AP PHOTOS: Easter celebrations around the world

Pope Francis blesses a man as he leads the Easter vigil service in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican Saturday, March 30, 2013. Pope Francis is celebrating a trimmed back Easter Vigil service after having reached out to Muslims and women during a Holy Week in which he has begun to put his mark on the Catholic Church. Francis processed into a darkened and silent St. Peter's Basilica at the start of the Saturday service, which recalls the period between Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter Sunday. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis blesses a man as he leads the Easter vigil service in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican Saturday, March 30, 2013. Pope Francis is celebrating a trimmed back Easter Vigil service after having reached out to Muslims and women during a Holy Week in which he has begun to put his mark on the Catholic Church. Francis processed into a darkened and silent St. Peter's Basilica at the start of the Saturday service, which recalls the period between Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter Sunday. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis leaves after celebrating the Easter vigil service in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican Saturday, March 30, 2013. Pope Francis celebrated a trimmed back Easter Vigil service after having reached out to Muslims and women during a Holy Week in which he has begun to put his mark on the Catholic Church. Francis processed into a darkened and silent St. Peter's Basilica at the start of the Saturday service, which recalls the period between Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter Sunday. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis leaves after celebrating the Easter vigil service in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican Saturday, March 30, 2013. Pope Francis celebrated a trimmed back Easter Vigil service after having reached out to Muslims and women during a Holy Week in which he has begun to put his mark on the Catholic Church. Francis processed into a darkened and silent St. Peter's Basilica at the start of the Saturday service, which recalls the period between Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter Sunday. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Cardinal Audrys Juozas Backis bless during the Easter vigil mass at the Cathedral-Basilica in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, March 30, 2013. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Penitents of the "Las Siete Palabras" brotherhood take part in the procession of "La Soledad" during Holy Week in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, March 30, 2013. Hundreds of processions take place throughout Spain during the Easter Holy Week. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

In his Easter Vigil homily at St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis kept his message simple and tied to the liturgical readings. "Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life!" Just a few hours after the vigil ends, Francis on Sunday will celebrate his first Easter Mass as pontiff and deliver his "Urbi et Orbi" speech, Latin for "To the city and the world."

Here are scenes from Easter celebrations at the Vatican and across the world.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-30-Easter-Photo%20Gallery/id-62edbb13ed854dc28d219765f763c4c1

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NAIS Career Center: Technology jobs, Encino jobs, California jobs ...

?

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Duties and Responsibilities:

Network Infrastructure

?????? Monitor, manage, and report regularly on the health of the network, servers, security, backups, firewall, and Internet service.

?????? Ensure network wiring for, servers, switches and wireless networks? are maintained and up graded as necessary.

?????? Administer IP address framework including public and private addresses, DNS, VLANS & DHCP.

?????? Maintain accurate and complete documentation of the network.

?????? Maintain and administer network operating systems, network equipment, servers and virtual servers.

?????? Configure, oversee, maintain and troubleshoot a network of printers, projectors, computers, iPads, SmartBoards, and manage all applicable software licenses.

?????? Manage and direct upgrade and/or repair of network hardware

?????? Deign and implement short and long term strategic plans to make certain the network capacity meets existing and future requirements.

Hardware and Software Maintenance and Installation

?????? Manage? Apple and Windows servers, desktops, iPads, printers and laptops to ensure they are in working order.

?????? Monitor hardware components (memory, hard drives, operating systems, drives, etc.)to enusure they are properly maintained and upgraded as necessary.

?????? Create, test, and maintain images for desktops, laptops, and iPads.

?????? Manage software installation and upgrades on server, desktops and laptops.

?????? Maintain accurate and complete documentation for all servers, systems, software, and hardware.

?????? Administrate and maintain Blackbaud?s Education Edge, Financial Edge, and Raiser?s Edge databases.

?????? Work with school administration in developing and maintaining the school?s website.

?????? Help manage Silverpoint?s database, which entails the updating and roll over of student and faculty information at the start of each academic year.

?????? Responsible for ensuring network security and anti-virus polices are in place, and that proper backup of the network are maintained.

?????? Regularly conduct recovery capability tests

?????? Manage and support the school?s firewall and IP and URL filtering system.

?????? Develop and deploy methodologies for testing network performance and providing network performance statistics and reports.

?????? Manage all components of Google and iPad Apps

?????? Manage the content of data that flows through the school?s network to ensure it is incompliance with the school?s acceptable use policy.

Help Desk and Desktop Support

?????? Manage and trouble shoot, as necessary, daily networking, software, printer and hardware problems submitted to the help desk ticketing system? through (SchoolDude ITDirect).

?????? Ensure help desk requests are addressed to in a timely manner.

?????? Follow up with users, recommend upgrades, and coordinate with vendors for parts and repairs.

?????? Maintain excellent communication with all end users and other members of the technology department.

?????? Administer user accounts and contact lists for all systems as well as e-mail, telephone and emergency notification systems.

?????? Advise school administrators on the maintenance and effectiveness of data applications, and on next-generation applications.

?????? Establish best practices and policies for installing, configuring, maintaining, and troubleshooting end user workstation hardware, software, and peripheral devices.

Audio Visual

?????? Coordinate setup, and operate (as necessary), audio and video equipment for Westmark day and evening events.

?????? Service, and maintain AV equipment including projectors and DVD/VCR players.

?????? Monitor and manage the service, upgrade, and repair of SmartBoards.

?????? Maintain an inventory of all AV equipment including projectors, camera, video recorders, etc.

Miscellaneous

?????? Participate in weekly Tech Committee meetings.

?????? Direct and monitor the work of IT outsourced providers.

?????? Maintain expertise in computer technology and provide suggested improvements and advancements to the school?s network and computer systems.

?????? Work with the Tech committee to advance the school?s technology plan.

?????? Develop, implement, and maintain policies, procedures, and associated training plans for network resource and appropriate use.

?????? Collaborating with administration on development of an IT department budget and capital planning.

?????? Other duties as assigned by Head of School.

Knowledge and Skills:

Knowledge/Experience in:

?????? Data communications theory, protocols and hardware.

?????? Severs (including virtual) and server operating systems, including MS SQL and Active Directory.

?????? Database design, implementation, and management.

?????? Helpdesk design, organization, and operation.

?????? Internet and Intranet development standards.

?????? Strategic planning and project management.

?????? Window OS and Mac OS X

?????? Organization, management, and control of complex computer equipment and data processing systems.

?????? Demonstrated knowledge of iPad and management of a 1:1 iPad program.

?????? Knowledge of SmartBoard operations and support.

?????? Principles of budget preparation and administration.

?????? Website authentication and portals.

Ability to:

?????? Develop and articulate long term strategic plans

?????? Express complex ideas clearly and accurately both orally and in writing.

?????? Supervise and manage help desk resources.

?????? Analyze complex problems and recommend solutions.

?????? Evaluate network requirements and user needs and advise on appropriate hardware and software configurations.

?????? Conduct meetings and make presentations.

?????? Establish and maintain effective relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Credentials

?

?????? Google Certified ? preferred

?????? Knowledge of Blackbuad ? preferred

?

Experience and Education

?

?????? Minimum five years experience in supporting a dual platform network with multiple users and servers, and three years experience of managing a broad dual platform network.

?????? Bachelor?s degree in Information Technology, or other relevant field; Master?s preferred.

?????? Previous school or non profit experience preferred, but not required.?

Source: http://careers.nais.org/jobs/5292240/director-of-it

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Dozens indicted in Atlanta school cheating scandal

ATLANTA (AP) ? In another embarrassing blow to Atlanta public schools, nearly three dozen former educators, including the ex-superintendent, were indicted Friday in one of the nation's largest test cheating scandals.

Former Superintendent Beverly Hall faced charges including racketeering, false statements and theft because prosecutors said some of the bonuses she received were tied to falsified scores.

Hall retired just days before a state probe was released in 2011. She has long denied knowing about the cheating or ordering it.

During a news conference Friday, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard provided examples of two students who demonstrated "the plight of many children" in the Atlanta school system. He described a third-grader who failed a benchmark exam and received the worst score in her reading class in 2006. The girl was held back, yet when she took a separate assessment test not long after, she passed with flying colors.

Howard said the girl's mother, Justina Collins, knew something was awry, but was told by school officials that the child simply was a good test-taker. The girl is now in ninth grade, reading at a fifth-grade level.

"I have a 15-year-old now who is behind in achieving her goal of becoming what she wants to be when she graduates. It's been hard trying to help her catch up," Collins said.

The criminal investigation lasted 21 months and the allegations date back to 2005. In addition to Hall, 34 people were indicted: four high-level administrators, six principals; two assistant principals; six testing coordinators; 14 teachers; a school improvement specialist and a school secretary.

All of the people named in the indictment face conspiracy charges. Other charges in the 65-count indictment include false statements and writings, false swearing, theft and influencing witnesses.

The investigation involved at least 50 schools as well as hundreds of interviews with school administrators, staff, parents and students. The district has about 50,000 students.

Howard would not directly answer a question about whether Hall led the conspiracy.

"What we're saying is that without her, this conspiracy could not have taken place," he said. "It would not have taken place if her actions had not made that possible."

Hall faces up to 45 years in prison, Howard said.

Richard Deane, an attorney for Hall, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The tests were the key measure the state used to determine whether it met the federal No Child Left Behind law. Schools with good test scores get extra federal dollars to spend in the classroom or on teacher bonuses.

It wasn't immediately clear how much bonus money Hall received. Howard did not say and the amount wasn't mentioned in the indictment.

"Those results were caused by cheating. ... And the money that she received, we are alleging that money was ill-gotten," Howard said.

The previous state investigation in 2011 found cheating by nearly 180 educators in 44 Atlanta schools. Educators gave answers to students or changed answers on tests after they were turned in, investigators said. Teachers who tried to report it faced retaliation, creating a culture of "fear and intimidation" in the district.

State schools Superintendent John Barge said last year he believed the state's new accountability system would remove the pressure to cheat on standardized tests because it won't be the sole way the state determines student growth. The pressure was part of what some educators in Atlanta Public Schools blamed for their cheating.

Hall served as superintendent for more than a decade, which is rare for an urban schools chief. She was named Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators in 2009 and credited with raising student test scores and graduation rates, particularly among the district's poor and minority students. But the award quickly lost its luster as her district became mired in the scandal.

In a video message to schools staff before she retired, Hall warned that the state investigation launched by former Gov. Sonny Perdue would likely reveal "alarming" behavior.

"It's become increasingly clear that a segment of our staff chose to violate the trust that was placed in them," Hall said. "There is simply no excuse for unethical behavior and no room in this district for unethical conduct. I am confident that aggressive, swift action will be taken against anyone who believed so little in our students and in our system of support that they turned to dishonesty as the only option."

The cheating came to light after The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that some scores were statistically improbable.

Most of the 178 educators named in the special investigators' report in 2011 resigned, retired, did not have their contracts renewed or appealed their dismissals and lost. Twenty-one educators have been reinstated and three await hearings to appeal their dismissals, said Atlanta Public Schools spokesman Stephen Alford.

Superintendent Erroll Davis said the district was focused on nurturing an ethical environment, providing quality education and supporting the employees who were not implicated.

"I know that our children will succeed when the adults around them work hard, work together, and do so with integrity," he said in a statement.

The Georgia Professional Standards Commission is responsible for licensing teachers and has been going through the complaints against teachers, said commission executive secretary Kelly Henson. Of the 159 cases the commission has reviewed, 44 resulted in license revocations, 100 got two-year suspensions and nine were suspended for less than two years, Henson said. No action was taken against six of the educators.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/3-dozen-indicted-atlanta-cheating-scandal-214241949.html

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Authors Guild head blasts Amazon buy of Goodreads

NEW YORK (AP) ? Authors Guild president and best-selling novelist Scott Turow is condemning Amazon.com's purchase of Goodreads, a leading book recommendation website.

In a statement posted Friday on the Guild home page, Turow called the acquisition a "textbook example" of how a monopoly is built. Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc. announced Thursday that it had bought Goodreads, a favorite Internet stop for readers to review and discuss books. Founded in 2007 and based in San Francisco, Goodreads has 16 million subscribers.

Goodreads co-founder Otis Chandler is defending the sale, which has set off a debate about Amazon's market power. In a blog posting Thursday on Goodreads, Chandler said that Goodreads would continue to operate independently and that Amazon's resources would help his company reach more readers.

___

Online:

www.authorsguild.org

www.goodreads.com

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-03-29-Books-Turow-Amazon/id-87ab7d0fbf06411bb40c793e0d29eac6

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Judge strikes down NYC ban supersized sodas

FILE - This May 31, 2012 file photo shows a display of various size cups and sugar cubes at a news conference at New York's City Hall. A judge struck down New York City's groundbreaking limit on the size of sugar-laden drinks Monday, March 11, 2013 shortly before it was set to take effect, agreeing with the beverage industry and other opponents that the rule is arbitrary in applying to only some sweet beverages and some places that sell them. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

FILE - This May 31, 2012 file photo shows a display of various size cups and sugar cubes at a news conference at New York's City Hall. A judge struck down New York City's groundbreaking limit on the size of sugar-laden drinks Monday, March 11, 2013 shortly before it was set to take effect, agreeing with the beverage industry and other opponents that the rule is arbitrary in applying to only some sweet beverages and some places that sell them. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

FILE - In this March 8, 2013 file photo, customers at Brother Jimmy's BBQ call cheers with 24-ounce, left, and 16-ounce beverages, in New York. New York City's groundbreaking limit on the size of sugar-laden drinks has been struck down by a judge shortly before it was set to take effect. The restriction was supposed to start Tuesday, March 12, 2013. The rule prohibits selling non-diet soda and some other sugary beverages in containers bigger than 16 ounces. It applies at places ranging from pizzerias to sports stadiums, though not at supermarkets or convenience stores. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

FILE - In this March 8, 2013 file photo, a Coca-Cola poster about the city's anticipated beverage ban is displayed at a pizza shop at New York's Penn Station. New York City's groundbreaking limit on the size of sugar-laden drinks has been struck down by a judge shortly before it was set to take effect. The restriction was supposed to start Tuesday, March 12, 2013. The rule prohibits selling non-diet soda and some other sugary beverages in containers bigger than 16 ounces. It applies at places ranging from pizzerias to sports stadiums, though not at supermarkets or convenience stores. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

NEW YORK (AP) ? A judge struck down New York City's pioneering ban on big sugary drinks Monday just hours before it was supposed to take effect, handing a defeat to health-minded Mayor Michael Bloomberg and creating confusion for restaurants that had already ordered smaller cups and changed their menus.

State Supreme Court Justice Milton Tingling said the 16-ounce limit on sodas and other sweet drinks arbitrarily applies to only some sugary beverages and some places that sell them.

"The loopholes in this rule effectively defeat the stated purpose of this rule," Tingling wrote in a victory for the beverage industry, restaurants and other business groups that called the rule unfair and wrong-headed.

In addition, the judge said the Bloomberg-appointed Board of Health intruded on City Council's authority when it imposed the rule.

The city vowed to appeal the decision, issued by New York state's trial-level court.

"We believe the judge is totally in error in how he interpreted the law, and we are confident we will win on appeal," Bloomberg said. He added: "One of the cases we will make is that people are dying every day. This is not a joke. Five thousand people die of obesity every day in America."

For now, though, the ruling it means the ax won't fall Tuesday on supersized sodas, sweetened teas and other high-sugar beverages in restaurants, movie theaters, corner delis and sports arenas.

"The court ruling provides a sigh of relief to New Yorkers and thousands of small businesses in New York City that would have been harmed by this arbitrary and unpopular ban," the American Beverage Association and other opponents said, adding that the organization is open to other "solutions that will have a meaningful and lasting impact."

The first of its kind in the country, the restriction has sparked reaction from city streets to late-night talk shows, celebrated by some as a bold attempt to improve people's health and derided by others as another "nanny state" law from Bloomberg during his 11 years in office.

On his watch, the city has compelled chain restaurants to post calorie counts, barred artificial trans fats in restaurant food and prodded food manufacturers to use less salt. The city has successfully defended some of those initiatives in court.

Because of the limits of city authority and exemptions made for other reasons, the ban on supersized beverages doesn't cover alcoholic drinks or many lattes and other milk-based concoctions, and it doesn't apply at supermarkets or many convenience stores ? including 7-Eleven, home of the Big Gulp.

The rule, if upheld, would create an "administrative leviathan," warned Tingling, who was elected to the Supreme Court bench in 2001 as a Democrat.

In defending the rule, city officials point to the city's rising obesity rate ? about 24 percent of adults, up from 18 percent in 2002 ? and to studies tying sugary drinks to weight gain. Care for obesity-related illnesses costs government health programs about $2.8 billion a year in New York City alone, according to city Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley.

Critics said the measure is too limited to have a meaningful effect on New Yorkers' waistlines. And they said it would take a bite out of business for the establishments that had to comply, while other places would still be free to sell sugary drinks in 2-liter bottles and supersized cups.

Beverage makers had expected to spend about $600,000 changing bottles and labels, movie theater owners feared losing soda sales that account for 10 percent of their profits, and delis and restaurants would have had to change inventory, reprint menus and make other adjustments, according to court papers.

The city had said that while restaurant inspectors would start enforcing the soda size rule in March, they wouldn't seek fines ? $200 for a violation ? until June.

Some restaurants had already ordered and started using smaller glasses for full-sugar soda, while others began experimenting with freshly squeezed juices as alternatives to soda for children's parties. Dunkin' Donuts shops have been telling customers they will have to sweeten and flavor their own coffee. Coca-Cola has printed posters explaining the rules.

The ruling "serves as a major blow to Mayor Michael Bloomberg's incessant finger-wagging," said J. Justin Wilson at the Center for Consumer Freedom, created by restaurants and food companies. "The court confirmed what most New Yorkers already know: They don't need a government regulator to dictate their diet choices. New Yorkers should celebrate this victory by taking a big gulp of freedom."

Jose Perez, a fifth-grade special education teacher in Manhattan who was getting a hot dog and can of soda from a street vendor, called the ruling "dead-on."

"Really, I think it's just big government getting in the way of people's rights," he said. "I think it's up to the person. If they want to have a giant soda, that's their business."

___

Associated Press writer Deepti Hajela contributed to this story.

___

Follow Jennifer Peltz at http://twitter.com/jennpeltz

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-11-Sugary%20Drinks-Lawsuit/id-f8132256ae4a4d2fbe1d252583a6bae2

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Tim Howard likely to miss US qualifiers

File-This July 29, 2009 file photo shows Everton FC goalkeeper Tim Howard applauding the crowd during second half of the MLS All Stars soccer game against the MLS All Stars in Sandy, Utah. Howard has two broken bones in his back and likely will miss the Americans' World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica and Mexico this month. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, File)

File-This July 29, 2009 file photo shows Everton FC goalkeeper Tim Howard applauding the crowd during second half of the MLS All Stars soccer game against the MLS All Stars in Sandy, Utah. Howard has two broken bones in his back and likely will miss the Americans' World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica and Mexico this month. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, File)

File-This Nov 17, 20121 file photo shows Aston Villa's goalkeeper Brad Guzan during his team's English Premier League soccer match against Manchester City at The Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England. Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard has two broken bones in his back so Guzan is likely to take over in goal in what would be his first qualifiers in four years. (AP Photo/Jon Super, File)

Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard has two broken bones in his back and likely will miss the Americans' World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica and Mexico this month.

Aston Villa's Brad Guzan is poised to take over in goal in what would be his first qualifiers in four years.

Howard was hurt Feb. 26 in an FA Cup win over Oldham and missed last weekend's Premier League game against Reading. That ended his streak of consecutive league matches at 210, two shy of the Everton record set by goalkeeper Neville Southall from 1987-93.

Everton manager David Moyes said Howard will miss Saturday's FA Cup quarterfinal against Wigan and the March 16 match league match versus Manchester City, but could return March 30 against Stoke.

"We are not sure how long Tim will be out for because, obviously with a goalkeeper, he has to dive around and hit the ground," Moyes said Friday, according to the team's website. "If everything goes well, he misses next week's game, as well, and then because of the international break he might be close after the rest because that would be four weeks."

Howard, 34, was the U.S. starter at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and has played in all seven qualifiers for the 2014 tournament in Brazil.

"He has two fractures, but they are not bones that are supporting anything," Moyes said. "It is off the spine. They are not weight-bearing. It just needs a bit of healing time. It is not like a pure fracture where you need to wait to look at it. It is a question of whether he can cope with the pain. The bones will heal themselves, but it's not good."

Guzan won Villa's starting job from Shay Given early this season. He has 20 international appearances and a 3-1-1 record in qualifiers, with two wins over Barbados in 2008 and one over Guatemala, a loss at Trinidad and Tobago that year, and a draw the following year at El Salvador. He also played in the 3-0 win over Egypt at the 2009 Confederations Cup.

The Americans lost 2-1 at Honduras last month in their opener of the final round of qualifying in North and Central America and the Caribbean, with new central defenders Geoff Cameron and Omar Gonzalez struggling in front of Howard. They host Costa Rica on March 22 at Commerce City, Colo., then play four days later at Mexico City.

The top three nations in the finals, which also include Jamaica and Panama, advance to the 32-team field at next year's tournament. The No. 4 team goes to a playoff for another berth, likely against New Zealand.

The U.S. also will be missing midfielder Landon Donovan, not scheduled to return to training with the Los Angeles Galaxy until late March. In addition, Tottenham midfielder Clint Dempsey has not played since Feb. 21 because of a calf injury. Hannover right back Steve Cherundolo has an injured knee and his return is uncertain.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-09-SOC-Everton-Howard/id-00c336230adf4f7685b403ea677f51a7

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PFT: Boldin's chances of staying in Baltimore 50-50

Getty Images

When it comes to obtaining public funding for an NFL stadium, the best approach is to not approach the voters directly.? In Miami, the plan making its way through the legislature would, if successful, result in a public referendum.

Thus, getting the bills passed has been much easier than the voter-circumvention strategy employed elsewhere, such as Minnesota.

Via the Associated Press, three legislative committees in Florida have approved a bill that would guarantee $3 million per year for 30 years to help pay for an upgrade of SunLife Stadium, which is owned by Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.? If the bill becomes law, the voters will then become involved.

Some lawmakers nevertheless oppose the effort.? ?The NFL is conning us, vote against this madness,? Rep. Bill Hager, a Republican representing Delray Beach, told the AP.

Nationwide, the trend among voters is to reject such measures.? In Miami, current polling conducted not by the Dolphins indicates that opposition is significant.

That?s why the Dolphins need to make an extra-big splash in free agency this year.? They need to create the kind of excitement that will increase supporters of the effort and motivate them to show up and cast ballots at the appropriate.

Still, unless and until the Dolphins have the leverage that comes from a potential relocation of the franchise, the locals will remain ambivalent, at best.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/09/boldins-chances-of-staying-in-baltimore-at-50-50/related/

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Military Air Shows Cancelled Due To Sequestration Budget Cuts

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Even a rural festival celebrating the harvest of Georgia's famous sweet onions isn't safe from the federal budget battle 600 miles away, as automatic cuts are threatening to take away the star attraction for the Vidalia Onion Festival's popular air show: the Navy's daredevil fighter pilots, the Blue Angels.

The $85 billion in automatic budget cuts that took effect March 1 have thrown planning for the festival's air show into a tailspin, just weeks before the April 20 event that officials agreed to hold a week earlier than usual so they could book the vaunted group. The Navy plans to cancel Blue Angels shows booked next month in Vidalia and three other cities. And there is a good chance dozens more air shows across the U.S. could get the ax as well, leaving host cities facing threats of lost tourism revenue and dwindling ticket sales.

"It's going to hurt us," said Marsha Temples, chief organizer of the Vidalia air show, who estimates past festival weekends have drawn 15,000 extra people when the Blue Angels were on the bill. "People like to see the Blues because they put on an absolutely phenomenal show. You have people who actually follow them and a lot of people come from out of town just to see them."

While the Blue Angels' spring schedule is in doubt, the Air Force's formation-flying Thunderbirds and the Army's Golden Knights skydivers have canceled their performances outright. Combined, the three teams had booked more than 190 performances between the spring and fall. That's left many air show organizers scrambling to find replacements, such as civilian pilots with loud, fast jets from the Vietnam era or vintage planes from World War II. The uncertainty has forced others to simply cancel altogether.

John Cudahy, president of the Virginia-based International Council of Air Shows, said at least 150 U.S. air shows each year count on military performers to draw big crowds. A group like the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds can account for 10 to 30 percent of attendance ? in some cases enough to determine if a show makes or loses money.

Canceled appearances don't just mean fewer dollars spent on tickets, souvenirs and concessions. They also mean fewer fans traveling to shows out of town and spending on hotels, restaurants and gas.

"If the military does not participate in air shows during the 2013 season, the economic impact will reach far beyond the show itself and deeply into the communities in which those shows are held," Cudahy said.

Several air shows hosted by military bases, which show off their flashiest planes for publicity and as a recruitment tool, were canceled almost immediately. They include shows at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.; Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.; Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.; Langley Air Force Base, Va.; Dover Air Force Base, Del.; and Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas.

Businesses and community boosters at Pensacola Beach, Fla. ? where the Blue Angels are stationed ? are already trying to avert possible cancellation of the team's July show that's become one of the city's biggest tourism bonanzas. An economic impact study last year estimated the Pensacola air show lured more than 15,000 visitors in addition to the normal July weekend beach crowd of about 109,000.

Buck Lee, chairman of the Santa Rosa Island Authority that oversees Pensacola Beach, said business owners and sponsors are offering to donate $100,000 or more to pay for jet fuel and other costs if that means the Blue Angels will commit to flying.

"We have a restaurant that just opened that contacted me and said, `We're in for $10,000 if you need it,'" Lee said. "It's a $2 million weekend for the area. That's for hotels, employees, restaurants, souvenirs. It's just a great three days out here."

While the Las Vegas-based Thunderbirds and the Golden Knights from Fort Bragg, N.C., have outright canceled their schedules beginning April 1, the Blue Angels have hedged. The team has continued training in California for upcoming March shows in El Centro, Calif., and Key West, Fla. On Monday, the team updated its Facebook page with a statement saying the Navy "intends to cancel" the Blue Angels' April performances.

Air show organizers said the Blue Angels have been unable to tell them if they will perform or not. A spokeswoman for the Navy jet team, Lt. Katie Kelly, said the Blue Angels are waiting until the last minute in the hope something will change.

Private organizers of big air shows in Dayton, Ohio, and Louisville, Ky., have vowed to continue even if military pilots are no-shows. Others have folded their tents for 2013. The Thunder Over the Blue Ridge air show scheduled for May 11-12 in Martinsburg, W.Va., was canceled after the Air Force's Thunderbirds announced they had been grounded.

Organizers of the Indianapolis Air Show also decided to pull the plug despite the Blue Angels holding out hope they might be able to fly in the show Father's Day weekend. The air show's chairman, Robert Duncan, said a $10,000 sponsor pulled out as soon as the president and Congress failed to avert the budget cuts. If the Blue Angels canceled, organizers expected the show to lose 25 percent or more of its audience. Duncan said that kind of financial blow would likely leave the show unable to cover expenses.

"They weren't committing to anything other than to say, `We will continue to practice and fly,'" Duncan said of the Blue Angels.

The Indianapolis show, which has raised $1.3 million for charity in its 15-year history, attracted more than 65,000 spectators last year when the Thunderbirds performed.

On the South Carolina coast, the April 27-28 air show hosted by Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort remains on track ? at least for now. Chief organizer Ivey Liipfert said "there's still some time to hold out hope."

More than 100,000 spectators swarm into Beaufort, a city of 12,400, for the air show. Surveys indicate more than a third of the crowd travels more than 50 miles to see it, and many spectators stay for more than three days. Liipfert said without the Blue Angels, it's possible the show would be canceled.

John Rembold, a board member of the local Chamber of Commerce, said that will definitely deprive hotels and other business of tourism dollars. It would serve as an unavoidable civics lesson, however.

"If folks have not been paying attention to the dire budget problems our nation faces," Rembolt said, "this might be a little bit of cold water in the face."

___

Associated Press writer Melissa Nelson-Gabriel in Pensacola, Fla., contributed to this story.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/10/military-air-shows_n_2849761.html

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