| 'Memorial' pieces together disconnected family | | Posted Tuesday, January 02, 2007 3:14:05 PM by Blog57 Team | | A feverish, stimulating work that's in large part product placement but in much larger part inspired, Bruce Wagner's novel Memorial is a page-turner indeed. To read it is to become hostage to a dream that verges on nightmare, but is so captivating that you don't want to wake. You're also glad when you do. The key character is Joan Herlihy, a 38-year-old architect bidding to design a memorial for the cynical, filthy-rich Lew Freiberg, who lost his parents in the Christmas 2004 tsunami. Joan is competing with the cream of today's architects -- Zaha Hadid, Anthony Goldsworthy, Thom Mayne (all of whom have won the Pritzker Architecture Prize in real life). The larger story is that of Joan's family. Her mother, Marj, is a naive altruist slowly sliding into senility; her brother, Chess, a "location scout" with nowhere to go, is a stoner perv who's always missing the boat; Ray Rausch, the father who walked out on Marj and the kids, is about to become a father again in his late 70s.... | |
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| | | In search of 'new blood' | | Posted Friday, November 03, 2006 11:54:17 AM by Blog57 Team | | COLUMBUS, Ga. (AP) -- Jack Wagner was wounded twice in Vietnam, but instead of a hero's welcome upon his return, he was advised to ditch his uniform to avoid the wrath of war protesters. "That made a lot of Vietnam veterans go in the closet. They didn't want to be labeled as baby killers," said Mr. Wagner, the national commander of the Combat Infantrymen's Association. After being disparaged by demonstrators, Vietnam veterans also found themselves shunned by some World War II and Korean War veterans who belonged to the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and other leading veterans groups. "All we wanted was for someone to say, 'Welcome Home,' " said Mr. Wagner, 59, of Cape Coral, Fla. With World War II veterans dying at a rate of 1,100 per day and many Korean War vets now in their 70s, it's Vietnam veterans such as Mr.... | |
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| | | Sat, Oct 21 2006 | | Posted Saturday, October 21, 2006 3:10:10 PM by Blog57 Team | | Melva Loraine Hodges, 71, of Pittsburg died Oct. 16, 2006. Services are at noon Thursday at Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall. Interment will follow in Rest Haven Memorial Park. Visitation is from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Rest Haven Funeral Home-Rockwall chapel.Virginia Mae "Dee" Satterwhite, 94, of Tyler died Oct. 15, 2006, Hospice of East Texas in Tyler. Funeral services are at 11 a.m. today at Coker-Mathews Funeral Home chapel in Greenville. Burial follows in Forest Park Cemetery.Lois Ima Smith, 87, of Royse City died Oct. 16, 2006. Funeral services are at 10 a.m. Thursday at the First Baptist Church in Royse City. Interment is at the Royse City Cemetery. Visitation is from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Rest Haven Funeral Home-Royse City Chapel.Joy Arthur COMMERCE — Joy Vernell Arthur, 71, of Rockwall, formerly of Commerce died Oct.... | |
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| | | Panthers win swim meet | | Posted Monday, October 09, 2006 3:12:31 PM by Blog57 Team | | A new year, a new coach and perhaps a new outlook for the Plano East swimming team, which began the season Saturday with wins in a double dual meet against Rockwall and Rockwall Heath.The boys' team was dominant against Rockwall Heath, winning 189-68. Despite a much closer matchup against Rockwall, the Panthers were victorious once more, this time 143-137.Last Saturday was the first official meet for new head coach Amanda Patterson, who is a former Plano Wildcats' swimmer."I was actually pretty nervous during the meet," Patterson said. "But I don't think it showed until the end when the boys were going back and forth with Rockwall."For the boys' team, Plano East had the fastest time in eight of the 11 races. The Panthers' Joseph Chua played a huge part in the team's victory as he was involved in four of those winning races.Chua won the 50 freestyle with a time of 25.84 and also had the best time in the 100 freestyle at 57.06.In addition to his accomplishments in the individual races, Chua also played a big part in two of Plano East's relay victories.... | |
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| | | International Interctive Emmy Awards at MIPTV 2006 | | Posted Thursday, September 28, 2006 1:10:38 PM by Blog57 Team | | Dennis Haysbert, Jack Wagner, Corinne Touzet and Mark Burnett join forces with Roger Bart to host the International Interctive Emmy Awards at MIPTV 2006. International television and film star Dennis Haysbert (24, The Unit) will join renowned producer Mark Burnett (Survivor, The Apprentice), The Bold and The Beautiful’s Jack Wagner, French leading actress Corinne Touzet and RCTV (Venezuela) telenovela actors Veronica Schneider and Alejandro Otero to present at the first International Interactive Emmy Awards, in Cannes, France on April 5, 2006. Desperate Housewives star Roger Bart will host the black-tie event. a cura di Michele Ficara "We are delighted to have international talents join us in Cannes for the first ever International Interactive Emmy Awards at MIPTV" said Academy President & CEO, Bruce Paisner, also President of Hearst Entertainment.... | |
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| | | PA Auditor General Jack Wagner Urges General Assembly, Governor to Shore Up State's Two Largest Public Pension Plans | | Posted Thursday, September 28, 2006 3:14:08 AM by Blog57 Team | | Auditor General Jack Wagner said today that the General Assembly and the governor should act immediately to head off a potential funding crisis in Pennsylvania's two largest public pension plans, the State Employees' Retirement System and the Public School Employees' Retirement System. He also suggested five steps that the General Assembly and the governor should take without delay to help the funds. "Now is the time to act, to make sure that the state's pension obligations do not escalate into a financial crisis that threatens the economic competitiveness of Pennsylvania or the long-term prosperity of its residents," Wagner said. "Time is money." Wagner made the comments at a press conference today to announce the results of his performance audits of the two pension funds.... | |
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| | | Dixon: SDL officials have ‘axes to grind’ | | Posted Thursday, August 31, 2006 5:41:25 PM by Blog57 Team | | LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - Former city school board president Pat Dixon says district administrators apparently have axes to grind against her and are responsible for the auditor generals scathing report alleging she broke state ethics laws. This inquiry, in essence, boiled down to my word against that of district administrators, who apparently have axes to grind because of my unpopular support of a former district employee, Dixon wrote in an e-mail. That employee, former Assistant Superintendent Rose Sampson, was fired by the school board at the administrations request. Sampson later sued the district, alleging racial discrimination and defamation of character in her dismissal. The case is pending. In a sharply worded report, Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagners Office of Special Investigations said Dixon repeatedly broke the states ethics laws by voting multiple times for payments to the Community Action Program, an agency where she works as a program director.... | |
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| | | Candidates' ads take nastier tone as Senate race tightens | | Posted Saturday, August 26, 2006 3:19:00 AM by Blog57 Team | | In the face of an apparently tightening race, the air war of the Pennsylvania U.S. Senate campaign turned tougher over the past 24 hours as both sides began TV ads assailing their opponent's record. U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum was first to go on the broadcast offensive with a commercial poking fun at state Treasurer Bob Casey's work record and political history. Mr. Casey quickly responded with a commercial defending his record while criticizing the incumbent on Social Security, the minimum wage and his allegiance to President Bush. The developments come after months in which the better-funded Mr. Santorum dominated the TV landscape in the state while Mr. Casey held the dominant position in public polling. As of the last campaign expense reporting period, on June 30, the Republican had $9.4 million in cash on hand, while Mr.... | |
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| | | Ex-finance manager sues for dismissal | | Posted Sunday, August 20, 2006 5:51:08 AM by Blog57 Team | | Kevin Humble was a no-nonsense Moon administrator who blew the whistle on a scheme that allowed his boss and others to use tax-free gasoline for personal use. Or, was Mr. Humble a malcontent who got fired as finance manager because he couldn't do his job? The day-and-night portrayals of Mr. Humble's performance were outlined in the wrongful termination suit he filed July 31 in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. A hearing date has not been set. Meanwhile, the state auditor general's office has recommended that the township pay back taxes of about $11,500. In a July 10 letter to the IRS, Moon supervisors and the state Department of Revenue, Auditor General Jack Wagner said Moon should have kept better records to show how Mr. Smith and others used the gas. "The township had received a tax exemption because the gasoline was to be used exclusively for government purposes.... | |
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| | | Reyes-ing the bar: Mets' shortstop is doing it all | | Posted Sunday, August 13, 2006 11:09:20 PM by Blog57 Team | | The Mets' Jose Reyes, probably the best shortstop few people have ever heard of, is as good a reason as any that the Mets are running away with the National League East this season. Reyes, in just his second full season with the club, is putting up numbers that Cal Ripken would be proud of if only because Ripken never did what Reyes is doing. Reyes, only 23, recently hit his 11th home run, breaking the club record for most by a shortstop (Kevin Elster in 1989 and Eddie Bressoud in 1966 each had 10). The club's leadoff hitter also has 15 triples and 23 doubles, is hitting nearly .300 (.297) and, let's not forget, had a major leagues-leading 49 stolen bases. To find the last shortstop to go 50-20-15-10 (stolen bases, doubles, triples, homers) and hit .300, you have to go back-back-back.... | |
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