Boston Marathon

Boston MarathonDeriba Merga, Salina Kosgei win at Boston Marathon.

Ethiopia's Deriba Merga overcame the disappointment of his Olympic fade to win the Boston Marathon on Monday, and Kenya's Salina Kosgei won the closest women's race in the 113-year history of the event while Americans took third in both races for the best U.S. finish since 1985.

Merga, who was passed in the last quarter-mile and finished fourth in Beijing, pulled away before Heartbreak Hill and won in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 42 seconds — almost a full minute ahead of Kenya's Daniel Rono and American Ryan Hall.

Kosgei won a sprint with defending champion Dire Tune, trading the lead several times in the final blocks of Boylston Street before hitting the tape less than a stride ahead of the Ethiopian in 2:32:16. American Kara Goucher led the three as they crossed the MassPike into Kenmore Square with one mile to go, but she was outkicked down the stretch and finished 9 seconds back.

The winners will take home $150,000, but Merga had to wait for his traditional laurel wreath: The women's pace was so slow and the men finished so fast that he crossed the finish line before Kosgei had a chance to climb the champion's podium.

Kosgei said the weather conditions made for a difficult finish.

"The wind was a bit stronger. ... So, it was very hard," Kosgei said. "I decided I must try. So, I tried."

No American has won in Boston since Lisa Larsen-Weidenbach in 1985, when the U.S. women swept the top three and the men came in second and third. The 2009 race was the slowest since then, a pace that had the men's leaders passing the female stragglers and approaching the final mile as the women were hitting the tape.

Goucher burst into tears and was consoled by her husband, and Tune fell to the pavement for several minutes after the final sprint. Race spokesman Jack Fleming said Tune would not be available because she was receiving medical attention; he did not elaborate.

Goucher's voice cracked repeatedly in the postrace news conference.

"I just wanted it for everybody that wanted it for me," she said. "I'm proud of how I did. I just wanted to be the one that won for everybody."

Original Source : http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hDQ4UyM4PTYJNfyTk0OaCEUYBRTQD97MAFGO0

A Joyous Easter For Hostage Families

A Joyous Easter For Hostage FamiliesWith news that Capt. Richard Phillips had been rescued unharmed after being held for five days by Somali pirates, a lawn sign in the captain's hometown of Underhill, Vt., that read "Pray for Captain Phillips' release and safe return home" was changed to read, "Capt. Phillips rescued and safe."

A spokeswoman for the Phillips family, Alison McColl, said Phillips and his wife, Andrea, spoke by phone shortly after he was freed.

"I think you can all imagine their joy and what a happy moment that was for them," McColl said outside of the Phillips home. "They're all just so happy and relieved. Andrea wanted me to tell the nation that all of your prayers and good wishes have paid off, because Capt. Phillips is safe."

The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet said Phillips, 53, was resting comfortably after a medical exam on the San Diego-based USS Boxer in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia.

In Mombasa, Kenya, Phillips' 19 crewmen, who said the captain offered himself as a hostage to safeguard the crew, gathered on the lower deck of the Maersk Alabama. They whistled and pumped their fists in the air and fired two bright red flares into the sky from the ship.

"We made it!" shouted ATM "Zahid" Reza, from Hartford, Conn., pumping his fist in the air as he stood among about a dozen crewmen who came out to answer questions from the throng of journalists and television cameras.

Another crew member, who declined to give his name, said he was not surprised Phillips had made it out alive, but said the captain had been "in a 120-degree oven for days."

Capt. Joseph Murphy, the father of Phillips' second-in-command Shane Murphy, thanked Phillips for his bravery.

"Our prayers have been answered on this Easter Sunday," Murphy said. "If not for his incredible personal sacrifice, this kidnapping and act of terror could have turned out much worse."

Murphy said both his family and Phillips' "can now celebrate a joyous Easter together."

"This was an incredible team effort, and I am extremely proud of the tireless efforts of all the men and women who made this rescue possible," U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Bill Gortney said in a statement.

He called Phillips and his crew "heroic."

Terry Aiken, 66, who lives across the street from the Phillips house, fought back tears as he reacted to the news.

"I'm very, very happy," Aiken said. "I can't be happier for him and his family."

Original Source : http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-woside1312647328apr18,0,225445.story

Anti-Blindness Therapy

Anti-Blindness TherapyAnti-blindness stem cell therapy perfected.

British scientists say they have developed a stem procedure that will reverse the most common cause of blindness, age-related macular degeneration.

The procedure, pioneered by the Institute of Ophthalmology at University College London and Moorfields eye hospital, involves replacing a layer of degenerated eye cells with new ones obtained from embryonic stem cells, The Sunday Times of London reported.

The newspaper said pharmaceutical research company Pfizer this week will announce financial backing to bring the therapy to patients.

"This is a huge step forward for patients," Tom Bremridge, chief executive of the Macular Disease Society, told The Sunday Times. "We are extremely pleased that the big guns have become involved, because, once this treatment is validated, it will be made available to a huge volume of patients."

More than 500,000 Britons are affected by age-related macular degeneration and that number will increase significantly as people live longer, observers say.

Original Source : http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2009/04/19/Anti-blindness-stem-cell-therapy-perfected/UPI-82961240165626/

Amber Hagerman

Amber HagermanAmber Alert system for missing children.

An Amber Alert system is to be set-up for missing children following a recommendation from the Garda Inspectorate.

Kathleen O'Toole said that when a child goes missing in high-risk circumstances it is vital that the gardaí can immediately get the assistance of key networks in alerting the community.

She said that much could be done to establish the system without incurring additional cost.

The ISPCC has welcomed the move but added that we also need to ensure that other mechanisms that are operational across Europe are used here, including the introduction of the 116 000 telephone number.

The number has been in place for more than two years in a number of European countries but not in Ireland.

The ISPCC says Ireland falls short of adequate policies, procedures and services that deal with missing children.

The Amber Alert system was first introduced in the US and is named after nine-year-old Amber Hagerman who was abducted from her Texas home in 1995. It also stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response.

In the US the alerts are broadcast on radio and television news bulletins as well as on road signs and usually contain a description of the child and of their alleged abductor.

Original Source : http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0415/missing.html

USS Stockdale

USS StockdaleChristening Saturday for USS Stockdale.

Navy destroyer named after Abingdon native.

The USS Stockdale, a guided-missile destroyer, will be commissioned Saturday at Port Hueneme, Calif.

The destroyer is named after Vice Adm. James B. Stockdale, an Abingdon native famous for the 7 years he spent as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War in Hoa Lo Prison, the infamous Hanoi Hilton. According to the Web site for the new destroyer, he was physically tortured no fewer than 15 times. He was kept in solitary confinement, in total darkness, for four years, chained in heavy, abrasive leg irons for two years, malnourished due to a starvation diet, denied medical care and deprived of letters from home in violation of the Geneva Convention.

The ordeal began on Sept. 9, 1965, when then-Commander Stockdale catapulted his A-4E Skyhawk off the flight deck of the U.S.S. Oriskany. Approaching his target, his plane was hit repeatedly with anti-aircraft fire.

“Within seconds, his engine was aflame and all hydraulic control was gone,” according the Web site.

Upon his release in 1973, Stockdale received the Medal of Honor, along with 26 personal combat decorations, including four Silver Star medals.

Stockdale’s wife also is known for her bravery and actions during her husband’s captivity. Sybil Stockdale campaigned for respectful treatment for the families of POWs by founding the League of Families. Sybil Stockdale was presented with the U.S. Navy Department’s Distinguished Public Service Award by the Chief of Naval Operations, the only wife of an active-duty officer ever to be so honored.

The Navy announced in 2006 that the destroyer would be named after the late Vice Adm. Stockdale. Since then, according to the Web site, Sybil Stockdale and her family have kept a close relationship with the ship and crew. The family visited the ship while it was under construction in Maine and during the ship’s christening in May 2008.

The U.S.S. Stockdale’s home port will be San Diego. The newest addition to the U.S. 3rd Fleet’s destroyer force, destroyers like the Stockdale provide multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities and can operate independently or as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, amphibious ready groups and underway replenishment groups.

Commander Fred W. Kacher will be the Stockdale’s commanding officer and Lt. Commander Brandon S. Bryan will be executive officer.

“Over the past two years, we have had the privilege of getting to know the Stockdales and they have been wonderful to our ship, which bears the name of their father and grandfather and a genuine American hero. We are so grateful to commander, Third Fleet for allowing us this opportunity to bond with the Stockdale family at sea,” Kacher said.

Stockdale was a member of the class of 1946 at Monmouth College, where the student center was named in his honor in 1989.

Original Source : http://www.galesburg.com/news/x50621451/Christening-today-for-USS-Stockdale

Celtics Beaten

Celtics BeatenBulls beat Celtics 105-103 in OT in Game 1.

Derrick Rose scored 36 points in his playoff debut and helped the Chicago Bulls do something not even Michael Jordan could: beat the Boston Celtics in the postseason.

Rose had 11 assists to go with his career high in points, and Tyrus Thomas made a jumper from the corner with 51 seconds left in overtime to lead the Bulls to a 105-103 victory over the defending NBA champions in Game 1 of their best-of-seven first-round series.

Rajon Rondo scored 29 points with nine rebounds and seven assists for Boston, which was without Kevin Garnett and without much help from the rest of the Big Three, either.

Paul Pierce scored 23 points on 8-of-21 shooting, but missed the potential game-winning free throw at the end of regulation and had a potential game-tying basket blocked with 3.7 seconds left in overtime. Ray Allen, who scored four points on 1-for-12 shooting, had a chance to send it into a second overtime but his jumper from the right side bounced off the back of the rim.

Game 2 is Monday, the anniversary of the 1986 playoff game when Jordan scored 63 points against Boston — in a Bulls loss. In fact, Chicago had not beaten the Celtics in 10 postseason games since the Chicago Stags beat the Celtics in the 1948 NBA quarterfinals.

Too hurt to play and too frustrated to watch, Garnett took refuge in the locker room after the first half while his teammates rallied from an 11-point deficit. Rondo hit a short jumper over Joakim Noah in the lane to give the Celtics a 96-95 lead, but Rose put Chicago ahead on two free throws with 9.4 seconds left in regulation.

Noah fouled Pierce with 2.6 seconds left, but after tying it 97-all with the first free throw the Celtics captain missed the second and the game went into overtime.

Thomas scored six of Chicago's eight points in the overtime and finished with 16 points. Noah, who was also making his postseason debut, scored 11 with 17 rebounds for the Bulls.

Garnett injured his right knee on Feb. 19 and played just 66 minutes, 18 seconds over the last two months of the regular season as the Celtics tried to get him back in shape for the playoffs. But the team kept pushing back the date of his return — from the final three games, to the last two and then to one before coach Doc Rivers shocked everyone on Thursday when he announced that Garnett wouldn't be back in time for Saturday's playoff opener and probably not at all.

Garnett hasn't traveled with the team or been on the bench during his recovery, but Rivers and the players all said that it would be vital to have him out there to cheer them on. That lasted for 24 minutes of fist-pumping, ear-chewing and butt-slapping before Garnett decided he couldn't take it any more.

He missed Rose hitting a hanging jumper in the lane to give the Bulls a 55-44 lead before Boston cut the lead to four points and, with an 8-0 run later in the third, take a 68-67 lead on Rondo's 3-pointer with four minutes left in the quarter.

With the loss at home, the Celtics showed they are in for a long road — and probably a short playoffs — without Garnett. As the No. 2 seed in the East, a team that has two All-Stars and won 62 games — Boston was expected to advance to the conference finals and a potential matchup with Cleveland.

On the other hand, the eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks took the Celtics to seven games in the first round last year, and that proved to be a mere speed bump en route to their unprecedented 17th NBA title.

Notes: Celtics general manager Danny Ainge, who suffered a mild heart attack on Thursday, was not at the game. His absence was acknowledged by an announcement and a big cheer from the crowd in the first quarter. ... Bulls F John Salmons played with a sore groin. ... The arena was quickly cleared so the Bull Gang could set up for Saturday night's Bruins playoff game against the Montreal Canadiens.

Original Source : http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hANBFBIp7zECMGuMMM7WEvYgxFGAD97L34F80

Dogwood Festival

Dogwood FestivalThe 73rd Annual Dogwood Festival in Atlanta Moves Back to Piedmont Park.

The 2009 Atlanta Dogwood Festival is Taking Place on April 17, 18, & 19 to Celebrate Its 73rd Year.

The 73rd annual Dogwood Festival is now underway in Atlanta, Georgia. Taking place back in Piedmont Park, where the festival has had so much success in the past, the annual festival is expected to see thousands in attendance during its three day run. The 2009 Atlanta Dogwood Festival is going to run on April 17, 18, & 19 and will show off some of the best artists from around the country, all coming to help celebrate as the Dogwoods go into bloom. Tents are up, the music is playing, and people are already enjoying the first day of the 2009 Dogwood Festival.

The 73rd annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival will be held for three days, and has specific hours where events will be taking place at Piedmont Park. The festival will run from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, and from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday. During that time there will be various forms of entertainment available to the crowds, including music, canine competitions, and kids activities. There will even be interactive drumming sessions taking place on Saturday and Sunday that attendants can go enjoy.

Some of the bigger events of this year's Dogwood Festival include an open air comedy club at the Lake Clara Meer Dock Stage. This will take place on Friday night (April 17th) at 8:00 p.m. and will have a half-hour comedy show by Jess Justice and his group, followed by an hour long improv session from Dad's Garage Theatre Company. There will be cocktails and an art bar available, but act quickly, because tickets could go fast, selling at a price of $12 in advance, or $15 at the door. From there attendants can go enjoy the Friends of Dogwood, which will be taking place in the Pavilion and showing off the best food options the area has to offer. (The restaurants that will be serving are listed below).

The 73rd annual Dogwood Festival will be a great opportunity to take in the Dogwood's while they are in bloom, all while having fun with friends and family while enjoying some great food. It's a way to celebrate the community and hang out with your neighbors in a structured setting.

Original Source : http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1659847/the_73rd_annual_dogwood_festival_in.html?cat=8