EUROPE NEWS AT 1900GMT

UPCOMING COVERAGE FOR SUNDAY, FEB. 10:

BRITAIN-FILM AWARDS

LONDON _ The British Academy Film Awards, seen as important pre-Oscars bellwether, take place at the Royal Opera House. Arrivals from 1700GMT; winners announced at 2100GMT. AP Photos.

UPCOMING COVERAGE FOR MONDAY, FEB. 11:

EU-EUROGROUP

BRUSSELS, Belgium _ Euro-zone finance ministers join European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso for talks on global market turmoil, credit crisis and economic uncertainty. Starts at 1800GMT. AP Photos.

SPAIN-MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

BARCELONA, Spain _ Mobile technology producers hold Mobile World Congress centered …

TONIGHT on the box

MOTORING shows move up a gear on BBC2 tonight as the channelintroduces two new programmes into its schedule.

The first is Lifting The Bonnet, which should put all dodgy motortraders and garages on red alert.

Its aim, says the BBC, is to expose a number of high-level scamswithin the car trade.

Using a mixture of evidencegathering, some undercover 'stings' andsome of those angry confrontations beloved of investigative TV, theshow looks at various dodges.

These range from the use of fake documentation in the pursuit ofcar crime to the theft of luxury cars for export by criminal gangs.

There's also the growing trade in the number of salvage …

Zone defense

zone defense Win the battle of good vs. bad bacteria with Garden of Life's Primal Defense. This whole-food probiotic blend contains 14 strains of non-dairy, plant-based …

Obama: McCain embracing harmful Bush policies

Barack Obama accused Republican rival John McCain on Saturday of embracing Bush administration policies that he said shortchange Americans by favoring an extended war in Iraq at the expense of fixing the nation's underfunded schools and crumbling roads and bridges.

Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, used a national radio address to trumpet his campaign proposals to end U.S. dependence on foreign oil and to conclude the war in Iraq responsibly "by asking the Iraqis to take responsibility for their future and to invest in their own country."

The Illinois Democrat pointed to a recent Government Accountability Office report that …

US sends firefighting team, supplies to Israel

WASHINGTON (AP) — Obama administration officials say the U.S. is sending firefighters and supplies to Israel to help the country contain the worst forest fire in its history.

Nancy Lindborg, an official of the U.S. Agency for International Development, says a three-person team of expert firefighters is already on its way and should arrive during the …

Terra show offers view of America

A nation's sense of itself lies somewhere between the way thingsreally are and the way its citizens would like things to be. Boththose elements are contained in a new show at the Terra Museum ofAmerican Art, 664 N. Michigan.

"Visions of a Nation," which opens this week, looks at the waypainters from the 19th and 20th centuries have depicted Americanlife. The show mostly features paintings and prints from themuseum's collections. The works cover the period from about 1820through the 1980s.

A series of wall quotes will "explore the myths in words, justas the paintings and prints explore them in images," said Debra N.Mancoff, a specialist in 19th century painting, who …

Puerto Rico seals 2nd win in Olympic qualifying

MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina (AP) — Alejandro Carmona came off the bench to score 19 points as Puerto Rico outclassed Paraguay 101-55 on Wednesday for a second straight win in the Olympic qualifying tournament for the Americas.

Argentina, Brazil and Dominican Republic also bagged second-day victories as the fancied teams moved a step closer to reaching the second round of a tournament that offers two tickets for the 2012 Olympics in London.

Luis Scola top-scored with 18 points in Argentina's 86-51 win over Uruguay, while Brazil beat Canada 69-57 with 17 points from Marcelo Tieppo.

Meanwhile, Al Horford hit 19 as Dominican Republic had a narrow 92-89 win against Venezuela. …

In oil spill saga, mysteries of the deep persist

The impatient nation isn't getting answers fast enough in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster.

What exactly went wrong? Who messed up? How much oil is pouring into the Gulf? Can the oil get to Florida and even up the Atlantic coast? What will the environmental and economic consequences be? Will the chemicals used to disperse the oil leave their own destructive legacy?

As the oil spreads, people on the Gulf Coast, in Washington and elsewhere want answers in a New York minute. But these mysteries of the deep are not yielding easily.

Over three weeks, more than a dozen congressional hearings and scores of hours of witness testimony did not get to the …

Businessman won't fund scholarships

JACKSON, Miss. - Former Netscape Chief Executive Officer JimBarksdale will not create $50 million in scholarships for Mississippistudents because legislators did not fulfill his condition that theyfully fund public schools, his brother told The Associated Press.

"He's not going to fund the proposal because the budget issignificantly short of full funding," Claiborne Barksdale said.

Jim Barksdale didn't immediately return calls Tuesday.

Lawmakers finished the $4.6 billion state budget this weekend. Butthe $2.2 billion approved for elementary and secondary schools was$87.7 million short of the Department of Education's request.

Jim Barksdale, of Jackson, …

Emotional funeral for South Vietnam's ex-leader Ky

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The family of U.S.-backed South Vietnam's former leader Nguyen Cao Ky have paid tribute to him at a tearful funeral in Malaysia.

One of Ky's daughters urged people to remember him as a man who loved his homeland profoundly.

The flamboyant former air force general was prime minister of South Vietnam for two of the most …

Drink of the week: Aperol Spritz

Where you can find it: Quartino, 626 N. State.

The damage: $8.

Thousands of bars in Chicago, why this one? It's easy to fall in love with dining in Italy -- from the blistered-bottom pies topped with gooey mozzarella in Napoli to the al dente pasta served in trattorias nationwide. But on a recent trip to the country, I found the local drink left me even more enamored with la dolce vita. Sure, I swooned over house red wines served by the liter for a mere 7 euros; they had robust flavors that would outshine most bottles you'd shell out 30 bones for at a Chicago restaurant. Oh, but it was my dear friend the Aperol Spritz that left me giddy before I could even crack open my …

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: BARON RADAR SERVICES

AMS 21ST CENTURY CAMPAIGN

AMS is extremely thankful for the support of the AMS Fellowship and Scholarship Program from industry leaders and government agencies, many of whom have been sponsors for a number of years. Baron Services is one such sponsor that has been supporting a scholarship for several years, and we are pleased to recognize that recently they have significantly increased their level of support. In 2007, AMS will award a Baron Services Minority Scholarship, and Baron Radar Services and Baron Advanced Meteorological Systems Freshman Scholarships. We are pleased to provide this opportunity to highlight one of the new Baron sponsors, Baron Radar …

Top Fifty Fastest Growing Companies: Ira G. Steffy & Sons Inc.

Ira G. Steffy & Son Inc. has grown tremendously since its inception 20 years ago. The Ephrata-based company was formed by Dennis L. Steffy and his father, the late Ira G. Steffy in 1976, with the purchase of a local four-man welding shop. The new company boasted three full-time employees and sales revenues of $60,000 in its first year of operation. Since then, the business has not only expanded its focus and purpose, but grown in personnel and revenue.

The company fabricates and erects steel and miscellaneous metals, which include materials for stairways, handrails, mezzanines, catwalks and such. Originally, the business handled only general repair and industrial welding in the Ephrata area. Ira G. Steffy & Son now dispatches crews to projects in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland, and employs 74 people. Although the business went through a tough time in the early 1990s, during a downturn in the construction industry, the company has witnessed steady economic growth and generated 1998 sales revenues just shy of $18 million.

Dennis Steffy says the company's growth can be attributed to hard work and the determination to provide his customers with quality products and services. Jim Bell, corporate controller for the company, elaborates: 'The only way you grow any business is to deliver quality products and services to your customer in a timely manner. if you're doing that within their budget and within their schedule, you develop a reputation for doing that and that will eventually lead to repeat customers and your name getting around as a quality company."

Bouras Industries Inc., a manufacturer of components for structural steel buildings in Summit, NJ., has worked with Ira G. Steffy & Son for 15 years. In that time, the company has come to experience first-hand the quality workmanship the Ephrata business imparts. "It's been a good business relationship, without a doubt, but it's also been a kind of friendship, too," says Tim Day, manager of sales for Bouras, which provides products that Steffy & Son uses for projects. 'The salesmen that I've had involved with their company have always become pretty close with the employees. Dennis Steffy himself has always been active in the day-to-day operations of the company. It's been a very positive experience working with them."

The Norwood Co., a construction management firm with offices in West Chester, Allentown and Harrisburg, has also worked with Ira Steffy & Son on several projects over the last few years.

"We had 13, 14 bidders from all up and down the East Coast, all over the place and they were the most competitive," says Ray Wright, senior project manager for the company. Steffy & Son also proved to be a flexible company to work with, offering extra help when a project fell behind schedule, "They worked with us and brought another erector on board to speed up the erection process so we gained a lot of time back. They worked with us and were very cooperative."

Along with its reputation for quality work, Steffy says recent growth comes from a successful restructuring process he instituted after a slow period in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He says he came to the realization that along with hard work, he needed to find quality project managers and began looking for ways to expand his management team. In finding qualified managers, he tried to make sure everyone in the company fully understood the goals and directions of the corporation. After he was comfortable with the management team he had assembled, he began delegating tasks that allowed each person to work in his area of expertise.

Steffy advises other business people to establish company goals early on and to devise a plan to reach them. He also thinks it's important to make sure all employees are fully aware of these goals and truly believe in the company's mission. After that is established, he says, success is a process of taking calculated risks and working hard to achieve them. He cautions, however, that smart business people recognize their own limitations along the way and get help when they need it.

Sting's playoff hopes die

Coach Willy Roy and his players left the Stadium last night withmixed emotions.

They were glad they defeated the Baltimore Blast 5-4. But theywere disappointed the victory was not enough to prevent the Sting'sfirst elimination from a playoff appearance in six years of indoorplay.

Manny Rojas led the way with three goals for the Sting.Karl-Heinz Granitza had three assists and Ricardo Alonso scored thewinner 12:44 into overtime.

In winning, the Sting caused a three-way tie with the Blast andPittsburgh Spirit for fourth place, the last playoff spot in theEastern Division.

All three teams have 23-24 records. But the Sting waseliminated because the tie-breaker procedures gave the edge to theBlast and Spirit, who play each other for the playoff spot tonight inBaltimore.

The Spirit prevailed in the first tie-breaker by winning itsseason series with the Sting 4-2. The Blast tied the Sting 3-3, butwon the second tie-breaker by scoring more goals over all (three).

The Sting went into the game needing to beat the Blast by fouror more goals to stay in the playoff hunt.

"It's always nice to win," said Roy. "It's certainly nice forthe fans and the players. Unfortunately, this one was a hollowvictory. One that was good for the fans. But for us, it's exit stage right so far as the playoffs are concerned."

"A one-goal victory is good any other night but tonight," saidGranitza, who drew cheers assisting on three goals, including thegame-winner. "Tonight it was not enough for us to win because it did not help us make the playoffs."

"At least it helps us end our home schedule on a positive note,"said Alonso.

"Unfortunately the schedule does not help us in this situation,"said Sting owner Lee Stern. "If Baltimore and Pittsburgh were playingany other opponents (tonight), we would have a chance."

The Blast outshot the Sting 45-26. Sting starting goalie HubertBirkenmeier faced 35 shots, made 14 saves and was named the over-allstar of the game. Victor Nogueira replaced Birkenmeier with 3:08left in regulation, faced 10 shots and made eight saves.

Blast goalie Scott Manning faced 26 shots and made 10 saves.

Alonso started and ended the Sting scoring. After a scorelessfirst quarter, he took a Granitza free kick and blasted it pastManning 14 seconds into the second quarter, the liveliest of thegame.

Blast defender Mike Stankovic tied the game at 7:24, StanStamenkovic assisting. But Rojas' first two goals offset a goal byBlast defender Tim Wittman and enabled the Sting to lead 3-2 athalftime.

Rojas' third goal was the only scoring in the third, giving theSting a 4-2 lead going into the fourth before goals by Stamenkovicand Wittman sent the match into sudden death overtime.

A boarding foul on Sting defender Hayden Knight forced the Stingto kill off a power play 5:16 into the extra session. But the Stingheld until Granitza, Alonso and Rojas put together a three-on-two forthe winner.

Said Granitza, "Alonso deserved the winning goal because of histremendous effort."

Obamas celebrate, at last, on way to White House

President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle capped their historic day with a speedy tour through 10 inaugural balls before retiring, at last, for their first night in the White House.

The Etta James classic "At Last" was the Obamas' song of the evening, crooned by Beyonce at the Neighborhood Ball, the first of 10 inaugural celebrations they attended into the early hours of Wednesday.

The president wore white tie, while Michelle shimmered in a white, one-shouldered, floor-length gown. It was embellished from top to bottom with white floral details and made by 26-year-old New York designer Jason Wu.

"First of all, how good looking is my wife?" Obama asked the crowd of celebrities and supporters.

The president pulled his wife close for a slow, dignified two-step to the song that marked the end of a long day of formal inaugural events and the two-year campaign that put them in the White House.

Obama cut loose in a faster groove a few minutes later, as Shakira, Mary J. Blige, Faith Hill and Mariah Carey sang along with Stevie Wonder to his "Signed, Sealed, Delivered." The song was played at nearly all of Obama's rallies throughout the campaign.

"You could tell that's a black president from the way he was moving," comedian Jamie Foxx joked following the dance.

At most of the balls that followed, the Obamas spent little more than the length of the song greeting supporters and whirling for the crowd. But the two seemed to share intimate moments nonetheless, smiling and laughing as Michelle pulled her dress out of the way.

Director Ron Howard said he sympathized with the long day Obama was having.

"I feel bad for him," Howard said in an interview with The Associated Press at the Western Ball. "He's had a long day and now he has to do seven dances. This has got to be the grueling part for the first family."

Obama and Vice President Joe Biden each saluted the nation's military men and women at the Commander in Chief Ball via satellite. Biden said he wasn't looking forward to his moment on the dance floor _ a familiar refrain throughout the night.

"The thing that frightens me the most (is) I'm going to have to stand in that circle and dance in a minute." At that, he laughed and did a quick sign of the cross.

The Obamas were more enthusiastic, splitting up to dance with Marine Sgt. Elidio Guillen of Madera, Calif. _ who was shorter than dance partner Michelle _ and Army Sgt. Margaret H. Herrera of San Antonio, Texas, who cried in the president's arms.

Despite the formal attire and celebrity entertainment, the balls weren't overly fancy affairs. Lines were long to get in, and the food was heavy on vegetables with dip and cheese cubes.

In a sign, perhaps, of the tough economic times, guests who already paid anywhere from $75 for a ticket to thousands more for a package deal had to buy their own drinks served in small plastic cups. Beer went for $6, cocktails for $9 and champagne for $12.

People were standing in line outside Union Station to get into the Eastern States Ball an hour and a half after it started. Because of very limited seating at the Western ball, a number of attendees in long gowns and fancy dress plopped cross-legged on the floor.

"This is what happens in a down economy. No chairs, no highboys _ it's the floor and plastic cups," commented ballgoer Brig Lawson, 38, of Las Vegas.

At the Obama Home States ball, the dance floor was dominated by two little girls who skipped and twirled in matching red dresses while the grown-ups stood still, crowded around the stage waiting for Obama to appear.

Singer Sheryl Crow was greeted by a cheering crowd later for her appropriate hit, "A Change Would Do You Good." When hip-hop star Wyclef Jean asked the men at the Mid-Atlantic Ball to pull off their tuxedo jackets and swing them in the air to show their support for Barack Obama, thousands did.

At the Youth Ball, Kid Rock belted out songs as well-dressed 20-somethings mingled about. One of them walked up to a bartender, gave him a high five and said, "Barack Obama is president!"

The Obamas, following Kid Rock and Kanye West, got the real rock-star reception and launched into something of an awkward dance, laughing as they swayed. When they were done, the president grabbed a mic and said, "That's what's called old school."

At the Midwestern Ball, he joked that it was time to "dance with the one who brung me, who does everything that I do except backwards and in heels."

And though the mood was celebratory, the reality that the country remains at war hung over the festivities at the Commander in Chief ball and a separate Heroes Red White & Blue Ball.

"Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers today, every day, forever," Obama told troops at the Commander in Chief ball. "Tonight, we celebrate. Tomorrow, the work begins. ... Together, I am confident we will write the next great chapter in America's story."

___

Associated Press writers Nedra Pickler, Erica Werner, Suzanne Gamboa, Laurie Kellman, Kimberly Hefling, Sam Hananel, Samantha Critchell, Ben Feller, Philip Elliott and Ann Sanner contributed to this report.

PROCESS TECHNOLOGY

Catalytic Turbine to Reduce Methane Emissions

Developed by CSIRO (Clayton South, Australia; www.csiro.au), a new technology called Ventilation Air Methane Catalytic Turbine (VAMCAT) is poised to take a sizable bite out of methane emissions resulting in a greenhouse effect equivalent to more than 237 million metric ton/yr of carbon dioxide. These emissions are released to the atmosphere every year from the world's underground coal mines through exhaust ventilation air.

CSIRO and the Australian Greenhouse Office, together with China's Shanghai Jiaotong University and Huainan Coal Mining Group, will construct the first pilot-scale demonstration unit at a coal mine in China. The low-heating-value gas turbine will be powered by about 1 % methane in ventilation air. It will generate 10-30 kW of green power, while also consuming the mine's fugitive methane, which is 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas over a 100-yr time frame. The operational data and experience gained from this unit will then be used to design a second-generation turbine of at least 1 -MW output.

The leader of this project, Shi Su from CSIRO Exploration and Mining, notes that China is responsible for about 45% of total ventilation air methane emissions. "Although gas drainage efficiency in China has increased from 15% in 1998 to 26% in 2004, much of the captured gas is poor in quality," he continues. "It is estimated that more than 70-80% of the drainage gas has a methane concentration of less than 30%, which cannot be used by conventional technologies." While China is the largest source of mine methane emissions, it is also the largest potential market for technologies for mitigating those emissions.

"Once this technology is successfully demonstrated, it can also be applied to the mitigation and utilization of methane from landfills, livestock and combustibles in industrial offgas," says Su.

Catalyst Increases Reformate Yield

UOP (Des Plaines, IL; www.uop.com) has developed a new catalyst that has proven to increase gasoline production in its first commercial application. Dubbed the R-98 catalyst, it is used with the firm's Fixed-Bed Platforming technology, which is used in oil refineries to convert light hydrocarbons into high-octane gasoline. The R-98 catalyst contains a proprietary promoter to boost yields compared to other commercially available catalysts. It is fully regenerable under typical regeneration procedures provided by UOP, resulting in multiple cycles of similar cycle length.

The new catalyst is currently operating in its second cycle at a Hunt Refining Co. plant. "The R-98 catalyst has improved our reformate yield from hydrotreated coker naphtha by about 2% vol.," says Steve Jackson, Hunt Refining Co.'s vice president of refining and transportation.

Are you willing to chance a low-rate mortgage?

No matter what today's conventional 30-year mortgage rate is, howwould you like one that is two points lower? You can probably get aloan that low with an adjustable-rate mortgage, but you have to takesome risks.

It would also help to have a good idea of how long you plan tostay in your home. Like 30-year mortgages, ARMs are hitting recordlows, said Doug Perry, first vice president of the consumer marketsdivision for Countrywide Home Loans in Los Angeles.

A low-rate ARM is definitely the right loan for some people, hesaid, but not for all. To help you decide if you could benefit fromthis type of mortgage, let's look at how an ARM operates.

If you get a conventional 30-year mortgage at 61/2 percent, forexample, that is your rate for as long as you keep that mortgage. Itdoesn't matter where interest rates go because your rate will stay at61/2 percent. An ARM is also a 30-year loan, but the interest ratewill change. Let's look at a one-year ARM as an example. You might beable to get a one-year ARM with a rate that is 2 percent lower thanyou would get on a 30-year fixed. Of course, you might also have topay a point--one percent of the loan--in order to get that rate.

Perry noted that the shorter the term of the loan, the lower therate. That's because it's easier to figure out where interest ratesmight be at the end of one year than it is after two years. Even ifthe lender gets it wrong, there is not as much risk involved becausethe loan will either be paid off or a new interest rate will kick inat a predetermined time.

If you know that you will be moving in a year or two, or eventhree, then it might make sense to go for an ARM and get the lowestpossible rate for the time you will be in the house. One thing tolook at with ARMs is the cap--the limit on how high the rate canclimb and how long it will take to get there. Perry said that withCountrywide, as with most other lenders, there are both caps and loanlimits. At Countrywide the loan rate will never go up more than 2percent in one year, and it will never go more than 6 percent abovethe initial rate.

Let's look at a "worst case scenario," Perry suggested. Let's saythat the current rate for a 30-year fixed-rate loan is 61/2 percent,and you get an ARM for an introductory rate of 45/8 percent. At theend of the first year your rate could go no higher than 65/8 percent,which is close to what you would have paid for the first year on a 30-year loan. The rate, however, could climb to 85/8 percent at the endof the second year.

Let's look at what this means in terms of actual money whencompared with a conventional, 30-year mortgage at 6.5 percent on a$150,000 loan. Your monthly payments (principal and interest only)would be $948.10 per month, which would add up to $34,132 over thefirst three years of the loan. With the adjustable rate starting at45/8 percent, your payments the first year would be $771.21 per month(principal and interest only), but your interest rate could reach 105/8 percent (assuming a 6 percent limit) at the end of three years.During the first three years of the loan, your principal and interestis close to what the 30-year fixed rate would cost, but then youwould begin paying more.

The problem with the ARM begins when your rate is at 105/8 percentand the fixed rate remains at 61/2 percent. It is obvious that themajor savings with an ARM come in the first couple of years when theintroductory rate is low.

Remember, too, that the above was a "worst case scenario." Theinterest rate on an ARM does not necessarily rise the maximum amountevery year. The interest rate usually is based on the interest rateon the 1-year TCM (one-year Treasury bill). If the interest rateremains steady, the mortgage rate will remain steady. If the interestrate goes down, the mortgage rate will go down.

The important questions are what are your objectives and plans?Perry said you should discuss them with your lender. The lender wantsyour business and knows that you will be talking to other lenders soit is in his/her best interests to make the best possible deal foryou.

"There is no one loan that fits everyone," he added. "That's whywe have more than 80 different first mortgage products, and why anumber of them are ARMs."

It is important to shop around, and to watch what rates are doing.Perry points out that rates can change on a daily basis.

"Gone are the days when rates changed once a week," he said.

Some ARMs will hold their introductory rate for two years beforejumping. Others will stay the same for three or four years, and somerates will actually go down for a year or two before they go back up.

If you figure out how likely you are to be in that house in one,two, three or more years, you can figure out what sort of loan youreally want--and it just might be one at 45/8 percent.

Bill Steele is financial editor of Interest.com, a nationalpublisher of mortgage rates and information. Consumers can viewadditional mortgage information on the Internet at www.interest.com.

Iowa tornado rated state's strongest in 32 years

A tornado that leveled half a town in northeast Iowa and killed seven people was the strongest to hit the state in 32 years, the National Weather Service said Tuesday.

Sunday's twister, three-quarters of a mile wide with winds of up to 205 mph, tore a path through Parkersburg and nearby towns. The weather service ranked it an EF5 _ at the top of its scale.

"You just don't see many of these around," said Steve Teachout, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Johnston. "There was nothing to hold that storm down. It just blew up."

The nation's last EF5 tornado flattened Greensburg, Kan., and killed 11 people on May 4, 2007. Iowa's last tornado of that size hit June 13, 1976, in the town of Jordan. No one was killed _ a rarity for storms of that magnitude, Teachout said.

"When you're talking about that strong a tornado, there's not a lot of structures that will save people," Teachout said. "Really, the only thing left of a house is the foundation."

An estimated 350 homes in and near Parkersburg were destroyed Sunday, and another 100 suffered major damage, Gov. Chet Culver said. About 50 people were injured.

President Bush and Culver have declared Butler County a disaster area, freeing up federal and state aid for tornado victims.

Sunday's death toll could have been much worse, said Butler County spokeswoman Holly Fokkena.

A siren was installed about 10 days ago in southeastern Parkersburg _ the area worst hit by the tornado, Fokkena said. Sirens from elsewhere in Parkersburg weren't always audible in that part of town, she said.

(This version corrects that no one was killed, not injured, in 1976 tornado.)

Toray Gets Positive Response at Premiere Vision

Toray Industries, Inc. participated for the first time in Premiere Vision held in Paris in September.

Ryo Murayama, General Manager, Women's & Men's Fabric Department says, "Our exhibits of Japanese-made manmade fiber fabrics with originality gained high evaluations from many visiting house designers in Paris."

Visiting firms to the Toray booth during the four-day exhibition period numbered 300 firms, of which 200 were from Europe, 60 from Asia and 40 from elsewhere. Of the 200 European firms, 60 were from France, 40 from Germany and the rest from elsewhere. By industrial segment, the breakdown of the 300 visiting firms is: 60%, apparel; 30%, textile converter, wholesalers and trading firms; and 10%, designers and conceptors.

Among Toray products, the popularity focused on materials with a clear expression of "Vintage" and "Remix", the trend for the autumn/win ter 2005 season.

Specifically, these are Toray products bearing the trade names of "Artirosa", "UTS" and "Solute Perla". Among other things, "Artirosa" won the highest popularity.

"Artirosa" is high-density super-fine fiber textiles of puffy touch and particular soft feel is produced through deep processing of composite single fiber composed of nylon and polyester. Micropowdery-handfeel beyond natural fiber, which only "Artirosa" can perform, appealed to customer in Premier Vision and made it the best selected item among "Platinum collection".

"Solute Perla" is Toray's newly developed finishing who has natural wavy face with refined luster recalls pearl or real leather under "Re-mix" concept. Producing layers and fine random crush using special polymer on the surface of textiles, achieved not only natural handfeel and modern luster but smooth moist touch.

IN MEMORIAM

JAMES C. FIDLER

1912-2007

PETER E. KRAGHT

1909-2007

No fan rally planned for Texas Rangers this year

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — There's no celebration this year for the Texas Rangers.

Last year, a fan rally followed the Texas Rangers' first appearance in a World Series. This time, having lost the Fall Classic for the second straight year, there won't be one.

The Rangers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games after coming within one strike of clinching the Series twice in Game 6.

Rangers spokesman John Blake told The Associated Press on Saturday that the team decided before the Series began that no party should be held if they lost this year. Blake said the team's expectations were higher, "and if we didn't win, we didn't think it merited it."

Last year, several thousand fans rallied after the Rangers lost to the San Francisco Giants in five games.

Angels 3, Indians 1

Los Angeles			Cleveland
ab r h bi		ab r h bi
MIzturs 3b	4 0 1 0		Carrer cf	4 1 0 0
Aybar ss	4 0 0 0		Brantly lf	4 0 0 0
TrHntr rf	4 1 1 0		ACarer ss	3 0 0 0
V.Wells dh	4 0 1 0		Hafner dh	3 0 0 0
HKndrc 2b	3 1 1 0		CSantn c	3 0 0 0
Trumo 1b	4 0 0 0		Chsnhll 3b	2 0 0 0
Bourjos cf	4 1 2 1		LaPort 1b	3 0 0 0
Trout lf	3 0 0 1		Kipnis 2b	3 0 0 0
BoWlsn c	4 0 0 0		Kearns rf	2 0 0 0
		T.Buck ph	1 0 0 0
Totals	34 3 6 2		Totals	28 1 0 0

Los Angeles	000	011	001—3
Cleveland	100	000	000—1

E_Aybar (7), Kearns (1), A.Cabrera (11), C.Santana (8), Chisenhall (4), LaPorta (7). LOB_Los Angeles 6, Cleveland 1. 2B_M.Izturis (24), Tor.Hunter (16). 3B_Bourjos (7). SB_H.Kendrick 2 (11), Bourjos (12), Carrera (3). SF_Trout.

	IP	H	R ER BB SO
Los Angeles
E.Santana W,6-8	9	0	1	0	1	10
Cleveland
D.Huff L,1-1	5 2-3	5	2	1	0	4
J.Smith	1 1-3	0	0	0	0	2
Pestano	1	0	0	0	0	3
C.Perez	1	1	1	0	1	0

WP_E.Santana. PB_C.Santana.

Umpires_Home, Ted Barrett; First, Brian Runge; Second, Marvin Hudson; Third, Tim McClelland.

T_2:22. A_21,546 (43,441).

Mac rules out Scots job

Former Scotland captain Gary McAllister has ruled himself out ofthe running for the national manager's job.

McAllister had been one of the favourites to replace AlexMcLeish, but the ex-Coventry manager says he does not want it.

McAllister said: "If I'm going back into football, I'd belooking to go into the day-to-day stuff."

AP Weekly Sports Calendar

EDITORS:

These are among the top sports events of the week. Coverage of most of these events will move on this circuit:

FRIDAY, Feb. 18

thru 20, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany — skiing, Alpine world championships.

thru 20, Memphis, Tennessee — tennis, ATP-WTA, Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and Cellular South Cup.

thru 20, Marseille, France — tennis, ATP, Open 13.

thru 20, Buenos Aires, Argentina — tennis, ATP, Copa Claro.

thru 20, Dubai, United Arab Emirates — tennis, WTA, Dubai Championships.

thru 20, Bogota, Colombia — tennis, WTA, Copa Colsanitas

thru 20, Los Angeles — golf, US PGA Tour, Northern Trust Open.

thru 20, New Delhi — golf, Asian Tour, Avantha Masters.

thru 20, Chonburi, Thailand — golf, US LPGA Tour, Honda LPGA Thailand.

thru 20, Naples, Florida — golf, Champions Tour, ACE Group Classic

thru June 18, various sites — rugby, Super 15 regular season starts

thru 20, Stoneham, Quebec — snowboarding, World Cup.

thru 27, Koenigssee, Germany — bobsled-skeleton, world championships.

thru 19, Salt Lake City — speedskating, World Cup

thru 20, Dresden, Germany — speedskating, short track World Cup

Ljubliana, Slovenia — boxing, Dejan Zavek vs. Paul Delgado for IBF welterweight title.

SATURDAY. Feb. 19

Dhaka, Bangladesh — cricket, World Cup: India vs. Bangladesh.

Birmingham, England — athletics, Aviva Grand Prix.

thru 20, Drammen, Norway — skiing, cross-country World Cup

Stuttgart, Germany — boxing, Felix Sturm vs. Ronald Hearns for Sturm's WBA middleweight title.

Panama City — boxing, Anselmo Moreno vs. Lorenzo Parra for Moreno's WBA bantamweight title.

Las Vegas — boxing, Fernando Montiel vs. Nonito Donaire for Montiel's WBC-WBO bantamweight titles.

SUNDAY, Feb. 20

Various sites, Asia — cricket, World Cup: New Zealand vs. Kenya, Sri Lanka vs. Canada.

Los Angeles — basketball, NBA All-Star game.

Daytona Beach, Florida — auto racing, NASCAR, Daytona 500.

MONDAY, Feb. 21

Ahmedabad, India — cricket, World Cup: Australia vs. Zimbabwe.

thru 27, Acapulco, Mexico — tennis, ATP-WTA, Mexican Open.

thru 27, Dubai, United Arab Emirates — tennis, ATP, Dubai Championships.

thru 27, Delray Beach, Florida — tennis, ATP, Delray Beach International Championships.

thru 27, Doha, Qatar — tennis, WTA, Qatar Ladies Open.

TUESDAY, Feb. 22

Nagpur, India — cricket, World Cup: England vs. Netherlands.

Various sites, Europe — football, Champions League round of 16: FC Copenhagen vs. Chelsea, Lyon vs. Real Madrid.

Various sites, Europe — football, Europa League round of 32: CSKA Moscow vs. PAOK Thessaloniki, FC Porto vs. Sevilla.

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 23

Hambantota, Sri Lanka — cricket, World Cup: Pakistan vs. Kenya.

Various sites, Europe — football, Champions League round of 16: Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich, Marseille vs. Manchester United.

thru 27, Marana, Arizona — golf, WGC, Accenture Match Play Championship.

THURSDAY., Feb. 24

New Delhi — cricket, World Cup: South Africa vs. West Indies.

Various sites, Europe — football, Europa League round of 32: Villarreal vs. Napoli, Sporting Lisbon vs. Rangers, Liverpool vs. Sparta Prague, Ajax vs. Anderlecht, Braga vs. Lech Poznan, Dynamo Kiev vs. Besiktas, Spartak Moscow vs. FC Basel, Zenit St. Petersburg vs. Young Boys, Manchester City vs. Aris, FC Twente vs. Rubin Kazan, PSV Eindhoven vs. Lille, Stuttgart vs. Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain vs. BATE Borisov, Bayer Leverkusen vs. Metalist Kharkiv.

thru 27, Maya, Mexico — golf, US PGA Tour, Mayakoba Classic.

thru 27, Singapore — golf, US LPGA Tour, HSBC Women's Championship.

thru March 3, Oslo, Norway — skiing, Nordic world championships.

FRIDAY, Feb. 25

Various sites, Asia — cricket, World Cup: Australia vs. New Zealand, Bangladesh vs. Ireland.

thru 27, Are, Sweden — skiing, women's Alpine World Cup.

SATURDAY, Feb. 26

Colombo, Sri Lanka — cricket, World Cup: Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka.

Various sites, Europe — rugby, Six Nations, Italy vs. Wales, England vs. France.

thru 27, Bansko, Bulgaria — men's Alpine World Cup.

Calgary, Alberta — snowboarding, World Cup.

Las Vegas — boxing, Miguel Acosta vs. Brandon Rios for Acosta's WBA lightweight title.

Merida, Mexico — boxing, Gilberto Keb Bass vs. Jose Antonio Aguirre for Bass' WBC junior flyweight title.

SUNDAY, Feb. 27

Bangalore, India — cricket, World Cup: India vs. England.

Edinburgh, Scotland — rugby, Six Nations, Scotland vs. Ireland.

London — football, League Cup final: Arsenal vs. Birmingham.

Wigan, England — rugby league, World Club Challenge: Wigan Warriors vs. St. George Illawarra Dragons.

Avondale, Arizona — auto racing, NASCAR, Subway Fresh Fit 500.

Fairs, festivals kept things light through the years

While steep slopes, fertile streams and abundant game enticevisitors to West Virginia, so do home-grown celebrations.

Over the decades, at least 200 fairs and festivals have sprungup.

Some, like the Buckwheat, Black Walnut, Pumpkin and numerous rampdays, celebrate harvest and plenty.Others focus on music or competition, like the plethora of art andcraft fairs, the Woodchopping Festival in Webster Springs, VandaliaGathering and Charleston's Sternwheel Regatta.Still others were contrived to enliven slow seasons (Festival ofthe Waters in Berkeley Springs) or to remind people of the state'shistorical significance (Fall Festival Weekend at Prickett's Fort).But why so many fairs and festivals?Catherine Henderson, who wrote the book "Fairs, Festivals &Funnin' in West Virginia," credits the state's mountainous terrain."People met at a crossroads to share their produce or make applebutter," Henderson said. "Because of our topography, there were moreof those. People couldn't travel long distances."It's difficult to assess how long the observances have existed.Many disappeared during the World War II, Henderson said.However, Buckhannon's Strawberry Festival may well be one of theoldest, starting in 1936.And the get-together that draws the most people, the MountainState Art and Craft Fair, happens to be one of the newest.West Virginia tourists certainly flock to holiday activities. Butstate natives who have moved away come back in droves, Hendersonsaid."It seems a lot of these events are particularly milestones forpeople who no longer live in West Virginia," Henderson said. "Likethe Ramp Festival in Clay County. You see an increased number ofout- of-state licenses. West Virginians are loyal, more so thanother people."For a list of state festivals, check the Web site atwww.state.wv.us/tourism/Writer Therese S. Cox can be reached at 348-4874.-30

Buss: Kobe Not Untouchable

HONOLULU - Jerry Buss has already shown that he'll part with superstars. Yet upon hearing that the Los Angeles Lakers' owner would consider trading Kobe Bryant, even Shaquille O'Neal was shocked.

"I guess it's business before loyalty. But, wow. He said that?" O'Neal said Thursday in Miami after learning Buss told reporters he would trade Bryant under the right circumstances.

Buss indeed did, telling three Los Angeles-area beat writers covering training camp in Honolulu on Wednesday that he "would certainly listen" to trade offers for the two-time NBA scoring champion.

"At any time, I think you have to do that with anybody," Buss said, discussing Bryant publicly for the first time since the often-frustrated Lakers' star asked to be traded at the end of last season. "It's just part of the game, to listen to somebody who has a dissatisfied player that you think is going to fit.

"You can't keep too many loyalties. You've got to look at it as a business. He looks at it the same way I look at it."

Buss made his comments to reporters from the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

Before Thursday night's exhibition game against Golden State in Honolulu, some members of the Lakers said they weren't aware of Buss' comments.

"I didn't hear them," Lamar Odom said. "For us, we're players so, you know, I didn't hear the comments myself so I wouldn't know why there would be a different mood or a different feeling at shootaround today."

Forward Ronny Turiaf agreed that the reports did little to affect the team.

"We just play basketball. I really have nothing to say, that's between Kobe and management," he said.

The Lakers won three championships and reached the NBA finals four times in five years before O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat in July 2004. They haven't won a playoff series since O'Neal left, and O'Neal has since helped the Heat win the 2006 NBA title.

"Anyone can be traded, but mine was different because I walked into the office and demanded a trade," O'Neal said. "I don't take loyalty lightly. If you tell me you're going to do something, I expect you to do it. And then when you change your mind without telling me, that means you're disloyal so we can't be down anymore."

Bryant has four years worth $88.6 million left on the seven-year contract he signed a day after O'Neal was traded, but can terminate the deal in two years. That would leave $47.8 million on the table.

"I tend not to think in basketball terms that many years down the road because things change so dramatically, but he could test the waters at that point," Buss said. "If he still is in that frame of mind, then hopefully we can do a sign-and-trade and get some comparable talent. I would like to think that we win between now and then so it doesn't come up."

Following his trade request, Bryant kept a low profile regarding the Lakers until reporting with his teammates Oct. 1 on media day - before the team left for Hawaii. Bryant told reporters that frustration led to his blowup. Otherwise, he said the time had come to move forward.

Buss recalled an offseason meeting in Barcelona when he tried to talk Bryant out of the trade request.

"He listened very carefully for 30, 45 minutes," Buss said. "I tried to explain to him how much the city of Los Angeles loved him, and that to leave 10 million sweethearts for unknown territory might not be the right thing to do. But when I was finished, he said he basically felt the same way. And I said, `OK. With that, I will proceed to see what's available.'"

Buss didn't elaborate other than saying he might have acted on a trade offer that was "within reason."

"You have to get comparable value when you make a trade," Buss said. "It's very hard to trade somebody like him because people who have enough material to make it worthwhile are usually contenders and they don't want to make the trade."

Buss also said he occasionally told Bryant of certain offers, none of which he found fair to the Lakers, and acknowledged frustration at losing out to Boston for Kevin Garnett's services.

"I told him that I would try my best to accommodate his wishes, but that I could not afford to let him go unless we got comparable talent - if there was such a thing," Buss said.

The 29-year-old Bryant is about to begin his 12th NBA season - all with the Lakers.

"Dr. Buss's comments today provided more insight to a conversation we shared in Barcelona earlier this summer," Bryant said in a statement issued Thursday. "I have touched on this conversation and other conversations within the Lakers' organization during the recent months and again at the Lakers' media day. I have nothing further to add and look forward to the upcoming season with my teammates."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said if Kobe stays, he must put the distractions aside.

"My message to Kobe was that if you could play with your heart in this game, on this team, you'll be fine. If you can't, if you have divided loyalties, then you can't do it."

When asked if Bryant is focused, Jackson said, "No, he's not. He's distracted, obviously."

However, Jackson acknowledged Buss must keep to his word to Bryant.

"His first initial statement was that we're not interested in trading Kobe Bryant, but when you have a disgruntled player, an unhappy player or whatever, you have to consider you made that gentlemen's agreement with Kobe and I think that's appropriate," Jackson said.