disagreement over the living wage bill, but that doesn't mean Bloomy won't attend Quinn's wedding this Saturday–and dole out some serious dough on a wedding gift. “You know, I probably should go to the bridal registry of some place or other,” the …
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by MEG MOORE Sun-Times Mediammoore@suntimes.com may 15, 2012 4:06PM
Glencoe residents Vicki Stauber and Audrey Fosse arrive for the Walk, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s fashion show last year. Glencoe ranked no. 2 on bundle.com’s list of the most fashion-conscious towns. | Tom Cruze~Sun-Times Media
storyidforme: 30541480 tmspicid: 11057325 fileheaderid: 5054404 Article Extras
Updated: may 16, 2012 2:30AM
It’s not a secret that many closets on the North Shore are filled with upscale, fashion-forward designer garments, and now, thanks to bundle.com, the nation knows just how trend-setting the North Shore’s fashionistas can be.
The bundle.com report lists Glencoe as the second most fashion-conscious town in the U.S. after Newport Coast, Calif., with 15.95 percent of residents listed as such. but lovers of all things sartorial from other towns made the top 40 as well. Winnetka residents (13.44 percent) enter the list at no. 4; Highland Park at no. 9, (after Beverly Hills, Calif., at 11.84 percent; Hinsdale and Lake Forest round out the top 12 (11.29 and 10.74 percent respectively); Deerfield (8.05 percent); Oak Brook (7.91 percent), and Wilmette (7.20 percent) take honors ahead of the known shopping meccas of Malibu, Calif, and Palm Beach, Fla. For the full list, see bundle.com/article/most-fashionable-towns-america.
The new site compiles anonymous spending data to compile user reviews for local businesses — using credit card transactions to create data-driven snapshots of how people spend their money. it aims to give consumers a place to research local businesses with hard numbers — cost per transaction, loyalty to a particular retailer and how many customers a business serves — rather than a traditional online forum review site such as yelp.com.
“We defined a segment called ‘fashionistas’ by identifying those households that had at least four transactions at known high-end merchants in a 30-month period,” CEO Jaidev Shergill wrote in an email.
Deerfield resident and stylist Debra Katz works to keep her clients fashion-conscious and doesn’t find one town to be more fashionable than the other. “I think there are women in each of these towns who are definitely high-fashion, who really subscribe [to it] and love it,” she said.
The Possessionista (a k a Dana Weiss, a Deerfield resident, blogger and expert on all things fashion), doesn’t want her North Shore neighbors to think their fashion consciousness only relates to how much they spend.
“I think that list is a bit deceptive. Being fashionable and having an innate sense of style has nothing to do with money,” Weiss said.
Philadelphia (CBS) — Within a few days after Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski lost one of those forgettable dagger-to-the-soul games to Lehigh in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the coaching legend was on a plane to the Philadelphia area to see Amile Jefferson.
Apparently, the trip meant a lot to the 6-foot-8, McDonald’s All-American, who made an oral commitment to Duke Tuesday afternoon to a basketball scholarship to the Blue Devils.
The small Friends Central gym began filling about 45 minutes before Jefferson even stepped toward to the table already positioned to face the stands. The 6-foot-8 Jefferson was the last of 2012′s major recruits to commit.
It was a long, back-and-forth process, before Jefferson took the podium and make his choice official—that it would be Duke, which Jefferson choose over North Carolina State, Kentucky and Villanova, about five miles up the street from where Friends Central is located.
“this was a really tough decision for me, and at the end of the day, I made my decision based on and off the court. I think Friends Central has prepared me greatly for the next step of my life, and without adeu, I’m proud to say I’ll be attending Duke University in the fall,” Jefferson said. “I think it was the great combination of academics and athletics that led me to Duke. going to a school like Friends Central, it emulates everything Duke has to offer, in the end, Duke was the best choice for me.”
Jefferson finished a distinguished career at Friends Cantral, where he averaged just under 20 points and 8 rebounds a game this past season. He led the Phoenix, who are not PIAA affiliated (Pennsylvania’s high school governing body), to two Friends Schools League championships, was selected as a three-time all-state player, and a two-time Pennsylvania Player of the Year. He finished his career scoring over 1,500 points and blocking 800 shots.
“I made the decision two days ago, when I said to myself, ‘This is where I want to be, and this is the school that I wanted to go to,’” Jefferson said. “It was the right decision at the end. It’s the right school for me. I considered North Carolina State, and it’s a great school and a program on the rise, and it was definitely between Duke and NC State. but at the end of the day, Duke seemed to be the best fit for me. It’s going to be a challenge, academically and athletically, but I think Friends Central prepared me for this. It took this long because I wanted to make sure I made the right choice.”
Having Jefferson be the first player Krzyzewski visited in person scored serious points with Jefferson and his family.
“That meant a lot, and Coach K’s reaction after the Lehigh loss was pure class, and to come and visit Amile, and say how much they wanted him, and how much Amile going there meant to Duke was very, very important,” Friends Central coach Jason Polykoff said. “To immediately come and talk to Amile right after that loss, that really meant a lot to Amile.
“That to Amile showed how much Duke and Coach K wanted him. It boiled down to Duke and NC State, and he was having a tough time between the two. He made the decision a few days ago, but he wanted to make sure and be as diligent as he has been throughout the process. I’ll tell you for a fact, Amile will graduate with a degree from Duke. That was an important part of the process.”
Jefferson, who admitted was extremely nervous before going public with his choice, was finally able to to relax. He beamed a wide, big smile and shook hands with the many, many well-wishers who made sure they were there to witness his long-awaited announcement.
“I’m happy it’s over and happy with my choice,” Jefferson said. “I’m happy with my decision and this next phase I’m about to begin. I know I made the right choice. anything Coach K will need me to do, I’ll do. I know I have to get stronger, work on my jump shot a little more, and I like the way Coach K coaches. It’s a great fit.”
May 17, 2012
Donatella Versace talks to Georgina Safe about the return of the brand to the couture calendar and using key motifs from her late brother Gianni’s final collection.
For a high-profile woman at the helm of a global fashion brand that epitomises va-va-voom glamour, Donatella Versace is remarkably circumspect when it comes to speaking with the media.
The Versace brand itself has never shied away from a look-at-me approach. it has poured Elizabeth Hurley into a black dress held together with safety pins, opened the more-is-more Palazzo Versace resort on the Gold Coast and recruited ”supers” such as Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington to strut its runways.
But its designer is uncomfortable when the spotlight turns on her rather than the clothes she creates.
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Just before Milan Fashion Week in February, I was offered a rare interview with Donatella but my request for a face-to-face appointment was declined in favour of an email exchange.
After the Versace show at Milan Fashion Week, it was easy to see why.
Held in the courtyard of the home of the late Gianni Versace, the presentation marked the first time Donatella had the courage to revisit key design signatures of her brother, who was gunned down outside his Miami home on July 15, 1997.
Through her use of the Byzantine cross motif, the designer specifically referenced the final collection Gianni showed by the swimming pool of the Paris Ritz that July, as well as incorporating her brother’s beloved metal-chain mesh.
”It was an emotional decision,” Donatella says by email.
”The reality is that I was painfully aware I was referencing Gianni’s last collection. maybe this was a way of finally confronting some demons.”
Donatella began working with Gianni in the mid-1970s and has been designer of the Versace label for more than a decade.
During his lifetime, she acted as a muse and critic to Gianni and in the 1980s he created a perfume in her honour, called Blonde. ”It was one of the first times that Gianni acknowledged my importance to him creatively in the public and that was important to me,” Donatella says. ”It was also something of an in-joke between us, as it was Gianni who turned me blonde late one night when I was 11 years old.”
More than two decades later, Donatella has created another fragrance that references the colour yellow: Versace Yellow Diamond.
The fresh and voluptuous scent combining orange blossom, freesia, mimosa and musk follows the launch of Versace Crystal Noir perfume in 2004 and Versace Bright Crystal in 2006, and is aimed at bottling the ”feminine, luxurious and beautifully striking” essence of the Italian brand.
Like the autumn-winter collection Donatella showed in February, it is also a personal enterprise.
”I am always closely involved in the creation of my fragrances, as scent is a very personal thing,” she says.
”I like to create perfumes that I would wear and that evoke an aspect of the Versace spirit.”
In July, the designer will mark another emotional milestone when her Atelier Versace brand returns to the Paris Ritz hotel for the first time since her brother’s death with a show as part of the haute couture collections. The Paris Ritz was where many Atelier Versace shows were held from 1990 until the line was suspended in 2004 and the return of the brand to the couture calendar is aimed at reinforcing the luxury hallmarks of Versace as it enjoys fresh popularity with a younger audience, thanks to its recent highly successful collection for Swedish fast-fashion retailer H&M.
”The key to the Versace look has always been sex and glamour, interpreted in the Italian way,” Donatella says. ”Having said that, every designer has to evolve to remain current and relevant and so, over the years since Gianni’s death, it has fallen to me to re-imagine the Versace aesthetic for changing times.”
Donatella admits ”it took me a while to find my voice as a designer” but as her confidence grew she took Versace in a more minimal and understated direction.
”You could say that Versace became a little more restrained – elegant even,” she says.
”[But] in recent seasons I have felt comfortable enough to revisit some of the design motifs that Gianni made famous but, again, always looking at them through new eyes.”
Gianni played a key role in glamorising the fashion industry through his excessive designs and use of celebrities and supermodels to promote his brand, but Donatella has mixed feelings about the legacy of that era.
”My brother would be delighted to see how fashion has now really become part of the culture; this was something he pioneered,” she says.
”But I think he would be surprised by how corporate it has also become. The big fashion conglomerates that dominate the industry today have taken over from the smaller houses, run by their designers, that made up the fashion landscape when he was alive.
”This state of affairs means that for young designers, there are perhaps more opportunities to go and work for a fashion company, but less likelihood that you will be able to start up on your own and make a go of it.”
Versace is a rarity in this corporate landscape, in that the company is fully owned by the Versace family.
Donatella owns 20 per cent, her brother Santo Versace owns 30 per cent and her daughter Allegra Beck Versace owns 50 per cent. ”One advantage has to be that you are working with people you know and trust,” Donatella says. ”I do think this can work really well for a fashion company, where often you need to make decisions that are not just about making money in the short term, but are instead about doing the right thing for the brand in the long term.
”You are not just working for yourselves, but also for future generations.”
By Richard A. Dickon Belleville parents and school staff showed off some great work from special needs students Monday night. The Special Services Department sponsored a "Dare to Dream" poster contest, where students highlighted the special needs …
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/ Associated Press Sportsupdated 4:53 p.m. ET may 13, 2012
BOSTON (AP) – Philadelphia coach Doug Collins warned his team about the Celtics’ third-quarter prowess this season.
Perhaps that advisory should have been extended into the fourth quarter as well.
Leading for most of the game and by as many as 10 early in the fourth, the 76ers could no longer contain Kevin Garnett or Rajon Rondo, who ignited a 23-7 surge to start the final quarter, helping the Celtics steal Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals with a 92-91 victory Saturday night.
Game 2 is Monday in Boston.
“I think they’re the top third-quarter team in the league this year and Coach really stressed that,” Philadelphia forward Elton Brand said. “So, when we pushed that lead back up to 10, it was just a feeling like we had a chance there.”
Rondo had other ideas.
The fleet-footed point guard collected 17 assists, 13 points and 12 rebounds, notching his eighth career playoff triple-double. six of those points, five assists and four rebounds came in the fourth quarter, fueling the late-game run with three long-range jumpers that turned a double-digit deficit into a six-point lead with 1:17 remaining.
“I think we shot ourselves in the foot, that’s what you learn pretty much,” Sixers guard Evan Turner said. “We were up 13 a couple times, we weathered the storm, went back up 10, and just think we shot ourselves in the foot.
“Especially the Celtics, they’re always going to fight. you just have to keep them down.”
There’s been no slowing Garnett lately.
The 35-year-old forward submitted another age-defying performance on the heels of one of his best all-around efforts in recent memory. on Thursday, in closing out Atlanta, he had 28 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks and three steals. less than 48 hours later, Garnett scored a season-high 29 and added 11 rebounds against Philadelphia, playing the entire fourth as Boston improved to 4-0 on its home court this postseason.
Garnett is averaging 20.1 points and 10.6 rebounds in the playoffs.
“We are gonna ride Kevin all the way until his wheels fall off,” Boston forward Paul Pierce said. “He understands the sense of urgency with this ball club and he’s giving it everything he’s got out there for us.”
Brand seems to agree.
“I think he’s the hottest guy in the league right now,” he said. “The closeout game in Atlanta and how he played last night? It was pretty amazing.”
Andre Iguodala scored 19 and Turner added 16 and 10 rebounds for the Sixers, who became just the fifth no. 8 seed to win a first-round series against the top-seeded team when they knocked off the Chicago Bulls. Philadelphia took advantage of Chicago’s injuries, and took a 3-1 series lead, before eventually capping the upset in Game 6 at home Thursday.
The Celtics are different, though, a sage squad seeking their third berth in the East finals over the past five seasons. Boston did not practice on Sunday.
Philadelphia owned a 77-67 lead with 11 minutes to go before Rondo drained a pair of outside jumpers in a span of two minutes to hand Boston an 83-82 edge. Garnett later put Boston in front for good on a layup and Pierce and Rondo helped seal it with back-to-back jumpers.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers wasn’t sure if his team had one last run in them. When they did, though, he wasn’t surprised.
“It’s funny, when we cut the lead the first time and then they pumped it back up to seven, nine . I didn’t feel bad about the game,” he said. “I didn’t know if we were going to win or lose. I did feel like mentally, our guys were still very much in the game, and, to me, that’s a good sign.”
The Sixers learned a valuable lesson, too.
“We played well, but they’re a weathered team, they’re a championship team,” Brand said. “Most of those guys have been on a championship team, so they know how to execute, they know to finish at the end, which we’ve done better at, but that’s what we have to do against this Boston team.”
© 2012 the Associated Press. all rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.advertisement
Bulls’ Rose to miss 8-12 months
CHICAGO, May 15 (UPI) — Chicago Bulls all-star guard Derrick Rose could be out as long a year following surgery to repair a torn knee ligament, the team’s doctor said Tuesday.
Bulls team physician Brian Cole said last year’s NBA MVP will be out 8-to-12 months after having the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee repaired.
That would mean Rose will miss at least part of the 2012-13 season.
“He really has to meet certain objective parameters that we progress him through,” Cole said in Chicago. “It’s really a series of progressions, very knee-focused initially, which is what we’re doing now. we spread out from there, doing entire body conditioning, performance training and so forth.”
The top-seeded Bulls sorely missed the 23-year-old following his injury at the end of their Game 1 Eastern Conference quarterfinals loss to Philadelphia. Chicago went on to lose the series 4-2.
Rose struggled with other injuries during the lockout-shortened regular season. he missed 27 of the 66 games due back spasms and a pulled groin.
He averaged 21.8 points and 7.9 assists per game when he did play.
NASCAR fines Busch for Darlington spat
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., May 15 (UPI) — NASCAR announced Tuesday it fined driver Kurt Busch $50,000 and placed him on probation following an incident last weekend at Darlington Raceway.
In the Sprint Cup Series event Saturday, Busch’s displeasure with fellow driver Ryan Newman erupted into dangerous pit row driving and a post-race shoving match between rival team members.
The incident came after Busch had wrecked with six laps to go, taking Newman’s car with him.
NASCAR said Busch violated rules pertaining to actions detrimental to stock car racing and reckless driving on pit road during a race.
Busch was also found guilty of having an altercation with another competitor after the completion of a race.
The governing body also fined Busch team member Craig Strickler $5,000 and placed him on NASCAR probation for “detrimental actions” and “interfering with a member of the broadcast media.”
Obama honors MLS champ LA Galaxy
WASHINGTON, May 15 (UPI) — U.S. President Barack Obama honored the MLS champion Los Angeles Galaxy at the White House Tuesday, calling them the “Miami Heat of soccer.”
Galaxy members Robbie Keane of Ireland, Britain’s David Beckham and American Landon Donovan, as well as Coach Bruce Arena, were singled out by Obama for their contributions to their 2011 MLS Cup win.
“The truth is, in America, most professional soccer players have the luxury of being able to walk around without being recognized. but not these guys. this is the Miami Heat of soccer,” Obama said.
“And together, they represent one of the most talented lineups that MLS has ever seen.”
Arena’s squad racked up the second-most points total in league history last year en route to their third MLS Cup victory, 1-0 over the Houston Dynamo, in which Donovan scored the game-winner on assists from Beckham and Keane in the 74th minute.
“You lived up to the hype,” Obama said. “You combined star power and hard work — it paid off.”
The team was also congratulated by first lady Michelle Obama at White House, who introduced them to children attending a “Let’s Move” anti-obesity event.
Ex-minor-league pitcher busted at stadium
NEW YORK, May 15 (UPI) — A former minor-league ballplayer and his brother have been charged with a drunken assault on a retired new York City firefighter during a Yankees game.
Keith Stamler, 32, who pitched in the Texas Rangers farm system, and Brad Stamler, 34, were arrested Friday at Yankee Stadium, the new York Post reported.
Richard Kelly, 46, who retired as a lieutenant, told the Post he was at the game with his two sons, another retired firefighter, bill Spade, and Spade’s sons. he and Spade first encountered the brothers when two of the boys were in the bathroom and the Stamlers sat in their seats and began eating the kids’ Twizzlers.
Security guards got the brothers back to their seats. but Kelly said after the game someone put an arm around his neck and knocked him to the ground. he was then kicked and hit in the head.
Spade came to his help.
“My son was crying hysterically. he gave me a hug and said, ‘Dad, I thought you died the way you hit your head on the ground,’” Kelly said.
Kelly said the Stamlers were carrying beer and were slurring their words at their first encounter.
Manning is among 3800 soldiers participating in what Army officials are saying is one of that military branch's most important exercises, the Network Integration Evaluation (NIE). at White Sands Missile Range, the soldiers are testing at least three …
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SEATTLE, WA, May 15, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — ClearSign Combustion Corporation (NASDAQ:CLIR) today announced that the underwriter, MDB Capital Group LLC, exercised in full its over-allotment option to purchase an additional 450000 shares of the …
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consider it a wake up call.
On an afternoon where most had already penciled in a victory for the Greencastle-Antrim varsity baseball team, it was a familiar rival that showed up to play.
a sensational complete-game outing from pitcher Sam Wingert paired with five Blue Devil errors proved to be the difference on Wednesday, as James Buchanan put together a convincing 6-3, Mid-Penn Colonial Division victory, stunning the unexpecting hosts.
in the two’s first meeting back on April 5, G-A (7-5, 6-3 MPC-Colonial) rolled the Rockets 11-0 in five innings, understandably setting a precedent for Wednesday’s matchup. still, it’s a matter of execution, as the Blue Devils’ five errors ultimately resulted in five JB (7-8, 3-7 MPC-Colonial) runs, with Wingert silencing the G-A bats until the final two innings — when it was too little, too late.
“This was about as bad as we could have played,” G-A head coach Eric Shaner said. “we just weren’t in it mentally. we missed signs, struggled to field balls, and when we did field balls, we were throwing them away. we just have to find a way to be ready to play every time we take the field. Today, we weren’t.”
Wingert held the Blue Devils to only two hits threw his first five innings of work, with JB capitalizing on G-A’s mistakes in the field to establish a 5-0 advantage.
a single by Josiah Utermoehlen was all the Rockets needed to plate their initial runs in the third, as a pair of G-A throwing errors resulted in the early deficit.
the script was similar in the fifth, with JB scoring three runs on only two hits in the frame, as John Sollenberger and Levi Deike combined to drive in a trio of runners who had reached and advanced on three Blue Devil errors. JB tacked on another in the sixth, as a Grant Buchanan double was followed by two walks and an RBI groundout from Wingert, pushing the Rockets’ lead to 6-0.
G-A finally managed to answer in the home half of the inning, as singles by Hunter Szaflarski and Denver Cordell set up a two-RBI triple from Ashtin Byers, giving the Blue Devils some life entering the seventh.
a resilient two-out rally ensued, as three consecutive base knocks by Corey Meyers, Holden Baker and Szaflarski cut the deficit to three before JB was able to record the game’s final out, and ultimately, the upset win.
consider it a wake up call. On an afternoon where most had already penciled in a victory for the Greencastle-Antrim varsity baseball team, it was a familiar rival that showed up to play.
a sensational complete-game outing from pitcher Sam Wingert paired with five Blue Devil errors proved to be the difference on Wednesday, as James Buchanan put together a convincing 6-3, Mid-Penn Colonial Division victory, stunning the unexpecting hosts.
in the two’s first meeting back on April 5, G-A (7-5, 6-3 MPC-Colonial) rolled the Rockets 11-0 in five innings, understandably setting a precedent for Wednesday’s matchup. still, it’s a matter of execution, as the Blue Devils’ five errors ultimately resulted in five JB (7-8, 3-7 MPC-Colonial) runs, with Wingert silencing the G-A bats until the final two innings — when it was too little, too late.
“This was about as bad as we could have played,” G-A head coach Eric Shaner said. “we just weren’t in it mentally. we missed signs, struggled to field balls, and when we did field balls, we were throwing them away. we just have to find a way to be ready to play every time we take the field. Today, we weren’t.”
Wingert held the Blue Devils to only two hits threw his first five innings of work, with JB capitalizing on G-A’s mistakes in the field to establish a 5-0 advantage.
a single by Josiah Utermoehlen was all the Rockets needed to plate their initial runs in the third, as a pair of G-A throwing errors resulted in the early deficit.
the script was similar in the fifth, with JB scoring three runs on only two hits in the frame, as John Sollenberger and Levi Deike combined to drive in a trio of runners who had reached and advanced on three Blue Devil errors. JB tacked on another in the sixth, as a Grant Buchanan double was followed by two walks and an RBI groundout from Wingert, pushing the Rockets’ lead to 6-0.
G-A finally managed to answer in the home half of the inning, as singles by Hunter Szaflarski and Denver Cordell set up a two-RBI triple from Ashtin Byers, giving the Blue Devils some life entering the seventh.
a resilient two-out rally ensued, as three consecutive base knocks by Corey Meyers, Holden Baker and Szaflarski cut the deficit to three before JB was able to record the game’s final out, and ultimately, the upset win.
“I have faith in this team,” Shaner explained. “we will get better from this.”
Wingert’s outing featured eight strikeouts and eight hits, six of which came in the final two frames. Justin Hovey was admirable in his start for the Blue Devils, being credited with only one earned run in his five innings of work, striking out seven while surrendering just one walk.
“I thought Hovey threw a nice game,” Shaner said. “the mistakes just really hurt us.”
Szaflarski finished the game 3-for-4 to pace G-A from the plate, followed by Byers’ two-hit performance.
the Blue Devils — who have dropped four of their last six games — will look to get back on track Friday with a trip to big Spring.