Sport Savings

THE DEAL: STARWORKS Motorsports have lived up to their name and today
they unveil a stellar line-up for their quest to bring home the watches
from the Grand-Am Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The Fort Lauderdale outfit will run a two-car team for the 50thrunning
of the prestigious 24-hour event in Florida (Jan 28-29), featuring ten
drivers representing the cream of global motorsport.

Regular Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series duo Ryan Dalziel a
Rolex 24 winner in 2010 – and Grand-Am rookies of the year Enzo Potolicchio
and Alex Popow will be together in the #8 Ford Daytona Prototype. They will
be joined by two-time Le Mans 24-Hour winner Allan McNish and current FIA
GT1 world champ Lucas Luhr.

In the #2 Ford Daytona Prototype, Miguel Potolicchio will be joined by
Maurizio Scala and IndyCar superstars Tony Kanaan, EJ Viso and Ryan
Hunter-Reay.

The line-up reflects the determination in Starworks team boss Peter
Barons team to lift the trophy on the 50th anniversary of the race
and to use the Grand-Am Rolex 24 as the springboard for a
championship-winning season.

THE QUOTES: Starworks team principal PETER BARON: We felt, with
our four current drivers, we had a line up strong enough to compete for a
win Alex, Enzo, Ryan and Lucas. We werent going to add a
fifth driver, but Allan is a friend and we heard he was interested. You
just do not pass on the opportunity to put Allan McNish in the car. He is a
legend. He brings much more than his speed he elevates the other
guys, gets the others even more motivated and it is great to work with
someone with that kind of history in sports car racing. Plus Allan has won
just about everything in sports car racing but the fabled Rolex
Daytona.

The other car was a bit last-minute. We wanted to put together
the most interesting car that would give us good visibility and bring
interest to the series. We had worked with Ryan and EJ before and it worked
out well. We wanted a third IndyCar driver. Tony Kanaan is a Florida person
and I have tried for three years to get him in the car and it has not
worked out so it is great to get it done.

To get strong drivers, you need strong results. Everyone knew we
were doing well but our win at the end of the season put an exclamation
mark on it. We now have everything in place. I cant thank Enzo and
Alex enough for helping us get all the tools in place to give us a shot to
win this race. The guys joke about us being an episode of Extreme Makeover,
but it is pretty impressive to see the amount that we have invested in
infrastructure over the off season.

RYAN DALZIEL, 29, Orlando (originally from Lanarkshire in Scotland):
I am excited about the race. I am excited about the line-up. I am
excited about the car and excited about the direction the team is going in.
Its an amazing transformation from Daytona last year to Daytona this
year.

Every time I take a trip down to the shop I see that the team has
grown. I think the fact that we could hire guys like Lucas Luhr and Allan
McNish and the fact that they wanted to come and drive for us says a lot
about the credibility that Starworks now has in the sports car world.

We have a good base set-up for Daytona. We had good tests there
in November and December. I think we are in a pretty good place.

A lot of the Roar will be about getting the five guys in each car
to gel together. There will always be some sacrifice that will have to be
made, but now that we know our line-up we have to build towards having five
team-mates who work well together.

ALLAN McNISH, 42, Dumfries, Scotland: Daytona is always a tough
challenge with the number of cars on the track, the traffic, how
competitive it is now with everyone fighting for the last tenth and races
being decided on the last lap, but it is a challenge that every racing
driver and team embraces.

I have known about the Starworks team for quite a while and I
have known Peter Baron as a driver and also as a team owner. They are
proven winners in this category.

With Ryan Dalziel, who is a previous winner and another Scotsman,
you put Lucas Luhr who is an ex-team-mate of mine and current GT1 world
champion, then Enzo and Alex were fantastic rookies of the year last year
so I do think we have a very good driver combination and we have a proven
package with it comes to the car and the team. It gives us a shot of being
at the sharp end when the checkered flag comes down, but it is a tough
race.

A 24-hour race at the beginning of the season certainly blows the
cobwebs away and, since my first time there in 1998 when I finished second
overall and won the category, I have always enjoyed going back. I
cant think of a better way to prepare for the season.

Id like to thank Audi Sport for allowing me to contest the
Daytona 24 and make the most of this opportunity.

ALEX POPOW, 36, Lecheria, Venezuela: I cannot wait to start the
program because I have more experience and we have an incredible line-up
for the 24.

We ended last year running strong and thats the way we
want to start this year. We want to win races and theres no better
way to start the season than by winning the Daytona 24. With the line-up we
have, that is possible. The team have made huge changes and is very strong
right now. With the GS program, it is going to be a busy year.

LUCAS LUHR, 32, Mulheim-Karlich, Germany: Im very happy to
join Starworks for the season and I thank Peter and Alex for the trust they
put in me.

Daytona is always a very special race and it would be a dream
come true if we can win it. It is great that so many guys from NASCAR and
IndyCar will be racing there as well. I have worked with the team and
Im sure we have a competitive package to be a frontrunner at Daytona
and for the whole year.

TONY KANAAN, 38, Salvador, Brazil: I am really excited to be
driving at the 24. I have never driven a prototype before so I will be
looking to get some seat time at the Roar test. Having Ryan and EJ as
team-mates is a big help because I already know them and they will give me
valuable information about driving the car. It will be competitive, but it
will also be a fun event. I have always wanted to race at the 24 in a
prototype and this is the perfect opportunity.

A win this early in the season would be a great way to kick off
the year for sure.

RYAN HUNTER-REAY, 31, Fort Lauderdale: Im thrilled to join
the Starworks team for the 50th Daytona 24. I have lots of respect for
Peter Baron and his team theyve done a phenomenal job over
the past few seasons.

Ive had the pleasure of driving with Starworks in 2006 and
look forward to joining my team-mates from the past, Ryan Dalziel, Tony
Kanaan and Lucas Luhr. This is a race were all focused on
winning.

The Daytona 24 has all the best drivers from around the world
going at it for one full day of racing. This event really sets the tone for
the upcoming season. After reaching the podium in 2010 Im hungrier
than ever to reach the top step. With this team we have a great
chance.

EJ VISO, 36, Caracas, Venezuela: The Daytona 24 is a great way to
start 2012. Last year was my first run at this historic race and I enjoyed
it a lot.

I also think that, between Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tony Kanaan and
myself, along with Miguel and Maurizio, we have a strong line-up of drivers
that will allow us to be consistent for the whole race.

Racing with Starworks once again in the Daytona 24-hour shows a
continuity that I believe is one of the keys in racing. I see this team as
the underdogs in the series, but I know that their preparation and hard
work will pay off.

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I’ve never broken a single New Year’s resolution, but then I’ve never made one either. A tradition I plan to continue. Why risk an unblemished record?

#13;

Instead, on the cusp of the New Year, I just draw up a list of things I’d like to do, or do better.  

#13;

This year’s list: Take a trip to Brazil, Learn Mandarin Chinese, finish my book, grow better tomatoes.

#13;

I must say, there’s one item on the list that shows particular promise.

#13;

We can all get a jump start on those spring and summer tomatoes right now, using either a real greenhouse or an ad hoc version. The ad hoc option has several things in its favor, as it requires no contractor, easements, or permits. All it takes is some old milk cartons or 2-liter soda bottles.

#13;

I know this because I know Christina Wenger. She’s an Altadena resident and teacher/horticulturalist/photographer who blogs at A Thinking Stomach. We both belong to RIPE, a local fruit and vegetable exchange group. Unlike me, when Christina hauls her bounty to the monthly produce swap, she doesn’t pack up a Ralph’s bag, she needs a wagon.  

#13;

Today, Christina has given me some tomato seeds, but these seeds are not for just any tomatoes. You’d never find these seeds at Armstrongs, not that there’s anything wrong with Armstrongs. It’s just, I don’t think there’s any local nursery that has this on offer: Speckled Roman, Black Brown Boar, Guernsey Island Pink Blush.

#13;

And the thing is, when a serious seed saver entrusts you with some of her seriously saved seeds, you don’t dig a little hole, dump in the contents of the packet, and cross your fingers. Instead, you do the best you can.

#13;

So, here’s a quick and dirty summary of how to construct the ad hoc greenhouse, something that will greatly improve the germination percentage of your vegetable seeds.

#13;

Cut a 2-liter plastic bottle almost in half. Punch holes in the bottom for water drainage, and then fill with soil. Water well, let sit for awhile, then tap in the seeds, individually. (The seeds are tiny, but don’t get lazy. You should have many, many adhocs to fill).  Pull the top back on, and duct tape over the cut sides.  Leave the cap off, and now you have the absolute cheapest form of terrarium.

#13;

In case I’ve missed some critical steps, here’s a link for full instructions.  Leave your little greenhouses outside, but in a safe spot where they won’t be bothered by wind and critters.

#13;

And the last step? Wait. That’s all, just wait.

#13;

I can hardly wait.

#13;

It occurs to me this would be a great project for kids. Little kids, big kids. Old kids.

#13;

Perhaps I should feel guilty, always begging for some of Christina’s carefully chosen and packed veggie seeds. I’d offer her some of mine; but around here, when seeds are collected, there’s no guarantee as to their purity. Maybe it’s a Purple Cherokee, or maybe the Purple Cherokee had a date with an Early Girl when my back was turned.

#13;

So better not. Never offer Two Buck Chuck to a Rothschild.

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Posted at: 01/03/2012 7:26 PM

| Updated at: 01/03/2012 10:32 PM

By: Gadi Schwartz and Peter St. Cyr, Eyewitness News 4

One of the toughest pledges to keep in the New Year is the vow to quit smoking. Kicking the habit is hard. After all, smokers are addicted to nicotine.

KOB Eyewitness News 4 On Your Sides investigative team checked out programs and methods designed to help smokers quit for good.

Andrew Torn told Reporter Gadi Schwartz its the hardest thing hes ever had to quit.

They just take you over and you cant get rid of them, Torn said.

A smoker for 13 years, he said he use to light his first cigarette before sunrise.

Determined to quit, Torn tried hypnosis, but relapsed after nine months.

It takes on average seven times to successfully quit smoking tobacco, Lovelace Medical Center Emergency Doctor Tony Salazar said.

Hes seen the affects of long term smoking up close.

It has a very hard affect on the lungs and the heart. Weve seen patients come in with severe trouble breathing, or chest pain, and a lot of that can be related to smoking, Salazar said.

With strong health warnings being sounded everywhere, lots of smokers are making a New Years resolution to quit in 2012.

But some experts, like Andrews mother, Patrica Torn, say New Years is not always the best time to try.

Sometimes thats just kind of an off the top of your head kind of thinghellip;it isnt that realistic to make a resolution unless you are ready to do it, Torn said.

Still, if you want to quit, there are a lot of programs and products to help.

Torn, who teaches classes for the American Lung Association, recommends a quitters toolbox.

She recommended smokers plan their quit program early.

Its best to take two or three weeks to get ready, Torn said.

She also said to avoid social situations with lots of other smokers.

It is very very tempting hellip;and all of a sudden their back to smoking again, Torn said.

Stress management is also important.

Stress is one of the greatest problems that people have with not keeping up their quitting attempt, Torn Said. One of the most successful strategies believe it or not is things like having a toothbrush in the carhellip;and chewing on the toothbrush instead of picking up the cigarette and smoking it.

And have fun with the quit program.

One of things that people do, and its kind of fun, is to have a bottle of bubbles with you at all times and to blow the bubbles, because it simulates the inhaling and exhaling of smoking and of using your hand to mouth as well, Torn said.

She also recommended smokers place a piece of gum or candy near your bedside if you smoke before getting out of bed in the morning.

Instead of having coffee for breakfast in the morning, have tea. Coffee makes cigarettes taste better, Torn said.

Nicotine replacement products and prescription drugs can help smokers with painful withdrawals.

Andrew Torn tried many of them.

The Chantix just made cigarettes just not taste so good, Torn said.

And he didnt like wearing the nicotine patch.

I was always finding myself rubbing that patch like it was going to help, but that didnt help at all, Torn said.

He said nicotine gum worked for him.

Of course, Torn also got tired of spending hard earned cash on his vice.

When cigarettes got up to about $5 a pack, and I was smoking two packs a day, its like the $3-thousand a year, I could go on some real nice vacations, Torn said. Do you want to spend your money killing yourself one cigarette at a time, or do you want to take a trip.

Today, Torn said he likes not being a slave to cigarettes.

I like not having to say oh man Ive only got one more cigarette at 10 oclock at night having to go back out so Ive got one to light first thing in the morning, Torn said.

While quitting is never easy, Torn said cravings for a cigarette only last a few minutes.

Every time you want a cigarette, its like no I cant do this, Torn said.

Most of all, both Torns said not to treat cigarettes as a reward for anything.

Cigarettes may be a prize to you because youre addicted to them, Torn said. The bigger prize being more time with your family, more money to go on vacations, you know just better health overall.

Smokers who quit improve their chance for a longer life. KOB learned one out of every three smokers dies from the habit.

Do you want to end up not being able to breath and being that guy sitting at the slot machines at the casino with the thing in your nose and your air bottle pulling the lever over and over again and not being able to breathhellip;sounding like Darth Vadar, Torn said. No you dont want to be that guy or that woman.

The American Lung Association and Lovelace Medical Center offer free classes and a support group to people attempting to quit. The New Mexico Department of Health offers free nicotine patches and Quit Coaches via telephone. To sign up for their program call 1-800-Quit Now.

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Deb Hickok, president of the Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau, said Fairbanks remains a big draw to visitors in the winter despite subarctic temperatures. She said the big attraction there is the aurora borealis, while other Alaska-style activities like dog mushing and ice fishing also draw tourists into the cold.

Such attractions have been packing the customers into the Chena Hot Springs Resort near Fairbanks for years. The resorts marketing director, Denise Ferree, said the top draw is the hot springs themselves. Of course, aurora borealis viewing is also at the top of the list, followed by the Aurora Ice Museum, dog sled rides, flying, snow- machine tours and cross-country skiing.

Free geothermal renewable energy tours are also bringing in a lot of interested groups, including students.

The northern lights in Alaska remain a unique business boost for much of the state. Hickok said large numbers of Japanese tourists are coming in on charter flights to see the northern lights.

The proprietor of the resort, Bernie Karl, always says about viewing the aurora, You cant see them if you are not here, Ferree said.

Alaskas terrain also keeps visitors coming to the rest of the state. For example, skiing, snowshoeing, dog sledding and snowmachine tours, not to mention the Spring Carnival in April and the Roundhouse Museum, have helped build Alyeska Resort into a Girdwood staple.

Anchorage also holds popular tourist attractions in the winter, including the Iditarod, Tour of Anchorage and Fur Rendezvous.

Many resorts are gearing up for an anticipated busy winter. Their personnel contend that customers keep coming in during these months. A majority of these customers are domestic but the resorts are seeing more and more visitors from overseas.

Ferree said a lot of visitors from Japan, Taiwan, Korea and China come between December and March to see the aurora borealis. The resort is also seeing increased numbers of visitors from Australia and Germany. Domestically, Chenas largest visitor groups are from California, Arizona, Florida and Texas.

International tourism has grown so much that the resort has a designated vice president of Japanese marketing who partners with Japanese wholesalers and visits the country twice a year to set up groups.

We are fortunate to have our Asian visitors sustain us during our busy season, which is winter from mid-December to the first part of April, Ferree said. We are an anomaly for the state of Alaska in that summer is our slow season from May to mid-August and winter is our busiest season.

Alyeska Resort spokeswoman Sandy Choi said theyre getting strong visitation from both the east and west American coasts as well as from Europe. She said there are definitely more domestic visitors but guests from ski countries like the United Kingdom and Germany are up. She said more people are coming from Switzerland and France in recent years too.

They come to us because of the skiing, she said.

Girdwood has a new addition this ski season: a season-long itinerary of skiing and snowboarding professionals, courtesy of the adventure company EpicQuest, which operates out of Alyeska Resort. Customers will be accompanied by reigning free-skiing world champion Jess McMillan one week or ski film regular Ian McIntosh another.

Nine different experts from around the world plus Chugach powder guides will lead guests through their week-long heli-skiing expeditions.

Famed ski photographer Scott Markewitz will also return to EpicQuest for a week this year to teach skiers how to capture their best moments.

EpicQuest has brought in renowned professionals before but this will be the first time they will be on board continuously throughout the season from February through April.

Its something we always wanted to do, said Chris Owens, EpicQuest co-founder and vice president of marketing and brand development. He said it can take quite a bit of time to build a roster of professionals.

Youre not going to find another program like this in heli-skiing, Owens said.

The ski business itself for the area is expected to increase. Choi said business has been increasing and the resort sees a little more than 200,000 skier visits in the winter.

Owens said the ski business went down several years ago and he speculated that the economy discouraged such trips. He said it took a while for people to return but business has been slowly increasing.

At the same time that tourists explore what a winter in the last frontier is about, many Alaskans decide its the season to take a trip out of the cold and the dark. Alaska Airlines spokeswoman Marianne Lindsey said California and Mexico are popular winter destinations for Alaskans. Still, Hawaii — particularly Honolulu — is leading the pack here.

During the first quarter of 2011, Alaska Air had roughly 160 passengers flying daily between Alaska and Hawaii.

Alaska Airlines started flying between Alaska and Hawaii on Dec. 9, 2007. Now the airline has seven weekly nonstop round-trip flights between Anchorage and Honolulu and three weekly nonstop round-trip flights between Anchorage and Maui.

Alaska Air also has flights to Honolulu, Maui, the Big Island and Kauai via connections in Seattle.

Alaska Airlines acquired the customer base for Anchorage-based Hawaiian Vacations in 2008. After that, it started offering its own packages via Alaska Airlines Vacations. Other carrier options between Alaska and Hawaii are available.

Hawaii had 59,700 visitors from Alaska between January and November 2011, a 17 percent increase over the same period in 2010, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

Some Alaska residents do choose to see more of their home state while on vacation. But this is not what such resorts bank on.

Although we do have a good in-state business, and provide an Alaska resident rate year-round, our larger groups and visitors are from outside the state, either domestically or internationally, Ferree said.

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The actual contest period runs from Jan. 2 through March 26, with mandatory weigh-ins on Feb. 6 and March 5-6. Starting Feb. 6, Morga-Mangum said, the top 28 contestants will be broken into four teams of seven contestants each, with each team able to select an individual coach from the health club to help them continue losing weight through the end of the challenge. Contestants will also attend health talks during each weigh-in to get additional ideas for how to lose weight and keep it off.

Following a final weigh-in March 26, winners will be announced in a ceremony on April 13, which will include special guest speaker Abby Rike, who starred on NBCs Biggest Loser program and lost more than 100 pounds both on- and off-camera. In addition to the $1,000 prize for the contestant who posts the biggest weight loss percentage, additional prizes of $300 will go to the team that lost the most overall weight, as well as $400 to the non-coached individual who loses the second-most weight. The two individual winners will also receive free one-year memberships to the Bullhead Health Club.

While entry remains open through Friday, several dozen local men and women had already signed up at Monday nights event, many deciding to enter with friends so that they can support each other. Cheryl Todd was among the initial entrants, saying she decided to enter with her husband in order to improve their health.

Ive been dealing with my weight since I was a kid, taking it off and putting it back on, and my husband was recently diagnosed with diabetes, so hes doing it too, and were doing it as a team, Todd said. I want to take off at least 30 pounds in the next three months, but Ive got a much larger goal by the end of the year, and this provides us with a good support system.

Connie Becker was one of several Bullhead City municipal employees to sign up Monday night. Her hope is to lose 35 pounds by April, when she plans to take a trip to Florida.

Im going to Florida, and I want to look good, she said. This is a healthy way to lose weight, you can do it with a friend and it gives you a goal you can focus on. That, plus I already know several people here.

For more information on WARMCs weight loss challenge, call Morga-Mangum at 928-763-0222 or call either Bullhead Health Club at 928-704-4610 or 928-768-1339.

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BOISE, Idaho A southwestern Idaho prosecutor is scrutinizing whether state Treasurer Ron Crane broke the law by using a state credit card to fuel up a personal vehicle he drives to and from the Capitol, and on short excursions to grocery stores or church.

Canyon County prosecutor Bryan Taylor confirmed that Idaho Legislative Services auditors who have been reviewing the financial records of Cranes office for months have forwarded their preliminary findings to him.

Theyve asked us to see if any criminal offense took place within Canyon Countys jurisdiction, Taylor said. Were fairly early into that investigation.

Legislative Service audits division manager Don Berg declined comment, saying hes awaiting Taylors conclusions before releasing the audit of Cranes office. The audit is conducted at least once every three years, by state law.

Crane claims hes saving the state money by using a personal car. However, he doesnt keep a detailed record or logbook to show everywhere he drove using gas paid for by taxpayers.

Crane has hired attorney David Leroy, a former Idaho attorney general, to represent him after auditors alerted current Attorney General Lawrence Wasdens office about concerns that Cranes activities may have broken the law.

As a former prosecutor, I can state that these kinds of policy and practice review questions are occasionally presented to public council for review, Leroy said Tuesday. I would anticipate that the Canyon County prosecutor will conclude this involves questions of public policy and that no finding of criminal conduct will be made.

Leroy contends that Crane as an elected official and not just a state employee has the discretion to make decisions about the most-efficient and cost-effective means of organizing his official travel.

According to Idaho government policy, use of state vehicles for personal business is strictly prohibited. While personal vehicles may be used for official business in some situations, state policy indicates the cost of travel should be reimbursed at a state-approved rate currently 45.5 cents per mile with the mileage computed according to approved state or national maps.

Crane didnt turn in mileage reimbursements, instead using his state card to buy fuel.

The bill for Cranes state Chevron card over the last three years totaled about $6,900, according to documents obtained through a public records request.

Or if Im just in the city of Nampa , with incidental running to the post office, or to church, or something like that, I dont delineate, Crane told the AP in November. But, if I take a trip to Cascade, because we have a (vacation) place in Cascade, Ive used my personal card to fill that up. If I drive to Lewiston to see my daughter, I put that on my personal card. I can demonstrate that with financial records. Thats the way Ive done it for the entire time

The bill was about $2,030 in 2009, $2,875 in 2010 and $1,980 for the first nine months of 2011.

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Crane said hes used a state Chevron card with a $1,500 spending limit to fill up his own car since February 2005, when he gave up a state-provided vehicle in a bid to save Idaho taxpayers money.

Crane said he only uses gasoline paid for by Idaho taxpayers for commuting to the Capitol, as well as for other official business. Personal travel, he said, is paid out of his own pocketbook.

Crane, a four-term Republican, lives in Nampa, 25 miles from the Capitol. He considers driving to and from work state business, he said. For stops along the way, including at the grocery store, he doesnt differentiate between state or personal business.

Or if Im just in the city of Nampa, with incidental running to the post office, or to church, or something like that, I dont delineate, Crane told the AP in November. But, if I take a trip to Cascade, because we have a (vacation) place in Cascade, Ive used my personal card to fill that up. If I drive to Lewiston to see my daughter, I put that on my personal card. I can demonstrate that with financial records. Thats the way Ive done it for the entire time since selling the state car in 2005.

Crane contends that giving up the state car provided to the treasurer, then filling up his own car with the state Chevron card, has saved Idaho taxpayers roughly $32,500 over six years in leasing and maintenance costs. Thats why Crane said he was taken aback when he learned auditors had reported concerns to the Idaho attorney general.

I was dumbfounded, to be quite honest, Crane said, adding only on one occasion did somebody else fill up the vehicle using the state card when his wife retrieved him from the Boise Airport as he returned from official business.

A review of other Idaho state elected officials commuting patterns shows differences.

Wasden commutes in a state-provided car from Nampa and pays for fuel with a state credit card, much like Crane did before 2005.

Gov. CL Butch Otter drives a personal vehicle to and from the Capitol 80 percent of the time and pays for his own fuel, his office said. His Idaho State Patrol detail sometimes picks him up at his home in Star and brings him to official events, Otter spokesman Jon Hanian said.

For their commutes, Lt. Gov. Brad Little and Secretary of State Ben Ysursa say they pay for their own fuel in personal cars.

Controller Donna Jones drives her own vehicle back and forth from Payette, about 120 miles roundtrip. Her office said she doesnt claim mileage.

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Friday was the last day at the Manvel Library for branch librarian Kathryn Klentzman.

After 26 years, she retired to travel and to join her husband, Robert, who retired seven years ago and has a job jar at home.

My husband and I plan to take a trip to Alaska, said Klentzman, who explained that a staff member recently returned from a similar trip. She brought back wonderful pictures and I thought it looked really good.

Serving as interim branch librarian will be Geri Swanzy, the branchs childrens specialist, said Lisa Loranc, assistant library director, Brazoria County Library System.

The search for a branch librarian will begin within the library system. If no one is interested or if there are no qualified candidates, the position would be posted externally statewide for a branch librarian, Loranc said.

She doesnt think the position will be filled right away. She anticipated a six- to eight-week search process. The position requires a minimum of a bachelors degree plus library and management experience. The salary range for the position is $34,000 to $52,000.

With a monthly circulation of 9,000 items, the Manvel Branch is one of the busiest branches, Loranc said.

Kathryn was a valued and valuable employee. She will be difficult to replace and will be sorely missed, said Loranc, adding that Klentzman gave great service to the community.

Manvel Mayor Delores M. Martin said, Kathryn has placed our library front and center in Brazoria County. She is a very special lady.

That opinion is shared by Liz Harris, a member of the Manvel Community Library Association. Harris has known Klentzman as long as shes been at the library.

Every spring the library system hosts an authors dinner, said Harris, and each branch supplies a basket for a silent auction. Klentzman usually came up with some pretty good ideas for it, Harris said.

While many baskets had a feminine orientation, Klentzman said she suggested car repair and fisherman baskets.

We did our last one on Texas music, Klentzman said. It included old-fashioned instruments like kazoos, as well as CDs by various Texas performers from Van Cliburn to Janis Joplin.

It made a really neat basket, she said.

She started the branchs reading club about 13 years ago, but it was more than just a discussion group.

Harris said the members read about the 1915 hurricane that hit Galveston.

They then took a trip to Galveston to view a film about the hurricane, toured the city and had lunch.

Harris said Klentzman is kind of quiet and loves football and Bruce Springsteen.

Klentzman, 69, said her favorite author is PD James, the English mystery writer.

One of her most recent favorite reads is James The Lighthouse.

Klentzman was on the library board when Lucy Turoff was the first librarian. After three years, Turoff left for another position and Klentzman thought what a wonderful job it would be to work in the library at Manvel.

I love working with the people, the community. I love books. Its just been a really great experience.

Relocated twice, the branch at 20514B Texas 6, now has 3,000 square feet and 20,000 items.

Its also famous – being filmed for the movie Powder. And, the librarys Outstanding Womens Literary Society – formerly the Older Womens Literary Society – also was featured in a mystery novel, Murder Among the OWLS, written by Bill Crider, Klentzman proudly points out. Crider lives in Alvin.

Theyre a great group and have been active for 16 years, Klentzman said.

After Klentzman takes some time off, she said she certainly will come back to share with the group.

The library is supported by the city of Manvel, which provides the building and maintenance.

Klentzman sees a bright future undimmed by the handheld devices on which people can download books.

Were offering books for the different devices, she said.

For people who receive Kindles and other E-readers, the library offers classes in which people learn to use the devices, she said.

Its just an expansion of what the library service can offer, added Klentzman.

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