Fire in a local, historical building on East Carson Street in Pittsburgh's South Side

Wow.

Fire on the South Side

Fwd: 2018 Pittsburgh Dirty Dozen Bicycle Ride

---- Forwarded message ---------

From: Dirty Dozen

Dear riders and friends of Danny Chew:

Another year has gone by and this year's edition of the Dirty Dozen is fast approaching. You are invited to participate in the 36th annual running of the event, which will be held on Saturday, November 24th. Proceeds will benefit Danny, who is overall director of this challenging ride he co-founded. If you register by November 3rd you will receive an additional discount on your entry fee.

Here are some of the changes in this year's ride:

• New starting location. The ride now begins at the Rhododendron Shelter on Lake Drive in Highland Park. By straight-line distance this is less than half a mile to the north and west of the Bud Harris Cycling Track, and can be reached by traveling north on Stanton Avenue.

• Official-finisher ribbons will be mailed out after the event to ensure that all riders who certify their official-finisher status will receive one. Instructions for certifying official-finisher status will be included in your registration packet.

• Separate women's event. Women wanting to compete can choose to ride in either the first group, competing directly against the men in an open event, or in the second group, which is reserved for women only.

Here are the links for this year's ride:

Main 2018 event page: http://www.dannychew.com/ddinfo.html
BikeReg registration page: https://www.bikereg.com/dirty-dozen-2018
The main DD page is here: http://www.dannychew.com/dd.html
Starting location: http://maps.google.com/?daddr=40.4789109,-79.9104809

We hope you will be able to ride this year and conquer all of the hills.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Pratt

2018 Dirty Dozen

Call to action and more

Newsletter from Mark Rauterkus

South Side Market House -- Orange Team and trophy night

Orange team's trophy time. We had some good players on this squad. Some have moved to Castle Shannon.

The Pittsburgh planning process is not fair. UPMC and South Side -- go figure

Exact date unsure.

The Process of Planning Is NOT Fair, NOT Democratic and NOT Understood by Most

The South Side Forum, a facist organization, fails in the following test of political fairness.

This opinion is based upon first person observations by someone who has attended all the meetings since November.

Furthermore, the proposed plans for UPMC to build a sports performance compound is not fair, not democratic, nor understood.

Three Tests of Political Fairness

from Lani Guinier
1. Does the system mobilize or discourage participation?
2. Does the system encourage genuine debate or foster polarization?
3. Does the system promise real inclusion or only token representation?

Vibrant Democracy Action Makes Us Great!

Vibrant democracy action does not occur at the South Side Planning Forum. Other pages can discussion the merits and faults of that charter and their conscious districting, but for now, think of fascism in all mentions of seeing either the South Side Planning Forum and the LTV Steering Committee.

Fascism

A system of government characterized by rigid one-party dictaorship, forcible suppression of opposition, private economic enterprise under centralized governmental control, belligerent nationalism....

We need all voices to have a reasonable influence throughout the extended political process. There are many systems and schemes to choose among to insure that this occurs, and a strict consensus operation isn't among the suitable alternatives.

The planning process should reward and champion the highest and best use, rather than be a series of binary decisions that cause a regression to the mean or lowest-common denominator effect. With a consensus operation at the helm, our future is flat.

As is the present case, the South Side Planning Forum does not offer even a modest level of checked and balanced to the planning process. Rather, the URA, as a part of the executive structure (Mayor's Office), advances plans to the South Side Planning Forum, much like the President of the U.S. might advance plans to the Cabinet. The Cabinet is hand chosen. So too is the URA and in turn the South Side Planning Forum.

Cabinet

A body of official advisers to a president, king, governor, etc. In the U.S. comprised of the heads of the various governmental departments.

Cabinet members should agree with the executives and should work as a sounding board for fine-tuning ideas and policy decisions. Renegade cabinet members might hurt the administration, as there are times for agreement and times for democracy.

URA Official, but, but, but, but....

A URA official, Jermoe Detore, was at the table with City Council on March 17 at a discussion session that was on the city cable network. He was present for a short discussion as City Council had just given a preliminary vote for the sale of the IBEW site.

The reading of the petitions that was a call from the citizens of Pittsburgh to hold a public hearing on this matter was made. Rightly so, the members of council quickly approved the matter. And, Mr. Detore said, "I'm not sure what this is all about."

He said, "But, we've been working with the South Side community."

"You want to have a public hearing?

"There will be a public hearing before the Planning Commission."

Dan Cohen (city council) said that this was a request of the citizens and City Council did not have any choice.

Meanwhile Jim Ferlo (city council) said that there will be plenty of Public Hearings on this matter.

Yes, the URA has been working with the South Side Planning Forum. Yes, the South Side Planning Forum has a LTV Steering Committee that has held a number of special meetings on this topic. Those meetings are important to the URA and help to uncover some additional information. But do not equate an approval by the South Side Planning Forum as any type of grass-roots approval by the citizens of the South Side. Their approval comes under a cloud of facist control.

Ignorance: The Most Dangerous Assumption

City Council can not assume that the plans that advance out of the U.R.A. and are filtered by the South Side Planning Forum have any inkling of community-wide support. The Planning Forum's model of resentation is invalid and the Planning Forum's operational dignity confirms this bias.

The plans that advance out of the U.R.A. are bounced to a selected few in the neighborhood. The plans might get tweeked about, sorta like window dressings. Furthermore, the delivery of the plans to the selected few in the neighborhood gives the U.R.A., its developers and its partners ample opportunities to refine presentations and rehetoric.

The salesmanship is finly tuned, but the wolf is still under the nicly pressed sheep's clothing.

City Council can't shrug its duty to represent the people by bestowing false credtabilty on the flawed process.

The only governmental body to serve as a check to the planning process as instigated by the URA is City Council. This is a grave responsibility that needs to be realized. Do not think that the citizens of an area are in strong support or even of marginal support of what is being done by the URA because the local groups say its okay.

The local planning groups are really cabinet level supporters of the U.R.A. Nothing more.

It seems that the South Side Planning Forum can please only one entity per meeting each month. Citizens, this month is not yours. Next month isn't looking good either.

Needing a Planning Forum and a Steering Committee is like needing a parachute. If the outfit isn't there the first time its called upon, chances are people won't be needing those avenues again.

Smoothing the Harshness

To be sure, the South Side Planning Forum does serve a purpose. The purpose is to be a sounding board to the URA. The purpose of the South Side Planning Forum is not to speak for the people. The purpose is not to prop up the creditability of the URA's plans in the mind's eye of City Council, the School Board, nor the County officials.

The South Side Planning Forum should go about its ways and should not be terminated. These good people do good work. Do not be fooled into thinking that this good work is anything close to good work based upon a democratic process.

Wrongly Named Organizations

The LTV Steering Committee might want to change its name, so as to not confuse additional people, to the LTV Back-seat Committee. The steering has ended.

More Input to Come

As things progress, the sale of the properties to the respective developers from the URA is going to occur. At that time, there is ample opportunity to make sure that the design forum folks insure that colors of the curtins don't clash. That authority for after-sale conditions is questionable.

Haste Makes Waste --- Rushing!

The urgency of the sale of properties on the South Side Works looms very large for a number of reasons. Urgent deadlines seem to be self-imposed places in time that are managed by strange forces in nature.

When it comes to hiring employees, the City of Pittsburgh lets its deadlines slip. The Mayor can't seem to hire a Fire Chief, week after week goes by and nothing happens. The hiring delays are unmatched only by the seemingly strong love for deadlines on development projects.

Ya gotta love the deadline mentality, especially the whooshing sound deadlines make as they go flying by.

In early Feb 99, UPMC started to move earth with the graders, on behalf of the URA, without closing the benefit of a signed deal.

Rushing Ahead While Looking Backwards

Community members need to get smart with our presentations about the South Side Sports Performance compound. Let's get smart and tell the world, the School Board, the City Council members, and the County officials as such. The Pitt leadership won't know otherwise. To explain Pitt's disregard to urban planning and its neighbors is epic. We could tell you everthing that has happened in Oakland, but your brain would explode.

There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved through a suitable application of high incentives for community access program facilities.

To champion community access goes way beyond program decisions. Facility requirements and constraints are important issues that need to be fully explored before the foundation gets laid in steel, brick and concrete.

The line-up of community facilities in Pittsburgh has a number of serious shortcommings. Our needs are grave in some areas. The specific areas of need are covered by other sections of this paper and are subect to some additional speculation.

Realize that 90% of all of C.M.U. graduates depart the Pittsburgh area upon graduation. That type of human-resource retention is unacceptable. Needs exist, undoubtably.

So, we're working among ourselves to prioritize and express various needs and concerns. We'll tell Pitt what is needed, and Pitt will tell us how to get along without it. Pitt has done this over and over again when it comes to employee fitness, recreation opportunities and other quality of life issues with structured community play -- things that need facilities.

Nursing School Fitness Center

A new fitness certer was built in the ground floor of the Pitt Nursing School. The clamor to get that facility built lasted for years before the space was found. The need still exists for 10 additional sites, just for students on campus. The need for 10 or more additional sites is also exploding with the faculty, staff and employess.

Pitt wants the community to accept that some days we're the pigeons, and some days we're the pigeon droppings.

I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

In the fall of 1999, we'll take a walk along the river banks and looking up to the stars in the sky and think to ourselves, "Where in the heck are the stars?!" The flood of lights will wash-out the night sky.

In the fall of 2000, we'll be working out in the weight room, and looking up to push out some of the reps on the bench press and think to ourselves, "Where the heck is the ceiling?!"

UPMC officials boasted by saying, "Pitt turns off its lights at night. We don't run the lights in the parking lots." That comment was to sound sensative and very neighbor-friendly. Well, it might be in other places, like in Cannonsburg. Downtown goes to sleep at night too. The South Side isn't elsewhere. If UPMC comes to the South Side, there is a great chance that we'll want you to keep the lights of the parking lot ON at night. We use our spaces beyond the 9-5 business hours, as we live, play and work here. That is balance. --- My Reality Check bounced. --- On the keyboard of life, as we plan with UPMC, let's always keep one finger on the escape key. --- People in Pittsburgh don't suffer from stress, obesity, back aches, and other wellness issues. We're carriers. Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.

Shared facilities between Pitt and the Steelers, NCAA and NFL -- a rule breaking arrangement

Header

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From: "Batson, David" 
To: "'mrauterkus@sportsurf.net'" 
Cc: "Cuka, Kathy" 
Subject: RE: Planning Issues: NCAA & Professional Facilities
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1999 15:57:19 -0600
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From: "Batson, David" dbatson@ncaa.org

	Mark,

	Thanks you for the e-mail.

	Question 1 and 2:

	The NCAA National Office does not compile a list of institutions
sharing facilities with a professional team.  You may want to contact the
appropriate professional sports association to see if they can provide such
information.

	Question 3:

	You are correct that the NCAA wants to maintain a line a demarcation
between college athletics and professional sports along with maintaining the
amateur status of the student-athletes by limiting their involvement with
professional teams and agents.  However, legislation permits some limited
involvement between a member institution and a professional sports team such
as permitting a professional team to rent institutional facilities subject
to normal institutional contractual agreements and permitting Institution's
to host and promote an athletics contest between two professional teams as a
fund-raising activity for the institution.  However, the former
Interpretations Committee had determined that the member institution's team
and the professional team may not use the facility jointly at the same time.

	I hope that this information is helpful in your research.





> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Mark Rauterkus [SMTP:mrauterkus@sportsurf.net]
> 
> Sent:	Saturday, February 13, 1999 7:27 AM
> To:	csmrt@ncaa.org
> Subject:	Planning Issues: NCAA & Professional Facilities
> 
>     
> Dear NCAA Enforcement Folks,
> 
> I need some clarifications, please, on some general rules issues about the
> build in measures that are in place to create some distance (firewall, if
> you will) between PROFESSIONAL athletes/organizations and Div. I NCAA
> programs.
> I gave a few calls on the phone to you all last week, bouncing between
> enforcement and membership voice mail boxes-to no satisfaction. Thanks for
> your attention to this email.
> Who am I? This is always one of your first questions-so I'll tell you.
> I'm a publisher of many sports releated titles (books, etc.) as well as
> Internet Journalist-as well as local advocate for some community issues as
> per sports/fitness and such. I'm also leading a non-profit coalition of
> sports agencies in the tri-state area, meeting with school boards and
> such.  So, I'm not affiliated with any NCAA member institution-and it is
> okay to treat me as a media person as what is discovered will be reported
> upon in different position papers and perhaps news releases or public
> committee meetings.
> Mark Rauterkus, 412-481-2540
> 108 South 12th Street
> Pittsburgh, PA 15203-1226
> email: mrauterkus@sportsurf.net
> 
> 
> Questions:
> 1.	What Div. I football programs share PRACTICE FACILITIES on a day to
> day basis with PROFESSIONAL (NFL) FOOTBALL Teams?  Are there any?
> 
> 
> 2.	We realize that there are some NCAA programs that share stadiums
> with pro teams:
> 	Tampa Bay NFL & Univ. of South Florida
> 	Army/Navy Game at Veterans Stadium
> 	Rutgers Univ. at Meadowlands
> 
> What others am I missing? 
> 
> 3.	We realize that there are some strong rules in place with NCAA
> institutions to distance themselves, their athletes and even the recrits
> from PRO teams, agents, and such. With this in mind-does it make sense to
> share practice facilities on a day to day basis with pros and college
> athletes? Would it be permitted or not by the NCAA?
> 
> Thanks.
> Mark Rauterkus
> 412-481-2540
> mrauterkus@sportsurf.net

Dear Friends and Folks with connections to the 'burgh!

Advance Notice. Call for LOCAL (Pgh. PA) Political Action, No $ Solicitation

Seeking Sports and Fitness Advocates for a newly forming Coalition

Those with brain-power to spare with political, grass-roots, and community access interests are most welcome to join the South Side1s Market House Athletic Association as we convene a coalition to champion ideas and issues central to sports participation opportunities.

Today: The URA (Pittsburgh, PA's Urban Renewal Authority, http://www.ura.org, and UPMC (Univ. of Pittsburgh Medical Center, http://www.upmc.edu, have begun a 90-day OPEN DISCUSSION period. A $25-30M sports-medicine / sports-performance compound is on the drawing board for a large section of the LTV site on the South Side.

Yesterday: At the Washington1s Landing development, the URA invested $3M in tennis courts and park space. Furthermore a .9 acre site is leased at nominal charge to the non-profit Three Rivers Rowing Association, http://www.threeriversrowing.org, for its boathouse, fitness center and offices. Gems like these found in other development projects are uncertain -- quote: community access issues are nebulous at best -- when it comes to the LTV site.

Tomorrow: Ideas and voices needs to be organized and shared.

Please send email to: Backyard@SportSurf.Net

Get further information and a kit geared to getting yourself, community agencies and regional businesses into this extended planning process.

Mark Rauterkus

---

Thanks for listening. This advance notice was posted by Mark Rauterkus, convener's chair, mrauterkus@sportsurf.net. The message went to a number of contacts such as yourself via BCC. Your address is part of Mark's personal email address listings. News agencies, thanks for NOT publishing, rather wait for the pending OFFICIAL Press Release. Feel free to forward this message others you know who might be keenly interested. Please do NOT post as spam or broadcast to USENET Newsgroups.

Too global! Guilty as charged.

The Observation and Associated Guilt for Being, "Too Global"

Gulp, You Are Right, Hugh.

Global Perspectives Do Fill These Messages.

Hugh Brannon, director of the South Side Planning Forum, was right on the mark when he told me I was being, "too global." His valid observation was stated on February 3, 1999 at a meeting with the LTV Site' Steering Committee (a sub-group of the South Side Planning Forum). The four members of the "steering committee" were present. Also present at that meeting were people from UPMC (prospective owners), Oxford Development (partners with UPMC in site development) and the URA (Urban Redeveloment Authority, a City of Pittsburgh agency).

Too Global -- An Insult and Compliment

Being global is not okay in the eyes of the chair of the South Side Forum.

Guest Attendance and Worn-Out Welcome

The opportunity to attend a South Side Planning Forum Steering Committee Meeting was a special occurance. These meetings are generally closed to "concerned citizens." The closed door policy is something that needs to be changed.

Inner Sanctum

The opportunity to raise questions and express some concerns at the meeting held in early February came about after I had expressed a great desire to attend such a meeting since November. I had begged repeatedly to every member of the committee for a chance to have some meetings to discuss some thoughts on these issues. I had made at least 20 specific requests to have a meeting, any type of meeting, with these people before I was granted such a meeting.

It took a long time and a lot of work to get a chance to have a meeting, and then it was at a higher-level than expected.

I'm guilty of being too global. Yes, the point was made and understood.

Reinstate a Market House Experience into the South Side

Turn Back the Clocks to a Past Era

The Market House of the past buzzed of a real Market House. Butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers with push-carts, fruit stands and a fluid array of shops made for a special place. The Market House was a mall before surburban sprawl and suburban malls. The Market House was a super market before supermarkets.

Pittsburgh has Market Square too, sans the market part. Pittsburgh's Market Square does get a weekly visits from a few local growers in the summer for an open-air farmers market.

To some degree, one of the visions makes a Market House Reinstatement to be much like a farmers market. Rather than the selling and buying of food-stuff, the new Market House can be built for idea transactions and building releationships.

Re-Set the Clock to Today's Era

We can re-create a Market House for the next century within this region, within these plans, and with your help so as to share the visions and possibilities. The Market House can succeed because of today's digital economy, struggling retail sector, outsourcing of production, specialized workforce, wired internet, booming lunch and dinner crowd, virtual corporations and need for community connections to schools and young people.

The Market House Concept Map

Be sure to scroll around, left to right, as this is a wide map. It might take a moment to load into the browser window below if you are using a slow net connection.

 

We Need a Convention Center for Everyday People

The David L. Lawrence Convention Center is a huge place for Fortune 500 Companies to showcase in mega-costly exhibits. Meanwhile, the Market House Concept creates a place for the small, young, activitist, artistic, grass-roots, casual to find nurture and flourish. Pittsburgh can capitalize in many ways with the opening of a convention site for the rest of us. This fits the South Side.

Build Upon the Past!

The South Side has a "historic designation." An interesting approach to a re-launch of a slice of our history in the Market House will be the reactions from the Historical advocates. Can a new age Market House be built to embrace the good-old days of the past glory of the Market House?

Start-Up Heap

Pittsburgh is near the bottom of the heap when it comes to turning ideas into companies and startups, as mentioned on the front page of the Sunday Post-Gazette, March 7, 1999. The new Market House aims to battle against that problem and perception.

Entice Cultural Tourists

Pittsburgh overriding aim of increasing tourism fits into the proposed Market House relaunch. The cultural tourists, as described in the P-G are affluent, usually college -educated and often middle-aged who enjoy traveling on weekends and can afford to satisfy their discriminating tastes.

Cultural tourists spend $190 more per visit than the average tourists. Distinctive draws to museum exhibits, theater and music. Pittsburgh has a new Office of Cultural Tourism as part of the Greater Pgh Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Cultural, arts and heritage experiences. Put Perigie Cookoffs into the list of events for the Market House.

Blockbuster events are to be developed. These are world-renowned international afairs, getting high expenses. The Andy Warhol Museum, Fallingwater, Symphony, Opera, Pgh Cultural Trust, Nationality Rooms, Heinz History Center, Tamburitzans, Ethnic neighborhoods,

Don't beat yourself!

Pitt's Problems are Pitt's Doings

Pitt want to buy a 18-acres site on the South Side and get itself into another land-locked position again. Why?

Pitt's move to the LTV site gives Pitt more of the same headaches it already has. The football fields don't fit. There is no elbow room within those 18 acres. The LTV site is a long-thin strip of property. A rail-road right of way pinches the space to the river's edge and there isn't suitable room.

The entire LTV site is 130-acres. Today, in its brownfield conditions with one ugly UPMC building in another parcel, the space looks big. But, the look is an illusion that is temporary.

The LTV site isn't as dense as Oakland, but it is tight. The apartments, the entertainment places, the other buildings are coming.

Face the Facts

The 18-acres of space UPMC wants to purchase is a long, thin strip of space, suitable for a bike path and a dog run. But this space isn't okay for football facilities. This space, for sure, is not suitable for TWO football facilities, as we'll be hearing in an effort to end-run the NCAA rules.

Pitt is going to go to lots of trouble to make two facilities, when one does not even fit. Pitt officials and UPMC officials are really jazzed about their ownership and their master-mindedness.

---

Sports Coaching Prime Mission

As a coach, one of the biggest responsibilities within the art and science of coaching, is to allow the athletes to NOT beat themselves. Sometimes a team is beaten by superior competition. Other times a team gets beat by its own actions. This is sportscaster's jargon, but the idea does make sense.

On a more technical note, in the sport of swimming, coaches instruct the athletes to get out of their own way. You can't flail around and go at the highest speeds.

The principles apply to Pitt, sad to say. Pitt's loss is Pitt's fault. UPMC tripped and did itself a face plant.

---

Pitt has other Options -- Better Solutions Loom Much Larger

To build a Sports Performance development, UPMC should be seek 50 acres. Or, UPMC should grow where it is now. Both are talked about here.

UPMC Could Move to Quarry Field, Behind UPMC South Side Hospital

UPMC owns South Side Hospital now. There is plenty of room behind South Side Hospital that would be a perfect location for a UPMC expansion.

UPMC has an employee parking lot behind the rail-road tracks behind the Brew House and UPMC South Side Hospital. That is land that UPMC already owns. UPMC has employees park in that lot and get onto a bus to go to Oakland for their day jobs.

Directly across the street from the UPMC parking lot, and directly behind UPMC South Side Hospital is another parking lot that is the home of Courier Express delivery trucks. That small business owner would be willing to sell the property to UPMC for the right price.

Further behind UPMC South Side Hospital is Neville Ice Rink. The Ice Rink has a large parking lot.

Further behind Neville Ice Rink is another open space, park area, Quarry Field. This is the current home to the South Side Sabers youth football teams. A football field no less. This has lights, and room for expansion by taking over the ancient swing set at the far end of the property or taking over the crumbled basketball courts, nearer to Neville.

South Side Hospital Upside

Dr. Freddie Fu operates in a hospital. Surgery isn't going to be done at the Sports Performance Center -- unless the Sports Performance Center is moved to a hospital location. We can get the best of both world for everyone by putting the proposed UPMC site next to the existing UPMC site.

Dr. Fu, if he and his fellow doctors, move into the LTV site, they will need to drive to the hospital to do their other work. Why not position Dr. Fu and the medical team next to a hospital and get more for less?

Capacity is Ready at South Side Hospital

South Side Hospital was a community hospital that was purchased by UPMC in recent years. South Side has infrastructure and capacity to spare. The hospital was designed in another era and has many less beds than what it can handle. The S.S. Hospital could double in its capacity, if not triple, without needing an extra operating or examination room as it is under-utilized.

Lower Costs at South Side vs. Oakland for Operational Procedures

South Side Hospital has better economics for charges for services such as operations. To operate or do a procedure in an Oakland hospital costs a certain amount, and the costs are less at South Side Hospital. If South Side Hospital gets better utilization, then the citizens, health care, city employees and so on are going to benefit.

Others have said that Pitt should build a new stadium or the new convocation on the LTV site. It is a nice idea, but it doesn't work. There is not enough space in a square, round or rectangle condition to allow for those types of facility.

Dear Friends and Folks with connections to the 'burgh!

Advance Notice. Call for LOCAL (Pgh. PA) Political Action, No $ Solicitation

Seeking Sports and Fitness Advocates for a newly forming Coalition

Those with brain-power to spare with political, grass-roots, and community access interests are most welcome to join the South Side's Markethouse Athletic Association as we convene a coalition to champion ideas and issues central to sports participation opportunities.

In November 1998: The URA (Pittsburgh, PA's Urban Renewal Authority, http://www.ura.org, and UPMC (Univ. of Pittsburgh Medical Center, http://www.upmc.edu, began a 90-day OPEN DISCUSSION period. A $25-30M sports-medicine / sports-performance compound is on the drawing board for a large section of the LTV site on the South Side.

The Past: At the Washington's Landing development, the URA invested $3M in tennis courts and park space. Furthermore a .9 acre site is leased at nominal charge to the non-profit Three Rivers Rowing Association, http://www.threeriversrowing.org, for its boathouse, fitness center and offices. Gems like these found in other development projects are uncertain -- quote: community access issues are nebulous at best -- when it comes to the LTV site.

The Future: Ideas and voices needs to be organized and shared.

Please send email to: Backyard@SportSurf.Net

Get further information and a kit geared to getting yourself, community agencies and regional businesses into this extended planning process.

Mark Rauterkus

---

Thanks for listening. This advance notice was posted by Mark Rauterkus, convener's chair, mrauterkus@sportsurf.net. The message went to a number of contacts such as yourself via BCC. Your address is part of Mark's personal email address listings. News agencies, thanks for NOT publishing, rather wait for the pending OFFICIAL Press Release. Feel free to forward this message others you know who might be keenly interested. Please do NOT post as spam or broadcast to USENET Newsgroups.

---