Sunday 22 June 2003

Dear Jaspers,

The jasper jottings email list has 1,078 subscribers by my count.

Don't forget:

Th Jul. 24 '03 - MC Young Alumni Happy Hour
                          LOCATION CHANGE   Bar Thirteen
                          35 E. 13th St. (btw Broadway & University Pl.)


Mo Sep 22 '03 3rd Annual James Keating O'Neill Memorial Golf Classic.
    Hamlet Wind Watch Golf & Country Club in Hauppauge, Long Island
    More info   at www.jkogolf.org . 

===

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

Mistakes are the portals of discovery. -- James Joyce

===

Search past issues of Jottings at:

http://ferdinand_reinke.tripod.com/picosearch.htm

Worth keeping? Anyone used it? No feedback yet.

===

http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/conditions/06/17/teen.depression/index.html

Teen helps peers with depression

=== <begin quote> ===

(CNN) --Jake Novak said he knows the darkness that severe depression can bring.

"I just didn't want to live anymore," the 18-year-old Missouri high school student said. "I took a box cutter to my left wrist one evening ... and the shock and the horror of just looking at myself was enough to just make me stop the bleeding."

For many teens, depression isn't the result of a poor grade on a test or a fight with friends. It is a biochemical change in the brain. It affects an estimated one in eight teenagers in the United States, according to the Center for Mental Health Services, the administrator of the nation's mental health services system.

Every year, 3,000 to 4,000 teens kill themselves, said Dr. Cynthia Pfeffer with the Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-olds, according to the National Mental Health Association.

"Depression, we know, is among the most important risk factors for suicide and nonsuicidal behaviors," Pfeffer said.

Shortly after Novak's suicide attempt, a fellow classmate killed himself.

"My heart sank, and I wasn't sure what to think at that point because I saw somebody else go through the same thing I had gone through," Novak said. "I got to school the next day and saw everybody crying and saw how upset everyone was."

That devastation, he said, prompted him to launch a group called Students Working Against Depression, or SWAD.

"I didn't know what depression was. I just thought, 'Man, I'm really sad and I just must be this loser that doesn't get to be happy,' " Novak said. "... Nobody [had] ever told me about depression."

Through awareness programs, Novak's group tries to show teenagers that it's acceptable to admit they have depression.

"People say ... you're not supposed to talk about depression, and I say, 'Why not?' And I haven't heard a good answer yet," Novak said.

Pfeffer said depression often goes unrecognized in teens and suggested symptoms for which parents and other adults and friends can be on the lookout.

"The hallmark is a sad, low, blue mood, and another hallmark is loss of interest in usual activities," Pfeffer said.

Other warning signs include changes in eating and sleeping habits or a lack of concentration or forgetfulness.

When these symptoms last beyond two weeks, doctors advise that it's time to get treatment.

Novak said he hopes his group will help students suffering from depression take a step in this direction.

=== <end quote> ===

Amazing what technology can do by allowing people to help in new a different ways. Hopefully we can all be alert to help those around us who need that help.

Reflect well on our alma mater, this week, every week, in any and every way possible, large or small. God bless.

"Collector-in-chief" John
reinkefj@alum.manhattan.edu

=====

CONTENTS

 

3

Formal announcements

 

1

Bouncing off the list

 

1

Messages from Headquarters (like MC Press Releases)

 

1

Jaspers publishing web pages

 

3

Jaspers found web-wise

 

0

Honors

 

0

Weddings

 

0

Births

 

0

Engagements

 

0

Graduations

 

0

Obits

 

4

"Manhattan in the news" stories

 

0

Resumes

 

9

Sports

 

16

Emails

 

[PARTICIPANTS BY CLASS]

Class

Name

Section

????

Gaskin, Chris

News2

1931

Barra, Ernest R.

Email04

1951

Helm, Robert A.

Email09

1951

Helm, Robert A.

Email14

1952

Brunning, Leon

Email15

1952

Fama, Charles S.

Email10

1952

Franks, Henry

Email11

1952

Plumeau, Ed

Email04

1952

Plumeau, Ed

Email12

1952

Plumeau, Ed

Email15

1959

Tortorelli, Alfred F.

Email11

1961

Stebbins, Donald M. 

Email14

1964

Capozzoli, Nicholas A.

Found1

1964

Galloway, James T.

Email02

1965

Cacchione, Richard

Email16

1965

Naughton, William F.  

Bouncing1

1966

Cox, James S.

Email05

1967

Marlin, James P.

Announcement1

1968

Daly, Michael J.

Email01

1968

Phelps, Stephen E. Jr.

Email07

1971

Ramos, Angel

News3

1973

Markert, Anthony

Found2

1975

Ferguson, Thomas S.

Email09

1977

Conti, Robert P.

Email13

1977

Zbacnik, Raymond Eric

Email06

1978

Curry, Thomas J.

Announcement3

1979

Avitable, John

Email08

1983

Ryan, Thomas F.

Announcement2

1986

Donohue, Noreen E.

Email03

1988

Shields, Christine P.

Found3

1990

Brilhante, Francisco J.  

WebPage1

1991

Curto, Mark E.     

WebPage1

1991

Fichera, Michael J.

WebPage1

1991

Quadrini, James D.

WebPage1

1995?

Ahern, Kelly

News1

2003

Downs, Dustin M.

News4

 

[PARTICIPANTS BY NAME]

Class

Name

Section

1995?

Ahern, Kelly

News1

1979

Avitable, John

Email08

1931

Barra, Ernest R.

Email04

1990

Brilhante, Francisco J.  

WebPage1

1952

Brunning, Leon

Email15

1965

Cacchione, Richard

Email16

1964

Capozzoli, Nicholas A.

Found1

1977

Conti, Robert P.

Email13

1966

Cox, James S.

Email05

1978

Curry, Thomas J.

Announcement3

1991

Curto, Mark E.     

WebPage1

1968

Daly, Michael J.

Email01

1986

Donohue, Noreen E.

Email03

2003

Downs, Dustin M.

News4

1952

Fama, Charles S.

Email10

1975

Ferguson, Thomas S.

Email09

1991

Fichera, Michael J.

WebPage1

1952

Franks, Henry

Email11

1964

Galloway, James T.

Email02

????

Gaskin, Chris

News2

1951

Helm, Robert A.

Email09

1951

Helm, Robert A.

Email14

1973

Markert, Anthony

Found2

1967

Marlin, James P.

Announcement1

1965

Naughton, William F.  

Bouncing1

1968

Phelps, Stephen E. Jr.

Email07

1952

Plumeau, Ed

Email04

1952

Plumeau, Ed

Email12

1952

Plumeau, Ed

Email15

1991

Quadrini, James D.

WebPage1

1971

Ramos, Angel

News3

1983

Ryan, Thomas F.

Announcement2

1988

Shields, Christine P.

Found3

1961

Stebbins, Donald M. 

Email14

1959

Tortorelli, Alfred F.

Email11

1977

Zbacnik, Raymond Eric

Email06

 

 

[FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT JASPERS]

[Announcement1]

Copyright 2003 Market Wire, Incorporated.
All rights reserved. 
Market Wire
June 16, 2003 Monday
HEADLINE: Fulbright & Jaworski Expands Its Public Finance and Asset Finance Practices
DATELINE: Jun. 16, 2003; NEW YORK, NY; MARKET WIRE

The international law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. recently announced the expansion of its public finance and asset finance practices with the addition of 5 attorneys in its New York office, raising the total number of attorneys in New York to over 120. Previously with the New York office of O'Melveny & Myers LLP, Robert E. Ferdon has joined Fulbright as of counsel; Stanford G. Ladner and James P. Marlin have joined the firm as partners; Stuart Poloner has joined as senior counsel; and Anna Lee has joined as counsel.

"We are delighted to have attorneys of this caliber join our firm," noted William Bush, partner-in-charge of the New York office. "They have an outstanding practice and an excellent reputation in the public finance industry. This group will contribute several strategic synergies to our public finance practice and financial products practice both in New York and nationwide." The new attorneys join Joel Moser, partner, and Elizabeth Condren, counsel, who joined the firm's New York Office in April 2002 to bring Fulbright's national reputation in Public Finance to the East Coast.

<extraneous deleted>

James P. Marlin has over 33 years' experience in public finance law. His experience extends to all phases of municipal finance, with particular emphasis on utility financings. Mr. Marlin has been the principal bond counsel for a number of public power, water and waste entities. He has been involved in various financings for power districts, cities, water authorities, and various state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey. Mr. Marlin also has extensive experience in financings for state revolving fund transactions as well as financings in the transportation area. Mr. Marlin received his J.D. in 1970 from Villanova University and his B.A. cum laude in 1967 from Manhattan College.

<extraneous deleted>

Fulbright & Jaworski's Public Finance Practice Group, which includes over 40 attorneys, provides legal counsel to help clients achieve their aims in the municipal securities marketplace as expeditiously and effectively as possible. Our municipal securities practice annually ranks as one of the most active in the nation. According to the April 2003 American Lawyer Corporate Scorecard, Fulbright & Jaworski once again made a strong showing in the area of Municipal Bonds, placing 7th in the country for both underwriter's counsel and bond counsel for number of issues.

Fulbright & Jaworski's Asset Finance Practice Group is well known, both domestically and internationally, for providing quality legal services to equity investors, lessees, municipal governments, lenders, vendors, providers of credit support and investment banks on leasing and financing transactions involving industrial and municipal facilities, real estate, commercial and corporate aircraft, rail equipment, ocean-going vessels and manufacturing equipment. Its more than 20 attorneys are experienced with many transaction formats, including lease securitizations, domestic and cross-border leveraged leases, operating leases, synthetic leases and lease structures involving many foreign jurisdictions.

About Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.

Founded in 1919, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. is one of the world's leading full-service international law firms, with over 835 attorneys in 11 offices, including offices in Houston, New York, Washington, D.C., Austin, Dallas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, San Antonio, Hong Kong, London and Munich. Fulbright provides a full range of legal services to both U.S.-based and non-U.S.-based clients worldwide.

In the 2003 BTI survey of FORTUNE 1000 general counsel, Fulbright ranked 7th in the United States in client service, and was chosen as a "Top 30 Best A-Team Law Firm." In 2002, Corporate Board Member magazine named Fulbright among the nation's top corporate law firms in their survey of the board members of U.S. public companies. An international lawyers' survey published in the Global Counsel 2002 Dispute Resolution Handbook picked Fulbright as one of the five best U.S. dispute resolution firms. Additionally, the firm was named one of the American Lawyer's international "Arbitration Elite." In IP Worldwide's November 2002 issue, intellectual property counsel ranked Fulbright second among U.S. law firms for trademark counseling and litigation.

For more information, please see www.fulbright.com. Multimedia available: http://www.marketwire.com/mw/iwprd?id=054665

CONTACT: Rosemary DiLonardo 212-318-3011

LOAD-DATE: June 17, 2003

[Reported As: 1967 ]

 

 

[Announcement2]

Copyright 2003 PR Newswire Association, Inc. 
PR Newswire
June 16, 2003, Monday
SECTION: FINANCIAL NEWS
DISTRIBUTION: TO BUSINESS EDITOR
HEADLINE: Ohio Indemnity Company Elects New Officers
DATELINE: COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 16

Ohio Indemnity Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bancinsurance Corporation (Nasdaq: BCIS), today announced the promotion of Daniel J. Stephan to Senior Vice President, Marketing, and Thomas F. Ryan to Assistant Vice President, Claims.

<extraneous deleted>

    Tom Ryan joined Ohio Indemnity as Claims Manager in December 2001.  He is responsible for the overall quality and cost effectiveness of the claims operation involving ULTIMATE LOSS INSURANCE(R), Creditor Placed Insurance, Guaranteed Auto Protection, and Aggregate Limit policies.  Mr. Ryan was employed at Allstate Insurance Company from 1985 to 2001 in various claims management positions in the Auto and Property Departments.

    Mr. Ryan earned a B.S. degree in Business from Manhattan College in New York, New York.

    John Sokol, President, commented, "Both of these individuals have demonstrated a strong commitment to Ohio Indemnity Company, which is reflected in their acceptance of increased responsibility and consistent demonstration of initiative."

    Mr. Sokol continued, "Dan Stephan has made valuable contributions since joining the Company three years ago.  During this period premiums have increased substantially and we have added new products and significant customers.  Tom Ryan has upgraded our claims activities and leveraged the Company's capabilities to manage the premium growth efficiently."

    Ohio Indemnity Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bancinsurance Corporation and is principally engaged in underwriting specialty insurance. The Company's automobile lender/dealer insurance products protect banks and other lenders against risk arising from theft or damage to certain loan collateral where the borrower has failed to secure or maintain adequate insurance coverage.  Its surety products include bonds for unemployment insurance servicing commitments for national administrative firms that perform services for non-profit organizations as well as bail bond coverage.

SOURCE Bancinsurance Corporation

CONTACT: John Sokol, President of Bancinsurance Corporation, +1-614-228-2800

LOAD-DATE: June 17, 2003 

[MCOLDB: 1983 ]

 

 

[Announcement3]

Copyright © 2003 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights   Copyright 2003 FDCH e-Media, Inc.
(f/k/a Federal Document Clearing House, Inc.)  
FDCH Federal Department and Agency Documents
REGULATORY INTELLIGENCE DATA
June 12, 2003 Thursday
AGENCY: WHITE HOUSE
SIC-MAJOR-GROUP: 09 - General Classification
HEADLINE: PERSONNEL ANNOUNCEMENT
CONTACT: 202-456-7150

President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate three individuals and designate one individual to serve in his administration.

<extraneous deleted>

The President intends to nominate Thomas J. Curry of Massachusetts, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, for a six-year term expiring October 3, 2006. Mr. Curry currently serves as Commissioner of Banks for the Massachusetts Division of Banks. Previously, he served as First Deputy Commissioner of Banks and as Acting Commissioner of Banks. Earlier in his career, Mr. Curry served as Assistant General Counsel for the Massachusetts Division of Banks and as an Attorney with the Massachusetts Secretary of State. He earned his bachelor's degree from Manhattan College and his J.D. from the New England School of Law.

<extraneous deleted>

REGION: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals - Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington D.C.

INDUSTRY-CODE: executive, legislative, and general government, except finance

LOAD-DATE: June 13, 2003 

[MCOLDB: 1978 ]

 

 

[Bouncing off the list]

[JR: The following people have "bounced off" the list. Some bounces expose my poor administrative skills and I can not "who" bounced off. Thus the subscriber total may change more than are shown in this section. I have done what I can to notify them. If you can help "reconnect" – or "connect" new people -- I really appreciate it. And as always, I need your "news".]

Naughton, William F.   (1965)

 

[Messages from Headquarters
(Manhattan College Press Releases & Stuff)]

[Message1]

From: Jasper Recruiting [mailto:jasperrecruiting@manhattan.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2003 9:56 AM
Subject: Fw: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
SECURITIES COMPLIANCE EXAMINER / Full Time Entry Level
Location: NYC , NY

Company Description:

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), created in 1934, is an independent regulatory agency with responsibility for administering and enforcing the federal securities laws. These laws protect investors in our securities markets. The SEC regulates and oversees market professionals: broker-dealers, investment advisers, investment companies, transfer agents and clearing agencies as well as securities exchanges and other self-regulatory organizations. The SEC has a dynamic work force of more than 3,000 people, dedicated to keeping a watchful eye over the nation's securities markets. Although the SEC is a small agency by government standards, its impact is large. The Commission staff is located in its headquarters office in Washington, D.C. and in 11 regional and district offices in major metropolitan areas across the country.

Professional opportunities at the SEC are among the best in the industry. The work of the SEC is both challenging and meaningful. Our work entails a great deal of responsibility as our mission and our goal is to conduct fair and comprehensive examinations to protect investors and the securities markets. The result is a high-spirited atmosphere and a cooperative working environment in which new ideas and approaches are encouraged.

Duties & Responsibilities:

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Northeast Regional Office currently has multiple entry-level Securities Compliance Examiner positions available in its Investment Adviser/Investment Company Examination Program. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is the federal agency charged with the responsibility of overseeing the securities markets of the United States. As such, the Commission has broad authority over the country's various stock exchanges, brokerage firms, investment advisers, mutual funds, transfer agents, and publicly owned corporations. A Securities Compliance Examiner is responsible for conducting examinations of mutual fund companies and/or investment advisory firms located in the states of New York and New Jersey. This is an Equal Employment Opportunity

Qualifications:

The starting salary is currently $45,498 per year. Candidates for the position must meet ALL of the following requirements to be considered for employment: Completed a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, economics, business, or other area of study with 18 semester hours in business subjects and 6 semester hours of accounting or auditing credits; A grade point average of 3.45 or higher on a 4 scale in all undergraduate studies, including transfer credits from all other colleges or universities attended, or ranked in the top 10% of your class or major college/university sub-division; A United States Citizen. If you believe you meet the above requirements and are interested in becoming a Securities Compliance Examiner, please send a copy of your resume to William J. Delmage, Assistant Regional Director, at delmagew@sec.gov or via fax to 646-428-1970. To obtain a copy of our vacancy announcement and the details on how to apply please see our website, www.sec.gov or www.usajobs.opm.gov. If you have any questions, please contact William J. Delmage at 646-428-1689.

 Contact:
 William Delmage, Assistant Regional Director
 U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
 233 Broadway
 New York, NY 10279
 646-428-1970 FAX
 delmagew@sec.gov

=

 

 

[JASPERS PUBLISHING WEB PAGES]

[WebPage1]

http://www.webofspider-mike.com/

Fichera, Michael J. (1991)

=== mentions ===

Brilhante, Francisco J.   1990
Curto, Mark E.
     1991
Quadrini, James D.
     1991

=== as well as ===

Ahearn, Mike
Aliperti pulls the old "phantom tap on the shoulder" trick.
Christos?
Chu, Cavy
Connolly, John
Deguida, Nick
Gray, Lisa
Kaye, Barry behaving himself
Leggerio, Silvana
O'Connor,Tom
Rosemarie Short
Short, Rosemarie
Spera, Mike
Vilkelis, Bill mugging for the camera
Vinny Fu
Wallace, Beth

=== who I couldn't id ===

AND the back of Politzer's head

 

 

[JASPERS FOUND ON/OFF WEB BY USING WEB]

[Found1]

http://www.osmc.net/physicians/capozzoli.cfm 

Nicholas A. Capozzoli, M.D. - Neurologist

Specializing in Disorders of the Nervous System
Undergraduate: Manhattan College, NY
Medical School: New York University, New York, NY - 1968
Residency: Mt. Sinai Hospital, New York - 1971
Master's Degree: Philosophy, St. John's College, Annapolis - 1981
Board Certified: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology - 1976
Fellow: American Academy of Neurology
Chairman: Professional Advisory Committee, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, MD
Chairman: Medical Ethics Committee, Anne Arundel Medical Center
Co-founder and first Medical Director: Hospice Program, Anne Arundel Medical Center
Active faculty member: St. John's College, Annapolis
Attending neurologist: Anne Arundel Medical Center, Annapolis
Associate neurologist: Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore

[MCOLDB: 1964 ]

 

 

[Found2]

http://www.wcsu.ctstateu.edu/asb/jla/markert.asp

Prof. Anthony Markert

Division of Justice and Law Administration

Tony Markert joined the Division of Justice and Law Administration after a career as a police officer. He worked as a patrol officer and as a training officer. Prior to his law enforcement career, Prof. Markert worked in several senior management positions in the business world.

Prof. Markert's research interests include policing and white-collar crime. Tony Markert teaches courses in policing, criminal justice, research, and white-collar crime. He is currently a doctoral candidate in criminal justice at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. Prof. Markert holds a master of arts degree in criminal justice from John Jay College and a M.B.A. degree from the University of Connecticut. He also received his bachelor's degree in business administration from Manhattan College. Prof. Markert is a certified public accountant and is an active member in a number of criminal justice professional societies.

When Prof. Markert is not working, he is enjoying the many recreational opportunities available in Connecticut. He enjoys boating on nearby Candlewood Lake and Long Island Sound. He also enjoys hiking and fishing and is interested in environmental issues.

[MCOLDB: 1973 ]

 

 

[Found3]

http://www.martindale.com/xp/Martindale/Lawyer_Locator/Search_Lawyer_Locator/islnnum.xml?ti=2&num=901466035

Christine P. Shields

Associate
Jackson Lewis LLP
Chicago, Illinois 60610
Admitted: 1991, New Jersey; 1992, New York; 1993, Connecticut; 2002, Illinois
Law School: Fordham University, J.D., 1991.
College: Manhattan College, B.A., summa cum laude, 1988; Phi Beta Kappa.
Biography: Moot Court Board (1989-1991).
Born: Brooklyn, NY, October 22, 1966.
ISLN: 901466035

[Reported As: 1988]

 

 

[HONORS]

[No Honors]

 

 

[WEDDINGS]

[No Weddings]

 

 

[BIRTHS]

[No Births]

 

 

[ENGAGEMENTS]

[No Engagements]

 

 

[GRADUATIONS]

[No Graduations]

 

 

[OBITS]

[Collector's prayer: And, may perpetual light shine on our fellow departed Jaspers, and all the souls of the faithful departed.]

Your assistance is requested in finding these. Please don’t assume that I will “catch” it via an automated search. Sometimes the data just doesn’t makes it’s way in.

[No Obits]

[JR: Thank God. This section is one I dislike doing. ]

 

 

[News MC]

[News1]

Copyright 2003 Newsday, Inc. 
Newsday (New York)
June 15, 2003 Sunday QUEENS EDITION
SECTION: QUEENS LIFE, Pg. G03
HEADLINE: A Victim, Now Smiling, Plays Santa;

Forest Hills woman beats the odds and gives others the gift she got: A wish come true

BYLINE: By Merle English. STAFF WRITER

As long as she could remember, Kelly Ahern yearned to swim with dolphins. Her dream was to be fulfilled sooner than she expected, but in a bittersweet way.

Ten years ago, sudden physical maladies transformed Ahern from a healthy teenager to one grappling with a possibly fatal disease. The progression is still fresh in her mind.

"I was 15 and had just finished my sophomore year at Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville," said the Forest Hills resident. "I was a swimmer and a dancer, really healthy. I'd never been in a hospital a day in my life."

One day in July, 1993, however, Ahern wasn't feeling well. Believing she had the flu, she consulted a doctor.

"They thought it might be mononucleosis or appendicitis," she said. "I was sent to three different hospitals - very tired, high fever, throwing up. I couldn't move. Within two days I almost had to be carried. I collapsed in the shower."

Ahern finally was rushed to the hospital. There, she said, "I woke up in intensive care, and found out I went into a coma and had had a liver transplant. They didn't put a name to [the disease]."

At the time, her parents assured her, "You're doing very well, and you're going to be fine," Ahern said. But the next month she was back in the hospital for a second liver transplant. Her body had rejected the first one, and she required additional surgery for a collapsed lung caused by complications.

"Throughout all this, my mother always said, 'When you get through this, everything is going to be fine. Just be grateful it's not cancer,'" Ahern recalled.

Confined to her hospital bed for nearly four months, she had difficulty walking when she was discharged. But she got back on her feet and was "finally getting back into the normalcy of being a teenager," she said.

On the Fourth of July, 1994, "I got this weird rash all over my body," Ahern said. She wound up back in the hospital. "Then I was diagnosed with leukemia."

"I'm now 16. At 16 you're supposed to be going to football games and hanging out at parties. I was going through rough chemotherapy and radiation. The cancer

"I lost all my hair," Ahern continued describing the results of cancer therapy, and things got worse.

"After two and a half years of chemo, I wound up going legally blind," she said. "I didn't have any vision in my right eye. In the left eye I have vision about the size of a paper roll. I had to give up my [driver's] license. And after 18 years of being a sighted person I had to figure out how to work as a nonsighted person."

"That was the most difficult of all the diagnoses," she said. "With the other ones, there was hope things were going to get better, but this was permanent. This hit me pretty hard. I had to wallow in self-pity for a while. I sort of stayed in my room. I was upset trying to do anything, because I couldn't see."

Loss of her vision so depressed her that a social worker managing her case mentioned the Make-a-Wish Foundation to her family.

The nationwide nonprofit organization, founded in Phoenix in 1980, grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Its mission is to give hope, strength and joy.

It gets funding from many corporations, including the international law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges in Manhattan - a supporter from the organization's inception - and the Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York.

Ahern told Make-a-Wish Foundation of Metro New York about her wish to swim with dolphins."I wanted to do that my whole life," she said. "I was fascinated with the whole sea world."

She realized her dream in June 1995, when she frolicked in the water with dolphins on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. "It was an escape from what I had been going through the past four years," she said. "I needed it. I needed it a lot."

When she returned home, Ahern had to face the reality of dealing with her limited sight, "but being on that Make-a-Wish sort of brought my spirit back," she said. The experience gave her the boost she needed to seek help "getting my life back."

With training from the Commission for the Blind on Long Island, Ahern was able to adjust to her low-vision status. She finished high school and fulfilled her dreams of going to college.

She obtained a bachelor's degree in education and psychology from Manhattan College in Riverdale, briefly taught English in a Catholic school, then worked in a pre-kindergarten, and is now an executive assistant at an advertising company in Manhattan.

She lives on her own, and now nine years in remission, she said, "I feel fantastic."

Looking at her, she said, no one would know she is legally blind. "I use the vision I have. I don't walk with a cane." She gets around a lot, "doing a lot of speaking" for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, "and telling my story."

As her way of giving back, she became a "wish granting volunteer" for the foundation. She interviews families who seek to have the wishes of their seriously ill children realized. As a representative of the foundation, she has been personally involved in helping several children have their heartfelt wishes fulfilled.

Jenna Rosenberg, 6, of Seaford, diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at the age 4, is one of them. She got her wish to visit Disney World last January. Jenna's parents, Christine and Joe, found Ahern inspiring and a source of hope, so much so that Joe Rosenberg became a Make-a-Wish volunteer himself.

"She had the same leukemia Jenna had, so Jenna could relate to her, seeing she had the cancer and now is grown up," Christine Rosenberg said. "At the time she came to see her, Jenna had no hair. Kelly would show her, 'See, my hair grew back.'"

Joe Rosenberg talked about his rewards from becoming a volunteer "because of my daughter and Kelly."

"I'm in business and successful at what I do. But the limited experience I have at Make-a-Wish is more rewarding than my entire business," Rosenberg said. "This is an organization built upon the smiles of the children who need it most. The look of sheer pleasure in my daughter's face, that's enough to last a lifetime."

A Bronx girl who wanted to visit Universal Studios; another girl who wanted a playground set in her backyard; and a boy in Staten Island who wished for a pool table are among those whose wishes she has helped come true. "One little boy wanted a Maltese puppy," she recalled.

"You sort of feel like Santa Claus when you go to these people's homes, especially when they don't have much to smile about," Ahern said. "A lot of the kids have had cancer. I believe when you smile more and laugh more, you recover better."

"Organizations like [Make-a-Wish] have a hand in survival," she added. "I definitely believe laughing more and smiling more is the reason I'm still here. Medically there's no reason I should be here. The doctors say that to me all the time."

GRAPHIC: Newsday Photo / Dick Yarwood - Make-A-Wish volunteer Kelly Ahern, cancer-free after her own struggle with leukemia, sits with leukemia patient Jenna Rosenberg at Jenna's Seaford home to look over pictures of a Disney World trip that Jenna wanted and Ahern helped arrange. Jenna's sister, Melanie, watches.

LOAD-DATE: June 15, 2003 

[MCOLDB: 1995? ]

 

 

[News2]

Copyright 2003 The Charlotte Observer
All Rights Reserved 
Charlotte Observer (North Carolina)
June 13, 2003 Friday THREE EDITION
SECTION: GASTON; Pg. 7L
HEADLINE: DRAFT TAKES PLAYER FROM SHORT-HANDED GRIZZLIES; BUT SQUAD GETTING REINFORCEMENTS IN 1 INFIELDER, 4 PITCHERS
BYLINE: MICHAEL L. NIXON, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: GASTONIA

Last week's Major League Baseball draft claimed a pair of former Gastonia Grizzlies players and a player from this year's squad.

<extraneous deleted>

In other Grizzlies news

Gastonia's sizzling start - five wins in its first seven games - has already started to earn accolades, as first baseman Chris Gaskin has been named the Coastal Plain League's Hitter of the Week.

The Manhattan College sophomore has a CPL-high seven RBIs on the year, and is hitting a team-high .400.

"He's just killing it," Battin said. "He's hitting in the four spot for us, which means he's gotta be able to drive guys in. He's doing that for us right now."

GRAPHIC: PHOTO:2; 1. Russ; 2. Schleicher

LOAD-DATE: June 14, 2003 

[JR: I'm confused. Did he leave school? ]

 

 

[News3]

Copyright 2003 The Oregonian
The Oregonian
June 13, 2003 Friday SUNRISE EDITION
SECTION: NORTH ZONER; Pg. C02
HEADLINE: FINALISTS NAMED TO RUN DEAF SCHOOL
SOURCE: JASON BEGAY - The Oregonian
DATELINE: VANCOUVER

Summary: The five face interviews with the board of trustees, which is to recommend three to the governor

The names of five finalists vying for superintendent of the Washington School for the Deaf were released Thursday, as candidates met with the community, students and school staff.

The school's board of trustees is to interview the candidates today. The board is expected to recommend three finalists to Gov. Gary Locke, who will appoint the state-run school's leader.

The superintendent will begin in the summer. The contract of interim Superintendent John Davis expires at the end of July. The school's previous superintendent, Leonard E. Aron, stepped down in February after more than three years of controversy over student safety. The five finalist candidates are:

<extraneous deleted>

Angel Ramos, 53

Currently: superintendent of the Idaho School for the Deaf and Blind in Gooding.

Experience: more than 20 years in deaf education, including residential schools and post-secondary institutions as well as in administration and university training programs.

Education: doctorate in special education from Gallaudet University; master of arts in education administration from California State University; master of science in deaf education from the State University of New York; bachelor's of science in math from Manhattan College.

<extraneous deleted>

Jason Begay: 360-896-5719 or 503-294-5900; jasonbegay@news.oregonian.com

LOAD-DATE: June 14, 2003 

[MCOLDB: 1971 ]

 

 

[News4]

http://www.silive.com/local/advance/index.ssf?/base/local/1055682944310791.xml

College graduates

Sunday, June 15, 2003

By JILL HIGGINS

ADVANCE STAFF WRITER

<extraneous deleted>

Dustin Michael Downs, son of William and Mary Downs of Greenridge, graduated from Villanova University, Villanova, Pa., with a bachelor of arts degree.

A graduate of St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School, he attended Manhattan College School of Business on a scholarship for two years and then transferred to Villanova.

While at Villanova he played on the Wildcats basketball team.

He will pursue a career in business.

<extraneous deleted>

Copyright 2003 SILive.com. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

[RESUMES]

FROM THE COLLEGE’S WEB SITE: Your resume can be sent to employers who contact our office seeking to fill positions.  For more information contact the Recruitment Coordinator at (718) 862-7965 or Email to JGlenn@manhattan.edu

Actual jobs at MC are at: http://www.manhattan.edu/hrs/jobs 

[No Resumes]

 

 

[SPORTS]

FROM THE COLLEGE’S WEB SITE: http://www.gojaspers.com [which is no longer at the College, but at a third party. Web bugs are on the pages. (That’s the benefit of being a security weenie!) So, it’s reader beware. Your browser can tell people “stuff” about you, like your email address, leading to SPAM. Forewarned is forearmed.]

[SportsSchedule]

The only reason for putting this here is to give us a chance to attend one of these games and support "our" team.

Date Day Sport Opponent Location Time/Result
6/27/03 Friday Track & Field   USATF Championships   Stanford, CA   TBA 
6/28/03 Saturday Track & Field   USATF Championships   Stanford, CA   TBA 
6/29/03 Sunday Track & Field   USATF Championships   Stanford, CA   TBA 
6/30/03 Monday Track & Field   USATF Championships   Stanford, CA   TBA 
9/4/03 Thursday Golf   Towson Fall Classic   Baltimore, MD   4:00 PM
9/5/03 Friday Golf   Towson Fall Classic   Baltimore, MD   8:00 AM
9/6/03 Saturday Golf   Towson Fall Classic   Baltimore, MD   8:00 AM
9/11/03 Thursday Golf   Bucknell Invitational   Lewisburg, PA   2:00 PM
9/12/03 Friday Golf   Bucknell Invitational   Lewisburg, PA   1:00 PM
9/13/03 Saturday Golf   Bucknell Invitational   Lewisburg, PA   8:45 AM
9/19/03 Friday Golf   Manhattan Fall Invitational   Riverhead, NY   1:00 PM

 

 

[Sports from College]

WALTER OLSEWSKI ANNOUNCES GOLF, SWIMMING RECRUITS

RIVERDALE, NY (June 20, 2003) – Head swimming and golf coach Walter Olsewski announced his 2003-04 recruiting class today, which includes a pair of golfers and three swimmers....

=

KARIN LARSSON NAMED TO VERIZON ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA SECOND TEAM

RIVERDALE, NY (June 19, 2003) – Junior track and field athlete Karin Larsson (Garphyttan, Sweden) was named to the Verizon Academic All-America Women's Cross Country/Track & Field Second Team, as announced by the national coordinator.

= =

GONZALEZ ANNOUNCES ADDITION OF TWO NEW ASSISTANTS

RIVERDALE, NY (June 16, 2003) – Head men's basketball coach Bobby Gonzalez announced today the hiring of two new assistants to his staff for the 2003-04 season.

= = =

MATT SPRING PLACES 21ST AT NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

SACRAMENTO, CA – (June 16, 2003) – Senior distance runner Matthew Spring (Marcy, NY) placed 21st overall in the 5000 meter run at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at Sacramento State University. Spring ran 14:18.25, ranking him as one of the top 20 Americans in the competition.

= = = =

MANHATTAN NAMES MYNDI HILL HEAD WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACH

RIVERDALE, NY (June 12, 2003) – Director of Athletics Bob Byrnes announced today the hiring of Myndi Hill as Head Women's Basketball Coach. Hill, the former Head Women's Basketball Coach at St. Francis University (PA), replaces Sal Buscaglia, who resigned last month after five years at Manhattan to assume the head coaching duties at Robert Morris University. more...

= = = = =

 

 

[Sports from News & Web]

Copyright 2003 Newsday, Inc. 
Newsday (New York)
June 13, 2003 Friday NASSAU AND SUFFOLK EDITION
SECTION: SPORTS, Pg. A80
HEADLINE: Opportunities Multiplying for Division Ace Darcy
BYLINE: By David Abramowicz. STAFF WRITER

Jesse Darcy was sick of being a pitcher - sick of watching hitters catch up to his mediocre fastball, sick of sitting on the bench between starts.

So he decided to quit. On the second day of tryouts for the eighth-grade team at Wisdom Lane Middle School in Levittown, coach Mauro Chiti asked anyone who wanted to pitch to follow him to a makeshift bullpen beside the field. Darcy did not move.

After practice, he told his parents what he had done. "I said, 'Jesse, don't quit,'" Darcy's father, Glenn, said this week. "'Your time will come.'"

And it did. Yesterday, one day before Darcy's 18th birthday and three days before his graduation from Division, the Nassau Coaches Association presented him with the Diamond Award for being the county's top pitcher. The other finalists were Baldwin's Joe Esposito, Plainview JFK's Tom Hopkins, MacArthur's Dan Horvat and Tom Orbon, Wantagh's Robert Leonard and Carle Place's Billy Simpson.

Darcy, the unspectacular middle-schooler, has a Division I scholarship and major-league aspirations. Like his brother, Ryan, 22, who recently signed a minor-league contract to pitch for the Northern League's New Jersey Jackals, Darcy will pitch at Manhattan College. For how long, though, may depend on whether the scouts who hover behind the backstop whenever Darcy pitches tell their teams to select him in baseball's annual draft.

As Darcy massaged a baseball in his living room this week, his mother, Phyllis, carefully opened a folder brimming with letters from major-league teams. They are invitations to tryouts, stamped with logos of the White Sox, Reds and Brewers, among others, and Darcy still cannot quite believe that they are all addressed to him.

Scouts started following him last summer, after he went 7-0 as a junior. He started the year as the team's No.3 pitcher and ended it as the ace, capping his ascent by striking out 19 Locust Valley hitters in a seven-inning playoff game. His fastball accelerated over the course of the season, helped in large part by a stunning growth spurt. "He sprouted up from maybe 5-8, 5-9, and all of a sudden he was 6-1," Division coach Doug Robins said.

But Darcy never thought of himself as a potential major leaguer. "At first," he said, "I didn't think [the scouts] were there to see me. I was only Jesse Darcy, a stick."

At 6-3, 165 pounds, he's still a stick, but one whose fastball routinely hits 86 mph and occasionally cracks 90. Mixing in that pitch with a changeup and a knuckle-curve that droops to the ground when it reaches the plate, he went 9-1 for Division this year with a 1.06 ERA and four shutouts. He struck out 96 batters in 66 innings, allowing 35 hits and 19 walks.

None of that would have happened, however, had Darcy not trudged over to Chiti on the third day of eighth-grade tryouts and said he had decided to pitch after all.

"At the end of the season I looked back and I was like, 'Hey, I was 4-0,'" Darcy said. "I thought, 'Maybe I should keep doing this.'"

GRAPHIC: Photo by Vincent Fave Jr. - Division's Jesse Darcy was named Nassau's top pitcher after he compiled a 9-1 record with a 1.06 ERA.

LOAD-DATE: June 13, 2003 

=

Copyright 2003 P.G. Publishing Co. 
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania)
June 13, 2003 Friday SOONER EDITION
SECTION: SPORTS, Pg.B-2 MORNING BRIEFING
HEADLINE: BELMONT STAKES A RATINGS SMASH

<extraneous deleted>

In the district

Myndi Hill resigned as women's basketball coach at St. Francis, Pa. Hill, who went 74-46 in four seasons with the Red Flash, accepted the head coaching position at Manhattan College.

<extraneous deleted>

LOAD-DATE: June 13, 2003 

= =

http://www.wjactv.com/sports/2267766/detail.html

WJACTV.com: Hill Leaves St. Francis

St. Francis University will begin a nationwide search for a new women's basketball coach following Thursday's resignation of Myndi Hill. Hill is leaving the Loretto campus to become the head coach at Manhattan College. In four years at St. Francis, Hill led the Red Flash to a 74-46 record and three Northeast Conference regular season and postseason championships. Last season, the Red Flash set a school record with 23 victories.

= = =

http://foxsports.lycos.com/content/view?contentId=1462844

MANHATTAN NAMES HILL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH
SportsTicker
Jun. 12, 2003 3:57 p.m.

RIVERDALE, New York (Ticker) - Manhattan College, which made its first NCAA Tournament appearance last season, on Thursday named Myndi Hill women's basketball coach.

Hill spent the last four seasons at St. Francis of Pennsylvania, compiling a 74-46 record to become the third-winningest coach in school history. She guided the Red Flash to three NCAA Tournament appearances. Last season, St. Francis set a school record for wins with a 23-8 mark.

Sal Buscaglia resigned as Manhattan coach in May to take over at Robert Morris. He led the Lady Jaspers to a 20-10 record and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament title.

© 2003 FOX Interactive Television, LLC. All rights reserved.

= = = =

 

 

[EMAIL FROM JASPERS]

[Email01]

From: Daly, Michael J. (1968)
Sent: Monday, June 09, 2003 1:39 PM
Subject: RE: Manhattan Prep

John,

That would be great.  Know where you're coming from on dress ups.  Company I'm with went casual about 8 years ago.  When I have to put a suit on these days it's a big deal.  Thanks for your help and hopefully you'll be able to make event.

Regards,

Mike

[JR: Maybe when I really do retire, make a few million, lose 200#, run a marathon, marry a beautiful woman … … (I did that!) ,,, or something else noteworthy that I can show off as an accomplishment. ]

 

 

[Email02]

From: James T. Galloway (1964)
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2003 9:55 AM
Subject: Re: affirmative reply

I enjoyed hacking my way thru Jasper jottings in order to read it without scrolling left and right I copied it to word .

[JR: Perhaps you can play with test size? ]

 

 

[Email03]

From: Donohue, Noreen E. (1986)
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2003 11:23 AM
Subject: hello from Noreen 1986

Hi John,

You may not remember me- from the NYC Club.  But I heard from Kevin Dolan and Joe Dillon you were looking.  I myself have been consulting on and off for the past year.  So I can relate. 

I attended this conference last year- among a few others and it was actually crowded!!!  (Internet World, Wireless World at the Javits were empty.)  From your Jasper Jottings, I thought you may have worked for financial companies.

If I can be of help in terms of what you are looking for let me know. 

Warm regards,
Noreen Donohue
Consultant- Director Technology Solutions
Frognet.com
Norwalk, CT   06851

==

Hi Noreen:

Sorry, I don't. (Honesty is the best policy!)

Yup, my gig at Deloitte didn't work out. So I am in search mode again. (Not a big deal because there is very little difference between the two for me. I don't think in today's economy one can wait for the employer to decide your fate.)

Yup, I am in the IT end of financial services.

I am attaching my three key docs (i.e., networking profile, bio, and resume). While I am on final approach with an opportunity, I am still actively searching, Can't be too thin, too handsome, or have to many job offers.

I welcome any thoughts or help you'd care to give.

john '68

==

[JR: I am always amazed that nice people show and volunteer to help. As I tell everyone, in all my networking activities, talking to literally thousands of people, only two people told me to "get lost"!]

 

 

[Email04]

From: Ed Plumeau '52A
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2003 11:29 AM
Subject: memorial for "Ernie" Barra

John: for your information, a memorial service was held in Stuart, Florida, on June 13, 2003 for Ernest R. Barra (MC '31) who died in Stuart 4/6/03. Friends and former students attended as well as members of the MC Treasure Coast Alumni Assoc. 

[JR: Good show! In today's busy times, I am sure that his family was encouraged. We all would have like to been there with you. I wonder who is the oldest surviving Jasper?  ]

 

 

[Email05]

From: Cox, James S. (1966)
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2003 4:06 PM
Subject: RE: Hello from a 1968 Jasper on 10 May 2003

John:

Thanks. Please add me to your distribution.

Jim Cox

[JR: Glad to. ]

 

 

[Email06]

From: Zbacnik, Raymond Eric (1977)
Sent: Saturday, June 14, 2003 10:00 AM
Subject: Job Interview 23 Jun in Oklahoma City (Tornado Alley)

My Friday the 13th present:  I have a job interview in Oklahoma City on 23 Jun 2003 with a vice president, executive vice president, president and CEO of LSB for the job listed below.  I will attend a cook-out in Edmond, OK, (home town of Shanon Miller, see:http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/athletes/bios/m/smiller.html ) on 22 Jun, with the Vice President - Operations: Larry Fitzwater, my roommate from Purdue: 1971 - 1972.  (He got married, we graduated the next year, 30 years ago).

Raymo

 

 

[Email07]

From: Stephen E. Phelps, Jr. (1968)
Sent: Saturday, June 14, 2003 2:01 PM
Subject: RE: jasperjottings20030615.htm

I would like to attend a Prep 40th, bog willing. Am in touch with Jim Coyle and can reach out to the Gerkens, too. Weren't you at the 20th, John? Hard to believe it's going to be 20 MORE years. And you guys all looked old even then... :-)

Steve
Spring Valley, New York 10977-1710

 

 

[Email08]

From: Avitable, John (1979)
Sent: Saturday, June 14, 2003 7:26 PM
Subject: jasperjottings20030615

Hi John,

2 things.

1. Thanks for your e-mails/newsletters.

2. Why is there only 1,706 people on your list?

Sincerely,
John Avitable    79

[JR: <1> You're welcome. Glad you enjoy them. <2>  I keep asking but not every one is interested. ]

 

 

[Email09]

From: Ferguson, Thomas S. (1975)
Sent: Saturday, June 14, 2003 8:27 PM
Subject: Reply to Mr. Helm

Well, I never thought I'd hear the theology of the Catholic Church referred to as "obfuscating and blathering breambait and balderdash," as Mr. Helm did. For the record, I do not know Cardnal Arinze and have no opinion about him one way or another.  Also, for the record, while I was a "good Brother" when I graduated Manhattan College, I am merely a lay theologian today.  The records need updating.

Let's get this straight: the Roman Catholic Church is not a platform for right-wing political opinion and weepy "I long for the days of Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman" hysterics; it is the deposit of faith.  Cardinal Arinze's words, reported by "Curmudgeon," were sloppy theology.  I would have been tempted to walk out.

Even if he is not a Bishop, and therefore in a direct line of the Magisterium, a Cardinal has the responsibility of being clear when he speaks about theology.  The whole Papacy of John Paul II has had, as its hallmark, clarity. 

It's a shame that there Jaspers belittle that hallmark.

[JR: <1> Ah yes, there are many things that we all have never thought we'd "hear". I never thought I would ever "hear" the Church disgraced by it's participants. <2> Ah, now updating records is something I know a little about. You can go to the College's alumni site and update your own contact information. I set up Word to automatically replace (sometimes) email addresses with a name. You can be identified as anything you want. Same with Class Year. Some 5 year people prefer to "stay" with their four year buddies. Makes no diffrernec eto me. <3> Well, there was a lot to be said for Bing Crosby's "Church". <4> Tempted to walk out on a prince of the church? I'd be listening trying to understand. But, then I don't spend much time seeking those opportunities. <5> On a humorous note, I thought the hallmark of the current Pope was "boarding pass" and the "canonization express". If this is Pango Pango, it must be time to make a local saint. (Not quibbling, since there must be lots of worthy people.)]

 

 

[Email10]

From: Fama, Charles S. (1952)
Sent: Sunday, June 15, 2003 3:00 PM
Subject: Re: Hello from a 1968 Jasper on 26 May 2003

Please keep me posted

Charlie Fama  52E

[JR: Will do.  ]

 

 

[Email11]

From: Tortorelli, Alfred F. (1959)
Sent: Sunday, June 15, 2003 3:37 PM
Subject: My error

John,

Please correct graduating class I gave you for Henry Franks. He graduated in 1952 not '54. Thanks

Al Tortorelli, '59S

[JR: 10-4. I can't count the numbers of flubs I make in doing this.  ]

 

 

[Email12]

From: c)
Sent: Sunday, June 15, 2003 8:12 PM
Subject: Treasure Coast (FL.) Alumni Lunches

Dear John:  For the benefit of Alumns traveling to Florida for "the season" please put a note in JJ about our lunches.  We've decide to hold them on Tuesdays from October to  March, 2003 -2004.  When we get the exact dates together, I'll send them on to you for publication, please.  Thanks,

Ed Plumeau '52A

[JR: I await your calendaring.  ]

 

 

[Email13]

From: Conti, Robert P. (1977)
Sent: Monday, June 16, 2003 7:49 AM
Subject: RE: jasperjottings20030615.htm

John,

Please mention in your next Jasper Jottings that I'm currently teaching math at Liberty Central HS, Liberty NY.  When I was a student @ Manhattan (1973-77), there were no teaching jobs to be had - period.  I have successfully made the career change to teaching, and will be returning to Liberty in the fall.  Also, I formerly taught @ Manhattan as an adjunct in Computer Information Systems (CIS).

Regards,
Bob Conti '77

[JR: Well congrats on doing what you love. Condolences that you can't earn what you deserve. Us libertarians would like to see the government out of education and healthcare and lots of other stuff. In a true marketplace, good teachers would make big bucks. Unfortunately, the government control of education ensures that everything is "average" or below. Hell you might even have aspired to open your own school and make huge bucks providing services to others. I cite as evidence in my neighborhood despite a public kindergarten, many "education day care" offerings. Imagine the possibilities if the State didn't hold an education monopoly. The MC would not have to struggle against SUNY to get students. Imagine the possibilities! ]

 

 

[Email14]

From: Stebbins, Donald M.  (1961)
Sent: Monday, June 16, 2003 4:05 PM
Cc: abSteve Hnat
Subject: Mr. Helm's Errors of Omission and Dangers of Libertarianism.

Dear Jasper John,

I have refrained from commenting lately, having assumed your devotion to Libertarianism was irrevocable.  I almost was moved to write about your apparent acceptance of Bush/Ashcroft attacks on civil liberties, which I thought would bring liberal and libertarians together in mutual outrage.  It is strange how Bush's truly dangerous attacks are tolerated or even supported by "Libertarians."

However, Robert Helm's latest email contains errors of omission which can not be allowed to pass without correction.

He says the Bush was a "fighter pilot"- he omits the facts that he never left Texas, the plane he flew was obsolete, and most importantly that Bush was AWOL for the last year of his tour.

2   He says the his opponent  (Our truly elected President, Al Gore) was a PR man. He neglects to mention that he served in Vietnam at the peak of the war and served out his term.

Errors of omission can indeed obscure the truth.

Sincerely yours,
Donald M. Stebbins
BS 1961

[JR: <1> I don't know why you should refrain. I have always carried every word you have sent in.  <2> I think that both Reno and Ashcroft are wrong! I don't see any difference between the R's or the D's. No matter who's in, I get the same big government infringements. No matter what I say it just gets worse. <3> I don't know any "Libertarians" who support either the R's or the D's. <4> I served my whole time in Maryland. Does that mean I am not a VietNam era vet? <5> In the interests of full disclosure, it has been well-reported in the alternative media that PR Gore has a full squad escort when in country. He was at risk, but it was definitely smaller that the average dog face. <6> "truly elected"? The D's and R's make the rules until the time comes to refresh the tree of Liberty as John Adams warned us.]

==

Following is an article I read today showing how doctrinaire "Libertarianism" can diminish freedom for almost everyone.

"restore democracy now"
FCC Policy is a Disaster for American Democracy
June 14, 2003
By Gerald Plessner

Americans should be grateful to Michael Powell for showing us the moral bankruptcy of Libertarianism. By taking its economic atheism to the extreme, Powell has demonstrated how its adherents believe that this radical philosophy is more important than the U.S. Constitution. We should reward Powell with demands for his resignation.

Michael Powell is the chair of the Federal Communication Commission who was appointed by President Clinton. Together with his two President Bush-appointed fellow commissioners, Powell recently  gave unbridled future control of America's radio and television air waves to nine or ten major corporations.

While the FCC was under orders to review regulatory control of radio and television, it was not directed to go as far as Powell, a staunch advocate of Libertarian deregulation, took it. Powell's leadership will soon result in an additional loss of the news and information citizens need to determine if their elected officials are serving them well and fairly.

In hammering through his new regulatory scheme Powell refused to hold public hearings prior to the vote on his proposals. After the two Democratic commissioners toured the country holding their own hearings, the FCC received 750,000 emails and phone calls denouncing the expected decision. Chairman Powell dismissed this overwhelming public dissent as irrelevant.

While his disdain for the public interest is offensive, his lack of respect for the nation's core values of a free and competitive press is truly frightening.

Here, in brief, is what the FCC decision does: 1.) Relaxes prohibitions on joint ownership of newspapers and TV stations in the same market; 2.) Permits corporations to own stations reaching as much as 45% of the nation's viewers; 3.) Permits a corporation to own as many as three TV stations in the nation's nine largest cities including Los Angeles; 4.) Permits cross-ownership of TV stations and newspapers in mid-size cities; and 5.) Relaxes rules regarding local mergers of radio and TV stations.

All of this means that fewer companies will own more outlets as a feeding frenzy of purchases and mergers will inevitably follow the decision, which was strongly criticized by such varied organizations as the National Rifle Association and the National Organization for Women.  Many Senators and members of Congress are concerned about the decision, which they see as limiting their access to the public during elections and limiting information and entertainment in smaller cities.  The White House is supportive of the decision.

Most important, the decision will give uncontrolled power to major corporations to influence their news and opinion functions without competition in the gathering and dissemination of news and opinion.

There was a time when America's airwaves were thought to be the property of the American people.  The ownership of a radio or TV station was a privilege, not a right.  That privilege was earned by providing news, information and community service.

Today four companies own TV stations reaching 30% or more of America's households.  One company, Clear Channel Communications, owns more than 1,220 radio stations, about 10% of the nation's total.  A number of other companies own hundreds of outlets and many stations have no local employees or presence.  They are drones managed by remote, broadcasting music, news and commercials created in a central location, promoting songs they are paid to air and controlling news content to satisfy corporate goals.

Such was the case recently when Clear Channel Communications, whose chief executive is a long-time supporter of President Bush, banned the Dixie Chicks from its stations in retaliation for one of their member's comments about the president.

Drone stations are also not available to respond to community disasters such as potentially harmful chemical spills, traffic accidents or dangerous weather alerts.

Every single action by Powell previous to this raid on our right to an open and diverse press indicated that he would do just what he did.  The only surprising thing was Powell's hijacking of the democratic process and his disregard for the fundamentals of American democracy.  It took this arrogance to motivate the American public to tell their leaders to do something.

The lesson from this tragedy is even greater than its certain damage to public discourse and the unbridled media consolidation it will unleash.  Americans must understand that the Libertarian philosophy gripping our national politicians is a kind of economic atheism that is at its heart undemocratic.

While it may be very good for corporations and their shareholders, there is no industry in the modern world that has not seen consumer choice diminished by Libertarianism.  And the loss of choice is a loss of freedom.  It is time for our national leaders to step back from this consolidation and internationalization of all business.

Those who cry out against America's loss of sovereignty through the United Nations and other international entanglements should join in this effort to give citizens a renewed control of their own destiny.  Getting Congress to rescind the new FCC rules is the place to start.

==

Gerald Plessner writes regularly on issues of politics and culture.  He would be pleased to hear from you and may be contacted at gerald@geraldplessner.com.

[JR: It isn't a "Libertarian" solution as long as the FCC exists! No self-respecting Libertarian would head up such a commission. ]

 

 

[Email15]

From: Plumeau, Ed (52A)
Sent: Monday, June 16, 2003 8:54 PM
Subject: Alumnus found

John:  I recently heard from a old-time classmate -- Leon Brunning, '52A.  He doesn't have e-mail but his mailing address is: <privacy invoked>.  I think he'd like to hear from old friends.  Ed Plumeau '52A

[JR: I didn't know how to handle this. So, I have included it the email version, but didn't put it in the web version. If you read this on the website and want the address then please drop me an email. Good compromise? ]

 

 

[Email16]

From: Cacchione, Richard (1965)
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 5:31 PM
Subject: Re: jasperjottings20030615.htm

Dear John:

Since returning to Peru in late November, after my Dad's funeral, I have had lots of problems trying to access my AOL e-mails.  This has necessitated establishing a Lima (Peru) account.  May I ask that the messages go to BOTH of my e-mail addresses?  This is because you can't keep track of where I shall be nor should you be having to change addresses as I travel.

My Lima address is: <privacy invoked>

All the best.
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[JR: Done. Sorry to hear about your Dad. Our prayers go out to you. Now I just have to subtract two from my readership count. Hey, now we go to Peru. Add that to the Ireland, India, and China, and we are really going global, ]

 

 

[END OF NEWS]

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FINAL WORDS THIS WEEK

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0616obrien-fatality-ON.html

Bishop O'Brien arrested in fatal hit-and-run

Jim L. Reed (left) was killed when he was hit by two cars while crossing an intersection, police say. Bishop Thomas O'Brien faces one count of leaving the scene of a fatal accident. View more photos.

Dennis Wagner and Joseph Reaves
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 16, 2003 08:10 PM

=== <begin quote> ===

Bishop Thomas J. O'Brien, already beleaguered by a sexual misconduct scandal involving clergy, was arrested Monday in connection with a fatal hit-and-run accident in Phoenix.

The prelate's new turmoil, nearly biblical in scope, may put Arizona's Catholic leadership in limbo as it rocks a diocese that has endured months of tortured scrutiny about deviant priests who were allowed to prey on children.

Investigators say O'Brien was behind the wheel of a tan Buick Park Avenue that struck and killed Jim Lee Reed, 43, at 8:35 p.m. Saturday on Glendale Avenue just west of 19th Avenue.

The 67-year-old bishop was picked up Monday on suspicion of leaving a fatal accident scene, a Class 4 felony, and taken to Madison Street Jail. Before he could be booked, medical screeners determined that O'Brien suffered from high blood pressure. After a visit to St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, he was booked into Maricopa County Jail.

Earlier in the day, he declined to speak with reporters outside his north Phoenix home, which had been cordoned off by police.

Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley, who is responsible for prosecuting O'Brien, declined comment. Last month, Romley struck a deal allowing the Roman Catholic leader to avoid criminal indictment for obstructing justice in connection with priestly pedophilia cases. As part of that settlement, O'Brien admitted concealing sex abuse cases and agreed to major diocesan reforms.

O'Brien has been hounded by calls for his resignation, in some cases by prominent Catholics. Those demands are expected to accelerate as a result of his new legal woes and the moral issues associated with leaving an accident scene.

Vatican officials declined comment Monday, but Msgr. Richard Moyer, the diocese's chief of staff, said: "I sincerely regret reports I have received about Bishop O'Brien being involved in a fatal accident. The sympathy of all of us in the Diocese of Phoenix as well as our prayerful support goes out to the victim's family."

Catholics were taken aback by O'Brien's plight, but most emphasize the clear distinction between the church as an institution and flawed humans who comprise its priestly hierarchy. Some wondered if the alleged hit-and-run is a manifestation of weakness -- or of panic from someone under intense stress. Many also expressed sympathy for a church paragon whose fortunes have plummeted.

Rep. Robert Meza, a Phoenix Democrat who has led a group of Hispanics upset with O'Brien's handling of the sex abuse scandal, expressed only compassion for the Bishop on Monday.

"You know what? I'm saddened by the whole thing but you are innocent until proven guilty," Meza said.

"It's devastating. I think he's under a lot of pressure and the stress and pressure finally got to him," Meza added. "I hurt for him and I hope everything works out and I'm sad for the person who was killed."

Distraught members of the victim's family from Phoenix to his birthplace on the Navajo reservation said Reed's death destroyed plans for a reunion over Father's Day. "We loved him a lot," said a sister, Janice L. Acothley, of Tuba City. "We're just glad we spent all those precious moments together . . . It wasn't his time to go. We will always remember him."

Police say Reed was J-walking across Glendale Avenue when he got hit by the eastbound Buick, then run over by a second vehicle. He was pronounced dead at John C. Lincoln Hospital-North Mountain.

Both drivers left without stopping. However, a witness pursued the 2003 Buick and obtained its Arizona plate number, then returned to the scene and provided that information to police. The license number -- 547 HBE -- is registered to the Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.

Sgt. Lauri Williams, a police spokeswoman, said detectives traced the car to O'Brien on Sunday, but were unable to locate him or the Buick until Monday morning. Investigators interviewed O'Brien at his north Phoenix residence. At one point he came outside with them to inspect the vehicle before it was towed to an impound yard.

Williams said O'Brien told detectives he is the only person who drives the Buick, and that he had returned from Buckeye on Saturday after officiating at an evening confirmation and Mass there. Williams said O'Brien admitted "he was driving the vehicle and he might have hit something, but we don't know more."

Reed is listed as six feet tall and 235 pounds. The right front end of O'Brien's car was damaged and the windshield was concaved and fractured.

Authorities emphasized that, at this point, O'Brien does not face a vehicular manslaughter charge. As police investigate further, two legal issues work to his benefit: Reed purportedly was crossing the street illegally; and, because O'Brien left the scene, authorities are unable to determine whether he was impaired by alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident.

Prior to O'Brien's arrest Monday, the Catholic diocese issued a notice to priests advising them of the new controversy. The message included this note: "Please keep the man who was killed in your prayers, together with his family. Please keep the bishop in your prayers in this moment of anguish."

Diocesan attorney Greg Leisse, who met with O'Brien while police were at the bishop's home, said afterward: "He seems upset, but he seems well."

If convicted and found not responsible for the homicide, O'Brien faces a sentence ranging from probation to 3 years in prison. A conviction based on culpability for the accident could increase the sentence to as much as 8 years.

=== <end quote> ===

Reported without comment other than to say "innocent till proven" and "inexplicable"!

Curmudgeon

And that’s the last word.

-30-