rimblr.com

Barring any future problems from high winds and hail, Gillespie County’s 2008 peach harvest should be a good one — and could be even better with a little help from rain clouds that have been scarce in recent weeks over the Fredericksburg-Stonewall area.
Underway for the past week or so, roadside market and pick-your-own sales of this year’s fruit crop are off to a promising start, say local producers, who these days are harvesting the season’s earliest cling peach varieties.
As a result, peach-lovers here have been sinking their teeth into Springold, Bicentennial, Regal and June Gold varieties which, together with the forthcoming semi-clings and subsequent freestone varieties, annually make Gillespie County the premier peach-producing county in Texas.
Leading up to the 2008 harvest, the county had received what most observers felt was a sufficient number of “chilling hours” during the dormant months before light late-spring freeze conditions nipped a small percentage of the county’s crop.
At present, the supply of Gillespie-grown peaches is “a little light,” said Jamey Vogel of Stonewall, vice president of the Hill Country Fruit Council, partly because of a typical seasonal gap in fruit varieties and partly due to this spring’s mild freeze.
So far, drier-than-normal weather conditions have produced slightly smaller fruit which, he said, is not “a big deal” because there are other factors in play that help to make up the difference in flavoring.
As producer Gary Marburger of Fredericksburg explained it, the cloudless skies which have prevailed so far this spring over Gillespie County have not been all bad because sunnier days tend to promote a higher sugar content in fruit.
“Everybody’s talking about how good the taste is this year,” Vogel said, explaining that, because fruit is so far slightly smaller in size, the concentration of sugar in each peach is greater than with larger peaches.

fredericksburgstandard.com

There were kids wearing the same outfit, others who’s necks were stretched out, and in Ester Olvera’s photo for the yearbook, her face was placed on someone else’s body.
"At first I thought it was 10 students, then 40, by 10 o’ clock it was approaching 100," said Lori Oglesbee, yearbook coordinator.
Now school officials believe nearly 600 McKinney High School students had their pictures altered. The changes were made by a national photography company who is now scrambling to fix the problem, and so are students.
The yearbook staff will spend the weekend replacing the tainted photos before shipping it off again. Going image by image to get it right.
"I was pretty excited to see the book come out, because I’ve been working on it. When it came out, and a big thing like that, it kind of wrecked the whole thing," said Thor Lund, student.
This is second year in a row the high school’s had yearbook problems. Last year, school officials say the same company accidentally destroyed the pictures and they had to be retaken, but this mistake, they believe, goes too far.
"Ethically we would never edit a photograph, if it was not appropriate, we would not use it, we would have the student retake," said Oglesbee.
Now the company has agreed to re-print the books, and foot the $85,000 cost.

wfaa.com

HERITAGE VILLAGE COUNTRY CLUB, 18-HOLE LADIES
1. Rollie Truelove and Robing Bickerstaff, net 72.
2. Nancy McLachlan and Debbie Osborne, net 74.
3. Kandi Skonowski and Cathy McClosky, net 77.
ROXBURY ROAD RACE SERIES
1. Jeff Sheldon 27:20; 2. Lou Denaro 31:19; 3. Joe Mendes 31:48; 4. Ed Sandifer 32:12; 5. John Whalen 32:38; 6. Chuck Rocca 33:05; 7. Brian Vanderheiden 33:26; 8. Bruce Goulart 33:32; 9. Chris Deming 33:32.1; 10. Dan Lynch 33:46.
11. Brian Gildea 34:43; 12. Mark Zerbe 35:41; 13. Nate Mahrer 35:53; 14. Ray Fico 36:08; 15. David Mariani 36:15; 16. Russ Pribanic 36:30; 17. Tom Dever 36:37; 18. Scott Benjamin 37:12; 19. Harry Ong 37:28; 20. Dudley Ong 37:28.1.
21. Mary Schafer 37:45; 22. Kurt Thoennessen 37:51; 23. Paul Butler 38:18; 24. John Murphy Jr. 38:53; 25. Mario Hasz 39:22
26. Lynn Zuback 39:51; 27. Brittany Ronan 40:42; 28. Larry Deming 41:11; 29. Bob Lewis 41:54; 30. Ed Moros 42:37.
31. Brian Solt 42:56; 32. Heather Whalen 44:45; 33. Theresa Oria 45:15; 34. Paul Courtney 45:28; 35. Pat Moore 46:53; 36. Sharon Gawe 47:41; 37. Michael Hicks 50:02; 38. LeeAnne Zarger 55:35; 39. Prasama Sangkachand 58:45; 40. Ron Karl 61:45.
1. Jim Little 26:46.
1. Mo van Moffaert.
DANBURY CO-ED LEAGUE
Field 2: Dawn’s Pizzazz vs. K Star Plumbing, 4:45 p.m.; Barb’s Angels vs. Odyssey Logistics 6 p.m.; Jan &
Field 3: Waterworks vs. Ho Rockets, 3:30 p.m.; Bonomonte vs. Famous Joe’s Pizza, 4:45 p.m.; Powderhorn vs. Team Legal, 6 p.m.; Powderhorn vs. Two Steps, 7:15 p.m.
Field 4: Good Friend vs. Day & Night Spa, 4:45 p.m.; TK’s Cafe vs. Step It Up Entertainment, 6 p.m.; 4Fun vs. Western Connecticut PT, 7:15 p.m.
DANBURY INDUSTRIAL LEAGUE
Metro Roofing 12, Sperry Rail Service 0: Alex Pena went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored in the win.

newstimes.com

CLAY BUCHHOLZ couldn’t make it through the fifth Monday. His role could change when Bartolo Colon joins the Red Sox. ( AP PHOTO/JIM MONE / May 12, 2008)
MINNEAPOLIS - One roster move involving pitching was completed. Another one looms.
The Red Sox designated Julian Tavarez for assignment before Monday’s game against the Twins, eliminating their long relief option.
Sometime in the next two weeks, Bartolo Colon is expected to be ready to join the Red Sox after two months with Pawtucket. If healthy and effective, Colon is certain to slide into the starting rotation.
When that day comes, the pitcher figuring to be on the outside of the rotation looking in is Clay Buchholz.
The Red Sox have stated their desire to limit Buchholz’s innings this season. And outings like Monday’s at the Metrodome indicate the rookie could use more seasoning.
Buchholz had his second consecutive rocky outing, allowing seven runs on eight hits with a career-high five walks in 4 1/3 innings as the Twins won 7-3 to take three of four in the series.
Buchholz struggled with his command, unable to harness his fastball, then saw his offspeed arsenal sprayed all over the field.
“I felt great in the pen, felt like the fastball was good,” Buchholz said. “Then I got out there and the fastball wasn’t as good as I thought it was. I tried to go to offspeed stuff like I have all year and they were all over it. It felt like they were sitting on every first-pitch changeup or curveball I threw. I know I threw too many offspeed pitches tonight.
“Nobody likes walking people. If you give people a free pass and they score, that’s a big deal, pitching-wise. It doesn’t get in my head, but it’s [frustrating].”
After being staked to a 3-0 lead in the first (two on Manny Ramirez’s 498th career homer), Buchholz (2-3, 5.53 ERA) allowed two runs in the first and two in the third, then allowed his three in the fifth as the Twins put it out of reach.

courant.com

First things first — here’s a video clip from Red Asphalt (more specifically, “Red Asphalt III”) which I found on YouTube. As a whole it’s slightly less gory than I remembered, and the size of the video screen definitely makes the carnage less overwhelming, but you probably don’t want to watch it if you’re squeamish, easily upset or about to eat Italian food.
All that being said, I think the world needs a little more “Red Asphalt.” As Chronicle education reporter and The Poop contributor Jill Tucker writes in today’s edition, only 440 kids at seven high schools in California took driver’s training last year — down from 250,000 in 1989.
When she told me she was working on the story last week, we decided it would be good for me to write a slightly more frivolous and nostalgic column about it, which you can check out here.
Please share your driver’s training experiences in the comments. My own memories are below …
By the time I took driver’s education in 1987, it was still a required course in our Bay Area school district. And for whatever reason, my neighborhood in Burlingame was really popular on the driver’s ed training route, so it seemed as if every fourth or fifth car driving by our house was a beige Chevy Citation sedan — with large black “STUDENT DRIVER” letters on the back. From the time I got my first bicycle, all of us neighborhood kids would constantly buzz the driver’s ed cars, often yelling something like “Ahhhhh! Student driver! Don’t hit me!”
Children must have been nicer once it was my turn behind the wheel, but karma still caught up with me. I remember the driver’s ed dude was completely mean to me, making a big point of hitting the chicken brake for practically no reason and then telling me to go to the back of the car and learn from the other two student drivers. (One of whom I distinctly remember was a guy who had only one arm, and the other was a girl I had a small crush on.) I was also singled out for my incompetence in the Drivotrainer portion of the class.

sfgate.com

State schools, too, are reporting a tough admissions season, with acceptance rates down at the University of Texas and the University of North Carolina, among others.
On the positive side for some students this season, schools are having a hard time predicting their all-important “yields” — the percentage of students admitted who will actually attend. And high-school counselors are hoping that ambiguity will result in more acceptances for students who are on waiting lists — a strategy schools use to reach enrollment targets.
“On the counseling side, this is our most promising and realistic hope for wait-list activity,” says Bari Norman, director of Expert Admissions LLC in Miami. For the past couple of years, many elite schools have anticipated drawing from their waiting lists but ended up taking few or no applicants because of higher-than-expected yields.
Two factors are driving the unpredictability in this year’s college-admissions process. First, both Harvard and Princeton universities eliminated their early-applicant programs this year. That means students who otherwise would have secured a spot at one of these schools in the fall also applied to other schools. Second, moves by highly selective schools to increase financial aid for middle- to upper-income students put the high tuition bills within reach of more families.
“With the change at Harvard and Princeton and all the moves made on the financial aid side, we just feel completely unable to predict what the yield will be,” says Jeff Brenzel, dean of undergraduate admissions at Yale University. “We’re guessing the yield will fall some because more top students have applied to top schools.” For the past couple of years, Yale’s overall yield has ranged from 70% to 71%.
Yields are important to colleges because they are closely monitored by competing schools, potential donors and applicants as an indication of the college’s appeal. In recent years, they have become tougher to forecast because of the growing population of high-school students and a rise in applications per student. College counselors say many students today apply at 10 to 12 schools, with some applying to as many as 20.

online.wsj.com

Every woman should own a pair of red pumps. They’re sassy, flirty and just plain fun. Don’t save your red shoes for a special occasion, flaunt them anytime … from the boardroom to the bedroom. These glossy red high heels from Brian Atwood (shown above at far left) are a favorite from Saks Fifth Avenue.
This Lumiani red patent strappy sandal is perfect for an evening out on the town. Coupled with a basic black outfit, these red shoes will certainly be turning heads. Get them at Zappos.com for $162.
Platforms might be the greatest shoes invented. They make you feel powerful and confident as your strut your stuff — not to mention tall! A great pair of red platform shoes can really add some pizazz to your look. Next time you are shoe shopping, grab a pair of platforms like these Pleaser platform sandals from Endless.com (above right). At under $50, they are a great buy.
Now that you have your sexy red shoes ordered, check out Kellie Pickler on Wednesday night’s American Idol and then turn to SheKnows American Idol section for all the latest on Season 7. Contestant bios, American Idol videos, vote for your favorites and more!

sheknows.com

Posted to the web 19 March 2008
What could be described as a grain planted in Lagos in 2004 may well be growing into an Oak tree as the launching train of Bank PHB’s National Scholars Scheme moved to Government Secondary School, Gwammaja, Kano yesterday.
Under the scheme, the bank builds and equips a library in at least one public secondary school, selected by the state government and awards scholarships to 20 indigent students in the school.
Launched with a pilot project of 100 indigent students in five public schools in Lagos, in 2004, the scheme has now gone truly national with 13 libraries in nine states. But even these are only the beginning. Bank PHB’s Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Miss Angela Ege said 24 states have been approached so far and the aim is to reach every state of the federation.
The national launching took off at the Junior Secondary School Garki, Abuja on March 4, followed by Government Secondary School, Unguwar Sarki, Kaduna two days later. Osadenis High School, Asaba, Delta State and Urban Girls’ Secondary School, Enugu had their days last week, before yesterday’s event in Kano. Yet to come are similar launchings in Bauchi, Katsina, Sokoto and Minna, which will run from March 26 to April 4.
At the Abuja launch, which also covered Junior Secondary School, Gosa, Lugbe, Bank PHB’s Managing Director, Mr. Francis Atuche said the overall aim of the National Scholars scheme, which is the bank’s flagship corporate social responsibility initiative; was to provide a platform for positive inspiration and learning environment for secondary school students.
Atuche, who was represented by an Executive Director, Alhaji Kuru Ahmed, said "one of the greatest challenges facing us today is the state of our public schools."
With government’s inability to address all the needs of the people, due to a combination of dwindling resources and complexities in the need patterns of growing populations, Atuche said, "there is a compelling need for businesses to play supportive roles to contribute to the society from which it engages in profitable business."

allafrica.com

Because of the birth of his first child Saturday morning, Eastern High School wrestling coach Patrick Coomes wasn’t at the Frankfort Convention Center Saturday night to see junior Justin Davis win a state title.
But Davis still had ample advice.
Eastern assistant coach Vernon Jackson, who took Coomes’ place in Davis’ corner, is no stranger to state titles. Jackson won the 112-pound title at Eastern in 1993 and is back at his alma mater after coaching at Ballard last year.
“He’s worked with Justin all year,” Coomes said. “He did a great job.”
Davis, who finished fourth in the state as a sophomore, beat LaRue County’s Matt Miller 12-7 on Saturday to capture the title at 135 pounds.
Jackson likes what he sees in Davis.
“He’s picked up a lot of stuff for just being a second-year wrestler,” Jackson said. “His speed and strength and technique are unbelievable.”
Doss senior Derek Nickel was understandably upset after losing in Friday’s quarterfinals of the 215-pound class, but he had a smile on his face Saturday night.
Nickel, the 2007 state champion at 215, was among those cheering on Pleasure Ridge Park’s Dakoda Choate. The junior beat Anderson County’s Sammy Isaac for the 152 title.
Nickle and Choate are best friends.
“We didn’t really talk about (Nickel losing), but I took something from it,” Choate said after his victory. “It hurt me seeing my best friend lose like that in his senior year. I wanted as bad as anybody to see Derek repeat this year.”
Union County won its second consecutive state title and did it with depth. The Braves qualified wrestlers in all but one of the 14 weight classes, and 10 of them finished among the top eight.
Union County had two state champions — seniors Jarvis Elam (103) and Mitch Ervin (160).
Baseball coaches liststate’s top 50 players
The Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association has released a list of the state’s top 50 players, and it includes 11 from the Louisville area.
Eight of the Louisville-area players are seniors — Fern Creek’s Daniel Bracken, Shelby County’s Jordan Burk, Manual’s Nick Consigli, Pleasure Ridge Park’s Zack Cox and Zach Osborne, Male’s Mike Estes, Eastern’s Kiley Jones and Seneca’s Austin Messersmith.
Juniors Chris Berry of Trinity, Jarred Clarkson of Shelby County and Tyler Dunaway of Eastern also were selected.
Kentucky’s regular season will open March 24.
Hoops schedule changes
The Fern Creek at Doss doubleheader that was snowed out last week has been rescheduled for tomorrow. The girls’ game will start at 6 p.m., the boys’ game at 7:30.
Manual has added a home doubleheader with Montgomery County for Friday night. The girls’ game will start at 6 p.m., the boys’ game at 7:30.
Friday’s Trinity-DeSales game has been moved to Bellarmine University’s Knights Hall. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.
Soccer: From Assumption, Brynn Gerstle (Notre Dame), Stephanie Gildehaus (Morehead State), Jennifer Jones (Louisville), Abbey Schuhmann (Bellarmine) and Chloe Toohey (Centre).
Field hockey: From Assumption, Jennifer McGill (Ohio), Lauren Noe (Saint Louis) and Lauren Schmeing (Louisville); from Ballard, Amanda Seeley (Miami, Ohio) and Anna Miller (Robert Morris); from Kentucky Country Day, Christena Burell (Miami, Ohio).
Cross country: From Assumption, Adrienne Curtis (Southern Indiana).
Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046.

courier-journal.com