Feds file bomb plot charge against terror suspect

Terror suspect Najibullah Zazi plotted for more than a year to detonate homemade bombs in the United States, had recently bought bomb-making supplies from beauty supply stores and was looking for "urgent" help in the past two weeks to make explosives, an indictment charged Thursday.

Zazi, arrested in Denver last weekend on a count of lying to terrorism investigators, was charged in New York with using conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction.

The two-page indictment offers few details, but a separate document _ a government motion seeking to deny bail to the 24-year-old Afghan immigrant _ lays out evidence gathered by investigators.

…

He Loves Duet a Bushel and a Peck

Q. On a compact disc of oldies by assorted artists I discovered "ABushel and a Peck," a Perry Como and Betty Hutton duet. Although Iwasn't yet born when this tune came out - early '50s I guess - I fellhead over heels for Betty Hutton. I had never heard of her before.

Did this song make the charts? What songs, if any, werepopular by Betty Hutton? I would like to hear more of this charminglady. How old is Hutton? Is she still living?

A. "A Bushel and a Peck," a tune from Broadway's "Guys andDolls," became a Top 5 hit for Como and Hutton in 1950 (RCA Victor3930).

Though Betty's best known recording is her No. 1 hit from1945, "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief" …

Austria approves €20 million for Jewish cemeteries

VIENNA (AP) — Austria's parliament passed a bill Wednesday to provide €20 million ($27 million) in federal funds for restoring Jewish cemeteries over the next two decades.

The move ends years of discord over who should pay for the much-needed endeavor to preserve the remnants of a once vibrant community decimated by the Nazis.

The bill foresees annual government payments of €1 million ($1.4 million) into a special fund over the next 20 years. The country's Jewish community will supplement the government's contributions each year through €1 million in donations.

The measure, which takes effect in 2011, also asks local municipalities where …

After 40-year union, Al and Tipper Gore separate

Al and Tipper Gore's marriage lasted four decades, through a deployment to Vietnam, the near-death of a child and the heartache of losing the disputed 2000 presidential election. But over time, the former high school sweethearts began to grow apart and carve out separate lives, friends said.

On Tuesday, the former vice president and his wife announced that they had decided to pursue those lives apart from each other.

"After a great deal of thought and discussion, we have decided to separate," the Gores wrote in an e-mail to friends. "This is very much a mutual and mutually supportive decision that we have made together."

Gore …

Wis. worker dies trying to free log from chipper

PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. -- The owner of a tree service company waskilled after being pulled through a wood chipper, police saidWednesday.

Jeremiah P. Sanders, 30, used his foot to free a jammed log andwas pulled into the machine Tuesday, …

DIRTY DOZEN

The ugly just got uglier. Last week two of Idaho's most radical conservatives, Henry Kulczyk and Dennis Mansfield, announced the formation of "Marriage Yes! One man. One woman," a campaign to ban gay marriages in Idaho.

On November 2, 11 states passed constitutional amendments affirming that marriage is only between a man and a woman. "Eleven out of 11 states voted in favor of traditional marriage. Idaho was absent. We wish to correct that error ... and we hope Idaho will make it an even dozen," said Dennis Mansfield, who officially refers to himself as a "conservative TV commentator" for his weekly 30-second commentary stint on KBCI Channel 2.

During the 2004 Idaho …

Maradona travels to Barcelona

New Argentina coach Diego Maradona is in Barcelona to see Lionel Messi as part of his European tour to meet with players who will make up his national squad.

Maradona was expected to see Messi _ and possibly injured defender Gabriel Milito _ after Barcelona training on Thursday afternoon.

Messi is not available for Maradona's first match in charge _ a friendly against Scotland on Nov. …

Communities called to help with celebrations

A call to arms has been made to the residents of Cross andCompton Bishop to help the communities mark next year's Royalcelebrations.

On June 5, the nation will have a bank holiday to signify QueenElizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee as head of state.

Parish councillors are keen to embrace the whole …

Police: Bomb Plot Aimed at Tricking Mom

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Police say a man made a bomb and sent threats that scuttled plans for a graduation ceremony because he didn't want his mother to realize he had dropped out of college.

But an affidavit filed in court this week also alleges that Audley Yung intended to hurt people.

Audley Yung told his mother that he was scheduled to graduate from University of California, Riverside, last weekend and she planned to drive from Northern California to attend, according to the affidavit.

Yung, 22, attended the university as recently as last summer but did not have enough credits to graduate.

The affidavit said Yung admitted sending a letter and two e-mails …

GOP backs CIA in dispute with Pelosi

Congressional Republicans are rushing to defend the CIA after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused the spy agency of misleading her and other lawmakers about its use of waterboarding during the Bush administration.

The issue of what did the speaker know about the interrogation method _ and when did she know it _ has deepened the fault lines between the two political parties. Pelosi was unequivocal about a CIA briefing she received in the fall of 2002.

"We were told that waterboarding was not being used," the speaker said Thursday. "That's the only mention, that they were not using it. And we now know that earlier they were." She suggested the …

Clinton Gains Calif. Defectors, Says to Read Bush's Record

DETROIT Democratic presidential nominee Bill Clinton blastedrival George Bush on Friday - a day after the GOP nominee's sharplyworded nomination speech - saying the Republicans can't be trusted.

"We've heard it all before. We've seen it all before. We'vetried it all before," Clinton said. "It's read-my-lips all overagain. Except this time we can read the record."

Clinton also got good news Friday from California as a group ofprominent Republicans in the conservative stronghold of Orange Countydeserted Bush and backed Clinton.

The eight defectors contended that the GOP had been hijacked byright-wingers and was being led by an incumbent with no vision …

2 FIFA officials to face ethics probe

ZURICH (AP) — Two FIFA executive committee members will face an ethics panel hearing Wednesday after being implicated in bribery allegations involving the vote for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Nigerian member Amos Adamu told The Associated Press at FIFA headquarters on Monday that his hearing is set for the same day …

Wood ash finds niche in biosolids composting

A by-product of biomass plants, wood ash is used as an amendment in the initial mix and to control composting odors.

WOOD ash generated by biomass plants which utilize wood-fired boilers to produce electricity represents a significant portion of the organic residuals generated in northern New England. Successful reuse options are available to wood ash generators, such as in agricultural land application programs and topsoil manufacturing. Over the past decade, however, there has been major growth in use of wood ash as a bulking agent and compost amendment for biosolids composting facilities.

Wood ash helps to achieve a targeted solids content of 40 to 45 percent for an initial compost blend. It also adds porosity to biosolids, which reduces the bulk density, increases friability and, most importantly, improves oxygen transfer in the composting substrate. Benefits to the finished compost include the addition of beneficial macro and micronutrients, including phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, and zinc, and color enhancement, giving it a darker appearance.

The most significant advantage to using wood ash as a biosolids compost amendment is its ability to reduce odors during the composting process and in the finished product. Much of the carbon contained in wood ash, especially material from boilers which do not achieve complete combustion, exists in a form similar to that found in activated carbon filters. Carbon in this form has an extremely high surface area to volume ratio and, as such, is very efficient in adsorbing volatile organics generated during the composting process. Research has documented the efficacy of activated carbon filters in the removal of organic sulfur-containing compounds, such as dimethyl disulfide and methyl mercaptan, which are believed to be responsible for many of the nuisance odors generated during biosolids composting.

Tables 1 and 2 list the ranges for those chemical and physical parameters of wood ash which are relevant to biosolids composting. The analyses are 1995 data for three northern New England wood-fired biomass boilers which generate wood ash that is utilized at biosolids composting facilities.

EXPERIENCE IN NEW ENGLAND

Many smaller municipalities in northern New England have found that aerated static pile (ASP) composting is a cost-effective and environmentally sound option for biosolids management. Historically, wood chips have been used to add porosity to biosolids for increased oxygen transfer.

In the mid-1980s, several municipalities performed trials utilizing wood ash as an alternative to wood chips as a compost amendment. West Warwick, Rhode Island was one of the first. The most significant result of these trials was a remarkable reduction in odor when using wood ash. Other benefits evident in the trials were that less wood ash was necessary for bulking biosolids relative to wood chips, no screening of the final compost was necessary, temperature requirements were easier to meet, and the final product looked and smelled better than a wood chip/biosolids compost. Following these trials, many municipalities began using wood ash as a replacement for, or in combination with, wood chips.

The biosolids composting facility in Billerica, Massachusetts is an example of a site using wood ash as a compost amendment. In 1990, the town had just completed a facility expansion and upgrade and had initiated an ASP biosolids composting operation on the grounds of the wastewater treatment facility (WWTF). The WWTF initially used wood chips as its only bulking agent. Soon after start-up, neighbors in the vicinity of the facility began to complain of excessive odors. Attempts to mitigate the odor by using chemical masking agents on the compost piles and by using potassium permanganate in the sludge holding tanks were not enough to reduce neighbor dissatisfaction. Consequently, the composting operation was temporarily shut down in April,1992.

Arthur Malcuit, the plant operator, worked with the engineering firm of Fay, Spofford & Thorndike, Inc. to assess potential odor control measures, including process changes, scrubbers and biofilters. They also visited facilities that were using wood ash as a compost amendment, including Dover and Milford, New Hampshire and Scarborough, Maine. Because the use of wood ash presented almost no capital investment in comparison to any of the other alternatives, the Billerica WWTF decided to conduct a pilot study utilizing it as a bulking agent and for odor control. Approval for the pilot study was obtained from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

The pilot study began in November, 1992 and continued into the spring of 1993. Odor complaints dropped off. Malcuit talked with the neighborhood group about continuing into the summer when warmer weather might potentially induce more odors. The group agreed to have the trial continue, as long as they had some control over deciding whether the facility would continue operations if odors occurred. The summer trial also was successful. After the trial, the WWTF obtained regulatory approval to utilize wood ash on a regular basis. Since that time, there have been no significant odor complaints. If there were, says Malcuit, "the neighbors still have control."

To raise the solids content of Billerica's compost pile to approximately 40 percent, it was calculated that the wood ash to biosolids ratio should be between 2-3:1. Initially, the solids content of the compost mixtures was analyzed on a regular basis to ensure that it was optimum, but after becoming familiar with the mixes, the operators were able to achieve target solids contents by feel. One rule of thumb the operators developed for achieving a good mix was to form a ball of the mixed wood ash and biosolids and throw it against a concrete wall. Based on how well or how poorly the material adhered to the wall, the operators could determine whether the mix was too wet or too dry.

Since 1992, Billerica's compost recipe has been modified occasionally, but the use of ash has become standard. Initially, wood ash alone was used. Then, because Malcuit did not want to be dependent on only one amendment, he experimented with recipe changes. For a year, finished compost was blended with the ash. Then sawdust was used since there was generally more of it available at lower cost. Currently, biosolids are amended with a mixture of equal amounts of wood ash, sawdust and finished compost, although in the warm summer months, when finished compost is in high demand and the potential for odor problems increases, the amendment blend includes less finished compost and more wood ash.

POTENTIAL DRAWBACKS, VARIABILITY IN PROPERTIES

Although wood ash does work to mitigate some of the difficulties presented by the biosolids composting process, if not managed properly, the wood ash itself can offer handling challenges. Because of its high pH and relatively small particle size, wood ash is both corrosive and abrasive. Use of wood ash requires more frequent routine maintenance of composting equipment, and care must be taken to minimize airborne wood ash from accumulating on the grounds and machinery at compost facilities. It is recommended that ash be stored under cover if at all possible. At Billerica, separate enclosed bins store wood ash, sawdust and the prepared ash/sawdust mixture. In some cases, it may be necessary to wet down exposed piles of wood ash to keep them from emitting dust.

The physical and chemical characteristics of wood ash vary from boiler to boiler, and not all wood ash from wood-fired boilers has the characteristics necessary to be a successful biosolids composting amendment. One that is most effective as an odor control agent contains abundant carbon -- evidence of incomplete combustion of fuel. Over the past several years, efforts to increase boiler efficiency at biomass plants have significantly altered the characteristics of wood ash generated in northern New England. With increased efficiencies, the carbon content of many ashes has been reduced. Loss on ignition (LOI) is an analytical parameter which is often used to determine the effective odor-controlling ability of a particular wood ash. In general, the LOI of northern New England wood ash, and the particle size, have decreased over the past decade. At the same time, the pH and calcium carbonate equivalence has increased. A wood ash that contains high amounts of carbon, and will be most effective in controlling odors, will have a high LOI relative to today's average.

Changes in wood ash characteristics have not brought about a decrease in the use of wood ash as a composting amendment, but it has required ongoing adjustments of biosolids and amendment ratios in order to maintain optimum mixes for the composting process. For instance, in cases where a high LOI wood ash has historically been utilized as the only amendment in biosolids composting, some operations have had success in mixing a lower LOI wood ash with other wood by-products - most commonly sawdust - to achieve a blend which continues to offer many of the same benefits as a high LOI wood ash. Billerica, on the other hand, continues to use only high carbon, high LOI ash in its ash and sawdust amendment mixture. Table 3 provides a summary of how some composting facilities are utilizing wood ash.

Wood ash produced at northern New England's biomass electrical generators will continue to evolve. Burner efficiency is not the only factor affecting the wood ash market. For instance, the largest electricity provider in New Hampshire has, in recent years, attempted to purchase and close down some of the wood-fired biomass plants, a move that would reduce supplies of this valuable compost amendment. And, in 1996, New Hampshire began a pilot program involving competition among providers, a change that is likely to impact the economics of the small wood-fired biomass plants and the ash generated.

[Author Affiliation]

Andrew Carpenter is a Project Manager for White Mountain Resource Management, Inc. (RMI) in Belfast, Maine. Ned Beecher is a Project Assistant with RMI in Ashland, New Hampshire. RMI recycles about 21,000 wet tons/year of wood ash from six biomass plants in northern New England.

Man Pleads Guilty in Capitol Gate Crash

WASHINGTON - A man accused of running into the U.S. Capitol with a loaded handgun pleaded guilty Thursday to several charges, including firearms offenses, cocaine possession and fleeing police.

Carlos Greene, 21, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to charges stemming from his arrest last September, prosecutors said.

According to court documents, Greene drove his sport utility vehicle through a security checkpoint on the Capitol grounds before crashing it. He then evaded several officers as he ran through the building and was eventually stopped by civilians, prosecutors said.

Police found a plastic bag containing crack cocaine and a handgun.

Greene faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison when he is sentenced on Sept. 27.

German institute: World economy to shrink in '09

Germany's Institute for World Economy said Thursday it expects the global economy to shrink 0.8 percent this year, the worst rate since the Great Depression, with the German economy contracting by 3.7 percent.

The institute, based in the University of Kiel, said the forecast for Germany is worse than the 2.7 percent contraction it had forecast in December.

It said output in the world economy fell more sharply in the fourth quarter of 2008 than the institute had previously anticipated and that the recession in Germany would therefore be deeper than expected.

"(German) GDP will decline by 3.7 percent in 2009," the institute said in its release. "In the course of this severe recession, hours worked will fall sharply. At the end of 2009 we expect the number of unemployed to be higher. For the annual average, this implies an increase ... to 3.6 million," in Germany, the institute said.

The institute said production in Germany and the world is likely to rise in 2010, though momentum will be low.

"Investment will pick up as a result of very low interest rates and falling tensions on international financial markets. We expect the European Central Bank to cut interest rates in the euro area to 0.5 percent in the course of 2009 and to keep them at that level in most of 2010."

The ECB's current main interest rate is 1.5 percent.

"(German) private consumption is likely to rise as real disposable income of private households rise due to tax cuts and increasing profit income. Still, the level of GDP in 2010 will not be higher than that in 2009," the institute said.

The institute said it saw Germany's GDP falling a further 0.1 percent in 2010, while it forecast the world's GDP to rise 2.1 percent next year.

___

On the Net:

http://www.ifw-kiel.de

JIMMY EAT WORLD, KFCH, MAY 17

Most people met Jimmy Eat World in 2001, when their single "The Middle" - off the album Bleed American, which was renamed after 9/11 - peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track's sweat-glistened, make-out-panty-party music video garnered frequent squeals on MTV's Total Request Live. But before the band broke into the mainstream, they were a mainstay in the second-wave emo scene.

While Jimmy Eat World's punk-tinged second album, Static Prevails, garnered the group a faithful following, it was 1999's layered, expansive Clarity that solidified its spot on the tearstained cheeks of emo kids everywhere. From the twinkling refrain of "Can you still feel the butterflies" on "For Me This is Heaven" to the 16-minute deconstructed fade-out of "Goodbye Sky Harbor," Clarity became a cult classic, prompting Blender to say it "established a foundation for 21st century emo."

-Tara Morgan

8 p.m., $25-$60. Knitting Factory Concert House, 416 S. Ninth St., 208-367-1212, bo.knittingfactory.com.

The way we were Old cookbooks let us glimpse history

AP

DALLAS--Carefully turning the yellowed pages of old cookbooks,written by settlers a century or more ago, conjures up a time whenlard was a common ingredient, puddings were all the rage anddirections for measurements might read "a teacup full."

The value of recipes in old cookbooks isn't always culinary; theyoften lack accurate measurements and fail to give cooking directions.Just ask Cammie Vitale Shuman, a former cooking teacher, cookbookeditor and part-time caterer, who attempted a muffin recipe from oneof the books.

"They came out as hard as lead," she recalls. "The older thecookbook, the less likely you are to have satisfaction from therecipes in them."

The books have historical value for Vitale Shuman, curator ofSouthern Methodist University's collection of about 275 cookbooksfrom the 1870s to 1935.

"We want to have cookbooks here that help us unravel the culturalhistory of Western people," she says about the cookbooks, which yieldtremendous information about the fiber of local communities.

"They were done by charitable and church organizations, and weassume that many of them were done to finance the programs that thosechurch and civic and charitable organizations had in their localcommunity," she says.

After the Civil War, there was a growth in the range of women'scivic and community organizations, as seen in the sponsorship ofcookbooks, says Crista DeLuzio, assistant history professor at theuniversity.

"Women are drawing on their traditional functions, but using thatto claim a larger space in the public sphere," says DeLuzio, whoplans to use the growing collection in her classes.

The cookbook collection is part of the university's DeGolyerLibrary of rare books, specializing in Western Americana. It wasstarted less than two years ago. Most of the books, which range invalue from several hundred dollars to less than $10, were found byscanning eBay and other Internet vendors. The library is, of course,always looking for donations.

Many of the books contain interesting asides, includingadvertisements that provide insight into the lifestyles of anothertime.

In an 1876 cookbook from Des Moines, a man identified only as Dr.Aborn held himself out to Iowa readers as an "oculist, aurist,catarrh, throat & lung physician . . . and specialist for chronicdiseases generally." The ad helpfully pointed out that Des Moines was"accessible by railroad to the five or six adjoining states."

Recipes in the old books feature delicacies such as pork cake. TheTexas Cook Book, believed to be the first cookbook in the state,offers a cough syrup formula featuring 20 grains of opium. Thelibrary has two facsimiles of that 1883 book from the Ladies'Association of the First Presby-terian Church in Houston and wouldlike an original.

The home remedies show that women were also expected to cure ills.

"Up until the 1920s or so, if you went to a hospital, you wentthere to die," says Susan Mitchell Sommers, history professor atSaint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa. "Medical doctors were few andfar between."

Sommers said drug use was common in the 19th century and manypeople grew items such as opium poppies in their gardens forremedies.

Most of the older cookbooks didn't find it necessary to givecooking instructions. Choice Receipts, published in 1873 to help payfor the building of a girl's school in Walla Walla in what is nowWashington state, gives the following recipe for pound cake: onepound of sugar, 3/4 pound of butter, 10 eggs, one pound of flour andsome grated nutmeg.

"They assumed that the cooks knew their way around the kitchen,"Vitale Shuman says. "There's nothing really that passes fordirections in these things."

Most recipes were handed down through families or friends, andprecise instructions for temperatures weren't included in the earlycookbooks because cooks were working with wood or coal burningstoves, in which heat was difficult to control.

Another limitation: Ingredients were often locally availableitems. Wild plums, pecans and hickory nuts were popular in recipes innortheast and east and central Texas in the early cookbooks.

The later books in the collection tend to have better directionsand use standard measurements. A recipe for fig pudding from a 1931book from Paris, Texas, gives measurements in cups and pounds andeven gives a boiling time. But it also calls for "butter the size ofan egg."

Puddings are extremely popular in the books, and recipes forsweets often make up half or more of the offerings. There are alsooddities: Some books from landlocked states call for oysters.

Russell Martin, director of the DeGolyer Library, said the bookscould be used in the teaching of several subjects, including women'sstudies, advertising and history.

"They're a nice mirror of the times in which they were produced,"he said.

McCain Warns Against Iraq Pullout

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. - Republican presidential candidate John McCain warned Saturday that U.S. failure in Iraq would eventually pull America into a "wider and more difficult war" in the troubled region.

"To concede defeat as many leading Democrats now advocate would strengthen al-Qaida, empower Iran and other hostile powers in the Middle East, unleash a full scale civil war in Iraq ... and destabilize the entire region," the Arizona senator told activists at a state Republican convention.

"The consequences would threaten us for years," he added. It "would eventually draw us into a wider and more difficult war that would impose even greater sacrifices on us."

McCain later told reporters, "If we set a date for withdrawal, that's a date for surrender."

McCain's comments largely echoed his previous remarks on the war: he lashed out at Democrats, criticized earlier mistakes by civilian and military commanders; and asserted the troop increase in Iraq was succeeding.

He evoked Ronald Reagan's struggle against communism, saying the U.S. won the Cold War "on our terms."

"The war in Iraq has not gone well and the American people have grown sick and tired of it. I understand that," McCain said. "Like you, I want our troops to come home, but I want them to come home with honor."

Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, will update Congress next week on the situation in Iraq.

No. 21 California Rolls Over No. 22 ASU

BERKELEY, Calif. - Daymeion Hughes read Rudy Carpenter's eyes, intercepted his pass and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown - and he even stepped on the Arizona State quarterback on the way to the end zone.

California walked all over the Sun Devils in a 49-21 victory Saturday, and Hughes' pivotal pick capped a 42-point first half that showed the No. 21 Golden Bears have made significant strides in the last three weeks.

"That was the end of it, right there," Hughes said of his interception and romp past would-be tackler Carpenter. "When you get rolling like that, football is a fun game."

DeSean Jackson caught one of Nate Longshore's four touchdown passes and returned a punt 80 yards for a score against the 22nd-ranked Sun Devils (3-1, 0-1 Pac-10), who couldn't keep up with Cal's dizzying speed on both sides of the ball.

Lynch, Lavelle Hawkins and Justin Forsett also caught TD passes for the Bears (3-1, 1-0), who scored four touchdowns in a 7 1/2-minute span of the first half. Longshore passed for 270 yards and Marshawn Lynch ran for 124 in Cal's third straight impressive victory after season-opening loss at Tennessee, when the Bears were ranked No. 9.

"In coach (Jeff) Tedford's offense, anybody can come up and be the man at any time," said Jackson, who has seven touchdowns in four games. "You've just got to be ready to make a play. Everybody was ready today."

Hughes and Mickey Pimentel returned two of Cal's four interceptions for scores, punctuating a terrible day for Carpenter. Ryan Torain's career-high 191 yards rushing and two scores weren't enough for the Sun Devils.

Hughes' fourth career TD return with 26 seconds left capped the Golden Bears' highest-scoring half in their Pac-10 history - one week after they scored the same number of first-half points against Portland State. Cal has racked up 1,442 total yards and 133 points in its last three games.

By the final minutes, Arizona State's once-pressing defense was back on its heels in soft coverage. Even worse, Carpenter seemed to be confused by the Cal defense on every play.

"Our defensive line did a great job pressuring him, and he doesn't respond real well to pressure," said Hughes, who has five interceptions in three games. "We knew that, and we took advantage of it. He didn't look real confident in the pocket."

Carpenter, who beat out now-transferred Sam Keller for the starting job, went 16-of-35 for 177 yards and two touchdowns, and had a key fumble in addition to his interceptions. Carpenter has thrown eight interceptions this season after throwing just two in 228 attempts last season.

"They started blitzing us, and Rudy had a hard time getting into the rhythm," Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter said. "When the pressure builds, even the routine plays become tough. This is exactly what happened to Cal at Tennessee."

Arizona State's latest trip to Memorial Stadium went downhill from its game-opening 12-play scoring drive, culminating in Torain's 9-yard TD catch.

After throwing two incompletions on Cal's first drive, Longshore competed nine straight throws for 172 yards and three TDs. Cal drove 80 yards for Forsett's 9-yard TD catch later in the first quarter, then took the lead with back-to-back dynamite plays.

Linebacker Desmond Bishop recovered Carpenter's fumble on a sack at the Arizona State 31, and Longshore then hit Hawkins in tight coverage down the Cal sideline for a score on the next snap.

Jackson caught a short punt early in the second quarter and sped through the Sun Devils' coverage team for an 80-yard score. Two minutes later, Longshore hit Jackson for 52 yards and then found Lynch for a 23-yard TD.

"A better team showed up. They outplayed us," Arizona State safety Zach Catanese said. "They game-planned us pretty well. They seemed to know when we were in (each defensive scheme)."

Carpenter hit Terry Richardson for a 49-yard TD early in the third quarter, but the Sun Devils never found a rhythm. Pimentel scored with 8 minutes left, blitzing and deflecting Carpenter's pass to himself before leaping over the goal line for a 20-yard TD.

Syd'Quan Thompson grabbed Cal's final interception with 5 1/2 minutes to play.

Rudy Burgess, Arizona State's top wide receiver, didn't make the trip after injuring his neck last week. Keegan Herring, who averaged 6.4 yards per carry in the Sun Devils' first three games, didn't touch the ball after straining his hamstring last week.

Intoxicated Britney Spears taken in ambulance after standoff

The troubled life of Britney Spears added a new chapter when the intoxicated pop star was whisked away in an ambulance after police were called to her house to help solve a nearly three-hour custodial dispute involving her young sons.

Footage from Associated Press Television showed Spears being taken away in an ambulance from her home late Thursday while being followed by dozens of celebrity reporters. Several police cars, their sirens blaring in the middle of the night, escorted the ambulance carrying Spears.

Spears was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Entertainment Tonight reported on its Web site Friday. Cedars spokeswoman Simi Singer said she could not confirm or deny that Spears was there, citing patient confidentiality laws.

Calls early Friday to the Los Angeles Police Department's media line were not answered.

Late Thursday, police said officers were called to Spears' house around 8 p.m. in a custodial dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline over their small boys, Sean Preston and Jayden James.

Spears turned the children over around 10:50 p.m., said Officer Jason Lee.

Lee said Spears was under the influence of an unknown substance, but declined further details. No injuries were reported.

Calls to attorneys and publicists for both Federline and Spears on Thursday were not returned.

Around 10:30 p.m., six police cars, two ambulances and a fire truck entered the gated-community that includes Spears' house. Several police cars were seen in the area earlier in the night. The vehicles left when Spears was taken in the ambulance.

A dispatcher with the Los Angeles Fire Department referred calls to the police department.

Spears and Federline have been involved in a long and very public custody battle.

Federline has temporary custody of the children because Spears, who has limited visitation rights, has defied court orders. The two were married in October 2004 and divorced in July.

Spears has appeared increasingly out of control the last year. She has been photographed without underwear and appeared to be drunk and out-of-control. She shaved her head, beat a car with an umbrella and spent a month in rehab and has had a handful of fender benders, including one in which she ran over a photographer's foot.

Earlier Thursday, Spears appeared for a deposition in her custody dispute.

Spears was deposed for just 14 minutes, attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan told reporters after Spears left.

Spears called in sick for a Dec. 12 court-ordered deposition, but was photographed that day driving with a friend. She also didn't show up for a session Wednesday, Kaplan said.

Spears' attorneys from the firm Trope and Trope on Wednesday filed a court motion asking to be relieved due to a "breakdown" in communication with their client.

Kaplan said Spears' attorneys were present for what became a very abbreviated session.

"The deposition proceeding did go forward today. It was scheduled for 9:45 to 11:45," Kaplan said. "However, it wasn't able to commence until 11:32."

"You can imagine in 14 minutes there's not a lot of time to develop questions," he said.

Kaplan said another deposition would be scheduled.

____

Associated Press Writer Denise Petski in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

France _ and its president _ go gaga over Obama

France's president grins, schoolboy-like, as he welcomes Barack Obama to his country where Americans in recent years have not always felt so appreciated. An eager French colonel admonishes his men to keep their heads high as Obama strides past. Teenagers blush and beam at the chance to brush fingers with the American leader.

The French _ and especially their President Nicolas Sarkozy _ are clearly out to set aside past strains and please the Obamas on their first presidential visit.

For Nicolas Sarkozy, the trip, for a NATO summit on the French-German border, didn't come a moment too soon. The French leader is an unabashed admirer of the United States, and French commentators suggested he had been snubbed when Obama chose to meet with other world leaders before making it down his list to Sarkozy.

The French-American relationship slowly has emerged from the chilly depths of 2003, when Paris under then-President Jacques Chirac led global opposition to the U.S.-led Iraq invasion.

Friday was Sarkozy's chance to prove that France is ready to move on.

When the two couples met for the first time, Sarkozy showed more emotion than the other three put together, slipping his arm around Obama's back and immediately employing the familiar "tu" form of addressing the American leader. Obama wrapped his arm around the French president in response, and they headed into their tete-a-tete.

Their wives, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy in an understated beige-gray chiffon dress and Michelle Obama in a black A-line coat flecked with fuschia flowers, exchanged kisses on the cheek, French style, and disappeared into a lunch prepared by Michelin-starred chef Philippe Bohrer.

A 1999 Pomerol wine from Bordeaux and Coquilles St. Jacques scallops set the refined tone for their cordial, if not overly gushing, exchange.

There was plenty of spirit at a town hall meeting later in a sports arena in the French city of Strasbourg. The crowd, made up primarily of French and German high school students, exploded repeatedly in applause, and pressed to get a chance to see Obama up close as he navigated his way out. Two young women bounced up and down, toddler-like, after touching the tips of his fingers.

Obama had some nice things to say about the French lifestyle _ he said he's "jealous" of the high-speed trains and pined over sitting in cafes drinking wine. He tried out some French, saying "Bon apres-midi," or good afternoon.

He didn't gloss over past differences, though, faulting past American "arrogance" and Europe's "casual" anti-Americanism.

Obama's choice of venue for his first French foray hung with symbolism that audiences here are certain to sense _ he did not visit Paris, the capital and emblem of so much that is French, but Strasbourg, seen as a center of united Europe, housing such cross-border institutions as the European Parliament.

Europe's euphoria over Obama's election has faded quickly, amid deepening joblessness and recession that many Europeans blame on American, and American-style, financial excesses.

Thousands of anti-NATO and anti-capitalist protesters were on hand to remind Obama that not everyone adores the United States and how it wields its global heft.

But in Strasbourg's streets, optimism and good will toward Obama persists.

Bernard Waltzer, who works for carmaker GM's French operations, says it's great that Obama's in town _ and that Obama pushed ex-GM CEO Rick Wagoner toward the exit.

"I think he's capable of doing things," Waltzer said. "I hope Obama will continue to manage all this well."

Obama's next French test comes in June, when he comes for the 65th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, where pro-American sentiment traditionally runs strong.

In a reminder of the history that binds their nations, Sarkozy promised Obama an "extraordinary reception" at the iconic, somber site where the tide of World War II shifted and "where so many young people from your country rest beneath the earth."

___

Associated Press writers Laurent Pirot and Scott Sayare in Strasbourg contributed to this report

Capitol Market attracting customers and seeking new retailers: Former depot will near capacity as summer season looms

Lisa McCracken has a few small problems.

Sometimes, she has more customers than parking spaces at CapitolMarket, the refurbished train depot that houses a variety of high-endshops and outdoor vendors selling locally grown plants andvegetables.

She'll have to choose between several tenants who would like tomove into the three empty slots in the indoor marketplace.The outdoor market will be nearly at capacity for the summerproduce, flower and plant season, which begins the first week inJuly.McCracken, the executive director of Capitol Market, which sits atthe top of Capitol Street, is the first to admit these are goodproblems.In the year since the market's opening - the indoor market beganselling primarily West Virginia-made products last May 23 -McCrackenhas had to deal with several good problems.The indoor marketplace has grown from three tenants to 12.Besides the three indoor slots in negotiation, McCracken also islooking to fill a 3,000-foot space, ideally with a moresophisticatedrestaurant that serves lunch and dinner.Although she's begun talks with two possibilities - it's too earlyto identify just who, she says - McCracken also would be amenable toa cafe and more indoor food vendors."We are developing this list of needs and a list of peopleinterested in coming in," McCracken said. "It's critical to me thatthe area not sit vacant for another 12 months. I want to do what'sbest for the market as a whole, and I'm trying to find the best fitrather than meet a time deadline."McCracken identifies an Italian grocery, a Middle Eastern deli anda bakery as needs the market has.But the 15,000 customers who pass through the market in an averageweek seem to appreciate the market's existing attractions.Inside the market, people can sample hot foods at the PretzelPlace or delicious soups at the Roasted Pepper.They can buy jars of West Virginia-made salsa or Teays Valleybiscuits at Perdue Groceries. Or they can try the World's BestCookie - made in Moundsville, W.Va."I just love it," said Christy McClure of South Charleston, whoworks at the grocery. "I've been trying it all, sampling things."Outside, where growers are wrapping up the spring bedding plantseason, the tarmac has been transformed into a jungle of thrivingplants.Barbara Lewis of Milton has worked at Marvin Edwards' stand sinceit opened in the market. She said she sells a lot of hangingbaskets, annuals and perennials. And ferns."He's the fern person," Lewis said of Edwards.The Marvin Edwards stand is open from April to December, and Lewisgets to watch the passersby as they check out the spring seedlings,the summer produce, the Halloween pumpkins and Christmas trees.Across the marketplace, Wilda Gritts is unloading plump redtomatoes that seem as if they might burst and a new shipment ofhanging plants straight from her Buffalo farm.Since school is out, she's brought Bradley, 8, with her. He runsthe register while she arranges the baskets of tomatoes."Some days we're more busy, some days we're real slow," Grittsadmits.But her stand does good business, she said. She credits herwillingness to try new plants and vegetables."New and different things, people like that," Gritts said.Karin Fischer can be reached at 348-4843.

Terrell Owens recovering from knee surgery

Terrell Owens is recovering from left knee surgery and plans to be ready to play when the NFL season starts.

Owens' agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed Tuesday that the 37-year-old star receiver tore his anterior cruciate ligament, had surgery in early April and "will be playing at the start of the NFL season."

In an interview with ESPN, Rosenhaus called speculation that Owens was considering retirement "nonsense" and said the 15-year veteran is doing "fantastic" and could be recovered as early as August.

Rosenhaus said Dr. James Andrews performed the surgery to the same knee in which Owens tore his meniscus late last year.

"The old injury has been repaired," Rosenhaus said. "He is many months into recovery and doing fantastic. No predictions on training camp, but he comes back fast from injuries. I won't rule him out of anything. He will be a starting receiver for someone this year."

As for Owens mulling retirement, Rosenhaus said "all the retirement talk is nonsense. There's been no discussion about that and this injury is not a big deal."

Two of Terrell Owens' former teammates also said the star wide receiver plans to return. Both players spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because Owens hasn't publicly discussed the surgery.

Rosenhaus declined to say how the injury occurred.

Last season, Owens had 72 catches for 983 yards and nine touchdowns for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was placed on season-ending injured reserve on Dec. 21, a day after surgery for his torn meniscus.

Twins Take AL Central Title With Victory

MINNEAPOLIS - The Homer Hankies will be waving in the Metrodome again this postseason, and a little sooner than expected. The Twins took home another AL Central championship on Sunday and Joe Mauer became the first catcher to win an American League batting title by getting two hits in Minnesota's 5-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

About 35 minutes after Minnesota's game ended, the Kansas City Royals completed a big comeback and beat the Detroit Tigers 10-8 in 12 innings - giving the Twins their fourth division title in five years.

After starting the season just 25-33, they will open the playoffs at home Tuesday against AL West champion Oakland with ace Johan Santana on the mound.

When asked if there could be a better script written, Michael Cuddyer said, "Yeah, we win the World Series. That's a good script right there."

The Twins huddled in the dugout after the final out to watch the end of Detroit's game. When Esteban German got the go-ahead hit in the 12th for the Royals, Minnesota players leaped from the bench, spilled onto the field and starting high-fiving and hugging in a mass celebration.

More than 30,000 fans at the Metrodome stayed to watch the end of the Tigers' game and cheer in a euphoric scene.

"They said we couldn't do it!" Torii Hunter exclaimed over and over again in a champagne and beer-soaked clubhouse. "I'm going to buy the whole Kansas City team a bottle of champagne! Every one of them! Dom Perignon."

The Twins began the day tied with Detroit for first place, but they needed a victory AND a Tigers loss to win the division title because Detroit won the season series 11-8 against the Twins.

The Tigers get the AL wild card and will begin the postseason Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.

Mauer went 2-for-4 to finish the season at .347, beating out New York's Derek Jeter (.343), for the batting crown, and Hunter homered for the Twins, who trailed the Tigers by 10 1/2 games on Aug. 7.

All but left for dead, they finished the season a stunning 71-33 to come into the final weekend all square with Detroit. Both teams lost the first two games of their respective series, and more than 45,000 in attendance at the Metrodome were hoping the Royals could help their club just one more time.

They certainly did.

Asked if he'd seen anything like this in all his years in baseball, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said, "Not as a manager, not as a coach, not as a player, so I guess not. Ninety-six wins, that's a division title right there."

In a wild atmosphere at the Dome, the crowd was at once cheering on hometown boy Mauer and the Twins while keeping an eye glued on the scoreboard to watch the play-by-play being posted for the Royals and Tigers.

The energy was sapped early when Detroit led 7-4, but the crowd was energized when the Royals rallied to take an 8-7 lead in the eighth.

It was the fifth inning when that score popped up on the board, and Mauer, who was the DH on Sunday, had to step out of the box and call for time to let things settle down. He stepped back in and calmly ripped a single to left.

Mauer came into the day leading Jeter by just .001 in the AL batting title race. Jeter went 1-for-5 against Toronto to finish at .343.

The St. Paul native with the sweet left-handed swing and sideburns struck out in the first inning, but doubled down the left-field line to start a rally in the fourth and clinched it with a single in the fifth.

Only three catchers have won the batting title, the last being Ernie Lombardi with the Boston Braves in 1942. Lombardi won it with Cincinnati in 1938, and Cincinnati's Bubbles Hargrave was the first to do it in 1926.

As animated as he's ever been, the normally reserved Mauer spoke excitedly about capping an historic season.

"I said it wasn't bothering me, but I was lying to you guys most of the time," Mauer said. "It was a lot of pressure."

But the Twins had bigger goals than Mauer's batting title in mind Sunday.

Carrying a 5-1 lead into the eighth, and with Kansas City and Detroit tied in the 10th, the Metrodome speakers blared Bon Jovi's "Living On A Prayer," hoping for one more comeback in a season full of them.

Though he said he was determined to finish the season strong and not make it easy for the Twins, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen sat Jermaine Dye, Paul Konerko and Joe Crede, no doubt helping Carlos Silva (11-15) cruise through 5 1-3 innings.

Silva has had a lackluster season, but sealed up the fourth spot in the playoff rotation behind Santana, rookie Boof Bonser and veteran Brad Radke, provided Radke's problematic shoulder holds up.

Silva allowed one run and five hits. He left to a standing ovation with a 5-1 lead in the sixth, and all eyes turned to the scoreboard and chants of "Let's Go Royals!" filled the stands.

He got plenty of help from his offense in this one.

After giving up an RBI single to Ross Gload in the first, the Twins backed Silva up with a three-run fourth highlighted by Hunter's 31st homer of the year, a two-run shot, that barely reached the seats in left for a 3-1 lead.

Javier Vazquez (11-12) gave up four runs and eight hits in 4 2-3 innings for the White Sox, who are going home early after winning the World Series for the first time in 88 years last season.

Notes:@ Radke, who has said he will retire after the season, was honored before the game and received a thunderous standing ovation from the home fans. The Twins surprised him with a jet ski, and Gardenhire urged Radke to reconsider. ... Twins 2B Luis Castillo had two hits in his return after missing four games with a sore knee.

À VOTRE SANTÉ

- Cristophe Bigot, France's new ambas- sador to Israel, told Israel's President Shimon Peres last week of his government's support for the release of Gilad Shalit, the IDF soldier held hostage by Hamas in Gaza; of France's opposition to a nuclear Iran; and of its desire to see Israeli-Palestinian negotiations advance.

Bigot, who was presenting his credentials to Peres, had previously served in Israel as deputy head of the French mission from 2004-07.

THE WEEK THAT WAS

Rat Patrol Shuts Down 17 Chicago Restaurants

Rodent troubles have led to the closings of about 17restaurants - mostly in the downtown area - since May, but MayorDaley had little sympathy Tuesday for establishments caught in thecity crackdown.

When asked if the crackdown may backfire by giving Chicagorestaurants a bad name, Daley said, "No. I thought the health ofpeople is very important. If a rat is on your sandwich, it wouldhelp to know it before. If a mouse is in your salad . . . it'scommon sense." UN Working to Stop New Rwandan Exodus

Government leaders and UN officials were fanning out throughsouthwest Rwanda, trying to stem the flight of more than 1 millionpeople fearing a new surge of killings. Thousands were alreadyfleeing toward the Zairian border. Aid groups shipped food, shelterand medical supplies to a camp in Bukavu, Zaire. The exodus isexpected to speed up when French troops withdraw from a security zonein southwest Rwanda. Meanwhile, Vice President Al Gore's wife, Tipper, inspected thecamps and assured the refugees of continued U.S. help. Lincoln Park Gorillas Banished to Cleveland

Brooks, 11, Bebac, 10, Joe, 8, and Mokolo, 7, were sedated andhauled from the Lincoln Park Zoo in two air-conditioned trucks. Thefour gorillas woke up several hours later in the Cleveland MetroParks Zoo.

"They have grown up in a limited amount of space, they have hadsome tussling between them, and challenging the troop leader causedsome stress in the group," said Mark Rosenthal, curator of mammals atLincoln Park.

Three members of the hairy quartet ran with Gino's troop - acluster of gorillas, usually under the reign of one older, dominantmale. Gino is 14. Joe was in Frank's troop, the second of threetroops in the Lester E. Fisher Great Ape House. '60s-Style Racial Strife Rocks Alabama Town

A white principal rails against interracial dating. An arsonfire guts the high school. Civil rights groups go on the march andthe Ku Klux Klan makes its presence known. Federal agents andreporters flock to town.

Scenes from the Summer of '64 in the South are Wedowee's 1994.

A clash that began six months ago over interracial couples atthe high school prom has jerked the sleepy town of Wedowee, Ala.,wide awake.

"We've been here before. We've seen this before," the Rev.Joseph Lowery, president of the Southern Christian LeadershipConference, said after meeting with black residents and civil rightsactivists. Spy Agency Complex Keeps Identity Secret

For four years, residents of suburban Washington, D.C., havebeen driving past a mammoth office construction project withoutknowing its purpose: headquarters for the agency that manages U.S.spy satellites.

But the real trick was hiding the nature of the $310 millionproject from congressional committees that oversee the secret budgetfor U.S. intelligence.

"They faced the question, How do you hide an elephant on afootball field?" said Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-Ariz.), chairman ofthe Senate Intelligence Committee. "That's what they did, and withgreat pride."

The existence of the four-tower National Reconnaissance Officecomplex in Virginia was disclosed when President Clinton declassifiedthe project. Vatican Seeks Support At Population Talks

The Vatican is lining up support from Roman Catholic and Islamicnations - including Iran - to block an upcoming United Nationspopulation conference from endorsing abortion and implying approvalof homosexuality.

"The Holy See is fully conscious that the future of humanity isup for discussion," papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro said Monday inthe Vatican's first briefing on its strategy for the conference thatbegins Sept. 5.

For months, Pope John Paul II has hammered out warnings that thegathering in Cairo, Egypt, could endorse abortion as a basic humanright. Such a result, he said, would mark a "great failure" forhumanity.

The Vatican is sending 16 delegates to the conference, whichunderscores its importance to the pope.

U.S.: NKorea Offers Nuclear Timeframe

GENEVA - North Korea agreed Sunday to account for and disable all its nuclear programs by the end of the year, the chief U.S. negotiator said - the first time the communist country has offered a timeline to end its secretive atomic program.

The North Korean envoy, in separate comments, told reporters his country was willing "to declare and dismantle" its nuclear program, but mentioned no dates.

Before announcing the timetable, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said improving relations between the two countries, long estranged, was dependent on a North Korea free of nuclear weapons.

It "is a relationship that we will continue to try to build step by step with the understanding that we're not going to have a normalized relationship until we have a denuclearized North Korea."

Hours later, he said he and his North Korean counterpart had agreed that North Korea "will provide a full declaration of all of their nuclear programs and will disable their nuclear programs by the end of this year, 2007."

Hill said the declaration will include uranium enrichment programs, which the United States fears could be used to make nuclear weapons. The American envoy, who said it was the first timeline offered by North Korea, said both sides also discussed steps toward North Korea's removal from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Kim Gye Gwan, the head of the North Korean delegation, told reporters separately, "We made it clear, we showed clear willingness to declare and dismantle all nuclear facilities." He mentioned no dates.

"We are happy with the way the peace talks went," Kim said.

Hill said he expected the next full session of the six-nation talks - involving Japan, Russia, South Korea and China - would be held in mid-September and that it would produce a "more detailed implementation plan for 'disablement'" of North Korea's nuclear facilities.

The meeting in Geneva was part of a flurry of "working group" sessions called for in February's six-nation accord in which North Korea agreed to disable its plutonium-producing nuclear reactor and declare and eventually dismantle all its nuclear activities.

In exchange, the economically struggling North will receive oil and other aid. The U.S., as part of the agreement, promised to begin the process of removing the country from the terrorism list and work toward full diplomatic relations.

North Korea has already received 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil from Seoul in return for the shutdown of its plutonium reactor in July. The energy-starved country will eventually get further energy or other aid equivalent to 950,000 tons of heavy fuel oil in return for irreversibly disabling the reactor and ending all its nuclear programs, but has yet to set a date by when it will disable its nuclear facilities.

Another point of disagreement has been over allegations that North Korea has a second, undeclared nuclear weapons program using enriched uranium. North Korea said recently it was willing to discuss the issue, although it did not acknowledge having such a program.

Years of tension and deadlock over North Korea's nuclear program - which peaked with the country's nuclear test last October - have started to ease in recent months as the talks have made progress.

---

Associated Press writers Erica Bulman and Alexander G. Higgins contributed to this report.

PV prevails; Streaks fall in 1st round

BOYS' SOCCER By HAROLD ZEIGLER New Era Sports Writer HERSHEY Oneround into the state soccer playoffs, two things have become obvious:Manheim Township isn't going to duplicate last season's long playoffrun. But Pequea Valley might. Township was surprisingly eliminatedfrom Triple-A competition when it was stopped by West ChesterHenderson 2-1 in the nightcap of a doubleheader Tuesday night inHersheypark Stadium. Pequea Valley, however, confirmed that theDistrict 3 Double-A championship it won Saturday was no fluke byblanking Manheim Central 2-0 in its first-round state game. "We'lljust keep playing until someone comes along and beats us,'' said PVcoach Robbie Moore, whose team, which finished second in Section 3 ofthe Lancaster-Lebanon League, is just three wins from a state title.Pequea Valley (18-5-2) will play District 11 champ Southern Lehigh inthe state quarterfinals Saturday at a time and site to be determined.Moore couldn't confirm or deny the notion that it was PV's first winin the state soccer playoffs. "I really don't know,'' he said, "but(if it's not) I think it's our first win in a looooooong time. "Andwe'll take it.'' Manheim Township reached the Triple-A statesemifinals last season, the longest run of any soccer team inLancaster County history. But the Streaks fell two goals behind WestChester Henderson in the game's first 15 minutes and never recovered.The loss ended the season for the District 3 Triple-A co-champs. "Wewent through a bit of a lull here at the end where we weren't playingto our strengths sometimes,'' said Township coach Dave Ammon. "Welooked tired in spots. We just didn't have the energy we had. "Wedidn't play our best the last three games maybe, but before tonightit worked out for us.'' West Chester Henderson reached the statechampionship game the last three seasons. But the Warriors lost theirlast two games, in the District 1 semifinals and consolations, andthey didn't appear to be as potent this season as they had in thepast. "We knew we were playing a quality team, a quality program,''said Ammon. "(But) I thought it'd be an even game coming in.'' It waseven for less than 12 minutes, and then Chris Hazley blasted a rocketfrom 25 yards out just inside the post to the left of Townshipgoalkeeper David Flynn. It was West Chester's first shot. Two minuteslater, Mark Fetrow took a long shot that Flynn tipped to thecrossbar. But it bounced to Anthony Bafile, who scored on therebound. They were West Chester's second and third shots. "(That) putus on our heels, changed the way we had to play,'' said Ammon.Township got one goal back with 6:29 left in the first half whenDavey Miller headed home Nick Zacharias' corner kick. The Streakscarried much of the play in the second half and finished with a 13-10 shots advantage for the game. Todd Parke and Jared Harris, with1:20 left, had good chances, but Township could never get theequalizer. The Streaks ended their season with a 19-3-2 record."There's a lot of parity across the state. There is no Upper SaintClair this year,'' said Ammon, referring to last year's champ."Everyone had a chance, and I thought we had as good a chance asanyone else. "(But) we're going home.'' Pequea Valley isn't. TheBraves got goals from Tim Skiles in the first half and Joe Horvath inthe second half to subdue Manheim Central (14-8-1). Horvath assistedon Skiles' goal, and Trey Good assisted on Horvath's. "We felt thatour forwards were stronger than their defense,'' said Moore. "TimSkiles and Joe got in behind people and showed composure. That'sawesome when your forwards get in there and do the job right. "Wescored two very good goals, but other than that I thought westruggled. I don't think we played particularly well.'' Still, PVheld a 13-8 advantage in shots. "The only way you accomplish greatthings is if you put your heart and soul into something,'' saidCentral coach Matt Schwartz. "And when you do and you come up short,it hurts. "That's where (my) guys are right now. They gave everyounce of energy into that game, and it wasn't good enough.''

PV prevails; Streaks fall in 1st round

BOYS' SOCCER By HAROLD ZEIGLER New Era Sports Writer HERSHEY Oneround into the state soccer playoffs, two things have become obvious:Manheim Township isn't going to duplicate last season's long playoffrun. But Pequea Valley might. Township was surprisingly eliminatedfrom Triple-A competition when it was stopped by West ChesterHenderson 2-1 in the nightcap of a doubleheader Tuesday night inHersheypark Stadium. Pequea Valley, however, confirmed that theDistrict 3 Double-A championship it won Saturday was no fluke byblanking Manheim Central 2-0 in its first-round state game. "We'lljust keep playing until someone comes along and beats us,'' said PVcoach Robbie Moore, whose team, which finished second in Section 3 ofthe Lancaster-Lebanon League, is just three wins from a state title.Pequea Valley (18-5-2) will play District 11 champ Southern Lehigh inthe state quarterfinals Saturday at a time and site to be determined.Moore couldn't confirm or deny the notion that it was PV's first winin the state soccer playoffs. "I really don't know,'' he said, "but(if it's not) I think it's our first win in a looooooong time. "Andwe'll take it.'' Manheim Township reached the Triple-A statesemifinals last season, the longest run of any soccer team inLancaster County history. But the Streaks fell two goals behind WestChester Henderson in the game's first 15 minutes and never recovered.The loss ended the season for the District 3 Triple-A co-champs. "Wewent through a bit of a lull here at the end where we weren't playingto our strengths sometimes,'' said Township coach Dave Ammon. "Welooked tired in spots. We just didn't have the energy we had. "Wedidn't play our best the last three games maybe, but before tonightit worked out for us.'' West Chester Henderson reached the statechampionship game the last three seasons. But the Warriors lost theirlast two games, in the District 1 semifinals and consolations, andthey didn't appear to be as potent this season as they had in thepast. "We knew we were playing a quality team, a quality program,''said Ammon. "(But) I thought it'd be an even game coming in.'' It waseven for less than 12 minutes, and then Chris Hazley blasted a rocketfrom 25 yards out just inside the post to the left of Townshipgoalkeeper David Flynn. It was West Chester's first shot. Two minuteslater, Mark Fetrow took a long shot that Flynn tipped to thecrossbar. But it bounced to Anthony Bafile, who scored on therebound. They were West Chester's second and third shots. "(That) putus on our heels, changed the way we had to play,'' said Ammon.Township got one goal back with 6:29 left in the first half whenDavey Miller headed home Nick Zacharias' corner kick. The Streakscarried much of the play in the second half and finished with a 13-10 shots advantage for the game. Todd Parke and Jared Harris, with1:20 left, had good chances, but Township could never get theequalizer. The Streaks ended their season with a 19-3-2 record."There's a lot of parity across the state. There is no Upper SaintClair this year,'' said Ammon, referring to last year's champ."Everyone had a chance, and I thought we had as good a chance asanyone else. "(But) we're going home.'' Pequea Valley isn't. TheBraves got goals from Tim Skiles in the first half and Joe Horvath inthe second half to subdue Manheim Central (14-8-1). Horvath assistedon Skiles' goal, and Trey Good assisted on Horvath's. "We felt thatour forwards were stronger than their defense,'' said Moore. "TimSkiles and Joe got in behind people and showed composure. That'sawesome when your forwards get in there and do the job right. "Wescored two very good goals, but other than that I thought westruggled. I don't think we played particularly well.'' Still, PVheld a 13-8 advantage in shots. "The only way you accomplish greatthings is if you put your heart and soul into something,'' saidCentral coach Matt Schwartz. "And when you do and you come up short,it hurts. "That's where (my) guys are right now. They gave everyounce of energy into that game, and it wasn't good enough.''

PV prevails; Streaks fall in 1st round

BOYS' SOCCER By HAROLD ZEIGLER New Era Sports Writer HERSHEY Oneround into the state soccer playoffs, two things have become obvious:Manheim Township isn't going to duplicate last season's long playoffrun. But Pequea Valley might. Township was surprisingly eliminatedfrom Triple-A competition when it was stopped by West ChesterHenderson 2-1 in the nightcap of a doubleheader Tuesday night inHersheypark Stadium. Pequea Valley, however, confirmed that theDistrict 3 Double-A championship it won Saturday was no fluke byblanking Manheim Central 2-0 in its first-round state game. "We'lljust keep playing until someone comes along and beats us,'' said PVcoach Robbie Moore, whose team, which finished second in Section 3 ofthe Lancaster-Lebanon League, is just three wins from a state title.Pequea Valley (18-5-2) will play District 11 champ Southern Lehigh inthe state quarterfinals Saturday at a time and site to be determined.Moore couldn't confirm or deny the notion that it was PV's first winin the state soccer playoffs. "I really don't know,'' he said, "but(if it's not) I think it's our first win in a looooooong time. "Andwe'll take it.'' Manheim Township reached the Triple-A statesemifinals last season, the longest run of any soccer team inLancaster County history. But the Streaks fell two goals behind WestChester Henderson in the game's first 15 minutes and never recovered.The loss ended the season for the District 3 Triple-A co-champs. "Wewent through a bit of a lull here at the end where we weren't playingto our strengths sometimes,'' said Township coach Dave Ammon. "Welooked tired in spots. We just didn't have the energy we had. "Wedidn't play our best the last three games maybe, but before tonightit worked out for us.'' West Chester Henderson reached the statechampionship game the last three seasons. But the Warriors lost theirlast two games, in the District 1 semifinals and consolations, andthey didn't appear to be as potent this season as they had in thepast. "We knew we were playing a quality team, a quality program,''said Ammon. "(But) I thought it'd be an even game coming in.'' It waseven for less than 12 minutes, and then Chris Hazley blasted a rocketfrom 25 yards out just inside the post to the left of Townshipgoalkeeper David Flynn. It was West Chester's first shot. Two minuteslater, Mark Fetrow took a long shot that Flynn tipped to thecrossbar. But it bounced to Anthony Bafile, who scored on therebound. They were West Chester's second and third shots. "(That) putus on our heels, changed the way we had to play,'' said Ammon.Township got one goal back with 6:29 left in the first half whenDavey Miller headed home Nick Zacharias' corner kick. The Streakscarried much of the play in the second half and finished with a 13-10 shots advantage for the game. Todd Parke and Jared Harris, with1:20 left, had good chances, but Township could never get theequalizer. The Streaks ended their season with a 19-3-2 record."There's a lot of parity across the state. There is no Upper SaintClair this year,'' said Ammon, referring to last year's champ."Everyone had a chance, and I thought we had as good a chance asanyone else. "(But) we're going home.'' Pequea Valley isn't. TheBraves got goals from Tim Skiles in the first half and Joe Horvath inthe second half to subdue Manheim Central (14-8-1). Horvath assistedon Skiles' goal, and Trey Good assisted on Horvath's. "We felt thatour forwards were stronger than their defense,'' said Moore. "TimSkiles and Joe got in behind people and showed composure. That'sawesome when your forwards get in there and do the job right. "Wescored two very good goals, but other than that I thought westruggled. I don't think we played particularly well.'' Still, PVheld a 13-8 advantage in shots. "The only way you accomplish greatthings is if you put your heart and soul into something,'' saidCentral coach Matt Schwartz. "And when you do and you come up short,it hurts. "That's where (my) guys are right now. They gave everyounce of energy into that game, and it wasn't good enough.''

PV prevails; Streaks fall in 1st round

BOYS' SOCCER By HAROLD ZEIGLER New Era Sports Writer HERSHEY Oneround into the state soccer playoffs, two things have become obvious:Manheim Township isn't going to duplicate last season's long playoffrun. But Pequea Valley might. Township was surprisingly eliminatedfrom Triple-A competition when it was stopped by West ChesterHenderson 2-1 in the nightcap of a doubleheader Tuesday night inHersheypark Stadium. Pequea Valley, however, confirmed that theDistrict 3 Double-A championship it won Saturday was no fluke byblanking Manheim Central 2-0 in its first-round state game. "We'lljust keep playing until someone comes along and beats us,'' said PVcoach Robbie Moore, whose team, which finished second in Section 3 ofthe Lancaster-Lebanon League, is just three wins from a state title.Pequea Valley (18-5-2) will play District 11 champ Southern Lehigh inthe state quarterfinals Saturday at a time and site to be determined.Moore couldn't confirm or deny the notion that it was PV's first winin the state soccer playoffs. "I really don't know,'' he said, "but(if it's not) I think it's our first win in a looooooong time. "Andwe'll take it.'' Manheim Township reached the Triple-A statesemifinals last season, the longest run of any soccer team inLancaster County history. But the Streaks fell two goals behind WestChester Henderson in the game's first 15 minutes and never recovered.The loss ended the season for the District 3 Triple-A co-champs. "Wewent through a bit of a lull here at the end where we weren't playingto our strengths sometimes,'' said Township coach Dave Ammon. "Welooked tired in spots. We just didn't have the energy we had. "Wedidn't play our best the last three games maybe, but before tonightit worked out for us.'' West Chester Henderson reached the statechampionship game the last three seasons. But the Warriors lost theirlast two games, in the District 1 semifinals and consolations, andthey didn't appear to be as potent this season as they had in thepast. "We knew we were playing a quality team, a quality program,''said Ammon. "(But) I thought it'd be an even game coming in.'' It waseven for less than 12 minutes, and then Chris Hazley blasted a rocketfrom 25 yards out just inside the post to the left of Townshipgoalkeeper David Flynn. It was West Chester's first shot. Two minuteslater, Mark Fetrow took a long shot that Flynn tipped to thecrossbar. But it bounced to Anthony Bafile, who scored on therebound. They were West Chester's second and third shots. "(That) putus on our heels, changed the way we had to play,'' said Ammon.Township got one goal back with 6:29 left in the first half whenDavey Miller headed home Nick Zacharias' corner kick. The Streakscarried much of the play in the second half and finished with a 13-10 shots advantage for the game. Todd Parke and Jared Harris, with1:20 left, had good chances, but Township could never get theequalizer. The Streaks ended their season with a 19-3-2 record."There's a lot of parity across the state. There is no Upper SaintClair this year,'' said Ammon, referring to last year's champ."Everyone had a chance, and I thought we had as good a chance asanyone else. "(But) we're going home.'' Pequea Valley isn't. TheBraves got goals from Tim Skiles in the first half and Joe Horvath inthe second half to subdue Manheim Central (14-8-1). Horvath assistedon Skiles' goal, and Trey Good assisted on Horvath's. "We felt thatour forwards were stronger than their defense,'' said Moore. "TimSkiles and Joe got in behind people and showed composure. That'sawesome when your forwards get in there and do the job right. "Wescored two very good goals, but other than that I thought westruggled. I don't think we played particularly well.'' Still, PVheld a 13-8 advantage in shots. "The only way you accomplish greatthings is if you put your heart and soul into something,'' saidCentral coach Matt Schwartz. "And when you do and you come up short,it hurts. "That's where (my) guys are right now. They gave everyounce of energy into that game, and it wasn't good enough.''

PV prevails; Streaks fall in 1st round

BOYS' SOCCER By HAROLD ZEIGLER New Era Sports Writer HERSHEY Oneround into the state soccer playoffs, two things have become obvious:Manheim Township isn't going to duplicate last season's long playoffrun. But Pequea Valley might. Township was surprisingly eliminatedfrom Triple-A competition when it was stopped by West ChesterHenderson 2-1 in the nightcap of a doubleheader Tuesday night inHersheypark Stadium. Pequea Valley, however, confirmed that theDistrict 3 Double-A championship it won Saturday was no fluke byblanking Manheim Central 2-0 in its first-round state game. "We'lljust keep playing until someone comes along and beats us,'' said PVcoach Robbie Moore, whose team, which finished second in Section 3 ofthe Lancaster-Lebanon League, is just three wins from a state title.Pequea Valley (18-5-2) will play District 11 champ Southern Lehigh inthe state quarterfinals Saturday at a time and site to be determined.Moore couldn't confirm or deny the notion that it was PV's first winin the state soccer playoffs. "I really don't know,'' he said, "but(if it's not) I think it's our first win in a looooooong time. "Andwe'll take it.'' Manheim Township reached the Triple-A statesemifinals last season, the longest run of any soccer team inLancaster County history. But the Streaks fell two goals behind WestChester Henderson in the game's first 15 minutes and never recovered.The loss ended the season for the District 3 Triple-A co-champs. "Wewent through a bit of a lull here at the end where we weren't playingto our strengths sometimes,'' said Township coach Dave Ammon. "Welooked tired in spots. We just didn't have the energy we had. "Wedidn't play our best the last three games maybe, but before tonightit worked out for us.'' West Chester Henderson reached the statechampionship game the last three seasons. But the Warriors lost theirlast two games, in the District 1 semifinals and consolations, andthey didn't appear to be as potent this season as they had in thepast. "We knew we were playing a quality team, a quality program,''said Ammon. "(But) I thought it'd be an even game coming in.'' It waseven for less than 12 minutes, and then Chris Hazley blasted a rocketfrom 25 yards out just inside the post to the left of Townshipgoalkeeper David Flynn. It was West Chester's first shot. Two minuteslater, Mark Fetrow took a long shot that Flynn tipped to thecrossbar. But it bounced to Anthony Bafile, who scored on therebound. They were West Chester's second and third shots. "(That) putus on our heels, changed the way we had to play,'' said Ammon.Township got one goal back with 6:29 left in the first half whenDavey Miller headed home Nick Zacharias' corner kick. The Streakscarried much of the play in the second half and finished with a 13-10 shots advantage for the game. Todd Parke and Jared Harris, with1:20 left, had good chances, but Township could never get theequalizer. The Streaks ended their season with a 19-3-2 record."There's a lot of parity across the state. There is no Upper SaintClair this year,'' said Ammon, referring to last year's champ."Everyone had a chance, and I thought we had as good a chance asanyone else. "(But) we're going home.'' Pequea Valley isn't. TheBraves got goals from Tim Skiles in the first half and Joe Horvath inthe second half to subdue Manheim Central (14-8-1). Horvath assistedon Skiles' goal, and Trey Good assisted on Horvath's. "We felt thatour forwards were stronger than their defense,'' said Moore. "TimSkiles and Joe got in behind people and showed composure. That'sawesome when your forwards get in there and do the job right. "Wescored two very good goals, but other than that I thought westruggled. I don't think we played particularly well.'' Still, PVheld a 13-8 advantage in shots. "The only way you accomplish greatthings is if you put your heart and soul into something,'' saidCentral coach Matt Schwartz. "And when you do and you come up short,it hurts. "That's where (my) guys are right now. They gave everyounce of energy into that game, and it wasn't good enough.''

PV prevails; Streaks fall in 1st round

BOYS' SOCCER By HAROLD ZEIGLER New Era Sports Writer HERSHEY Oneround into the state soccer playoffs, two things have become obvious:Manheim Township isn't going to duplicate last season's long playoffrun. But Pequea Valley might. Township was surprisingly eliminatedfrom Triple-A competition when it was stopped by West ChesterHenderson 2-1 in the nightcap of a doubleheader Tuesday night inHersheypark Stadium. Pequea Valley, however, confirmed that theDistrict 3 Double-A championship it won Saturday was no fluke byblanking Manheim Central 2-0 in its first-round state game. "We'lljust keep playing until someone comes along and beats us,'' said PVcoach Robbie Moore, whose team, which finished second in Section 3 ofthe Lancaster-Lebanon League, is just three wins from a state title.Pequea Valley (18-5-2) will play District 11 champ Southern Lehigh inthe state quarterfinals Saturday at a time and site to be determined.Moore couldn't confirm or deny the notion that it was PV's first winin the state soccer playoffs. "I really don't know,'' he said, "but(if it's not) I think it's our first win in a looooooong time. "Andwe'll take it.'' Manheim Township reached the Triple-A statesemifinals last season, the longest run of any soccer team inLancaster County history. But the Streaks fell two goals behind WestChester Henderson in the game's first 15 minutes and never recovered.The loss ended the season for the District 3 Triple-A co-champs. "Wewent through a bit of a lull here at the end where we weren't playingto our strengths sometimes,'' said Township coach Dave Ammon. "Welooked tired in spots. We just didn't have the energy we had. "Wedidn't play our best the last three games maybe, but before tonightit worked out for us.'' West Chester Henderson reached the statechampionship game the last three seasons. But the Warriors lost theirlast two games, in the District 1 semifinals and consolations, andthey didn't appear to be as potent this season as they had in thepast. "We knew we were playing a quality team, a quality program,''said Ammon. "(But) I thought it'd be an even game coming in.'' It waseven for less than 12 minutes, and then Chris Hazley blasted a rocketfrom 25 yards out just inside the post to the left of Townshipgoalkeeper David Flynn. It was West Chester's first shot. Two minuteslater, Mark Fetrow took a long shot that Flynn tipped to thecrossbar. But it bounced to Anthony Bafile, who scored on therebound. They were West Chester's second and third shots. "(That) putus on our heels, changed the way we had to play,'' said Ammon.Township got one goal back with 6:29 left in the first half whenDavey Miller headed home Nick Zacharias' corner kick. The Streakscarried much of the play in the second half and finished with a 13-10 shots advantage for the game. Todd Parke and Jared Harris, with1:20 left, had good chances, but Township could never get theequalizer. The Streaks ended their season with a 19-3-2 record."There's a lot of parity across the state. There is no Upper SaintClair this year,'' said Ammon, referring to last year's champ."Everyone had a chance, and I thought we had as good a chance asanyone else. "(But) we're going home.'' Pequea Valley isn't. TheBraves got goals from Tim Skiles in the first half and Joe Horvath inthe second half to subdue Manheim Central (14-8-1). Horvath assistedon Skiles' goal, and Trey Good assisted on Horvath's. "We felt thatour forwards were stronger than their defense,'' said Moore. "TimSkiles and Joe got in behind people and showed composure. That'sawesome when your forwards get in there and do the job right. "Wescored two very good goals, but other than that I thought westruggled. I don't think we played particularly well.'' Still, PVheld a 13-8 advantage in shots. "The only way you accomplish greatthings is if you put your heart and soul into something,'' saidCentral coach Matt Schwartz. "And when you do and you come up short,it hurts. "That's where (my) guys are right now. They gave everyounce of energy into that game, and it wasn't good enough.''