Most of the Livermore School of Dance's performers weren't yet born when "The Lion King" debuted in 1994 (which effectively makes me feel ancient), but that won't stop the young cast from giving their all to an upcoming winter performance at the Bankhead Theater based on the popular story.

Director Liz Roberts, who co-owns the dance studio at 1988 Second Street with Shelly Schoendienst, said the jazz company's ninth annual winter performance -- scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 6-7 -- is different from past offerings.

"We've always loved 'The Lion King,' and we just thought it would be something fun," Roberts explained of the group's decision to create a dance performance based on the story. The performance, however, will be unconventional. The group recognizes they are not actors by trade, so the show will feature strictly dancing.

"We're abstracting it so it'll work for a dance show ... we have a whole bunch of fun little things were adding to it to make it exciting," she said.

One of those additions is new music. While the crowd can look forward to old favorites like "Circle of Life" and a spirited rendition of "Hakuna Matata" performed by the studio's younger company dancers, they plan to shake it up with a few unconventional numbers. Perhaps the most exciting will be "Welcome to the Jungle," a high-energy jazz routine featuring fancy tricks.

The music isn't the only update. Roberts and her crew are experimenting with light tricks and new techy techniques to bring new life to the show. She's keeping the efforts a secret for now since nothing has been finalized, but whatever it is promises to enhance the show's visual beauty.

The Le Tableau Magnifique Ballet Company students from Livermore School of Dance will join the ensemble show as well, performing three ballet numbers including a pointe routine to open the second act. With the addition of the second School of Dance company, the show promises variety -- with everything from tap to hip-hop, modern to lyrical.

Jaren Dietsch, 13, who describes the studio as a sort of second home, has taken classes at School of Dance since he was 8. During that time he has participated in many of the group's performances (they don't compete, so they focus on performing year-round), but he sees potential for "The Lion King"-based event to go above and beyond.

"I think this show is going to be more extravagant and flashy than shows in the past because we have lots of new and interesting things planned," he said. "It is an amazing feeling to bring a story that started as nothing to life on a stage completely polished." Fellow student Shastina Wilson, 17, echoed Dietsch's sentiments.

"I think this show is definitely going to be one to remember," she said of their upcoming performance.

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Around Livermore: School of Dance to perform "Lion King"

January 8, 2015 - Eastern League (EL) Trenton Thunder The Thunder, the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, announced on Thursday that Al Pedrique will manage the Thunder during the 2015 season. Pedrique is the ninth manager in Thunder history and the fourth to have managed in the Major Leagues.

Al Pedrique takes over for Tony Franklin who was the Thunder manager for eight seasons and led the team to three Eastern League Championships. Tony will remain in the New York Yankees organization.

Pedrique will be joined in the dugout by new additions to the Thunder staff, Pitching Coach Jose Rosado, Hitting Coach P.J. Pilittere, and Defensive Coach Michel Hernandez. Returning to the coaching staff is Athletic Trainer Lee Meyer who enters his second season with the Thunder and Orlando Crance, the Strength and Conditioning Coach, entering his third season with the team.

"The Thunder are excited for the 2015 season to begin with Al Pedrique leading the charge on the field," said Thunder General Manager Will Smith. "Al has an impressive coaching resume and we welcome him and all of our coaches to the Thunder this season."

Pedrique, a native of Venezuela, guided the Tampa Yankees to a 71-68 record in 2014 and led the RiverDogs to a 75-63 record in 2013 as manager. Before joining the Yankees organization in 2013, he served as a coach or manager in the Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals and Arizona Diamondbacks organizations over 16 years. He spent the 2010-12 seasons as the bench coach for the Houston Astros and also served as the third base coach for the Diamondbacks major league club in 2003 and 2004. He was named interim manager of the Diamondbacks for the second half of the 2004 season. Pedrique was originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1978 and went on to play in parts of three seasons with the Mets (1987), Pirates (1987-88) and Tigers (1989).

New Thunder Pitching Coach Jose Rosado has spent the past four seasons as a pitching coach with the Gulf Coast Yankees. The Jersey City, NJ native played five seasons with the Kansas City Royals where he went 37-45 with a 4.25 ERA in 125 career games. Rosado was originally selected in the 12th round of the 1994 First-Year Player Draft.

P.J. Pilittere returns to the Thunder as the Hitting Coach after serving in the same role for Tampa and Charleston the previous two seasons. P.J. made his professional coaching debut in 2012 as a coach with the GCL Yankees. He was originally selected in the 13th round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft by the Yankees and went on to play in 470 career minor league game where he hit .264 with 77 doubles, 16 HR, and 183 RBI. P.J. was a catcher for the Thunder during the 2007, 2008, and 2009 seasons where he helped the Thunder win their first two Eastern League Championships in '07 and '08.

Defensive Coach Michel Hernandez joins the Thunder after spending two seasons coaching with the Gulf Coast Yankees. Michel played in 45 games over three seasons in the majors with the Yankees in 2003 and Tampa Bay in 2008 and 2009. In 15 seasons in the minor leagues, he hit .257 with 137 doubles, 8 triples, 35 HR, and 340 RBI in 997 games with eight different organizations (Yankees, Philadelphia, San Diego, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Cleveland).

Lee Meyer will return for his second season as the Thunder Athletic Trainer. Previously he spent two seasons with the Tampa Yankees. He also worked in the same role for one season with the Charleston RiverDogs and one season with the Staten Island Yankees.

Orlando Crance returns to Trenton for a third season as Strength and Conditioning Coach. He served in the same capacity for the Florida Marlins AA affiliate in Jacksonville, Florida in 2010 and previously for the Savannah Sand Gnats (Class A, Mets).

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Thunder Announce 2015 Field Staff

Hillary Clinton is beginning to put together the pieces for a likely campaign, tapping two top strategists including President Barack Obamas pollster to work with her in the lead-up toward an ultimate decision.

Robby Mook, who worked on Clintons 2008 campaign and is widely expected to be Clintons campaign manager, and Joel Benenson, Obamas pollster who had for months been eyed for a role on her team, have been working with her as she makes a final decision and begins to put together a framework for a staff, according to people close to the former Secretary of State.

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But, if he is hired, Benensons presence in the campaign would mark a major departure for Clinton, who stayed in her comfort zone in her previous campaigns using Mark Penn, the pollster and message guru who had worked for her husband. After she shook up her campaign in the second half of the 2008 primaries, Clinton made Geoff Garin her main pollster.

Obamas campaign used Benenson as part of a team of pollsters, an approach Clinton is said to be considering for her next effort. And he would come to her off two successful presidential races.

Mook, who won Obama aides respect for the job her did out-organizing them in a string of states in the 2008 primaries, has been holding meetings with people, according to multiple sources, to begin planning for a likely campaign.

Mook and Benenson did not respond to emails seeking comment. And a Clinton campaign is not expected to be launched for several weeks, possibly as late as mid-spring.

A Clinton aide, asked about the two mens involvement in her current plans, said, She has said that she is seriously considering running for president. Shes casting a wide net, meeting with a variety of experts to discuss the economy and a range of challenges facing American families. And shes using this time to look at what components are necessary to build an inclusive, thoughtful and technically advanced campaign, so that if she decides to run, shell be ready.

Mook is expected to be part of a team with current White House hand John Podesta, a longtime Clinton adviser. Clinton advisers are said to favorably view the two as a pair, in which Podesta will have either the chairmans job or a different senior title.

Originally posted here:
Clinton brings in Mook, Benenson for likely team

Fremont, CA (PRWEB) January 06, 2015

Patriot, a leading manufacturer in mobile accessories, computer and USB/flash memory, today released the Supersonic Magnum 2 and Supersonic Rage 2, 3.0 USB Flash Drive. Leading the industry in capacity and speed, Patriot has set the new standard in the flash memory world boasting record speeds of up to 400MB/s and 300MB/s read and write times.

Supersonic Magnum 2, 3.0 USB Flash Drive

Living up to its name sake, the Patriot Supersonic Magnum 2 will be available in extreme capacities of 256GB and 512GB making the frustration of not having enough room to store data virtually non-existent. With impressive maximum read and write speeds reaching 400MB/s and 300MB/s its the fastest high capacity/high performance USB flash drive on the market.

Designed with a sturdy matte black, industrial grade metal housing that enables shock resistance up to 15Gs to protect stored data and laser etched, the Magnum 2 doesnt compromise appearance and class for safety. A detachable cap covers the USB connector to prevent damage and debris from entering the port.

Supersonic Rage 2, 3.0 USB Flash Drive

The Supersonic Rage 2 is Patriots highest performing, ultra-portable and high capacity USB 3.0. Its rugged, rubberized casing is designed to withstand the wear and tear of everyday use and the all-in-one slide to connect feature protects the port from damage it might encounter while traveling at the bottom of a pocket or bag.

With lightning fast maximum read and write speeds of up to 400MB/s and 300MB/s the Supersonic Rage 2 is Patriots fastest high performance retractable USB. Available in capacities of 128GB and 256GB, the Rage 2 is the perfect USB for performance enthusiasts and content creators. Its compact form factor and impressive speeds make it the obvious choice for quick access to large projects and presentations during important meetings.

Patriot has revamped its Supersonic USB line with two great new additions, both with exceedingly fast speeds, said Meng Jay Choo, Product Manager at Patriot. There are no comparable USB drives on the market, at the moment, and we hope to continue to deliver impressive performance speeds to our customers as technology advances.

Availability

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Patriot Launches Second Generation of Supersonic Magnum and Rage USB Flash Drives

WASHINGTON -

Eight children, all of them siblings, were treated for possible hypothermia Tuesday after they were found cold, wet and shivering on a Northeast D.C. doorstep.

The oldest told the Good Samaritans who discovered them just before 9 a.m. that they had been kicked off three different Metro buses and were just trying to get to school.

The eight children were all taken to Children's National Medical Center where they were treated for several hours before being released into the care of their mother.

The children, some of them crying, were first noticed by a woman shoveling snow from the walk in front of her house. She looked across the street and saw them all dressed in their school clothes huddled together on a Rhode Island Avenue doorstep.

The youngest was just four years old, and when the woman went to see if she could help, the children told her an incredible story.

Kevin Gadson and Acurah White live directly across the street from where they first saw the children.

"They're scared, they're shivering, they're shaking, they're crying, they're frozen, they can't even move off the porch," said White in an interview Tuesday.

So White and her boyfriend gathered them up and safely took the eight children -- ages 4 to 14 -- across busy Rhode Island Avenue to their home.

"We had to carry them to my house and warm them up, and even when we get them into the house and put blankets on them, they are still crying, shivering, said White. It's cold.

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Children say they were kicked off Metro buses while heading to school during snowstorm

By DAVID DISHNEAU Associated Press

The Frederick County, Maryland, councilman's name was published Tuesday in newspapers, websites, news and opinion blogs and seemingly every corner of the Internet after he threatened to sue his local newspaper if it dared to publish his name without his permission.

"Use my name again unauthorized and you'll be paying for an attorney," the Republican official told a Frederick News-Post reporter in a Facebook post.

The paper responded by ridiculing his demand.

"I just don't know how to respond to a request that stupid," Terry Headlee, managing editor of the 33,000 daily circulation newspaper, told The Associated Press on Tuesday in a telephone interview.

The News-Post did respond by posting an advance look at its Sunday editorial on the newspaper's website. It pointed out that Delauter's demand ignores, among other things, the First Amendment right of a free press.

But the newspaper could not resist mining the rich opportunities for sarcasm that Delauter's demand offered.

There was the editorial's headline: "Kirby Delauter, Kirby Delauter, Kirby Delauter."

And the body of the editorial, describing the laughter that his demand provoked and exploring the ways The News-Post might henceforth refer to Delauter without using his name. Perhaps "K---- D-------." Or "Councilman (Unauthorized)."

Capping it off, the first letter of each paragraph spelled out: K-I-R-B-Y-D-E-L-A-U-T-E-R.

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Md. council member Kirby Delauter's threat to sue newspaper for using his name backfires

January 6, 2015 - West Coast League (WCL) Yakima Valley Pippins YAKIMA, Wash. - The anticipation for season two of Yakima Valley Pippins baseball grew a little larger Tuesday afternoon, as the West Coast League announced the 2015 schedule.

The second summer for the Pippins opens Friday, June 5 th at County Stadium against the Klamath Falls Gems in the first of 27 league home games. Following the opening series vs Klamath Falls, the Pippins' next four home series will be against east division opponents, including two against the Walla Walla Sweets. Walla Walla will make two visits to County Stadium next summer, with the first coming June 13 th-15 and the other July 3 rd-5 th.

Yakima Valley, which finished 35-19 in its first season, also plays the defending WCL champion Bellingham Bells June 30 th-July 2 nd in Bellingham, the same city where the 2015 WCL All-Star Game will take place (July 20 th).

Game times, the promotional calendar and the non-league schedule will be announced by the end of January.

"We are excited to have the schedule in place as we start the new year," said Pippins president Zachary Fraser. "This gives us even more time to lay out the best possible promotional schedule for our fans next summer."

Season tickets, mini-plans, and group events are are now on sale for the 2015 season, with season tickets and mini-plans online at PippinsBaseball.com or by calling (509) 575-HITS (4487). Group nights, especially those on the all-inclusive picnic deck (first base line), will move fast.

As the countdown to June 5th continues, the Pippins will continue to announce player additions to the 2015 roster. For the most up-to-date information, fans should follow the team on Twitter ( http://www.twitter.com/PippinsBaseball ) or like the squad's Facebook page ( http://www.facebook.com/yvpippins ).

Discuss this story on the West Coast League message board... Digg this story Add to Del.icio.us

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Pippins Unveil 2015 Schedule

The three-story L-shaped hotel designed for Steve Zemo by architect Scott Yates of H&R Design would overlook a walled garden. The five-acre site off Old Quarry Road is expected to hold three other commercial buildings, including a multi-use office building, a storage facility and a large event space. The project will have a public hearing Tuesday, Jan. 6.

Hotel rooms that resemble apartment units, increased traffic on some of the towns busiest intersections, and runoff that would negatively affect the Great Swamp these are all concerns facing the Planning and Zoning Commission as it prepares to host a public hearing for the proposed Old Quarry Commons, a mixed-use project that includes a 48-suite hotel on the five-acre site off Old Quarry Road.

The project, which was submitted to the commission by local developer Steve Zemo, is expected to be completed and occupied by the end of 2016, if approved, according to the proposed plans.

In addition to the hotel, the proposal includes three other commercial buildings a storage facility, an event space and a mixed-use office building that would have 11 residential apartments on the second floor that would be located on the northern side of Old Quarry Road across from the old Schlumberger site.

Members of the the public have already raised concern with the designs specifically at the hotel, which would have 27 of its 48 units equipped with two bedrooms and two bathrooms as well as other additions, like a washer and dryer and a kitchen area.

I am very concerned that this is more reflective of an apartment building than a hotel, said local developer Patrick Downend in a letter to Town Planner Betty Brosisus on Dec. 10.

Individual units have laundry equipment, he said. I would challenge the applicant to produce a list of other Connecticut hotels that have in-unit laundry.

The kitchen areas designated on the plans are quite large for a hotel room, he said. The average hotel room size is approximately 850 square feet. Keep in mind the average hotel room size in the United States is between 300 and 400 square feet.

There are 27 two-bedroom, two bath units. That is very unusual for a hotel this size.

Mr. Downend also had an issue with the proposed hotels length of stays.

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Hotel hearing Tuesday

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Rails Run: Derby Day tips

Rails Run: Cox Plate and Manikato Stakes

Rails Run: Caulfield Cup tips

Rails Run: Caulfield Guineas tips

The Championships: day two preview

Our racing experts preview all the action on the track at Rosehill on Saturday.

There are several critics who say Saturdays Golden Slipper is below the usual standard, many of the opinion that the colts are outclassed by the fillies.

If they had a runner, however, Bloodlines reckons there wouldn't be a single complaint as it is an owner's dream to be one of the 16 with an opportunity to race in the worlds greatest event for two-year-olds.

In the past 10 Slippers, colts and geldings have won six, the fillies four. What is significant, however, is that four of the boys - Stratum (2004), Sebring (2008), Sepoy (2011) and Pierro (2012) - all went on to lucrative stud careers.

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Attrition rate of colts leaves Golden Slipper to fillies

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