Polls show gap narrowing between Netanyahu, Livni

Israeli polls Friday showed a narrowing race between front-runner Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, giving Livni a chance at an upset victory just days before Tuesday's national election.

One poll shows Netanyahu's hawkish Likud party winning 27 seats in Israel's 120-seat parliament. Livni's centrist Kadima party gets 25.

But the poll shows that voters clearly prefer hard-line parties, giving them 66 seats in parliament, compared with only 54 for centrist, dovish and Arab parties. That means Netanyahu has far better chances of cobbling together a governing coalition after the election.

The poll said 15 percent of …

Costa Rica's Poll continues medal assault

INDIANAPOLIS Costa Rican swimmer Silvia Poll, an unknown beforethe 10th Pan American Games, served notice she could be a force tocontend with at next summer's Olympics.

Poll, 16, swept to her third gold medal Tuesday, taking the100-meter backstroke in a Pan Am record-breaking time of 1:02.18, ahalf-second better than the existing mark. The silver and bronzemedal winners were Holly Green and Michelle Donahue of the UnitedStates.

Poll earlier won the 100-meter freestyle in a Pan Am record timeof 56.1 and also the 200-meter freestyle, becoming the first swimmerat the Games to take multiple gold.

Poll, born in Nicaragua of German parents, also helped pull …

Shiite Militiamen Kill 4 Police Officers

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Militiamen loyal to an anti-American cleric re-emerged Monday in the southern city of Amarah, hunting down and killing four policemen from a rival militia in a brutal Shiite-on-Shiite settling of scores.

The Iraqi army set up a few roadblocks but did not interfere in the movement of Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army fighters after police fled the streets. The latest attacks came despite a public call by al-Sadr to halt the tribal vendetta, suggesting that splinter groups were developing within his militia.

The spread of revenge killings among Shiites in their southern heartland has opened a new and ominous front as American forces struggle to control insurgent …

Education Management shares rise in IPO debut

Education Management Corp. shares soared almost 25 percent Friday in their debut in an initial public offering after being priced at the low end of their proposed range.

The stock jumped $4.48, or 24.9 percent, to $22.48 by midday on volume of almost 5 million shares.

On Thursday night, shares were priced at $18 a share, at the bottom of the company's proposed range of $18 to $20.

Many education stocks have seen gains in the past two years as the tough economy drives more Americans to bulk up their resumes. This is the third for-profit higher education IPO since November, following online educators Grand Canyon Education Inc. in November and …

Knee may bench Baines 2 months

KANSAS CITY, Mo. Finally admitting Harold Baines has a new kneeinjury, the White Sox sent their All-Star right fielder home lastnight.

Dr. James Boscardin will examine Baines today. It is not knownhow long Baines will be out, but it could be two months.

"I'd rather get looked at than go through a whole year of whatI'm going through now," said Baines, who hasn't recovered fully fromhis arthroscopic knee surgery last October. "I couldn't have playedyesterday (Tuesday)."

Despite the Sox' public optimism, it appears Baines will have tobe placed on the 15-day disabled list, perhaps retroactive to Tuesday. That wouldleave him ineligible to play until at …

Nancy Holt

Nancy Holt

MIRIAM AND IRA D. WALLACH ART GALLERY

Standing tall in black aluminum at twenty feet, Nancy Holt's monumental outdoor sculpture Solar Rotary, 1995, comprises a swirling design that casts tribal tattoo-like shadows on a plaza's grounds at the University of South Florida, Tampa. Beneath the work (which I remember fondly from when I was a teen) and the typically oppressive midday sun is a bench, cradling one of the most interesting objects to be found in the area - a 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite, discovered in Miami-Dade County. Holt's long-standing interest in astronomical themes, so overt in this example, seemed to loom large in an excellent survey of her early …

Henryk Mandelbaum, Auschwitz survivor forced to strip fellow Jews, dies at 85

Henryk Mandelbaum, who was forced by the Nazis to strip fellow Jews of valuables and gold teeth after they were gassed at Auschwitz, died on Tuesday, a historian said. He was 85.

Mandelbaum died at a hospital in the southern Polish city of Bytom several days after undergoing heart surgery, said Igor Bartosik, a historian at the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum who has co-written an upcoming book on Mandelbaum.

Bartosik said he did not know the exact cause of death, and hospital officials refused to comment.

Mandelbaum was Poland's last surviving member of a Sonderkommando _ groups of Jewish prisoners forced to handle the bodies of fellow Jews who were …

Gretna dream becoming a nightmare

The Gretna situation is extremely worrying, what with all theirfinancial problems.

I don't know what their exact situation is, but what I do knowis that Aberdeen will never be in such a worrying state as long as Iam at the club.

People have to remember that it's great living the dream butsomeone always has to pay for that dream. That's the problem withGretna in that they don't have the business plan in place to buildon success.

I'd be very disappointed if they do fall out of the league and itwould create a number of problems for the SPL.

I'm sure every effort will be made to ensure …

REVEREND AL SHARPTON

BACKGROUND

Civil rights activist, minister; U.S. Senate candidate, 1992 and 1994; candidate for mayor of New York City, 1997

www.sharpton2004.org/

Al Sharpton has been sharply critical of President George W. Bush's decision to invade Iraq, stating that the Bush administration's doctrine of pre-emption is "dangerous and traditionally un-American." During an interview with MoveOn.org, the reverend asked, "If we can pre-emptively attack Iraq using shaky intelligence...what's to stop Russia from attacking Chechnya, China from attacking Taiwan, …

Holmgren tries to defuse SF rumors

Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren is trying to quash any thoughts he will become the new leader of the San Francisco 49ers next season.

Holmgren said Wednesday his plan is still to take a sabbatical from football in 2009. The native of San Francisco, former high school coach in the city and former 49ers assistant called Seattle his home and the Seahawks his team. Everything …

Defeat ends run of form ; Hockey

BRENTWOOD ..........0 FOLKESTONE ..........3 (East Women's HockeyLeague Division Two South East) AFTER the previous week'soutstanding performance at leaders Tunbridge Wells, Brentwood werehopeful that their winning run would continue but Folkestone hadother ideas.

Brentwood started strongly with some good passing around thepitch switching the ball from left to right. Sadly by …

Phelps Breaks Another World Swim Record

MELBOURNE, Australia - Michael Phelps did it again. The American lowered his own world record in the 200-meter butterfly at the world swimming championships Wednesday night, his second gold medal and second world mark in as many nights.

Laure Manaudou of France followed Phelps's race with a world record of her own, winning the 200 freestyle for her second individual gold.

Just as he did in winning the 200 freestyle, Phelps raced to the lead and stayed there, touching in 1 minute, 52.09 seconds.

That was faster than the 1:53.71 he swam at a meet in Columbia, Mo., on Feb. 17.

"I shocked myself," Phelps said. "I didn't know I would be that far under it." …

Lawyer buying murder site

LOS ANGELES The Brentwood town house outside which Nicole BrownSimpson and Ronald Goldman were slain has a buyer.

The infamous property where the victims' butchered bodies werefound went for its $595,000 asking price to a buyer who plans to makeit difficult to recognize, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

A Century City lawyer the newspaper did not name will becomethe house's new owner when the deal is final in a few days, the Timessaid.Simpson and Goldman were stabbed to death on the front walkwayof her home in June, 1994.The site is still popular with tourists.

Lawyer: Appeals court rejects Aruban prosecutor's bid to put US man back in jail as suspect

ORANJESTAD, Aruba (AP) — Lawyer: Appeals court rejects Aruban prosecutor's bid to put U.S. man back in jail as suspect.

Believers Flock to the Abbey

Ceilings that range from 9 feet to two stories in height, plussoaring expanses of glass contribute to the Abbey's bright, airylook.

The 1,350-square-foot town house is one of three designs atHighland Glen in Algonquin, Stoneridge Development Co.'s subdivisionof 210 town houses.

"The Abbey is a plan I built out in California that was part ofa multifamily building that combined town houses and condominiums,"said George Haviar, president of Stoneridge Development Co.

"The interior floor plan is toned down from the way it was builtout there. It had a spiral staircase in California, but here it is abit more traditional. "The exterior is totally different. InCalifornia it was stucco with a tile roof, which gave it aMediterranean look - which is too expensive to do here and would alsolook out of place," Haviar said. "People would have a hard timeaccepting the look. Here it is brick, cedar and siding.

"Inside it still has rounded corners, 2-story volume, an openstaircase going up to a loft, and high windows, which let in a lot oflight, which reflects the California style."

The Abbey is one of two furnished models at Highland Glen.

It has a set-back side entrance shielded by a small, coveredporch. Inside, the foyer has convenient access to a guest closetstraight ahead, a windowed powder room, and a larger closet beneaththe stairs.

Down the entry hall, past a switchback staircase, is an nearly12-by-15 1/2-foot living room with a pitched 2-story ceiling. Fromthe foyer one can look through the home and out a nearly 2-story rearwindow. End units have two additional side windows, which wouldflank the optional fireplace costing from $2,650 to $3,500, dependingon the package selected.

The 10-by-10 1/5-foot dining room, which is open to the livingroom, has a sliding rear door that opens to a standard concretepatio.

The kitchen measures 7 feet by 10 feet and overlooks a10-foot-square breakfast area. A half-wall divides the breakfastarea from the foyer. The door off the breakfast zone leads to anattached 2-car garage.

The switchback staircase has an open oak railing. End unitshave a window at the midway landing.

On the upper level, an 8 3/4-by-12-foot loft with a half-walloverlooks the stairway and the volume living room. It would cost$2,000 to convert the loft space into an optional third bedroom.

The 11-by-13-foot master bedroom has a walk-in closet and aprivate bath with a tub-shower head combination and ceramic-tilesurround. For $1,100, the tub could be upgraded to a whirlpool.

A laundry-utility room is conveniently located between themaster suite and the more than 10-by-11-foot second bedroom. Thesecond full bath contains a linen closet.

A full basement is a $10,500 option.

"The second-floor utility room is a popular feature of the Abbeybecause it is located in the area where you create the laundry," saidHaviar.

"Most houses are designed with the laundry room in the basementor main floor. All you ever do is carry laundry up and down thestairs. Even if the Abbey is built with an optional basement, theutility room stays upstairs."

Other standard features include double-paned, insulated-glasswindows and screens and patio doors, wood-grain siding and facebrick, a gas forced-air heating system, and sodded front and sideyards.

The development sits on a plateau lined by stands of100-year-old oak trees on the south, and 10 acres of forest on thenorth of the property that will never be built on. Nine of the 36buildings will be constructed around cul-de-sacs. The rest will bebuilt along winding streets that traverse the development, which hasa public park bordering the east end of the property.

A $60 per month association fee covers exterior maintenance ofthe building, landscape maintenance and snow plowing.

About half of the 23 town houses in the next building phase willinclude walk-out basements.

Two furnished models are open seven a days week.

Haviar built more than 2,000 homes in California between 1983and 1992, when he was director of San Diego operations for theWilliam Lyon Co., one of the nation's largest home builders.

Highland Glen is located on Hanson Road, about one-quarter milesouth of Algonquin Road, and two miles west of the Fox River.

Judy Moore is a Chicago area free-lance writer.

Rapper LL Cool J still a knockout in colorful Fleet Center concert

Rapper LL Cool J still a knockout in colorful Fleet Center concert

Kay Bourne

"Mama said knock you out!" teased LL Cool J. No sooner had the rap star hurled the taunting words into the sellout crowd at the Fleet Center when a cascade of fireworks jetted into the rafters, a multicolored geyser of glittering sparks. Knock us out, he did.

For over a dozen years he's been a major power on the hip-hop scene, and now beyond, with a hit TV series. Still only 28, the lip-licking, provocative rap singer, one pant leg rolled up, delivering his plea to be a father to your child from a crouch like a Russian Army cadet dancing with one leg extended, he retained champion status in the star-studded lineup for radio station Jam'N 94.5's third annual blowout. He's a showman, but sincere for all the pyrotechnics.

At the set's conclusion, he had the 20-voice, red- and black-gowned Berklee Gospel Choir shouting backup to the title number from his new "Phenomenon" CD, as his chorus of scantily clad women dancers pranced around the stage while he prowled the edges, licking a green lollipop.

Then came "Father." Like the Artist formerly known as Prince, the Cool one frankly confides his childhood horror stories of beatings that his mom sustained until she would take no more, and later the absence of any kind of father. So when he pleads, "Love one another, don't kill one another," the sentiment comes from a heart that has found a positive beat despite tribulations. This time the sparks fell like silver tinsel rain onto the stage and, so it seemed, onto the heads of the choir, dancers, and LL Cool J himself.

The Super Jam, which ran for five crowd-pleasing hours, also did a world of good by raising $33,000 for Project Bread, which fights hunger in Massachusetts.

Backstage was often as frantic as onstage. Attractive Jam'N 94.5 deejay Mark Jordan did a batch of interviews with the rap acts shortly after they barreled down a chute exit and flung into the large studio. It was lit up so TV interviewers, as well as newspaper critics, could have a go at the singers too.

Some interesting tidbits that emerged were that Uncle Sam is so named because he has 15 nieces and nephews, nothing political going on here at all.

LSG, the newly formed group made up of Gerald Levert, Keith Sweat, and Johnny Gill, claim that their female backup singers wanted to wear the tiny sweaters that didn't cover everything as the trio sang "My Body," but promised that, O.K., next time it would be their bodies that would be exposed. Of interest to gem lovers, the diamonds that flash from their ears are 2.4 carats apiece, which adds up to about five carats a singer, according to Sweat.

In one of the corridors that run off the arena stood three of Boston's firemen from District 3, on call because of LL Cool J's fireworks, making sure nothing caught fire that wasn't supposed to. It was a long night for Mike Atkins, Mike Spence, and John Darling, but fortunately it was one that went by without incident.

Meanwhile, onstage, Blackstreet took it to another level, Ginuwine had the ladies swooning, the Jamaican Shaggy put a Caribbean spin on the proceedings, Aaliyah proved she is one in a million, and Salt-N-Pepa took it all home.

Graphics for the popular event were done by Artists for Humanity, the artistically talented urban youth outfit that did the fabulous back-to-school window displays for Filene's

Photo (LL Cool J)

Milestones

Births/Adoptions

Broadbent- Leven Peter Brown (b. July 8, 2010), to Amanda Brown and Gavin Broadbent, Bethel Mennonite, Winnipeg, Man.

Chartier- Noah Florian (b. March 17, 2010), to Luc and Cathy (nee Lankin) Chartier, Windsor Mennonite, Ont.

Enns- Tanner Cole (b. July 12, 2010), to Stacie and Travis Enns, Carman Mennonite, Man.

Fehderau- Jeremiah Joel (b. June 24, 2010) to Arnie and Karin Fehderau, First Mennonite, Saskatoon, Sask. Correction.

Cuenther- Jayden Gregory (b. July 8, 2010), to Adrianna and Greg Cuenther, Maple View Mennonite, Wellesley, Ont.

Lebold- Adam Hugh (b.July 15, 2010), to Chris and Wendy Lebold, Breslau Mennonite, Ont.

Martens- Dylan Parker (b. July 16, 2010), to Michelle McKinnell and Karl Martens, Hagerman Mennonite, Ont. and Osier Mennonite, Sask.

Musselman-River Samuel (b. June 29, 2010), to Peter and Heather (nee Burkholder) Musselman, Rouge Valley Mennonite, Markham, Ont.

Mutala- Aubrey Shae (b.July 11, 2010) to Marcy (Koethler) and Brandon Mutala, Zion Mennonite, Swift Current, Sask. In Prince George, B.C.

Peters- Nathaniel Bruce (June 20, 2010), to Kris and Vic Peters, Clenlea Mennonite, Man.

Sawatsky- Ryan Mitchell (b. June 18, 2010), to George and Vicky (Peters) Sawatsky, Faith Mennonite, Leamington, Ont.

Baptisms

Renae Friesen - Bergthaler Mennonite, Altona, Man., May 16,2010.

Samantha Quick, Caitlin Thiessen- Faith Mennonite, Leamington, Ont., June 6, 2010.

Monique Brubach er, Jamie Rozema, Shanna Rozema, Brock Shoemaker- Floradale Mennonite, Ont., May 2.

Lauren Wiens- Clenlea Mennonite, Man., May 23, 2010.

Christina Vis- Grace Mennonite, Prince Albert, Sask., May 16,2010.

Jenny Doerksen, Heiko Giesbrecht, Resi Giesbrecht, Rowan Giesbrecht, Federic Hiebert, Peter Schiller, Samantha Thiessen- Steinbach Mennonite, Man., May 16, 2010.

Megan Boyd, Alanna Dueck, Susan Duncan, Rebecca Epp, Julianne J anzen, Loren Janzen, Michelle Koop - Vineland United Mennonite, Ont., May 30, 2010.

Amanda Snyder, Nicholas Pennerjeffrey MarshWaterloo North Mennonite, Ont., June 27, 2010.

Anndee Hoover, Gregory Lehming- Wideman Mennonite, Ont., June 6, 2010.

Marriages

Crealock/Marsh- Martha Crealock and Jeffrey Marsh, Waterloo North Mennonite, Ont., July 10, 2010.

Friesen/Hutchison- Courtney Friesen and Sandy Hutchison, Bergthaler Mennonite, Altona, Man., in Winnipeg, May 22, 2010.

Friesen/Marquardt- Ryan Friesen and Staci Marquardt, Bergthaler Mennonite, Altona, Man. at Lake Metigoshe, North Dakota, May 15, 2010.

Kruithof/Rigg- Mei issa Jan Kruithof and Bryon Albert Rigg, Hunta Mennonite Church, Ont., July 24, 2010.

Spaling/Zmudczynski- Nicole Spai ing and Steve Zmudczynski, Community Mennonite, Drayton, Ont., July 3, 2010.

Managing change the right way

In my columns on software selection and implementation (December 2007 and January/ February 2008), I touched briefly on change management, but the subject deserves a closer look.

Many will tell you change management is critical to the success of any project and especially to the implementation of a new system. In fact, you can find consulting firms that specialize just in change management. But in my view, change management sometimes gets blown out of proportion based on false assumptions about employees.

There is a widely held view that employees are inherently resistant to change. I disagree. Employees are resistant to change only when it will adversely affect them. If a new system could eliminate their jobs, do you blame them? But if the change does not threaten their jobs, they are more likely to accept and even welcome the change. New systems can make employees more marketable, eliminate the drudgery of inefficient manual processes and allow them to be more effective in their work.

In my experience, the elimination of inefficient processes does not lead to firing, but to growth with no hiring. If growth is out of the question, however, and there are too many people for the work required, it's better to be honest about the situation. Even the employees who keep their jobs will be angry if their colleagues are blindsided by a firing spree.

A number of other issues discussed in previous articles are also related to change management. Employees should be consulted not only because their involvement would lead to buy-in but also because they have knowledge that may be useful. Representatives from each department should be involved from the start, with a kickoff meeting to explain the project. Employees should be interviewed to better understand their requirements and opportunities for business process improvement. Employees should also be involved during the final demonstration. Get their agreement on the script, let them attend the demonstration that pertains to them and obtain their feedback.

Management also needs to be ready and supportive of any new system. One technique is to have management identify the critical success factors (what must be done well for the organization to be successful) and the key performance indicators that map to those critical success factors. Set target key performance indicators at the beginning of the project, and celebrate only when the KPIs are attained.

Many organizations have naysayers who have been around a long time and exert a certain amount of influence. You must seek out these naysayers to learn about the risks and what to do about them. As you gain this knowledge, you also indirectly gain their buy-in (if you take their advice into consideration).

Good project managers know about change management and will inform employees and management about project status. A good project manager will also plan the implementation to avoid scheduling conflicts and excessive overtime.

Change is constant and most people adapt quickly - especially to new technology. Witness the speed with which the Internet, Google and BlackBerry have been adopted. But there will always be a few people who are afraid of change just because it's different. These individuals should remember the words of Bob Dylan:

Come gather 'round people

Wherever you roam

And admit that the waters

Around you have grown

And accept it that soon

You'll be drenched to the bone.

If your time to you

Is worth savin'

Then you better start swimmin'

Or you'll sink like a stone

For the times they are a-changin'.

[Author Affiliation]

Michael Burns, MBA, CA, PMP, is president of 180 Systems (www.180systems.com), which provides independent consulting services, including business process review, system selection and IT audit. Contact: 416-485-2200 or mburns@180systems.com

The Motel in America

The Motel in America. By John A. Jakle, Keith A. Sculle, and Jefferson S. Rogers Baltimore, Md.: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996. xiv + 340 pp. Figures, notes, bibliography, and index. $32.95. 0-80185384-4.

This is the definitive history of the motel. Until now, roadside lodging has been treated primarily by writers interested in the "great man" stories of such leaders as Conrad Hilton, Willard Marriott, or Kemmons Wilson, or bv authors nostalgic for the picturesque small businesses of the pre-World War II era. (Such authors include Warren Belasco, Americans on the Road: From Antocamp to Motel (1979), John Margolies, Home Away from Home: Motels in America (1995)). In the book under review here, John Jakle, Keith Sculle, and Jefferson Rogers succeed in creating a highly engaging, multifaceted work that touches nearly every aspect of the hostelry business from the dawn of the twentieth century to the present. The Motel in America is part of an emerging field in historical scholarship, the "history of the built environment," which melds business history with architectural history, cultural geography, and social history. The movement can be traced back to such classics as Sam Bass Warner, Jr., Streetcar Suburbs: The Process of Growth in Boston (1961), Gwendolyn Wright, Building the Dream: A Social History of Housing in America ( 1982) and Marc Weiss, Rise of the Community Builders: The American Real Estate Instr-rl and Land Planning (1985), which together did much to illuminate the mix of financial and cultural forces shaping suburbia. In the 1990s, the field has heated up as scholars have begun probing other distinctive features of the American landscape. Important books include Carol Willis, Form Follows Finance: Skyscrapers and Skylines in New York and Chicago (1995), Margaret Crawford, Building the Workingman's Paradise: The Design of America's Company Towns (1995), and Richard Longstreth, From Center City to Regional Mall: Architecture, the Automobile and Retailing in Los Angeles (1997). This growing body of work demonstrates that buildings are indeed vital "historical documents" that can speak volumes about the past.

At the heart of The Motel in America is a solid business history narrative. The industry took shape in the 1910s and 1920s as entrepreneurs formalized the makeshift auto campgrounds that had sprung up at the edge of America's cities. Enterprising individuals installed stores and bathing facilities, then hammered together strings of little cabins to rent. Eventually, they connected the cabins to create full-fledged motels. Through the 1940s virtually all motels were individual "mom-and-pop" operations, though Frank Redford's Kentucky-grown Wigwam Villages (with teepee shaped cabins), and E. Lee Torrance's Texas-based Alamo Courts attempted to forge small regional chains. The roadside turned corporate in the late 1950s and 1960s. This was partly due to the leadership of Kemmons Wilson, who built the Holiday Inn chain coast-to-coast through such pioneering innovations as computerized reservations. And it was also, the authors stress, due to new tax laws starting in 1954 that made motel construction a favored tax shelter for investors. The 1970s and 1980s saw the lodging industrv firmly enmeshed in the high-finance world of brand segmentation and leveraged buyouts. The study tenaciously follows each major lodging chain through ownership changes, and examines the business reasoning behind creation of hot recent brands such as Hampton Inn and Fairfield Inns.

But the book does not stop with boardroom history. Dozens of additional perspectives enrich the story. With a nod to postmodernism, the authors begin with their own recollections of motel trips of yore-a successful strategy that opens readers' eyes to the multiple meanings and changing nature of the motel. A major theme throughout the book is architectural evolution. Corporate chains succeeded partly because they developed distinctive architecture to catch the traveler's eve, a concept that Sculle and Jakle labeled "place-product packaging" in their preceding book The Gas Station in America (1994). Over a hundred photos gleaned from vintage postcards and promotional literature explore not only exterior architecture but also interior "room geography," and point out the many household innovations that Americans first sampled at motels, including coffeemakers and color TVs. The authors also use maps to great advantage, showing nationwide distribution for each chain over time. In the book's final chapter they offer a case study of the changing lodging landscape of Albuquerque, New Mexico, from the 1910s to the present.

Business historians may wish that Jakle, Sculle, and Rogers had delved even deeper into the financing strategies that shape the corporate roadside. The shifting impacts of federal tax and investment regulations, for instance, drop from sight in the later chapters and conclusion. The authors themselves suggest other areas deserving more discussion: exploration of labor issues; analysis in terms of race, class and gender; research into the changing occupants of motels as the buildings age. Other scholars will undoubtedly pick up these trails, now that they can build on the solid historical base provided by The Motel in America.

[Author Affiliation]

Tom Hanchett teaches American history and coordinates the Historic Preservation Program at Youngstown State University in Ohio. His recent publications include a study of shopping center finance (American Historical Review, October 1996) and the book Sorting Out the New South City: Race, Class and Urban Development in Charlotte, 1875-1975 (UNC Press,1998).

EU president positive over Croatia membership

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union President Herman Van Rompuy says Croatia's membership talks can be successfully concluded in "the nearest possible future."

Van Rompuy said Wednesday he was "reasonably confident" that the executive Commission would recommend on Friday to the EU nations to wrap up talks and prepare to welcome Croatia as the 28th member state, likely in 2013.

Croatia started membership talks half a dozen years ago and would become the second nation of former Yugoslavia to join after Slovenia.