“Sanford Took Costly European Flights - NewsMax.com” plus 4 more |
- Sanford Took Costly European Flights - NewsMax.com
- Report calls for changes in Jewish communities in Malden and North ... - Boston Globe
- Texas Tech holds 2 starters off travel list - ESPN.com
- Mass. House Speaker now backing resort casinos - MSNBC
- ESPN Primer: UFC 103 - ESPN.com
| Sanford Took Costly European Flights - NewsMax.com Posted: 18 Sep 2009 08:37 AM PDT Sorry, readability was unable to parse this page for content.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Report calls for changes in Jewish communities in Malden and North ... - Boston Globe Posted: 18 Sep 2009 09:49 AM PDT
Since she was a child, Lauren Cherkas couldnt wait to get to Temple Tifereth Israel. Its home, said Cherkas, who has attended the Reform temple in Malden for 45 years. Here, her parents married in 1959; in the sanctuary she held her bat mitzvah. And now, as the temple president, shes charged with making the most important decision since the congregation formed in 1930: selling the building and finding a new home for members. We dont really want to move but the building is too big for our size, said Cherkas, who added that changing demographics, an aging membership, and a need to remain fiscally solvent are forcing the congregations hand. Cherkas said the temple could stay in Malden at a smaller building, merge with another nearby congregation, or move to Medford, Wakefield, Stoneham, or Revere. Maldens Jewish population has decreased dramatically in the last three decades. Until the 1980s, about 20 percent of the city was Jewish, with the community supporting six synagogues, kosher bakeries, and butcheries, and a Jewish community center. In the late 1970s, membership at Tifereth Israel peaked, with more than 500 families. Now its membership is down to about 110 families; its religious school has 25 students, and Sabbath services draw as few as 15 people. Still, Cherkas and others say the temple has a future. As many as 500 people will buy high holiday tickets and attend a Rosh Hashana service today. And while most of those attending will travel from other communities such as Peabody, Burlington, Wilmington, and Lynnfield, most have roots in Malden. Proceeds from high holiday services and a special Yom Kippur appeal for the religious school help to keep the temple open. Our numbers are small but our heart is big, said Ross Shraiar, who grew up in Malden and is a former temple vice president. She said she believes no matter where the temple moves, the spirit will follow. Were here to stay, Shraiar said. We like our tradition, and we dont turn anyone away. Its like one big family and we look out for one another. As Jews north of Boston prepare to celebrate their new year, Rosh Hashana, many are thinking about how the local Jewish community will survive in light of a recently released independent report that calls for sweeping changes in area synagogues, community centers, camps, and the largest Jewish charity north of Boston. In perhaps the hottest button in the report, prepared by the Jewish Community Task Force, comprising Harvard Business School professor Carl Sloane and four Harvard researchers, it recommends that five Conservative synagogues in Swampscott, Marblehead, Salem, Peabody, and Beverly consider merging into two temples. Rabbi Baruch HaLevi, who leads Congregation Shirat Hayam in Swampscott, said he would be open to merger talks with Temple Sinai of Marblehead and Temple Shalom in Salem. Shirat Hayam was created in 2004 after Temple Israel and Temple Beth El merged. Unless we start swinging for the fence, little tweaks here and there are not going to turn this community around, said HaLevi. But others are more circumspect. Dr. Michael Silverman, president of Temple Sinai in Marblehead, said in an e-mail that he welcomed the report, but he declined to respond when asked about a possible merger between the synagogues. Jack Beermann, who has attended Temple Sinai in the past, said the three temples have different approaches to prayer. Some of these differences are based on deeply held beliefs about the appropriate religious practice, and if you want to get an argument going, start talking about peoples different religious practices, said Beermann, a Boston University law professor. Other major recommendations in the report call for the financially ailing Jewish Community Center of the North Shore to sell its 86-acre Middleton summer camp; allow people to target their donations to the charity of their choice under the Jewish Federation of the North Shores umbrella; and shifting one of the most successful programs, Youth to Israel, from the Robert I. Lappin Charitable Foundation to the Jewish Federation of the North Shore. The report, which focuses on 23 Jewish communities from Lynn to Gloucester, lays much of the blame for the communitys fiscal and social problems on paid professionals who have steered the areas larger Jewish institutions. In addition, the report also describes a community where Judaism and Israel are now playing a lesser role, along with religion and charity to Jewish causes. According to the report, just 25 percent of the areas Jews belong to a synagogue, as opposed to 40 percent of Jews throughout the United States who affiliate with temples. In addition, just 10 percent of Jews gave to the Jewish Federation of the North Shore, the areas largest Jewish fund-raising group, in fiscal 2008 and 2009. It points to a gloomy financial state for local Jewish organizations: This year, 15 of the 17 organizations that submitted their finances for the report eight synagogues and nine institutions are expected to lose money. The financial condition of our institutions is a reflection of years of weak management and inadequate leadership, as well as communal apathy and disinterest perhaps more serious problems than finances and certainly more elusive when it comes to a search for solutions, the report states. In order to stave off financial collapse, the report suggests more stringent accounting, consolidation, cost-cutting, creating strategic plans, and the creation of a task force to monitor the progress during the next year. The report is the latest study of the areas Jewish community, which has had a presence in the region north of Boston since the Revolutionary War. While Jews set down their roots in northern cities stretching from Chelsea to Gloucester and Lawrence in the 19th century, the local Jewish community increased dramatically in the 1950s. More than 50 years ago, Jews began leaving longtime enclaves such as Dorchester, Chelsea, and Malden and settled in Swampscott, Marblehead, and Peabody, leaving the area with one of the largest Jewish communities in the state. Of the communities included in the report, Marblehead still has the highest Jewish population with 3,611, followed by Swampscott with 3,464 and Peabody with 3,163. But during the last decade, Jewish communal life has waned as younger Jews have moved away, hastening the closing of synagogues in Lynn, Marblehead, and Swampscott. While area organizational administrators acknowledged that the report represented a dim fiscal and social portrait of the community, some praised the study as a step toward revitalization. Its about how we all can continue doing what we want to do but in a more pragmatic way, said Liz Donnenfeld, executive director of the Jewish Federation of the North Shore. Many agencies and synagogues are struggling with deficits. The federation could be facing its most difficult times since it formed in 1938. During the last two decades, its fund-raising has dropped by more than 50 percent. In 1989, it raised $2.9 million; this year it expects to raise just $1.4 million. At the JCC of the North Shore in Marblehead, officials had to borrow $500,000 to keep the building open in the spring after losing more than 20 percent of its members. Since then, the JCC has cut eight employees, a move that will save about $175,000 in the next year. The actions we take are going to cement the future for everyone, said Tony Daniels, acting executive director of the JCC of the North Shore, who also endorsed the report. Yet others question if any of the findings will be implemented. Three years ago, the federation spent $100,000 to commission Project Solel, a study that called for reorganizing the federation and reinvigorating the community by creating volunteer committees and overhauling everything from local boards to Jewish curriculum in Hebrew schools. That report was scrapped soon after it was issued. Ellen Golub, a professor of communications at Salem State, said she believes the report needs to focus on emphasizing the Jewish aspects of a community. One step, she said, would be to make it a requirement for any Jewish organizational head or volunteer board member to take a 100-hour course on Jewish history, culture, and religion. She said Jewish health clubs and social justice programming popular among Jewish professionals and labeled Tikkun Olam, or repairing the world would not be enough to keep the Jewish community alive. Judaism is not about the greatest number or a majority rules, said Golub. Its about making a community where the most observant and the least observant can be comfortable. Steven Rosenberg can be reached at srosenberg@globe.com.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Texas Tech holds 2 starters off travel list - ESPN.com Posted: 18 Sep 2009 09:49 AM PDT Two Texas Tech defensive starters were not on the Red Raiders' travel list Friday, meaning they likely will not play Saturday night at No. 2 Texas. Senior defensive end Ra'Jon Henley and junior strong safety Franklin Mitchem were not on the Red Raiders' list of players who will be making the trip to Austin. The Red Raiders are scheduled to leave Lubbock Friday afternoon.
Big 12 blog Neither player has practiced this week. Henley has been seen after Tech practices in a protective boot for a left ankle injury, and Mitchem has had his left arm in a sling. Henley has contributed five tackles, one tackle for loss and a sack in two starts this season for the 2-0 Red Raiders. Mitchem has notched seven tackles and one pass deflection. Henley's injury is particularly costly considering the Red Raiders' lack of depth at defensive end. Freshman Ryan Haliburton, the other left end on the Red Raiders' two-deep roster, also will be left behind. That means senior defensive ends Daniel Howard and Brandon Sharpe likely will be asked to play most of the game, though Tech coaches could employ some of their bigger linebackers to give them depth at the position. Tim Griffin covers college football for ESPN.com. You may contact him at espntimgriff@yahoo.com.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Mass. House Speaker now backing resort casinos - MSNBC Posted: 18 Sep 2009 09:49 AM PDT WALTHAM, Mass. - Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo said Friday he has "expanded his thinking" and now supports the construction of resort casinos to help pull the state out of the recession. DeLeo, who has in the past shown strong support for slot machines at the state's horse and dog tracks, two of which are in his district, said in a speech to 300 members of the Associated Industries of Massachusetts executive forum that the issue of expanded gambling would come up during the legislative session. He said he doesn't see gaming as a panacea to all the state's fiscal problems, but "one more tool that can help our state prosper." "I also view gaming as an additional industry that could help support our statewide economy and build on the travel and tourism sector," the Winthrop Democrat said, adding later, "To maximize our investment, we will explore the idea of using gaming proceeds to invest in other industries." Gov. Deval Patrick, Senate President Therese Murray and DeLeo, all Democrats, have said they support some kind of expanded gambling in the state, although there have been differences on the details. The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe also plans to build a casino in Middleborough.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| ESPN Primer: UFC 103 - ESPN.com Posted: 18 Sep 2009 09:42 AM PDT
Posted by Jake Rossen/Sherdog.com MMA Live: 9-17-09In and out of the cage, Rich Franklin is making a career out of lateral movement: Bumped from the middleweight division by Anderson Silva, he appears to have settled into a complacent role as filler putty for headlining holes in the UFC's main events. For Franklin, UFC 93 was a light heavyweight bout against Dan Henderson; UFC 99, a catchweight bout against Wanderlei Silva; now there's Dallas and UFC 103, which sees him in another 195-pound fence-straddle against a returning Vitor Belfort. It's hard to ascertain exactly what the fight means: Franklin is supposed to be a 205-pound presence, so beating Belfort -- who eyes the 185-pound division -- can't influence that much. Belfort has more to gain here. But, hey -- plenty of titles and plenty of contenders. Sometimes a fight is just a fight. And Franklin has yet to have a dull one.
What: UFC 103: Franklin versus Belfort, a 13-bout card from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas When: Saturday, Sept. 19, at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view, with an undercard broadcast at 9 p.m. ET on Spike Why you should care: Because Belfort finally has the emotional maturity to match his physical development; because Mirko Filipovic can pop up as a serious title contender if he looks effective against Junior dos Santos; and because Frank Trigg is facing his worst nightmare -- a younger, cockier wrestler in Josh Koscheck. Himself, basically. It's like time travel in a B-action movie. Fight of the night: Franklin-Belfort, assuming Belfort doesn't fade in the second; Koscheck-Trigg if they follow the pattern of wrestlers who want to stand and strike. Sleeper fight of the night: Drew McFedries/Tomasz Drwal. McFedries only needs to train for a one-round fight. Win or lose, he's never seen Minute 6 in the UFC. So-so for his career, great for fans. Pre-emptive complaint: Paul Daley is going to get shut right down by Martin Kampmann: It would've been nice to see him against someone who couldn't smother him on the ground right off. Hype quote of the show: "Frank wants to try to get back into the limelight and try to get eventually a title shot and he's got to come through Josh Koscheck to do that."-- Koscheck, invoking the always-alarming technique of third-person speech.
Back Against the Mat (BAM): UFC 103 Edition
Unemployment is on the rise everywhere. A few guys who can't afford a loss Saturday: Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic. Performances against Gabriel Gonzaga in the UK and Overeem in Japan dulled his shine considerably: He can't look bad against a largely unknown Junior dos Santos without virtually terminating his career. Drew McFedries. He brings it, but a possible 4-5 record in the UFC is a stretch. Rafael dos Anjos. A 155-pound class with a surplus of talent can't abide by a 0-3 participant. Floyd Mayweather. The insult-a-second boxer doesn't think MMA is a threat to boxing; if it comes within a few thousands homes of beating his bout with Juan Manuel Marquez Saturday -- or worse, exceeds it -- he's going to have to spin a new broken record. Five questions: UFC 103 edition
Q: Will Vitor Belfort shrink? A: Even if you excuse his dynamic debut performance at UFC 13 -- all hands, no effort -- as the product of subpar opposition, Vitor Belfort is still a sharp, tight stand-up artist who can end fights faster than IV sedation. The ticks of the clock are Belfort's biggest issues: As the fight wears, he fades mentally, and instructs his body to do the same physically. Whether that's been corrected at Xtreme Couture hasn't been discovered. Rich Franklin will prompt him for an answer. Q: Does the old guard have anything left? A: Frank Trigg, Vladimir Matyushenko, and -- to some extent -- Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic all bounced out of the UFC after a series of poor performances, only to return based on either strong performances in other promotions, or the UFC's desire to deplete the open talent pool for rivals. Is that employment based on genuine curiosity over their chances, or a business strategy? (Trigg, Filipovic or Matyushenko getting chewed up in the UFC makes them far less attractive to other networks.) Q: Can Tyson Griffin break through? A: It's hard to process that Tyson Griffin loses fights: He's a steam ship in the diminutive lightweight division with fantastic cardio, a solid punch and the ability to control. A record of 6-2 in the UFC may not look great compared to Gray Maynard's 6-0, but he's been fighting nothing but tough competition. With a win over Hermes Franca, should Griffin and Maynard decide 155's next contender? Q: Can effort trump results? A: UFC brokers are fond of saying that they want fighters who come to fight -- but when does that begin to steamroll mixed results? Drew McFedries has never been in a boring contest, but he's 4-4 heading into Saturday. At what point do you acknowledge that gamesmanship runs second to getting your arms held up? Q: Can Rich Franklin bank some money? A: As a company man who fights when, who, and where he's asked, Franklin deserves a financial mattress as his career winds down. But if his salary is business-incentive-based, he's got issues: Buyrates for Franklin-headlining cards are usually on the lower end of the scale. Whether a card airing live from the states changes that -- fans usually balk at delayed UK cards, where Franklin took up temporary residence -- or not, the loyalty is admirable. And it should be rewarded.
Red Ink: Belfort versus Franklin
In six years of UFC competition, only two men have defeated Rich Franklin, both of whom happen to be the two best middleweights in the sport. Franklin's secret appears to be that he wants it as badly in the closing 30 seconds of a bout as most do in the opening 30. His motivation doesn't wither. And that's a pretty big deal. Vitor Belfort's motivation has been the anchor of his career: He has all the natural talent anyone could ask for, top-notch training, and a particular skillset -- fast, dangerous, heavy hands -- that you can't replicate. But he wants things to go his way. And when they don't, he checks out. Belfort throws straight down the line; Franklin loops. Belfort fades late; Franklin sucks it up. It's not about who has heavier hands, but who can keep them up longer. Might look like: Belfort versus Chuck Liddell, with Belfort dropping a decision to the busier striker; or Franklin-Wanderlei Silva, with Franklin eating some artillery, covering to regroup and picking at an opponent tired of hitting him. Third-party investor: The UFC, which is in dire need of a middleweight contender to excite both fans and champion Anderson Silva. Belfort in a win over a durable Franklin sends him right to the edge. Who wins: Franklin. He's too cautious to suffer a blitz, too strong to toss and too conditioned to outlast.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
ESPN.com's Tim Griffin writes about all things Big 12 in his conference 
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