| Behold the all-seeing, self-parking, safety-enforcing, networked car
Flash back five months: I'm at a test track at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan, in a Lexus fitted with a pre-crash safety system. I drive down the track at about 40 mph toward a rubber post. Instinct and education make it hard to keep my foot off the brake, but a group of earnest engineers insist that I aim their $70-grand sedan straight for the post. At the last fraction of a second, when the car's radar sensors and microprocessors have determined that the idiot at the wheel really isn't going to steer around the obstacle, the safety system shoots into action. Seatbelt pre-tensioners cinch up, and the front and rear suspension dampers stiffen. As soon as I touch the brake pedal -- better late than never -- the car's brake-assist tugs them on at max effort. It isn't enough to avoid the crash, but the impact speed is about half what it would have been without the new system.
Scottsville grocer's fate in Food Lion's hands
Brenda Johnson is fairly certain that she will lose her job when her employer, IGA grocery store in Scottsville, is expected to close later this year. "I don't like it one bit," said Johnson, a 57-year-old who has worked at the grocery store for 30 years. "I'm going to lose my job. At my age, I'm not looking forward to finding another one." The 12,000-square-foot IGA in Scottsville is the town's sole grocery store, employing 24 people. But it appears likely the store will be replaced with a 25,000-square-foot Food Lion. "The IGA is great, but they're limited somewhat to a large extent by space," said Cameron Crounse, co-owner of the Village Square shopping center, which is home to the Scottsville IGA. "When I bought this property, it was my intention to attract a new grocery chain." Joe Hale, who bought the Scottsville IGA six years ago, agreed to a buyout offer from his landlord.
Essence column: Sacrificing fashion for comfort
If the shoe fits, I must be in Oz. For those of us women who are not blessed with dainty feet like Cinderella, shopping for shoes can be as torturous as having a root canal: you don't have a lot of choices in the matter and the end result is usually painful. Unlike my 15-year-old niece who is drawn to the shoe section like a moth to a flame, shoes have never really held much attraction for me. Even as a kid, my loathing for loafers or any other footwear was apparent. While my sister pondered over one pair of shoes after the other, I would grab the first pair off the shelf and be ready to flee fashion be damned. This aversion, however, didn't stop me from making some laughable choices as an adolescent. In the quest for added inches, every young lady has done unspeakable things to their soles in the name of fashion.
He can make sad turn glad
Charming and handsome, Wilson, 11, is a great storyteller who can often turn a sad situation into a happy one. He loves clowns because they make him laugh. He enjoys riding his bike, hiking, shopping at the mall and playing basketball with his friends. Wilson is determined to be a police officer because "they help people and they help stop violence." He had an opportunity to learn firsthand about the duties and responsibilities of officers when he recently visited a police station, where he was deputized so he could feel like a real officer. In the 911 call center, he learned the meaning of the various lights and items on the computer screen. He also sat in a patrol car and sounded the siren. Enrolled in a mainstream fourth-grade class in school, he does very well. Reading, math, science, gym and computers are his favorite subjects.
Developer may sell off NY, Mass. shopping malls
SYRACUSE, N.Y. The Syracuse-based company that owns some of New York's largest malls is considering putting some of those shopping centers and several others in Massachusetts up for sale. Robert Congel, founder of The Pyramid Companies, says the trustees of the family trusts that own a controlling interest in the company have hired Goldman, Sachs to look into the possibility of selling 16 properties -- a dozen in New York and four in Massachusetts. The company -- the nation's largest privately held developer of malls -- also owns the Carousel Center mall in Syracuse. Pyramid plans to expand that property into Destiny U-S-A, a retail, hotel and entertainment. The Syracuse mall won't be put up for sale. Pyramid's holdings include Crossgates Mall in suburban Albany, the Walden Galleria outside Buffalo and Palisades Center just north of New York City.
Counsel Corporation Announces 2006 Fiscal Year Results
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (MARKET WIRE) -- March 28, 2007 -- Counsel Corporation (TSX: CXS) today reported its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2006. All amounts are stated in Canadian dollars. Highlights of 2006: - On March 30, 2006, Counsel, along with a group of investors, acquired the Lancaster Mall in Saint John, New Brunswick. Lancaster Mall is an enclosed shopping centre with approximately 199,000 sq. ft. of leaseable area, including three free standing pads. The area of the site is approximately 23 acres. - On May 1, 2006, Counsel, along with a group of investors, acquired McIntyre Centre in Thunder Bay, Ontario. McIntyre Centre is a strip centre with approximately 60,000 sq. ft. of leaseable area. - On May 2, 2006, Counsel entered the case goods business with the acquisition of Fleetwood Fine Furniture Inc.
Arcadia council weighs Caruso's mall proposal
ARCADIA - The rivalry between shopping center giants Caruso Affiliated and Westfield appears to be coming to a head in this city, as City Council members considered a 830,000-square-foot outdoor mall proposal brought before them Wednesday night. Caruso's upscale project, slated for the parking lot of the landmark Santa Anita Race Track, entered the final stages of city approval in a night filled with red "Yes!" buttons and black T-shirts printed with stop signs. The meeting began about 7p.m.; an inch-thick stack of requests to speak was barely dented by 9:30p.m. Audience members packed the Masonic Lodge, which had seats for 700. An overflow room at the nearby library had another 150 seats. A decision had not been reached as of late Wednesday. During his presentation before the City Council, developer and CEO Rick Caruso touted the project, known as The Shops at Santa Anita, as a community-friendly one that respects the race track's history.
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