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McIntosh trips up Heritage in soccer quarterfinals

PEACHTREE CITY — Before Saturdays Class AAAA state quarterfinal game, Heritage coach Chad Suddeth said his team was used to playing powerhouse programs in the state playoffs. Meanwhile, McIntosh is getting used to playing in the final four.

Gabby Seiler scored two goals and assisted on two others as the Class AAAA No. 2 Chiefs defeated No. 9 Heritage, 7-1 in the quarterfinals Saturday at McIntosh Stadium.

McIntosh (18-2-1), the defending Class AAAA state champions, is two wins away from another title and will play in its third consecutive state final four and fourth in six seasons next weekend.

Heritage, which finished tied for the most wins in school history, was in the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2001 and finished the year 16-4-1.

Very proud we made it this far, Heritage coach Chad Suddeth said. Best season in Heritage history in the last 10, 11 years.

Heritage had some hope early in the second half when University of Florida signee Arielle Gunderson scored off a rebound to cut the deficit to 3-1. But McIntosh reasserted itself over a dominant, seven-minute stretch.

First, Jackie Roshelli scored with just over 31 minutes to play, then Seiler took over. Off a corner kick, Seiler scored on an amazing header, and two minutes later, again beat Patriots keeper Mady Carter for a 6-1 lead.

That Gabby Seiler is the best Ive seen, she is dynamic, Suddeth said. We didnt have an answer for her. They scored a couple of goals that kind of took some life out of us. That speed of play is a lot different than we were accustomed to.

It didnt take long for the host Chiefs to take the lead for good in the opening half. At the 33:53 mark, sophomore forward Amanda Bartholomew slipped past the Heritage defense and got a shot past Carter.

Seiler had a number of chances for goals in the first 18 minutes of the game, but came up short, so the sleek junior moved into a sacrificial state of mind in the final 16 minutes of the half.

Seiler made a great crossing pass and found Jackie Gray, and Gray beat Carter to put the Chiefs up 2-0. Seiler did it again with 4:02 to play until halftime, threading the needle and finding freshman Cecily Hartman for an easy goal and a 3-0 cushion.

I told the girls (McIntosh is) the best team were going to see all year, Suddeth said.

Shahbaz’ self-financing of foreign trips

IN the backdrop of the controversy surrounding the visit of the Prime Minister to UK especially the size of the entourage and the expenditure involved, there is a refreshing news that Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif personally bears all the expenses on his foreign visits ? be they private or official. He has been doing so since his previous stint as Chief Minister and even ministers, legislators and others accompanying him on foreign visits have been bearing the expenditure themselves.

In the first instance, the Chief Minister undertakes foreign trips in exceptional circumstances and instead pays more attention on realizing the cherished objective of good governance. However, whenever he visits abroad, he takes with him a very small entourage and keeps duration of the stay to the minimum. It has also been observed that the Punjab Chief Minister always squeezed some benefits for his province as a result of his engagements with the leadership and businessmen of the host countries. We believe that the good example set by the Chief Minister must be emulated by others not only in rest of the provinces but also at the federal level. It is a fact that Pakistan is in dire straits financially and it has to obtain loans to repay foreign debt and with this in view foreign trips should be kept to the barest possible. However, we have observed that our leaders are fond of foreign visits and proceed abroad almost every month and on occasions we have observed that the President, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister all embark on such visits simultaneously. There is also tradition of taking friends, relatives and unnecessary staff and officials along and all the expenses are charged to the national exchequer. We appreciate Shahbaz Sharif who has emerged a role model not only in this respect but also in managing affairs of his province.

the frugal traveler: Items to take on trips with dogs

On a multi-state drive with our mischief-prone Labrador, I shuffled back to our vehicle with two fresh cups of gourmet coffee. While my husband filled the gas tank, I opened the passenger door to set down my travel bag and organize our beverages.

Having missed the perky poodle in the next vehicle, I was completely unaware of the looming dog drama. What came next was a body-blocking, caffeine-protecting wrestling match that could easily have resulted in a viral video.

‘Air Miles Andy’ clocks up even more luxury overseas trips than last year …

Prince Andrew has been on more taxpayer-funded overseas trips this year despite stepping down from his trade role over links to a convicted paedophile.

The Duke of York gave up his role as a trade envoy for Britain when disturbing details emerged of his close friendship with Jeffery Epstein.

But since then Andrew has spent more nights abroad and clocked up considerably more miles than in the same period last year.

The trips have included stays in a string of luxury hotels and the use of a private jet at a cost of about £40,000 for a trip to Saudi Arabia.

Campaigners branded the Dukes overseas travels shocking and called on him to reign in the expenses.

Prince Andrew had been expected to cut back on expenses-paid trips when he left his role as Special Representative for UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) in July this year.

But he has since spent 28 days abroad, visiting Saudi Arabia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. He covered more than 40,800 miles.

In the same period last year he spent 22 nights abroad, flying about 29,500 miles, according to the Telegraph.

Daemen trips UPJ in title game

ERIE
Jordan Miller scored 19 points, and Patrick Grubbs added 18 points and eight rebounds on his way to all-tournament team honors, but Daemen built a

13-point second half lead and held off Pitt-Johnstown 72-65 in Saturday nights championship game of the 2011 Gannon University Gary Miller Classic.

Pitt-Johnstown slipped to 3-3.

In a first half full of runs, Bill Luthers basket gave the Mountain Cats a slim 8-7 lead four minutes into the game, but Daemen used an 11-2 run over the next 2:05 to go up 18-10 on Jim Regans layup.

The Mountain Cats countered with eight points from Miller, including a 3-pointer that ended a 12-3 spurt to give the lead back to Pitt-Johnstown at 22-21 midway through the half.

After the Wildcats scored seven straight points, the Mountain Cats matched it with another Miller 3-pointer and a short jumper from Ian Vescovi to regain the lead by one at the four-minute mark.

However, Daemen outscored UPJ 10-4 the rest of the way to take a 38-33 halftime advantage on tournament MVP Casey Sheehans bucket at the buzzer.

Grubbs connected on a pair of free-throws four minutes into the second half to get Pitt-Johnstown to within three, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Sheehan extended the Wildcats lead to 48-39 three minutes later.

Regans tip-in at 9:32 extended Daemens lead to 55-42, before Grubbs basket in the paint got the Mountain Cats to within seven at 57-50.

Miller connected on five 3-pointers, while Grubbs had a team-high eight rebounds and Novak had 14 points and four rebounds. Vescovi finished with six points off the bench.

Herd trips Cincy in OT

CINCINNATI – Marshalls 73-69 overtime victory Friday night over Cincinnati didnt have the feel of an upset.

Mazda trips the light fantastic

Mazda has an ambitious plan to make all its cars 20 per cent more fuel efficient within three years. The strategy involves the development of a design system called SkyActiv, which aims to cut the weight of all next generation models by 100kg, using lightweight material in body parts, engines, chassis and transmissions.

The first model to get the SkyActiv treatment is the all-new CX-5, a compact SUV, which is a first in this segment for Mazda. It is heading into stiff competition from such models as the Hyundai iX35 and the Kia Sportage.

But Mazda engineers are confident that the new engineering technology will make their cars more fun to drive, as well as lowering emissions and boosting fuel economy, which they predict will give their models an edge over rivals.

Mazda tested lightweight design in the Mazda2 some years ago, and the lessons learned will now be taken to a new level and will be introduced into the firms core models — the 2, 4 and 6 as well as the CX-7. A big bonus associated with weight-shedding is that drivers get excellent handling and there is sharper performance, which adds that extra bit of fun.

The new model gets a strong grille and a muscular look with slanted A pillars, an edgy rear — the rear window is sharply raked — and stylish sculpted sides. The wind-cheating aerodynamic body sits on a 2,700mm wheelbase, the longest in its class, which allows four to sit in comfort with lots of legroom. The driver gets a high quality cockpit cabin with high-grade materials and a high driving position.

New, speed-sensitive steering has been designed for the CX-5, which gives good feedback, and, with lightweight stiff suspension, makes for excellent cornering. A safety feature is the use of high-tensile steel in the body structure, which Mazda engineers say disperses crash energy to give extra protection in the event of a collision.

Safety features on board include a Smart City Braking system, which automatically applies brakes to reduce or eliminate bumper-crunching in traffic, automatic light beam, anti-whiplash seats and seat belt load limiter to measure the weight of the occupant, so there is no injury from belt restraint. Lane depart warning and a rear view monitoring system are available.

Under the bonnet is a Mazda-designed 2.2-litre 150bhp diesel engine with just 119 C02 to power the front- wheel drive version, which Mazda says will return an average 4.5L/100km. A 4X4 option gets a 175bhp engine. The petrol option is a 2-litre 165bhp unit for two-wheel and 4X4 drive (5 per cent of sales here). There is a six-speed manual transmission with the option of a new automatic unit which combines the best elements of a torque converter with dual clutch technology to give an ultra-quick seamless change. Works best with diesel engine. Stop-Start is standard.

Both models are 10 per cent lighter with diesel consumption and C02 emissions down 20 per cent on the current engine, while the petrol power plant gives 15 per cent more power boost with 15 per cent less C02 emissions — making it the best in its segment.

The CX-5 arrives in April. Prices have not been finalised, but will start at about euro;24,000, with three levels of trim.

Originally published in

Collier bus system studying rate hike for disabled, Medicaid passengers – PHOTOS

NAPLES –
Barbara Wartberg doesnt mince words.

I am going to find the money to get my hair done, she said, laughing. Whatever it takes.

Wartberg, who loss the use of her left side when she had a stroke, goes to get her hair done each week by a professional because she cannot do it herself. To get there, she does what she has done for the past decade — she uses Collier Countys paraTransit system.

I was an independent woman before my stroke and I am an independent woman after my stroke, she said.

Wartberg, who uses the door-to-door public transportation service five days a week, said she doesnt know what she would do without the service.

For people who use it, our families dont have time to take us all of the places we need to go, she said. I pay $2, which is perfect, but I would pay $5 a trip so I wouldnt have to lose them.

Its opinions like Wartbergs that the county staff is hoping to get as it looks at a potential fare increase for the bus systems paraTransit trips, its first fare increase since taking over the program in 2006.

The paraTransit program is available to those residents who qualify because they dont have any other means of transportation and are covered under programs such as Medicaid or the Americans with Disabilities Act.

ParaTransit services have been offered in Collier County since 1999, first under the Community Transportation coordinator. In 2006, after public demand for better services, the countys Collier Area Transit (CAT) bus system took over the paraTransit program and created Collier Area paraTransit (CAP).

Since Collier Area Transit took over the program, fares have remained the same while demand and operating costs have increased. County governments financial share also has increased to bridge the gap between increased demand and decreased grant funding.

Michelle Arnold, director of the countys Alternative Transportation Modes department, said the county is required by the Federal Transit Administration to complete a fare study any time it thinks about raising the price of transportation.

We have to make sure, whatever we do, it does not impose a detriment to riders or future riders, she said.

UConn’s Jim Calhoun and other coaches see exotic basketball trips as bonding …

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas — When Jim Calhoun tells the story of UConn’s national championship season, he usually begins in Hawaii.

The Huskies defeated three strong teams — Wichita State, Michigan State and Kentucky — and when Kemba Walker boarded the team bus with the MVP trophy, his teammates stood and applauded.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before,” Calhoun says, “and, incidentally, that was repeated after the Big East tournament in New York.”

It was at the Maui Invitational that UConn learned to be a team, learned its leaders and its identity, and bonded. And it’s what teams of college-age kids look for when they leave home, board the plane together and play in faraway places with strange-sounding names. The Huskies, and seven other teams, are looking for that same intangible benefit in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas this week.

“Experiences like this can be extremely valuable,” said Donny Marshall, who played at UConn in the early 1990s. “If forces you out of your comfort zone, out of the comfort of your dorm room. You room with someone you don’t normally room with. My sophomore year, we played in Hawaii and we lost to an Ohio U team we should not have lost to on paper. We bonded, and we had great runs the next two years.”

Though Walker has moved on, several of the players from last year are back. There are also newcomers, and for them it’s a first experience on the road as college students.

Here they learn the necessity of acting responsibly in an environment with many temptations, of taking care to represent the school in an age where any youthful indiscretion can go viral on the Internet, and of looking out for each other in groups.

“At a tournament like this, you become like brothers,” said JP Prim, a senior with the University of North Carolina-Asheville. “And that’s the way a basketball team is supposed to do it.”

For so-called “mid-major” programs, the chance to play in tournaments helps prepare them for the season and the postseason by exposing them to better teams, bigger crowds, more attention and the “survive and advance” nature of tournament competition.

“This is where you learn about your team,” said veteran coach Bobby Cremins, who is in the Bahamas with his College of Charleston team.

While UConn is playing in the Bahamas, Fairfield is playing in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla., and Sacred Heart is playing in the Cancun Challenge in Mexico.

I dont think Ive ever seen that before, Calhoun says, and, incidentally, that was repeated after the Big East tournament in New York.

“You hope they bond together,” said Sacred Heart coach Dave Bike, “and it gives you a different opportunity in a different situation. As kids look back at their college career, they’re going to remember this trip.”

In Hawaii last year, the Huskies first adopted their us-against-the-world mind-set. They were coming off a disappointing season in 2009-10 and were considered a young, inexperienced team.

“We felt like we had to prove ourselves,” Shabazz Napier said.

They did. Now, it’s more like the Huskies are trying to establish a world-against-us mentality.

“People talk about a national championship hangover,” Calhoun said. “There was April, May, June, July, August and September where everyone was telling us how wonderful we are. Now, we have to get that hunger back. We would make a good headline for someone, knocking off the defending national champions.”

UConn, Calhoun said, is looking to identify which players will assume leadership roles. Will, perhaps, Jeremy Lamb be the one treated like a conquering hero?

“When you have to play three games in three days, you learn about your team,” Calhoun said. “You can’t get this experience at home. If you have a negative experience, you lose a game, you have a matter of hours to get ready for the next one.”

The Huskies got to the Atlantis Resort and Casino on Monday and spent some free time at the various attractions in and about the sprawling hotel grounds. Roscoe Smith made his teammates laugh when he tried the “Leap of Faith,” a six-story water slide.

“I’ve been told the screams could be heard from very far away,” Calhoun said.

They have been practicing at a high school about 30 minutes away. On Wednesday, they had their first practice in the arena itself, a ballroom turned into a temporary court with about 4,000 bleacher seats. With the small crowd close in, and the low ceilings, it will be an unusual place to play basketball, another shared experience that figures to last the season.

Trips to exotic locales certainly do not hurt recruiting efforts. College of Charleston seniors have played in Hawaii, Puerto Rico and now the Bahamas. UNC Asheville coach Eddie Biedenbach sees it as a reward for players who have put in four years of hard work for his program.

“It’s an experience we try and give the individuals,” Bike said, “with school, basketball, and travel. These are all benefits that all of them appreciate at the end of their careers.”

Disabled sex trips thwarted

SEX laws are making it difficult for people with disabilities to exercise their right to access prostitutes, advocacy groups say.

Brothel bans make the disabled vulnerable to unscrupulous operators and put their health at risk, they say.

One man was repeatedly harassed by a prostitute and her male associate, the Sunday Tasmanian was told.

The pair drove the man to an ATM and demanded cash, it was alleged.

Speak Out Association of Tasmania spokeswoman Julie Butler said prostitutes went underground when law changes in 2005 banned brothels and meant sex workers could only be self-employed.

The sex workers we recommended disappeared, they didnt have the same numbers and werent operating from the same venues, she said.

The only way we can contact a worker is out of the [news]paper now.

Were really concerned because we dont know the reputation of the people and we dont know what sort of health that person is in.

Were reluctant to help people access sex workers.

Ms Butler said the laws also made it difficult for people with a disability to keep their sex sessions private from family members who oversee their finances.

She urged the State Government to introduce legislation that made it safer and easier for people to exercise their right to access a sex worker.

The Department of Health and Human Services sets out guidelines for carers and support workers to assist people with disabilities to access sex workers.

Access to a sex worker should be seen as one of a number of options to consider when supporting people with disabilities to make decisions about their sexual needs, the guidelines state.

Staff members who provide physical assistance to enable people with disabilities to access the services of a sex worker will not, merely by so doing, breach any law in Tasmania provided that they deal only with a self-employed sex worker.

Adult industry body Eros chief executive Fiona Patten said: You have health professionals and aged-care workers who see the sex industry as a valuable tool for providing services to their clients, yet the lawmakers do not take a commonsense approach to this and regulate the industry as they should.

She said current legislation was dangerous for [sex] workers and dangerous for the clients.

The industry is now underground in Tasmania, she said.

Nearly every other state in Australia treats sex workers [the same] as any other worker and awards them the same working conditions and entitlements as any other worker.

Ms Patten, who is also head of the Australian Sex Party, said the State Government was sweeping issues in the sex industry under the carpet by delaying the release of a discussion paper.

They feel that somehow if they discuss this issue it connects them in some way to the industry, she said.

There are very vocal minorities that oppose the industry, and they are loud, and it does create this situation of inertia.

So the Government just turns a blind eye to it because its contentious and they know they wont be able to make everyone happy.

Attorney-General Brian Wightman was due to release a discussion paper on the sex industry in July.

Mr Wightman said competing priorities had delayed the release, and now it was planned to make the paper public early next year.