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Barry Lewis' Hot List

2010-01-19T05:54:00.001-08:00

Players to watch

Oren Faulk, Muskogee: "The Big O" had 43 points, 33 rebounds and seven blocked shots to help the Roughers win all three of their games last week. The 6-foot-7 senior had 19 points and 11 rebounds on Saturday as Muskogee beat Tahlequah Sequoyah 59-50 to avenge a loss in the Tournament of Champions. He is averaging 10.5 points and 9.2 rebounds.

Nick Lyman, Berryhill: The 6-foot senior guard is averaging 18.2 points. Last week, he had 49 points in two games, including 30 in a win over Collinsville on Friday.

Jake Toupal, Broken Arrow: Provides consistent leadership for the 6A No. 2 Tigers. He had 14 points in a 56-46 win over Jenks on Tuesday and scored 19 in a 62-48 victory over Sapulpa on Friday. He is averaging 17.3 points and shoots 76 percent on free throws.

Eric White, Skiatook: The 6-4 senior averages 23.7 points and 10.3 rebounds. He scored 29 points in a loss to Bishop Kelley on Tuesday.

Teams to watch

Holland Hall: The Dutch are 11-2 after last Tuesday's win over Lincoln Christian, and splitting two weekend games in Dallas. William Tisdale averages 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.

Porter: The Class A No. 9 Pirates are 13-1, including an 86-63 victory over sixth-ranked Oktaha on Jan. 9.

Summit Christian: Channing Migliore averages 17.3 points for the Eagles, who are 14-1.

Games to watch

Owasso at Cascia Hall (Monday): The host 3A champion Commandos (13-3) have won seven in a row and look for their second victory over a 6A team in a week. Owasso (4-7) has lost four of its last five. The pick: Cascia Hall, 52-49. Momentum carries the Commandos.

Booker T. Washington at McLain (Tuesday): McLain coach Cordell Love was a teammate of Shea Seals at the University of Tulsa and also was Seals' assistant at McLain. The pick: Booker T. Washington, 70-63. Another exciting game in this rivalry.

Holland Hall at Victory Christian (Tuesday): Victory is playing better than its 3-8 record as it showed in a 55-52 loss to 3A power Tahlequah Sequoyah last Tuesday. The pick: Holland Hall, 51-49. The Dutch win in the final seconds.

Ask the writer

Could Claremore finish 21-1 and still not receive the chance to host a 5A regional as one of the East's top four teams?

Got a question about your favorite boys high school basketball player or team? Ask Barry Lewis on the high school blog at tulsaworld.com/sportsextra or e-mail him at

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CORPORATE WATCH

2010-01-19T05:53:00.004-08:00

"Sorry," I muttered automatically, though I felt it was not my fault. But he continued to rave. "Everything is so slow in this country." Everyone froze to silence and the stunned cashier seemed to move in even slower, surreal slow motion as she fumbled to reopen her machine, accidentally slammed close at the attack of words. "A slow, but happy people, that's what we are," a voice behind me piped, and the tension eased. Someone should have justifiably said to the crazed guy, "Why don't you just go back to where you came from." But it was he who had more to say. "If there was a fire in here, you'd all be burned before one of you came up to open the door. Yes, you'd all burn, all burn...burn!"

"No, Sir, we may be slow in the way we do things in a normal day, but in an emergency, we run fast - not away, to save ourselves, but toward those who may need our help." I did not anymore verbalize how when my family lived abroad, I once saw a man suffering some kind of a seizure fall on the sidewalk. The morning horde of people rushing to catch the next bus pushed past him without even slowing down to look. "Isn't someone going to help him," I asked. "We should not touch him," my Filipina friend warned. "We may get into legal problems. Let 911 Rescue do their thing. Surely some policeman has called them."

Let me tell you yet another true story. It happened not too long ago, when I was still young and sexy, driving home late at night from an MBA class. As I was near the gate of Greenhills North, a car horn was continuously sounding, and I stopped to look. A man was slumped unconscious on his steering wheel. I ran to the security guard to help me transfer the man to my car, and we brought him to nearby Cardinal Santos Hospital. From Emergency, the security guard called the man's home and the man's wife came immediately. "Who are you," she said to me, apparently very angry. "What are you to him? Why were you together?" To the security guard, she said, "Why did you not call me before moving him?" No "thank you's!"

Now, this is a true story: it happened at the check-out counter of a supermarket over the weekend, just after the afternoon Mass at a nearby chapel. It was a busy time, as the grocery seems always the natural progression for a family after a Mass - that's the way it has been since when we were growing up, and the tradition seems determined to stay for many generations.

The check-out queues were six to eight persons deep, but that only helped the perceptively festive mood that always comes with families and couples shopping for food. Could this show trace influences of the undeniable self-fulfillment of primeval hunters and beasts of the wild foraging for food to bring home to their lairs? But musings were pierced by a harsh cry, as if from a hyena roused from his sleep. "Seven minutes!" he snapped as I was restoring to my wallet my credit card, rewards card, charge slip, long receipt and coupon stamps whilst scrounging for car keys hiding somewhere at the bottom of a deep floppy bag. "In the States it would take less than a minute to check out," he ranted.

And my heart burst with pride at the Filipino, pure soul who will always immediately help his fellowman. There are no laws restricting anyone from helping in an emergency, perhaps because there is not the weird possibility that the victim would turn around and sue for wrong physical handling in the interim before professional medical attention came. Surely there are merits to structured reaction in cases of emergency in litigious developed countries, but here, the sacred assumption for all is sincerity and trust.

Indeed, it is an enigma why the Filipino's natural trust and spontaneous sincerity can be both good and bad, as it manifests in a slow and easy attitude to daily life, yet a dependable concern for fellowmen in time of the other's need. But some may bluntly call it being "laid back." Political pundits still chastise the Filipino for the puzzling tolerance for bad leaders, citing particularly the long silence of 17 years under the Marcos dictatorship. When the people finally rose against Marcos at the EDSA I People Power Revolution, the collective passion established Cory Aquino and the change that she stood for. Unfortunately, it may not have been clearly understood that the value of installing Cory, the symbol, was to be nurtured and sustained not by her - but by the collective, concerted effort of all in developing better institutions, systems, and procedures for better governance in a truly participative government of the people, for the people, and by the people.

And the Filipino had been back to "slow-mo" in the complacent years after 1986, with a forgettable EDSA II in 2001 that removed Erap Estrada and ironically installed Gloria Arroyo on a 10-year rule. Come now the elections of 2010, when there might be the chance to recoup the dream of EDSA I for a truly free Philippines, led by an honest and sincere president to the great heights of competitiveness in the globalized economic and political world. But there seems to be no sense of urgency to make things happen.

Real estate developments are advertised like there was no typhoon Ondoy in very recent memory - and brisk pre-selling is being enjoyed by developers even in these "critical" times before a crucial national election. What election? It does not seem to matter who wins in these elections, or even if elections will push through, gauging from the unabated hyped consumerism that makes non-stop fiestas in teeming malls and market places. Thanks to the $18-billion OFW remittances in 2009, no one's worried. Even the credit rating agencies do not really factor any drastic downgrade for the possibility of a draconian change in policy by whoever wins, simply because there will probably be no change. The foreign chambers of commerce are saying investments will come in after the elections. This might probably be to find out who they will be dealing with, more than for any fear of changes that will impact existing or future relationships, or any real changes in doing business in the Philippines.

Which brings us back to that brusque young Caucasian at the supermarket, shouting his intolerance of the slowness in his guest country: was he right (though still unforgivably uncouth)? We must alter our pyrrhic pride in little hero stories that extol the preparedness to help our neighbor. These do not justify the lack of urgency that holds back competitiveness with the rest of the world. We must learn faster action!

The sense of urgency should be a habit honed by day-to-day awareness of principles and priorities. Let us cultivate it in the little disciplines of being on time for appointments, doing things fast and efficiently (as in the supermarket example), following schedules of completion, target dates, etc. Let us not save our sense of urgency for "emergencies" such as my unrequited feeling-Good Samaritan experience with the unconscious guy, or even the glorious burst of energy for the collective feel-good of an EDSA I. The time to change ourselves is now.

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U.S. News: U.S. Watch

2010-01-19T05:53:00.003-08:00

CALIFORNIA

Storms Knock Out Power

The first of several strong Pacific storms swept into Southern California on Monday, knocking out power and prompting the evacuation of more than 100 homes in the La Canada-Flintridge area north of Los Angeles.

About 44,560 customers in Southern California Edison's service area were without power Monday afternoon, a company spokesman said.

The National Weather Service has a large swath of the Southern California coast under coastal flood watch. It has also issued flash-flood warnings for Los Angeles.

-- Reuters

---

HEALTH

Ground Beef Recalled

Some 390 tons of ground beef produced by a California meat packer, some of it nearly two years ago, is being recalled for fear of potentially deadly E. coli bacterium tainting, U.S. officials said Monday. The beef was produced by Huntington Meat Packing Inc of Montebello, Calif., and shipped mainly to California outlets, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's food-safety arm said. It said it had received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of the recalled products.

-- Reuters

---

TEXAS

Five Dead in Shooting

Five people who lived in one home in southeast Texas were gunned down, and a man who lived with them was being held for questioning, authorities said Monday. Investigators are still determining what the motive may have been. The suspect is charged with burglary and attempted burglary.

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Corporate News: Corporate Watch

2010-01-19T05:53:00.001-08:00

Hassan Hafidh --- ENERGY IN CHINA Sinopec, BP Discuss Venture for Shale Gas China Petrochemical Corp. said it is in talks with BP PLC to cooperate in the exploration and development of shale gas in China, underscoring the growing interest that international oil companies have in gaining a foothold in such fields world-wide.

Watch Sales Drive

Recovery at Swiss Firm

Cie. Financiere Richemont SA Monday reported a solid rise in third-quarter sales, led by demand for its high-end jewelry and watches, and said it is cautiously optimistic for the next few quarters.

Sales of Richemont, the owner of the Cartier jewelry brand and a range of Swiss watchmakers such as Jaeger-LeCoultre, rose to 1.59 billion euros ($2.31 billion) as of Dec. 31, 2009, from 1.55 billion euros a year ago.

The rise was 2% at actual rates and 7% at constant exchange rates, with strong Asian demand for Richemont's flagship brands boosting the top line. The trend over the quarter was constantly improving and revenue in December alone increased 12% at constant rates, Richemont said.

The luxury-goods maker didn't provide an outlook, but company spokesman Alan Grieve said first signs of restocking by watch retailers and good demand in several markets give rise to cautious optimism.

-- Martin Gelnar

---

BRITISH AIRWAYS

Labor Union to Hold

Vote on Job Action

Unite, the union representing the majority of British Airways PLC's 13,500 cabin crew, told the airline it will begin voting on a job action in a week.

Monday's statement followed the failure of both sides to reach an agreement on working conditions after talks resumed two weeks ago.

The two sides have been at odds over British Airways' plans to change work practices. After nine months of talks, British Airways in November cut the number of cabin crew on long-haul flights from London's Heathrow Airport to 14 from 15. That led to a vote among cabin crew approving a strike. But the airline in December secured an injunction preventing staff from taking industrial action after the union had organized potentially crippling strikes over the Christmas period.

The two sides are set to face each other in court Feb. 1, when it will be decided whether changes BA introduced are a breach of contract.

-- Kaveri Niththyananthan

---

CONTRACT CHANGES

Exxon, Shell Accept

Amendments, Iraq Says

A consortium led by Exxon Mobil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell PLC accepted contract amendments made by the Iraqi government to develop an oil field in southern Iraq, a senior Ministry of Oil official said.

"They have accepted the changes, and we are finalizing the deal with them on Jan. 25," Abdul Mahdy al-Ameedi, head of the Oil Ministry's Petroleum Contracts and Licensing Directorate, said Monday.

Exxon Mobil, the first U.S. company to gain access to Iraq's oil reserves, and Shell won the right to develop the West Qurna Phase 1 oil field following the country's first postwar round of oil bidding in June 2009.

The field holds 8.7 billion barrels in proven oil reserves.

The Exxon-Shell consortium signed the deal in November but was awaiting final approval from the Iraqi government.

The government proposed amendments to all the contracts recently awarded to foreign oil companies, though Iraqi oil officials declined to speak about the changes.

-- Hassan Hafidh

---

ENERGY IN CHINA

Sinopec, BP Discuss

Venture for Shale Gas

China Petrochemical Corp. said it is in talks with BP PLC to cooperate in the exploration and development of shale gas in China, underscoring the growing interest that international oil companies have in gaining a foothold in such fields world-wide.

"The talks are going smoothly," Sinopec, as China Petrochemical is known, said Monday in its official newsletter. "This move could accelerate development in unconventional oil and gas fields with the help of foreign advanced conception and technology."

BP China spokesman Michael Zhao declined to comment.

Recent developments in extracting natural gas out of shale by cracking the rock underground has greatly expanded production in the U.S., reducing the need for imports. There is hope in China that the country's untapped shale-gas reserves could have the same effect.

China's first joint development project in shale gas got under way in November as Royal Dutch Shell PLC and PetroChina Co. signed an agreement to develop shale-gas resources in Sichuan province.

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ABN Newswire Stocks to Watch

2010-01-19T05:52:00.002-08:00

Sydney, Australia (ABN Newswire) - Environmental Clean Technologies Limited (ASX:ESI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ELBIS Sp.z o.o (ELBIS), a wholly owned subsidiary of the State-controlled power utility Polska Grupa Energetyczna S.A. (PGE), to co-develop a localised business case for a Coldry plant in Poland.Ord River Resources Limited (ASX:ORD) (PINK:ORDRF) said that ORD and its Joint Venture Partner China Nonferrous Metal Industry's Foreign Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd ("NFC") have successfully completed the acquisition of a 35% interest in the holding company Hong Kong Yuqida S.A. Limited ("Yuqida HK"). Yuqida HK is the 100% owner of Yuqida Mining (Group) Co. Ltd ("Yuqida Laos") which owns 100% of the Lao bauxite tenement called Yuqida. ORD and NFC were not required to pay for the 35%. The 35% was earned by ORD and NFC who completed extensive exploration and survey work in Yuqida.Following a request from the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), FerrAus Limited (ASX:FRS) (PINK:FRRAF) has made an amendment to its media statement of Thursday 14 January 2010. The company announced further exploration success at its East Pilbara exploration project, continuing the flow of high grade Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) results from its Davidson Creek area. Managing Director, Mike Amundsen, said that a resource estimate for this area, together with updated results from other areas drilled in the fourth quarter of 2009, is expected to be announced during the next month.D'Aguilar Gold Limited (ASX:DGR) said that the company has secured exploration licence applications over an extensive new "Carlin Style" gold province in Queensland on the eastern edge of the northern section of Queensland's Bowen Basin.
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Zantrex-3; Zantrex-3 Sponsors International Squash Tournament

2010-01-19T05:52:00.001-08:00

Craig Bennett, who is also a national ranked amateur squash player, is happy to see the return of so many top players to his facility: "To actually watch players of this level play in a tournament at our club, and for our members and quests to watch their caliber of play, improves the sport and improves everyone's game."

2010 JAN 24 - (VerticalNews.com) -- Squash players from over 28 countries will compete in the Zantrex-3 International Squash Tournament held in association with Squashworks in Salt Lake City, Utah January 11-16. Top seeds from Italy, France, Columbia, Germany, Mexico, Hungary, the USA, etc. will compete for the $10,000 prize at the state of the art squash facility.

Zantrex-3 is the number one "rapid weight loss, extreme energy" diet pill in America. Gina Daines, director of marketing for Zantrex-3 is excited to have players from so many countries represented. "Squash has recently become the 'in' sport internationally, and since Zantrex-3 and squash are both high energy, we saw it as the perfect fit. We are also thrilled to be sponsoring the tournament in Salt Lake City, the location of our corporate headquarters."

Even though squash has been around as a racket sport since the courts of Henry VIII in England, it has become a truly worldwide sport and is now played in over 188 countries. The Zantrex-3 Squashworks tournament is held in conjunction with The Professional Squash Association.

Squashworks has been recognized as a premier squash club in the Western United States. Set against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, Craig and John Bennett, who created the squash club, have held several international tournaments over the past decade. Craig Bennett, who is also a national ranked amateur squash player, is happy to see the return of so many top players to his facility: "To actually watch players of this level play in a tournament at our club, and for our members and quests to watch their caliber of play, improves the sport and improves everyone's game."

The facility is located at 225 South 500 East Salt Lake City, Utah and the line up for matches can be viewed at the Squashworks website -- www.squashworks.com. Tickets are sold at the tour and matches begin 5:30 PM January 11 with the final at 6:00 PM on January 16.

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An Olympic racer helps Gabriella Le Breton learn to love speed; Pursuits

2010-01-18T05:31:00.001-08:00

I'm nervous because [Graham Bell] doesn't appear to do slow skiing, whereas I don't seem able to do fast. The prognosis, confirmed last season by a grim-faced professional, was bad. Obsessed with technique, I had forgotten how to hurtle down the slopes. "It is imperative zat you go faster," said Patrick Zimmer, founder of Val d'Isere's Top Ski school. "Ozerwise [deep Gallic shrug], you will stay like zis forever..."

"I didn't have to wait long that time," says Bell, which I interpret as a compliment. "How fast did you go?" I ask, peering at the sat nav screen on his armband. He checks his top speed: 98.3kph. No wonder I'm struggling to keep up. Yet remarkably, that's only about half of Bell's top speed on skis - a mind-boggling 193kph.

As we watch the racers, Bell's attitude becomes more upbeat. Of the 68 men who start the race, only 36 complete it. Bellevarde is challenging at the best of times but particularly so when combined with poor visibility and intermittent snowfalls. As Michael Walchhofer, the surprise Austrian victor, said in an interview: "It was very steep and I couldn't see a thing. It's not my kind of slope." Fellow Austrian Bernhard Raich confirmed: "It was scary. I just tried not to hurt myself."

"I'm nervous because Graham Bell doesn't do slow skiing, and I seem unable to do fast" I've made six turns, Bell is out of sight"

As excited skiers file past me on their way to the slopes, I'm waiting nervously at the base of Val d'Isere's Olympique lift. The rendezvous is aptly named, since the person I'm about to meet is Graham Bell, five times an Olympian and eight times British ski champion.

Bell and I are going to ski together today for a few hours, followed tomorrow morning by a race-course inspection ahead of the World Cup Men's Super G, a challenging 1,405m stretch that the pro downhiller can devour in about two minutes.

I'm nervous because Bell doesn't appear to do slow skiing, whereas I don't seem able to do fast. The prognosis, confirmed last season by a grim-faced professional, was bad. Obsessed with technique, I had forgotten how to hurtle down the slopes. "It is imperative zat you go faster," said Patrick Zimmer, founder of Val d'Isere's Top Ski school. "Ozerwise [deep Gallic shrug], you will stay like zis forever..."

I certainly didn't intend to stay like this for another winter, let alone forever. But tackling the icy pitches of the French resort's treacherous La Face de Bellevarde was a bold way to change gear, especially when following in the tracks of a professional adrenaline junkie.

Bell doesn't look, or behave, his age. With lively blue eyes and a lithe physique, the 44-year-old does not seem in the least fatigued by a portfolio career that includes jobs as television presenter (notably for the BBC's Ski Sunday), journalist and Patron of the British Ski Association, to name a few. As we clatter on to the gondola, Bell tells me ominously that he's excited about "running" his 2.10m Super-G race skis - longer and stiffer than ordinary skis, with more sidecut for faster turns.

"I never want to give up thrill-seeking, it would be an admission of getting old," he says. He does admit, however, to being "ridiculously competitive" (Bell's skiing career was often compared to that of his elder brother Martin) before showing me some of his "toys": a new headcam, and sat nav which will monitor his speed on the piste as I trail behind him.

We step out of the gondola at Rocher de Bellevarde and Bell cranks up his boots, straps on his skis and heads for the training piste. He points out the chairlift we'll ride and pushes off. By the time I've made six turns, Bell hasn't made one and is out of sight. I reach the brow of a hill and see a small, black blur moving at pace towards the chairlift.

Once I've caught up with him, I try to excuse my snail-like pace by explaining that this is only my second day back on skis this winter. Bell humours me but looks blank: excuses are not going to wash. I need to speed up.

The second run follows the same pattern. Lining up for another attempt, I think to myself, "third time lucky", and hurl myself off in his wake. Incredibly, I keep him in sight for about 30 seconds. The pistes are virtually deserted in the late afternoon, the setting sun burns orange and I'm skiing really fast. I jump off a lip and whoop in terror and excitement. As I round a corner for the final approach to the chairlift, I see that Bell is still bombing down the piste, not waiting for me. I pull up to the lift next to him, huffing and puffing with exhilaration.

We spend another hour zooming down slopes and, thanks to Bell's relentless energy, I begin to embrace the thrill of speed. My skis bite into the piste, my turns are less frequent and more efficient, giving me the confidence to go even faster.

After dreams of skiing, I rise early the next day with butterflies in my stomach. A blanket of cloud conceals the mountains and the wind whips up snow flurries. It's not ideal weather for a World Cup downhill race. The bitter cold and brooding skies don't make La Face look enticing as Bell and I ride the gondola.

We ski to the start of the course and join a huddle of ski racing's elite, including World Cup champions Bode Miller and Aksel Lund Svindal. The course inspection is not an opportunity for competitors to ski the course but to side-slip down it, examining the topography closely and calculating how to ski it best. The concentration is intense: a minor misjudgment at speeds in excess of 100kph could cost lives.

As we slide down the course, Bell points out the dangerous spots, such as the narrow Passage de l'Ancolie gully, and a particularly tricky "big dive-down right-hander". Racers and trainers earnestly calculate the precise angles their skis should be at to negotiate the slalom gates. Even Bell, once fined for going too fast during a course inspection, looks uncharacteristically sombre.

The inspection takes 30 minutes - the race itself lasts just two. At the finish line I notice two competitors slumped over their ski poles like rag dolls, their hands weaving in the air. Bell explains that they're reliving each twist and turn, using their hands to emulate the movements their feet will make. Watching these powerful men complete their graceful hand dance, I appreciate the combination of strength, finesse and intelligence required to succeed in downhill racing.

We have time for a couple of runs before Bell has the unenviable task of skiing the course first, before the race begins. Carrying one camera, with a further three strapped to him, he'll capture so-called "Point of View" footage for Ski Sunday. It starts to snow and the temperature drops to -13degC. Descending by gondola to watch the race, I look down on La Face: a blue racing line has been freshly sprayed to help the competitors navigate the course in bad light.

Back by the finish line, I shriek excitedly when Bell bursts into sight, but he angrily throws his ski pole to the ground, clearly disappointed. I discover that he missed a gate (for which racers are disqualified), broke his headcam on another gate and nearly collided with an official who strayed on to the course.

However, as we watch the racers, Bell's attitude becomes more upbeat. Of the 68 men who start the race, only 36 complete it. Bellevarde is challenging at the best of times but particularly so when combined with poor visibility and intermittent snowfalls. As Michael Walchhofer, the surprise Austrian victor, said in an interview: "It was very steep and I couldn't see a thing. It's not my kind of slope." Fellow Austrian Bernhard Raich confirmed: "It was scary. I just tried not to hurt myself."

Watching the competitors struggle down the course, I realise how they teeter on the edge of control, if not beyond the edge, throughout the race. For a control freak like me, it's terrifying yet inspiring to watch.

Briefly entering the world of a downhill racer has given me great respect for what these athletes achieve. While I cannot emulate their pace, and do not intend to ski in a permanent state of fear, I will adopt some of their derring-do when I next take to the slopes. Speed and I might not yet be close friends, but, thanks to Graham Bell, we're no longer strangers.

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Waverly-Shell Rock rules J-Hawk again

2010-01-18T05:30:00.006-08:00

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Saturday was just the kind of day Jake Ballweg likes.

The Waverly-Shell Rock senior competed during the day and topped it off with a trip to Iowa City to watch top-ranked Iowa last night in CarverHawkeye Arena.

"A pretty full day of wrestling," Ballweg said.

"I guess I wouldn't want it any other way." Ballweg won the 140pound title, powering the top-ranked Go-Hawks to the team title at the J-Hawk Invitational at Cedar Rapids Jefferson.

WSR claimed its fourth straight championship at the J-Hawk and the fifth in the last six years.

West Delaware, the only other team to win in that stretch, finished second.

Ballweg pinned his way to the final with a first-period fall over West Delaware's Matt Wenger and a 3:35 pin of Marshalltown's Michael Burgos.

Ballweg blanked Benton Community's Class 2A third-ranked Justin Lopata, 8-0, in the final.

"I just try to beat everyone as bad as you can," Ballweg said. "So you have to make sure you're prepared every match to go out to do that." Go-Hawks Coach Rick Caldwell said Ballweg is among the most dominant wrestlers in the state.

He's done the same stuff since he started," Caldwell said. "He's very forceful, tough to score on, he's fundamentally sound, doesn't make mistakes, and if you do that in high school wrestling you're going to win a lot of matches." Top-seeded Tanner Werner (112) and Jordan Rinken (130) won titles for the Go-Hawks. Werner edged Johnson's Stephen Shaffer, 1-0, and Rinken scored a 15-0 technical fall over Johnston's Alex Richards.

West Delaware had nine in the semifinals, and P.C. McEnany (125), 171-pounder Sam Lahr and Adam Reth at 189 reached the finals.

Benton Community's runners-up were Justin Lopata (140), Chase Skoneczka (152) and 160pounder Jeff Toney, who scored pins in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

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TU Recruiting Watch

2010-01-18T05:30:00.005-08:00

Tulsa welcomed eight newcomers who enrolled and began classes on campus this week. Wide receiver Jameel Owens transferred from Oklahoma. Junior college transfers Darrell Zellars (DL) and Milton Howell (ATH) arrived, as did four grayshirts from Oklahoma who signed letters of intent last February -- TE Greg Brown (Bixby), OL Stetson Burnett (Lawton MacArthur), LB Shawn Jackson (McLain) and OL Brian Mincher (Jenks). High school linebacker Donnell Hawkins graduated in December from Copperas Cove (Texas) and is also on campus.

Going through spring drills will be invaluable, especially for Zellars and Howell.

"(Zellars and Howell) are guys that could come in and be impact players," TU coach Todd Graham said. "We don't sign many junior college guys here. We'll have a handful of them (in this class). It's hard to find the fit academically, but we feel good about the ones that we have."

TU also has verbal commitments from junior college transfers Derrick Hall (ATH) and Tyrunn Walker (DE).

The rankings

Rivals.com: tied for fourth place with SMU in Conference USA, 67th overall

Scout.com: seventh overall in Conference USA, 89th overall

Signing day countdown

Tulsa has received 22 commitments this season, with three of the recruits already on campus.

With the grayshirts now on campus, there is only room for one or two more players.

TU will continue to welcome visitors to campus and the final Saturday before the Feb. 3 signing day will be a day for walk-ons to get looks by the coaching staff.

"We are really trying to build the walk-on program," Graham said. "We feel like we offer an opportunity to get a look.

"The walk-on program is something that Coach (Bill) Blankenship has worked and it's been very productive for us. Every year, we've had a couple of (walk-on) kids placed on scholarship."

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The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa., Retail Watch column: Organic clothing store to close

2010-01-18T05:30:00.003-08:00

The Clothesline Organics boutique opened in 2006 as a place for environmentally friendly and sweatshop-free clothing for men, women and children. But the shop, at 101 E. Third St. in Bethlehem, will be closing at the end of this month.

Partners Kim Schaffer and Josh Bushey have decided not to renew their lease.

"We love the shop and love our customers, but it just came to the point that [Josh and I ]wanted to spend some time together," Schaffer said. "I would come home on weekends and somebody had to be at the shop."

Schaffer, 34, has been working for a non-profit affordable housing advocacy group since 2001. The group is based in Washington, D.C., but Schaffer has had the luxury of working remotely from the Lehigh Valley. That was, until the last year, when Schaffer was required to be in Washington. Of course, that's meant weekend trips back to the Lehigh Valley.

Bushey, 29, has been the one manning the store, while also taking classes at Northampton Community College during the evenings.

He's planning to go to college full-time to finish his degree, he said.

"We are very proud of what we have been able to do and we had fun doing it, but we just decided it's time to leave on a good note," Schaffer said.

Clothesline is holding some sales to rid their wares before the shop shutters.

Clothesline sells clothing made of cotton that is grown organically, without pesticides or fertilizers. Designers it carries include Stewart+ Brown and Toggery by Kate D'Arcy.

More Bethlehem closures:

The Art & Drafting Connection, a staple in the Westgate Mall, has filed for bankruptcy protection and closed its store.

The business shuttered in late December, according to Westgate Mall officials. Art & Drafting opened in 2001. Its Web site (no longer available) said the business had 20,000 items that included drafting and office supplies, educational tools, greeting cards and world globes.

Almost everything in the shop is up for grabs at a bankruptcy auction Jan. 27. I attached a link to the auction's detail on my blog.

Also, Five Star Cafe -- which changed its name to Tasty Creations by Five Star Cafe -- in the One East Broad street building has closed again.

The eatery opened in July after the coffeehouse Java's Brewin' closed in April. Five Star shut down in September for a makeover, a menu change and a name change to Tasty Creations.

The place reopened in mid-October and then closed permanently in December, an official for the One East Broad building confirmed.

Five Star, which is touted as family-owned and operated, has a location on Schoenersville Road. That location remains open.

Owners did not return my request for comment.

In other retail news: (More items at http://blogs.mcall.com/retailwatch )

Best Buy will be opening a store in the spring at the former Circuit City building in the Southmont Shopping Center in Bethlehem Township, a Best Buy spokeswoman said.

The Circuit City building has been empty since the electronics retailer went bankrupt and closed all its stores last year.

Best Buy is a Minnesota-based electronics chain that also has locations in Whitehall Township and Richland Township. Best Buy opened a store at the former Circuit City building off Route 22 in Phillipsburg late last year.

This makes four locations for Best Buy in the area. Is the company bolstering its numbers to counter the coming of the electronics and appliance retailer hhgregg? Hmm.

Koffee Day Sandwich has been a mystery to Retail Watch since the eatery began opening locations at former Dunkin' Donuts' spots last year.

It's even more mysterious now that all three of its locations have closed with very few details explaining why. Koffee Day had locations on Route 309 in Coopersburg, Tilghman Street in Upper Macungie Township and Airport Road in Hanover Township, Lehigh County.

I've been trying unsuccessfully to track down owners for awhile. Apparently, Koffee Day has come and gone.

Crazy Jakes' BBQ Pit in Palmer Township has closed.

The place opened in early 2008. Owner Donald "Jake" Trumbore, a native of barbecue-famous Kansas City, Mo., used to have a mobile cart before he went to a storefront operation.

Is Trumbore going back to a mobile operation? Excellent question. It would be even more excellent if I had an answer to that.

As with some other business owners referred to in this column, Trumbore did not return my call.

Former Retail Watch columnist Mariella Savidge also ran into some problems getting in contact with Trumbore when she touted the restaurant's opening in a January 2008 column.

If you're out there, Mr. Trumbore, please give Retail Watch a buzz.

The Bethlehem vintage clothing store UnderWired has moved to 337 Vine St. on the city's South Side.

UnderWired opened in June 2008 beneath the Wired Gallery at 520 Main St. Last January, the store expanded into the space shared with Wired Gallery.

Clarification from last week's column: Carl Billera, owner of the soon-to-open The Burgery Company restaurant on Chestnut Street in Emmaus, was a founding member of Grille 3501, which opened in 2001. Billera is no longer an owner of the South Whitehall Township eatery.

Retail Watch keeps track of new store, restaurant and bank development in the Lehigh Valley. Have a question about a retail construction project, a store opening or a chain you'd like to see come to the area? Call business reporter Tyrone Richardson at 610-820-6779, or e-mail retailwatch@mcall.com. Retail Watch appears every Sunday.

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The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va., Michelle Wolford column: Soup bean dinner set in Masontown

2010-01-18T05:30:00.001-08:00

THE MASONTOWN FIRE Department Auxiliary will hold a soup bean and corn bread dinner from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. today at the fire hall. The free/free-will offering (donate what you want, or nothing at all) dinner includes two kinds of beans (brown or white), two kinds of corn bread, homemade slaw, homemade desserts, coffee and iced tea. The fire department will also hold a Cash for Treasures event from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Several kinds of precious metals, including gold, silver and platinum, coins, watches, broken and scrap jewelry, and diamonds will be purchased. The fire department receives a portion of the proceeds.

Help finish plant ID signs

Looking for a way to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day? Why not join Friends of the Cheat VISTAs (Volunteers in Service to America), Andrew and Emily, for a hands-on project at 1 p.m. Monday at the Friends of the Cheat office in Kingwood. Here's a chance to give back to your community by helping the VISTAs put the finishing touches on native tree and plant ID signs to be installed at the new Doug Ferris Outdoor Classroom near the Cheat River Festival grounds in Albright. Meet at the FOC office, 121 S. Price St. across from the courthouse. Meet new friends and learn about FOC projects over pizza before working on the signs. The project should take about 2 hours. Info: 304-329-FOC1 (3621) or e-mail amiller@cheat.org.

TO SUBMIT items to Preston Footnotes, e-mail mwolford@dominionpost.com, fax to 304-329-3001 or mail or drop them off at The Dominion Post, 121 S. Price St., Kingwood, WV 26537. The deadline is 5 p.m. Thursdays.

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The Buffalo News, N.Y., Allen Wilson column: Allen Wilson: Bills' quest for coach isn't a lost cause

2010-01-18T05:29:00.000-08:00

It all looked so promising for the Buffalo Bills.

When they began this head coaching search, there seemed to be no shortage of candidates. And they even gave us the impression that they were going to swing for the fences and get the biggest name possible.

As it turns out, that was a pipe dream. Once Mike Shanahan and, apparently, Bill Cowher shunned the Bills, they had to set their sights a little lower. So far, that approach hasn't borne much fruit either with New York Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer saying thanks but no thanks to Buffalo.

Bills General Manager Buddy Nix said during his introductory news conference that head coaching experience in the NFL was preferred, but not necessary. While Shanahan or Cowher would have made Bills fans happy, they shouldn't be upset if the team has to settle for a less-seasoned coach.

Hiring a former NFL head coach can be overrated anyway. Watching teams hire the endless line of retread head coaches is tiresome. Such a move closes the door on assistants who are primed for a move up the coaching ladder.

That's why I have no problem with the Bills considering Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and trying to talk to Schottenheimer and Arizona Cardinals offensive line coach Russ Grimm. No one knows if any of them are any good, but the Bills wouldn't be the first or the last team to give an assistant coach a shot.

Besides, we all remember the last time the Bills went for the experienced coach. So how did the Dick Jauron hire turn out?

I've heard veteran coaches like Brian Billick and Jim Fassel bandied about in e-mails and online chat rooms. As far as we know, the Bills haven't contacted either of them. Yes, both have led teams to Super Bowls, with Billick bringing home the Lombardi Trophy. But their resumes don't guarantee success.

Billick is a forceful personality, but he wasn't the same keen offensive mind in Baltimore that he was in Minnesota during the late 1990s. In fact, the Ravens' offenses were mostly average during his watch. He also made several dubious decisions at quarterback. And his Super Bowl championship was due to an all-time great defense.

Fassel had some success with the New York Giants, leading them to the Super Bowl against Billick's Ravens. But things ended badly for Fassel, whose team quit on him and finished 4-12 in 2003, leading to his firing. He has been out of the NFL since 2006 when Billick canned him as coordinator of a Ravens offense that ranked near the bottom of the league during Fassel's three years on the job. He did coach Las Vegas to a UFL championship. That hardly qualifies as a major accomplishment, unless you consider he pulled it off with J.P. Losman at quarterback.

I know Bills fans want to be wowed. They want someone who will excite them enough to run to the ticket counter.

But Mike Tomlin wasn't a sexy hire in Pittsburgh. John Harbaugh didn't excite the masses in Baltimore. Mike Smith didn't generate a lot of buzz in Atlanta. Miami didn't hail the hiring of Tony Sparano.

None of those guys had ever been a head coach, but guess what? All of them have proved to be naturals at the job.

I know the Bills struck out with head coaching neophytes Gregg Williams and Mike Mularkey, but they shouldn't be held prisoner by the past. If the Bills decide that hiring someone who hasn't been a head coach in the league is the way to go, then so be it.

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Storms could bring hail, water spouts and flooding

2010-01-18T05:28:00.001-08:00

Storms could bring hail, water spouts and flooding

Several large storms are headed to Ventura County over the next week, raising concerns about possible flash floods and mudslides.

At least three storms are expected between Sunday night and Friday that could dump a total of 4 to 8 inches of rain on local valleys and coastal areas, and 8 to 16 inches on local mountains and foothills, meteorologists said. Some exposed mountain areas could get up to 20 inches of rain during the next week.

The rain likely will begin Sunday night and will intensify Monday, as the first storm hits. Thunderstorms could hit local areas Monday night and may produce small hail, the National Weather Service reported.

Weather officials said the storms also could bring dangerous surf conditions and coastal flooding, and they have issued a winter storm watch in mountain areas. Water spouts also could be generated in the area as early as Monday, officials said.

The last time the county has seen anything comparable to next week's expected rainfall was January 2005, when mudslides and flooding crippled the county. Authorities are encouraging residents living near flood-prone areas to lay down sandbags before conditions worsen and to quickly report any dangerous or suspicious activity in or around waterways.

Ventura County's search and rescue team is asking people to stay away from moving water during the storms. Only a small amount of water can wash away vehicles and cause drivers to lose control, authorities said.

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