Calif. Lowers Auto Emissions Rule

California air regulators on Thursday slashed the number of battery-powered and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that must be sold in the state, a setback for environmentalists and health advocates.

The decision is expected to affect 12 other states that had adopted California's target for zero-emission vehicles.

The California Air Resources Board voted to lower by 70 percent the number of those vehicles that automakers must sell here and in the states that intended to follow California's get-tough rules for vehicle emissions.

Instead, the air board said the six largest automakers must sell nearly 60,000 hybrid vehicles while they develop the more …

UCLA cans Toledo after weak finish

Bob Toledo was fired as UCLA's football coach Monday because first-year athletic director Dan Guerrero felt the program wasn't headingin the right direction and wouldn't turn around unless a coachingchange was made.

"We need to raise the bar, we need to start winning Pac-10championships again," Guerrero said at a campus news conference. "Theissue was clearly one I had to make in the best interests of theprogram. The tough thing was this was Bob Toledo. He's a good man."

The Bruins are 7-5 this season, including a 52-21 loss to No. 5USC on Nov. 23 and a 48-27 loss to No. 7 Washington State onSaturday.

Toledo won't coach UCLA in the Dec.25 Las Vegas Bowl, where …

Welcome to Brandtville, BC: an in-the-woods live demo near Kamloops, BC displays Brandt iron and commitment. It was a heck of a show too

The BC resort community of Sun Peaks was transformed into 'Brandtville' over the July 12[Symbol Not Transcribed] weekend when approximately 1 500 people converged on the mountain village to take part in 'Brandt In The Woods', a three-day extravaganza showcasing Brandt Tractor's line of forestry equipment.

[Graph Not Transcribed]

Brandt banners placed throughout the village and signs in most of the shops and restaurant windows welcomed the guests, who were primarily Brandt forestry customers. Along with a number of Brandt Tractor staff members, there was also a large contingent of John Deere and Timberjack employees on hand to co-host the event, and to answer questions and …

Pakistan army chief criticizes US raid

Pakistan's military chief on Wednesday lashed out at the United States over cross-border raids by American troops from Afghanistan and said his country's sovereignty will be defended "at all cost."

In an unusually strong public statement, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said a raid last week into Pakistan's South Waziristan region killed innocent civilians and could backfire on the anti-terror allies.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman would not comment directly on Kayani's remarks. But he said the U.S. military is working closely with the Pakistanis in regard to the border region.

"We have a shared common interest with respect to …

Source: Obama to skip jury duty in Chicago suburbs

A White House official says President Barack Obama will be skipping jury duty after being summoned in Illinois.

The administration official confirmed to The Associated Press on Sunday that the president alerted the court weeks ago that he won't be able to make it. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak publicly.

…

Sox claim Perry from Devil Rays to join 3B fray

Stockpiling third basemen seems to be the White Sox strategy in aneffort to solve a defensive dilemma.

The latest to join the mix will be Herbert Perry, 30, claimed offwaivers Friday from Tampa Bay, where he was hitting .214 with one RBIin seven games. He will join the Sox Sunday, and manager Jerry Manuelexpects to start him then.

The Sox won't make the required player move to make room for Perryuntil Sunday.

General manager Ron Schueler said he made the move to "add depthat third base. We think he can help us.

"Herbert had a terrific spring at the plate and is healthy,"Schueler said. "It was just a case where he was caught in a numbersgame at third base …

EU decries no-show of Farinas for rights prize

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union parliament has criticized Cuba for not allowing a dissident protester to travel to collect its biggest human rights award.

EU Parliament President Jerzy Buzek said Tuesday that Guillermo Farinas, whose 134-day hunger strike helped draw attention to the plight of Cuban political dissidents, would be represented by an empty chair at the midweek ceremony to …

Stepanek to miss Wimbledon, Davis Cup quarters

Radek Stepanek has been ruled out of Wimbledon and the Czech Republic's Davis Cup quarterfinal against Chile next month because of a left knee injury.

"His health problems are more serious than he expected," Czech Davis Cup captain Jaroslav Navratil said in a statement posted on the website of the …

Japan Embracing Missile Defense

Several years of U.S.-Japanese cooperation on anti-missile systems bore fruit in a successful experiment March 8. The test marked an important milestone in the two countries' collaboration as Japan expands its missile defense activities and has emerged as the leading overseas missile defense partner of the United States.

Japan began its foray into missile defenses in 1999 with research on four components for a ship-fired missile interceptor. Now, Tokyo is preparing to host an advanced U.S. missile tracking radar, develop a more powerful missile interceptor with the United States, and deploy the initial elements of a Japanese land- and sea-based missile defense system.

The …

Court Won't Review Pollution Ruling

The Supreme Court declined Monday to intervene in an unusual case in which a Canadian company was held subject to the U.S. Superfund law for polluting the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest.

A federal appeals court last year ruled that Teck Cominco Ltd., based in Vancouver, British Columbia, could have to pay a share of an estimated $1 billion to clean up Lake Roosevelt, a 150-mile stretch of the upper Columbia River behind Grand Coulee Dam.

The Columbia has been polluted for a century with heavy metals and black slag leaching downstream from Teck Cominco's lead and zinc smelter complex in Trail, British Columbia, 10 miles north of the U.S. border and …

Unpaid premiums in kids health program cost state $74M

The expansion of the All Kids health insurance program cost Illinois more than $74 million in unpaid premiums last year, the state auditor general reported Thursday.

In addition, All Kids paid the medical bills of thousands of children and young adults who no longer qualified for the program, while misclassifying thousands of other children whose coverage would have been eligible for federal reimbursement, Auditor General William G. Holland reported.

Many of the same problems were identified in a 2009 audit of the program.

The state's KidCare child health insurance program was expanded in 2006 to include uninsured children who had previously been ineligible, making …

US official cites progress in easing bank crisis

The head of the U.S. government's $700 billion financial rescue program told Congress Thursday that the Bush administration has made "tremendous progress" in pushing to get it implemented.

Neel Kashkari, a Treasury Department official who is interim head of the program, told the Senate Banking Committee in prepared testimony that since last week's announcement that the government would spend $250 billion to buy bank stocks to bolster capital reserves, there has been "numerous signs of improvement in our markets and in the confidence in our financial institutions."

Separately, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan told another congressional panel that the current global financial crisis is a "once in a century credit tsunami" that policymakers did not anticipate.

Although some critics have blamed Greenspan for contributing to the current crisis by leaving interest rates too low for too long, he put the blame on soaring mortgage foreclosures on overeager investors who did not properly take into account the threats that would be posed once home prices stopped surging upward.

Greenspan was the leadoff witness before the House Government Oversight and Reform Committee, a hearing that lawmakers called to question past key financial players about what they felt caused the most grave financial crisis since the 1930s. The witnesses were also expected to be asked how they thought the government would deliver the nation from the economic turmoil.

Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, a Democrat, suggested that Greenspan contributed to "irresponsible lending practices" by rejecting appeals that the Fed intervene to regulate a surging subprime mortgage industry.

"The list of regulatory mistakes and misjudgments is long," Waxman said of oversight by the Fed and other federal regulators.

The financial crisis was the subject of simultaneous hearings in both the House and the Senate, where most lawmakers are in the middle of their Election Year break.

Kashkari, in his Senate testimony, cautioned that "while there have been recent positive developments, the markets remain fragile."

Another witness before the Senate panel, Sheila Bair, head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., said the government can use its new authority from Congress to directly help struggling homeowners to overhaul mortgages by giving banks an incentive to modify the loans.

Bair has been urging that the government do more to help tens of thousands of home borrowers avert foreclosure. She suggested in prepared testimony that could be done by having the government set standards for modifying mortgages into more affordable loans and providing loan guarantees to banks and other mortgage services that meet them.

The federal regulators _ past and present _ testified as the Bush administration weighed how to carry out a provision of the $700 billion bailout passed by Congress earlier this month to help financially strapped homeowners renegotiate more affordable loans and avoid foreclosure.

The new law includes several provisions to encourage mortgage revisions for homeowners in difficulty, Bair noted in her testimony. They give the Treasury Department authority to use loan guarantees and credit enhancements to promote modifications of mortgages to make them more affordable.

"Loan guarantees could be used as an incentive for servicers to modify loans," Bair said in her prepared testimony. "By doing so, unaffordable loans could be converted into loans that are sustainable over the long term."

The FDIC is working "closely and creatively" with the Treasury Department on such a plan, she said.

Plea for help to plant out floral tribute

A Floral tribute is to be created in memory of a popularcommunity council secretary.

And volunteers are being sought by Cove and Altens CommunityCouncil to plant flowers in memory of Sally Henderson.

Sally died earlier this year after a two-year battle withcancer.

Planting takes place on Sunday, November 18 from 12 noon to 3pm.Volunteers should meet at the corner of Langdykes Road and EarnsHeugh Road, Cove Bay.

THE Business Gateway roadshow was due to be in Stonehaven'sMarket Square between 9pm and 5pm today.

Staff on the Business Gateway bus will be giving people advice onhow to start and grow a business in the Grampian area.

MOTORISTS are being warned to expect delays as roadworks takeplace on two streets.

Whitehills' Seafield Street will be closed from Chapel Street toHarbour Place for three weeks to allow for resurfacing work to takeplace.

And Durn Road in Portsoy will also be closed from Seafield Streetto Durn Road for a week for resurfacing.

KENNETHMONT Toddlers' Group is to hold a pre-Christmas fair atKennethmont's Rannes Hall, next Saturday from 2pm to 4pm

Suburb schools in a fee-for-all // Student fees draw complaints

A check for the football team. A check for the chess club. Acheck for the band. A check for books. A check for driver'seducation.

Student fees, a sort of stealth tuition flying below the radarof local property tax caps, are becoming increasingly common atsuburban public high schools.

Once rare and limited largely to such extracurricular activitiesas sportts, today fees are charged for a wide range of supplies andprograms, including textbooks and advance-placement courses. And thetotal bill, parents complain, can run to hundreds of dollars."It keeps going up and up like the taxes, and we're alreadypaying taxes," said Kathy Morgan of Schaumburg, who paid about $250in book and registration fees this fall for her two sons at PalatineTownship High School District 211.Although many parents are unhappy, school officials insist thatthey have little choice. In an era of rising educational costs andtough tax caps, they say, student fees are necessary to maintainexisting programs. They also say student fees are likely to becomemore widespread over the next few years."I think the users fees are a sign of things to come," said RonBjurstrom, student services director at Libertyville High School.Among fees being levied in suburban schools:Downers Grove District 99 charges a $150 registration andtextbook-rental fee. Parking permits cost another $100.Elgin Area Unit District 46 charges high school students $55 toparticipate in a sport, and $110 to participate in two or moresports.District 211 charges $50 for driver's education classes, anddistrict officials are seeking state permission to raise the maximumallowable fee for such classes to $350. But, they insist, they haveno immediate plan to bump up the charge.How can tuition-free public schools, supported for the most partby local property taxes, add on such fees?" `Public' does not equal `free,' " said Mary Daly Lewis,professor of education at Roosevelt University and a former Oak Parkschool board member.In 1975, the Illinois Supreme Court cleared the way for studentfees, ruling that a charge for "supplemental supplies and services"did not deprive students of their right to a free education. Then,in 1991, the General Assembly passed a law prohibiting schooldistricts from raising tax levies by more than 5 percent a yearwithout voter approval.Seeing no alternatives, districts began jacking up old studentfees and creating new ones."That's all that's left," said Gary Atkins, a spokesman for theIllinois Association of School Boards.When a tax cap forced budget cuts of $5 million in District 99,for example, the district responded by raising the studentregistration fee to $150 in 1994, up from $110 in 1993."Our preference would be not to charge this, but there's nochoice," Assistant Supt. William Renner said.Student fees can be a particularly heavy burden for familieswith several children. Although high schools tend to impose thehighest fees, elementary schools typically impose fees as well.For Melea Smith, a single mother with two children in elementaryschool and one child in high school, that meant an extra $500 in bookcosts and fees this year - a sum so large she made a point of settingaside money over the summer."It seems like piddling stuff, but when you start to add it up,it makes your head spin," said Smith, who nonetheless praises herchildren's Naperville schools as "excellent."Student fees typically are charged for discretionary resourcesin high demand and limited supply - such as the parking spaces inDistrict 99 - and for specialized courses such as art, graphics andwoodworking. Such vocational classes, officials say, require morematerials and are more expensive to offer."The message we get from the community is if students are takingmore expensive courses, they should pay for them," said Bjurstrom, ofLibertyville.Most fees, administrators said, only partially offset the costto the school. Most districts, for example, charge a fee fordriver's education because it is highly labor-intensive and twice asexpensive as other classes.Still, some parents object to paying fees - and a few flat-outrefuse to pay.Batavia Unit District 101 has been caught up in a four-yearlegal battle with a family that refused to pay $96 in school fees.The parents, Carl and Yvonne Dinwiddie, who unsuccessfully appealedto the Illinois Supreme Court and are considering a federal suit,believe public schools shouldn't be allowed to charge student fees."It is a way of taxing people without calling it a tax andwithout being accountable for it," Yvonne Dinwiddie said.Daly Lewis of Roosevelt has other objections. Although waiversare available for low-income families, a reliance on fees "creates avery unlevel playing field," she said."It means people who have money have access to greater resourcesat school. Students do not have equal opportunity."In a world of hard choices, other educators say, there may be nobetter alternative."Ask people which they want - higher fees or higher taxes - andsee what they say," Atkins said. "That may be one reason why this ishappening."

New Mexico gets split status for bovine TB

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has given New Mexico "split status" for bovine tuberculosis _ meaning only two counties in the state will be under strict requirements for moving and testing cattle.

The status, announced Friday, will require bovine TB tests only for cattle shipped from eastern New Mexico's Curry and Roosevelt counties, said Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, D-N.M.

"Good news. We're quite pleased here. This will relieve most of the state from the burden of the reduced status," New Mexico Livestock Board executive director Myles Culbertson said.

Culbertson cautioned, however, that the decision has not been published in the Federal Register, so details weren't known. He expects it to be published soon.

The livestock industry is New Mexico's single most important agricultural commodity with total annual sales of dairy and beef cattle totaling almost $2 billion.

Last September, the USDA removed New Mexico from a list of bovine tuberculosis-free states. New Mexico officials complained that action was excessive and could cost ranching and dairy operations unnecessary tests _ particularly for those far from the site of bovine TB.

Caren Cowan, executive director of the New Mexico Cattle Growers' Association, called the decision "draconian," and the state's congressional delegation asked the USDA to reconsider, saying the downgrade could cost producers more than $4 million a year.

The state immediately applied for split status.

Erik Ness, a spokesman for the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau in Las Cruces, said the USDA's latest decision was "a big win for the livestock industry."

"We have a saying around here: You don't need a sledge hammer to tune a piano. That's kind of what was happening," he said.

Cowan said the Cattle Growers' Association was pleased by the split status, which she said will save millions of dollars in testing and handling fees for livestock producers throughout the state.

She said, however, her organization plans to try to change the USDA's TB testing rule, which "has clearly proven unworkable for thousands of cattle producers in the U.S."

States that accept cattle from New Mexico also make their own rules. Culbertson said he expects receiving states to acknowledge the TB-free status for most of New Mexico, but added, "It's important to caution that they do make their own rules and so we'll have to wait for that."

USDA rules require downgraded status if two affected herds are found within 48 months in a TB-free zone or state.

The USDA said last year that because two infected herds had been found in New Mexico's accredited free-zone since May 2007, it no longer met federal requirements and the state had to be downgraded.

Bovine TB was discovered in 2003 in cattle in Curry and Roosevelt counties, but at the time, federal authorities required only cattle from parts of those counties be tested before being shipped out of state. Then last spring, a cow in a Curry County feedlot was found to be infected, and the USDA began considering the more widespread testing.

The Livestock Board traced the cattle that infected cow might have been in contact with, "and we never found another infection," Culbertson said.

Bovine TB, a highly contagious pulmonary disease, causes severe coughing, fatigue, emaciation and debilitation. The disease, which can be fatal, is spread when an infected cow coughs or snorts and other cattle inhale airborne particles.

It can be passed from cattle to humans, but a state veterinarian said that possibility is "a minimal public health issue." Since the disease is considered untreatable, both infected and non-infected cattle in a herd must be killed.

___

On the Net:

New Mexico Livestock Board: http://www.nmlbonline.com

___

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) _ The Nebraska inventory of cattle on feed as of March 1 was down 6 percent from last year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Statistics Service says feedlots in the state with capacities of 1,000 or more contained nearly 2.33 million cattle on March 1.

Placements during February, which totaled 310,000 head, were down 11 percent from 2008. That matches placements in February 2001, the lowest for the month since the information was first collected in 1994.

However, marketings of fed cattle last month totaled 370,000 head, up 3 percent from last year.

Sabres' 7-Goal Frame Jolts Lightning 7-2

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Thomas Vanek and Paul Gaustad each scored twice in Buffalo's seven-goal second period, and Ales Kotalik had three assists to lead the Sabres to a 7-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night.

Jiri Novotny, Jaroslav Spacek and Chris Drury also scored for the Sabres, who won for the sixth time in eight games.

Martin St. Louis had two goals for Tampa Bay, which lost its second straight.

It was the fifth time the Sabres scored six or more goals this season, and the second time in five games that they had seven.

Ryan Miller made 24 saves to win for the first time since Nov. 2. He missed four games in the middle of the month with an abdominal strain.

St. Louis gave the Lightning a 1-0 first-period lead before the Sabres broke loose for seven goals on 13 shots in the middle frame against Lightning goalie Marc Denis, making his second start in seven games.

Gaustad, who also added an assist, opened the scoring on the power play for Buffalo, fighting off Tampa Bay defenseman Luke Richardson along the side of the net to knock the puck in after it bounced off the end boards off a shot from Maxim Afinogenov.

Novotny scored 63 seconds later, and Vanek made it 3-1 at 7:48 of the second.

Gaustad and Spacek followed with goals 24 seconds apart in the middle of the period before Vanek pushed Buffalo's lead to 6-1 with his team-leading 15th goal at 14:02 while the Sabres enjoyed the man-advantage.

Drury capped the spurt with his 12th of the season with 2:41 to go.

The game was halted with 2:08 remaining in the second after the end boards partially split where the glass slides into it, and the teams were sent to their dressing rooms.

St. Louis made it 7-2 with his team-leading 13th of the season at 1:52 of the third.

Notes:@ The game marked the beginning of a three-game homestand for the Sabres. ... Buffalo D Toni Lydman missed his sixth straight game because of a neck strain. ... Tampa Bay captain Tim Taylor missed his third game with a neck injury. ... Coming in, the Lightning and Sabres were tied for the most goals scored in the second period (30). ... Sabres D Michael Funk got his first career NHL point with an assist on Spacek's goal.

Quoi de neuf dans QuickBooks?

Les nouveaux logiciels qui peuvent faire une diff�rence

Au fil des ans, QuickBooks est devenu l'un des logiciels comptables les plus populaires aupr�s des PME. Initialement con�u pour les petits entrepreneurs n'ayant pas de connaissances en comptabilit�, le produit vedette d'Intuit a �volu�, int�grant de nouvelles fonctions telles qu'un gestionnaire de relations d'affaires, la gestion des emprunts, les pr�visions de tr�sorerie et une fonction d'aide am�lior�e. La nouvelle version, QuickBooks 2005, a �t� mise en march� le 2 septembre dernier.

QuickBooks 2005 peut accueillir cinq utilisateurs simultan�ment et comprend de nombreuses fonctionnalit�s � la fine pointe de la technologie : unit�s mon�taires multiples, personnalisation des champs, ventilation des informations financi�res par division ou par d�partement, niveaux de prix multiples, comptabilisation des achats, des ventes et des stocks de marchandises dans diff�rentes unit�s de mesure. Cependant, la limite impos�e � la taille des fichiers pourrait se r�v�ler probl�matique pour certaines entreprises. Par exemple, il n'est pas possible d'avoir plus de 14 500 types d'articles en stock.

L'�dition Enterprise, lanc�e en mars 2003, vise � r�pondre aux besoins d'organisations de plus grande taille. Elle accueille jusqu'� 10 utilisateurs � la fois et accepte des fichiers deux fois plus gros. Bien que cette version ait connu beaucoup de succ�s aux �tats-Unis, notamment aupr�s des moyennes entreprises, elle a �t� retir�e du march� canadien en juillet 2004, faute de demande, semble-t-il. Peut-�tre est-ce une question d'image : QuickBooks s'est fait conna�tre comme solution pour les petites entreprises et il serait difficile de modifier cette perception sans se lancer dans une imposante campagne de publicit�. Selon Intuit, le client type de QuickBooks est une petite entreprise de 20 employ�s ou moins, et dont le chiffre d'affaires est inf�rieur � deux millions. Id�alement, l'utilisateur de QuickBooks conserve le d�tail de ses op�rations en fichier pendant deux ans, de mani�re � disposer d'informations comparatives et cumulatives.

En ce qui concerne QuickBooks 2005, la principale innovation est l'ajout de Customer Manager, une application qui regroupe sur un seul �cran l'acc�s aux documents cl�s sur un client ainsi que les principales informations le concernant : coordonn�es, historique client, op�rations r�cemment comptabilis�es dans QuickBooks, documents connexes, aide-m�moire et rendez-vous. Ainsi, lorsqu'un client appelle, toutes ces informations peuvent �tre visionn�es d'un coup d'oeil. Int�gr� � QuickBooks, Customer Manager utilise Microsoft Outlook pour le courriel et permet de g�rer plusieurs relations d'affaires pour chaque personne-ressource.

� l'instar d'ACT!, Customer Manager est un gestionnaire de relations d'affaires. Il ne vise pas � concurrencer les syst�mes de gestion de la relation client comme SalesLogix ou Microsoft CRM, qui comportent d'autres fonctions telles que la gestion de l'�quipe de vente et le marketing informatis�. De plus, il s'agit d'une application distincte, qui ne fait pas partie de QuickBooks. Il faut donc synchroniser les syst�mes pour tenir les informations � jour. Parmi d'autres inconv�nients, on remarque l'impossibilit� de s�lectionner les relations sur la base de crit�res multiples et de faire du publipostage, et l'absence d'un g�n�rateur de rapport. Malgr� ces lacunes, les PME devraient appr�cier l'aspect �guichet unique� de Customer Manager, d'autant que les versions ult�rieures gagneront en puissance.

QuickBooks s'am�liore constamment et demeurera certainement l'un des logiciels comptables favoris des petites entreprises. Intuit aura cependant du mal � conqu�rir le march� des moyennes entreprises. Elle devrait relancer QuickBooks Enterprise � l'aide d'une campagne de promotion visant � convaincre les comptables que le produit ne s'adresse pas qu'aux petites entreprises.

Pour consulter la version int�grale de cet article, veuillez vous rendre � CAmagazine.com/quickbooks/fr.

[Author Affiliation]

Michael Burns, M.B.A., CA, est pr�sident de 180 Systems (http://www.180systems.com, 416 963-1296 ou mburns@ 180systems.com), qui fournit des conseils objectifs, notamment pour l'examen des processus d'affaires, la pr�paration de dossiers justificatifs et le choix de syst�mes internes.

Astronauts to finish up a few tasks related to space station's new lab on Monday

A few final tasks related to the international space station's newest lab awaited space shuttle Discovery astronauts on Monday.

The $1 billion (euro0.64 billion) lab's robotic arm was going to be fully extended by astronauts. The 33-foot (10-meter) robotic arm was first moved on Saturday, but only very slightly.

"They will do a series of motions. It will practically extend all the way out," said flight director Annette Hasbrook.

At the end of the test, the arm will be folded up and stored, out of the way of the lab's windows.

Over the summer, the station's crew will continue checking out the arm. This will culminate with the arm being used to grapple a storage shed that sits atop the lab.

The robotic arm won't be used for any actual work until after the launch into orbit next year of the lab's third and final section _ a "porch" for exterior experiments _ and a second, smaller robotic arm.

The 37-foot (11-meter) lab, named Kibo, Japanese for hope, was delivered by the shuttle and installed on the space station last week. The bus-size lab is the biggest room at the space station.

Later on Monday, astronauts planned to open up Kibo's storage shed, which has been sealed up since it was moved last week from a different location on the station to the lab.

The lab's shed _ essentially a 14-foot (4-meter) closet or attic _ was delivered to the station by another shuttle crew in March.

Astronauts were going to remove some equipment in the shed that is needed in other sections of the space station.

Emily Nelson, a space station flight director, said the shed will provide something that is often in short supply at the orbiting outpost.

"If you can imagine how full your house gets with stuff as you go through your life. But you can never have a garage sale and very infrequently can you take anything away. We have that problem on station," she said. "This will provide much needed storage space."

On Sunday, astronauts Michael Fossum and Ronald Garan Jr. completed the shuttle mission's third and final spacewalk on the orbiting outpost, replacing an empty gas tank and collecting a sample of dusty debris from a solar power wing's rotating joint. NASA is hoping the debris will give it clues about why another joint is malfunctioning.

Discovery and its crew are scheduled to leave the station on Wednesday.

___

On the Net:

NASA: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov

Hamas, Fatah Gunmen Battle Across Gaza

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Hamas and Fatah gunmen battled each other across the Gaza Strip early Monday, attacking security compounds, knocking out an electrical transformer and kidnapping several local commanders in some of the most extensive factional fighting in recent weeks.

Four people were killed and large parts of Gaza City were plunged into darkness.

Saudi King Abdullah called the factional fighting a "shame" that has undermined the Palestinian cause. He urged both sides to join talks mediated by his country, Saudi Arabia's official news agency reported Sunday.

"I urge them to hold an emergency meeting in Mecca to discuss the contentious matters without any intervention from outside," Abdullah said.

"Our hearts bleed for what is happening in the land of our Palestinian brothers," he said. "This great atrocity with all its unjustified and weak reasons has stained the Palestinian's honorable national struggle."

Both sides welcomed the Saudi king's offer but did not say when talks might be held. Ghazi Hamad, spokesman for the Hamas-led government, said the Islamic group was in talks with Egyptian mediators.

Information Minister Youssef Rizka of Hamas warned that the two sides are close to civil war.

The fighting, which has claimed more than 60 lives since December, erupted in Gaza after the collapse of coalition talks between Hamas, which controls parliament and the government, and moderate President Mahmoud Abbas, who heads Fatah. Abbas has threatened to call early elections, a step Hamas has denounced as a coup attempt.

The violence in Gaza often appears random, but some patterns are emerging, particularly in the latest round, which began Thursday and has so far left 30 dead.

Hamas has repeatedly targeted police compounds in recent days in an apparent effort to seize control of the Abbas-allied security forces. Hamas gunmen also have kidnapped several senior security commanders loyal to Abbas, but have released them.

Fatah gunmen, in turn, were drawing out Hamas fighters across the Gaza Strip, in what appeared to be a battle of attrition. From Sunday afternoon to daybreak Monday, gun battles raged in the southern town of Khan Younis, in Gaza City and in the north of the coastal strip.

Some of the most intense fighting took place outside the Gaza City headquarters of the Preventive Security Service, which a decade ago led a crackdown on Hamas and is fiercely loyal to Abbas. Hamas gunmen fired dozens of mortar shells at the compound, drawing return fire through the night.

The compound is located in a heavily populated area, surrounded by apartment high-rises, and frightened residents tried to stay away from their windows to avoid getting hit by stray bullets.

They also had to do without electricity - the western side of Gaza City was plunged into darkness after gunmen knocked out the local transformer.

Elsewhere in Gaza City, Hamas gunmen kidnapped the teenage son and nephew of Col. Khamis al-Ajous, head of Preventive Security, on Sunday. The kidnappers threatened to kill the two boys within three hours unless Hamas fighters seized by Fatah-allied security forces were released. By Monday morning, the boys had still not been released.

In the southern town of Khan Younis, fighting erupted after a local security chief was kidnapped by Hamas gunmen Sunday. In retaliation, Fatah fighters seized several local Hamas leaders. Three people were killed in the fighting Sunday, and shooting continued in the town until early Monday.

Two Hamas gunmen were killed overnight, according to hospital officials. A Fatah security man was killed by gunmen in Gaza City, while another Fatah officer died of wounds sustained in a shooting on Sunday, medical officials said.

Hamas and Fatah also set up more roadblocks around homes and offices of their leaders, and near security compounds. In Gaza City, masked Fatah loyalists armed with machine guns and grenades took up positions outside the national security headquarters, shining flashlights at approaching cars.

Hamas gunmen deployed outside the home of Interior Minister Said Siyam, the top commander of Hamas forces. Fatah alleged Hamas was planting roadside bombs near the house to keep away Abbas loyalists.

After several weeks of clashes, no clear winner is emerging from the fighting, a sign that neither is strong enough to knock the other out. The bitter rivals have been buying, smuggling and building weapons for months trying to gain an edge, but they have held back from all-out battle and find themselves in a stalemate.

Both sides began preparing for the possibility of a big battle after Israel left the Gaza Strip in September 2005 and the arms race intensified after Hamas won legislative elections a year ago.

Releasing trapped mice won't upset nature

Q. I read your article regarding those awful glue traps. Yearsago, when I was cleaning an office, the owner had set those traps andwhen I got there I heard such a pitiful squeaking coming from theback. Sure enough, a little mouse was in it. I called my husband andhe found out that lemon oil or vegetable oil gets the stickiness awayand so he brought some down and was able to release the mouse(outside, of course). I told the owner about it and he said he didn'trealize how torturous it was and he has never set them again. It'stoo bad that most people don't think of mice as having feelings justlike any other living animal. Glad to hear you are not one of them.

A. I got a ton of mail on that column. Most of the remarks weresimilar to yours. One gentleman suggested that releasing mice intothe wild would upset the balance of nature. He cited a case where therelease of mountain lions in New Mexico in 1994 didn't work. Iexplained to him that I wasn't suggesting releasing mountain lions,wolves, deer or elephants, which may upset the balance of nature; Iwas releasing mice, one or two at a time. Most folks aren't going tobe catching more than a mouse or two at a time and I seriously doubtif they will seriously impact the environment. I have releasedhundreds of mice in my back yard over the years and I have not upsetthe balance of nature in my yard, nor have I ever had a mouse in thehouse.

Q. For the past two years squirrels have ruined my beautifulimpatiens in the planter that makes up the front steps to my home. Ihave tried everything from filling up the holes they dig with bricks(only to have them dig another hole under that) to sending off forfox urine, which didn't bother them at all. I hesitate to replantuntil I figure out what to do with the critters.

A. The only product I would suggest is Ropel, which comes in agranular and liquid form. In your case I would recommend the granularform. If you use liquid Ropel on plants, be careful; it has beenknown to kill some plants. Spray a little on a leaf and watch fordevelopments before spraying a whole plant. Ropel is available onlineat www.callbugaside.com or by calling (866) 520-5050.

Foerch out to end reign of powerful Glenbard E.

Fiery, animated and talented, Naperville North's Brad Foerch isnow the "Rage of Du Page." Foerch doubles as the boys' and girls'gymnastics coach and has built both programs into state contenders.

For his efforts, the 30-year-old master motivator was named theDu Page Valley coach of the year at the boys' conference meet lastFriday.

Although his team lost to two-time state runner-up Glenbard East143.85-141.9, it was a season-high score for the Huskies. GlenbardEast has won the conference six straight years since moving from theDes Plaines Valley League.

"We're learning from you guys how to become champions," saidFoerch to Glenbard East coach Steve Kafka, who was coach of the yearlast season.

After Kafka offered his congratulations, Foerch said: "He(Kafka) should have been coach of the year the past six years.

"We were just nervous. It's always tough the first time to wina major competition and Glenbard East is a very seasoned team with aseasoned coach. He's raised his scores from 130 to 145. I'm stilltrying to catch him."

After avenging two earlier losses to Naperville North, Kafka isseeking to overtake No.2 Addison Trail, but Kafka is keeping an eyeon Naperville North.

"I knew we were going to get better, I just didn't know if itwould be enough," Kafka said. "This is the closest the race has everbeen since I've been in the conference.

"I never gave my kids a break - ever. We did poorly and went143. If we hit our routines like we can, we should be able to raiseit to 148 or more."

FEELS LIKE FIRST TIME: Geography has been a cruel nemesis toGlenbard West gymnastics coach Blaise Blasko, who has never won aconference title competing against juggernauts Addison Trail andHinsdale Central. That could change this year for Blasko, who isretiring from coaching to concentrate on his duties as athleticdirector.

Blasko's son Dan, a senior, is the team's top vaulter and floorexercise performer and will lead the host Hilltoppers at the WestSuburban Silver meet Friday at 6:30.

NO HORSING AROUND: Hinsdale Central has lost twice to GlenbardWest, including a 141.8-140.5 margin at the Glenbard WestInvitational last week.

"We weren't very healthy (at Glenbard West); we can find acouple more points," coach Neil Krupicka said. "I've had strongerteams but this is one is made up of some of the nicest kids I've had.

Pommel horse specialist Serafin Deleon is a key to the RedDevils' upset hopes, Krupicka said.

"Serafin's the captain along with Aaron Steele. He will play abig role in his event but an even bigger part off the apparatus.He, Aaron and all-arounder Nestor Battung are the inspirationalleaders."

Serafin, a 5-6 senior, is the latest in a long line of statepommel horse champions at Hinsdale, including Ted Marcy, who wassecond in 1970 and won the title in 1971 and 1972, scoring a staterecord 9.75. Other state champions include Ed Slezak (1969 and1970), Paul Black (1975) and Steve Yuan (1985).

"Time stands still in our gym," Krupicka said. "Serafin isreally in tune with the tradition and dedication. He has picked upthat with his work ethic. He's an average-talented kid but pusheshimself hard.

"He is extremely bright. He is ranked in the upper 5 percent ofthe nation academically. He has scored 8.1 on the horse, but I'msure he'll be up in the 8.6 range. This whole team is like that.

"He's on the math team and sometimes it conflicts with practice,but it's nice to have bright kids like that in the gym. They areaverage or above average in skills but they work hard on techniqueand form. I hope it will be enough to beat teams with moreability."

GOIN' FOR THE GOLD: The West Suburban Gold meet will begin at6:30 p.m. Friday at Hinsdale South and, as always, the top of theawards podium will be earmarked for Addison Trail.

The Blazers have won 16 consecutive conference titles dating tothe Des Plaines Valley and have posted a 151.3 score this season,second best in the state.

Willowbrook beat Addison in a dual meet earlier this year, butits top all-arounder, Sean Henderson, is out for the year with abroken hand.

"They are without Sean but Rick Kennedy sprained his ankleThursday and it is very difficult to tell if he will be fullstrength," Addison coach Fred Dennis said. "He was on crutches. Heand Woody Chhay trade off as our top all-arounder.

"When Willowbrook beat us, Rick was sick. And we beat themwithout Sean. Neither of us has been full strength. It's hard totell who will have the advantage, but I believe Rick will compete."

FLOORING THEM: Glenbard North's Grant Stenzel became thesecond Panther in four years to win the Du Page Valley floor exercisetitle. Gilbert Guido won it in 1986 and went on to place third inthe state and is now competing at Illinois-Chicago. Stenzel edgedNaperville North's Jay Eller 9.0-8.95.

"He's the biggest surprise I've seen in a long time," saidGlenbard North athletic director Jon Boulton. "If someone would havetold me three years ago he would be able to score a 9.0 and win thefloor exercise conference championship, I would never have believedit.

"He's a big kid (6-0) for a gymnast and played football forthree years and wrestled for two. He just concentrated ongymnastics this year after he had surgery on his wrist last winter.

"He would have been an all-arounder had he not hurt his wrist.We've had a number of good floor exercise people over the years but(coach) Gary Baker deserves a tremendous amont of credit for Grant'sdevelopment."

OH OMAR: Lyons pommel horse specialist Omar Parikh can helprinse the taste of disappontment from the mouth of Lyons coach FredDryanski. Last year Tim Tittlebach fell off the horse at thesectional, failing to qualilfy for the state meet by .05, but went onto compete at Kent State.

Parikh won the pommel horse title at the Glenbard WestInvitational with an 8.2 score and has an 8.4 personal best. Thesenior scored 1.9 as a freshman.

"He has a good swing and a strong upper body," Dryanski said."But his work habits are the key. It's nothing to see him work outtwo hours a crack with minimum time at the chalk bowl."

DEFENDERS: Three-time Mid Suburban champion and two-time statetitlist Conant defends its title at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Hersey. Theeighth-ranked Cougars have scored 145.2, but lost to No. 3 RollingMeadows 143-140 and to No. 7 Schaumburg 149-145.

REMEMBRANCES OF GARBAGE PAST

THE first BioCycle "State of Garbage In America" survey was conducted in 1988-1989. As we have discussed in these pages, tremendous changes have taken place since the pioneering times of the Earth Days in the 1970s when recycling dropoffs were held in grocery store parking lots and compost piles were maintained by gardeners who knew the value of resource recovery. Those early surveys - based on information provided by states - revealed that 250 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) were generated annually. With roughly 250 million U.S. citizens, each of us was generating one ton per year. The big question - where did it all go?

Published in 1989, the survey report identified nine states that had estimated recycling levels of 10 percent or more. The list comprised Washington (22%), Maine (17%), Oregon (16%), Vermont (15%), New Jersey (14%), Minnesota (12%), California (11%), Alabama (10%) and Florida (10%). The survey also identified 7,924 landfills in the U.S. (not including open dumps in Nebraska (290-plus) and New Mexico (150-plus). A total of 1,042 curbside recycling programs were counted in 35 states serving almost 8.5 million people. There were 651 yard trimmings composting facilities identified, with New Jersey (185), Michigan (100), Minnesota (78), Massachusetts (70) and Pennsylvania (63) topping the list. At least 16 materials recovery facilities (MRFs) processed commingled feedstocks from curbside recycling programs.

Now we fast forward from 1988-89 to 2005-06. For this year's survey - based on 2004 MSW management data - BioCycle continued its successful collaboration with the Earth Engineering Center of Columbia University to gather and analyze tonnage data from the states. We are especially grateful to Phil Simmons, a graduate student at Columbia University, for his tireless pursuit of statistically valid and comparable data, and taking the lead on putting together the State of Garbage In America report in this issue. We also appreciate the guidance and support of Professor Nickolas J. Themelis, director of the Earth Engineering Center of Columbia University. Finally, we are extremely appreciative of all the help we received from state MSW management and recycling officials. Without their help, there would be no State of Garbage in America, and thus no historical tracking of how America manages its municipal waste stream.

Speaking of tracking, the latest picture of the State of Garbage in America is: Of an estimated total of 388 million tons of MSW generated, 110.4 million tons were recycled and composted, 28.9 million tons were combusted (almost all in waste-to-energy plants), and 248.6 million tons were landfilled. That breaks down into 28.5 percent recycled/composted, 7.4 percent combusted, and 64.1 percent landfilled. Per capita, Americans generate about 1.3 tons/year of MSW.

So how are we, as a nation, doing on the road to resource recovery? Compared to two years ago, we are recycling and composting a bit more - the rate increased from 26.7 percent to 28.5 percent - so that definitely is progress. Are we as far along as we should be? With recyclable and compostable materials comprising upwards of 60 percent of the MSW stream still being disposed, the answer to that question is probably not. California is a case in point. About 41 million tons of solid waste were disposed in the state's landfills in 2003. Of that, 21 million tons were comprised of organics and paper.

Reading back through past editorials written in issues of BioCycle that contained the State of Garbage in America reports, I came across the following written by my father, Jerry Goldstein, in 1995. Truly, this sums up the State of Garbage in 2006 as well: "The pace of change never quite meets the need for change. There still is a long way to go to achieve the goals we believe are attainable. But there's no doubt - this year's State of Garbage numbers are moving in the right direction." - N.G.

Paris court rejects effort by Scientology Church

PARIS (AP) — A Paris appeals court has rejected a bid by the Church of Scientology to get the group's fraud conviction thrown out because the case has taken too long.

The lawyers had asked the appeals court to allow France's highest judicial body, the Court of Cassation, to rule on whether too much time had elapsed since the alleged fraud took place in the case dating to 1998.

The refusal of that request means the appeals hearing will move forward. It is set to finish on Dec. 1.

The court is reviewing the 2009 conviction of the church's French branch, its bookstore and six of its leaders.

The group is accused of pressuring members into paying large sums for questionable remedies and using "commercial harassment" against recruits.

10 COMPANIES TO WATCH: Ever Better Eating (DBA Rustic Crust)

A change in branding and the addition of new products to Ever Better Eating's line of all-natural and organic line of pizza products is launching the company to new competitive heights.

Rustic Crust, the company's brand name, is carried by 1,500 retailers across the country. "On a national basis, we're in 55 to 60 percent of natural food stores. We're just hitting the West now," says President Brad Sterl. Rustic Crust is also carried by Hannaford supermarkets and Shaw's supermarkets as well as national chains Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats. It is also doing test market promotions with retail giants BJ's and Costco.

The company's all-natural and organic products include shelfstable pizza crust, woodfired frozen pizzas, pizza kits and allnatural pizza sauce. It is introducing an organic pizza sauce in November and an organic pesto basil sauce this winter. This month, Rustic Crust is rolling out a new line of wheatfree/gluten-free pizza crust for consumers with a gluten intolerance "We think it will be one of our biggest items of the year," Sterl says.

Ever Better Eating developed new packaging for its pizza crusts that extends their shelf life without using chemicals or gas. Sterl is aiming to take on Boboli - the national leader in prepared pizza crusts. "Within three years, Boboli will consider us a competitor," he says.

Three-Year Growth Rate: 73%

Product/Service: Manufactures and distributes all-natural and organic pizza crusts and sauces

President: Brad Sterl

Founded: 1996

Headquarters: Pittsfield

Number of Employees: 30

Web Site: www.rusticcrust.com

QUOTEWORTHY

"My game is a game

of tai chi. I'm good

enough to go around

people. I don't have

to go through them.

I'll never have to go

through Vlade Divac,

period."

_Lakers center Shaquille

O'Neal, taking offense at the

suggestion his moves to the

basket might come close to

being offensive fouls

Sales & Celebrations: Retailing and Regional Identity in Western New York State, 1920-1940

Sales & Celebrations: Retailing and Regional Identity in Western New York State, 1920-1940. By Sarah Elvins. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press, 2004. xxi + 222 pp. Photographs, illustrations, appendix, bibliography, notes, index. Cloth, $42.95. ISBN: 0-821-41549-2.

How national was the national retail market, asks historian Sarah Elvins in her study of western New York State retailers during the 19203 and 19303? While the conventional view assumes that consumerism had a national homogenizing effect, Elvins's regional investigation finds the persistence of local identities amid vast economic and cultural changes. This blind spot may be attributable to historians' focus on big-city retailers and advertising agencies and to the rise of nationally branded goods. Buffalo and Rochester provide the settings for a reformulation of the history of consumption.

At the turn of the last century, both cities thrived economically. Entrepreneurs followed the influx of immigrants to western New York. Buffalo, New York's second-largest city, was home to over half a million people and boasted more millionaires per capita than New York City, owing to its commercial and industrial prowess. Rochester, at about half Buffalo's population, housed cutting-edge technical and manufacturing companies. Both midsize cities had vibrant downtown retail cores. Merchants, especially department-store owners, were very active in the civic, cultural, and business organizations that advertised the area's local advantages.

Unlike in the larger cities, local department-store owners were more prominent and visible in local affairs. Their "palaces of consumption," located on prime real estate, catered to middle-class women from the city and surrounding areas, who were drawn downtown for the enthralling shopping experience. Aside from the lure of attractive material goods, department stores provided elaborate Christmas window displays, hosted special "educational" events, sponsored parades and contents, and acted as civic boosters. Their "rhetoric of service" was directly linked to local identity. Yet their emphasis on community was not wholly altruistic: it served as an important selling tool in the face of increasing competition from big-city retailers and chain stores.

The mass media and transportation developments made Americans aware of national brands and shifting styles. Western New York merchants (including grocers and druggists) developed strategies to stave off competitive threats. These smaller stores modernized their management methods and carved out their own styles while at the same time looking toward big-city stores for guidance. "The ability of local merchants and manufacturers to compete with the best New York City had to offer became a major component of... civic pride" (p. 48). And they did so by emulating the latest fashions seen in mass-circulation magazines, sending buyers to fashion centers, and featuring nationally branded products in their advertisements. "Local merchants maintained that there was no reason to look elsewhere for style goods: magazines were offered as proof that the stores in smaller cities were keeping up with national trends" (p. 63). Local newspapers acted as boosters for the stores and benefited from their success with increased ad revenues.

Chain stores grew in significance during the 19205 and 19305 and posed a greater threat to local retailers than the big-city stores. Chains sold nationally advertised branded goods at lower prices. Local merchants also adapted to the chain-store "menace" by: modernizing management and operations, purchasing in groups, establishing cash-only policies, and offering specialized services. They benefited from loyal working-class patrons with whom they shared ethnic and neighborhood ties and who could purchase goods on credit and utilize the special services offered by the stores but not by the chains. Local merchants also found strong allies in the local press, whose editorials often excoriated the outside businesses. In response, chains cultivated local goodwill through charity and community involvement and hired morally and professionally upstanding employees and managers. "In the face of this new form of competition, independent merchants strenuously resisted the encroachment of chain retailers and asserted their own place in the communities they served" (p. 105).

Local merchants also had to cope with the Great Depression. In the late summer of 1931, Buffalo merchants organized "Buffalo Day" to resuscitate the local economy. Rochesterians created their own "Monroe County Pledge for Prosperity" day. "Although each city had a different approach to encouraging local spending, both played up the responsibility of the local citizen and the importance of boosting local retail sales as a way to turn around the region and, in turn, the country" (p. 121). seeking localized private solutions to a national crisis, civic and business leaders hoped to modernize the Victorian triumvirate of frugality, thrift, and financial planning into responsible spending. Consuming now became one's civic duty and a moral imperative. Even Buffalo's newspapers touted consuming as a civic act and one less controversial than charity. However popular these events, they both failed to revive the local economies. They did, however, antedate the national "Buy American" campaigns that emerged first during the late 1930s.

The significance of the community appeal as a selling tool continued after 1931. National advertisers and local manufacturers tried to tap into local loyalties with mixed results. This, according to Elvins, challenges the narrative of national homogenization. During the 1930s, chain stores and local merchants continued to invest in downtown stores. Local stores sponsored and hosted many forms of public entertainments, which they offered as a public service. National and local manufacturers also sought ways to incorporate local elements in their advertisements.

Sales & Celebrations successfully provides a needed corrective to our understanding of how the local and national consumer cultures interacted. Elvins's study of western New York retailers demonstrates how local merchants fended off homogenization and adapted to new retailing methods and larger economic changes. One minor omission needs mention. Buffalo's Larkin Company, a large hybrid soap manufacturer and direct-mail-order house, was also an important purveyor of consumption and an innovator in marketing, but Larkin's story is a bit different: a local company that expanded nationally and spread modernity and middle-class consumption to small-town American housewives with limited disposable income who were organized into buying clubs. While the company was in decline during the 19305, it did have a large department store in downtown Buffalo and, after 1917, operated a regional chain of retail food markets. This small corrective does not detract from Elvins's fine study, but it does raise additional questions about the process of consumerism and encourages historians to make further investigations at the local and regional levels.

[Author Affiliation]

Howard R. Stanger is associate professor in the Department of Management and Marketing at Canisius College. He has published articles on labor relations in newspapers and commercial printing and on the Larkin Company's corporate culture ("From Factory to Family: The Creation of a Corporate Culture in the Larkin Company of Buffalo, New York," Business History Review [Autumn 2000]) and welfare capitalism practices. He is currently researching the workings of Larkin's cooperative buying clubs.

Woman builds church against the odds

Edith Acu&nt;a is a woman of courage, drawn by compassion and driven by faith in God. She is a pastor in the poor Bogota neighbourhood of Juan Pablo II. Murders, drug abuse, assault and theft are daily occurrences on the steep and dirty streets in her area.

Eighteen years ago she came to this hillside looking for a patch of land on which to erect a shelter with her husband Edgar and three children. Apartments in the core of the city wouldn't accept children.

Baptized in Bogota's Berna Mennonite church, Edith carried her Mennonite faith to her new barrio (neighbourhood), and began reaching out to the hurting women and children all around.

Desperate for theological training, she took evening courses at the Mennonite seminary, a 90-minute bus ride away. For fear of robbery or worse, buses and taxis would not enter her neighbourhood at night, leaving Edith to walk the last 20 minutes in the dark, alone.

"It's very hard to walk through the streets here for fear of being attacked, especially on pay day, even in day time," she said.

She completed her high school and earned a certificate in theology from the seminary. About six years ago she began a ministry to 60 children in her home. At that time Edgar was not supportive of her ministry and forbade her to work with the men of the community.

"It was impossible to invite men. He would be jealous." But she persevered.

Eventually, through God's guidance, a woman unknown to Acu[Symbol Not Transcribed]ia came forward with money to buy the building next door to her house. This one-room building with hollow-brick walls and a corrugated tin roof now serves as the Mennonite church. Painted blue, it has the hours of service and the symbol of the General Conference Mennonite Church in black.

One day an old man came to Acu[Symbol Not Transcribed]na seeking to attend the church. After he was rejected and eventually died, Edgar realized men needed the gospel too and became a believer. He joined Edith in her faith and ministry.

"The area of counselling is tremendously important," said Acu[Symbol Not Transcribed]ha speaking through an interpreter. "There is much abuse of children and women." She gets calls from women late at night. Alcohol, drugs, assassinations and violence are part of life here.

"The majority of young girls get pregnant very early," she said. "Virtually all the time you hear that one person is killed, two people are killed, three persons are killed."

Acu&nt;a is the vice-president of a ministerial for 250 barrios. In addition to her own congregation, she gives leadership to nine house churches and trains other leaders--working full time with no salary.

As of January, the church has baptized 60 people, and has a core group of 37 regular attendees. An additional 28 adults and 66 children meet in homes. Edith is praying that the Colombian Mennonite Church will get the money to buy the church and build a second floor with Sunday school rooms.--Aiden Schlichting Enns

This is the second in a series on Mennonites in Colombia.