corps employees, and Lee A. Khan, Kerry's son.

Babb's attorney, Jeffrey Jacobovitz, argued during a hearing in U.S. District Court in Washington that his client should go free because he had no prior criminal record and was not a threat to the community. He said the transcripts of the audio recordings provided by prosecutors were largely irrelevant, non-incriminating and were merely the government's summaries of his client's conversations.

But Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Atkinson said the recordings between Babb and a government witness show the men discussing "classic kickbacks," bid rigging and the illegal steering of contracts.

Prosecutors say Babb was paid or promised more than $700,000, given first-class air tickets and promised a job in exchange for using his contracting authority at EyakTek to direct government work to a favored subcontractor. They say he's also connected by witness statements and documents to the transfer of $2 million in illicit proceeds to the Bahamas and $218,000 to Panama, and has traveled abroad more than two dozen times in the last three years. Federal agents searching his home this month found more than $10,000 in cash, court papers say.

Eyak Technology is a subsidiary of an Alaska Native Corporation with Virginia operations. It was the prime contractor for a five-year, $1 billion contract administered by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Prosecutors say Khan and Alexander received kickbacks in exchange for causing the government to award contracts to a Virginia-based subcontractor identified in the indictment only as Company A and as a subcontractor for EyakTek. The company's chief technology officer, described as a co-conspirator, submitted fraudulent and inflated invoices to the Army Corps of Engineers, either directly or through EyakTek, and the work was certified as completed, according to the indictment.

About $20 million in fraudulently inflated invoices were then funneled back to the four defendants, the indictment alleges.

The Eyak Corporation has denied any wrongdoing, and its chief executive officer, Rod Worl, has said Babb's alleged actions "constitute a reprehensible breach of trust."

Several members of Congress have called for either investigations or hearings into the allegations.

Dutch policeman 6th death from failed royal attack

Dutch authorities say a military policeman has died of injuries he received when a driver smashed his car through police barricades in an attempted attack on the royal family.

Military police commander Lt. Gen. Dick van Putten said the officer became the sixth victim of the Dutch man who plowed into the crowd watching Queen Beatrix and her family during national day celebrations Thursday. The assailant also died of his injuries earlier Friday.

Eight more people remain hospitalized, including two children.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

AMSTERDAM (AP) _ The man who drove his car into a crowd of parade spectators and killed five people died of his injuries Friday, leaving unresolved the mystery of why he tried to attack the Dutch royal family.

The 38-year-old suspect, identified by Dutch media as Karst Tates, had been in critical condition since the attack Thursday on Queen's Day, the Dutch national holiday.

Eleven other people were hurt when he rammed his car through police barricades toward an open-topped bus carrying Queen Beatrix and several other members of the royal family.

He told one of the first police officers to rush to his car that the attack was aimed at the royal family, prosecutor Ludo Goossens said Thursday. But the motive was unclear.

"It is very difficult now that we no longer have the suspect to reconstruct what was behind this," said Fred de Graaf, they mayor of Apeldoorn where the incident occurred.

"An element of uncertainty will remain because you can no longer question the suspect. So the last piece of the puzzle will remain in question," he told reporters Friday.

Dutch media, citing neighbors, said Tates recently was fired from his job as a security guard and was to be evicted from his home in the small eastern town of Huissen because he could no longer afford the rent. Police said he had no history of mental illness or police record.

The neighbors described him as friendly, but a man who kept to himself, the NRC Handelsblad newspaper reported on its Web site.

Prosecutors said the suspect's death ended the criminal investigation against him, but that they would continue to investigate whether he acted alone. Prosecutors have not released his name, in line with Dutch privacy laws.

"So far there are no indications" anybody else was involved, prosecutors said in a statement.

Police who searched the man's house Thursday "found no weapons, explosives or indications of other suspects," prosecutors said. No links with terrorism or ideological groups were immediately uncovered, they said.

The attack prompted officials to review security arrangements for the royal family's public appearances, beginning with Memorial Day next Monday commemorating Dutch victims of World War II, followed Tuesday by Liberation Day festivities. The state broadcaster NOS said the 71-year-old monarch would attend at least the main memorial ceremony as planned.

The queen and her son Crown Prince Willem-Alexander seldom hesitate to approach the crowds on holidays, especially on Queen's Day, when the members of the House of Orange are the focus of attention.

Now, the attack raised questions about "whether Queen's Day can ever again be celebrated in the way we Dutch are accustomed to _ with as its most important feature the closeness of the queen, her family and the Dutch public," said De Volkskrant daily.

De Graaf defended security during Thursday's parade. "You don't assume somebody will drive straight through a crowd, straight through two barriers to do something like this. You don't plan based on that kind of scenario," he said.

On Friday, people laid bouquets of flowers at the scene of the attack, lit candles in Apeldoorn's church and signed a condolence register at Apeldoorn city hall for the victims.

The failed attack on the immensely popular royal family played out live on nationwide television during coverage of the queen's bus trip to her palace Het Loo in the eastern city of Apeldoorn.

Friday newspapers and Web sites featured photos of the carnage wreaked by his small black car as it plowed through crowds of people hoping to catch a glimpse of the royals.

The car came to a halt when it slammed into a stone monument just yards (meters) from the royal bus.

A shaken Queen Beatrix extended her sympathies to the victims in a brief nationally televised address Thursday. "What began as a great day has ended in a terrible tragedy that has shocked us all deeply," she said.

Officials in Apeldoorn said he had a map of the queen's route.

Nine victims remained in hospital Friday, including two children, the Apeldoorn mayor said. One woman was still in critical condition.

Officials had said that in addition to the dead, 12 people had been injured, but on Friday said the driver had been counted among them.

Celebrations were canceled for Queen's Day, the national holiday that draws millions of people to street dances, picnics and outdoor parties around the country. Flags were lowered to half staff.

___

Associated Press reporter Mike Corder in The Hague contributed to this report.

Trooper's a Trouper // Isuzu Model Among Best

The hot sport; utility vehicle market is getting hotter, with nearly30 entries. And Isuzu's easy-riding Trooper is among the best of thelot.

The Trooper, which I recently tested, is second only to theToyota Land Cruiser in interior space, although its four-wheel-drivesystem doesn't measure up to those found in rival "sport; utes."

Still, few sport; utility owners do off-road driving, and Isuzuhas made quite a name for itself in the sport; utility field.Honda's Passport sport; utility is just a slightly disguised IsuzuRodeo, and industry insiders say Isuzu also might build a sport;utility for Toyota's luxury Lexus auto division. That's likely,considering that Mercedes is set to make a sport; utility, andCadillac and BMW are rumored to be joining the sport; utility crowd.

The two-door Trooper has been dropped for 1995 because Troopersare made in Japan, and two-door sport; utilities sent to America aresubjected to a stiff, 25 percent tariff - compared with 2.5 percentfor a four-door.

But most sport; utility buyers want a four-door model, anyway,and Isuzu gives them a broad Trooper four-door-model lineup.

The three Trooper S models cost from $22,450 to $24,950, and thetwo higher-line, better-equipped LS models are priced from $28,830 to$29,980. All are quiet, tightly built, nicely painted and have thesingle-overhead-camshaft, 175-horsepower V-6 that is also found inthe Rodeo and Passport.

New for 1995 is the $36,800 Trooper Limited, which gets adouble-overhead-camshaft, 190-horsepower version of the175-horsepower Trooper V-6 - besides a four-speed automatictransmission, leather upholstery, power front seats, sunroof andfour-wheel, anti-lock brakes.

Both silky engines provide lively performance, even thoughthey're fairly small, at 3.2 liters, and the Trooper is heavy, atabout 4,100 pounds.

Except for the Limited, four-wheel anti-lock brakes are an$1,100 option for most other Troopers, which come only with standardanti-lock rear brakes. Also, other Troopers have a standardfive-speed manual transmission; the crisp-shifting automatic - notoffered for the $22,450 entry-level Trooper - raises the price. Forinstance, I drove the $29,980 LS automatic-transmission model; withthe manual, the LS costs $28,830.

But all 1995 Troopers get new dual air bags, side-impact doorbeams that meet 1997 federal standards and a high-mounted rear stoplight.

The air bags have been integrated into a sleek new instrumentpanel, which has convenient new stalk controls for turn signals,headlights and wipers.

Even the entry-level Trooper is pretty well equipped, withreclining front bucket seats, folding rear seat, AM; FM; cassette,console, outside mirrors, rear defogger, tilt steering column,intermittent wipers, rear wiper; washer, sports car instrumentationand variable-assist power steering.

Also new for all Troopers is a revamped suspension, with revisedspring rates, larger stabilizer bars and revalved shock absorbers.The result is that the Trooper has an exceptionally smooth ride andexcellent handling.

The power steering feels vague near the steering wheel'son-center position, but that's the price paid for having tires thatcontribute to a smooth ride. Different tires would result in sharpersteering near the on-center position, but the Trooper would benoisier and ride harder, Isuzu says.

One major Trooper drawback is that it has just a part-timefour-wheel-drive system, which only can be engaged at speeds up to 5m.p.h. Thus, if roads suddenly become slick, you must almost stop toget into four-wheel-drive.

And, with no center differential, the Trooper can't be driven ondry roads with its four-wheel-drive system engaged without sufferingexcessive wear.

All Trooper U.S. rivals, and most of its imported competitors,have four-wheel-drive systems that can be engaged at any speed - orpermanently engaged systems.

The Trooper, which offers a high seating position and greatvisibility, provides comfortable room for five adults - and lots ofcargo space. Isuzu says it sold 30,000 Troopers last year and has nodoubts that it will sell at least the same number this year.

Braves 6, Nationals 5, 10 innings,

Washington			Atlanta
ab r h bi		ab r h bi
Berndn cf	3 0 1 0		Prado lf	4 2 2 4
Morse ph-lf	1 0 0 0		McLoth cf	4 0 2 0
Dsmnd ss	5 0 0 0		C.Jones 3b	4 1 1 1
Werth rf	5 0 0 0		McCnn c	5 0 1 1
L.Nix lf-cf	4 1 1 0		Uggla 2b	3 0 0 0
AdLRc 1b	3 2 1 1		Hinske rf	4 0 0 0
Espinos 2b	3 1 1 2		Fremn 1b	3 1 0 0
Slaten p	0 0 0 0		AlGnzlz ss	4 1 2 0
IRdrgz c	4 1 1 1		D.Lowe p	2 0 0 0
Cora 3b	4 0 0 0		Gearrin p	0 0 0 0
Zmrmn p	3 0 0 0		Conrad ph	0 1 0 0
SBurntt p	0 0 0 0		OFlhrt p	0 0 0 0
HrstnJr 2b	0 0 0 0		Venters p	0 0 0 0
		Mather ph	1 0 0 0
		Kimrel p	0 0 0 0
Totals	35 5 5 4		Totals	34 6 8 6

Washington	020	201	000	0—5
Atlanta	001	000	400	1—6

One out when winning run scored.

E_Uggla (3). LOB_Washington 5, Atlanta 6. 2B_L.Nix (4). HR_Espinosa (4), I.Rodriguez (2), Prado (5), C.Jones (4). SB_Bernadina (3), Desmond (13). S_McLouth.

	IP	H	R ER BB SO
Washington
Zimmermann	6 1-3	5	3	3	2	11
S.Burnett BS,3-7	2-3	1	2	2	1	0
Slaten L,0-1	2 1-3	2	1	1	2	1
Atlanta
D.Lowe	6	5	5	5	3	6
Gearrin	1	0	0	0	0	3
O'Flaherty	1	0	0	0	0	1
Venters	1	0	0	0	1	2
Kimbrel W,1-1	1	0	0	0	0	3

HBP_by D.Lowe (Espinosa).

Umpires_Home, Jim Joyce; First, Ron Kulpa; Second, Jim Wolf; Third, Derryl Cousins.

T_3:04. A_19,758 (49,586).

Pakistan rules out recovering Tanvir for World Cup

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan left-arm fast bowler Sohail Tanvir was ruled out of his first World Cup on Wednesday because of his slow recovery from knee surgery.

Uncapped 21-year-old left-arm fast bowler Junaid Khan was approved as Tanvir's replacement by the International Cricket Council, the Pakistan Cricket Board said in a statement.

Tanvir underwent knee surgery last year but struggled in his comeback one-day international series against New Zealand, which Pakistan won 3-2 last week.

The PCB said its medical team and team management "opined that Sohail Tanvir still requires time to attain hundred percent fitness before he can compete at international level."

Tanvir took just two wickets while conceding 223 runs in three ODIs against New Zealand and clearly struggled with his match fitness.

"During the tour it was observed that quick movements and pickup with weight hindered his (Tanvir's) mobility and requires him to take a few extra steps to balance himself before throwing," the PCB said.

Pakistan was the fourth major team to make late replacements before the World Cup starts in 10 days.

Australia's injured Michael Hussey and Nathan Hauritz were replaced by Callum Ferguson and Jason Karejza. India fast bowler Praveen Kumar made way for Shantakumaran Sreesanth, and England batsman Eion Morgan was replaced by Ravi Bopara.

Pakistan was in Group A with Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Canada.

Pakistan — the 1992 World Cup winner — opens its campaign against Kenya in Hambantota, Sri Lanka on Feb. 23.

Kyrgyzstan declares state of emergency after clash

Several thousand people tried to storm a university in Kyrgyzstan in a burst of ethnic violence that left at least 2 people dead and more than 70 wounded, prompting the interim government to call a local state of emergency.

Witnesses in the southern town of Jalal-Abad said thousands of ethnic Kyrgyz advanced on the private university that serves as the center of the minority Uzbek community on Wednesday. They said gunfire broke out as crowds approached the building encircled by a cordon of special security forces.

Kyrgyzstan has been struggling to maintain stability since President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was ousted from power in April amid deadly clashes between government forces and demonstrators that claimed 89 lives.

In an apparent bid to secure its grip on power, the interim government named its head, Roza Otunbayeva, as the acting president on Wednesday _ a move that requires approval in a constitutional referendum, set for next month.

It was not clear who opened fire in Jalal-Abad on Wednesday, but health officials said most of the 71 injured appeared to be from the crowd. At least two people were killed, the Health Ministry said.

Otunbayeva responded to the violence by ordering the state of emergency and a curfew in Jalal-Abad and the surrounding area. She dispatched the acting interior minister to the area, where support for Bakiyev still runs strong.

Tensions have long simmered between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbek _ both Sunni Muslim groups _ in the former Soviet nation's restive south. In 1990, hundreds were killed in a violent land dispute between the two communities across southern Kyrgyzstan, which borders Uzbekistan.

Witnesses said the crowd assembled Wednesday in front of the university threw stones at the building and shouted demands for the hand-over of Uzbek community leader Kadyrjan Batyrov, whom they accused of inciting racial tension. Batyrov, a wealthy businessman, paid for the construction of the Peoples' Friendship University.

Batyrov alleged that the crowd was connected to criminal elements close to the Bakiyev family. He told The Associated Press that the crowd "had weapons and firebombs. When they began to attack, the police fled, and the attackers then ran into the building, smashed windows and tried to set fire to the building."

The interim leader said every possible measure was being taken to defuse the situation.

"We have recently demonstrated that we are capable of securing the peace," Otunbayeva said in the capital of Bishkek. She placed acting Interior Minister Baktybek Alymbekov in charge of securing Jalal-Abad, and instructed military and police to provide support.

Otunbayeva, who previously held the title of prime minister, will be ineligible to run for the presidency once she completes her term as head of the provisional government at the end of 2011.

Meanwhile, Bakiyev's supporters have accused Batyrov of leading a mob late last week that burned down the deposed president's family home in the nearby village of Teyit.

Bakiyev fled the country last month for Belarus, but interim authorities say his family is still financing disturbances aimed at unseating the provisional leadership.

The torching of the Bakiyev home Friday evening marked the culmination of two days of violence in Jalal-Abad, which broke out when several hundred Bakiyev supporters, some with automatic rifles, holed up in the regional government building after capturing it a day earlier.

They were driven out by backers of the interim government, many of whom were ethnic Uzbeks. This led to local perceptions that the minority community was gaining political influence in the region.

___

Associated Press Writer Leila Saralayeva contributed to this report.

Edmonds homers to lift Brewers over Nationals 7-5

Jim Edmonds replaced injured All-Star Corey Hart and hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the seventh inning to lift the Milwaukee Brewers over the Washington Nationals 7-5 on Friday night.

Hart hurt his right wrist in the third when he crashed into the wall down the right-field line chasing Cristian Guzman's fly ball.

Milwaukee manager Ken Macha and assistant trainer Dan Wright went out to check on Hart, who threw three warmup tosses before deciding to finish the inning. Edmonds pinch-hit for Hart in the bottom of the third.

X-rays were negative, but the Brewers said Hart will undergo an MRI on Saturday.

Dilo at CINTE Techtextil

At CINTE Techtextil in Shanghai, the Dilo Group will once again give visitors an informative and detailed presentation of the different nonwoven applications and services.

Especially, the new technologies of Dilo and Spinnbau will be represented in the end-products displayed.

The Dilo System Group offers its services as a general contractor for complete nonwoven lines. In these production line projections, all nonwoven technologies from thermobonding to spunlacing or needling processes are considered. Together with leading system partners, the Dilo System Group has implemented more than 100 nonwoven lines worldwide.

With its new "DI-LOUR IV Hyperpunch" technology, Dilo offers a complete new range of products for high-quality automotive interior parts. Combined with the "Advance" technology very fine pitch patterns, diamond and herringbone structures are applicable.

The "DeltaCard" with Sigma Doffing system presents new possibilities in throughput speeds and design of products especially in direct line with the hydroentanglement technology.

In addition to such new developments, the whole range of products for geotextiles and domestic textiles, automotive and technical applications, artificial leather and natural fiber fabrics together with lightweight web applications and their use in cosmetics, medicine and hygiene will be on display.

The nation's weather

Wet weather was forecast to persist in the Eastern U.S. on Monday as a strong low pressure system slowly moved off the East Coast.

The system that brought periods of heavy rain would continue bringing scattered showers from the Mid-Atlantic states, New England, and the Northeast. Forecasters said to expect between a quarter and a half of an inch of rain in most places as highs remain above freezing in the 40s.

Meanwhile, behind this system, a large ridge of high pressure was expected to build over the Central U.S. and spread over most of the Plains into the Mississippi River and Great Lakes. This would allow for plenty of sunshine and warm conditions. The Midwest was expected to remain in the mid-50s, while the Upper Plains would see highs in the 40s.

To the South, a trough of low pressure moving across the Central Rockies was forecast to dip into the Southern Plains. This would pull moisture in from the Gulf of Mexico, which would allow for scattered showers and thunderstorms to develop over Texas and Oklahoma. Another cool and breezy day was expected with highs in the 40s and 50s and winds gusting up to 25 mph.

Out West, mild weather was expected Monday as high pressure hovered over the West Coast. A system was forecast to approach from the Pacific Ocean, but would not reach the coast Monday. Sunny skies with highs in the 70s were expected over the Pacific Northwest and California.

Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Sunday ranged from a low of 2 degrees at Bridgeport, Calif., to a high of 87 degrees at San Angelo, Texas.

Good buddies Garcia, Pineiro renew acquaintances on hill

What good can come out of a suspension for steroids?

For close friends Freddy Garcia and Joel Pineiro, it means theyget the rare opportunity to square off against each other in theWhite Sox' series opener tonight against the Seattle Mariners.

After pitcher Ryan Franklin was suspended for violating MajorLeague Baseball's drug policy, the Mariners were forced to altertheir rotation. Franklin was scheduled to pitch tonight, but Pineirowill move up a day.

Garcia and Pineiro were teammates with the Mariners and have beenpals ever since Pineiro's brief major-league stint in 2000. The twohave grown so close that Pineiro and his family will stay at Garcia'shouse this weekend at Garcia's insistence.

"At the All-Star break, we talked, and we noticed that I pitchedthe second game [of the second half] and he pitched the second game,"Garcia said. "We talked that we should be in line for the same day."

A little more fate was needed to make it happen. Now that it's onthe schedule, Garcia said no friendly wager was made, and the onlyextra incentive will be pride.

Pineiro was scheduled to arrive at Garcia's home Thursday night,so Garcia was asked if the two planned to have a good time long intothe night.

"We'll just be talking ... I don't know," Garcia said. "His familyis here, so we'll see what happens."

ON DECK:

MARINERS AT WHITE SOX

Tonight: 7:05, Comcast SportsNet, 1000-AM. Joel Pineiro (3-7, 6.06ERA) vs. Freddy Garcia (11-4, 3.76).

Saturday: 6:05 p.m., Comcast SportsNet, 1000-AM. Jamie Moyer (9-3, 4.33) vs. Mark Buehrle (12-4, 2.86).

Sunday: 2:05 p.m., Ch. 9, 1000-AM. TBA vs. Jon Garland (15-5,3.40).

The story line: The Sox will try to win a home series for thefirst time since July 4-6, when they swept the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.They have lost three home series since then and split another againstthe Boston Red Sox. The Mariners are the last preparation the Soxwill get before a six-game trip to New York and Boston.

Arndt wins women's time trial world title

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Judith Arndt of Germany has won the women's time trial at the road cycling world championship ahead of New Zealand's Linda Villumsen and defending champion Emma Pooley of Britain.

Arndt completed the rainy 17.2-mile circuit through central Copenhagen on Tuesday in 37 minutes, 7 seconds, beating Villumsen by 21 seconds.

In the junior men's time trial, Mads Wurtz Schmidt won a gold medal for Denmark by finishing in 35:07.68 to beat James Oram of New Zealand. David Edwards of Australia was third.

US military chief meets new Israeli commander

JERUSALEM (AP) — The U.S. military chief has met the incoming Israeli military commander at a time when turmoil in Egypt has left other nations in the region nervous.

Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is visiting Israel briefly for talks apparently aimed at reassuring Israel, which is concerned about instability in Egypt and the future of a 1979 peace treaty.

Mullen met the incoming Israeli military chief of staff, Benny Gantz, who was approved by Israel's Cabinet on Sunday and takes over Monday. Mullen has talks scheduled with Israel's defense minister and president.

The U.S. commander arrived in Israel from Jordan, where he met King Abdullah II. The king replaced his Cabinet in response to demonstrations triggered by the mass protests in Egypt.

5 cities at a glance.(Local)

Chesapeake | A woman's body was discovered in Chesapeake on Saturday morning when police responded to a report of an injured person.

Police were dispatched to the 2900 block of Wingfield Ave., near Campostella Road, about 7:11 a.m. There they found the body of a woman, according to Chesapeake police officer specialist Justin Tindall.

The victim has not been identified. The cause of her death remains under investigation.

- Duane Bourne

Virginia Beach

Ex-councilman seeks House nomination

Peter W. Schmidt, a former member of the Virginia Beach City Council, announced Saturday that he will run for the Democratic nomination for the Virginia House of Delegates in the 82nd District in Virginia Beach, according to a news release.

Schmidt, a Democrat, is also a former director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

He has lived in Virginia Beach for 18 years, the news release said. Schmidt served as the Department of Environmental Quality's director from 1994 to 1996 and was on the Beach council from 2002 to 2006. The election is in November.

- Patrick Wilson

Charlottesville

Monticello man linked to marijuana ring

A Monticello man is behind bars, accused of being part of a multi-national, Internet-based marijuana distribution ring.

Fluvanna County sheriff's Lt. David Wells said 27-year-old David Allen Haney was arrested Thursday and charged with possession of more than 5 pounds of marijuana with intent to distribute.

Wells said authorities with the sheriff's office, Virginia State Police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service searched a home in a gated community Thursday and found about 7 pounds of "high-grade" marijuana and other items believed to be involved in the distribution ring.

Haney remains in the Central Virginia Regional Jail. He is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. If convicted, Haney faces up to 30 years in prison.

-The Associated Press

Martinsville

Teen dies after he's Tasered by police

A 17-year-old Martinsville boy has died after a city police officer used a Taser on him.

Virginia State Police are investigating the death of the teen, who has not been identified.

Martinsville Police Chief Mike Rogers said Officer R.L. Wray used his stun gun on the boy when he "moved rapidly" toward him in an offensive manner. Wray had responded to calls of disorderly young men in the street.

Rogers said Wray tried to resuscitate the teen, who was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Although Rogers said the Taser use was within the guidelines, Wray has been placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation.

-The Associated Press

volunteer connection

Hope House Foundation serves people with disabilities. Volunteers are needed to spend time with the people it serves. Time could be spent in a variety of ways depending on the interests of the person to whom you are matched. For more information, contact Stephanie Knowles at (757) 625-6161.

The Virginia Beach Court Appointed Special Advocate program trains volunteers, 25 and older, to act as special advocates for children who have been abused or neglected. For more information and an application, call the Virginia Beach office at (757) 385-5616.

For additional opportunities, call Volunteer Hampton Roads at (757) 624-2400 or info@volunteerhr.org.

5 cities at a glance.(Local)

Chesapeake | A woman's body was discovered in Chesapeake on Saturday morning when police responded to a report of an injured person.

Police were dispatched to the 2900 block of Wingfield Ave., near Campostella Road, about 7:11 a.m. There they found the body of a woman, according to Chesapeake police officer specialist Justin Tindall.

The victim has not been identified. The cause of her death remains under investigation.

- Duane Bourne

Virginia Beach

Ex-councilman seeks House nomination

Peter W. Schmidt, a former member of the Virginia Beach City Council, announced Saturday that he will run for the Democratic nomination for the Virginia House of Delegates in the 82nd District in Virginia Beach, according to a news release.

Schmidt, a Democrat, is also a former director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

He has lived in Virginia Beach for 18 years, the news release said. Schmidt served as the Department of Environmental Quality's director from 1994 to 1996 and was on the Beach council from 2002 to 2006. The election is in November.

- Patrick Wilson

Charlottesville

Monticello man linked to marijuana ring

A Monticello man is behind bars, accused of being part of a multi-national, Internet-based marijuana distribution ring.

Fluvanna County sheriff's Lt. David Wells said 27-year-old David Allen Haney was arrested Thursday and charged with possession of more than 5 pounds of marijuana with intent to distribute.

Wells said authorities with the sheriff's office, Virginia State Police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service searched a home in a gated community Thursday and found about 7 pounds of "high-grade" marijuana and other items believed to be involved in the distribution ring.

Haney remains in the Central Virginia Regional Jail. He is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. If convicted, Haney faces up to 30 years in prison.

-The Associated Press

Martinsville

Teen dies after he's Tasered by police

A 17-year-old Martinsville boy has died after a city police officer used a Taser on him.

Virginia State Police are investigating the death of the teen, who has not been identified.

Martinsville Police Chief Mike Rogers said Officer R.L. Wray used his stun gun on the boy when he "moved rapidly" toward him in an offensive manner. Wray had responded to calls of disorderly young men in the street.

Rogers said Wray tried to resuscitate the teen, who was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Although Rogers said the Taser use was within the guidelines, Wray has been placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation.

-The Associated Press

volunteer connection

Hope House Foundation serves people with disabilities. Volunteers are needed to spend time with the people it serves. Time could be spent in a variety of ways depending on the interests of the person to whom you are matched. For more information, contact Stephanie Knowles at (757) 625-6161.

The Virginia Beach Court Appointed Special Advocate program trains volunteers, 25 and older, to act as special advocates for children who have been abused or neglected. For more information and an application, call the Virginia Beach office at (757) 385-5616.

For additional opportunities, call Volunteer Hampton Roads at (757) 624-2400 or info@volunteerhr.org.

Washington native to head Publicis creative unit here

Publicis in Mid America/Chicago CEO Barry Krause scoured thenation in search of the right person to head his shop's 30-personcreative unit. Krause's exhaustive hunt led him to Peter Nicholson,a group creative director at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners/SanFrancisco, who becomes Publicis in Mid America's chief creativeofficer on May 1.

With approximately $200 million in billings, Publicis is one ofthe city's top 10 agencies ranked by size, but it has not had anespecially high creative profile recently. With the addition ofNicholson, plucked from one of the nation's hottest creative shops,Krause is clearly looking to shake things up and give Publicis adistinctive image vis …

Legler, Robert J.(Obituaries)

VERNON, N.Y. Robert J. Legler D.V.M., 71, of Lampman Rd., died early Sunday morning, October 5, 2008 at home with his loving family at his side. Bob was born January 27, 1937 in Albany, N.Y., son of the late Robert L. and Louise McCall Legler. Bob was a graduate of Vincentia High School of Albany, Sienna College and Cornell University where he received his degree in veterinary medicine. During the years of 1954 through 1958, Bob served in the U. S. Navy as a submariner aboard the USS Sea Robin. In 1961 in Albany, Bob was united in marriage with the former Barbara Newell. The couple had made Vernon their home since the early 1960s. Prior to his retirement in 1992, Bob had …

ERNEST SADDLEMIRE.(CAPITAL REGION)

GUILDERLAND -- Ernest Saddlemire, 82, of Guilderland, died Saturday at Daughters of Sarah Nursing Home after a long illness. Born in Knox, he had resided in Guilderland for over 30 years. Mr. Saddlemire was a bus driver for the Guilderland Central School District for over 20 years, retiring in 1978. He was founder and past fire chief of Knox Volunteer Fire Co. and past president of the Fort Hunter Volunteer Fire Co. Mr. Saddlemire was a member of the Lynnwood Reformed Church and the Guilderland Elks #2480. He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Helen V. Saddlemire; father of Louis Saddlemire of Knox and David Saddlemire of Vermont; stepfather of Richard Pikul and Eileen …

Bret Michaels says he's going back on the road

Bret Michaels is upbeat, despite his recent illnesses.

In a message on his website, the 47-year-old rocker says: "With all of my heart, soul and the remaining organs I have left ... I would like to thank each and every one of you for all of your support and awesomeness. All the good vibes and well wishes gave me the strength to go back to New York and win `Celebrity Apprentice.'"

The Poison frontman suffered a brain hemorrhage in April …

Pools the Tredway

After 21 years in the business of "selling fun and recreation," John Tredway is more excited about the upcoming months than he was about his first year as a business owner. "I see so much opportunity right in front of us; while some people might be looking for greener pastures elsewhere, I'm looking straight ahead. I think that opportunities are even greater today, and all I have to do is look around me to be excited."

Looking ahead is what Tredway is doing today as he continues to expand his in-ground swimming pool construction business into a multi-faceted company that includes the service aspect of pools and spas, as well as retail sales. He's also investing in an expanded 7,200 …

A Perfect X: Apple's future is tied to OS X. Should yours be? (Special Report).

APPLE COMPUTER has dubbed its latest operating system, Os X, a "modern" OS. What exactly does that mean for multimedia producers and Mac users in general? To evaluate and understand OS X, users must look at a variety of issues. Does your key application run on OS X? If so, does it run any better than it did under OS 9? What are its implications for multimedia professionals in the short- and long-term future?

Migrating to a new operating system can be difficult, but the payoff is increased performance: faster preview speeds; faster rendering times for graphics, animation and video effects; and increased stability and ease of use. These are all factors to consider when evaluating any OS upgrade.

The worst experience a user can have is to go through a troublesome upgrade only to reap little or no added benefit.

The Kernel

The core of an operating system is called a kernel. The kernel for OS X is called Darwin, and it uses a version of Unix called Berkeley Software Distribution. Unix is an operating system with many variants such as Sun Solaris, SGI IRIX, Linux, AIX (from IBM) and True64 (from Compaq.) Unix runs Web servers, mainframes, supercomputers and workstations used by rocket scientists. SGI IRIX is used by 3D animators and special-effects artists.

Unix offers several features that make it powerful and stable, including protected memory pre-emptive multitasking, virtual memory and real-time support. Protected memory means that one application cannot use up all of a system's RAM and cause a crash. With OS 9 and earlier, a single application can cause the entire system to freeze and require a restart, rendering even the force-quit function useless. Thankfully, as the Mac OS has improved, it has become more stable; OS X, however, presents a new level of stability.

Pre-emptive multitasking allows the system to efficiently schedule the use of the processor for each running application and its requested task. This speeds up many processor-intensive tasks by maxing out the available processor power whenever possible and then surrendering the processor to a different task if the OS decides it is more important.

A key feature is the ability to harness the power of multiple processors. Mac 0S 9 does not offer that kind of support and, as a result, a dual-processor G4 machine running 0S 9 does almost nothing faster than a single-processor G4. With OS X, tasks such as rendering 3D objects can be spread across multiple processors--providing significantly faster render times.

Macs have had virtual memory for many years, but OS X offers advanced virtual memory. Virtual memory helps to pull files and data from storage into RAM as needed. Wouldn't it be great if the OS could do this so quickly …

SNOWMOBILER WINS RIGHT TO USE ROAD.(Main)

ALBANY -- A ruling by the state Department of Environmental Conservation that reopens an Adirondack road near the remote High Peaks to motorized traffic could reverberate throughout the wilderness.

While the decision this week by DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis applies only to a stretch of historic road in Essex County now used by hikers and cross-country skiers, it could open the way for motor enthusiasts to challenge the state's closure of hundreds of ancient roads throughout the park.

"This gives people here the legal avenue to reopen roads throughout the Adirondacks that the state illegally closed," said James McCulley, who won a six-year fight to show that …

President must deal with Iranian threat.(Main)

Byline: SUSAN E. RICE

Has President Bush quietly concluded that the United States can live with a nuclear-armed Iran?

If this seems preposterous, recall the President's words at his year-end news conference. Asked about U.S. policy toward Iran, he said: "We're relying upon others, because we've sanctioned ourselves out of influence with Iran ... in other words, we don't have much leverage with the Iranians right now."

This bizarre statement obviously does not portend the President's born-again conversion to multilateralism. Rather, it is a false assessment of U.S. influence and a potentially deadly recipe for U.S. acquiescence to a nuclear Iran.

Consider what's at stake. Oil-rich Iran is arguably the world's most active state sponsor of terrorism. Iran was behind the 1996 …

COURTENAY IMMERSES HIMSELF IN THINGS RUSSIAN.(ACCENT)

Byline: MATT WOLF Associated Press

LONDON Bravura performances aren't exactly rare from Tom Courtenay.

He came to attention three decades ago in such movies as ``The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner'' and ``Billy Liar,'' and enjoyed Broadway and film success more recently in ``The Dresser.''

But it's been some time since Courtenay, 57, stormed the West End as he is now doing in ``Moscow Stations.'' And with a return to Broadway scheduled for early next year as Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, his sustained Russian immersion will no doubt continue eliciting raves.

``I'm very comfortable in Russian things; I love Russian writing,'' Courtenay said one recent afternoon, musing about a ``comeback'' or so the …

CV Therapeutics regains rights to Ranexa. (Monday, July 14).(Brief Article)

CV Therapeutics Inc. renegotiated with partner Innovex Inc. for a return of all rights associated with the chronic angina candidate Ranexa. In exchange for commercialization rights, including the opportunity to hire and train a sales force, CV Therapeutics has agreed to issue Innovex, a subsidiary of Research Triangle Park, N.C.-based Quintiles Transnational Corp., …

AP Interview: Kennedy talks of life after Congress

WOONSOCKET, R.I. (AP) — Patrick Kennedy, a former Democratic congressman from Rhode Island and son of the late Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, said Tuesday that his departure from Congress has given him a chance to start building private relationships and taken him "off the beaten path" in a life that has largely been led in the spotlight.

"I have a personal life that's not just a sound bite, but it's real," Kennedy told The Associated Press. "I've had a little foreshadowing of what it could be like."

Kennedy announced last year he would not run for a ninth term in Congress, a decision he made a few months after his father died. He told the AP he is focusing on …

Work just beginning for panel investigating WVU degree: ; Professor says no plans or schedule have been made yet

The three-person panel that will look into the controversy over amaster's degree awarded to Gov. Joe Manchin's daughter has yet tomeet in any official capacity.

On Wednesday, West Virginia University Provost Gerald Lang namedtwo professors and an executive with the state's higher educationsystem to the committee.

The men appointed to conduct the review are Roy Nutter, acomputer science and electrical engineering professor who is also amember of WVU's Faculty Senate; Michael Lastinger, a Frenchprofessor and former Faculty Senate chairman who sat on theuniversity's Board of Governors; and Bruce Flack, vice chancellorfor academic affairs for the West Virginia Higher …

Mock CPR Drills in Kids Show Many Residents Fail in Key Skills, Hopkins Study Reveals; 'Staged' CPR Drills Quickly Close the Training Gaps.

Byline: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions

BALTIMORE, May 18 (AScribe Newswire) -- Research from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center exposes alarming gaps in training hospital residents in "first response" emergency treatment of staged cardiorespiratory arrests in children, while at the same time offering a potent recipe for fixing the problem.

The research was conducted just before the release of the 2005 American Heart Association's practice guidelines focusing on strengthening first-response skills, which suggests that at least some of the findings in the study may paint a grimmer picture than current reality, researchers say. And changes already made to the Hopkins resident training program beginning in 2005 have resulted significant improvement, they add.

The Hopkins study, now available online and to be published in the July print issue of the journal Resuscitation, revealed critical mistakes during life-saving maneuvers like chest …

CAPITAL REGION ALMANAC.(CAPITAL REGION)

This almanac of community news provides coverage of local governments, local courts and police calls from selected communities in our region. Government listings focus on communities in Albany County, and police calls are taken from the actual police blotters from larger communities throughout the area. This feature usually appears on this page Mondays through Saturdays. L G GUILDERLAND TOWN BD. Tuesday, July 17 Action Items:Heard a presentation from Dave Scafford of the Guilderland Youth Soccer Association awarding scholarships in memory of Matthew McMullen. The winners are Emily Johnston, Amber Kutny, and Paul Califano. Adopted, after a public hearing, a local law to permit town police to enforce vehicle and traffic regulations in town parks. It had been noted that streets within the parks are considered private roads and police previously lacked authority for such enforcement. Approved the purchase of municipal accounting computer software and training from KVS Information Systems, Inc. at a proposed cost of $5,800. The town presently uses outside services at an approximate cost of $22,500 per year. The new system is expected to be in …

Wanted: a system to audit care. (environmental responsibility of the chemical industry)(Responsible Care)

'Don't trust us, track us" is a noble sentiment. But how do you shadows chemical operations and judge whether Responsible Care is more than a public relations exercise? Obviously, getting a measuring system in place is implicit in the prospects for the success of Responsible Care.

Lack of progress in developing measures has triggered a race on both sides of the Atlantic between industry and environmentalists to get systems in place. For the moment, while industry has promising programs under study, such as linkage to ISO 9000, environmental groups have the initiative with a variety of schemes.

A report assessing the environmental performance of the world's top 50 chemical earners is being compiled by the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA; Hamburg). Drawn up from the companies' answers to 25 questions, which are designed to find out how environmentally sustainable (and independently verified) their operations are, the report will be published in the next six months.

TACITURN. Douglas Mulhall, managing director of EPEA, remains tight-lipped about how companies rate--other than saying that some with traditionally clean images are big polluters and vice versa. He stresses that benchmarking is important, as all companies need to be compare. "Responsible Care does not do this," he contends.

In the U.S. a coalition of environmental groups called Communities Concerned about Carbide is organizing to get more and better information from Union Carbide plants that communities, with the help of outside experts, can use to track the environmental performance of the plants. At present the group has focused its attention on the company's Seadrift, TX petrochemicals plant, but the model being developed there is intended to be widespread.

"We are trying to develop a group of technical experts who would be working for communities around the various chemical facilities--who would provide those resources when they are needed by a community," says …