Spectacle Island offers spectacular views of Boston Harbor

BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- Spectacle Island has a swimming beach, five miles of walking trails dotted with gazebos, and a panoramic vista from the highest point in Boston Harbor.

People look at the Boston skyline from a ferry heading to Spectacle Island.

It's hard to believe that underneath all this is an 80-foot-high mound of trash.

A five-year, $180 million project buried the waste dump under 6 million tons of dirt and gravel from Boston's Big Dig highway project to create this 105-acre oasis. Easily accessible via a 10-minute ferry ride from the city, it's now advertised as the harbor's jewel and touted as a "green" park for its solar-powered facilities and compost toilet system.

"It was an eyesore in Boston Harbor that has been turned into something beautiful," said Beth Jackendoff, a park ranger who lives on the island part-time. "Not only does it have some of the best views you're gonna get in Boston, but it's something that we're going to be able to learn from. It has a theme of reclaiming something."

Wes Austin, a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, thought it would be the perfect place to bring his mother and sister visiting from San Diego.

"It's different, it's close, and there's more nature than you can find in the city," said Austin, 26, of Boston. "And, it's a nice getaway for just a couple of hours."

The family sat recently in the grass atop the island's north drumlin, the highest point in the harbor, and admired the scene of cargo ships floating by as planes dipped in and out of nearby Logan Airport. At 157 feet above sea level, the spot towers over neighboring islands and boasts a view spanning Boston's skyline and the 40 miles between Salem to the north and the Blue Hills Reservation to the south.

"It's just so gorgeous," said Janis Austin, 56. "It just gives such a different perspective of the skyline. I've never seen the city like this."

Fishing, hiking, swimming and bird watching are common at one of Boston's best-kept secrets. But most people are there to appreciate Spectacle Island's spectacular views.

One of the harbor's 34 islands, Spectacle has a curious history. Colonists named it for the pair of eyeglass spectacles they saw shaped by its hills, which have housed a hospital for quarantined patients and a factory where horse carcasses were rendered to glue.

It is perhaps best known for having been a dump for more than 100 years. The growing accumulation of garbage eventually forced out the handful of families who lived there, and it became a glaring example of Boston Harbor's pollution.

But the island's filthy reputation is lost in the new park, which opened last summer.

"You'd never know it was a landfill without reading about it," said Judy Wishloff, 43, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, who visited while vacationing in Boston. "As a tourist, this kind of attraction really resonates because there are cool things to do, and the visit has history and substance."

Down in the island's valley is the visitor center, powered by solar panels and packed with exhibits and information on the island's history, wildlife, vegetation and environmentally friendly usage.

With articles on file that date back to the 1800s, visitors can learn about the island's old schoolhouse, or the layers of the five-year restoration project that involved bringing in more than 4,400 barge-loads of dirt. Rangers and park employees refer to the project as the "mini-dig."

This summer, the island features jazz concerts every Sunday. Park rangers also organize events including kite flying, guided tours and scavenger hunts for children. Bird watchers can enjoy rare sightings of bobolinks, warblers and savannah sparrows, among the park's 100 bird species, and fishermen can borrow poles or nets from the visitor center to catch stripers, cod, flounder or lobster.

The visitor center also features a cafe that sells burgers and chowder, and lounge chairs in the shade of the verandah.

Free boat shuttles launched in June give visitors an opportunity to island-hop in the harbor. Popular sites include a fort at Georges Island, America's first lighthouse at Little Brewster Island, and campgrounds at Lovells Island, Grape Island and Bumpkin Island. Spectacle Island's 38-slip marina also allows private boats to dock overnight for a fee.

With a little imagination, the novelty of being on an island could in itself provide enough entertainment for the day. Jeffrey Frankel, a 54-year-old economics professor at Harvard University, wore a long plastic sword slung through his pant belt when he visited.

"We came to play pirates," Frankel said, his 5-year-old son Evan clutching a green net of mussel shells, assorted stones and sea glass. "It's a great beach to relax and cool off. You couldn't ask for more. It's perfect."

U.S. Business Travelers Agree: Firms Have a Responsibility to Protect Employees

80% of U.S. business travelers think their company has a legal obligation to ensure their safety while traveling abroad on business, yet almost half (46%) say they have no clear travel security policy at their firm, according to an inaugural survey by Control Risks, the business risk consultancy. Control Risks found that 52% of U.S. employees who travel on business would consider legal action if they were not supported properly. "Increasingly, companies from all sectors face a potential legal responsibility to demonstrate duty of care towards employees," says Laura Winthrop, Vice President of Control Risks' International Support and Analysis division. "Creating and maintaining a robust travel security program is an extremely important part of that. It will ensure the safety of employees while helping the firm to avoid costly legal and reputational fall-out if something goes wrong."

While travel security is a concern for employees, U.S. companies are not as prepared as they should be. More than one-third (36%) of business travelers have little confidence that their firm would be able to give them the correct advice in the event of an emergency while abroad. In addition, 54% carry no specific contact phone number for use in a crisis abroad and 22% have no idea who to alert in case of an emergency.

"As companies continue to globalize and move into emerging markets, threats to business travelers increase," says Ms. Winthrop. "This report tells us that employees feel more exposed to potential dangers but they don't have the support necessary to ensure their safety."

A Control Risks case study illustrates the need for coordinated travel security support:

An American employee from a US-based company was working in Lebanon at the time of the July/August 2006 conflict and needed immediate instructions on what to do and how to get out of the country. The company had been trying to handle this internally, but too many people were calling giving him conflicting information. In turn, they received conflicting information in terms of who he was and the status of his situation. Control Risks' 24-hour operations center, CR24, stepped in and as a result we were able to have a single point of communication with the employee and pass along timely and accurate information to the company's management. We provided the employee with information on where to hide during the rocket attacks and how to get on the list to be evacuated.

The business travel climate does not look like it will improve anytime soon. 43% of the respondents predict that the world will become a more dangerous place for business travelers over the next five years. In light of this, corporations should make a move to adopt travel security policies and procedures or review their current programs for three basic components: information, tracking and 24-hour support.

The fieldwork was carried out during May/June 2007. In total, 1,039 business travelers were interviewed by phone, 501 in the UK and 539 in the US.

10 great places to milk chocolate for all it's worth

Few people need an excuse to indulge in chocolate, but if you're looking for one, Saturday is National Milk Chocolate Day. Clay Gordon, publisher of chocophile.com and author of the upcoming Discover Chocolate, recommends exceptional experiences worldwide to Buzzy Gordon for USA TODAY.

"The processing of the cocoa bean with sugar — and later, milk — were two of the most inspired ideas in gastronomic history," Clay Gordon says.

Colonial Williamsburg

Williamsburg, Va.

On the first Tuesday of each month (except summers), the Historic Foodways program at Colonial Williamsburg presents "Secrets of the Chocolate Maker," a re-enactment of the way chocolate was made in 18th-century America. "Stay for the evening and partake in a chocolate-themed dinner featuring Colonial-era recipes," Gordon says. 800-447-8679; www.cwf.org

FIND MORE STORIES IN: HERSHEY | Caf | Chocolates | Buzzy Gordon | Scharffen Berger | Belgian chocolate | French chocolate | Milk chocolate

L'Etoile d'Or

Paris

"Many consider L'Etoile d'Or (The Golden Star), near the Moulin Rouge in Paris, the best chocolate shop in the world," Gordon says. "Owner Denise Acabo is known for carrying the crème de la crème of French chocolate brands. In fact, many of the country's best premium brands can be found only in her store; most notably, hers is the exclusive Parisian outlet for chocolates made by Bernachon, the grandmaster chocolatier of Lyon (bernachon.com)."

Eurochocolate

Perugia, Italy

"In October of each year, the Umbrian city of Perugia plays host to Eurochocolate, the largest chocolate festival in the world," Gordon says. "More than 1 million chocolate lovers sample the wares of hundreds of exhibitors during the nine days of the festival. Perugia is also home to Etruscan Chocohotel — the only hotel dedicated to chocolate, from chocolate-themed bed linens to an enticing chocolate menu in the restaurant." eurochocolate.com; chocohotel.it

Naked Chocolate Café

Philadelphia

The obvious place for an American chocolate pilgrimage may be Hershey, Pa., but you can have a genuine chocolate experience without leaving Philadelphia. "Naked Chocolate Café offers three kinds of rich, liquid chocolate: drinking, sipping and dipping," Gordon says. "After sampling a dazzling array of ganaches, you can take home your selections in a colorful and artistic edible box." 215-735-7310; nakedchocolatecafe.com

La Maison du Chocolat

Paris and New York

"House of Chocolate" founder Robert Linxe carries on the tradition of his native Bayonne, where French chocolate was born after making its way across the border from nearby Spain. "Both the New York and Paris boutiques offer 'courses for initiates' into the chocolatier world, in which La Maison is known for its attention to craftsmanship," Gordon says. 212-744-7117; lamaisonduchocolat.com/en

Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker

Berkeley, Calif.

First-tier artisan chocolate manufacturer Scharffen Berger hosts factory tours that show all the stages of making chocolate, from the bean to the bar. "Scharffen Berger, now marketed by Hershey's, is the purveyor of the broadest range of high-cacao-content dark chocolate made in America," Gordon says. 800-930-4528; scharffenberger.com

Choco-Story Museum

Bruges, Belgium

"Browse the more than 40 chocolate shops in this romantic city of canals, but leave time to visit the Choco-Story Museum," Gordon says. "Housed in a meticulously restored medieval building, it portrays the history of Belgian chocolate and offers unique after-hours workshops in the arts of making pralines and sculpting chocolate. Plan to come in early April, to enjoy the annual Choco-Late festival." www.choco-story.be

Ganong Chocolates/Chocolate-Fest

St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada

"Since 1873, the Ganong family has practiced the chocolate confectioner's art in Canada's oldest continuously operated candy factory," Gordon says. "Try to make it to 'Canada's Chocolate Town' for August's Chocolate-Fest. And any time of the year, taste my favorite Ganong invention: Chicken Bones, which are cinnamon candy straws filled with very dark chocolate." 506-465-5616 or chocolate-fest.ca for the festival; 506-465-5611 organong.com for thechocolatier

Cadbury World

Birmingham, England

"From humble beginnings in 1831, Cadbury has grown into a leading multinational confectionery corporation," Gordon says. "The company town it created for employees was a tremendous success in social pioneering, serving as a model of management-worker relations — and for the Hershey company and city in Pennsylvania." Cadbury World is an award-winning, chocolate-themed multimedia attraction. www.cadburyworld.co.uk

After the Rain spa

Geneva

"The Swiss eat more chocolate than any other nationality, a testament to the well-deserved reputation of Swiss chocolate," Gordon says. In the land that invented milk chocolate, there is even a spa where treatments feature a chocolate bath — a soak in milk, grated chocolate and cocoa bean oil — as well as a chocolate body wrap. Other spas around the world also are beginning to incorporate chocolate for its beneficial antioxidant properties. spa-aftertherain.ch

MPs warn over air security checks

Heightened security checks at airports could create a potential new target for terrorists, MPs have warned.

A report by the Commons transport select committee said queues of hundreds of passengers in cramped spaces could become a security hazard.

The committee recommended that reducing queues at security and speeding up check-in times should be a priority.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said baggage security rules introduced last August met "a very real threat".

The regulations resulted in disruption and delays and, although the situation has improved, passengers still face longer queues and increased waiting times.

The warning comes a day after the government unveiled plans for a "unified border force" to boost the fight against terrorism.

The "highly visible" uniformed force will bring together immigration and Customs officers, Prime Minister Gordon Brown told MPs.

New targets

The committee heard from security experts that the resulting queues presented a significant security threat.

Prof Alan Hatcher, principal of the International School for Security and Explosives Education, said that with bags not being searched when people entered a terminal he was concerned that queues of hundreds of people were effectively creating new targets.

Committee chairman Gwyneth Dunwoody said: "Because of the necessary measures that are now in place, passengers are finding it more uncomfortable and time consuming to begin their journeys.

"Security is the issue which currently has the most significant impact on passengers' experiences of air travel."

The committee heard evidence before the recent suspected attack at Glasgow airport took place.

'Arrive prepared'

Chris Goater, from the Airport Operators Association, said the view of experts is that the primary terrorist threat is from explosives getting onto aircraft.

A DfT spokesman said: "The government has already launched a £1.5m advertising campaign in the national press to remind passengers to 'arrive prepared' and, where possible, is introducing changes to help make the security process quicker.

"But we have to be satisfied that any changes will not compromise the safety of passengers."

The committee made a series of other recommendations, including:

• Airlines should always advertise additional fees, taxes and charges up front
• There should be a government review of telephone charges for ticket bookings
• Airport operator BAA should cease to be run as a monopoly
• There should be a review of airport car parking charges
• More robust systems are needed to stop the loss and mishandling of baggage.

Tampa Bay area art group collects pieces of Berlin Wall

Enlarge	By Pawel Kopczynski, Reuters
A woman rides a bicycle in front of remains of the Wall at Berlin's East Side Gallery. A Tampa Bay area arts organization plans to exibit 350 sections of the wall this fall.

SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. (AP) — A Tampa Bay area arts organization has begun assembling hundreds of pieces of the Berlin Wall for a series of local and national public art projects.

The Outdoor Arts Foundation unloaded its first shipment of wall pieces on Thursday. The total collection will include 350 sections of the concrete wall that formerly divided East and West Berlin and was torn down in 1989. Each section weighs about 800 pounds.

About 100 smaller fragments painted by Russian artists in 1990 will also be included. Two displays of the painted pieces are scheduled to be displayed this fall.

The collection has been authenticated, and in 1999 was appraised at $2.5 million.

"We've researched this project for a year and a half, and as far as we know, this is the largest private collection in the world," said Jay Goulde, executive director of the non-profit foundation.

Travel Warning Australia Menyakitkan Indonesia

Semarang (ANTARA News) - Travel warning Australia benar-benar menyakitkan Indonesia, padahal Australia adalah negara sahabat, namun kenyataannya negeri itu bukan sahabat Indonesia, kata Ketua Fraksi PDI Perjuangan DPR, Tjahjo Kumolo, di Semarang, Senin.

Sebelum bertolak ke Jakarta, Tjahjo mengatakan opini yang dikeluarkan oleh Negeri Kanguru itu menunjukkan bahwa Australia bukan sahabat Indonesia, dan opini itu secara tak langsung menunjukkan bahwa negeri itu (Australia) merasa terancam dengan Indonesia.

"Melihat kenyataan itu, sekarang bagi Indonesia harus menjadikan Australia sebagai ancaman positif," katanya.

Menurut dia, indikasi berbagai kasus telah terjadi antara lain jaringan narkoba, nelayan indonesia yang tersesat saja ditangkap, bahkan Gubernur DKI Jakarta juga pernah kecewa pada saat berkunjung ke Australia serta lepasnya Timor Timur juga tak lepas dari peranan Australia.

Oleh karena itu, ia meminta Pemerintah Indonesia harus berani bersikap "siapa lawan siapa kawan" secara terbuka. Indonesia juga harus berani melarang kapal-kapal Australia yang melalui selat di Nusa Tenggara Timur.

Bahkan, kata Tjahjo, secara terbuka Indonesia harus bersikap melarang pula kapal-kapal Australia yang melewati seluruh perairan wilayah Indonesia tanpa kecuali.

Pemerintahan saat ini harus menunjukkan sikap tegas bahwa negara Indonesia adalah negara besar yang berdaulat, secara ekonomi juga tidak menunjukkan pertambahan dari sisi perdagangan kedua negara tersebut.

Untuk itu, ia berharap Pemerintah Indonesia harus benar-benar menunjukkan sikap tegas bahwa Australia sebagai ancaman.

"Selain itu, komitmen politik harus ditegakkan bahwa semua bangsa harus menjaga keutuhan negerinya, termasuk Indonesia tetap menjaga keutuhan NKRI dan Pancasila sebagai dasar ideologinya," demikian Tjahjo Kumolo. (*)

Photo Gallery: New 7 Wonders vs. Ancient 7 Wonders

July 9, 2007—The 105-foot-tall (38-meter-tall) "Christ the Redeemer" statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was among the "new seven wonders of the world" announced July 7 following a global poll to decide a new list of human-made marvels.

The winners were voted for by Internet and phone, American Idol style. The other six new wonders are the Colosseum in Rome, India's Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, Jordan's ancient city of Petra, the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, and the ancient Maya city of Chichén Itzá in Mexico.

The contest was organized by the New7Wonders Foundation—the brainchild of Swiss filmmaker and museum curator Bernard Weber—in order to "protect humankind's heritage across the globe." The foundation says the poll attracted almost a hundred million votes.

Yet the competition has proved controversial, drawing criticism from the United Nations' cultural organization UNESCO, which administers the World Heritage sites program (pictures of the newest World Heritage sites).

"This initiative cannot, in any significant and sustainable manner, contribute to the preservation of sites elected by [the] public," UNESCO said in a statement.

If Cleopatra could see me now

A BOY bolts off into the fields on his donkey laden to the hilt with fresh hay, women scrub clothes on the rocky banks and fishermen spread out nets in the river hoping for a bountiful catch.

Along a little further, farmers tend buffalo as donkeys graze on lush riverbank grass and white cranes hunt for breakfast among the reeds.

This is part of the picture of life in upper Egypt as day breaks over the River Nile, and I'm watching it from the comfort of my cabin bed as we cruise from Luxor to Aswan in the upper reaches of this vast waterway.

Little did Cleopatra know what trend she was setting when she first set forth in her royal barge on the Nile in an effort to impress Julius Caesar.

For now, more than 2000 years later, cruising down the Nile is the second most popular tourist activity in the land of the Pharaohs – after a visit to the Pyramids at Giza.

Cruising the Nile has been a popular pastime since the Middle Ages, but the ships have never been as stylish as they are now.

The latest vessel to ply the river is Abercrombie & Kent's refurbished Sun Boat IV, guaranteed to rekindle the romance of adventure inspired by Agatha Christie's murder mystery.

Fitted and furnished in a rich, but contemporary art-deco style, its five decks offer maximum comfort and great panache. Public areas are spacious, some have a warm, clubby feel with dark wood panelling, chrome trim and leather chairs; others are more opulent and elegant – with Italianate chandeliers, plush velvet furniture and atmospheric murals of Nubian scenes.

Cabins are roomy, with floor to ceiling windows, double curtains with reflective glass for privacy, plenty of wardrobe and storage space and compact yet practical closet bathrooms. Fresh fruit and flowers, silk cushions, stocked mini bar, endless bottled water and flat-screen TVs add pampering touches.

Only 80 guests travel in the 36 luxury cabins, two presidential suites and two royal suites with balconies, ensuring maximum service from the crew of 65.

We board in Luxor where, in the peak season, up to 250 cruise ships undertake the three to four-day cruise between this ancient city of Thebes and Aswan, 205km upstream.

Today dozens of large cruise ships are lined up against the eastern bank. Ours is distinctive, with stylish white Middle Eastern shade tents on the upper sun deck by the pool.

Our first visit is to the extraordinary Karnak Temple with its lotus-topped columns, and images from the attempted murder scene in Death On The Nile come instantly to mind as we enter the great hypostyle hall of Tuthmosis III.

We marvel at its size, and understand how this area is one of the largest open-air museums in the world.

To ensure we absorb the rich culture of this remarkable land, we have on board knowledgeable Egyptologist Methad A. Monem, who has helped bring to life the romantic and complex history of the ancient Greeks and pharaohs for cruise passengers for some 10 years.

We soon learn that at 6680m and one of the longest rivers in the world, the Nile is indeed the lifeblood of Egypt. Prior to the construction of the Aswan Dam, the annual floods brought silt to the river valley and provided fruit and vegetables to help feed the country's many millions of inhabitants. The river also aided construction of the ancient temples – enabling workers to float down stone and granite from nearby quarries with relative ease.

A gaily painted wooden boat ferries us across the river to the west bank to visit the extraordinary temple built by Egypt's first female ruler, Hatshepsut, and some small, elaborately decorated workers' tombs at Deir el-Medina.

We descend into the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Some of the lesser known ones are best, we decide.

Then it's back to the town and a visit to the Luxor Temple, whose stone pillars and statues are a soft pink in the setting sun. Our visits to sites seem to be programmed in reverse order to the masses and we often find we have the monuments to ourselves.

On board, a kitchen brigade of 25 produces exceptional fare, baking outstanding pastries, breads and cakes daily for morning and afternoon teas as well.

Dishes might include carpaccio of beef with parmesan or smoked salmon salad to start followed by a tasty grilled Nubian-style chicken or excellent groper from the Red Sea.

One night we are treated to an Egyptian-style banquet with guests dressed in long-flowing galabiyyas, beaded headdresses and scarves wrapped like turbans.

We sail through the night, via a lock at Esna, to our first stop at Edfu. Here we do battle with eager stallholders keen to sell us their colourful wares, as we make our way to the ancient site dedicated to the falcon god Horus.

It's the best-preserved and most complete of the ancient Egyptian temples. One can just imagine a performance of Aida being acted out through its impressive entrance and vast open court.

Next day we sail on to Aswan, with some passengers sunning themselves by the pool, and others immersed in a good book on sun lounges. After lunch, we view the high dam and later visit the bazaar with its colourful array of spices.

As we enjoy our last evening on board, feluccas sail past, the muezzin calls the faithful to prayer and the sun sets over Mohammed Shah Aga Khan's ornate mausoleum in the sandy solitude.

Except for a few modern hotels and the proliferation of cruise ships, the leisurely paced lifestyle in the Nile Valley has changed little over the centuries, indeed perhaps since Cleopatra pushed off in her first royal barge.

- The writer travelled courtesy of Emirates and Abercrombie & Kent.

The Sunday Telegraph

A decade later, 'Best Little Town' still fits Bayfield

BAYFIELD, Wis. -- There are still no traffic lights. In fact, there are still no traffic lights in the entire county.

There's still no McDonald's, no Wal-Mart. The lake still sparkles, the beaches still squeak, the restaurants still serve those menacing whitefish livers.

"And," says the mayor, "we still don't have a wax museum."

This is still Bayfield.

Ten years ago, the Tribune went on a six-week search to find the Best Little Town in the Midwest. We drove more than 8,000 miles, checked out 139 towns, ate too much good and bad food, and talked to lots of people before settling on a little town on Lake Superior with its neighboring Apostle Islands.

"This," we wrote, "is Bayfield and the Apostles. This is not a rock group. This is paradise."

Ten years later, there's trouble in paradise. You can almost hear Robert Preston now.

"Wellll, either you are closing your eyes to a situation you do not wish to acknowledge, or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster indicated by the presence of . . ."

But first, the mostly good news.

What appealed to us in 1997 is still here.

The town hasn't lost its little-ness. The year-round population was listed as 686 then, and it's 611 now. Losing 10 percent of its year-round population within a decade might startle some people, but doctors ordered Larry MacDonald, in his sixth term as mayor, to avoid startles after a heart attack last year.

"Bayfield's population has been shrinking for a hundred years, as various industries disappeared," he says, calmly. The lumbermen, brownstone cutters and most of the commercial fishers all gradually went the way of the French traders and missionaries, the region's first Europeans, along with the support businesses that kept them fed and supplied and who quenched various thirsts. "And that's not peculiar to northwest Wisconsin."

It remains, as it has been, a haven for boaters and birders. Bicyclists continue to enjoy the quiet back roads. Hiking trails on the mainland and on some of the 22 Apostles continue to challenge and delight. If there's a prettier town park than the one on Madeline Island's Lake Superior shoreline, we didn't find it 10 years ago, nor since.

Pricier, but still beautiful

The artists -- this is a place of creative people -- haven't all been pushed or priced out of town. Not quite yet.

"Property taxes have skyrocketed," says Dede Eckels, who continues to craft pottery and other good, clay things in the studio her late father opened 47 years ago. "The water bills . . . it's getting more expensive to live in Bayfield. That's the downside.

"The good side: I can continue to make a living. It's still beautiful, and the type of people who choose to be here has not changed. The community is fabulous here."

Restaurants have closed, and restaurants have opened. Restaurants do that everywhere. Happily, the ones we liked best 10 years ago are still around, and at the Egg Toss, you still have to get there before 8 a.m. to avoid a long wait for your Crabby Benny.

Like the restaurants, some B&Bs have come and gone and come. The Old Rittenhouse Inn remains here, gloriously and deliciously. There are more condos facing the water than there were, but they haven't overwhelmed the place. In all, MacDonald says, room numbers and fashion are about what they were.

Ten years ago, the Big Top Chautauqua's summer season featured, among others, Johnny Cash, Arlo Guthrie and Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion" road show.

This season, under a new tent (the old one was terminally perforated last year by hailstones), the schedule includes, among others, Willie Nelson, Chad Mitchell and Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion" road show.

Too many T-shirts?

And we've stalled long enough.

We're talking T-shirt shops. In Bayfield.

Ten years ago, in a little town of potters and glassblowers and watercolor-ers, there was one shop with T-shirts in the window. A few years later, there were two.

In 2006, someone opened the T-Shirt Factory. And this year, a fourth was opened -- by the same couple who opened the T-Shirt Factory right down the street.

"Which was very disturbing to me," says Eckels.

Oh, we got trouble, my friends. With a capital Tee.

"How can they sell that many T-shirts? They're very nice people," Eckels says, "but that's their thing -- a very low-end, cheap-souvenir mentality."

"It troubles me," says Mayor MacDonald, whose outfitter store sells T-shirts.

"They could take over," says Judith Lokken Strom, who has owned Greunke's, an iconic restaurant-inn, for 32 years -- and sells T-shirts. "That happened in Maui. Three-for-$10 crap."

"I'm very concerned about the T-shirt thing," says Jerry Philllips, owner of the Old Rittenhouse. "I'm just kind of shocked at that sort of business." The Old Rittenhouse, which sells fleece with its logo, doesn't sell T-shirts. Yet.

Remarkably, well into the current tourist season, none of this angst over repurposed Fruit of the Loom cotton had reached the actual corrupters.

Gali Abutbul, the male half of the pair, was totally flummoxed by the news.

"I'm selling shirts for tourists. So?"

His wife, Angela Vanderveer, is both flummoxed and baffled, particularly that no one had raised the issue with her personally. And if somebody had?

"My response to somebody who would say something like that," she says, "would be, 'OK, we're opening another one next year.'"

Then she cooled down.

"We bring revenue into the town. People like our stuff. Why else would we open another store?

"I don't think T-shirts are killing the town. I think the town is doing pretty darn good."

Especially for some people.

"We're seeing a proliferation of real estate offices," says Phillips. "If you walk down the street now, you'll see them everywhere.

"There were basically two when you were here before, and now there's what? Six? Seven? Maybe eight?"

Good news for sellers. Convenient for buyers. Scary for others.

"It's a paradise," says a woman who works in LaPointe, Madeline Island's only town, a short ferry ride from Bayfield. "That hasn't changed.

"But the rich people come in, the land skyrockets and you can't pay the taxes any longer."

A telling indicator (or maybe just bad timing): A woman who moved here with her husband a couple of years ago to work at the Bayfield Chamber of Commerce wound up buying a house in Washburn, 12 miles away.

"We just couldn't find anything in Bayfield that met our needs when we needed to buy a house," she says.

So most young families who want to enjoy the Bayfield lifestyle and its values -- artistic, simple, green -- are either being priced out of town or are forced to commute.

"Your artists, your musicians, they've all moved over to Washburn, because it's more affordable," says Greunke's Strom. "That house across the street -- 15 years ago you could've bought that house for maybe 40 grand. It sold three years ago for a quarter of a million.

"You don't see young couples coming to town to live." There is no laundry in town anymore. Andy's, the IGA grocery store, is just hanging on. There's talk of the town buying it from the owner, who is near retirement, and operating the store as a co-op, but nothing is set.

Says MacDonald: "We want to make sure we have a grocery store for the future in Bayfield."

'A sense of sacredness'

So Bayfield -- far as it is from civilization (the Twin Cities, nearest metropolitan area, are 4 1/2 hours distant) -- isn't Brigadoon, a mythic village protected forever from the forces, market and otherwise, that affect us all in real life.

But the countryside is still covered with pick-'em orchards and berry patches and with people who create wonderful things from dried flowers.

Lake Superior remains impossibly blue, luring sailors and kayakers and anglers to its challenge, and the rest of us to its moods. Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, with its lighthouses and sea caves and sense of wilderness. The Apple Festival (Oct. 5-7 this year). The hills that slope to this inland sea. The B&Bs, and the artists, and the whitefish livers, and tent shows . . . and a spirituality that many link to the Native Americans who were a presence when the French were swapping hardware for beaver pelts and are a presence here today.

A concentration, taken together, of very interesting, very committed people. Like the tourists who find this place, the locals didn't stumble upon Bayfield on the way to somewhere down the road.

They're here on purpose.

That hasn't changed, not in 10 years, not in 30.

"In a sense," says Eckels, "we live in a bubble here, because the rest of the world is not like this. They don't understand the concept of living with nature in such a beautiful, pristine place.

"There's a sense of sacredness here."

There's certainly something that transcends the normal way we evaluate even little Midwestern towns.

"It's like the hills sort of embrace us," says MacDonald. "You don't see that in the rest of the world.

"It feels like a place you want to be."

Still.

----------

asolomon@tribune.com

- - -

IF YOU GO

GETTING THERE

By car, 10 years later, Bayfield is still about 460 miles from Chicago, the first 300 on interstate highways. Figure about 8 1/2 hours. You could fly to Duluth, 90 minutes away, and rent a car -- but you won't.

GETTING AROUND

The town itself is little enough to cover on foot, but many of its appealing features -- the orchards and berry patches, some galleries and restaurants, the Big Top Chautauqua -- are a stretch, even by bicycle. You'll need a car. Bikes, mopeds, Harleys and cars all work on Madeline Island; your choice depends on you and where you're based there. Frequent ferries connect the mainland and Madeline Island. Ferries and water taxis can get you to some of the Apostle Islands, or paddle over in a kayak, yours or a rental.

STAYING THERE

The are no chain hotels or motels in Bayfield; nearest is a Super 8 in Washburn, 12 miles away, with more in Ashland, a 23-mile drive -- so we're talking B&Bs, inns, guest rooms, some condos and a couple of small mom-and-pop motels. Rates are for doubles, subject to change and, if they stay open, generally drop after Oct. 15. Queen of the inns is the Old Rittenhouse (one room is $115, the rest start at $145; 800-779-2129; www.rittenhouseinn.com), which has lovely rooms in its Victorian original and in other holdings around town, notably Le Chateau Boutin. A pleasant motel on the edge of town, the Seagull Bay (from $70; 715-779-5558; www.seagullbay.com) is comfortable and friendly, with sweet lake views.

Among the B&Bs, consider the Thimbleberry Inn (from $149; 800-881-5903; www.thimbleberry inn.com), well north of town but right on the lake. The mayor's B&B is the Cooper Hill House (from $89; 715-779-5060; www.cooperhillhouse.com). There are many other quality options as standards are generally high -- but with no chains, each has its own personality; check the listings and links on Bayfield's Web site (www.bayfield.org). Best lodging option on Madeline Island is renting a cottage. Inn on Madeline Island (www.madisland.com), a good place to start, has dozens of properties in its portfolio; or try Madeline Island chamber's site (www.madelineisland.com).

DINING THERE

You'll find plenty of Lake Superior whitefish and trout on Bayfield menus, along with the usual burgers and Wisconsin supper-club regulars. For something completely different, there's artsy-cool Wild Rice (715-779-9881), where entrees start at $26 (a whitefish-trout combo) and rise from there. Even at $35, try the scallops. But dollar for dollar (and course for course), it's tough to beat the elegant $49 five-course dinners at the Old Rittenhouse (800-779-2129). In its second season, Ethel's at 250 (715-779-0293) offers "pizza [very good] & more," the "more" including fettuccine alfredo dotted with whitefish livers. Best view may be from the Portside (715-779-5380). Regulars still find their way to Maggie's (715-779-0293) for great local fish and hints of the tropics; the Egg Toss (715-779-5181) for creative breakfasts; and Greunke's (715-779-5480) for fun food and those perfect livers.

INFORMATION

Bayfield Chamber of Commerce (800-447-4094; www.bayfield.org). Madeline Island Chamber of Commerce (888-475-3386; www.madelineisland .com).

-- Alan Solomon

IN THE WEB EDITION

- For Alan Solomon's video tour of Bayfield, go to chicagotribune.com/bayfield

- For the original stories on selection of Bayfield in 1997 go to chicagotribunecom/bayfield97

Key to the World: Sky's the Limit in Dubai

heir motto could be, "Excuse our dust…and our audacity."

Coming soon to Dubai: the world's only shape-changing skyscraper, with individually rotating floors, an amusement park three times the size of Manhattan and a Versace-owned resort, complete with an air-conditioned beach.

Plans for the future Dubai seem like fantasies, until you witness present-day Dubai.

In just over a decade, the city has built massive skyscrapers and gleaming malls, indoor ski slopes and world-class hotels with chilled swimming pools and 12-page pillow menus. Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Andre Agassi have taken part in publicity stunts for the United Arab Emirates, playing a few rounds from thousands of feet above ground. In a city that will soon be home to the world's tallest building, they build islands in the shapes of palm trees and a splintered map of the world. The 10-acre "Florida" can be yours for $32 million.

"Before," said Dr. Eesa Bastaki, standing on the rooftop of his childhood home, "we could see just the creek, the beautiful creek, and the houses on the end."

That roof was the highest spot in town when Bastaki was a boy.

Through the 1970s, his family watched as the ruler, Sheik Rashid bin Saeed al Maktoum, set out to turn the sleepy trading post into a world-class business hub. He deepened the salt creek, expanded the port and started an airline with two jumbo jets.

Turning Sand Into Gold

Twenty years later, Emirates Air has 102 jets, and the vision for Dubai is now carried by the son, Sheik Mohammed -- a multibillionaire who races horses, writes poetry and runs this city-state like an overcaffeinated CEO, exploiting the port's prime location, surrounding wealth and international talent.

But the secret of his success may be something his land doesn't have: oil. There is a small amount of crude under Dubai, and what little there is will be gone by the end of the decade. So unlike other Middle Eastern countries, the royal family in Dubai has been forced to come up with new ways to turn their sand into gold.

Strike proposed at north airports

Strike action by firefighters and engineers threatens to disrupt flights at north and islands airports.

Workers who are members of the Unite union have voted for industrial action over pay, Highland and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) confirmed.

It said action lasting 24-hours has been proposed to start at 0001 BST on 30 July and every subsequent Monday until a resolution is found.

Meetings to avert the strike are to be held on Wednesday.

HIAL said the dispute was about the 2006-07 pay award for staff.

The Scottish Executive-owned company has 320 staff across its 10 airports and offices at Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Inverness, Islay, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick.

Fire service

Unite represents 131 firefighters and leading firefighter grades in the company's airport fire service and engineers.

Donnie Munro, from Unite, said HIAL had grown over the last few years in line with expanding passenger numbers.

He added: "There is an acknowledgement whereby if they had been allowed they would have offered more than 2%."

HIAL said because as it is government-owned, it was subject to a UK-wide cap on public sector wages and was limited to a 2% pay increase for 2006/07.

The company said staff represented by the Prospect and PCS trades unions had accepted the offer for the year running 1 October 2006 to 30 September 2007.

Get high on the hog this summer

The stereotypical image of a BBQ eatery is a thing of shabby beauty: a shack by the side of a country road, blue smoke curling from a brick chimney, and a gravel parking lot full of Chevy pick-up trucks and Ford Rancheros. Inside the place is cramped, the walls have hundreds of stapled-on business cards, the place smells of years of hickory, the waitress is in Sanforized cotton, and the pit cook has one gold tooth.

It’s a charming reverie with plenty of truth to it, and some of the greatest ‘cue places are of just such a stripe. The real reason so many barbecue places are out in the sticks is usually because a farmer was looking for a way to increase his income, as the late Tennessee Congressman Robin Beard once explained: “It usually started out with a farmer raising pigs, and when he had too many he’d pull out a few and put ‘em on a spit... first thing you know, he’d dig a pit, build a shack for the smoker, and start cooking them by the batch, as the side business.”

But contrary to popular belief, you don’t really need the great rural outdoors to make good barbecue. The genre itself has as many big city variants as there are sauce recipes in North Carolina. Barbecue is not difficult to make but it takes a tremendous amount of sheer attention and ardent devotion to make it well, with hours and hours of smoking and turning and tending. The technology has improved, but, as Greg Johnson and Vince Staten state in their seminal book Real Barbecue (1988), “A fellow could smoke a lot of brisket in a missile silo if he left the lid shut.”

Barbecue has therefore moved upscale, despite traditionalists’ insistence that you can’t make good barbecue in an urban environment (which is why you find some of the best city barbecue on the outskirts of town, where the smoke can blow free). Indeed, city environmental ordinances make it very tough on entrepreneurs who want to run a smoke stack up a building, as when Danny Meyer, a St. Louis kid who made a great success in the Big Apple with deluxe restaurants like Gramercy Tavern and Eleven Madison Park, wanted to open the barbecue place called Blue Smoke in 2002 (see below). Negotiations and architectural revisions took months before the project got the green light.

It is interesting to note, therefore, that many city ‘cue stores trade on country mythology, so that you might find “Kentucky-style BBQ” in a city like Boston or “Real Texas Barbecue” in L.A. Urban barbecue joints were largely pioneered and are still run by African-Americans—legendary places like Gates Bar.B.Q., opened in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1946, and Sylvia’s soul food restaurant, opened in Harlem in 1962 by Sylvia and Herbert Woods.

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What brought barbecue upscale was its acceptance in the 1970s and 1980s as America’s quintessential and indigenous contribution to world gastronomy. Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, for example, began its life as a pit and a few wooden tables in the Gibson family homestead outside of Decatur, Georgia. Today it boasts several modern locations—the latest one in Monroe, North Carolina. Dinosaur Bar B Que started in 1983 with three bikers, a 55-gallon drum cut in half and a dream. These days it's set within the splendid confines of the former Lehigh Valley Train Station in Rochester, New York.

shannonohara.com Goode Co. Bar-B-Q in Houston serves up tasty, hearty meals.

As barbecue became a subject of bragging rights among both rural and urban aficionados, so it was only a matter of time before ‘cue places got a bit fancier and a lot less scruffy. Hence, Sconyers Bar-B-Que in August, Georgia now serves a "T-Loin Plate" that bills itself as "96% Fat Free, Low Sodium, Low Cholesterol"—but no one's forcing you to order it. At Goode Co. Bar-B-Q in Houston, the Brazos Pecan Pie and desserts are housemade (not a given in most ‘cue stands, where Moon Pies and Goo Goo Clusters fill in), and the signature t-shirts, hats, mugs, and memorabilia make Goode Co. as much a gift shop as it is the best barbecue in town. And the venerable Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse in Dallas (circa 1958) moved to some decidedly swankier new surroundings—Macy’s in the Galleria.

But while the settings may have changed, the proof is still in the meat, in all its smoky, charred, succulent glory. You’re still going to need a bib to eat it.

Security beefed up in 8 city transit systems for holiday

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Transportation Security Administration will deploy special teams to help enhance transit system security in eight cities over the July Fourth holiday, officials said Tuesday.

Police stop cars Monday at a checkpoint set up at the entrance of Los Angeles International Airport.

The teams -- consisting of K-9 explosive detection units, air marshals, transportation inspectors and behavior detection officers -- will be deployed in New York; Washington; Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Houston, Texas; and San Francisco, California.

Called Visual Intermodal Protection and Response teams, they will focus on ground transportation systems as well as airports in some of those cities.

TSA spokeswoman Lara Uselding in Chicago said the VIPR team there will work in mass-transit areas but not in the airport.

An official with the New York Police Department said there is no general or specific threat to that city, and the VIPR team's deployment is a precautionary move. "[We're] not aware of a potential threat," the official said.

TSA officials said there is no link between the deployment and the recent terrorist activity in the United Kingdom, and no specific intelligence regarding any imminent attacks on the eight cities. The cities were chosen because they are the largest and most densely populated metro areas, the officials said.

The deployment comes amid elevated security concerns and because of the expected high numbers of people using mass transit during the Independence Day celebrations.

The VIPR teams were created after the 2004 train bombings in Madrid, Spain, that killed 191 people, according to the TSA Web site.

"VIPR teams work with local security and law enforcement officials to supplement existing security resources, provide deterrent presence and detection capabilities, and introduce an element of unpredictability to disrupt potential terrorist planning activities," the Web site said.

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Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Monday that his department has taken extra security measures since the failed terror attacks in Britain on Friday and Saturday.

An explosives-laden sport utility vehicle was rammed into Glasgow, Scotland's main airport terminal building Saturday. The incident has been linked to two car bombs found Friday in central London.

"We have ... taken some measures people will see, some they will not see, in increased personnel. Some of them obvious, some of them plainclothes. Pushing out the security perimeter, not only with respect to airports, but also mass transit and train stations as well," Chertoff said.

He said U.S. security officials are in close touch with their British counterparts.

"Obviously, any information that we get from them, we factor into our own analysis," he said. "If that means we have to make adjustments with respect to our security or be on the lookout for particular people, we would take those steps immediately."

Chertoff said this summer is a time of heightened vigilance for the TSA.

"We have seen attacks over the past several years during the summer. We have seen an increase in the number of public statements. So we are mindful of all of this as kind of general background, and it is causing us to be extra vigilant going into this summer," he said.

CIA Director Gen. Mike Hayden sent a memo to his staff reminding them about "staying on target" in the wake of the British incidents.

"Events in Great Britain since last Friday serve as a reminder -- if we ever needed one -- that this remains a dangerous world and that our work in defending America is as important as ever," he wrote in the memo, of which CNN obtained a copy from a U.S. intelligence source.

Hayden mentioned the debate over methods used in the fight against terrorists, but said the CIA had a clear mission to use all its lawful authorities to defend the United States.

"Some say elements of the current debate reflect the thinking of a pre-9/11 world. Don't worry about that. Keep your eye on our objective. For all of us at CIA, today's date is clear: It's always September 12th."

Thar Express carries record 600 passengers from Pak

Barmer, July 2: A record number of 600 passengers arrived in India from Pakistan via the Thar Express this week and at least 503 passengers left for the neighbouring country.

Railway sources said the Thar Express which began its historic run in March 2006, earlier carried 548 passengers to Pakistan, the highest till now.

Security and Custom checks have been intensifed for Thar Express passengers following the Rs 33 lakh fake currency racket which was busted in Delhi last week.

The Thar Express left for Munabao from Jodhpur around 0400 hrs on Sunday as much time was spent on immigration check. Of the 600 passengers, three of them were stopped in Munabao by security agencies, as the Visas of two of those passengers had expired while another passenger did not wish to pursue the journey, At least 11 Pakistani passengers who were stopped at Munabao were sent back to Pakistan. Meanwhile, the body of a 91-year-old Pakistani national who died, was handed over to Pakistan Rangers captain Mohammad Muhim.

'Dracula's Castle' up for sale in Transylvania

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) -- An heir of Romania's former royal family put "Dracula's Castle" in Transylvania up for sale Monday, hoping to secure a buyer who will respect "the property and its history," a U.S.-based investment company said.

Dracula's Castle is a popular tourist stop, even though the prince who inspired the book never lived there.

The Bran Castle, perched on a cliff near Brasov in mountainous central Romania, is a top tourist attraction because of its ties to Prince Vlad the Impaler, the warlord whose cruelty inspired Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, "Dracula."

Legend has it that Vlad, who earned his nickname because of the way he tortured his enemies, spent one night in the 1400s at the castle.

Bran Castle was built in the 14th century to serve as a fortress to protect against the invading Ottoman Turks. The royal family moved into the castle in the 1920s, living there until the communist regime confiscated it from Princess Ileana in 1948.

After being restored in the late 1980s and following the end of communist rule in Romania, it gained popularity as a tourist attraction known as "Dracula's Castle."

In May 2006, the castle was returned to Princess Ileana's son, Archduke Dominic Habsburg.

Habsburg, a 69-year-old New York architect, pledged to keep it open as a museum until 2009 and offered to sell the castle last year to local authorities for $80 million, but the offer was rejected.

On Monday, he put the castle up for sale "to the right purchaser under the right circumstances," said Michael Gardner, chief executive of Baytree Capital, the company representing Habsburg. "The Habsburgs are not in the business of managing a museum."

No price was announced, though Gardner predicted the castle would sell for more than $135 million. He added that Habsburg will only sell it to a buyer "who will treat the property and its history with appropriate respect."

Habsburg said in a statement: "Aside from the castle's connection to one of the most famous novels ever written, Bran Castle is steeped in critical events of European history dating from the 14th century to the present."

According to a contract signed when the castle was returned, the government pays rent to Habsburg to run the castle as a museum for three years, charging admission. After 2009, Habsburg will have full control of the castle, Gardner said.

The government has priority as a buyer if it can match the best offer for the castle, he said.

Opposition lawmakers have claimed the government's decision to return the castle to Habsburg was illegal because of procedural errors.

In recent years, the castle -- complete with occasional glimpses of bats flying around its ramparts at twilight -- has attracted filmmakers looking for a dramatic backdrop for films about Dracula and other horror

Avis Offers Drivers: Rental Car Co. Adds Chauffeured Option For Loyalty Members in 10 Key Markets

Avis Rent A Car last week introduced a chauffeured driver service to its loyalty program members in 10 top U.S. business destinations, a move some speculated would prompt further synergies between car rental giants and chauffeured transportation providers.

The new Avis service comes through an alliance with San Mateo, Calif.-based WeDriveU, a supplier of chauffeurs who work at an hourly rate out of customers' vehicles rather than their own. Customers can use the driver throughout the entire rental period or intermittently as needed.

Some chauffeured transportation suppliers made light of the announcement, but Boston-based Dav El Chauffeured Transportation Network CEO Scott Solombrino said it was a portent for his industry segment. "Avis is on to something, and my sources tell me this is going to continue in the industry," Dav El's Solombrino said. "It's a paradigm change. I've seen a couple in my career, and this is a big one."

Neil Abrams, president of Purchase, N.Y.-based Abrams Consulting Group, viewed the announcement as an attempt to push beyond the traditional car rental model. With tight margins and a limited customer base, car rental companies of late have sought new revenue sources, such as Enterprise Rent-A-Car's push toward more airport locations and Avis and Hertz Corp.'s increased off-airport presence.

"This is an industry where companies are constantly looking at more and more ways to decommoditize themselves, and this is one way," Abrams said. "They're basically following a Starbucks process and using their brand and distribution channel to push as much product and service as they can."

The Avis service is now available in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., and within a 60-mile radius of those city centers. Booking the driver is done separately from the car rental booking, through an additional telephone call. Billing also is handled as two transactions, and Michael Caron, vice president of product and program development for Avis Budget Group, said there are no plans to merge those processes.

Solombrino said the model of keeping the billing separate also would be a hurdle to attracting corporate business, though Avis' Caron said he expected a good mix of business and leisure use for the service.

Chauffeured transportation as a component of car rental is not uncommon internationally, Abrams said. German car rental company Sixt, in fact, started as a driving and tour service. In the United States, save a few attempts over the years by major companies, the two services largely have remained separate.

"If it works, and they're successful doing it, others will follow," Abrams said. "That's been the nature of the rental industry."

Dav El's Solombrino said its success depended on industry follow-through, the lack of which killed past attempts. "One player would attempt to get into chauffeured car, no one would follow them in and the whole initiative would die, kind of like when one airline tries to do a price increase," he said.

Solombrino said the time is now ripe for U.S. car rental companies to move into the chauffeured transportation space. Doing so has few barriers to entry, he said.

Car rental companies have the advantage of brand recognition, sophisticated technology, nationwide distribution, large fleets and massive sales forces with long corporate client lists, Solombrino said. Chauffeured companies and car rental companies alike feel the squeeze in fleet costs from struggling auto manufacturers, but car rental companies have the advantage of in-place systems to sell off excess fleet.

Avis, to that point, announced May 31 that it has launched wholesale sales of its daily rental fleet vehicles through online auction service ATC Open. This allows the company to sell off its excess inventory even faster.

"It's a new process for us, and for anybody else in the industry, that helps us reduce our disposal expenses," said Greg Thibault, Avis' director of turnback operations and electronic sales channels. "It's purely a business-to-business transaction that allows us to remove cars from our fleet while they're still active."

With escalating fuel costs, chauffeured transportation suppliers also have little wiggle room in lowering rates, so large undercuts from car rental companies could be damaging, Solombrino said. WeDriveU's service through Avis costs $30 an hour with a three-hour minimum on top of car rental costs, which Solombrino said was significantly lower than most chauffeured rates.

David Seelinger, president of Norwood, N.J.-based Empire International, said the new service was not a concern to him. Price is only one of many factors in selecting chauffeured service, he said, and industry suppliers have been pushing that point to travel buyers (BTN, July 17, 2006). Travel buyers also are not accustomed to the Avis/WeDriveU pricing model, he said.

"Most of the pricing in the marketplace today is not on an hourly, but on a flat rate transfer basis," Seelinger said. "So, for them to market themselves to these large corporations that do millions of dollars in ground a year, they're going to have a very tough sell."

Dav El's Solombrino said service was a key consideration, although pricing could trump that to an extent. It would require a new way of thinking for car rental companies, because their service usually ends when the customer drives off the lot, he said.

"The question is whether they have the stomach for the training and the labor," Solombrino said. "Their biggest hurdle is to understand how to manage that business properly and not get themselves into trouble."

If the trend continues, Solombrino said to expect one of the major car rental brands to start looking at acquiring chauffeured car companies to offer the service in-house.

Gary Kessler, president of chauffeured transportation revenue leader Carey, declined to speculate on any future acquisitions but said he welcomed the competition from Avis.

"The chauffeured transportation industry is a very competitive industry with lots of quality players, and I'm pleased to see a company with Avis' great reputation for service entering the industry," Kessler said. "It can only make us all better."

Bakterier kan stoppa kallbadhuset

Planerna på ett kallbadhus och hotell i Riddarfjärden i Stockholm kan stoppas av bakterier.

Stadsbyggnadskontoret kommer att råda politikerna att säga nej, men om detta råd förbises kan i stället bakterier i vattnet hindra planerna. Reglerna för provtagning av badvattnet är hårda.
Miljöförvaltningen måste kunna garantera att vattnet håller tillräckligt hög kvalitet och Stockholm Vatten har tagit vattenprover med bakterier i Riddarfjärden sedan slutet av 1960-talet. Bakterierna har minskat i antal över åren, men proverna tas lite för långt ifrån den tilltänkta badhusplatsen för att vara relevant. Miljöförvaltningen kräver därför nya provtagningar under en längre tid innan bad kan godkännas, enligt DN.