News To Me

ROME, Italy (AP) -- In a heavily immigrant neighborhood near the main railway station, Ahmed Sohel points dejectedly to the empty computer terminals at the modest storefront where he sells Internet and telephone service.

"Before, I was full of Internet clients, now I have no one left," said Sohel, a gentle, middle-aged immigrant from Bangladesh.

A new Italian law requires businesses that offer Internet access to the public, like Sohel's, to ask clients for identification and log the owner's name and the document type.

Internet cafes also must make and keep a photocopy of the ID and be registered with their local police station, dictates the law, part of an anti-terror package approved after the July terrorist bombings in London.

Many cafe owners say the law has increased their work load and decreased their profits.

"We're selling the store, and in part this is the reason," said Dolores Cabrera, who owns Kokonet, an Internet storefront across town near the Vatican. About half Cabrera's prospective clients either don't have their passport with them or aren't willing to show it, she said.

Enforcement is spotty at many cafes, however, and besides Internet cafe owners and civil libertarians, the law appears to bother only people who fear scrutiny by the authorities, such as illegal immigrants.

Angela De Angelis, a 21-year-old Italian student using an Internet cafe near the Vatican, was dubious about the new law's worth.

"I think it's all right if it serves to protect us, though sincerely, I can't see how it's useful," she said.

Italy is the only European Union country to require Internet cafes to record ID information on clients, said Richard Nash, secretary general of EuroISPA, which represents Internet providers in Europe.

Non-member Switzerland, however, does requires people who go online at Internet cafes to show IDs, according to Robin Gross, of the U.S. civil liberties group IP Justice.

Several Asian countries and cities, most prominently China and including the Indian technology hub of Bangalore, require registration at cafes.

But the leaders of some of those nations tend to be thinking at least as much about inhibiting speech as preventing terror attacks in making the requirement. In Vietnam, Internet cafes also are required to block access to Web sites deemed subversive and pornographic.

The Internet's potential as a terrorist tool was highlighted by the 2002 kidnapping and murder in Pakistan of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, whose abductors used e-mail to issue demands and send photos. However, those messages were traced to a computer in a private residence, not an Internet cafe. Pakistan does not require cafe users to register.

Daniele Capezzone, a leader of Italy's Radical Party that often campaigns on human and civil rights issues, opposes the new law and explains why he thinks it has stirred little debate.

"Two reasons: one, the political class isn't talking about it, and two, the media hasn't shined a light on it," he said.

Internet cafe owners who rely in large part on a clientele that may not be in the country legally are often opting to turn a blind eye.

"Fifty percent of the people who come for Internet don't want to show their document," Sohel said, opening his registry book and pointing to where a few clients among those who used the computers left their names but not their passport numbers. As for successfully photocopying IDs, he said customer compliance is rare.

Giuseppe Italia, whose office at Rome's central police station oversees the application of the new law in the province of Rome, acknowledges that Internet cafes that cater to immigrants might not be complying consistently.

Sabino Acquaviva, a sociologist at the University of Padua who specializes in terrorism, says compliance is indeed haphazard.

"People either won't register their documents, and others will show fake ones," he said. "I think this law is useless."

An added problem is that police cannot sanction violators -- license suspension or revocation are among the stipulated penalties -- unless they have approved a cafe owner's license, Italia said.

As of mid-November, only about 130 Internet cafe operators in the province of Rome had been approved and one rejected by police with more than 950 still pending.

Italia did not return a call seeking updated information this week, but the Internet magazine Punto Informatico reported on its Web site that seven Internet parlors in Florence were temporarily closed last month for not complying with the law and at least one was shuttered indefinitely for not recording clients' names and failing to register with police.

Some owners bemoan another requirement of the new law: They must be able, if necessary, to track the sites visited by their clients. And some bellyache about the added expense. Contents of people's e-mail is, however, supposed to remain private and can only be made available to law enforcement through a court order.

Italy also obliges telecommunications companies to keep traffic data and European ministers agreed last week to require the carriers to retain records of calls and e-mails for a maximum of two years. The European Parliament's two largest groups endorsed the data retention initiative on Wednesday despite complaints from privacy advocates and telecoms, and the full body is expected to adopt a bill next week.

Back at the cafes, there isn't much confidence among workers that such measures could help prevent a terror attack.

"These people caused the Twin Towers to collapse," said Edoardo Righi, a computer tech at a store near the tourist-rich neighborhood of Campo dei Fiori. "They're not going to stop because they can't send an e-mail."

Dolly has Halifax singing '9 to 5'
New music venue may employ 2,500
Thousands attend the groundbreaking for Carolina Crossroads Music and Entertainment District, just off Interstate 95 in Halifax County. Backers promise thousands of jobs.
Staff Photo by Chuck Liddy


Jerry Allegood, Staff Writer
With "I Saw the Light" and a revival's fervor, Dolly Parton and brother Randy on Friday launched a $129 million country music complex that residents hope will be the salvation of a stagnant economy.
An estimated 10,000 people turned out for a groundbreaking of the Carolina Crossroads Music and Entertainment District, just off Interstate 95 in Halifax County. They thronged a stage built on the site of a 1,500-seat theater that will be the centerpiece of the 750-acre complex, meant to compete with Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Branson, Mo.

"I wouldn't have missed this for anything in the world," said Dolly Parton, who brought along a cadre of Grand Ole Opry veterans. "You're definitely going to be in for some great entertainment."

Many hoped they would also be in for some great jobs. Backers say 2,500 people eventually will work at the complex. "It's going to bring much-needed employment," said Freda Sexton of Roanoke Rapids, who held a large "I love you Dolly" sign.

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"It will change the whole face of the community," said Alton Anderson, a Weldon physician.
Roanoke Rapids, a town of about 17,000 near the Virginia border, is on one of the country's busiest interstates. But for years, the region's economy has sagged as residents have seen their jobs shipped abroad. While North Carolina's urban centers have thrived, Roanoke Rapids and other rural areas have seen their young people leave, their downtowns decay and their hopes wither.

Population in what the Census Bureau calls the Roanoke Rapids micropolitan area -- the town and the outlying areas dependent on it -- declined from 79,456 in 2000 to about 77,352 in 2005. Projections had called for a decline of 2.6 percent by 2010.

'Economic engine'

Boosters say that with the addition of motels, stores and recreational activities, Randy Parton's project will become a major tourist attraction and bring in some of the thousands of cars that speed by each day. Some see the entertainment and service industry jobs as a way to overcome setbacks from the loss of textile jobs that largely built the area.

"It's going to break the region wide open," Dan Brown, head of the Roanoke Rapids Sanitary District, said in an interview after the ceremony. "We're going to convert a farm into an economic engine."

He said the area once had about 3,000 textile jobs. "There is literally zero now," he said.

The old textile mills downtown are disappearing. A smokestack stands over rubble around one mill that is being demolished. Several blocks away, the red brick buildings of another are shuttered and silent.

Brenda West, whose family has operated West and Sons Garage across the street from the closed plant since 1976, said the area was bustling with people and traffic when the textile plants were operating.

"People would leave their cars here," West said in the garage office. "That parking lot over there would be full."

Now, she said, there is talk of making the plant site into apartments or condos, another transition from the neighborhoods of small houses where mill employees lived.

Beverly Massey put up a "Welcome Carolina Crossroads" message on the sign in front of her small gift shop in Roanoke Rapids. She said she hoped the entertainment center would bring more people into town and into her shop.

Gladys Mobley, who was helping out in the store Friday, worked at a J.P. Stevens plant for 15 years. She remembers when textile employees kept businesses along Roanoke Avenue bustling. "Roanoke Rapids has been dormant for so long, it needs something to liven it up," she said.

Cheers for Parton

Outside town, Dolly Parton, who has been expertly working crowds since she joined Porter Wagoner's television show in 1967, was hard at work.

The audience politely applauded entertainers including Jim Ed Brown, Helen Cornelius, Jan Howard, Ray Pillow, Jeannie Seely and Billy Walker. Only when Dolly bounded onto the stage did they break into cheers.

She told the crowd she would be on a television program next week with Elton John. "I don't know what kind of dress he's going to wear, but mine's going to be gold and white," she said.

The Partons sang "God Bless America" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" and took turns at the microphone with the other performers for "I Saw the Light."

"It's unbelievable that we're going to be better than Branson, Mo.," Roanoke Rapids Mayor Drewery N. Beale told the crowd.

Staff writer Jerry Allegood can be reached in Greenville at (252) 752-8411 or jerrya@newsobserver.com.

Published November 17, 2004

Show sued over copyright issues
Songs' owners say Branson's "50's At The Hop" used material without license.

Nedra Culp performs at '50's At The Hop' in Branson. A suit filed against the show is seeking $750 to $30,000 in damage for using copyrighted songs without permission.
Nedra Culp performs at "50's At The Hop" in Branson. A suit filed against the show is seeking $750 to $30,000 in damage for using copyrighted songs without permission.
News-Leader File Photo, 2001
By Ryan Slight
News-Leader

Women in poodle skirts and guys with greased hair in a Branson production shouldn't be dancing to "Rock Around the Clock."

The "50's At The Hop" show is performing that and six other copyrighted tunes without permission, according to a federal lawsuit filed by several music companies.

Kansas City attorney Christopher Brandt, who represents the songs' owners, asked U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple last week to restrain the production from using the songs.

Brandt requested damages ranging from $750 to $30,000 per song against Rock and Roll Music Corporation and its president, Krystal Rene Snow, in his complaint filed at Springfield's federal courthouse.

"We've asked them many times to obtain the necessary license and they've refused to do so," said Andy Schaeffer, a New York attorney with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).

Snow referred comment to Branson attorney Hank Griffin, who said he had not seen the complaint this week and could not discuss the allegations.

The "50's At The Hop" show performs more than 50 songs recalling rock 'n' roll music's inception, according to the production's Web site. It is staged at the Jim Stafford Theatre.

Brandt alleged the defendants did not seek or obtain a license agreement for certain tunes with the companies or ASCAP. Some of the companies are owned by Time Warner or General Electric.

The copyrighted songs reportedly performed on July 31 at "50's At The Hop" were "Rock Around The Clock," "It's My Party," "Unchained Melody," "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," "Charlie Brown," "Witch Doctor" and "Are You Lonesome Tonight?"

ASCAP — a membership organization representing hundreds of thousands of music creators — grants businesses a license to perform a wide spectrum of copyrighted music publicly for a fee. The songs' creators get distributions of the proceeds.

License fees vary for theaters based on factors such as seating capacity, the number of shows and ticket prices, Schaeffer said.

ASCAP has licensing individuals go to public venues such as theaters and offer licenses and explain the need for them, he said.

If a theater does not comply, ASCAP will send a private investigator to a performance to get copyright infringement evidence for court, the attorney said.

"Most places in Branson comply with the law and have a license," Schaeffer said. He was unaware of current action against any other theater.

According to ASCAP, there are a few limited venues where permission is not needed for public performances, such as a church. However, churches would need a license if their services were broadcast on radio or television.

The "50's At The Hop" show is not the first Branson production taken to court by copyrighted song owners.

Several sued the Positive Country Theater in 1999 for allegedly using such songs as "Let It Snow" and "Jingle Bells" without permission. Schaeffer was unaware whether that case was ever resolved.

Tourism board plans for future marketing

By Cliff Sain
BDN Staff Writer

It was a four-year struggle to get a new marketing tax approved by voters Tuesday, but now the real work begins.

Kent Turner, chairman of the tourism district board of directors, said he's currently trying to determine when he can get the seven-member board together for a meeting. The board's next step will be to solicit proposals from companies interested in being the tax board's marketing agent. Turner said he hopes that some of the tax money can be used for a winter ad campaign in late 2006.

“The state won't start collecting the tax until next April, so we won't get those funds until late next year,” Turner said. “The plan is to be able to have a 2007 marketing campaign and maybe something for late 2006.”

Turner said the board will most likely want to work on a three-year contract.

The 1-cent sales tax will be collected on businesses within the tourism tax district, which encompasses Branson, Indian Point village, Silver Dollar City and State Park Marina. It was approved by voters who live in the district. It's expected to raise $6 million a year.

Turner said it was encouraging to see that the tax passed with more than 58 percent of the vote. When it was presented to voters in February 2002, it failed with only 42 percent voter support.

“I was optimistically hoping we'd win by a narrow margin,” Turner said. “It surprised a lot of people.”

Turner said a lot of people deserve credit for passage, including several who manned telephones in the final days to get the word out about the tax. But much of the credit he said goes to Ann McDowell, who directed the campaign committee dedicated to getting the word out about why many felt the tax was crucial to the area's future.

“Ann ran an aggressive campaign,” Turner said.

Currently, the city of Branson collects a 4-cent sales tax on hotels and ticketed attractions and a half-cent on restaurants. That tax raises approximately $2.5 million a year that the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce uses to market the area. Turner said the additional $6 million will allow the area to reach more people more often.


“We can go wider, and we can go deeper into our markets,” he said. “Our goal is to attract more first-time visitors. We are convinced that if we can get them here, they'll keep coming back.”

Internet holds only future for newspapers, experts warn


MADRID (AFP) - Newspapers have no future without online and digital services, media executives heard at a World Association of Newspapers meeting in Madrid.

"We are getting the whole organisation ready for a digital future," said Simon Waldman, director of digital publishing at Guardian Newspapers, whose Guardian Unlimited site is by far the most popular British newspaper online site, ahead of The Sun, The Times and The Telegraph.

Within "six to seven years", the group planned to dedicate 80 percent of its time to digital activities, compared to 20 percent at present, Waldman told the conference, entitled "Beyond the Printed Word".

The Guardian's 15 Internet sites, which became profitable this year and are funded almost solely from advertising, command similar numbers of readers in the United States and in Britain.

Meanwhile the Internet arm of El Mundo (Elmundo.es), Spain's second-best selling daily in print, has the highest readership of all online European papers with 750,000 visitors a day, and is the most read title in the Spanish-speaking world.

A digital strategy dating back nearly 10 years has made the site "very profitable" since 2003, with a profit of 1.3 million euros (1.5 million dollars) in 2004, according to Elmundo.es director of development Emilio Plana Hidalgo.

"Digital revenue is serious business ... Online business is a growth business, while newspapers are not," echoed Helmar Hipp, regional director of Austria's Voralberger Nachrichten, which draws 15 percent of its revenue from the Internet and related activities.

The two-day conference was jointly organised by the World Association of Newspapers, the IFRA publishing association and the International Federation of the Printed Press (IFPP).

© Copyright Agence France-Presse. All rights reserved. The information contained In this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of Agence France-Presse.

11/10/2005 13:15
AFP

Divide and prosper
e-mail print

Tuesday, November 8, 2005

By KEVIN G. DeMARRAIS
STAFF WRITER



Last week, Cendant Corp. announced that it was reversing its longtime strategy of diversification by dividing the travel and real estate services company into four separate public companies: hospitality, travel service, real estate and car rentals.

All but travel services, which will be based in Manhattan, will be based in Parsippany.

Hospitality services, which will include Cendant's hotel and time-share operations, will be headed by Stephen Holmes, Cendant's vice chairman and a longtime associate of Henry Silverman, founder and chief executive of a predecessor company, HFS Inc.

The Record sat down with Holmes at corporate headquarters to look at how the company came to this point; how it has emerged from massive fraud perpetrated by executives of CUC International, the company with which it merged to form Cendant; and where the still unnamed stand-alone hospitality division is headed.

Q. You've been with Henry Silverman and HFS from the start. How do you feel about leaving him and beginning this new venture?

It's very exciting, but it's a little bittersweet. We've spent the last 15 years building this company, first as HFS and now as Cendant. It's a phenomenally strong business, great brands in real estate and travel. Now we're disassembling them.

Having said that, I'm very, very excited about the group that I'm going to be with in the future, the hospitality group. It's something I've been involved with since Day One, and was probably part of the driving force to bring timeshare into Cendant.

When we started HFS, I was the CFO, so most of the deals that were done ... before we merged with CUC were deals I was involved in. It is a little bittersweet to see them go.

But for this to work for the shareholders, the best thing to do is to align the businesses as we've aligned them.

Q. What did you learn from him?

To focus on what's important. Henry is a master at keeping the focus where it needs to be to successful ... on our customers and our employees. Along the way, we have to make sure that our shareholders and bondholders are kept in the front of our minds.

No. 2, and it probably should be No. 1, is his incredible integrity, incredible honesty. We lived through the darkest of times when we merged with a company and found fraud. Henry didn't hesitate for a heartbeat to raise his hand and say we have a problem, as difficult as that was for us to do.

Q. What's going to be different?

By being in one industry, you can be very focused. I think that will give greater intensity to the effort of this public company toward that industry, and it will give more clarity to the shareholders.

They will know exactly what we stand for. We are a hospitality business in hotel and timeshare, just like Marriott, Hilton, Starwood and other big players.

Q. Much of Cendant's growth was through acquisition. Is that part of your strategy?

I don't think our model has changed at |all. We're very disciplined. We didn't go chasing Wyndham at too high a price. We waited until the situation was right to be able to buy |it.

Will we be doing deals in the future? Absolutely. I think we'll be looking at them. We'll be extremely disciplined as we we've been in the hotel group in deciding when was the right time to buy Wyndham.

We had been looking at that biz for seven years.

Q. How does hospitality compare with the time-share group?

The time-share business is the larger piece of the hospitality business, about 60 percent. Time share is growing at a compound rate of about 15 percent over the last 10 or 15 years. It's the fastest growing segment of the hospitality industry.

You've probably heard of some of the big players, Marriott and Hilton, are in it, but we actually have more members in our clubs than anyone else.

Q. The industry has received negative publicity because of high-pressure sales. Is that a problem?

It's an old problem that isn't a prevalent as it used to be. Most of the big players in the marketplace right now are quality operations, like ourselves, Disney, Marriott, Four Season, Ritz-Carlton. When companies like Marriott or Disney got into it, they really changed the way the product is sold; they changed the perception.

What you're referring to is the old land sales back in the Seventies, land that didn't exist or swampland in Florida. That was more of the early cowboys in the industry.

Q. What plans do you have to grow the business?

We're constantly adding new product. We're building somewhere in the neighborhood of $400 [million] to $500 million worth of product every year. We're building in Las Vegas, we just converted a product in Atlantic City from long-term condominium to time share. We just bought a development out in the Poconos within the last several months ...

We built this business by first buying Fairfield Resorts ... We could buy other businesses down the road. We're not afraid to look at opportunities.

E-mail: demarrais@northjersey.com

6812529

By Cliff Sain
BDN Staff Writer

Law enforcement officials stress that car owners can prevent many of the car thefts in the Branson area.

Hollister Police Chief Darren Parker said that since arriving in Hollister more than a year ago, he has been surprised at what he deems a "rash" of stolen vehicles in the area. He said that through July, the Hollister Police Department had reports of 11 stolen vehicles. He said that last week, a maintenance vehicle was stolen from the Hollister School District. The good news, however, is that it is easy for motorists to guard against theft.

"In the vast majority of cases, everything was left unsecured," Parker said. "I'd say that in about 50 percent of the cases, the keys were left in the car."

In Branson, 30 cars had been stolen through September. That pace is consistent with 2004 when 31 cars had been stolen through the same period.

Although some locked cars do get stolen, Branson Police Chief Caroll McCullough said the majority of cases could be prevented.

"Don't make it easy for these people," McCullough said. "Lock your vehicles."

In Branson's most recent case, a 1998 Toyota Corolla was stolen Tuesday from behind a Branson shopping mall while the owners were inside the mall. It was recovered Friday in a Branson hotel parking lot.

"We were only in about 20 minutes," car owner Jessie Estrada said. "My digital camera, my wallet and our cell phones were still in the car."

She said the department told her that video surveillance had shown a person approach the car from a field and enter through the passenger side.

"I love that car," she said. "It's almost paid off."


McCullough said that as with Estrada's car, most cars that are stolen are eventually recovered. However, Estrada was lucky in that the car was still in good condition and most of the valuables inside were still there.

"A lot of them we'll find abandoned. We'll find them in other states, wrecked or in a traffic stop," he said.

Parker said that, while the chances of a car being stolen are still unlikely, an even bigger concern for most people should be theft of items inside a car.

"That's almost a daily occurrence," he said. "These are crimes of opportunity. If the owner will take a second to clear valuables from view and lock their doors, that would take care of the problems."

Story created Nov 05, 2005 - 09:16:55 CST.

US Loses Position As World's Internet Leader


The English market is about to take a major hit and lose its ranking as the world’s internet leader to the breadth of language markets surfing online by the year 2007.

New York, NY (PRWEB) October 19, 2005 -- The US online market is about to take a major beating, as it loses its position as the world’s leader in e-commerce to the conglomeration of Asian and European countries booting up and building online, a recent study released by Universal Engine, a leader in multilingual online marketing, shows.

With the expansion of broadband in foreign markets and with the UN’s persistent push to bring the world Internet access, the English market is about to take a major hit and lose its ranking as the world’s Internet leader to the breadth of language markets surfing online by the year 2007, the report states.

In the year 2001, 43 percent of the Internet was made up of English speakers. But, as the Internet continues to become more global, English speaking surfers are being dominated by the Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and German online populations.

In 2004, English surfers dropped to 35.2 percent, and by 2007 it is predicted to make up only 26 percent or 1/3 of the total Internet population down from about 2/3, in 5 years the study revealed. Currently, 1 billion people are online.

Bill Hunt, co-author of the forthcoming book “Search Engine Marketing, Inc.” to be published by the IBM Press, wrote, “Search Engine Optimization has become one of the most popular and effective forms of marketing available to a global company. According to a recent report, nearly 60 percent of all searches are done in languages other than English.”

The UN’s efforts to expand the Internet are bringing in astounding results and threatening US e-business’ grasp on the Internet. With 1 million new Internet subscribers a month in China (soon to be about 200 million Internet surfers or only 9 percent of the total Chinese population, with an annual growth rate of 18.6 percent), it’s no wonder search companies believe it will soon become their main source of income over the English US market.

E-businesses have turned to translation and multilingual search engine optimization companies to help them adapt to this shift in the online market. Trying to tap into the Asian market, Yahoo! recently bought Alibaba, a Chinese website similar to eBay with its own PayPal-like system called “Alipay” for $1 billion, or roughly 40 percent of the company, Google bought a $70 Million stake in Baidu.com, a Chinese search engine, and eBay launched a Chinese version of their English-based mega-site.

But, the Chinese market is not the only threat to US Ecommerce, so shows Universal Engine’s study. The Japanese market is surging at an annual growth rate of 12 percent or 100 Million surfers, and the Spanish online population will rack up roughly 100 Million users by the year 2007. The Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and German online markets outweigh the English market by 3 times.

“The development of these language-specific markets is major news that will have a rippling affect across US e-businesses, as the US loses its position as the world’s online leader,” said Dr. Eli Goldstein, co-founder of Universal Engine. “From this study, it is evident that the US is slipping from being the world’s leader. If American-based e-businesses want to survive during this shift, they are going to have to adapt with the ever-changing, multifaceted internet or be stomped out by their multilingual competitors.”

Dennis Wagner
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 20, 2005 12:00 AM

A Gilbert man convicted of defrauding time-share owners was sentenced Wednesday to more than eight years in prison for bilking about 2,000 victims.

Ingo Melvin Rewald, 51, was ordered to serve the prison time by U.S. District Judge Frederick Martone after pleading guilty in April to mail fraud, according to federal prosecutors.

Rewald admitted that from 1998 to 2003 he operated three companies - Aventure-Time-Marketing, TimeShares-R-US and Condos-R-US - in connection with the scam.

Using an assumed name, Rewald contacted victims and told them he would connect them with a buyer for their time shares in return for a $395 finder's fee. There were no buyers, and he collected the funds via postal boxes.

For sentencing purposes, the judge ruled that Rewald had taken in up to $1 million. The defendant was ordered to pay $264,412 and serve three years of probation.

Past littered with plans that fell through

Branson's dramatic growth has been tempered by developments that never came to pass.

Kathryn Buckstaff
News-Leader

The Branson area has steadily grown as a tourism destination since the turn of the 20th century. But in 1991 came unprecedented national attention: In late August, it was a story in Time magazine. Next came mentions in People, the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal.

But what really lit the fire was on Dec. 8, 1991, when "60 Minutes," the most watched show on national TV, did an appealing segment with show host Morley Safer. He called Branson "the live country music capital of the universe" and "a wonderful nowhere, a cafe, a five-and-dime, 3,000 people, and it gets 4 million visitors a year."


Engler Block
Nationally known entertainers and entrepreneurs came in waves. Within the next two years, the number of theaters, hotels, restaurants and visitors doubled. In 1993, the value of new construction hit $119.5 million, a record likely to be broken this year.

The Branson area has seen dramatic growth over the past 15 years, but not everything that was announced came into being.

Here are some past projects — and what has happened on those sites.

1992

# Branson South was planned for 1,600 acres south of town. Developer Chuck Wofford announced plans for luxury hotels, a 10,000-seat conference center, five theaters, a shopping center, golf courses and homes. After the topsoil was torn off, financial backers were never found. Some of that property has now been purchased by the Argonaut Group. Its plans include a golf course, homes and condominiums and retail.

# Texas developer Ed Logan proposed a theater, 540-room hotel and 1,000-seat restaurant called "Logan's Branson Station" on 14 acres near the Grand Palace. The land is still vacant.

# The Gatlin Brothers Summitt on Forsythe Road near the Grand Palace was to have included two theaters, a hotel and restaurant. The developer was Global Productions Inc. of Dallas. The land is still vacant.

# Merle Haggard's management announced that Haggard would build a theater in 1993. He shared the stage with Willie Nelson at what is now Yakov's American Pavilion during the summer. Neither entertainer returned after that.

# Johnny Paycheck announced that investors would buy him the Foggy River Boys theater. The theater was torn down the following year. Paycheck played only a few dates in Branson.

# A monorail was supposed to cure serious traffic woes. The bullet-shaped cars were to be elevated along Missouri 76. But the city balked at the $5 million-per-mile price tag. The California engineers went home. Now, the city has commissioned a traffic study to look into monorail transit and search for grants that might be available.

1993

# The highlight of proposals was Heartland America, a 265,000-square foot enclosed mall anchored by a major department store with cinemas and restaurants. The development on property owned by the Presley family also was to include three hotels, a 3,000-seat theater and office complex. Disputes between investors nixed the project. A time-share condominium project by Marriott now occupies some of the property.

1994

# This was the year of convention centers that didn't happen. Three were proposed, including one by Springfield's John Q. Hammons that was to have been located behind the Grand Palace. Springfield developer John Swanson and Californian Robert Psenka also asked the city to help with funding. The city said no to all three. The city of Branson will break ground this month on a city-owned convention center on the downtown lakefront.

# Knott's Berry Farm, a Southern California staple, took a look at Branson, but it never took shape. The proposed site is now the location for The Shoppes outlet mall.

# "Hello I'm Gellatin" was to be the first franchise of an all-Jell-O take-out restaurant developed by Charles Shamoon of Atlanta. He said he was devising special Branson dishes including "M-M-Mel-o-Jell-O," named for stuttering Mel Tillis.

# Sun City, one of the nation's largest developers of retirement communities, did preliminary studies for a Branson location.

# Former Chrysler Corporation Chairman Lee Iacocca announced plans for a golf course and resort hotel in Branson Hills. Iacocca never came back, but a Colombia developer is now building Branson Hills Plaza with a Target and Home Depot. An Alabama-based consortium also plans a golf course and homes on the property.

# Camelot came and went. After three weeks of operation, owners of the renaissance theme park near Blue Eye fired the 65 employees and left the area. The development was apparently headed by 14 investors including Chuck Wofford, who tried unsuccessfully to develop Branson South in 1992.

CIA Holds Terror Suspects in Secret Prisons
Debate Is Growing Within Agency About Legality and Morality of Overseas System Set Up After 9/11

By Dana Priest
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 2, 2005; Page A01

The CIA has been hiding and interrogating some of its most important al Qaeda captives at a Soviet-era compound in Eastern Europe, according to U.S. and foreign officials familiar with the arrangement.

The secret facility is part of a covert prison system set up by the CIA nearly four years ago that at various times has included sites in eight countries, including Thailand, Afghanistan and several democracies in Eastern Europe, as well as a small center at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, according to current and former intelligence officials and diplomats from three continents.


In Afghanistan, the largest CIA covert prison was code-named the Salt Pit, at center left above.
In Afghanistan, the largest CIA covert prison was code-named the Salt Pit, at center left above.

The hidden global internment network is a central element in the CIA's unconventional war on terrorism. It depends on the cooperation of foreign intelligence services, and on keeping even basic information about the system secret from the public, foreign officials and nearly all members of Congress charged with overseeing the CIA's covert actions.

The existence and locations of the facilities -- referred to as "black sites" in classified White House, CIA, Justice Department and congressional documents -- are known to only a handful of officials in the United States and, usually, only to the president and a few top intelligence officers in each host country.

The CIA and the White House, citing national security concerns and the value of the program, have dissuaded Congress from demanding that the agency answer questions in open testimony about the conditions under which captives are held. Virtually nothing is known about who is kept in the facilities, what interrogation methods are employed with them, or how decisions are made about whether they should be detained or for how long.

While the Defense Department has produced volumes of public reports and testimony about its detention practices and rules after the abuse scandals at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison and at Guantanamo Bay, the CIA has not even acknowledged the existence of its black sites. To do so, say officials familiar with the program, could open the U.S. government to legal challenges, particularly in foreign courts, and increase the risk of political condemnation at home and abroad.

But the revelations of widespread prisoner abuse in Afghanistan and Iraq by the U.S. military -- which operates under published rules and transparent oversight of Congress -- have increased concern among lawmakers, foreign governments and human rights groups about the opaque CIA system. Those concerns escalated last month, when Vice President Cheney and CIA Director Porter J. Goss asked Congress to exempt CIA employees from legislation already endorsed by 90 senators that would bar cruel and degrading treatment of any prisoner in U.S. custody.

Although the CIA will not acknowledge details of its system, intelligence officials defend the agency's approach, arguing that the successful defense of the country requires that the agency be empowered to hold and interrogate suspected terrorists for as long as necessary and without restrictions imposed by the U.S. legal system or even by the military tribunals established for prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay.

The Washington Post is not publishing the names of the Eastern European countries involved in the covert program, at the request of senior U.S. officials. They argued that the disclosure might disrupt counterterrorism efforts in those countries and elsewhere and could make them targets of possible terrorist retaliation.

The secret detention system was conceived in the chaotic and anxious first months after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, when the working assumption was that a second strike was imminent.

Since then, the arrangement has been increasingly debated within the CIA, where considerable concern lingers about the legality, morality and practicality of holding even unrepentant terrorists in such isolation and secrecy, perhaps for the duration of their lives. Mid-level and senior CIA officers began arguing two years ago that the system was unsustainable and diverted the agency from its unique espionage mission.

"We never sat down, as far as I know, and came up with a grand strategy," said one former senior intelligence officer who is familiar with the program but not the location of the prisons. "Everything was very reactive. That's how you get to a situation where you pick people up, send them into a netherworld and don't say, 'What are we going to do with them afterwards?' "

Ernie Raney hails from Dogpatch USA

Monday, October 31, 2005 10:50 AM CST

Written by: Chris Houston, LCL staff writer

BROOKFIELD - While scores of baby boomers have been to the place from which Brookfield R-3's Elementary Principal came, few of them have made his epic journey from the stereotyped hollows of hillbilly semiliteracy to the summit of formal educational attainment.

Ironically, although his ancestral home was constructed so deep within a rural "holler" its television could only receive one station, the local public school administrator learned some of life's most fundamental lessons sitting atop "a bluff that overlooked the entire park."

Ernie Gene Raney was born and raised in Dogpatch USA, a theme park developed within a thousand acre tract of Ozark splendor and based on a comic strip that satirized Northwestern Arkansas's threadbare hill folk.

In a day before political correctness would have otherwise hushed cartoonist Al Capp's humorous tales of simple-minded caricatures like Li'l Abner, Ernie was more interested in exploring nature than lingering around Dogpatch's man-made amusements.

"What do you do for fun as a boy in the middle of a theme park?" he asks already knowing the answer full-well in his heart. "Well, I enjoyed riding the train and seeing the skits hillbilly characters like Mammy and Pappy Yokum and Daisy Mae and Abner would put on, but I realized they were real people just playing fictional characters, doing a job and leaving the park to go home somewhere else when they were done."

As Ernie explains, the true joy was to be had after the theme park shut down for the day.

He recalls, "You would walk through the silence of the woods and hollows, and it was then that the natural sounds would reveal themselves."

Describing the vast expanses around the park that were never tamed and commercialized, Ernie continues, "There were two streams flowing through the park, and one came out of the mouth of a cave. You could sit on this big rock at the mouth of that cave, getting cooled on warm summer evenings by the mist that would blow out. Then I would go down to this waterfall called Marble Falls, watch the rushing water and immerse myself in the total feeling of freedom and wonder."

Reflecting on his beginnings that were humble but free of want, Ernie says, "We didn't have name-brand clothes or fancy cars. We could rarely eat out and only went on one vacation I can ever remember, but we had so much of what nature could provide us... And we had each other."

Explaining "there are some things you just feel that provide you with support your whole life," he says he and his kid brother, Scott, "had a love-hate relationship" but shared many memorable adventures in their Ozark paradise.

"In the summer,' Ernie recalls, 'he and I would inflate our [rubber] raft and float down the big stream...We would catch crayfish, pull their tails off and boil them. Not a meal fit for a king, just a few victuals that also made great bait for catching trout. And in the winter until well after dark, we would sled down the ice-covered hill the stream would freeze into, the steel sled rails throwing sparks like Halley's comet when they would strike rock."

He continues, "We didn't have backup electricity and our little two-bedroom house was heated by a wood stove. When it snowed a lot and the power went out, the fireplace, wood stove, and candles worked just fine."

Ernie remembers cutting wood every weekend, his dad, Ernest, wielding the axe while he tossed cut logs into the bed of their truck and his brother stacked them, singing all the while. "Dad and I would try to keep the pace brisk to distract Scott from his singing," he recalls.

In the idyllic wilderness of their childhood, Ernie and Scott explored every cave, hill, and hollow, narrowly avoiding the peril of falling into one seemingly bottomless sinkhole and crawling through forbidden subterranean dens to collect ancient Indian arrowheads and "soda straws" (stalactites).

Other potential dangers included a few bears and a mountain lion only glimpsed on occasion. "We didn't really worry about them," says Ernie. "We belonged there with them. It was our home."

Always more intrigued as a boy by what he could find off the beaten path than by what attracted tourists to the developed area of Dogpatch, the now-grown elementary school principal observes, "The whole art of teaching a child involves gaining access to the backroads of his heart and mind, allowing him to be what he is and waiting to help him take that next step when he is ready."

That sentiment hearkens back to the educational romanticism of philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau as well as the importance of schooling Ernie's own father patiently stressed during his formative years.

Like the naturalism that permeated the principal's boyhood, the "state of nature" the 18th Century philosopher equated with childhood has provided the educational foundation upon which the biography of the Ozark lad and the history of all modern children-at least in the Western world-has been built.

Modern American educators from John Dewey forward have taken account of Rousseau's admonition to allow a child to be what he naturally is at his present stage of development, and that lesson hasn't been lost on Ernie Raney.

Never straying far from his roots, Ernie still often returns to the hills of his fabled childhood.

The remnants of Dogpatch, the theme park, rest silently in ruins after years of disuse. Gone are the tourists. Gone are Lonesome Polecat and Hairless Joe, although the cave where they were supposed to have brewed Kickapoo Joy Juice can still be found there.

But what is left of the old attractions that have since been eclipsed by more technologically sophisticated parks like those at Six Flags and in Branson aren't important to Ernie.

"I like to take my boys to see the clubhouse my brother and I built by stacking limestones and the bluff my granddad once fell off of," he relates. "I want them to see the land my family homesteaded, the place where I couldn't imagine living right next door to someone with a tiny yard."

The boy reared in the lap of so-called hillbilly ignorance-the man who has since earned five college degrees, the principal who is presently leading the way in implementing a literacy improvement program at Brookfield R-3-is still carefree when he pauses at memory's doorway to the past.

"I have consumed myself with work as an adult," he confesses. "But all that labor has helped me appreciate the freedom to play I had as a child in Dogpatch."

Branson, land owner grapple in eminent domain case
By Dee Dee Nilsen
Springfield Business Journal Staff
10/28/2005
The city of Branson is stepping in to expedite negotiations between Branson School District and the owner of property that district officials have their eyes on.

The Branson Board of Aldermen Oct. 24 gave initial approval on first reading of an ordinance that would begin the process power of eminent domain for the creation of a road requested by the district.

The district has been searching for several years for a solution to traffic congestion and the resulting safety hazards surrounding Cedar Ridge Elementary School, said superintendent Doug Hayter. Earlier this year, the district opted to create a second access to the school by building a road west of it that turns northward and connects with Highway 248 at Gretna Road.

“We’ve looked at numbers of options around the campus, we’ve talked to several land owners and after years of looking at it, that’s just about the only and best option we have at this time,” Hayter said.

However, there’s a catch. Branson resident Darrell Ledbetter owns the land and a golf driving range on the property where the road is to be built.

Hayter said negotiations to acquire the land have been ongoing for several months, but Ledbetter said he’s waiting for an offer to be made.

“To me, a negotiation is where they offer you $5, you say no, I’ll take $20, and they offer $12,” Ledbetter said. “There hasn’t been anything done like that yet.”

David Miller, Branson city engineer, said the city had included the new road in its master plan at one time and met with Ledbetter on several occasions. The project has since been dropped from the city’s list of priorities, Miller said, and the school district has taken it on.

The major holdup in negotiations is the determination of the road’s location, Hayter said.

“I told them in the beginning I had no objection to the road being built, but I would like to have it built to where I could save the business I have on the property,” Ledbetter said.

Miller said that, even in early negotiations, plans for the road have always put it through Ledbetter’s business because avoiding it would pose driving risks.

“The only way to avoid going through the golf driving range would be to put an extremely sharp turn in the road, go a short distance and put another extremely sharp turn in the road,” he said. “All the curves wouldn’t meet the ability for cars to drive around at a safe speed – you just physically can’t do it.”

If the district and Ledbetter do not come to an agreement by the board’s Nov. 14 meeting, the eminent domain ordinance will go up for a final vote.

CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU
The buzzards are swarming to pick at the pieces of New Orleans culture left in the ruins
Friday, October 28, 2005
By Chris Rose

This is only my second column here in the esteemed pages of Lagniappe but I fear it may be near my last.

The reason is not what might seem obvious: Poor job performance.

No, the real reason is that, in a matter of weeks, there, in fact, will be no events to report in these pages. No sports. No festivals. No parades. No music. No food listings.

It appears that while this city drowns under water, negligence, helplessness and poverty, the civic scavengers from other states are circling around us, trying to pick at the rotting corpse that is New Orleans.

The most obvious culprit is the sleazy and verbose mayor of San Antonio, Phil Hardberger, whose gleeful dance over our communal devastation almost makes Tom Benson look like a nice guy. He says the Saints belong to his city now. Done deal. And he's probably right.

Then, of course, the wags in Las Vegas announced that they would be happy to host Mardi Gras this year and why not? Since that city has done its best to turn New York City, Paris and Venice into theme parks, why not let them have the greatest free show on Earth?

Problem is, nothing in Vegas is free -- unless you lose a fat wad at the craps table and then they give you some steak and eggs for breakfast.

I just want to see the looks on the Vegas high school band tuba players when somebody tells them they have to march six miles every night for three weeks.

And then we have Austin, Texas, which will be hosting the Flaming Arrows Mardi Gras Indian celebrations next year. An event, which I can only assume, will be steeped in the grand themes of typical Indian parades -- culture, history, neighborhood, family, corner bars and go-cups.

If the Indians thought they had trouble with New Orleans cops, wait until a couple of Spy Boys get liquored up and start blocking downtown traffic in their beaded finery.

Iko, Iko, pod'ner, and off to jail we go.

And Galatoire's is opening in Baton Rouge. Personally, I can't imagine a city that is in more need of a four-hour Friday lunch consisting of a Godchaux Salad and seven martinis. But, are you kidding me? Galatoire's in Red Stick?

What are they going to take from us next? Certainly there's more of the carcass left. For instance, contrary to the graffiti on his house that says "R.I.P. Fats," it turns out that Fats Domino is, in fact, still alive, so certainly Branson, Mo., ought to come down here and scoop up the Fat Man so he can join Mel Tillis and the Captain and Tennille up there on the strip.

I hear that folks in Topeka are going to start burying their dead in above-ground mausoleums as a way of boosting their tourist industry.

And since the brimstone ministers tell us it was New Orleans' accommodation of gay citizens that caused the hurricane in the first place, maybe we'd better send Southern Decadence abroad as well.

I'm picturing Salt Lake City for that one.

Just who the hell are these people who are trying to pick and choose among our cultural touchstones and lay claim to them in their towns?

I mean, some are just plain stupid; I give the Baton Rouge Galatoire's eight months survival, a year at most. I mean, are there really enough alcoholic former queens of Carnival in Baton Rouge to keep that place afloat?

As for San Antonio: It's galling. I know you probably think so, too, so I'm doing the public service of giving you the mayor's phone number so you can apprise him of your thoughts on the matter.

It's (210) 207-7060. In case you're stuck in the '90s, the fax is (210) 207-4168.

Give Phil a call. See what else he needs from us. Like, maybe a Ruth's Chris Steakhouse? Or maybe the carousel from City Park. Or, what the hell -- why not see if he just wants to come over and cart that whole damn park away and put it on the Rio Grande.

Bam!

Oh, that reminds me: They can take that guy, too. What the hell. As long as we've got our front stoops, a couple of guitars and some Abita Amber, I guess we'll be OK.

Or did I just hear that Miller bought Abita?

Anyway, that's the end of my rant. My time here is done. That's because the Las Vegas Sun is going to start publishing Lagniappe in its paper starting next Friday.

So thanks for all your support for all these years and hopefully our paths will cross again some day. Say, maybe next week at the Bridge City Gumbo Festival in Tuscon.

. . . . . . .

Columnist Chris Rose can be reached at chris.rose@timespicayune.com; or at (504) 352-2535 or (504) 826-3309.

Yahoo Moves Into the Hot Zone

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By Kim Zetter | Also by this reporter

02:00 AM Sep. 16, 2005 PT

Yahoo's latest online news project is called "The Hot Zone" and is billed as a much-needed look at war-torn regions that have drawn scant mainstream media coverage. But the title could just as easily describe the trouble the media giant could encounter as it ventures for the first time into original news reporting.
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Web portals have traditionally played the role of news aggregators, publishing the work of others but doing little or no original reporting on their own. Now Yahoo is crossing over with a new project to be created by news veteran Kevin Sites, who will visit dozens of war zones around the globe and file video and other reports online. Sites gained notoriety last year when NBC aired controversial footage he filmed in Iraq showing a Marine killing an apparently wounded and unarmed Iraqi prisoner in a mosque.

Yahoo has yet to publish a single report from Sites, but already some media watchdogs are wondering about Yahoo's journalistic integrity, citing recent revelations that it helped Chinese authorities jail a journalist last year.

This revelation, and the fact that Yahoo previously censored its Chinese-language search engine to appease Chinese authorities, raises questions about the portal's ability to deliver transparent and objective news if it fails to protect the first amendment ideals journalists uphold, these people say.

"As Yahoo appears to be evolving in that direction (toward news gathering), it's something we'll likely have to address," said Abi Wright, Asia program director for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Last week Reporters Without Borders, a Paris-based organization that monitors human rights and press freedom, revealed that Yahoo's Hong Kong division helped Chinese authorities track journalist Shi Tao, who sent an e-mail through his Yahoo account allegedly containing state secrets.

The e-mail contained a warning the Chinese government gave officials and the media that pro-democracy dissidents might return to China to agitate trouble on the 15th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square uprising.

Shi, believing it wasn't secret, mailed the information to a pro-democracy group in New York, which published it on its news site. Yahoo's Hong Kong division helped authorities track the e-mail to Shi's work computer, and in April he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for leaking state secrets abroad.

Reporters Without Borders accused Yahoo of currying favor with the Chinese government. Yahoo and other companies have sought a foothold in China's lucrative internet market and have made concessions to get it. Yahoo signed China's voluntary pledge of "self-discipline" that, among other things, asks internet companies to refrain from producing or posting "pernicious information" that could jeopardize state security and disrupt social stability. The company also put blocks on its Chinese-language search engine to prevent users from accessing pro-democracy sites. Last month the company achieved its foothold when it purchased a 40 percent share in one of China's largest internet companies.

But Yahoo said it wasn't currying favor when it helped track the journalist, it was complying with Chinese law.

"Just like any other global company, Yahoo must ensure that its local country sites must operate within the laws, regulations and customs of the country in which they are based," the company said in a statement.

While critics like Wright acknowledge that Yahoo, as an ISP, would also have to cooperate with authorities in the United States under a court order, the issue gets cloudy as the portal ventures into journalism.

If authorities in the United States or elsewhere sought access to a Yahoo reporter's e-mail, the company would have to decide if it was going to act like an ISP or a news agency. And things would get trickier if the ISP side of Yahoo were to give authorities access to e-mail belonging to another news organization's reporter while the journalism side protected its own reporter's correspondence.

Tom Regan, executive director of the Online News Association, said the conflict between the business and news sides of media isn't novel. But the addition of an ISP, which controls e-mail, to the mix is a new wrinkle the industry hasn't pondered.

Of course, even traditional media companies don't always make decisions that side with journalists. Aly Colón, who teaches journalism ethics at the Poynter Institute in Florida, points to Time magazine's controversial decision to hand its reporter's notes to Justice Department officials investigating the Valerie Plame leak.

"These decisions are not black and white, and they're not easy to make," Colón said.

Sites' Yahoo page vows that his reporting will adhere to the Society of Professional Journalists' ethics code. Journalists upholding the code seek to report the truth, give voice to the voiceless and be "free of obligation to any interest other than the public's right to know."

Robert Padavick, a veteran TV producer working with Sites, said Yahoo fully supports their effort to produce transparent journalism. He couldn't say, however, how the company might handle journalism issues outside of Sites' coverage.

End of story

Missouri Senate repeals Interent posting law as session ends
Thursday, September 15, 2005
KELLY WIESE

Associated Press Writer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Senate on Thursday approved a measure repealing a new state law barring posting of personal information about public officials on the Internet, sending the item to the governor for his signature.

The measure repealing the law had passed the House earlier. The Senate voted 32-0 in favor of it. Lawmakers later concluded the special session called by Gov. Matt Blunt to pass additional abortion restrictions and fix several new laws.

The new Internet law had said no court or government agency could post online the home address, Social Security number or phone number of any elected or appointed official without their consent.

But county officials worried how they would enforce the restriction. They say government Web sites contain much information, such as property records, and it would be hard to remove it for certain people named under the law.

"It was a piece of legislation that had good intentions," said Sen. Rob Mayer, R-Dexter. "Probably we should have given it more in-depth study and analysis."

Boone, Cass, Jackson and Platte counties sued the state, claiming among other things that the law would impose a cost on counties without providing funding, in violation of the state constitution.

A Cole County judge has so far agreed with the counties, blocking the state from enforcing the law. A hearing on a permanent injunction is set for October, but an attorney for the counties said if the provision were repealed, they likely would drop the litigation.

Blunt said he signed the measure into law because the bill also contained many other worthy provisions, but he urged government agencies to ignore this part of the law and asked lawmakers to undo it during their special session.

The new bill deletes the language about public officials. Instead it would make it a misdemeanor to post the name, home address, telephone number or Social Security number of anyone on the Internet with the intent "to cause great bodily harm or death." The revision makes no distinction as to whether the target is an elected official or who did the posting.

The Senate also passed a bill that earlier cleared the House to correct conflicts within various bills that passed during the regular session creating new laws on drunken driving, child abuse and distribution of prescription drugs at schools.

Both measures also contain an emergency clause, meaning they will take effect as soon as Blunt signs them.

The House passed a resolution stating the Legislature's opposition to plans to create a spring rise in the Missouri River by releasing more water from upstream dams, citing concerns about flooding of Missouri farms and communities.

Crime cleanup bill is HB2; Internet bill is HB3.

A wicked deal for tickets
Black markets taking root around famed theme parks
By MIKE SCHNEIDER
Associated Press

ORLANDO, FLA. - Roberto Alvarez was jealous of the amount of time his girlfriend spent with the head of a crime family that dealt in millions of dollars of contraband, so he became a confidential informant for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
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Not long after talking with the agents, the 38-year-old Alvarez was shot to death; his body was found near the bus he drove in his job shuttling tourists to the theme parks.

If it had been guns or drugs that Alvarez was snitching about, his unsolved murder would have had a familiar ring. But, in an only-in-Orlando scenario, Alvarez was helping investigators track down theme park tickets illegally purchased with fake or stolen credit cards.

A black market for park tickets has grown up in this theme park mecca. Detective Kelly Boaz of the Orange County Sheriff's Office said it's a multimillion-dollar business.

This underground market is an unintended consequence of annual ticket-price increases and the popularity of multi-day passes that have made the tickets very valuable. A single-day ticket to a park costs almost $60, while a four-day park hopper, granting entry into all four Disney parks in Orlando, can cost $220 a person.

The black market also has been fueled by the proliferation of booths selling discounted tickets.

The area's major theme parks � Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando � often sell tickets discounted 10 percent off the gate price to time-share companies, AAA and other tourism-related businesses. International tour companies get an even better deal � as much as 20 percent off the gate price.

But those 20 percent-off contracts are limited and coveted. So companies, in violation of their agreements with the parks, often sell their tickets to middlemen brokers or to booths that can't get the discount.

Some of the shady ticket dealers sell multiday park tickets to tour groups at discounted prices, provided the groups bring back the passes at the end of a single day. The passes are then resold at discount the next day. Others, known by the police as "walkers," target tourists, selling multiday park passes that have days already used up, Boaz said.

Law enforcement agencies have tried to stop black market ticket brokers much like they would drug dealers.

Alvarez started talking with authorities in 2000 about schemes run by Victor Aquino, who used fake or stolen credit cards to purchase park tickets.

The operation was made up of Aquino's family members and associates. It included Aquino's teenage son, Amin, who along with a former pizza cook, Mario Locasio, would buy tickets with stolen or fake credit cards provided by Victor Aquino. Aquino would sell the tickets to Roberto Alvarez's girlfriend, Marilu Clement, who then supplied brokers like Franklin Fox or travel agencies, according to depositions. Fox was once described by law enforcement as the ringleader of illegal ticket brokers.

Alvarez was gunned down in July 2001. The group's schemes fell apart as its members, one by one, were arrested in 2002.

Clement, who is serving probation for fraud, claimed she never knew the tickets were purchased with bad credit cards. Amin Aquino was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison for fraud, while his father, Victor, was sentenced to 5 1/2 years for trying to run over a sheriff's deputy with a Mercedes.

Alvarez's murder may be an extreme case, and authorities won't comment on it since the case is still open and unsolved.

Fox pleaded no contest to two counts of petty theft last year and was sentenced to a year of probation, which was terminated in June. He denied dealing in stolen tickets and said he made a plea to avoid a trial.

By Gary Groman aka The Ole Seagull, Editor
12/31/2005


A November 5, Washington Post article, entitled “It's a Victory for People Like Us,” was about why Carey and Tara Leslie, the mother and father of three children, voted for George W. Bush as president. The article used the Leslies to illustrate the 77 percent of, “the millions of voters, who describe themselves as ‘white evangelicals,’” who voted for Bush and who “said that moral values was the single issue that mattered most to them.”

The article pointed out that, “They are precisely the people that the Bush campaign built its reelection strategy on.” The type of people “who would put faith-based moral values above every other consideration when it came time to vote, including the war in Iraq, terrorism, the economy and, in the Leslies' case, a life that has been in financial peril since Sept. 11, 2001.”

“But Seagull why would millions of people vote for a President based on faith and moral values?”

“Fear of the moral direction that their nation is headed and the persistent and increasing pressures to remove all vestiges of their God and His spirit from public life and government.”

It was the one of the few opportunities, where the average citizen felt that they could be heard and do something to help reverse the downward moral spiral that our nation is in today. From the removal of prayer from our schools to the taking of “Christmas” out of Christmas they are frustrated with being offended in the name of offending someone else all under the banner of “constitutional rights” and being “politically correct.”

“Well, that’s all well and good but what does that have to do with Branson?”

“Branson’s future depends on the support of the same type of people who reelected George W. Bush as president.”

“Do you mean those ‘white evangelicals’ to whom moral values are the single issue that mattered most?”

“No, any Christian who gives moral values a high priority.”

The recent branding study conducted under the auspices of the Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and paid for by the City of Branson indicated that the strongest “identifier” people had with the “Branson brand” was values. Predicated in large part on “the character, personality and values of the Branson community” the study developed a marketing tool called “The Branson Promise.”

Although not the sole marketing tool that will attract the new visitors “The Branson Promise” is certainly a tool that will be used in that endeavor and one that the study says “Is the glue that holds the Branson experience together” for the “Loyals” who return to Branson.

Upon what is “the character, personality and values of the Branson community,” the “faith” referred to in “The Branson Promise,” and the “glue” that will make the visitors return to Branson based? An Ole Seagull would respectfully suggest that it is based on the same values that got George W. Bush reelected, the values of those who believe that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

“Isn’t that a little radical Seagull?”

“No, its Branson’s blessing.”

Interestingly enough, the article closed with Cary Leslie saying, “Jobs will come and go. But your character -- you have to hang on to that, it's what you're defined by.” As Branson heads into 2005, an Ole Seagull would pray that it would hang on to its unique character and profess it to the world because it is what we are defined by, what makes Branson the unique place that it is.

“Now Seagull, you need to be careful. If we have gospel songs or hold the name of Christ up as part of our shows, say “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays” or take a stand against shows that have off color jokes, etc. we might offend someone.”

“No, they will offend themselves.”

Mark Hartman Named General Manager of New Hilton Branson Landing Project

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 15, 2005--Hilton announced today that Mark Hartman has been named general manager of the new Hilton Branson Landing project that, when complete, will feature a 243-room boutique hotel, a 290-room convention hotel and a 225,000 square foot convention center to be operated by Hilton. Branson Landing is a 95-acre shopping, living and entertainment development on the waterfront in Branson, Missouri. The boutique hotel is set to open in June 2006, followed by the convention hotel and convention center in 2007.

A Hilton veteran for 22 years with extensive experience in opening new properties, Hartman joins the Branson Landing project from the Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center on Chicago's North Shore, where he has served as general manager since December 2003. In his new capacity, Mark will report to Tim Benolken, area vice president for Hilton's North Central Region.

Hartman began his hospitality career in 1983 at the Guest Quarters Suite Hotel in Atlanta as director of sales. In 1986, he joined the Compri Hotel as director of operations and director of accommodations. In 1988, he joined Doubletree Hotels, where he served in a variety of director-level roles at properties throughout the United States. He became rooms division manager of the Doubletree Hotel & Conference Center St. Louis in 1991, and then got his first general manager position in 1992 at the Doubletree Club Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina. He also served as general manager for Doubletree properties in Cincinnati, Dayton, St. Louis, Chicago, and, most recently, served as general manager for the Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center on Chicago's North Shore.

Hartman received his Bachelor of Science degree in agronomy from the University of Georgia at Athens.

Hilton Hotels Corporation is recognized internationally as a preeminent hospitality company. The company develops, owns, manages or franchises approximately 2,300 hotels, resorts and vacation ownership properties. Its portfolio includes many of the world's best known and most highly regarded hotel brands, including Hilton(R), Conrad(R), Doubletree(R), Embassy Suites Hotels(R), Hampton Inn(R), Hampton Inn & Suites(R), Hilton Garden Inn(R), Hilton Grand Vacations Club(R) and Homewood Suites by Hilton(R).

Church reaching out to Hispanics

Sacred Heart has a plan for how to help immigrants, but it is lacking the funds.


Hispanics and the Catholic Church

# Percentage of U.S. Catholic population growth since 1960: 71

# Percentage of U.S. Catholics who are Hispanic: 39

# Percentage of Hispanics who are Catholic (2002): 72.6

# Approximate number of U.S. parishes with Hispanic ministry: 4,000

# Percentage of U.S. parishes with majority Hispanic presence: 20.6

# Number of Hispanic priests in the United States: 2,900

# Number of active Hispanic bishops: 25


Source: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Web site
Want to go?

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development will host the following meetings open to the public:

# At 9 a.m. today at The Kitchen, at 420 E. Commercial St., to discuss the rehabilitation ministry at The Kitchen.

# At 7:30 p.m. today at Our Lady of the Lake Church in Branson to discuss the unskilled workers moving to Branson in search of jobs. The local Catholic churches are in the early stages of examining this issue.

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Juliana Goodwin
News-Leader

Members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Springfield have studied the needs of Hispanic immigrants. They have a plan to help. They just aren't sure how they will pay for it.

"This is a poor parish and we are struggling," said Sister Laureana Perez, "but it is the poor who help the poor."

Sacred Heart has seen its Latino congregation dramatically grow over the past six years, with more than 250 Hispanics packing the church for its Spanish-language Sunday Mass.

Two years ago, Sacred Heart formed a committee to better understand the needs of recent Hispanic immigrants and how the church might help.

They held meetings and interviews in both English and Spanish.

It wasn't easy, said Rolanda Avila, a committee member.

"Some were reluctant to share information because of fear of being deported. Some were hard to reach," she said.

Olga Kilmer, another member, agreed that gaining trust was a serious roadblock.

"The immigrants who come here have been through so much. Many times they are mistreated. They have struggled and don't know who to trust," Kilmer said.

On Sunday during a meeting with parishioners and two staff members from the national offices of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, the committee explained what is needed to help immigrants transition into society.

The committee found three things the church could do to help:

# An information center to assist Hispanics with basic information when they arrive in the area;

# Additional English as a Second Language classes, including computer-assisted classes that would not require a teacher;

# Assistance with legal immigration paperwork and services.

Avila said the committee found two types of Latino workers come to this area: those who are promised jobs and those in search of jobs.

Those in search of a job tend to face more challenges.

The information center would offer basic information on how to open a bank account, how to find an apartment, how to wire money and where to grocery shop, Emge said.

"They don't know where to go or how to rent a house," said Perez.

"It is awful the way some of them have to live. The health care is a serious problem. They have to wait until they are practically dying to get attended."

Many new immigrants do not have and cannot afford health care, she said.

Armida Lopez said the information center would also help people find a physician.

The church currently offers English lessons, but wants to expand this to computerized tutorials so people who work late, such as construction workers, can still learn English.

The last prong of the plan is to provide legal services and help with immigration paperwork.

Representatives from CCHD said they were impressed with the grass-roots effort and commitment from members of the church.

"What made the best impression on me is people just didn't decide what they want, they asked others what they need, which is at the heart of our program," said Lee Anne Adams, economic development specialist with CCHD.

As it stands now, the three-point plan is still a dream. The church is in the middle of a construction project but cannot fund it fully. Construction costs have escalated to $1.7 million from $1 million originally.

For the church's Hispanic plans to become a reality, it needs more money, volunteers, and training, Kilmer said.

Every November, Catholic churches across the country take up collections to help fund the CCHD campaign and those funds are later distributed in the form of grants. The representatives are visiting various churches and organizations in the area.

Founded in 1969, the CCHD is the domestic anti-poverty, social justice arm of the U.S. Catholic bishops, formed to tackle the root causes of poverty in America.

The church is considering applying for a grant from CCHD, but had not done so yet. Don Emge, director of Social Ministry at Sacred Heart, said first he wants the representatives of CCHD to understand what the church is doing.

Sister Perez was not sure where the funds would come from or how their dream would become a reality, but she believes it will.

"We will do all we can to start this center and see it come to fruition," Perez said.