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Health and safety failings lead to compa...

limpidxin3 — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:34:26 +0200

A printing machine company which failed to maintain safety guards on apiece of machinery, which led to an employee losing part of hisfinger, has been fined ￡6,383 after admitting to health andsafety breaches.

Polish worker Kamil Podsaidly had the tip of his finger severed andbroke his hand in moving rollers after climbing a ladder to cleanan ink spillage on the machine, the Hartlepool Mail reports.

The piece of cloth he was using to clean the mess became drawn intothe unguarded metal rollers which should have had guards in placeto stop the machine from operating the moment a member of staff gotnear to it.

Hartlepool magistrates' court imposed the financial penalty on thecompany after it admitted to breaching the Health and Safety atWork Act by failing to prevent access to dangerous moving parts ofmachinery, the news provider claims.

More than 1,200 work-related accidents in the printing industry arereported to the Health and Safety Executive each year.

OKI B6250 Mono Laser Printer

limpidxin3 — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:34:10 +0200

We see a lot of printers in the course of a year, so occasionallyget the feeling we've seen a particular model before. It sometimesmeans we've inadvertently requested the same model twice, which isannoying if we've started a second review, but it can also mean themodel is rebadged from another manufacturer.

OKI's B6250 produced this d?vu feeling, but no, we hadn't askedto review it before. We checked other printer makers and cameacross the Epson EPL-N3000, which looks suspiciously similar to theB6250, but we haven't reviewed that, yet. Then we came across the Konica Minolta PagePro 4650EN , which we reviewed a couple of months back and again lookssuspiciously similar, physically and on the spec sheet, to the OKI.

So we have one machine being sold in at least three differentguises. Our guess as to the manufacturer of all three is Epson, asthe company sells an A3 printer with similar styling to theEPL-N3000, which the other two ranges don't include.

OKI has to bring something to the party to make the B6250preferable to the Epson or Konica Minolta offerings and we suspectthat's price. The cheapest we can find the OKI machine for is ?03,while the PagePro is ?61 and the Epson is ?86, all including VAT.

The OKI B6250, like the other two, is a big machine, with somesubtle curves relieving an otherwise boxy appearance. Paper feedsfrom either of two, 200-sheet paper trays to a deep indentation inits top surface, so you can expect the printer to cope with longprint jobs unattended.

The control panel is well laid out, though the 2-line, 16-characterLCD is another one that is hard to view and badly needs abacklight. Why printer makers are so reluctant to use a couple ofwhite LEDs to provide backlights on printer displays is beyond us.They cost pence to include and fractions of pence to run, given theprinter is taking over 550W, anyway, when printing machine.

This printer doesn't have networking built in - odd for a machineaimed at the workgroup - though it's available as an option, as areone or two extra 550-sheet paper trays, a duplexer, hard drives andan offset stacker.

The machine is very easy to set up and maintain, as it uses asingle drum and toner cartridges that drops in through a hatch inthe printer's top cover. Close the hatch and you're covered for11,000 pages of print. Software installation, which includes bothPCL 6 and PostScript Level 3 emulations, is also easily done.

Grtzmacher document processing machines...

limpidxin3 — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:33:54 +0200

Easy, this name is not a coincidence. Quick adjusting and simplerearranging are the keywords in development of this envelopeinserter. Adjusting the Easy envelope inserter from a C4 job to aUS envelope job will not take more than printing machine 4 minutes. The Easyenvelope stuffing machine is a real production machine but with theprice tag of a smaller table-top machine. This machine isespecially meant for the smaller users but is also suitable forbigger post rooms, outsourcing company’s, insurancecompany’s, printing company’s and the smallerprofessional mail houses.

"With this new machine, Grützmacher is giving a answer onthe demands of our customers." according to Mr. Timo van derPloeg, Sales Manager Grützmacher. "We have noticed thatour current range of envelope inserters were at quit some occasionsa little bit to big for the customers demands. Especially atcustomers that wants to start with envelope inserting or with alimited amount of production on a year base. With the introductionof this machine we are able to increase our market and we sure havenoticed this according the enthusiastic reactions last month. TheEasy envelope inserter can process up to 3 million envelopes peryear, but because of the attractive pricing it is for our customersalready profitable at a much lower number production per year. Wewould like to invite you all to come and see this machine, it willsurely will be worth your invested time."

Take a look at our website www.grutzmacher.nl for more information about this machine! 21 July 2008

Printing firm fined for machine incident

limpidxin3 — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:33:41 +0200

Polish worker, Kamil Podsaidly, 20, was working a night shift onJuly 17, 2007, when he spilled some ink and was attempting to cleanit up when the accident happened.

Mr Podsaidly, who still works as a printer for Britton DecoflexLimited, in Skerne Road, Hartlepool, lost the tip of his middlefinger on his left hand, which was also broken.

The company appeared at Hartlepool Magistrates' Court yesterday andadmitted breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act by failing toprevent access to dangerous moving parts of machinery and was fined拢2,000 and ordered to pay printing machine 4,383 in costs.

Prosecuting for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) MelonyRidgeway-Buckley, said: "On July 17 Mr Podsaidly was working anight shift. He had spilled some ink on or around the machine andwent to get rags from the shop floor.

"He climbed a ladder to access the print station and attempted toclean the ink off."

She said that at the time the machine was running at full speed,which is between 80 and 100 metres per minute, when his handgripping the rag was drawn in between the metal rollers.

The court heard that guards in place, which should stop the machinebefore anyone can get close to it, did not work properly because aswitch had been tampered with.

The prosecutor said: "The switch arrangement had clearly beentampered with as there was blue tape being used to hold the switchonto the machine."

Mrs Ridgeway-Buckley said witnesses had told how the switch had notbeen functioning properly for a number of weeks before the accidentand the company had failed to carry out checks.

Mitigating, John Ellwood said the company, which prints informationonto plastic containers and has been in Hartlepool for 60 years,co-operated fully with the investigation and had a previouslyunblemished safety record.

Mr Ellwood said a disciplinary procedure had been carried outagainst Mr Podsaidly in connection with the incident, which he hadnot appealed against, and despite this incident the employee is a"good worker" and is still with the firm.

Magistrates fined the company 2,000 and ordered them to pay4,383 investigation costs to the HSE. They were also ordered topay 15 victim surcharge.

After the hearing Mr Ellwood said on behalf of managing director,Barry Turner: "The company is delighted that this upsetting matteris now at an end."

Lexmark Bows Six Printers

limpidxin3 — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:33:25 +0200

Lexmark Bows Six Printers -- TWICE, 7/21/2008 7:48:00 AM

Lexington , Ky. — Lexmark will bring six new consumer printers to marketthis fall, three Professional series machines and three Home andStudent series models.

The Lexmark X4975, X6675 and X7675 models will all be joining themanufacturer’s lineup of Professional series inkjetall-in-ones. All three come with five-year warranty coverage withlifetime, priority phone support.

The Lexmark X4975 is a three-in-one machine that offers printing machine,scanning and copy functions for a suggested retail of $179. Keyfeatures include two-sided printing capability, a built-in 2.4-inchLCD screen, a 25-page automatic document feeder and printing speedsof up to 30 ppm in black and 27 ppm in color.

The four-in-one Lexmark X6675 offers printing, scanning, copyingand faxing capabilities. It is wireless and features print speedsof up to 25 ppm in black and 18 ppm in color. The device has asuggested retail of $149.

The Lexmark X7675 also has four-in-one capabilities. It offerswireless and Ethernet connections standard, two-sided printing, abuilt-in 2.4-inch color LCD, a 25-page automatic document feederand prints at speeds of up to 32 ppm in black and 27 ppm in color.Its suggested retail is $199.

In its Home and Student series, Lexmark is adding the X4950, X5650and the X6650.

The Lexmark X4950 wireless all-in-one features printing, scanningand copying capability. The wireless device also offers two-sidedprinting, a 2.4-inch color LCD, an automatic document feeder andcan print at speeds of up to 30 ppm in black and 27 ppm in color.It will carry a suggested retail of $149.

Priced at a suggested $99.99, the Lexmark X5650 all-in-one featuresprinting, scanning, copying and faxing capability. It has a 2-inchOLED display, an automatic document feeder, and a front laptopport. It prints at 25 ppm in black and 18 ppm in color.

Finally, the Lexmark X6650 wireless all-in-one offers printing,scanning, copying and faxing capability. It has a 2-inch OLEDdisplay, automatic document feeder and prints at speeds of 25 ppmand 18 ppm. Suggested retail is $129.

All of the new Lexmark printers mentioned will be availablestarting in September, save for the X7675 which is immediatelyavailable exclusively at Staples.

Wire processing machine provides

limpidxin3 — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:33:09 +0200

Numatic produces a range of domestic, commercial and industrialcleaning equipment for the international market.

Sales had been growing year on year and the production departmentwas being put under increasing pressure.

Paul Kelly, Production Engineer printing machine at Numatic International said: "Weneeded to look at ways of increasing our production to cope withthe demand".

"We were at the stage of either having to put on an extra shift, orbuy another wire processing system".

"We decided on the latter and contacted a number of suppliers,including Contax", continued Paul.

"We were looking specifically for an additional machine to make the'Henry' loom assembly, so we sent all the suppliers a set of wiresto examine and told them our performance requirements".

"The Gamma system purchased incorporated a modification".

"The machine was tailored to ensure that it was able to runcontinuously for longer without operator intervention".

"With a standard system, the machine will run off batches of wires,these will be fed into a two level catchment tray and when bothtrays are full, the machine will stop".

"Numatic's system is the first one available to use a floor tray,so allowing a far greater number of wires to be produced before thetray needs to be changed".

This allows the Gamma to run unattended for a further one and ahalf hours.

Contax also configured the machine with a doubling unit, enablingit to put two wires into one terminal.

Currently, these wires have to be produced as single wires with a"piggybacked" style of terminal.

This requires the use of an additional terminal and a manualconnecting assembly process By halving the number of terminals usedand reducing the time taken to produce the loom, Numatic was ableto cut its production costs significantly.

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Delta Air Lines Offers Crown Room Club M...

limpidxin3 — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:32:51 +0200

Delta Air Lines Offers Crown Room Club Members Added Benefits withNew Mobile printing machine Service

As an added benefit for Crown Room Club members, Delta Air Lines(NYSE: DAL) is now offering special pricing on mobile printingservices that allow Club members to print documents directly fromtheir personal device assistants (PDA) to any fax machine,anywhere. The technology to print directly from mobile devices tofax machines, now available in Delta Crown Room Clubs throughoutthe United States, is provided by Premiere Global Services, Inc.(NYSE: PGI), a global provider of on-demand, communicationtechnologies-based business process improvement solutions. "Stayingproductive and connected while on the go is crucial - particularlyfor Delta enhancements; integration of acquired companies; serviceinterruptions; increased financial leverage; our dependence on oursubsidiaries for cash flow; continued weakness in our legacybroadcast fax business; foreign currency exchange rates; possibleadverse results of pending or future litigation or infringementclaims; federal or state legislative or regulatory changes; generaldomestic and international economic, business or politicalconditions; and other factors described from time to time in ourpress releases, reports and other filings with the SEC, includingbut not limited to the "Risk Factors" sections of our Annual Reporton Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 and our QuarterlyReport on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2008. Allforward-looking statements attributable to us or a person acting onour behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by thiscautionary statement.

? Die Welt

erschienen am 21.07.2008 um 21:01 Uhr

Scanner adds layer of school security at...

limpidxin3 — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:32:39 +0200

LobbyGuard machines retail for $10,000, but schools can buy themfor $6,000 each, according to the LobbyGuard Web site. NHA refusedto say how much it paid for its 55 machines.

LobbyGuard, based in Raleigh, N.C., is a division of Pitney Bowes,a company that helps organizations manage technology. Schools areits biggest client, but the "visitor management system" also inbeing used in the lobbies of corporate offices, hospitals andgovernment buildings, said LobbyGuard President Kevin Allen.

The machines can be programmed to allow visitors without a driver'slicense to type in their name and birth date for an ID badge. Theyalso can skip the sex-offender check if a business doesn't deem itnecessary.

Also, LobbyGuard doesn't check for felony convictions because thereis no national database for the information and because some statesput a limit on the type of background check that can be done onsomeone who is simply visiting a public building, Allen said.

NHA bought the devices as a way to be "proactive on security," notbecause the schools had specific security issues, said JasonRottman, NHA systems administrator. The old system of signing a logbook and printing machine your name on a visitor's badge "had no checkswhatsoever," Nieuwkoop said.

At Cross Creek, LobbyGuard has tallied a couple of "falsepositives," Nieuwkoop said, mistakenly identifying people withsimilar names as sex offenders in other states. Those errors wereimmediately addressed and parents were allowed access, he said.

Since they were installed in January and February, the machineshave not identified a sex offender attempting to gain entry into anNHA school, Rottman said.

Nieuwkoop can even register scheduled visitors in advance and hasprinted special cards for frequent visitors, such as Reed. Themachine scans her card and immediately prints an ID sticker, savingher from going through the 60-second process each time she visits.

"Now that parents have gotten used to it, they're comfortable withit. They've ended up promoting and praising it," Nieuwkoop said."In the society we live in, parents will never question you when itcomes to added safety."

MAKE CHANGE: Drivers scoot by high price...

limpidxin3 — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:21:18 +0200

There was no magic number for Ray and Renee Conklin.

It wasn’t $3 gas or $4 gas or even the threat of $5 gas thatdrove them to a big change in their everyday lives.

“It was the reality that this situation is permanent,”Renee Conklin said. “I saw a couple of friends riding mopedsand said, ‘We have to have one of those.’”

As good timing would have it, Ray Conklin snatched up the last scooter that was in stock at Fun Mart Cycle Center in Moline. Inthe month since buying the 50 cc scooter, Renee Conklin hasdiscovered a few things about herself, her fellow motorists and thecity in which she works.

Accommodating a growing trend

The first obstacle became immediately clear to Renee Conklin: Wherecould she safely park her scooter after arriving in the Rock IslandDistrict to go to work at the Winstein & Kavensky law firm.

“I’ve been parking in the ramp across from the policedepartment for years, but you have to have a sticker, and Irealized I couldn’t put the sticker on the scooterseat,” the Moline woman said. “Plus, the thing onlyweighs about 160 pounds, so you really need to chain it because itwould be fairly easy to steal.”

Conklin had a built-in ally in Rock Island Mayor Mark Schwiebert,who is dubbed a “green mayor” for hisenvironmental/public policy activism. His city already had draftedan ordinance that allows so-called neighborhood cars to sharecertain city streets.

Illinois law makes no specific provisions for electric vehicleswith a maximum speed of about 30 mph. City officials throughout thestate must decide whether their streets are neighborhood-carappropriate, and Rock Island became the first locally to declarethat neighborhood cars are welcome.

“As far as mopeds and scooters are concerned, though, I thinkit’s something we need to look at,” he said. “Ithink it’s something we want to address.”

He vowed to contact the city’s public works department tofind out, for starters, whether downtown bicycle racks can beretrofitted to accommodate the wider tires and thicker frames onmopeds and scooters.

The buying boom

Cale Williams, the sales manager at Fun Mart Cycle Center,described the moped and scooter sales climate in tornado terms.

Scooters cheap on gas, but watch out for...

limpidxin3 — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:21:06 +0200

July 20, 2008

Scooters cheap on gas, but watch out for costly repairs By BOB KOSLOW

Business Writer

DAYTONA BEACH -- Like more than 100,000 other consumers across thecountry, Rick Kane bought a motor scooter last year to save on gascosts for short shopping trips and jaunts to the beach.

In fact, he bought three off-brand scooters about a year ago, hesaid.

But all three have mechanical problems.

"It took the salesman a long time to tell me they were Chinesebecause otherwise no one would buy them. China makes crap. I knowthat. I figured for the price, I could get rid of them later forJapanese ones," the appliance repairman said. "I did some researchafterwards that I should have done first. If you are going to buyone, spend a little more for a brand name. You are better off inthe long run."

Kane could serve as a dealer spokesman. They too stress that newscooter buyers should do their scooter research, buy brand namesand work with a full-service dealer who can repair what they sell.

"More important than what you buy is where you get it from," saidDavid Hurtibise, sales manager for Pompano Pat's, a scooter andmotorcycle dealer with outlets in Daytona Beach and DeLand. "Use adealer that has been around, has a service department and honorsthe warranty, a place where reputation is important."

Scooter sales across the country are at an all-time high mainly tocombat gas prices that have risen to more than $4 a gallon. Scootersales have more than doubled since 2001 to 131,000 units sold inAmerica in each of the last two years. Sales continue to be strongthis year; they have increased almost 24 percent during the firstthree months compared to the same time last year, according to theCalifornia-based Motorcycle Industry Council.

"Two-wheeling is great for commuters. There are so many advantages,including some scooters that get 60, 80 and even 90 miles pergallon," council spokesman Ty van Hooydonk said.

As a result, traditional motorcycle shops have added scooter lines.Also, scooter sellers have flooded the Internet, invaded tradermagazines, opened temporary store fronts and erected roadsidetents, especially at Christmastime, looking to capitalize onincreased consumer interest with direct-from-the-factory discounts.

Although scooters carry hundreds of names, dealers say there areonly a handful of manufacturers, mainly in the Far East, Europe andIndia. They make top-of-the-line scooters with well-known names,but also make scooters with varying specifications for Internetmiddlemen.

"I'll caution people to be careful who they are buying from andwhat they are buying," said Nate Stickney, business manager forDeLand Motor Sports. "There are some good Chinese scooters outthere. We carry some to flush out our inventory and give thecustomers some options. We can't keep some models in stock becausethe manufacturers were not ready for the rapid rise in gas pricesin the U.S. and the increased demand."

Businessman David Levison learned the dangers of Internet scootersales the hard way before opening Mega Power Sports about 18 monthsago in Daytona Beach. He ran several Internet companies under thatname and others that were the subject of frequent complaints to theBetter Business Bureau of Central Florida and receivedunsatisfactory ratings.

"The scooters came in boxes to the buyer and 99 percent of thecomplaints were people who could not put them together and set thecarburetor," he said. "We lost like $3 million in back charges. Wewere not doing our customers justice, so we opened the store andplan more in Sanford, Altamonte Springs and the Disney area."

Pompano Pat's frequently sees broken and damaged scooters theycannot fix because mechanics cannot get off-brand parts fromoverseas manufacturers.

"I see it daily," part-owner Ron Hurtibise said. "I can't fix it,and they get mad at me. I always say cheap and good do not gotogether."

Before buying a scooter -- which ranges from a couple hundreddollars for a small used one to more than $5,000 for a new, largermodel -- consumers should take a motorcycle rider safety class tosee if a scooter is right for them, van Hooydonk said. Otherinitial steps for first-time scooter riders include having a properdriver's license and protective gear, such as helmets, gloves,jacket, pants and boots.

Ownership costs also include taxes, fees and insurance.

The first question a salesman should ask is what kind of riding theshopper intends. Fitting the right scooter for the right use makesfor more enjoyable and safer riding, Stickney said.

New scooter shoppers, like buying a car, should also ask a lot ofquestions about the scooters and service and get a warranty inwriting, and understand it.

Scooters are easier to ride than motorcycles, with no shiftinggears, and easier to maintain, said Chris Cortese, service managerat DeLand Motor Sports. Regular oil changes are the key to scooterlongevity, he said. Owners can do many simple repairs.

Florida requires all motorized vehicles on public streets to have aregistration and a tag. Riders must be 16 and have a valid driver'slicense. Any scooter with an engine greater then 50cc is considereda motorcycle and drivers must have completed a rider safety courseand receive a motorcycle endorsement on their driver's license.

bob.koslow @news-jrnl.com

the one laughing on the scooter

limpidxin3 — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:20:50 +0200

the one laughing on the scooter

And a week into his commuting experiment, weather has not yet beena problem.

Birth family? An out-of-towner in his 30s seeks information abouthis birth family. Daniel Scott said he was adopted as a baby, buthe believes WallacePicou, a Houma lounge owner who died tragicallywell before Scotts birth, was his grandfather.

Scott has had some success at contacting possible relations, but hewould like to see photographs of Wallace Picou to see if there isreally the family resemblance he has been informed of.

You can contact him at his real-estate-related e-mail address, getyourspot@gmail.com , or contact me and I will pass the information along.

On stage: "Sound of Music," opened Thursday downtown at Le PetitTheatre de Terrebonne. If youve not yet seen it, dont delay inmaking reservations.

Even with a couple of weeks of performances left, seating is likelyto be limited. That is always the case with local musicals withlarge casts. In addition to the regular playgoers, there are loadsof relatives hoping to see their own family stars perform.

For tickets, call the box office at 876-4268, with two or threepossible dates in mind, in case your preferred night is alreadyfull.

Casting call: And the crew responsible for "Death by Chocolate,"the next Le Petit play, is wasting no time in getting started.

Greg Whitney reports that while "Chocolate" runs in late September,tryouts for the mystery comedy will be held 7 p.m., Monday at thetheater, and Tuesday at the South Louisiana Center for the Arts,7839 Park Ave., using two locations since "Sound of Music" uses thetheater every day but Monday.

"We need six men and six women, mostly of middle age. Sorry thereare no children parts." Back stage help and set finishers will beneeded as well. Volunteers for these essential off-stage roles cancontact Whitney directly, or show up for tryouts to get an ideawhat is likely to be needed.

On the shelf? The Friends of the Terrebonne public library plan aused-book sale Aug. 22-23, at the North Branch Library. MaryRoyston, of the Friends says staff will remove the books they wantto keep. What remains on the shelves will stock the sale.

Responding? Contact Bill Ellzey at 381-6256, 876-5638, ellzey@mobiletel.com or c/o The Courier, P.O. Box 2717, Houma, LA 70361.

It's Your Business

limpidxin3 — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:20:36 +0200

Pennsylvania American Water has announced that Joseph A. Bochna hasbeen named field operations supervisor - Brownsville District.

Bochna will be located in the Brownsville Operations Center.

Bochna has 17 years of experience as a utility person and subforeperson in the Brownsville District. A resident of Brownsville,Bochna earned a bachelor of science degree in elementary educationfrom California University of Pennsylvania and maintains a classA-E water operators license for Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania American Water is the largest investor-owned waterutility in the state, providing water and/or wastewater services tomore than 2.1 million people. In addition to its regulatedoperations, American Water provides operation and maintenanceservices to an additional 112,000 people in Pennsylvania.Pennsylvania American Water is a wholly owned subsidiary ofAmerican Water.

With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs nearly7,000 workers.

For more information, visit www.amwater.com.

Charleroi

TRIPIL offers free training

The non-profit agency TRIPIL (Tri-County Patriots for IndependentLiving) Charleroi training center will hold free training fordirect care workers during evening and weekend hours Aug. 4 throughAug. 16.

Paintball center opens

Ohiopyle Paintball has opened adjacent to Ohiopyle State Park andScarlett Knob Campground.

The facility offers two wooded paintball playing fields andsupplies all safety equipment. It offers customers use of TippmannModel 98 paintball markers for play.

Participants must be at least 10 years old to play.

The facility is also looking for participants to start a fallleague and tournament.

Also offered are stay and play packages at Scarlett KnobCampground.

Suggested venues for paintball play are bachelor and birthdayparties, corporate team building or a company picnic. Cateredlunches are available.

Stuart Van Nosdeln is president, William E. Scarlett, secretary,and David Scarlett, treasurer of Ohiopyle Paintball.

For more information or to sign up for league play, call724-329-0190 or visit www.ohiopylepaintball.com.

:Leander Paintball Alliance ?Leander

limpidxin3 — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:20:01 +0200

Leander and Cedar Park Local Businesses Leander Paintball Alliance ?Leander

Written by Mark Collins Friday, 18 July 2008

Many homeowners dream of a yard with a manicured lawn, thrivingtrees, vivid flowerbeds and maybe a pool. Tim Leek has a paintballfield.

SWe created Leander Paintball Alliance because we wanted it to bean alliance for people who wanted to play for the fun of thesport, owner Tim Leek said. SAll we wanted to do was cover ourexpenses because it is sitting in my backyard.

Leek had never played paintball before he and several co-workerswho were curious about the sport founded the alliance in 2001. Asmore players joined the alliance and his passion for the sportgrew, Leek said he realized other paintball facilities werecharging exorbitant rates. He opened his backyard to the publicwith the mission of providing paintball to the masses at areasonable price.

A day of paintball is $10 regardless of how long a player is on thefield. The alliance also has equipment rentals, a snack bar withhamburgers and hotdogs, fire pits, picnic tables and a swimmingpool. The field is used for tournaments, company events andbirthday parties.

Paintball Games

Owner Tim Leek has an ever-expanding list of more than 50 gamesthat can be played at Leander Paintball Alliance. Some of the morepopular games include:

Leander Paintball Alliance, 25009 Ranch Road, 560-5884, www.leanderpaintball.com

Open Saturdays in the summer, Saturdays and Sundays in the winter

:Waco fight over rocks, paintball gun, k...

limpidxin3 — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:19:30 +0200

WACO, Texas — Two people face charges in Waco after a disputeover rocks thrown at a dog escalated to threats with a paintball gun, a knife — then real gunfire.

Three people were hurt.

Police say 33-year-olds Ricardo Ramon and Melissa Ann Ramos werearrested.

Twenty-year-old Arthur Steadman was shot in the leg. Ramos was shotin her right foot.

Ramon was treated for minor head injuries.

Police say the neighborhood fight began when Ramon saw a youngerbrother of Steadman allegedly throwing rocks at Ramon's dog.

Ramos was charged with deadly conduct over Monday night's incident.She also was wanted for possession of a prohibited weapon andtheft. Ramos was released on $8,000 bail.

Ramon was charged with three counts of aggravated assault and heldon $45,000 bond.

He also faced charges of interference with an emergency phone call,and assault/family violence, according to a McLennan County jailofficial.

The jail official, who refused to give her name, declined torelease information on whether Ramon and Ramos have attorneys.

标题:Leander Paintball Alliance ?Leander

正文:Leander and Cedar Park Local Businesses Leander Paintball Alliance ?Leander

Written by Mark Collins Friday, 18 July 2008

Many homeowners dream of a yard with a manicured lawn, thrivingtrees, vivid flowerbeds and maybe a pool. Tim Leek has a paintballfield.

Paintball Games

Owner Tim Leek has an ever-expanding list of more than 50 gamesthat can be played at Leander Paintball Alliance. Some of the morepopular games include:

Leander Paintball Alliance, 25009 Ranch Road, 560-5884, www.leanderpaintball.com

Open Saturdays in the summer, Saturdays and Sundays in the winter

Pro paintball on the rise

limpidxin3 — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:19:17 +0200

Theres even been a form of paintball, called Xball, which wasspecifically invented for a television audience. More typically,paintball tournaments feature speedball a fast-paced shootout onan obstacle course and the leagues run year round.

Its very intense. It takes a lot of energy, and everybody isreally serious. You want to have fun, but youre very focused onwinning, Jonathan Brigmon said. It takes just as much practice asany other sport and lots of dedication. Two leagues for pro players

The 16-year old Brigmon, of Brevard, plays on a Greenville,S.C.-based team called React. Brigmons squad is rated DivisionIII, two levels below professional status. There are two majorprofessional leagues, including the National Professional PaintballLeague and Paintball Sports Promotions both of which have airedgames on ESPN2.

John Benedict runs the Hendersonville-based Wolverine Paintballfield.

Benedicts son Michael, 16, helps with the business as well asplays with the Gremlins, a Division V team ranked in the top 10 oftheir

division in the Carolina Field Owners Association.

We travel to Chattanooga, Georgia and Charlotte, Michael Benedictsaid. Im hoping to play at the top level. In our division, youcan get up to $500 for winning a tournament. Even in Division III,you can get up to $1,500. Guns are expensive

Getting into professional paintball isnt cheap. The guns that mostof the players use run about $1,200. Throw in the cost of thehopper, which is the ammunition container, the actual paintballsand the clothing and facemask and a tournament-ready player couldexpect to spend as much as $1,500. The pro guns fire gelatinpaintballs at about 300 feet per second.

We like to say were playing tag at 200 miles per hour, JohnBenedict said. Some of these guns can shoot up to 20 balls persecond. The way I look at it, theres people playing paintball andthere are paintball players. Its like owning a horse and riding ata rental place. Its nothing at all like mom buying a cheap gun atWal-Mart and playing in the backyard.

Thats not to say that woodlands paintball isnt still popular, butBenedict is quick to point out that the future of professionalpaintball lies in speedball. He added that most paintball pros arein their 20s, but hes seen everything from 6-year-olds to muchmore mature players at his field.

I think my mom still holds the record. She played at 78. In fact,she shot me in the back once, John Benedict said. I got into thesport the same way everyone else did. I played one time and fell inlove with it. Paintball basics

Safety

All players must wear goggles or a mask at all times. The industrystandard maximum is 300 feet per second. Most commercial guns fireat about 280 fps, and indoor paintball facilities cap guns at220-250 fps.

Woodsball

Paintball began in the early 1980s as recreational games of capturethe flag and elimination in wooded areas. Woodsball games generallylast for an extended period of time.

Speedball

Speedball is played on a course featuring bunkers and obstacles.The courses tend to be no bigger than a football field. Typically,only 3-10 players on each team play speedball and games finishquickly because of the immediate conflict.