VIC:PM sends message of support to Stynes

AAP General News (Australia)
08-06-2011
VIC:PM sends message of support to Stynes

Prime Minister JULIA GILLARD has sent a message of support to AFL club president JIM
STYNES as his battle with cancer continues.

45-year-old STYNES was back at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre earlier this week
for another gruelling round of tests for a tumour in his stomach.

In June, he endured his fifth operation to remove cancerous tumors from his brain.

Ms GILLARD says she's had the privilege to meet with STYNES and discuss his work with
young and disadvantaged Australians.

Doctors have urged STYNES to quit his role as Melbourne Football Club president and
concentrate entirely on his fight against cancer.

AAP RTV ees/sw/

KEYWORD: STYNES GILLARD (MELBOURNE)

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

age of the universe

age of the universe A time determined by the reciprocal of the value of the Hubble constant to be between 10 and 20 billion years. The calculation of the Hubble constant, and hence the age of the universe, depends on which theory of cosmology is used. Usually, the age of the universe is calculated by assuming that the expansion of the universe can be described by the big-bang theory. Some estimates for the age of the universe suggest a figure that is less than the age of some stars in the universe, which would constitute a major paradox for cosmology.

FED:Unions should cool wage demands: Ferguson

AAP General News (Australia)
04-11-2011
FED:Unions should cool wage demands: Ferguson

CANBERRA, April 11 AAP - Resources Minister Martin Ferguson says unions should not
be greedy in their wage demands for workers at oil and gas plants.

A reported 30 per cent jump over two-and-a-half years in the cost of hiring an offshore
welder, for example, was not a sustainable rate, Mr Ferguson said.

That kind of wage rise had already placed pressure on the offshore building industry
and unions should heed some advice, he said.

"Don't kill the golden goose," Mr Ferguson told ABC Radio on Monday.

"We are talking about a sector of industry that is now exceptionally well paid and
we've got to see a stronger commitment - and I've raised this with industry - to apprenticeship
training."

Mr Ferguson was the president of the peak national union body, the Australian Council
of Trade Unions, between 1990 and 1996.

He said both sides had to accept a dampening in the spiralling cost of wages and accept
"a bit of give and take".

Mr Ferguson said take-home pay wasn't the only factor to be considered.

"There are far more important issues such as training young Australians in creating
long-term career opportunities through decent apprenticeships," he said.

"The wage increases that have occurred in offshore construction are unsustainable.

"Industry knows it, the commonwealth government knows it and some sections of the union
movement know it."

AAP el/jcd/pc

KEYWORD: PAY FERGUSON

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED:Ken Henry to step down from Treasury =2

AAP General News (Australia)
12-21-2010
FED:Ken Henry to step down from Treasury =2

Martin Parkinson will succeed Dr Henry from March 7, 2011.

Dr Parkinson was appointed Secretary of the Department of Climate Change in December
2007, and was previously deputy secretary in Treasury.

MORE cb/rl/jlw

KEYWORD: HENRY 2 CANBERRA

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED:`Handful` of superbug cases in Australia

AAP General News (Australia)
08-13-2010
HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 19:30, Aug 13

MELBOURNE - Three people have been shot dead on a bloody day in Melbourne, sparking
fears that another gangland war has erupted. (Chaouk Wrap, with pix) 2nd Wrap to come

MELBOURNE - Two people have been killed in a second shooting on a bloody day in Melbourne.

(Shooting Vic Update) 2nd Update (follows police presser in Carlton) and Wrap to come

Outwatching for more, including possible out of sessions court hearing re Shooting Vic

See also: MELBOURNE - Warnings of revenge killings, a vicious gun culture and a sneering
indifference to the law are key ingredients for another Melbourne gangland war. (Chaouk,
AAP Backgrounder)



JAKARTA - Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran have finally admitted their
roles in the Bali Nine drug ring as part of a final appeal that seeks to have their death
sentences reduced to 20 years' prison. (Indon Nine Wrap, with file pix)



POLL10:

CANBERRA - Mr Scrooge would be pleased this election. The coalition eschewed the traditional
big-spending approach when it launched its campaign last week and now Labor has signalled
it would follow that lead too. (Poll10 Wrap) See also Poll10 Snapshot



CANBERRA - Teachers, technology and trade training are targeted under a series of education
policies unveiled by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, but one union has already criticised
the spending as robbing Peter to pay Paul. (Poll10 Education Wrap)



SYDNEY - A feisty and determined Prime Minister Julia Gillard has continued efforts
to woo western Sydney voters, who will be crucial to victory at next week's election.

(Poll10 Gillard Wrap, with pix)



MELBOURNE - It was by far Tony Abbott's easiest challenge this year. (Poll10 Abbott
Wrap, with pix and video)



CANBERRA - The nation's top transport bureaucrat has disputed claims he didn't find
out about federal Labor's $2.1 billion promise to fund a new commuter rail link until
he read it in the newspaper. (Poll10 Rail 2nd Wrap)



SYDNEY - Australians will be able to enrol online in future elections after the activist
group GetUp won a landmark case in the Federal Court. (Poll10 GetUp 2nd Wrap, with pix
and video)



CANBERRA - Labor expected to announce a new climate initiative on Saturday to encourage
green farming (Poll10 Climate to come)



See also Poll10 Xenophon Wrap, Poll10 Youth (Eds: Embargoed until 0100 AEST Saturday),
Poll10 Quotes Week, Poll10 Science, Poll10 Senate ACT, Poll10 Senate NSW, Poll10 Hendra
Update





OTHER NEWS:



MELBOURNE - Former Hawthorn Football Club president Ian Dicker will donate his six-figure
salary to bushfire victims after being appointed head of the Victorian Bushfires Reconstruction
and Recovery Authority. (Bushfires Authority Wrap)



PERTH - Western Australia's power transmission company has rejected a safety watchdog's
finding that one of its old wooden power poles fell and sparked the Toodyay bushfire.

(Toodyay Wrap, with pix)



SYDNEY - Shares in Telstra Corporation Ltd fell to a 10-week low, as investors continued
to sell off the country's biggest telco after disappointing earnings and forecasts. (Telstra
Wrap)



MELBOURNE - AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has slammed the Seven Network as exploitative
for the way it has promoted Ben Cousins' controversial documentary. (AFL Cousins Wrap)



MORE mn

KEYWORD: HIGHLIGHTS NATIONAL UPDATED

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Community in shock after second speedboat death

AAP General News (Australia)
04-04-2010
NSW: Community in shock after second speedboat death

SYDNEY, April 4 AAP - A city on the NSW mid-north coast is in shock after an Easter
speedboat racing event ended in tragedy with the deaths of two competitors.

People from all over the world flocked to the Manning River at Taree for the 60th anniversary
of the Taree Aquatic Power Boat Clubs Easter classic powerboat race.

But the event came to a distressing conclusion when a 44-year-old American man was
killed when he was flung from his boat as it travelled at about 200km/h on the Manning
River about 1pm (AEST) on Sunday.

His wife is understood to have looked on as the river was dragged for his body.

He was taken to Manning Base Hospital but died a short time later.

On Saturday, a man named in reports as 61-year-old Brian McCosker from Tamworth died
when his powerboat flipped and knocked him unconscious.

Mr McCosker was well-known and respected in the speedboat community.

President of the Australian Power Boat Association Glenn Banks told Seven News he had
never seen anything like the double tragedy in the history of the event.

"We've had tragedies before, we've had fatalities before, but never have we lost two
of the best competitors in one weekend," he said.

AAP ih/jl

KEYWORD: FLIP UPDATE

2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: NZ PM may pump up Wallabies by talking up All Blacks

AAP General News (Australia)
08-21-2009
NSW: NZ PM may pump up Wallabies by talking up All Blacks

By Adam Bennett

SYDNEY, Aug 21 AAP - New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has delivered what may prove
to be a motivational speech to the Wallabies ahead of Saturday night's Bledisloe Cup clash.

Speaking at Sydney's Sofitel Wentworth Hotel on Friday, Mr Key began by prophesying
an All Blacks victory at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.

"It's absolutely wonderful to be here on the eve of another historic All Black victory,"

Mr Key opened, to the applause of Kiwis in the audience.

But not just content to taunt Wallabies' fans in attendance, Mr Key went on to question
Australia's sporting supremacy.

"I thought as I came over here on this trip that I would answer that one and difficult
question - which nation is the most successful sporting nation," Mr Key said.

"So, I randomly selected three questions that I thought might be helpful in answering
that question."

First, who had won the most Test matches.

"I went and added up every cricket Test match, every rugby Test match, every rugby
league Test match played between Australia and New Zealand," he said.

"These are the results: Australia has won 135 of those Test matches, New Zealand has won 141.

"One-nil to New Zealand."

Next, Mr Key tallied up who had won the most Olympic gold medals, per capita, saying
nothing was dearer to Australians than the Games.

"Of course, you'd need to adjust that for population size, it's ridiculous to add it
as a straight number," he said.

"Australia, per thousand people, 19.88 medals. New Zealand, 19.91."

Mr Key then launched his third and final attack on Australian sport, asking which country
had a greater hold on the world record for the mile.

Australia had two - John Landy and Herb Elliott. New Zealand had three - Jack Lovelock,
Sir Peter Snell and Sir John Walker.

"So, that is three-nil to New Zealand. I hope that has answered the question for you."

Mr Key and Kevin Rudd have made a wager about the game, with the prime minister of
the losing side forced to wear the official tie of the winning team.

The New Zealand PM said he was "very confident" he'd be wearing an All Black tie come
Monday, and even predicted a 12-point win.

"I might live to regret that," he said.

Mr Key is on an official visit to Australia and will attend Saturday's game.

AAP ab/hn/jlw/jfm/cdh

KEYWORD: TRI KEY

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: Steam train to tour regions for Qld anniversary

AAP General News (Australia)
04-13-2009
Qld: Steam train to tour regions for Qld anniversary

BRISBANE, April 13 AAP - Queensland will revisit the glory of the age of steam to celebrate
the state's 150th birthday.

A steam train will leave Brisbane's Roma Street Station on Tuesday on a five-month
journey around the state, from Wallangarra on the NSW border to Cairns in the far north
and Quilpie in the west.

It will leave Brisbane at 9.30am (AEST), bound for the old gold mining town of Gympie
where it will be welcomed in a community celebration.

Queensland was separated from the colony of NSW in 1859.

Railways and their steam locomotives did much to develop the state from a fledgling
colony to a prosperous member of the Commonwealth.

Communities in 30 different centres will host the Q150 Steam Train on its six separate
journeys across Queensland.

The train will travel from Gympie to Maryborough, Bundaberg and Gladstone before arriving
in Rockhampton at 3pm on Sunday.

From the central Queensland city, the Q150 train will then steam west to Winton on April 28.

AAP stg/jl/jlw

KEYWORD: STEAM

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Bail refused for trio charged over man's murder

AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-2008
NSW: Bail refused for trio charged over man's murder

CANBERRA, Dec 8 AAP - One of three family members charged over the death of a man found
at the bottom of the Queanbeyan River will give birth while in jail after being refused
court bail.

Danny Ralph, 46, was found in the river, below a blood-stained suspension bridge, by
police divers in March this year.

Benjamin Wayne Holcroft, 25, has been charged with his murder.

Teneeka Waine Beaudean, 20, and Kodie Rozilannie Beaudean, 50, have been charged with
being accessaries after the fact.

The three accused are all from Queanbeyan.

They did not apply for bail on Monday in Queanbeyan Local Court and it was formally refused.

Police prosecutor Rod Gordon told the court it would take more than six weeks to prepare
the brief of evidence because there was "a lot of forensic evidence and a lot of listening
device evidence".

Holcroft will apply for bail at Goulburn Local Court on December 17.

His two co-accused may apply for bail at a later stage but were remanded in custody
until early February by Magistrate Brian Van Zuylen.

Teneeka Beaudean's lawyer Rosemary Benet said her client was eight months pregnant
and due to give birth in early January.

Police believe Mr Ralph, a chef from Ulladulla on the NSW's south coast, was beaten
before being pushed off the bridge.

AAP jcd/rl/srp/nf

KEYWORD: RALPH

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

QLD: Hendra clinic owner hopeful of govt funds

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2008
QLD: Hendra clinic owner hopeful of govt funds

By Jessica Marszalek

BRISBANE, Aug 4 AAP - The owner of a Brisbane veterinary practice infected by the Hendra
virus hopes the Queensland government will provide funding to keep the clinic open.

Redlands Veterinary Clinic owner David Lovell said his business had been turned into
a government controlled quarantine station,

He said the clinic was losing about $50,000 a week and he would be forced to close
and sack all staff if the government did not step in.

While the clinic was maintaining quarantined horses on behalf of owners, it was unable
to trade, Dr Lovell said.

Animals have been quarantined at the bayside facility since the first of four horses
died of Hendra virus there, early last month.

"In effect, we've been taken over by the government as a quarantine station and we've
been looking after the horses and we've run out of money," Dr Lovell said.

"It's a fairly simple exercise in mathematics."

Dr Lovell said a closure would affect more than 30 staff.

"It's not an issue I've really been discussing with them but none of them are stupid,
they are all well aware they have had their hours cut back ... everyone has to be worried,"

he said.

"You're always optimistic and looking for the best in the future.

"I guess they rely on me to sort something out to keep it going."

Primary Industries Minister Tim Mulherin said the government had forged a close working
relationship with the clinic, helping with quarantine and providing a Biosecurity Queensland
vet since the outbreak.

"We also have assisted the veterinary clinic move part of its clinic to new premises
so that the business may continue," Mr Mulherin said.

He said ways the government might continue to help were to be discussed this afternoon.

Two clinic staff members, a vet and a senior vet nurse, are in hospital infected with
the Hendra virus.

Four horses at the Redlands clinic have died as well as two at Proserpine in the state's north.

About 12 people who have had contact with the Redlands clinic will have a third round
of blood tests later this month to determine if they are clear of the potentially deadly
virus.

AAP jmm/pjo/jpm/bwl

KEYWORD: HENDRA LEAD

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: Man charged with attempted murder

AAP General News (Australia)
02-11-2008
Qld: Man charged with attempted murder

BRISBANE, Feb 11 AAP - A man has been charged with attempted murder after a woman was
allegedly shot at in Brisbane's southern outskirts.

Police said a 26-year-old Greenbank man had been arrested after a 29-year-old woman
was discovered last Tuesday staggering along Kingston Road at Kingston, with a gunshot
wound to her neck.

The man has been charged with one count each of attempted murder, unlawful wounding,
enter premises with intent whilst armed and in company, assault occasioning bodily harm
whilst armed and in company and unlawful possession of a firearm.

He is due to appear in the Beenleigh Magistrates Court today.

AAP jmm/jm/de

KEYWORD: SHOT

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Main stories in today's 1300 2UE News

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2007
Main stories in today's 1300 2UE News

SYDNEY, Aug 23 AAP - Main stories in today's 1300 2UE News:

- Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd has flagged the commonwealth takeover of all public
hospitals if Labor wins the election.

- Unions say they aren't worried about State Transit investiagting a wave of illness
that has struck down Sydney bus drivers.

- Organisers of World Youth Day are about to hold an emergency meeting with Randwick
Race Course officials in a bid to make a peace deal.

- A Senate candidate for the upcoming federal election has compared Muslim immigration
to the bird flu.

- The Howard government says a new independent study has vindicated its workplace laws.

- In rugby league, Leichhardt Oval is officially sold out for Sunday's clash between
the Wests Tigers and South Sydney.

AAP nap/was

KEYWORD: MONITOR 2UE 1300

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Sheik should consider leaving Australia: Andrews

AAP General News (Australia)
04-09-2007
Fed: Sheik should consider leaving Australia: Andrews

By David Crawshaw

CANBERRA, April 9 AAP - Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews today called on controversial
Muslim cleric Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali to think about leaving Australia.

But he stressed there was no possibility of stripping the self-styled mufti of Australia
of his citizenship.

Mr Andrews repeated calls for the outspoken sheik to resign amid a growing storm about
his increasingly incendiary public statements.

Calls for the sheik to be sacked intensified today after reports he travelled to Tehran
and urged Muslims worldwide to support the Iranian government of Mahmoud Ahmedinejad,
whose nuclear ambitions have raised the ire of the international community.

"The mufti of Australia has called on the Islamic world to stand in the trenches with
the Islamic Republic of Iran which possesses the might and the power," the Iranian Alalam
News reported in Arabic on its website on Saturday.

The mufti's salary was suspended last year after he used a religious address to compare
immodestly dressed women with uncovered meat and suggest they invited sexual assault.

Mr Andrews today urged the Egyptian-born Sheik Alhilali to quit his post and consider
his future in Australia.

"The cleric should resign immediately," he said.

"The Australian community has lost patience with the sheik.

"The sheik needs to say if he wishes to continue as a citizen of Australia or reside
in an alternate country."

Despite the strong words, Mr Andrews' spokeswoman said there were no grounds for cancelling
the Muslim leader's citizenship.

Sheik Alhilali was granted citizenship by the Labor government in 1990 after political
intervention by former prime minister Paul Keating to prevent his deportation.

The sheik had been slated to be refused Australian citizenship, and would have had
to leave the country.

Several Islamic community leaders have spoken out against Sheik Alhilali recently,
complaining that he does not represent their views.

The sheik was recently accused of failing to account for $47,000 in donations raised
in Australia and earmarked for victims of last year's Israel-Hezbollah war.

It has been reported that after taking charge of the money in Lebanon, the mufti gave
at least $12,400 to a supporter of the Iraqi insurgency, Sheik Bilal Shaaban, to fund
his radio station.

AAP dcr/cb/maur/de

KEYWORD: SHEIK ANDREWS

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: RSPCA says please adopt our pets

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-2006
Fed: RSPCA says please adopt our pets

The RSPCA is appealing to people considering adding a pet to their family this Christmas
.. to adopt an animal from one of their shelters.

RSPCA Queensland CEO MARK TOWNEND says Christmas is sadly the busiest time of year
for the organisation .. with many animals surrendered or abandoned after being bought
as a gift.

Last year the RSPCA cared for more than 41 thousand animals statewide .. and they expect
the total will increase this year.

RSPCA pet adoption gift vouchers are available for Christmas .. but the charity is
urging people to ensure they're prepared for the responsibility of adopting a pet.

AAP RTV bcj/sc/els/rt

KEYWORD: XMAS RSPCA (BRISBANE)

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Embassy trying to get more Austs out of Lebanon = 2

AAP General News (Australia)
08-01-2006
Fed: Embassy trying to get more Austs out of Lebanon = 2

Mr DOWNER says Israel's attack on Qana was a terrible tragedy .. but Hizbollah guerrillas
often use civilians .. and UN outposts .. as human shields.

He says the Israelis can detect Hizbollah rockets being fired from within civilian
communities .. and immediately strike at those locations.

He says a United Nations resolution on a peacekeeping force for southern Lebanon is
probably still a fortnight or more away .. and the prospect of a ceasefire in the near
future appears slim.

AAP RTV rp/jmt

KEYWORD: MIDEAST DOWNER 2 CANBERRA (REOPENS)

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Eight arrested in connection with revenge attacks

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2006
NSW: Eight arrested in connection with revenge attacks

Eight people have been arrested in early morning raids .. over revenge attacks that
followed Sydney's Cronulla riot.

More than 50 police conducted simultaneous raids today on 10 homes in Yagoona .. Riverwood
.. Punchbowl .. Greenacre .. and Bankstown in Sydney's west.

Detectives from Strike Force Enoggera arrested the eight males .. aged between 16 and
21 .. and they'll be charged with riot and affray .. over the violence and anti-social
behaviour at Maroubra on December 11.

Police say four of those arrested are juveniles.

The men and boys were allegedly in a convoy of cars that drove from Punchbowl Park
to Maroubra after 8.30pm on December 11 for retaliatory attacks following the December
11 Cronulla rioting.

MORE RTV was/jv/bart

KEYWORD: SURF ENOGGERA (SYDNEY)

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Politicians comments always on the record: Chikarovski

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2005
NSW: Politicians comments always on the record: Chikarovski

Former New South Wales Liberal leader KERRY CHIKAROVSKI says politicians are public
property and there is no such thing as an off-the-record conversation with journalists.

Her comments follow the resignation of her successor, JOHN BROGDEN.

Today Mr BROGDEN stepped down following comments he'd made last month about former
New South Wales premier BOB CARR'S Malaysian-born wife HELENA being a mail-order bride.

He'd also pinched the bottom of one journalist and propositioned another at an event
on July the 29th.

Ms CHIKAROVSKI has told Sky News everything a politician does and says -- whether in
private or public -- is on the public record and public figures must be accountable.

AAP RTV kjd/nf/low/jv

KEYWORD: BROGDEN CHIKAROVSKI (SYDNEY)

2005 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

WA: Man allegedly admits killing his two young step children

AAP General News (Australia)
04-24-2005
WA: Man allegedly admits killing his two young step children

By Alison Miller

PERTH, April 24 AAP - A man who allegedly confessed to killing his two young step children,
whose bodies were found in a West Australian cemetery, is due to face court today.

The 36-year-old walked into the Derby Police Station in WA's far north at 3am (WST)
yesterday and confessed to killing the four-year-old girl and her 14-month-old brother,
police said today.

Police went to the town's cemetery where they found the children's bodies.

It will be alleged the man first assaulted his estranged de facto wife, who is the
mother of the children, before taking the children to the cemetery where he allegedly
killed them.

The 29-year-old woman was taken to Derby District Hospital and is in a serious condition.

Police have not disclosed how the children died.

The man was charged with three counts of causing grievous bodily harm.

But the charges relating to the children were likely to be upgraded pending the results
of a post mortem examination, scheduled for later this week, police said.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Murray Lampard said the tragedy would have a devastating
effect on the families involved, and the close-knit town of Derby and has appealed for
people to remain calm.

"I appeal to all the family members to show restraint and to have faith in the local
police to ensure justice is done," Acting Deputy Commissioner Lampard said in a statement.

Police have transferred the man from Derby for his safety and also to help defuse a
potentially volatile situation between the families and the broader community.

It is understood the man will appear before a magistrate in Broome in a specially convened
hearing today.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Lampard said counselling services had been arranged through
the Department of Community Development for the families affected by the children's deaths.

AAP ajm/cat/sd

KEYWORD: CHILDREN LEAD

2005 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

amylase

amylase Any of a group of closely related enzymes that degrade starch, glycogen, and other polysaccharides. Plants contain both α- and β-amylases; the name diastase is given to the component of malt containing β-amylase, important in the brewing industry. Animals possess only α-amylases, found in pancreatic juice (as pancreatic amylase) and also (in humans and some other species) in saliva (as salivary amylase or ptyalin). Amylases cleave the long polysaccharide chains, producing a mixture of glucose and maltose.

School Digest

GBS

Newsletter available in new format

The District 225 community newsletter The Glenbrooks is now available in a mobile device format. To download the spring edition,visit www.glenbrook225.org and click on the newsletter link on the homepage under "Our Mission."

Superintendent's Letter

As the school year comes to a close, the calendar is filled with a multitude of important events, activities, and celebrations in virtually all areas of our schools. Instead of winding down, the Glenbrooks are taking it up a notch! It has been an exciting year of achievement and accomplishment for our schools, and under the guidance of the Board of Education, the staff and administration were successful in completing a notable number of initiatives:

• Student Information System. A new student information system was implemented that allows students and parents secure access to a portal for limited student record information.

• RtI. Implementation of mandated Response to Intervention (RtI) programs was completed in both high schools.

• Communication. A new three-year District communication plan was adopted based on data that included a community-wide survey.

• District Offices. The Passport Plaza building at 3801 West Lake Ave. was renovated and became the new location of the District administrative offices.

• Glenbrook Evening HS/Off-Campus. Renovation of the former District office at 1835 Landwehr Road was completed in January and Glenbrook Evening HS and Glenbrook Off-Campus now occupy the building.

• Energy Conservation. Energy conservation plans were developed and implemented at the school and District levels.

• Cost Reduction. Cost reduction strategies for FY2011 were successfully implemented and additional strategies have been developed for FY2012.

• Technology. A technology plan for the 2011-2012 school year was adopted that will improve existing infrastructure, and address computer refresh needs.

• Bond Issue. The district completed the final $10 million bond issuance from the 2006 referendum to complete promised Life Safety and renovation projects.

The 2011-2012 school year will kick off in grand fashion as Glenbrook South celebrates the school's 50th anniversary, "Titans Strike Gold." Both schools will welcome the Class of 2015 and their parents with enthusiasm and eager anticipation. The 2011-2012 school year also brings a list of initiatives such as:

• Technology. Network equipment will be upgraded to improve speed, storage capacity and redundancy. Internet capacity will be increased and a new Internet content filter will be implemented. District and school websites will be redesigned with improved navigation, a new calendaring system, and social media connections.

• Library Cataloguing. The library cataloguing system will be replaced.

• Telephone System Replacement. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone systems will replace the current digital systems at both GBN and GBS, reducing costs over time.

• Construction. Many projects will be completed this summer including identified life-safety work, replacement of the flooring in the field house facilities at both GBN and GBS, reconfiguration and renewal of the GBS library and the renovation of old shower areas along the back gym hallway to provide new public bathrooms at GBN.

As we look to the future, proposed legislation and funding at both the state and federal levels will have significant influence on public schools and their operation. The Glenbrooks are positioned to face these challenges. The value of a great high school education has never been higher and we are fortunate to serve communities that have always supported education at the highest levels.

Horticulture teamwins 20thstate title

The GBS Horticulture team won its 20th state title in the 2011 competition. In addition, GBS students earned the top five individual spots out of 180 competitors. Team members include: Sam Bielanski, Monica Gunther, Joe Hampton, Elim Jeong, Joanna Kim, Sean Tietz. Teacher Jeff Yordy coaches the team.

Temporary recordsto be destroyed

In accordance with Illinois statute, Glenbrook South will destroy temporary records for the class of 2006 graduates June 15. Students who have graduated, transferred or withdrawn from GBS and would like to take possession of their temporary records may do so by contacting the school's registrar prior to June 15, at (847) 486-4535. Only temporary records will be destroyed. In accordance with the Illinois Student Records Act, GBS will retain transcript, health and award records.

Teacher winsMIT award

GBS teacher Neil Schmidgall has been selected as a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) InvenTeam Excite Award recipient. Schmidgall has been invited to travel to MIT this summer to present a grant application that proposes next year's engineering students build a kinetic sculpture in one of the school stairwells.

Five debaters namedAll-Americans

The Glenbrook South Debate team is proud to announce that the National Forensic League has named five seniors as Academic All-Americans. Seniors Colin Bianchi, Mitchell Bigelow, Philip Han, Jacob Saltzman, and Alyssa Zimmer were honored as Academic All-Americans for their excellence in speech/debate competitions, grades, and test scores. Tara Tate directs the GBS Debate Society and is assisted by Jon Voss, David Kane, Calum Matheson, and Abraham Corrigan.

Debate coachnationallyrecognized

The National Federation of High Schools recently named GBS director of debate Tara Tate as the Central United States sectional winner for the 2011-2012 Speech/Debate/Theatre Educator of the Year Award. In October 2010, the Illinois High School Association selected Tate as the state's award recipient, which advanced her into consideration by the NFHS for Section 4 honors, which includes speech/debate/drama teachers from Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa and Illinois.

Tate has been the director of debate at GBS since 2003 and currently oversees 120 student debaters. She also serves as the chairperson of the Board for the National Debate Coaches Association.

Radio stationcelebrates 30th anniversary

The Glenbrook South High School Radio Program will celebrate its 30th anniversary during the 2011-2012 school year. The station will be hosting special programs and events to commemorate this milestone. Glenbrook South Radio began in the fall of 1981 as a club "broadcasting" music into the cafeteria from the school's Student Activities Office. Glenbrook South went "on air" in the winter of 1982 using rented time from the Glenview radio station WMWA. In 1997, District 225 purchased the station and changed the call sign to "WGBK" to reflect the new ownership.

Business students recognized foraccomplishments

The GBS Business Professional of America (BPA) group attended the national conference in Washington, D.C. and numerous students were recognized for their accomplishments. Aimee Jose, Noor Malik, Nihreer Matani, Justina Mathew, and Roya Naderi were named BPA National Merit Scholars. Only 37 students out of more than 4,500 earned this distinction. Carrie McClellan earned an Ambassador pin. Aimee Jose pleased 13th in Administrative Support Research Project; Casey Kalman, Charlie Manning, Chrystal Mattappillil, and Max Mattappillil placed 13th in Presentation Management Team; Roya Naderi placed 14th in Human Resource Management; and Nolan Henrickson placed 21st in JAVA Programming.

Glenbrook South was also recognized in the following areas: Safety Awareness, Special Olympics, Community Action, Community Relief, and Marketing and Public Relations.

Rosie McManamon advises the BPA program at GBS.

District 34

ChamberOrchestra toperform in Peoria

The Attea Middle School Chamber Orchestra has been accepted to perform at the 2012 Illinois Music Educators Association State Music Conference, which will be held in January at the Peoria Civic Center in Peoria. The Chamber Orchestra is scheduled to perform at 8 a.m. Jan. 27 in the Civic Center Theatre. The group submitted an application with recordings from the past three years along with a description of District 34's string program. Performing at the conference is a great honor, and the group will prepare a 30-minute concert for the upcoming event. The students who performed on the audition tape that was submitted are Neda Abbaszadeh, Kiran Ajani, Grace Avila, Jordan Chiappetta, Jonathan Chung, Courtney Day, Danielle Eickenberg, Lexi Fakhouri, Mark Galperin, Dana Grad, Jean Ha, Min Seung Jung, Arina Kim, Brian Lada, Lydia Lutz, Brandon Moy, Winston Park, Becky Pavchinskiy, Elena Pertsalis, Nivi Ravi, Stephen Sholty, Priya Soni, Patrick Tener, Tracy Tojo and Megan Tristano.

Bookfaircontinues

The Pleasant Ridge School annual Spring Bookfair continues from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. May 26 at Pleasant Ridge, 1730 Sunset Ridge Road. A highlight of the event will be the "Literature Alive" program, which will be presented from 6. to 9 p.m. May 26 also at Pleasant Ridge.

Calendar

Glen Grove ELL Family Game and Art Night will be held at 6 p.m. May 26 at Glen Grove School, 3900 Glenview Road.

Lyon School Incoming Kindergarten Social will be held at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. May 27 at Lyon, 1335 Waukegan Road.

School will be closed May 30 in observance of Memorial Day.

Glen Grove Market Day Pick-up will be at 2:45 p.m. June 1 at Glen Grove School, 3900 Glenview Road.

District 30

Maple Honor roll

Maple School Principal Dr. Nate Carter has announced the third quarter Honor Roll recipients. Students with an asterisk by their names were named to the High Honor Roll.

Sixth Grade

Adam Altman, Max Altman*, Courtney Anetsberger*, Kyle Angelbeck*, Rishabh Arora*, Holly Arriaga, Bryce Balonick*, Brian Baruck*, Kristina Beddaoui*, Cameron Bersh*, Justin Bifeld, Nikol F. Blinov, Chase Bolan, Melissa L. Bruckman*, Dana Cagen*, Nicolas Cavallaro*, Katherine Cavender*, Luke A Cherchenko*, Jonathan L. Chu*, Suzi Chung*, Emily Clesen*, Alexander L. Cramer*, Meghan C. Cruz*. David I. Deborin*, Jozette Deegan, Zachary Dolins*, Itai Epstein*, Jake J. Fahey, Van Fairbanks, Samantha E. Farkash*, Nathan D. Fong*, Miranda Fromm, Vivian Gao*, Liam Garrity*, Zachary Garti*, Brian Goldman, Ashley Goldstein*, YouLim Han*, Madalyn Hirsh, Miri Ishida*, Grace Jan, Justin H. Ji*, Sarah X. Jiang*, Minseok Jo*, Charlotte Joselit*, Anjit T. Joseph*, Isabella Kang*, William Katranis*, Anna Kim*, Eileen Kim*, Ellie Kim*, Rachel Kim*, Sonya Klimek*, Jacey Kolker*, Matthew Kramer*, Matthew L. Landauer*, Ryan Larsen*, Dori M. Latek*, Abby Lenhoff, Anna A. Lipkind*, Jeffrey A. Liss, Emma Litch, Gianna J. Loiacono*, Harrison Lupfer*, Hannah R. McDermott*, John McMenamin*, Shivam Mehrotra, Michelle Michalczewski*, Rebecca Paddor*, Christina E. Pappas*, Hannah Park, Jonah Pazol*, Emily Press*, Connor T. Purcell*, John P. Purcell*, Avani S. Ramachandra*, Gillian E. Redstone*, Kayla D. Reid, Clark Reinfranck*, Marissa Rogoff*, Nathan Rosenberg, Heather Schlitz*, Biata O. Shem-Tov*, YouJin Shim, JoonSeop Shin*, Whitney W. Sloneker*, Lucas Smeds*, JuHyung Song, Joseph Sperber, Melissa Spero*, Sara Stanicek*, Madison Stat*, Emily Stoller*, Julian Stone*, Iordanis Stylianou, Jack J. Sullivan*, Stephanie Tan*, Mya Tsang*, Jacob D. Turk*, Calliope Vaselopulos*, David N. Vayngart*, Ryan Veith, Daniel J. Voronov*, Liat Wasserman*, Allison Wyland*, Julia Yep*, Valeriya Yuryk*, Brett Zera.

Seventh Grade

Zainab Ahmed*, Sahil Akolawala*, Danielle Alper*, Georgia Arvanitis*, Mary Batrich*, Zachary Bernstein*, Kasey Bersh*, Quentin Bobart, Shannon Buttimer*, Graham Cohen*, Zachary Cohen*, Mollie E. Cramer*, Zoey M. Degen, Allan Dontsis*, Amelia E. Dorr, Samuel Ehrlich*, Grace Elisco, Idan Epstein, Allan L. Farkash*, Austin Fialkow*, Brian C. Filipiak*, Madeline Flamm*, Allison Galanter*, Paul Graham*, Matthew Grinde*, Lane Gruemmer, Nicole Hampton*, Alexander E. Hanskat, Brant Hlavin*, Lexi Hoffman*, Suyeon Hong*, Alexandra F Hristakos*, Daniel W. Hu*, William C. Huie*, Molly Isley, Michael Jesser*, Jini V. John*, Brendon Johnson*, Madeline Kahn*, Erik Karpinski*, David Kim, Isaac Kim*, Katherine A. Knight Johnson*, Nicole Koshevatskiy*, Matthew J. Lampert*, Changmin Lee*, JungEun Lee*, Vivien Lee*, YeJin Lee*, Jason A. Levin*, Paul Licata*, Jessica Livas*, Kristina Louras*, Lindsay Malkin*, Ilana Malman*, Daniel Z. Marx, Samantha Mason*, Leopold Mayer*, Afreen A. Memon, Nathan Mirochnick, Sara Moradi*, Tiam Moradi, Elayna Mork*, Samantha Nevin*, Debbie Noh*, Christine O*, Chris Oh*, HyeMin Oh*, HyunHee Park*, SungKyung Park*, Sydney Parks, Halia Parrott*, Taya Placik*, Devin Reisman, Louis Rosenberg*, Mason Rosenberg*, Rina Rosenwasser*, Aleksandra Savic, Abhay M. Sawhney, Leah Schwartz-Dodek*, Nikhil Shah*, Daniel A. Silver*, Daniel Simon, Jonathan Simon*, Madelaine Sorrisso*, Leah Sternberg*, Monica Strom, Kiersten A. Teresi*, Andrew Tuchler*, William Villaflor*, Jason R. M. Ward*, Patrick Wdowikowski, Miranda E. Weber, Hailey Winer*, Robert Wos, Lauren Yep*, Francine Yoon, Joshua Yoshikawa, Jonghwa Yun*, Ivana Zhou*,  Jack Zieske*

Eighth Grade

Seby S. Achettu*, Joan Alcazar*, Philippa Allen*, Craig Angelbeck*, Nicole Angelbeck*, Stavroula Antonopoulos*, Kendall Barrett*, Rachel Bilimoria*, Molly Blitt*, Kylie Boersma*, Gabrielle A. Boiskin*, Alexander Brandt*, Brandon Brocato, Alexander Cacioppo, Lydia Carpenter, Nathaniel Clough*, Talia Dechter*, Madalyn Deegan*, Allie Drazner*, Samuel Drazner*, Tamara Erlich*, Jordan A. Fahey, Jonah Fialkow*, Aaron Forman*, Samantha Franklin*, Dustin S. George*, Arielle Goldman*, Derek Goldstein*, Pedro Gomez*, Emily Gordon*, Michelle Gotteiner*, Nicole Grundy*, Cameron Hillocks*, Lauren Horwitz*, Ashley In*, YoonKyung Y. Jang*, SeungHyun Jung*, Aaron Kahn, Rachel Kahn*, Alice Karasinski, Jay Kim*, Lauren Konopka*, Alek Kopulsky*, Dana Koretz, Alice Koshevatskiy*, Emily Koshevatskiy*, Brian Kuncheria*, Jenna Kwon*, Dana Lenhoff*, Danielle Levenson*, Yasmeen Mansoorieh*, Victoria McMenamin*, Caroline C. Minn*, Michal Mlynowski*, Tyler Mulier*, Jess Nathan*, Jory Nathan, Nicholas Niznik, Daniel Nowicki, Sarah Nwia*, Sarah Odeshoo, HyeYoung Oh*, Amanda Paddor*, Samantha J. Pahos*, Sabrina Palmer*, Rebecca Panitch*, Ki-Deok Park, Minho T. Park*, David Pawlan*, Charles Pierre*, Yasmine S. Ramachandra*, Emily P. Redstone, Rachel Resnick*, Christian Rodriguez, Alexa J. Rosenson*, Julia G. Rosenson*, Curtis Rotheiser*, Asher A. Rothstein*, Benjamin Samborn*, Elizabeth Schack*, Kari Scott*, Mario Senese*, Jan Siegien, Jay Silver*, Lauren Smeds*, Anne Snow*, Jennifer Soler*, Ethan Stillman, Esther Yegi Suk, Joseph M. Tangorra, Jonathan Thomas*, Michael Tuchler*, Nathaniel J. Turk*, Isabel Vargas, Lauren Veith*, Jessica Wax*, Emily Wyland*, George Youssef*.

School schedule There will be a half day of school due to a School Improvement Day May 27. Wescott and Willowbrook School students will be dismissed at 11:45 a.m.; and Maple School students will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m. No kindergartners will attend school on this day. There is no school on Memorial Day, Monday. The Maple School band will play in Glenview's Memorial Parade.

New WorldLanguage Program

On April 27, District 30's Board of Education approved a new World Language Program for the 2011-12 school year. The curriculum is outlined as follows: For the first time, Chinese will be offered in sixth, seventh and eighth grade; Spanish instruction will be added in third grade for 90 minutes a week; Spanish will be restored in fourth grade. It was removed for a curriculum study at the end of the 2008-09 school year. Instruction at fourth-grade level will be increased from 50 to 120 minutes per week; Spanish instruction will continue in fifth grade from 90 to 150 minutes per week; French will be eliminated from the elementary curriculum; and French and Spanish will continue to be offered in sixth, seventh and eighth grade.

This program was researched and developed by a committee of staff, parents and administrators. It is consistent with a curriculum research and design process which included surveying of our community and multiple school districts, site visits to school districts with high caliber, research-based, World Language Programs, speaking with experts in the field and participation in the 2010 American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Annual Convention and World Languages Expo.

Some research findings included the fact that the earlier that children are introduced to a new language, the better; early language learning improves cognitive abilities, and assists with the acceptance of differences to learn about other cultures; learning languages affords a person economic and career benefits. The language taught does not make a difference, but all children should learn a language. While teaching in the target language, the focus will be on the 5 C's — Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities, which are the ACTFL standards of foreign language, the principles for effective instruction.

According to Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Melissa E. Hirsch, "Committee members have participated in extraordinary work, researching and developing this new, best practice curriculum. Numerous facets of communication have also been planned by the District World Language Committee. A letter will also be sent to all District 30 parents this week which articulates the new World Language Program. "As a district, we have been formally studying this important curriculum for 18 months in order to provide a well developed and research based curriculum. This program enhancement in District 30 is an enormous step in preparing our students for a global society and the future," stated Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edward Tivador.

Staff members and retirees honored

On May 6, over 250 faculty and family members attended the annual Northbrook/Glenview School District 30 Family Dinner at the Highland Park Country Club.

"District 30 is privileged to have employees who dedicate their careers to our three schools. We value all our District 30 family. As we grow and prosper, we continue our tradition of recognizing those who are celebrating a milestone year with the district," stated Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edward Tivador.

In honor of their retirement, Dr. Tivador and Board of Education President James Bream presented each of the retiring staff members with a gift. Retirees included Wescott School's Learning Specialist Jayne Amhaus, Maple School Librarian Jennie Depke, Maple Math teacher Jennie Depke, Willowbrook School kindergarten teacher Pat Liss, Willowbrook Second Grade teacher Jan Southerton, Wescott School first grade teacher Sue Stoehrmann, Special Education Assistant Pat Pawola, Willowbrook School physical education teacher Paul Szerszen, Maple Math teacher Barbara Wolke, and Maple Social Worker Barbara Woodbury.

Fifty-five staff members were recognized for achieving a milestone year with District 30: 40 years, Karen McCluskey; 30+ years, Jayne Amhaus, Kristin Anderson, Ben Chin, Cathy Cuccio, Lynn Gerber, Joann Hoetzer, Anita Jay, Judy Lenger, Sue Smilie, Jan Southerton, and Helen Weeks; 30 years, William Vaananen; 25+ years, Cindy Habel, Jeff Jay, Debbie Kob, Lynn Reimer, Sue Stoehrmann, Paul Szerszen and Barbara Wolke; 25 years, Jennie Depke, Betty Garber and Tia Stevens; 21+ years, Carrie Bargowski, Debbie Dubow, Pat Liss, Jeanne Mills, Sheila Nelson, Decima Panitch, Karen Roloff, and Michelle Rosen; 20 years, Jane Eilhauer and Mary Norquist; 15 years, Judith Anderson, Sharon Cook, Mary Jean Fetzer, Mary Garcia, Jenny Moy, Lorene Schramm and Barbara Woodbury; 10 years, Barbara Appell, Nancy Cook, Suzanne Grace, Peggy Martin, Jamie Reding, and Dr. Edward Tivador; 5 years, Julie Fleisch, David Karnoscak, Michelle King-Mulvihill, Nancy Lifshitz, Aimee Neumann, Betsie Onsrud, Randy Saeks, Jeannine Staunton and Annette Teer.

Dinner Committee members who planned this event included Kurt Barker, Dr. Yasmeen Bilimoria, Betty Garber, Sharon Latek, Suzanne Nelson, Michelle Rosen, Jackie Ruf, Dr. Edward Tivador, Barbara Wolke, Nadine Lee and Chris Young.

Graduation cards available

Maple School's PTO is selling graduation cards which can be used to congratulate students who will be graduating and going to Glenbrook North or Glenbrook South High School in the fall. The cards cost $5 each, or three or more can be purchased at $4 each. The deadline for purchasing graduation cards is June 1. To view a list of graduates, refer to the May 6 Maple Marquee. For more information, call PTO chairs Rachel Brandt at (847) 562-9116, Sara Filipiak at (847) 205-2530, or Wendy Kopulsky at (847) 291-7846.

Math team excels

On May 5, Maple School's Mathematics Team competed at Glenbrook District Junior HIgh Mathematics Contest. The team consisted of Jonah Fialkow, Derek Goldstein, Shyun Jung, Sarah Nwia, Minho Park and Michael Tuchler. Fialkow tied for first in the individual contest while Jung and Park tied for fifth place. Jung was a member of the first place team; and Park was a member of the third place team.

Gerald Stevens, Inc. Announces Profitable Second Quarter.

Business Editors

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 11, 2000

Gerald Stevens, Inc. (Nasdaq:GIFT), the nation's largest specialty retailer and marketer of floral products, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended February 29, 2000.

Revenue for the second fiscal quarter increased to $81.6 million from $26.8 million in the same period last year. The Company reported net income for the second quarter of $3.3 million or $0.07 per share compared to a net loss of $6.1 million or $0.18 per share a year ago. Revenue for the six-month period ended February 29, 2000 increased to $130.8 million from $40.0 million in the same period last year. The net loss for the six-month period ended February 29, 2000 was $1.0 million or $0.02 per share compared to a net loss of $6.5 million or $0.21 per share a year ago. All operating results are on a combined basis, retroactively reflecting the merger of Gerald Stevens, Inc. and Florafax International, Inc. on April 30, 1999. The results were in line with analyst estimates.

Gerald R. Geddis, president and chief executive officer, stated, "We're thrilled with our performance during the second quarter. A number of factors contributed to our success including quality acquisitions, solid organic revenue growth in both our retail and order generation businesses, particularly on the Christmas and Valentine's Day holidays, and continued gross margin improvement in our retail operations. Florafax, our wire service and private label corporate partnership business, had a terrific quarter, highlighted by the addition of several new members to The Flower Club marketing program and significant volume growth from existing accounts.

"During the quarter we expanded our retail network into Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Minneapolis and Omaha, giving us a retail presence in 35 markets in the United States and Toronto," Geddis added. "On the operations front, our integration efforts began to have a meaningful impact on both the top and bottom line. Operational improvements, especially noticeable on the two major holidays during the quarter, allowed us to take and fill more orders in the retail stores. Same-store sales - sales for the stores we owned in the second quarter of last year - were up 11% for the quarter. And continued improvements in our buying programs led to a lower cost of goods on all of our orders."

Geddis continued, "We introduced the Gerald Stevens brand in each of our markets during the quarter with co-branded catalogs and direct mail pieces. And our two branded stores, one in Boca Raton, Florida, and the second, opened in Atlanta, Georgia, in late-February, continue to perform well. Our principal web site, www.geraldstevens.com, continues to generate significant growth in order volume despite the significant cutback in advertising for the site. We believe this performance is attributable to the quality of the shopping experience available on the site and the outstanding customer service and support provided by our call centers, our wire service and our retail network."

Gerald Stevens will host its quarterly earnings conference call at 10 am EST on Wednesday, April 12, 2000. Domestic Dial-in (U.S.) 800-966-6502.

Gerald Stevens, Inc. (Nasdaq:GIFT) (www.geraldstevens.com) is the largest specialty retailer and marketer of floral products in the country. The Company currently operates the largest network of floral specialty retail stores in the United States with over 300 locations across the country and in Toronto, Canada. It also operates Florafax, a national wire service with over 5,000 member florists covering all 50 states, four regional call centers and Internet businesses that take orders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Additionally, Gerald Stevens owns National Flora, a leading national floral marketing company with premium-placed advertisements in over 1,000 Yellow Page directories; the Flower Club, a leading corporate affinity marketer with over 50 corporate partners; and upscale floral company, Calyx & Corolla, Inc., the leading direct marketer of floral products and the largest direct-from-grower operation in the United States. Gerald Stevens also owns its own import and sourcing operation in Miami, Florida.

This announcement contains "forward-looking" information. Future results may differ from those discussed in this announcement. Some of the factors that could cause such differences can be found under the headings "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 24, 1999.

                             GERALD STEVENS, INC.        CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited)                  (In thousands, except per share data)                              Three Months Ended      Six Months Ended                             ------------------      ----------------                             Feb. 29,   Feb. 28,    Feb. 29,   Feb. 28,                               2000       1999        2000      1999                             ------------------      ----------------  REVENUE:      Product sales, net     $63,186    $19,678     $100,643   $28,373      Service and other       revenue                18,393      7,094       30,140    11,622                             --------    -------    ---------   ------                              81,579     26,772      130,783    39,995                             --------    -------    ---------   ------  OPERATING COSTS AND EXPENSES:      Cost of product sales   22,545      8,896       36,552    12,744      Operating expenses      27,716      9,023       47,355    13,356      Selling, general and       administrative        expenses              27,353      8,901       46,814    14,260      Merger expenses              -      3,966            -     4,051                              ------     -------    --------    -------                              77,614     30,786      130,721    44,411                              ------     -------    --------    -------         Operating income          (loss)               3,965     (4,014)          62    (4,416)                              ------     -------    --------    -------  OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):      Interest expense          (531)      (115)        (925)     (183)      Interest income             13         66           29       173      Other income               179         66          160        96                              ------     -------    --------     ------                                (339)        17         (736)       86                              ------     -------    --------     ------         Income (loss) before          provision for income           taxes               3,626     (3,997)        (674)   (4,330)  PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES      345      2,127          345     2,127                              ------      ------     -------     ------         Net income (loss)    $3,281    $(6,124)     $(1,019)  $(6,457)                              ======     =======     =======     ======  BASIC INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE $0.07     $(0.18)      $(0.02)   $(0.21)                              ======     =======     ========    ======  DILUTED INCOME (LOSS)  PER SHARE                    $0.07     $(0.18)      $(0.02)   $(0.21)                              ======     =======      =======    ======  WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON AND COMMON  EQUIVALENT SHARES OUTSTANDING:         Basic                45,323     33,532       44,844    31,198                              ======     =======      =======   ======         Diluted              46,293     33,532       44,844    31,198                              ======     =======      =======   ======= 

Investor May Buy Majority Share of Pittsburgh Penguins.

Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Aug. 12 -- Mark Cuban, a former Pittsburgher who made his fortune from an Internet business in Texas, may invest $40 million or more in the Penguins -- part of a deal that would make him the majority owner of the National Hockey League team.

Cuban's investment in the team would come after former Penguin superstar Mario Lemieux and a group of investors close their deal to buy the team -- possibly next week.

One of those investors -- Ron Burkle, a Beverly Hills billionaire -- may take back his $20 million stake in the team after the deal closes and Cuban adds his money. In addition to the $20 million that would cover Burkle's stake, Cuban might add another $20 million or more to ensure the team has enough cash as it emerges from bankruptcy.

Cuban's attorney, Harry L. Manion III, said Cuban had been in touch with Lemieux because the time required to close the deal on the team has grown so tight.

"What I have informed ... Mario Lemieux is that Mark Cuban's primary interest is in ensuring that this team will stay in Pittsburgh," said Manion, who is also the attorney for current co-owner Roger Marino, who placed the team in bankruptcy last fall.

Closing on the sale is particularly urgent because the team's line of credit from Societe Generale, which is funding current operations while season ticket money is being placed in an escrow account, expires Aug. 20.

"The delays in closing have created the real possibility that this team is going to fold because it is out of money," Manion said. "As a result of that, Mark Cuban has expressed a willingness, through me, to work with Team Lemieux and provide them with whatever they need to ensure that the Penguins will survive in Pittsburgh."

Lemieux's attorney, Doug Campbell, declined comment. Burkle's spokesman, Ari Swiller, did not return telephone calls.

But previously, Lemieux's advisers have said that they were interested in raising additional capital for the team after it emerged from bankruptcy. Campbell said earlier this week that Lemieux's group wants to raise the equity it will bring to the team to $65 million from the $52 million it has already raised.

Lemieux spokesman John Brabender said it's still possible Burkle may remain as an investor after the deal closes. Brabender said Burkle's financial advisers are looking at the long-term viability of the team.

"They were not asking questions someone would ask if they were just coming in for the short term," Brabender said.

Yet Cuban's offer could ensure that the Penguins have sufficient funds to weather any unforeseen financial setbacks once it emerges from bankruptcy.

A $40 million investment would also make Cuban the majority owner of the team, with twice the equity that Lemieux is putting in.

Lemieux's $20 million ownership stake was converted from the debt the team owed to him for deferred wages when it filed for bankruptcy protection.

Brabender said Lemieux's advisers are still trying to close the deal next week so that the marketing campaign for season tickets can begin.

Brabender also stressed that the sale of the team has to close as soon as possible because the Penguins' training camp is scheduled to begin in three weeks.

That is one reason why Cuban, a Mt. Lebanon High School graduate, would invest in the team after Lemieux's deal closes rather than before, since negotiating his partial ownership of the team will take time.

Cuban first looked into investing in the Penguins in April, a month after Lemieux filed his plan to financially reorganize the team. In the ensuing weeks he spoke to Lemieux's advisers and to SMG and Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh, when those two companies proposed their own reorganization of the franchise.

SMG is the team's landlord at the Civic Arena. Fox broadcasts Penguin games.

By the end of June Cuban was out of the deal, but that changed this month after Lemieux went back to Cuban and to Roger Marino seeking more investors.

Cuban founded an Internet company called Broadcast.com, which was bought out by Yahoo!. He has a net worth of about $1 billion.

Cuban has said he is liquid enough to write a check for $50 million.

In April, when Cuban first contemplated investing in the franchise, he said he did not want to run the team himself, but would want people who knew the business of hockey in charge of the operations.

(c) 1999, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

FANTASY BRANDS: Fleeing to fantasy.

Escapism has long been a selling point for films and books, but now other sectors are getting in on the act as consumers show a growing appetite for brands that can help them break free from the austerity gloom. By Lou Cooper

Escaping from reality has long been a reason to go to the cinema, but could these austere times be driving consumers to seek out even more exciting and immersive experiences? Finding ways to help forget about everyday realities is on the rise.

The top 10 fantasy films took almost #500m at the UK box office in 2009 and 2010, with movies such as Alice in Wonderland, Avatar and Harry Potter pushing Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire down the list.

And it's not just cinema that is benefiting from this depressed climate - a tribe of brands are flourishing at a time when retailers are expecting no sales growth (May's sales forecast is the gloomiest since last June). These are fantasy brands - products that offer surreal or immersive experiences to people who want to be taken out of the everyday or have a bit of magic injected into their lives.

Examples of these include Secret Cinema's film screenings (see A Secret Film Fantasy, page 20), the Twilight film franchise and Disney designing Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Snow White-inspired wedding dresses.

Fantasy brands span a range of sectors, from companies that offer extreme, experiential travel, such as internet travel company Black Tomato (see case study, page 21) to ones that organise participatory events or 'pop-up' drinking and dining experiences such as Courvoisier's series of collaborations (see case study, page 22).

And this is a growing trend, according to Vanessa Smith, consumer sponsorship and events manager at Guardian News & Media. Most recently it sponsored Secret Cinema's screening of controversial 1966 film Battle of Algiers in tunnels beneath London's Waterloo station. The venue was transformed into 1950s Algiers complete with art installations, a prison and a cast playing the film's characters. The audience were asked to dress accordingly, the film only being revealed as the opening credits rolled.

"There is a growing appetite for immersive experiences. Fantasy brands fire your imagination, make you feel like part of an exclusive club and give you special access to unique events. They interact with you in creative ways, which transforms consumers into fans," says Smith.

Fantasy has always been popular, but the recession and the resulting economic gloom has sparked a boom in such escapism, particularly in the film and publishing industries.

Vampire-themed book series Twilight has taken more than #48m from 2008 to date, according to Nielsen BookScan. Film versions of the series have been released at a rate of one every year since the recession hit (and there's another one on the way in November), enjoying phenomenal success, which in turn has spread to brands such as Volvo, Burger King and Mattel that have partnered with it.

Volvo cars have featured in all three of the Twilight films - the C30 in the first film and the XC60 in the following two. For the XC60 launch campaign, an ad featuring protagonists from the series ran in cinemas and Twilight's huge online fan community was targeted with competitions to win a car.

Volvo reported increased interest in the XC60 model after the release of the second film New Moon. Customers came to showrooms to photograph their children in the 'Twilight car' and Volvo, once the 'safe' family car, is now perceived as 'cool' by young people.

In the grown-up world of Ann Summers, fantasy wear is a major part of its business and one that demands continual regeneration. It is seeing 10-12% growth year on year for its 'fantasy' range, such as uniforms, and a 40% year on year uplift on its erotic lingerie line. The company is also moving into club wear inspired by celebrities such as Rihanna and Lady Gaga, catering to those looking for fancy dress costumes to go out in.

"Things are pretty gloomy out there and I think they have been for a while now and everyone's a bit bored of it. People are looking for fun. They are also becoming more aware of the things in life that really matter to them - their families - and as part of that, we believe people are investing more in their relationships and nurturing them," says Becki Rowe, marketing general manager for the brand.

Disney has been selling magic and fairytales to audiences since the Twenties, and has partnered with brands such as MAC cosmetics and Dolce & Gabbana, to create fantasy-inspired products.

In March, the company launched a collection of wedding dresses in the UK, inspired by the style and personality of seven Disney princess characters, with designer Alfred Angelo.

"Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Disney blogs exploded with messages from brides eagerly awaiting a chance to try on these styles," says Denise Wash, vice-president of marketing for Alfred Angelo.

The premiere video on YouTube's Disney Living channel, which gave a behind-the-scenes look at the collection and photo shoot, had 80,000 views within the first hour of being posted.

"Storytelling, especially fairytales, is at the heart of Disney's heritage and the products we develop with these stories in mind have proven to be popular among consumers of all ages," explains Marc Low, vice-president of fashion and home at The Walt Disney Company EMEA. "By looking to the Disney Princess characters as inspiration for the designs, we're tapping into nostalgic memories about characters that have long been cherished by consumers."

Video and computer gaming is another area that is capitalising on the growing need by consumers to escape, with games becoming more and more realistic and immersive. Consumers can't be a professional footballer, singer, film star or superhero, but they can pretend to be, as a study by agency Canvas8 points out. The skills required to play are closer to the ones needed in real life - as with Rockband or Singstar - and brands are tapping into narcissism and giving people starring roles.

Growth in the gaming market over the past three years has been aided by iPhone and Android games, which dramatically increased the number of buyers. Indeed, casual games are now bigger than the traditional market in both numbers and value.

Brands that have recognised this growing consumer desire for escapism are reaping the rewards. Rebel Bingo started in 2009 as a clandestine bingo game between friends, in the basement of a church hall. The company now holds regular 'secret' bingo parties for an audience aged 18 to 28, where people attend undercover to play rowdy versions of bingo with audience participation, dancing on tables and drawing on each other with marker pens. The brand now operates in 12 UK cities and has recently expanded to the US and Spain. And at #3 a ticket, it's a cheap escape for consumers. The brand has partnered with Red Stag, a black cherry flavoured Jim Beam whiskey for its UK tour next month.

At the more extreme end of the fantasy genre is adult website and monthly erotic party organiser Killing Kittens, a fantasy brand that founder Emma Sayle claims has grown in direct response to the recession. "In the space of two months, we went from averaging 150 people per party, to 250-300 people. We pretty much doubled our online membership in the three months following the downturn and since then it's just been rising exponentially. We've now got 15,000 online members," she says.

The company's adult parties take place in old mansions in London and various countryside locations. Guests arrive masked for a champagne reception before letting loose amid the candlelit rooms and sweeping staircases. Sayle believes guests like the idea of escaping into an unknown world for a night and forgetting about reality.

Similarly, The Box, a risque Manhattan 'theatre of varieties', featuring sexually explicit cabaret and burlesque shows and stage acts opened a branch in London in February. Tales of debauchery and all manner of oddities abound, but no real information is ever given about what goes on inside. Acts are described as surreal and extreme and apparently include men wearing pig masks chasing half-naked girls with fire.

But pushing the boundaries too far carries a financial risk for brands. The Box in New York lost one of its financial backers, singer- songwriter Moby, when its cabaret acts became more extreme. He reportedly complained: "I like degeneracy, but for The Box you really need to be in the right frame of mind. The things that go on there don't make sense to me."

Similarly, Sayle has found that the adult nature of her brand has put off potential brand partners. "Those that fit with us are high end, luxury lifestyle brands, but given the nature of what we do, they can't be seen to be associated with us, even though our database represents their ideal demographic - 15,000 18- to 45-year-old high flyers," she says. In spite of this the company continues to grow and its website is soon to take a more conventional approach, relaunching in June in a style more akin to an online dating site, while retaining an exclusive area for vetted members that receive party invites. Sayle hopes this more mainstream side will allow the company more access to brand partners.

So jump on the fantasy bandwagon to capture the imagination of your consumers. Just don't push it too far, or it might not be happily ever after for your bottom line.

Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

ThermoRetec Declares Dividend and Terminates Dividend Reinvestment Plan.

WALTHAM, Mass., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of ThermoRetec Corporation (Amex: THN), a Thermo Electron company, has declared a semiannual dividend of $.10 per share of common stock, payable on September 30, 1999, to shareholders of record as of September 20, 1999.

In addition, due to the company's proposed merger with Thermo Electron Corporation (NYSE: TMO), the board of directors approved the termination of the company's Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan, effective immediately. As a result, all shareholders of the company will receive the dividend in cash.

ThermoRetec Corporation is a national provider of environmental services. The company integrates advanced management, regulatory, and technology skills to provide compliance management, soil recycling, fluids recovery, radioactive-waste management, remediation construction, and health and safety monitoring. ThermoRetec is a public subsidiary of Thermo TerraTech Inc., another Thermo Electron company. More information is available on the Internet at http://www.thermo.com/subsid/thn1.html.

Follett Higher Education Group Taps Kiva Systems to Automate eCommerce Fulfillment Center.

Kiva Systems, a developer of game-changing mobile-robotic solutions that automate order fulfillment and warehouse operations, announced that Follett Higher Education Group (FHEG) will implement a Kiva system to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing textbook market and to accelerate its eCommerce growth. The company will use Kiva to store and process orders for the largest pre-owned textbook inventory in the nation.

Follett will be consolidating both its wholesale used book and direct-to-consumer warehouses in a single Kiva-enabled distribution and fulfillment center, to better serve customers and meet the demands of continued growth. By streamlining its inbound and outbound operations to one facility, Follett expands its existing wholesale business and its book-rental capacity.

Like many Internet retailers, Follett faces challenging seasonal swings, making speed a paramount operational factor to processing inbound and outbound volume.

"Being in the academic market, we have two significant seasonal peaks each year," said Fred Weber, senior vice president of distribution and wholesale services, FHEG. "In the past, we haven't been able to turn around the books we buy in December fast enough to meet January's demand. Kiva will increase our efficiency and productivity to reduce our backlog by 200 percent. This, combined with the flexibility to increase capacity as our business grows, made Kiva the clear and best choice for our business."

Kiva uses fleets of mobile-robotic drive units that bring inventory on mobile shelves directly to workers, enabling productivity that is two to four times higher than other automated systems. In fact, the Kiva solution is so flexible, it is the first form of automation to rent capacity for difficult peak-to-mean challenges. This allows retailers to bring in additional robotic drive units during peak season, and then scale back down quickly and easily without any disruption to on-going operations.

"Internet retailers with high peak-to-mean volumes face significant fulfillment challenges and Follett is certainly no exception with two peak seasons less than four months apart," said Mick Mountz, CEO and founder of Kiva Systems. "Follett is changing the game with college textbook rentals and its unique requirements were a perfect match for the speed and flexibility of the Kiva solution. I'm delighted our two innovative organizations have signed up for this graduate-level course in Internet fulfillment."

Kiva Systems will be demonstrating its innovative approach to fulfillment automation at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibit 2011 tradeshow, from June 14-17 in San Diego, Calif. About Follett Higher Education Group Follett Higher Education Group of Oak Brook, Illinois, is the leading provider of bookstore services and the foremost supplier of used books in North America. Follett services five million students and over 400,000 faculty members through more than 900 stores. Follett also services more than 1,600 independent campus stores with its wholesale services, and has the most visited ecommerce collegiate website, efollett.com, that provides services and products through a network of more than 900 campus stores. About Follett Corporation Follett Corporation is a $2.7 billion, privately-held company that provides products, services and solutions to the educational marketplace. Follett Corporation was founded in 1873, and today is headquartered in River Grove, Illinois. About Kiva Systems Kiva Systems, Inc. offers game-changing automation solutions for distribution centers that help companies simplify operations and reduce costs while increasing strategic flexibility. Using hundreds of autonomous mobile robots and sophisticated control software, the Kiva Mobile-robotic Fulfillment System enables extremely fast cycle times with reduced labor requirements, from receiving to order picking to shipping-all without conveyor. The result is a building that is quick and low-cost to set up, inexpensive to operate, and easy to change. For more information about Kiva Systems and its solutions, please visit www.kivasystems.com.

Keywords: Higher Education, Kiva Systems, Public Education, Software.

This article was prepared by Computer Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Computer Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.

MLB.com Taps Level 3 CDN Services to Support Live and On-Demand Online Video Streaming.

Level 3 Communications, Inc. announced it has been selected by MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, to augment content delivery network (CDN) services in support of its live and on-demand online streaming.

According to a release, with the addition of these services, Level 3 is supporting the delivery of MLB.com's video streaming from creation to consumption using Level 3's highly scalable CDN platform combined with the company's Vyvx video broadcast backhaul services.

"Our relationship with MLB.com is a perfect example of the benefits of Level 3's creation to consumption model," said Mark Taylor, VP of Content and Media at Level 3. "We can provide the CDN services they need, but that's just one piece of the puzzle. We also provide a full suite of customized solutions from video backhaul to HSIP to colocation to storage in order to meet more of their connectivity needs from a single provider. As a result, we're better able to optimize the different delivery workflows along the way, facilitating better outcomes for MLB.com and its business partners, and a better online viewing experience for baseball fans."

Level 3 is currently augmenting CDN services for live and on-demand online streaming to MLB.TV. In February, MLB.com reported that since its inception, MLB.TV had served more than one billion live video streams, a quarter of which were delivered in 2010. Level 3's network and CDN platform are designed to scale to meet demand like this from flash crowds to peak loads.

"In choosing Level 3 for one of our CDN services, we've been able to achieve optimal CDN redundancy and performance diversity, enabling us to provide a higher quality and more reliable online experience for baseball fans," said Joe Choti, chief technology officer for MLB.com

In June 2010, Level 3 announced it had been selected by MLB.com to provide high-speed IP (HSIP) and colocation to support MLB.com's network, media archive, as well as live and on-demand streaming capabilities. Level 3's relationship had previously included Vyvx video backhaul services for live-game streams.

Level 3 Communications, Inc. is an international provider of fiber-based communications services. Enterprise, content, wholesale and government customers rely on Level 3 to deliver services with a combination of scalability and value over a fiber network. Level 3 offers a portfolio of metro and long-haul services, including transport, data, Internet, content delivery and voice.

More Information:

level3.com/index.cfm?pageID=42

((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))

ESET Tops Worldwide Growth List for Consumer Security in Leading Analyst Firm's Security Software Market Share Report.

ESET announced that Gartner has ranked the company as the security software vendor with the largest worldwide growth in consumer security in 2010. According to growth numbers from Gartner's "Market Share: Security Software, Worldwide, 2010" report which was released in late March, 2011, ESET grew by 51.10 percent.

According to the report, "Security markets confirmed expectations of a rebound of growth in 2010. The overall market reached $16.6 billion, growing at a rate of 13%."

ESET has long been recognized for offering solutions that provide superior protection. By utilizing ESET's ThreatSense technology, all ESET products bring real-time protection from spyware, viruses and other threats while using very little memory and CPU resources. ESET saw extensive growth in the consumer security market during 2010 with its award-winning anti-malware solutions ESET NOD32 Antivirus, ESET Smart Security and ESET Cybersecurity for Mac, the company's newest security solution for OS X.

"We are proud that our continued efforts within the consumer security market have been recognized by an organization as respected as Gartner," said Richard Marko, CEO of ESET. "The computer security sector is constantly growing and evolving in response to threats to computer users from all over the world, so it is imperative that our services are available to as many consumers as possible. We will continue to innovate and expand to provide more customers with the most reliable security solutions on the market today."

Furthermore, according to the April 2011 Steam Hardware & Software Survey, ESET is gamers' number one choice for paid antivirus software. Steam by Valve is a leading platform for PC & Mac games, currently with more than 30 million accounts. The monthly survey it conducts assesses data on software products its customers are using. Overall, ESET was rated the second most popular security solution with 8.81 percent share and the most used out of all paid security products. With its latest fifth generation of security solutions, ESET Smart Security and ESET NOD32 Antivirus, currently in public BETA testing, ESET sports a new Gamer Mode feature specifically designed for gaming enthusiasts.

To read the full Gartner report, visit: http://www.gartner.com/DisplayDocument?id=1611815 To read the full Steam survey, visit: http://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/ About ESET ESET is on the forefront of security innovation, delivering trusted protection to make the Internet safer for businesses and consumers. IDC has recognized ESET as a top five corporate anti-malware vendor and one of the fastest growing companies in its category. Trusted by millions of users worldwide, ESET is one of the most recommended security solutions in the world. ESET NOD32 Antivirus consistently achieves the highest accolades in all types of comparative testing, and powers the virus and spyware detection in ESET Smart Security and ESET Cybersecurity for Mac. Sold in more than 180 countries, ESET's global headquarters is in Bratislava, Slovakia, with distribution headquarters for North America located in San Diego, California. ESET also has offices in Buenos Aires, Prague, Krakow and Singapore and is represented by an extensive global partner network. For more information, visit http://www.eset.com/ or call +1 (619) 876-5400.

Keywords: Asia, ESET, Singapore, Software, Technology.

This article was prepared by China Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, China Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.