Illinois man commits suicide in front of police after killing woman www.privateofficer.com

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Carpentersville IL June 25 2012 A 39-year-old Lake in the Hills man fatally shot a female acquaintance and minutes later shot himself in front of police officers last night following a domestic quarrel in northwest suburban Carpentersville, police said.

Anthony Rodriguez, whose last known address was on Tecumseh Drive in Lake in the Hills, was taken to Sherman Hospital, where he was pronounced dead last night, according to a police spokeswoman.

Police were called to the 0-100 block of Pueblo Road at 9:39 p.m. for a report of a man with a gun and a domestic disturbance, she said.


Officers discovered a 39-year-old woman shot twice and dead on the scene, she said.

As police were investigating this, at 10 p.m. a second call came in regarding an armed man, she said.

“The subject who shot this woman was at a friend’s home in the 1500 block of Amarillo Drive,’’ she said.

Police found Rodriguez in the front yard of the home with a gun. “As they tried to talk to him, he shot himself one time,’’ the spokeswoman said.

The woman’s name was not being released Saturday, pending notification of family members, according to the spokeswoman.

The Kane County coroner’s office is handling both deaths, but a representative was not immediately available.

Source:Chicago Tribune

Univ. of Nebraska hook bike thieves with a little "bait" www.privateofficer.com

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Lincoln NE June 25 2012 On the reality TV show “Bait Car,” police park GPS-rigged vehicles -- unlocked and with keys inside -- then wait for an unsuspecting thief to bite.

On the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus, police are doing the same thing -- with bicycles.

The UNL Police Department has been using GPS trackers to catch bike thieves since late 2010, Sgt. John Backer said.

“It is not the most serious problem on campus, but is one of the most prevalent and persistent,” he said. “We try to focus our efforts on the crimes students have to deal with, and (bike theft) is a top spot for that.”

Ninety-three bicycle thefts were reported on campus in 2011, down from 115 the year before. But it’s too early to tell whether the downward trend will continue, Backer said. The annual average is 94.5 bike thefts.

UNL police generally see a spike of reported thefts in September and October, shortly after the start of the fall semester, and a smaller increase in April and May, coinciding with the end of the spring semester, Backer said.

The department uses several bikes it acquired as abandoned property to run the stings.

“It’s not like we’re putting out the best bike out on the market. We’re just putting out an average bicycle because that is what is being stolen,” Backer said.

Officers leave the bike unattended and unlocked in a public place. Typically, Backer said, it’s stolen within four or five hours.

When the GPS indicates the bike has moved beyond a predetermined perimeter, dispatch is notified and officers move, usually catching the two-wheel larcenist with feet still on the pedals. Police also use the university’s camera network to record thefts.

Officers run the sting as often as staffing allows, Backer said, although they don’t do it on days they'll be too busy to retrieve a bike.

They also don’t do it on bitterly cold days for fear of damaging the GPS unit. Winter months are the slowest for bike thefts anyway, he added.

Backer said the department conducted similar operations for years before getting GPS technology, just less often because it required one officer to watch the bike while another waited nearby to catch the thief.

New technology simply has made it much more efficient.

Source:journalstar.com

74-year-old Las Vegas commits suicide after firing at wife www.privateofficer.com

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Las Vegas NV June 25 2012 Metro police said a 74-year-old Las Vegas man committed suicide early Saturday after firing a weapon at his wife who fled their home.

Watch commander Lt. Craig Klatt said the man was depressed and had been drinking before he fired a round at the woman, who called police at 7:23 a.m.

Responding officers tried to reach the man by telephone, but he hung up. They later heard a shot inside the home, on Furnace Gulch Avenue near Fort Apache Road, while waiting for a SWAT team to arrive.

The SWAT team then entered the house and found the man dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Klatt said.

source-las vegas review journal

Jersey Shores strengthens police force during summer with "Specials" www.privateofficer.com

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Ocean City NJ June 25 2012 Every morning, 21-year-old Special Officer Giovanni DeMarco suits up and patrols the boardwalk in Ocean City.

For $10 an hour, no health benefits and no vacation days, he puts his life on the line to keep countless beach-goers safe.

But he is just one face in a population of thousands who seek seasonal employment at the Jersey Shore each year.

Some work as reinforcement for local police departments, others as amusement park ride operators, or ice cream scoopers, but they all are part of the magic that is the Jersey Shore.

“We hire a mix of approximately 40 Class 1 and Class 2 officers every summer,” said Ocean City Police Lt. Bruce Twiggs.


The hiring of special officers to supplement shore towns has been going on for more than 30 years. Just about every police department along the Atlantic coast does it.


“Our population fluctuates between about 12,000 in the winter time to a peak of 110,000 in the summer,” said Twiggs. “With that kind of influx we need supplemental officers, but we don’t need them year-round.”

The Ocean City police department has 55 full-time officers.

“So for the summer we don’t exactly double our force, but it is pretty close,” said Twiggs.

To help with the crowds, police departments can hire two classes of seasonal help.

Class 1 special law enforcement officers have limited enforcement powers and do not carry firearms, but can still enforce laws for motor vehicle violations, city ordinances, petty disorderly persons offenses and disorderly persons.

These recruits go through 80 hours of training, traffic enforcement, traffic control, unarmed defense, report writing and other basic law enforcement courses.

Class 2 officers are just shy of full-time police officers. They can carry a firearm, but cannot make arrests outside of a town’s jurisdiction or take their firearms home.

These officers receive 471 hours of training, classes run in the winter and summer, said Twiggs.

DeMarco worked his way up and is now serving as a Class 2 officer in Ocean City.

“Last year I served on the patrol division as a Class 1. I issued parking tickets more than anything, but it was a good learning experience,” said DeMarco. “I was able to learn from the officers around me and pick up their good habits.”

This year, DeMarco is on the boardwalk unit and he has embraced the extra responsibility of a Class 2 officer. He also likes the interaction with the public.


“I want the public to look at me and see that I enjoy my job,” said DeMarco. “I don’t want people to fear approaching me, because as law enforcement officers we are here to help the community.”

This is John Coffey’s first year as a Class 1 officer in Ocean City.

The 18–year-old Pennsauken resident is a student at Rowan University.

Twiggs said 99 percent of the special officers they hire are college students. Of that amount, 75 percent are criminal justice majors. Some students can even use the summer jobs to earn college credit.

“I’m only a month in, but for the most part it has been a positive experience,” said Coffey. “It’s a good test to see if I want to pursue a career in law enforcement.”

So far, Coffey said he handles a lot of “quality of life” calls.

“Not too much action yet on the boardwalk,” he said.

Twiggs said boardwalk officers work on a two-shift rotation, either 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or a 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.

DeMarco said there are major differences between the two shifts.

“During the daytime you see more families so you get calls for medical emergencies like heat stroke or seizures,” said DeMarco. “At night there is more action, kids out drinking or causing trouble.”

DeMarco, who hopes to land a job with his hometown department, said his goal is to protect the public and educate them on why certain rules on the boardwalk need to be followed.

North Wildwood Police Lt. Kevin Tolan said working as a special officer can serve as a stepping stone for a future law-enforcement career.

North Wildwood, where the population typically swells from 5,000 year-round to 50,000 in the summer, has hired 43 officers this summer to supplement their 20-plus full-time police force.

“This year 10 kids returned out of 41 because most of the officers from last year got picked up for a full-time job in their hometowns,” said Tolan. “We’ve had kids who started here that are now in all levels of law enforcement across the state.”

But the Jersey Shore is not all about law and order.


This summer Caroline Drury, 20, of Philadelphia, is working at Johnson’s Popcorn.

She said her family owns a house in Ocean City and as she got older she started picking up jobs to make some extra money.

“I like it a lot but it kind of stinks being able to look out at the beach knowing you’re stuck here,” said Drury. “It gets tough and frustrating when I’m the only girl working, you have to think the line will always end at some point.”

Personnel Director at Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, Brian O’Connell, said they hire about 200 summer employees including international college students from Lithuania and Turkey.

Morey’s Pier in Wildwood hires approximately 1,500 seasonal workers and keeps 115 full-time employees, said spokesman Tim Samson. Most seasonal ride operators make the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.

Tim Diggins, 19, of Egg Harbor Township, has been working at Ocean City’s Wonderland Pier for three years.

“It’s a fun, reliable job,” Diggins said. “You get to watch kids have fun on rides and it’s pretty easy.”

Diggins said the ability to work just a few months in the summer is what drew him to seasonal work at the shore.

“I go to college in North Carolina so three or four months of work is the perfect job for me,” said Diggins. “Most days here I work open to close.”

As for training on certain rides, Diggins said each day they are assigned to a ride.

“They make a schedule each day and if someone has not been trained on a ride they take you out and spend plenty of time making sure you know how to operate the ride,” said Diggins. “Safety is first.”

The Jersey Shore is also known to host many international workers through the summer. It was 20-year-old Kazakhstan native Bagdat Akhmenov’s first trip to the United States.

Akhmenov is working at George’s Candies this summer.

“I wanted to see the world and make new friends,” said Akhmenov, whose native country in central Asia borders Russia. “I’ve never been to the USA. It maybe was a little bit like my dream to come here.”

According to the U.S. Department of State’s Exchange Visitor Program, in 2011 nearly 7,000 workers came into New Jersey for summer jobs on a temporary work visa.

The Federal Summer Work Travel program is said to provide foreign students with an opportunity to live and work in the United States during their summer vacation from college to experience and to be exposed to the people and way of life in the United States.

Samson said Morey’s Piers owns four boarding homes that house both international and U.S. employees.

“We house about 10 percent of our summer work force,” Samson said. “We work with area housing owners and provide options to our seasonal associates.”

source:cpsj.com

Line of Duty Death Officer Celena Hollis

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Police Officer


Celena Hollis

Denver Police Department, Colorado

End of Watch: Sunday, June 24, 2012
Bio & Incident Details

Age: 32

Tour: 7 years

Badge # Not available

Cause: Gunfire

Incident Date: 6/24/2012

Weapon: Handgun

Suspect: Not available

Police Officer Celena Hollis was shot and killed while attempting to break up a fight at a jazz festival in Denver's City Park shortly after 8:00 pm.

Two groups of people had begun to fight and Officer Hollis intervened, attempting to stop the fight. One of the subjects involved in the fight opened fire with a handgun, striking Officer Hollis in the head. She was transported to a local hospital where she succumbed to her wounds.

One subject was taken into custody at the scene.

Officer Hollis had served with the Denver Police Department for seven years and acted as the president of the Denver Black Police Officers Association. She is survived by her daughter.


Please contact the following agency to send condolences or to obtain funeral arrangements:


Chief Robert White

Denver Police Department

1331 Cherokee Street

Denver, CO 80204

Phone: (720) 913-2000

Mike Boylson Leaves Penney's

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by David Moin
From WWD Issue 07/18/2011

J.C. Penney Co. Inc.’s marketing team has experienced a string of departures, among them its top official, Mike Boylson, executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

Boylson’s exit has raised speculation that incoming chief executive officer Ron Johnson has already begun cleaning house at Penney’s. Johnson is expected to bring a lot of change to the business, just as he did at Apple, where as senior vice president of retail he orchestrated the brand’s fast-paced, innovative and highly productive retail strategy from its inception in 2001 to more than 300 stores currently in the U.S. and abroad.

Boylson left Penney’s at the beginning of July, though Penney’s did not announce his departure despite his stature and long history there. Boylson joined the retailer as a management trainee in 1978, rose up the ranks to store manager, district manager, vice president and director of marketing planning and promotions, and finally executive vice president in April 2003. He oversaw a huge, high-profile marketing program with an annual advertising budget estimated at around $1 billion.

Two other marketing executive also recently left Penney’s: Nick Bomersbach, vice president of marketing for jcpenney.com and a 10-year veteran of Penney’s, and Christine Laczai, director of digital marketing who has been with Penney’s for two years and previously worked with VF Corp.

In confirming Boylson’s departure Friday, Penney’s said it has begun a search for Boylson’s successor. “Mike Boylson informed J.C. Penney in early June of his intention to retire on July 1,” a Penney’s spokeswoman said. It’s expected that Penney’s will hold off on filling the other vacancies until a new executive vice president of marketing is determined. Bill Gentner, Penney’s senior vice president of marketing planning and promotions, is acting as interim chief marketing officer.

Johnson joins Penney’s board on Aug. 1. and becomes ceo in November but has already been getting his feet wet. He accompanied Penney’s current ceo and chairman, Myron E. “Mike” Ullman 3rd, to Hong Kong for the chain’s annual supplier summit, where key suppliers learn about the state of Penney’s business and long-range plans.

In addition to making organizational changes, Johnson is expected to drive Penney’s Web presence, introduce new products and get the Penney’s team to think differently. Penney’s close to $18 billion in sales last year is still under prerecession volumes, but the company has the potential for growth and for elevating its image to attract younger customers. Johnson was lured to Penney’s by the prospect of reinventing another slice of retail, just as he did with the technology sector, and by the opportunity to be the top gun at a multi-billion dollar corporation.

Topshop Adds "Dress Up" Line

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by Sharon Edelson
From WWD Issue 07/18/2011

Topshop’s new collection, Dress Up, should do well in its flagship in Las Vegas opening in March. It does, after all, feature sequins.

“Dress Up, is just that: very elaborate, embellished pieces in fine silks and satin with beading and sequins,” said Sir Philip Green, the owner of Arcadia Group, parent company of Topshop and its men’s counterpart, Topman. “It will probably do quite well in Las Vegas, where we’ll have a bigger assortment of ‘going out’ apparel. Dresses is one of our strongest areas and evening shoes is also one of our strongest sellers. We’ll buy deeper into those categories. ”

The flagship, which will have 180 feet of frontage, will cost $8 million to $10 million to build, Green said.

While Dress Up seems tailor-made for the Las Vegas unit, Green said “there was a hole in the market for all of our customers. When we were figuring out something new to introduce, [we found] there was something our customer was missing, a cocktail dress at a $120 price point or a long silk gown you could wear to a wedding for $350.”

Dress Up has several distinctly Vegas-like offerings such as a multicolored sequin dress with stars and geometric shapes and multicolored beaded fringes on the sleeves and hem; a strapless pink confection with tiny pleats, tiers of ruffles, black ribbon and overlapping seashell-shaped fabric on the bodice and a gold sequin dress with black leopard spots.

Green said lease negotiations are taking place at several locations simultaneously. “We’re still looking at something else in New York, as well as Los Angeles and Miami,” he said. Las Vegas’ economic difficulties haven’t given him much pause. “Every city’s been through a downturn,” he said. “There’s a lot of local people. There’s still sufficient people in the city.” Besides, the Las Vegas unit “is a fairly large store, but it’s not 100,000 square feet like the London flagship.”

Topshop, which opened a flagship in Manhattan’s SoHo in 2009, is learning what New Yorkers want. “They like to stay in fashion,” he said. “We’re not selling T-shirts and jeans. Trends is what they want to buy. We’ve got people on the ground in Las Vegas and Chicago. We’re doing our homework.”

A Topshop/Topman flagship at 830 North Michigan Avenue is scheduled to open on Sept. 7 or 8. “It would be nice to have Mrs. Obama as a customer,” Green said, but added that he’s made no outreach to her. “We’re definitely looking to do pop-up stores in Chicago and Las Vegas. It’s good for familiarizing customers with the brand. If you do it off-site, in an area that’s not near the store, you can reach a new customer base. We did one in the Hamptons on June 18 for customers that don’t necessarily make it to the [SoHo] store.”

The Chicago store will have two entrances, one on North Michigan Avenue and another on Pearson Street. About 100 exclusive pieces are being designed for the store, including two suits, one in black lace and the other in yellow and black.

The opening of a Toronto flagship is being slightly delayed until the second week in September due to building issues, Green said. Topshop/Topman recently opened a pop-up shop there, so Green wants to do something different, probably linked to the Toronto Film Festival, Sept. 7 to 18.

Topshop/Topman will be entering Brazil in February or March and Australia is also on tap. Green said he’s negotiating to open stores in Mexico. He’s also found a site for a new flagship in the U.K., near West Ham and the 2012 London Olympic Park. “It’s exciting to open in places where you’ve never operated before,” he said, “going into new territories, learning new things, learning about new markets.” Referring to Las Vegas, he added: “I’ve wanted somewhere else where I can stay up late.”

Brooklyn Lease Negotiations Continue For Walmart, Penney's

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Wall Street Journal
By Eliot Brown and Joseph De Avila

The Related Cos. is in advanced lease negotiations with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and J.C. Penney Co. about anchoring a mall in southeast Brooklyn, according to people familiar with the matter.

Wal-Mart has long been considering the site overlooking the Belt Parkway just west of Howard Beach. But talks have intensified in recent months as the company has expanded a publicity campaign and taken steps to mollify potential critics, the people said.

The outlook for the 630,000-square-foot development—which would accomplish Wal-Mart's longtime goal of opening a location in the city—was boosted by J.C. Penney's strong interest. The combination of the two large stores would likely give the project sufficient financial viability to move forward despite the uncertainties that continue to cloud the slowly recovering economy.

J.C. Penney, which was based in Manhattan for about seven decades before moving to Texas, already has stores in all four other boroughs. But Wal-Mart doesn't, and its possible entry into the city has sparked strong opposition from labor unions, community groups and some elected officials.

Hurdles to Wal-Mart's beachhead remain. For starters, Related has yet to finalize a purchase of a portion of the site from the state, the price for which has come under criticism from Wal-Mart opponents.

But the project doesn't require further approval by the City Council, typically a major obstacle for developers. Given a 2009 rezoning, Related is free to build any big-box store on the site once it takes control.

Representatives for Wal-Mart, J.C. Penney and Related declined to comment on lease negotiations. "We still have not signed any leases anywhere in the city," Steven Restivo, a spokesman for Wal-Mart, said last week. "We continue to evaluate opportunities across the five boroughs."

Wal-Mart and J.C. Penney would take around 150,000 square feet each in the planned Gateway Center II mall, according a person familiar with discussions. The project would sit just north of Related's Gateway Center mall, which was completed in 2002 and houses a Target and a Best Buy.

Wal-Mart, which has unsuccessfully sought to break into the New York market in the past, has been investing considerable resources in an attempt to pave the way for an entrance over the objections of a powerful set of unions and elected officials.

Two labor groups, the United Food and Commercial Workers and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, have been particularly aggressive in combating Wal-Mart, which has long been opposed to a unionized work force. They are joined by elected officials including Council Speaker Christine Quinn and community groups worried about the giant discounter's impact on local merchants.

To counter the critics, Wal-Mart has launched a public-relations campaign to tout the retailer's virtues through fliers and newspaper and radio ads.

In the first four months of the year alone, Wal-Mart spent more than $1.7 million on consultants, most of which was directed at firms that do advertising and polling, according to lobbying records.

Earlier this month, the company announced a $4 million donation to a New York City job program at a news conference with Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Wal-Mart also recently signed up as a $150,000 sponsor for a summer concert series hosted by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz that includes performances by such artists as Queen Latifah.

The sponsorship drew praise from Mr. Markowitz, who has been critical of Wal-Mart in the past. In a statement on Sunday, he said he isn't "philosophically" opposed to Wal-Mart, but declined to comment on Related's plans. He said he believes the retailer should pay "a fair wage" and allow workers to unionize.

The push seems to have created a sense of inevitability among many elected officials, particularly given that the company has said it only intends to take space in stores where City Council approval isn't necessary, making it difficult to block. Earlier this year, Wal-Mart also won some labor support by signing a five-year contract with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York that guarantees that any of the company's store construction would be done with union labor.

Even Ms. Quinn, a vocal Wal-Mart critic, earlier this year offered to broker a deal between the company and the Hunts Point Terminal produce market. Under the deal, Wal-Mart would have committed to buying at least 5% of its produce from the market, although talks fizzled.

Aides to Ms. Quinn last week downplayed the potential deal and said Ms. Quinn hasn't changed her position on Wal-Mart and that she continues to oppose the company coming to New York.

Critics of the possible Wal-Mart Brooklyn development have recently stepped up efforts to block Related's purchase from the state of a 21-acre piece of the mall site. Related already controls the rest.

Last week, critics released a state memorandum from the Office of General Services that detailed how Related had renegotiated the purchase price for the state-owned land. The price was reduced in 2010 to $14.5 million from the $32.5 million it agreed to pay in 2009.

According to the memo, the price was changed partly because of an appraisal that showed a lower value for the site. Also, Related had been counting on at least $7.5 million in expected government incentives that proved unavailable. The mall is part of a larger 227-acre development that includes low-income housing, retail and parkland.

"The Gateway 2 development will expand on the enormously successful project that has already brought great economic benefits to this area," creating thousands of jobs, said Joanna Rose, a spokeswoman for Related, last week.

The land sale must be approved by state agencies and the state comptroller. A spokesman for the comptroller's office said last week that it hadn't yet received the proposal.

JLo, Anthony Lines Will Continue At Kohl's

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Wall Street Journal
By Karen Talley

Singer and actress Jennifer Lopez remains committed to launching a clothing line at Kohl's Corp. with husband Marc Anthony despite recently announced plans to divorce.

Mark Young, Ms. Lopez's publicist, said the Kohl's launch in September "will proceed as planned." Mr. Young called Ms. Lopez's line "distinctive" and said it represents style in an accessible way.

The star couple announced over the weekend plans to split after seven years of marriage, and retail-industry watchers said it is bad timing for the planned apparel rollout. Over the weekend, after the couple's announcement, Kohl's also said the launch would continue and that the lines can stand by themselves.

"The Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony brands have always been positioned as two separate, distinctive collections," a spokeswoman for Kohl's said.

The retailer calls the lines the largest launch of exclusive merchandise in the company's 49-year history. Kohl's has been talking up the lines and planning a big publicity push as the retailer looks for the brands to boost sales.

The lines will encompass virtually every merchandise category that Kohl's carries. The brands will be a move by the department-store chain to step up its so-called aspirational, or higher-quality, offerings.

The products, with Ms. Lopez taking a big hand in the women's offerings and Mr. Anthony involved in the men's, were expected to be promoted around their lifestyles and publicized together.

"These kinds of situations create consumer disappointment and disengagement with the celebrity," said Robert Passikoff, founder of Brands Keys, a brand-consulting firm. "Right now, Kohl's has to go through with it. They have made an investment in the merchandise and the licensing fees."

In good news for Kohl's in terms of the couple shooting for an amicable divorce, they have said they will go through with their Latin talent-search show. "The best thing [Kohl's] can do is sit very quietly and hope there is no more bad news about Marc or Jennifer," Mr. Passikoff said.

New Chairman To Head Zara's Parent Company

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by Barbara Barker
From WWD Issue 07/19/2011

Inditex will today enter a new era.

The parent company of Zara, Europe’s largest apparel retailer, will today see a change in management when chairman and founder Amancio Ortega, dubbed “the inventor of the Zaravolution,” steps down and hands the reins to Pablo Isla, who had been the group’s chief executive officer and deputy chairman since 2005.

But while the 75-year-old immensely secretive and low-key Ortega may be stepping down, he is hardly out — especially since he still controls the majority of the company’s shares. “Nothing has changed. He still controls the company and he still has a lot to say — and nobody doubts that he will say it,” said Sofía Vázquez, a reporter for La Voz de Galicia, a regional newspaper in the north of Spain, which is the company’s home base.

“Amancio is making another smart move, preparing for the future with similar logic and the same intelligence he has always used to run the company, but I think he’ll remain very close by,” added Linda Heras, international development director of Roberto Verino, a high-end apparel label and geographical neighbor.

Inditex operates 5,154 stores in 78 countries, with net profits of 1.73 billion euros, or $2.29 billion at average exchange, for the 2010 fiscal year on sales of 12.5 billion euros, or $16.5 billion. With eight chains led by Zara, Ortega’s empire has a workforce of roughly 100,000.

Under Isla’s watch, Inditex rolled out more than 2,800 stores with the top priorities being expansion in Asia and Eastern Europe, as well as growing e-commerce.

Pending shareholder approval, Isla will receive a hefty block of shares, worth 13.7 million euros, or $19.6 million at current exchange, as “a welcome gift” from Ortega, a company source confirmed.

About his succession, Isla said, “It is not a drastic move and there won’t be any major changes. I feel enormous responsibility and motivation to strengthen Inditex, and it’s the right moment. The transition will be smooth and very natural.”

Outside Inditex’s corporate inner sanctum, little is known about Ortega except that he’s the richest man in Spain — and the seventh richest (up two notches over last year) in the world, with a net worth of $31 billion, Forbes reported in March. His fortune includes Inditex stock — he has maintained a 59.3 percent stake in the company since it went public in 2001 — and luxury real estate projects in the U.S., Florida in particular, and in such major European cities as London, Paris, Lisbon, Berlin, Madrid and Barcelona. He has additional investments in banks, gas and tourism and owns a horse-jumping circuit and a soccer league.

Ortega is not much for fanfare and personal public relations is not in his DNA. He’s been quoted as saying, “Talk about my company, but not about me,” and he rarely appears in public.

One of the few to penetrate company walls is avant-garde Spanish artist Alicia Framis, whose filmed performance “Secret Strike — Inditex” (2006) chronicled a day in the life of Zara. “Inditex employees were very involved in the film,” Framis said. “Everybody wanted to be a part of it — except Amancio Ortega.”

Ortega’s is a rags-to-riches story. In the early Sixties, he came up with the idea of making basic garments like housecoats and underwear cheaper than anyone else. Production took place on his kitchen table, and the first item cut from cardboard patterns was a quilted pink robe with blue piping. In 1975, he opened his first store here, selling bathrobes for about 50 cents each.

Working from the age of 13 in local men’s wear shops, he had little formal education. “I couldn’t work and study at the same time; it’s that simple. My university was my profession. I wanted to be a different kind of impresario, one with a social conscience,” he told Covadonga O’Shea, onetime director of Spain’s prestigious fashion magazine Telva, in an authorized biography published in 2008.

“His success has not changed him,” O’Shea said. “His values are the same; he’s humble, affectionate, generous, and he loves the people he works with.”

Ortega lives with his second wife, Flora Pérez Marcote, in an apartment in La Coruña, an unpretentious seaside town about six miles from Inditex’s headquarters in the industrial zone of Arteixo. He doesn’t speak English and, according to an employee, “he’s approachable and into everything. He lives the product,” she said.

It remains to be seen how involved Ortega will be in the company he founded, now that Isla is taking over. But the next generation of the Ortega family already is involved: The founder’s youngest daughter, Marta Ortega, was last fall brought into company headquarters, and although she has no concrete job, department or title, she’s in on all major decision making. An Inditex spokesman said her arrival and the pending management succession are unrelated, however. “She will continue her training program, a mix of creative and commercial activities, within the group and, logically [as Ortega’s daughter], she’ll have a role but so far she isn’t officially involved in the company. We don’t know anything about her future.”

Prior to Isla’s promotion, Marta Ortega was considered the heir apparent, and she’s been well groomed for it. With a degree in business administration from London’s European Business School, she speaks four languages — including English, French and Italian — and to date has interned for company stores in London and Paris, with office stints in Asia and Barcelona.

In private, she is an accomplished equestrian, taking part in international competitions with rider-boyfriend Sergio Alvarez Moya — and as socially shy as her father.

New Chairman To Head Zara's Parent Company

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by Barbara Barker
From WWD Issue 07/19/2011

Inditex will today enter a new era.

The parent company of Zara, Europe’s largest apparel retailer, will today see a change in management when chairman and founder Amancio Ortega, dubbed “the inventor of the Zaravolution,” steps down and hands the reins to Pablo Isla, who had been the group’s chief executive officer and deputy chairman since 2005.

But while the 75-year-old immensely secretive and low-key Ortega may be stepping down, he is hardly out — especially since he still controls the majority of the company’s shares. “Nothing has changed. He still controls the company and he still has a lot to say — and nobody doubts that he will say it,” said Sofía Vázquez, a reporter for La Voz de Galicia, a regional newspaper in the north of Spain, which is the company’s home base.

“Amancio is making another smart move, preparing for the future with similar logic and the same intelligence he has always used to run the company, but I think he’ll remain very close by,” added Linda Heras, international development director of Roberto Verino, a high-end apparel label and geographical neighbor.

Inditex operates 5,154 stores in 78 countries, with net profits of 1.73 billion euros, or $2.29 billion at average exchange, for the 2010 fiscal year on sales of 12.5 billion euros, or $16.5 billion. With eight chains led by Zara, Ortega’s empire has a workforce of roughly 100,000.

Under Isla’s watch, Inditex rolled out more than 2,800 stores with the top priorities being expansion in Asia and Eastern Europe, as well as growing e-commerce.

Pending shareholder approval, Isla will receive a hefty block of shares, worth 13.7 million euros, or $19.6 million at current exchange, as “a welcome gift” from Ortega, a company source confirmed.

About his succession, Isla said, “It is not a drastic move and there won’t be any major changes. I feel enormous responsibility and motivation to strengthen Inditex, and it’s the right moment. The transition will be smooth and very natural.”

Outside Inditex’s corporate inner sanctum, little is known about Ortega except that he’s the richest man in Spain — and the seventh richest (up two notches over last year) in the world, with a net worth of $31 billion, Forbes reported in March. His fortune includes Inditex stock — he has maintained a 59.3 percent stake in the company since it went public in 2001 — and luxury real estate projects in the U.S., Florida in particular, and in such major European cities as London, Paris, Lisbon, Berlin, Madrid and Barcelona. He has additional investments in banks, gas and tourism and owns a horse-jumping circuit and a soccer league.

Ortega is not much for fanfare and personal public relations is not in his DNA. He’s been quoted as saying, “Talk about my company, but not about me,” and he rarely appears in public.

One of the few to penetrate company walls is avant-garde Spanish artist Alicia Framis, whose filmed performance “Secret Strike — Inditex” (2006) chronicled a day in the life of Zara. “Inditex employees were very involved in the film,” Framis said. “Everybody wanted to be a part of it — except Amancio Ortega.”

Ortega’s is a rags-to-riches story. In the early Sixties, he came up with the idea of making basic garments like housecoats and underwear cheaper than anyone else. Production took place on his kitchen table, and the first item cut from cardboard patterns was a quilted pink robe with blue piping. In 1975, he opened his first store here, selling bathrobes for about 50 cents each.

Working from the age of 13 in local men’s wear shops, he had little formal education. “I couldn’t work and study at the same time; it’s that simple. My university was my profession. I wanted to be a different kind of impresario, one with a social conscience,” he told Covadonga O’Shea, onetime director of Spain’s prestigious fashion magazine Telva, in an authorized biography published in 2008.

“His success has not changed him,” O’Shea said. “His values are the same; he’s humble, affectionate, generous, and he loves the people he works with.”

Ortega lives with his second wife, Flora Pérez Marcote, in an apartment in La Coruña, an unpretentious seaside town about six miles from Inditex’s headquarters in the industrial zone of Arteixo. He doesn’t speak English and, according to an employee, “he’s approachable and into everything. He lives the product,” she said.

It remains to be seen how involved Ortega will be in the company he founded, now that Isla is taking over. But the next generation of the Ortega family already is involved: The founder’s youngest daughter, Marta Ortega, was last fall brought into company headquarters, and although she has no concrete job, department or title, she’s in on all major decision making. An Inditex spokesman said her arrival and the pending management succession are unrelated, however. “She will continue her training program, a mix of creative and commercial activities, within the group and, logically [as Ortega’s daughter], she’ll have a role but so far she isn’t officially involved in the company. We don’t know anything about her future.”

Prior to Isla’s promotion, Marta Ortega was considered the heir apparent, and she’s been well groomed for it. With a degree in business administration from London’s European Business School, she speaks four languages — including English, French and Italian — and to date has interned for company stores in London and Paris, with office stints in Asia and Barcelona.

In private, she is an accomplished equestrian, taking part in international competitions with rider-boyfriend Sergio Alvarez Moya — and as socially shy as her father.

Shorecliffs Middle School math teacher arrested for child molestation www.privateofficer.com

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Orange County CA June 23 2012 A Shorecliffs Middle School math teacher was arrested at his San Clemente home today and faces charges of oral copulation with a minor 16 and under, child molestation and lewd acts on a child.

Richard Rack, 50, had already been arrested June 6 on similar charges relating to contact with three under-aged girls, according to Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. The math teacher made bail on the earlier arrest but contacted one of the girls this week, leading to his second arrest today, Amormino said.

Rack is being held on $1 million bail at the Orange County’s Men’s Central Jail.

Sheriff’s investigators began their work November 30 after being contacted by one of Rack’s students, according to Amormino. The first girl, Jane Doe No. 1, told investigators that Rack had made inappropriate comments to her, telling her she had a nice figure and encouraging her to wear low-cut blouses. He hugged her and kissed her on the forehead, according to Amormino.

Investigators interviewed students and learned of a second girl, Jane Doe No. 2. The girl said Rack had asked her to send nude photos of herself to him, which she did.

Amormino said the sheriff’s department obtained an arrest warrant for the math teacher June 6. Investigators searching Rack’s home on a search warrant of his house, computer and cell phone discovered a third girl, Jane Doe No. 3.

The third girl admitted to having a sexual relationship with the teacher for as long as two years, Amormino said. The sexual acts with her had taken place in his classroom or in her home.

Rack has been on administrative leave Capistrano Unified since December 1. Amormino said all three girls had been Rack’s students at some point.

Amormino said there was the possibility of additional victims and anyone with additional knowledge was advised to call the county tip line at 855.847.6227



Source:dptimes

South Terrebonne High School teacher arrested in sex case www.privateofficer.com

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TERREBONNE PARISH, La. June 23 2012 -- A South Terrebonne High School teacher was arrested and jailed for having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old female student, according to Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois.

"Information was received late last weekend that indicated that a 17 year-old female was engaged in a sexual relationship with one of her teachers. TPSO detectives investigated the complaint and revealed that the 17 year-old female, whose name is being withheld due to the nature of the crime, had engaged in a relationship with the teacher during the 2011-2012 school year," said a statement from Bourgeois.

The teacher, Matthew Dardar, 27, of Montegut, admitted to the relationship with the female student to authorities, according to the sheriff's office.

The student was a senior when the relationship began, though it ended recently, according to the sheriff's office.

"Dardar was arrested Thursday and charged with one count of prohibited sexual conduct between educator and student. He was jailed at the Terrebonne Parish Criminal Justice Complex," said Bourgeois.

source-wwlt.com

San Jose police ask on duty security to disarm at festival www.privateofficer.com

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San Jose CA June 23 2012 A woman twirls from flowing red curtains a dozen feet in the air. Down the street, a painted lady contorts her multi-colored torso at an angle so the she blends with artwork behind her.

Nearby, a couple of guys with Day of the Dead face paint riff on a guitar and keyboard. And not far off, among the ebullient SubZERO Festival crowd of 15,000-plus—filled with artists, musicians, craft brew aficionados and downtown ramblers—are six men dressed in all black, keeping a watchful eye; some with batons, others Tasers. One carries a gun.

These men are not police.

Rather, they’re part of Silver Star Protective Services, a private security firm that was hired to patrol the June 1 arts and music subculture festival held on South First Street in San Jose. But when a San Jose police sergeant approached one of the security guards that night, some controversy arose.

They were “not only wearing uniform like ours, but also wearing duty belts, batons, tasers, pepper spray or other chemical agents,” says San Jose Police Department spokesman Jose Garcia. “The sergeant expressed concern that they were too similar looking to SJPD and asked them to leave and remove their tasers, firearms and baton, but they could keep pepper spray and mace.”


Henry David Mestaz, president and CEO of Silver Star, says the officer in charge of policing the outskirts of the event was “pretty aggressive” in getting his point across, but there was no altercation.

“Our gameplan was we anticipated thousands of people we’re going to come through,” Mestaz says, noting a reputation downtown events have earned over the years due to younger, disruptive crowds that attended the now defunct Music in the Park summer concert series—to the chagrin of local business owners. “Some of the clientele that was going to Music in the Park were meeting over here afterwards (on South First Street). They were hanging out, drinking, making there way towards the event, and then coming back and fighting. But SubZERO was completely the opposite.”

Under San Jose’s municipal code, police have the authority to regulate which security guards can arm themselves. Silver Star—a new company that may have been “overly excited and enthusiastic,” according to SubZERO organizers Cherri Lakey and Brian Eder, who own Anno Domini art gallery on South First Street—could have gone too far in looking the part of cops in uniform.

The clash between police and the private security company didn’t result in any citations, but it has produced an internal review by SJPD that is expected to reach the city attorney and chief of police’s offices to clarify acceptable uniform and weaponry for outside protective services, Officer Garcia says.

But the events at SubZERO, or actually the lack thereof, seems to speak to the misconception many people have of downtown San Jose, as well as those charged with patrolling it.

“We’re all trying really hard to shift culture, and especially night culture,” Eder says. “It’s just a matter for us that we want to show police we can have events that go really smoothly. And over a matter of time we can all figure this out.”

Part of a new plan by the business community to rebrand downtown is to staff the city’s core with two patrolling officers. However, how these security guards will be paid has kicked off a new fight between police and city officials

There’s a lot of competition for customers, residents, commercial tenants, and downtown needs to be putting its best foot forward,” says Scott Knies, executive director of the San Jose Downtown Association.


With businesses struggling to entice customers to downtown over Santana Row and other shopping/entertainment districts, as well as a 22 percent vacancy rate for downtown office space, Knies says the businesses formed a Property Based Improvement District (PBID) in late 2007 to tax themselves and direct funds to combat perceptions as well as reality. The PBID’s self assessment was renewed this week by an overwhelming vote of downtown property owners.

Part of PBID’s plan is to staff the downtown core with two patrolling officers, preferably off-duty police officers.

“Really, there’s no substitute for the professionalism, the training, the way a skilled officer interacts with the public,” Knies says. “They can just kind of read the street from afar. Sometimes they don’t even need to walk down the whole block. Just the fact that they’re on the corner dissipates the problem.”

Jim Unland, president of the Police Officers Association union, agrees with Knies’ assessment, which is why the police union is fighting to have the PBID officers paid at overtime rates rather than the significantly reduced rate of secondary employment positions, which often entail security work for schools and other nightlife areas like Santana Row and The Plant. (More than 60 officers have already applied for the positions.)

“My understanding of the Downtown Business Association is they want them actively patrolling the downtown streets, and proactively taking enforcement actions,” Unland says. “Well, that’s the definition of patrol work. So, they’re trying to replace patrol officers, with essentially off-duty patrol officers.

Tom Saggau, a political consultant for the police union as well as several downtown bars and nightclubs, says some of his latter clients have lobbied City Hall for a greater security presence in the downtown core to little avail. He says without off-duty police, “basically it’s going to be mall cops who are running around causing problems.”

Councilmember Sam Liccardo, whose District 3 includes downtown, rejects any notion that City Hall has resisted a greater police presence. “There’s one person who decides how to allocate officers, and that’s the police chief,” he says, “and I’m not throwing the chief under the bus.”

But some observers on the political periphery say that’s exactly what the police union is doing to Liccardo. The fight between the POA and Liccardo turned personal during the last two years of contentious pension reform negotiations, which ultimately fell apart and resulted in the council forming Measure B and voters passing the measure earlier this month.

Unland recently sent a letter out to POA membership slamming Liccardo for again going after their pay through the PBID patrol program.

Liccardo disputes claims that he was trying to short-sell officers’ pay by classifying the PBID work as a secondary employment instead of overtime.

“Let’s be clear, when you call it patrolling because they’re walking down the street or they’re standing in front of a club with a badge and police uniform, to me it’s a distinction without a difference,” Liccardo says. “ To me, the value of the officers is that there’s somebody there under the color of authority, with the skills and the training to enforce the law.”

Unland and the POA will be meeting this week with the city’s chief negotiator, Alex Gurza, to discuss PBID patrol compensation. While negotiations between the two parties have often gone next to nowhere in the past, the subject of secondary employment carries added significance after an audit in March found wide-spread abuses of the secondary employment program.

An attempt to challenge secondary employment classification for PBID patrol could risk work in other areas, such as schools, shopping centers and other arts and music festivals, Knies says.

“I’m not sure what their argument is, because it seems the scope of work is very similar to the scope of work for a lot of other secondary employment jobs. They’re actually putting their whole secondary employment in jeopardy.”


source-sanjose.com

KY burglar takes nap after breaking into the house www.privateofficer.com

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LOUISVILLE, KY June 23 2012 – Metro police have charged a man found sleeping on a couch inside a Portland home with breaking into the house.

Officers were called to the 1900 block of Rowan Street Thursday afternoon about the break in. A man doing maintenance on the property told police someone was inside the house when he went in to do some work. Police found Rodman E. Tolliver, 52, asleep on a couch in the front room.

Tolliver told police he was homeless and came in after finding the back door open. When asked if he knew the owner or had permission to be inside the house, Tolliver told police he did not.

Tolliver was arrested on a charge of burglary and booked into Louisville Metro Corrections

Source:WAVE.com

Spokane deputies shot-suspect commits suicide www.privateofficer.com

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Spokane WA June 21 2012 A routine traffic stop on the Newport Highway on Tuesday afternoon became a gunfight that left two sheriff’s deputies wounded and set off a chaotic crime spree that stretched across most of north Spokane County.

The alleged gunman, 41-year-old Charles R. Wallace, fled the scene and led law enforcement on a high-speed chase in a sedan he carjacked after the shooting, firing repeatedly at pursuing cars before he shot and killed himself in the Deer Park area.

The deputies, described as seasoned law enforcement veterans, were in stable condition Tuesday night at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, where one had surgery for his wounds.

“My deputies are OK,” Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said Tuesday evening.

Police were searching for at least two other people who may have been with Wallace at the time of the shooting. They searched several neighborhoods Tuesday evening, and a SWAT team had a standoff on the 900 block of East Princeton Avenue. However, it was unclear whether any arrests were made in connection to the shooting.

Wallace was indicted just a month ago on federal charges connected to a heroin distribution ring that authorities allege supplied at least 100 grams of the drug.

Following his drug arrest, Wallace was allowed to leave jail without posting bail May 31 for inpatient drug treatment in Spokane Valley, while awaiting trial in the heroin trafficking case. The pretrial release conditions were approved by U.S. Magistrate Judge Cynthia Imbrogno.

Source:Spokane Review

Richmond Va woman charged with Medicaid fraud in cancer scam www.privateofficer.com

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HANOVER, Va. June 21 2012– A Mechanicsville woman who pleaded guilty to faking cancer as part of a scam to raise money earlier this year has been arrested again.

Investigators from the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office arrested 42-year-old Martha A. Nicholas on five felony indictments in connection to an ongoing fraud investigation.

The investigation comes after the sheriff’s department received an anonymous tip in April 2011 that Nicholas was falsely claiming to have cancer.

Nicholas was indicted Tuesday by a Hanover County grand jury on three counts of Medicaid fraud and two counts of obtaining money by false pretenses.

Nicholas was arrested and taken to the Pamunkey Regional, but was later released on bond pending arraignment on June 27.

Nicholas pleaded guilty in February to two counts of obtaining money by false pretenses. Nicholas’ attorney said she regretted her actions and was struggling with a mental illness.

The crime angered the community since Nicholas had solicited money from folks on her behalf.

Nicholas’ attorney had said that the 42-year-old was convinced she had a physical ailment and that even members of her family believed she had cancer.

As part of the plea deal, prosecutors said Nicholas cannot seek employment with, solicit funds for, or advocate for any charitable or civic organization for a five-year period.

Source:WTVR

Clinton Public Safety officer accused of stealing pills from storage www.privateofficer.com

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CLINTON, S.C. -June 21 2012


A Clinton Public Safety officer has been arrested, accused of stealing pills from storage.

Clarence Donald Lewis III, 36, of Greenwood has been charged with misconduct in office and theft of a controlled substance.

State investigators say while on duty, he took more than 100 Hydrocodone tablets from the inmate medication storage area at the Clinton Public Safety Department.

Public safety noticed the drug logs weren’t correct at the jail around the end of May, when they started an investigation which was handed over to SLED.

Lewis was suspended on the 15th and then terminated on the 18th. He had been with the department for around two and a half years.

The City of Clinton Department of Public Safety issued the following statement Wednesday afternoon.

"The Clinton Department of Public Safety takes pride in keeping the citizens of Clinton safe and secure. It is disappointing to say the least that one of our fellow officers crossed the line and violated the law. Mr. Lewis is being held accountable for his actions and held to the same standards as others in the community."

Lewis was released on a $5,000 bond.

Source:WSPA.com

Glendale police officer injured in shoplifting arrest www.privateofficer.com

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Glendale AZ June 21 2012 A Glendale police officer was injured Tuesday during a foot chase after witnesses reported teens shoplifting from a retail store near Westgate City Center shopping and entertainment complex, authorities said.

Around 4:30 p.m., Ernesto Inurriaga Jr., 18, and a 17-year-old male reportedly fled from a store near 94th and Glendale avenues with stolen items, police said. A witness followed them and directed responding police officers.

As teens were approaching the Westgate area, officers reportedly ordered the men to stop. They refused, and the officers chased after and caught the pair.

One officer suffered minor injuries while trying to detain the suspects as other officers arrived, according to police. Both teens were arrested, and the officer was transported to a local hospital for a precautionary evaluation.

Inurriaga was arrested on suspicion of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, resisting arrest and shoplifting. The juvenile was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting and resisting arrest.

Source:www.azcentral.com

Newark Airport passenger had canister of tear gas in his sock www.privateofficer.com

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NEWARK, N.J. June 21 2012— A passenger planning to board a flight at Newark Liberty International Airport was instead taken to a hospital for evaluation after security screeners found a large canister of tear gas in his sock.

Federal officials say the man, whose name was not disclosed, was going through a security checkpoint on Friday when an automated image technology scanner detected something amiss. A screener then found the 10-inch canister.

The man — who was scheduled to fly to Munich, Germany — was denied access to the gate. But the incident did not cause any disruptions or delays for passengers.

Further details were not disclosed.

Large Glulam Arches Take Shape for New School

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These photos shows glulam arches that we are fabricating for the field house at Christina Seix Academy in Trenton, NJ.  The school is new and will begin teaching students in Fall 2012.  It's exciting to think that students will start their year at a brand new school learning under our arches.

The first photo shows an arch in our finishing department that has been stained and prepped for connections.  The second photo shows the arch from the back, which will not be exposed.  As you can see, it is a large arch because it doesn't even fit into the frame of the photo.

Why Choose Una-Lam Over Concrete Construction?

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Last week, we convinced readers to choose Una-Lam instead of steel. This week, we focus on concrete. What are the advantages of glulam over concrete?

• Greener 
• Glulam is made from sustainably grown wood that is a renewable resource.
• Glulam production has a much lower carbon footprint than concrete.
• Lighter
• Our material is lighter, giving design and installation benefits.
• Easier to Install
• Glulam avoids the costly formwork required for concrete construction.
• It is much easier to make field modifications or corrections to glulam, and you need only simple tools.
• Best of Both Worlds
• Glulam is quick and easy to assemble - like pre-cast concrete, while offering the customization and flexibility of cast-in-place concrete.
• Traffic Ready and Better for Bridges
• Our glulam requires no formwork or curing time, so it can be ready for foot or vehicle traffic minutes after arriving on the jobsite.

Check back next week, when we explore Una-Lam's advantages over framing lumber.

Una-Lam vs. Conventional Framing Lumber

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Over the past two weeks we have examined our glulam's advantages as a building material over steel and concrete. We now turn our attention to an often-used wood product - framing lumber. Why should you choose Una-Lam for your next building project instead?

• Attractive Appearance
• You can leave our structural glulam exposed because of its finished look.
• Longer Spans 
• Create more dramatic shapes and column free areas with Una-Lam.
• Fewer Pieces and Pre-Fabricated
• Our material and connections come pre-fabricated, saving time and money on the jobsite.
• We can even ship some structures pre-assembled.
• Fire Resistant
• Heavy timber construction with glulam maintains its strength longer and does not spread fire as quickly as lumber framing.

Do you have trouble differentiating glulam from other engineered wood, such as Parallam or laminated veneer lumber? Check back next week to learn why glulam by Una-Lam is best.

Scott Harrison: Why Charity Shouldn't Be About Guilt

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Several years ago, Scott Harrison had the sudden realization that his life up to that point had been a sham.

This is where Harrison began his story, as he took the stage at the Inc. 500|5000 Conference. Both his personal story and the story of what his non-profit organization charity:water does (bring clean water to the developing world) was one of the most moving talks of the conference so far and had many entrepreneurs in the audience tearful.

That feeling he described, he told the room, was the result of spending years working in the New York City club scene as a promoter.

"Budweiser paid me $2,000 a month to drink Bud," he said. "Bacardi, the same. I was paid to drink. I did drugs and gambled. I realized on that beach that I was the most emotionally, spiritually, and morally bankrupt person I knew."

What'd he do about it?

"While I was hungover during the day, I started reading the Bible. That was an interesting push and pull," he said, laughing.

It was through this spiritual awaking that Harrison decided to clean up his act. He signed up to volunteer with doctors going to Africa to provide free surgeries to underprivileged people with deformities . A year into this volunteering journey, he found the one underlying issue for so many of these deformities that he could do something about: dirty water. This was the birth of charity:water.

Harrison's visual presentation showed graphic, moving images of the devastation caused by dirty, disease-filled water. Children drinking muddy water from bottles. Mothers struggling to carry huge jugs of water. And even though the message was serious, Harrison had a knack for lightening his serious message with a joke here and there.

From an entrepreneurial standpoint, he had an early guiding principle.

"I knew from the beginning that this couldn't be about guilt. You can't guilt people to give," he said. "It had to be about opportunity. I had to find a way to get real people, selfish people like me, to invest in this cause."

Harrison revealed to the crowd the three things he set out to do with this charity--all of which, he says, most charities lack.

1. Find a way to give 100 percent of the profits to the actual cause.

2. Proof: Make it completely transparent where the money goes.

3. Build a brand.

Today, having met those three objectives, the organization has funded 4,200 water projects with over $40 million in donations. He's convinced not only everyday people to donate money, but huge brands like Saks Fifth Avenue to help out in some way. For more information about how you can donate (which Harrison encouraged the crowd to do), check out their website.

Source: http://www.inc.com/staff-blog/scott-harrison-why-charity-shouldnt-be-about-guilt-.html

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Starting up Young? Don't Drop Out

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Want to be the next Mark Zuckerberg? Here's one way you shouldn't follow in his footsteps, writes venture capitalist Brad Feld.

College is generally considered a time to expand your horizons, learn to live on your own, have a ton of fun, and even, perhaps, learn a little something. But are your undergraduate years also the best time to getting started on building a business?

The counter-arguments to this idea seem obvious. Students are generally short of money and have no lack of other demands on their time (though, let's be honest, plenty of college kids aren't exactly getting up at the crack of dawn to hit the books or spending every waking hour working). Classes aren't generally directly relevant to entrepreneurship. But at least one expert on starting businesses feels the case for beginning your start-up life in college outweighs the downsides.

Writing on his blog recently, venture capitalist Brad Feld claimed your years getting a degree are the perfect time to start experimenting with starting a business. Why? He quotes a line he heard from a mentor-in-residence at UM Tech Transfer:

"College is like a sandbox if you are an entrepreneur," he writes. "Falling down doesn't hurt much."

This thinking takes the initial objection to college kids starting businesses—that they don’t have many resources—and turns it on its head. Students might not be swimming in cash or connections, but the very fact that they aren’t established yet in full lives with mortgages, kids and car payments is actually a huge advantage, according to Feld, who reflected on the sandbox analogy in his post:

This made me think of a brilliant phrase from Alex White, the CEO of Next Big Sound, in his TechStars Demo Day pitch. I can't remember where in the presentation it was but Jason reminded me that one of Alex's great moments was when he said something like "We don't need to raise much money because we are cheap to keep alive."

Feld also notes that this very sense of not being weighed down with much in the way of responsibilities or expectations is great for creativity and the willingness to fail:

The level of enthusiasm and optimism among the people we met with was phenomenal. Their willingness and interest in learning and trying new stuff was apparent. And their understanding that plenty of things wouldn’t work, but they wouldn’t learn if they didn't try, was front and center.

College for many (although by no means all) of us is a privileged, low-expense time when parents help out with feeding and housing us and our lifestyle expectations are modest. Why not take advantage of the time and freedom that buys you to make some of the initial mistakes and learn some of the valuable lessons entailed in becoming an entrepreneur?

Feld obviously isn't the only member of the start-up community encouraging young people to get their hands dirty early. PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel made a lot of waves earlier this year with his 20 Under 20 program, encouraging students to drop out of school to start businesses with $100,000 he'd invested in their ideas. But Feld is perhaps more unusual in not calling college a waste of time for entrepreneur hopefuls, but essentially a great practice ground for them to hone their skills while they combine study and business.

What do you think, is college a great time to start experimenting with entrepreneurship (check out our Coolest College Start-ups package for inspiration!), or should you just be studying instead?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inc/channel/start-up/~3/eLzfOtwjmC4/dont-drop-out-of-college-a-vc-advises.html

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