| Valuable airwaves head for auction
WASHINGTON -- There's about to be a land rush in telecommunications as the U.S. government auctions the only remaining airwaves suitable for nationwide, high-speed wireless Web access. Big telephone and cable companies are jostling alongside Internet and technology entrepreneurs to control the spectrum, estimated to be worth as much as $30 billion. "It's the biggest chunk of spectrum to come back into the public administration in a generation and it's by far the most valuable piece," said Ben Scott, policy director at Free Press, a Washington-based nonprofit focused on communications policy. And it's a hot topic in Washington: House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, will explore the issues in a hearing Thursday, and the Federal Communications Commission, hoping to schedule the auction this fall, may vote on rules as early as Wednesday, April 25.
Bids low for Pope's VW
SAN FRANCISCO -- While Pope Benedict celebrated his 80th birthday, the latest eBay auction for his old Volkswagen Golf ended without a winner on the weekend. Although bids for the 1999 metallic grey hatchback surpassed $204,000 US, a reserve price wasn't met. EBay spokesman Catherine Fisher said she didn't know what the seller's minimum price was. A message left with the owner, Texas-based online casino GoldenPalace.com, was not returned. Benedict celebrated his 80th birthday a day early yesterday with a Mass in his honour on the flower-bedecked steps of St. Peter's Square. Benedict was born in April 16 in Marktl Am Inn, a riverside town in the Bavaria region of Germany, and sprinkled among the crowd in the square bathed in brilliant sunlight were fellow countrymen and women in traditional dress, including feather-trimmed hats.
UCI bids to host regional
Though the UC Irvine baseball team missed its chance to assume command of the Big West Conference race by losing two of three to visiting Cal Poly San Luis Obispo over the weekend, the athletic administration obviously believes this still could be a special season for the Anteaters.The school decided recently to attempt to host an NCAA regional this season, which would require a $25,000 commitment, according to Paul Hope, the Anteaters' Associate Athletic Director in charge of facilities and events.Hope said prospective bidders for one of 16 four-team regionals, scheduled June 1-4, will need to file the required paperwork with the NCAA, which will announce regional hosts the week before the 64-team field is announced on May 28. Schools agree to pay the NCAA the $25,000 fee, then hope to recoup the investment with ticket sales from the event.Anteater Ballpark has 901 permanent seats and, with a grass berm behind the first-base dugout that extends into right field, Hope said the facility can accommodate 3,500 spectators.Hope said the decision to pursue a regional is a natural extension of the commitment the university made when it resurrected the baseball program for the 2002 season, after a nine-season hiatus.
Renew Orleans art auction announced
Photographs by Herman Leonard, Annie Leibovitz, a Gibson guitar signed by the Edge of U2 included in items to be auctioned off. Renew Our Music, in collaboration with Auctioneer Bill Lynn and Danny Blackburn of Crown Auctions, is proud to present The Renew Orleans Art Auction, Wednesday May 2nd, 2007 at Dr. Bob's Studio on 3027 Chartres Street, in the Bywater section of New Orleans. Previews begin at 4:00 p.m.; Auction begins at 5:00 p.m. MC for the auction is comedian and actor Harry Shearer. The live and internet based auction will include several prints by Herman Leonard, including a 30x40 carbon print of "Louis Armstrong in Paris", 1960 (value of $6,500) and a 35x45 print of the iconic "Creole Mass" (value of $7,000), and an original Annie Leibovitz print.
TAYLOR: Faith in action: volunteerism
Child Abuse Prevention is a focus all month and culminates in the Bids for Kids activities with a golf outing April 24 and televised auction April 27 and 28; the nation's largest food drive is May 12 and involves everyone with a mailbox through the support of the National Association of Letter Carriers; and the Play for Family Peace Golf Outing is set for May 14. Studies report volunteerism in America at between one-third to something under half of adults. Indiana tends to rank below average in number of volunteers. While most non profit organizations rely on volunteers for numerous activities, they also struggle with providing the resources to effectively manage volunteer activities. In our community, we are fortunate to have an entity that promotes and coordinates volunteerism: the local Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), which is sponsored by the Anderson Public Library.
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