The Jacoby Factor

As a Native American warrior, your ultimate triumph in battle was not to kill your enemy. It was to use your speed and your smarts and your wiles to get close enough to touch him, and then to slip away. The message was irrefutable: There was still breath in his chest only because you allowed it. Talk about power. Talk about speed. Talk about pride. Native Americans had a term for their definition of victory. They called it counting coup. When Billy Mills was 8, his mother died. His father, a member of the Lakota nation in South Dakota, stroked the boy's arms and told him, "You have broken wings." He used a stick to draw a circle in the dirt. "Step inside your soul," he said. "It is the pursuit of the dream that will heal you."

He encouraged his son to find his dream in sports, which were providing the Indian with a new way to compete against the white man after centuries of slaughter and treacherous treaties.



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Namibia: Johannes Keeps Flag Flying High

Sport competitions are much more essential than the physical action that fans watch on the field of play, because sports is all about friendship, understanding and respect for rules, improvement of athletes' health, self-confidence, the provision of role models and the enhancement of peaceful co-existence amongst individuals and nations globally where peace is lacking.

These were the words of the Minister of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture John Mutorwa in his opening remarks at the 2nd AIBA African Olympic Games qualifying tournament at the University of Namibia Gymnasium in Windhoek on Monday.

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Corrie McDermott: An inspiring example of faith, love and self-sacrifice

HESPERIA — Mothers show their love in countless ways.

In the meals they cook. In the way they soothe skinned knees and hurt feelings.

But Corrie McDermott, a 25-year-old student teacher from Hesperia, showed her love by making the ultimate sacrifice — giving her life so her unborn baby would live.

In 2002, the future looked bright for Corrie and Donnie McDermott. They had a wonderful little daughter, Rachelle. And Corrie, who graduated with honors from Hesperia High School in 1997, was pursing a bachelors degree and enjoying her work with special education kids at Maple Elementary School in Hesperia.

But months into her pregnancy with her second daughter, Corrie was diagnosed with melanoma. The undetected cancer was hidden by the aches and pains of pregnancy and had spread quickly, fed by the rising levels of estrogen in her body.


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Biofuels: can they really save the planet?

Among green innovations, powering buses with old chicken legs is one of the more inventive. The use of 100% sustainable biodiesel made from tallow (rendered animal fat) and used cooking oil has certainly caught the imagination of passengers on Stagecoach's Stewarton-Darvel service. "We've seen an increase in the number of passengers travelling on the route," says Stagecoach spokesman Steven Stewart. The six-month trial has had another green spin-off: in the first two months, 5000 containers for used cooking oil were issued to households along the route, which could then be taken to an East Ayrshire Council recycling centre in return for money-off bus vouchers. Eight tonnes of oil were collected, giving the whole enterprise a pleasingly self-sustaining nature.

The biodiesel comes from Argent Energy near Motherwell, which was the first large-scale biodiesel plant in the UK when it opened in 2005.


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Sacramento doctor takes unconventional approach to autism

In the controversial world of autism treatment, mainstream medical doctors are increasingly pitted against alternative providers in the quest to figure out causes and develop treatments.

Dr. Michael Chez, a neurologist specializing in child autism, likens talking about the neurodevelopmental disorder to discussing politics or religion.

"Many times, I have wanted to give it up, because it's hard to keep your ego from being beaten up all the time," said Chez, who practices at Sutter Health and holds a teaching position at UC Davis. "You're portrayed as part of the Evil Empire of the Darth Vader Medical Society."

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Montessori home to skilled chess players

Tucker Price, 12, a sixth-grader at Franciscan Montessori Earth School in southeast Portland, and Sean Richardson, 9, a fourth-grader, spend a lot of time staring at tables.

Their concentration paid off last weekend at the Chess for Success State Championship Tournament at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, March 21-22.

Tucker – the 2005 state champion in the elementary division – tied for fourth place in the sixth grade division, and Sean tied for sixth in the elementary, or kindergarten-through-fourth division. Meanwhile, Nathan Smith, a third-grader at Franciscan, tied for fourth place in the elementary division.

Prior to the tournament, Montessori's two chess teams placed second in the K-5 and 6-8 divisions respectively in prior regional Chess for Success tournaments.


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Chandler Flower Girl ritual has long history

The Chandler Service Club's Flower Girl program is a charity organization made up of high school seniors. Each is recommended and selected for the program by the Chandler Service Club at the beginning of her senior year. "It's not real froufrou, but again it's not open to everyone," said Flower Girl chairwoman Vangie Blake. The program began in 1952. At the time each member had to be the daughter or granddaughter of a member of the Chandler Service Club. The program was modified in 1988, making it available to any high school senior approved by a club member. "It's astronomical the things they've done," Blake said. "Their accomplishments just go on and on." Throughout their yearlong membership, the girls dedicate their time to charitable organizations as a group and also individually spearhead their own personal service projects.


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