Assisteens of Redlands hosted the annual Medallion Ball dinner, presentation and dance Saturday, Feb. 2, at the Redlands Country Club.

The program included a social time for candid photography and formal portraits, dinner, presentation of seniors and dancing to the music of Audio Concepts.

Katie Oentojo, Assisteens vice chairman and a junior at Redlands High School, welcomed guests. She introduced Madelene Handy, president of Assistance League of Redlands, and Betty Walck, the organization's secretary. Assistance League of Redlands is the parent organization for the Assisteens auxiliary.

Following dinner, senior Assisteens and their escorts were introduced by Chuck Hornsby. A father-daughter waltz to Brahms' "Waltz in A Flat," Op. 39, No. 15, followed introductions. There are 28 young women in the Assisteens class of 2008, most of whom were able to participate in the evening's celebration of their accomplishments.

Playing with fire

With every second family having at least one member who is physically disfigured, it is easy to mistake the villagers for mutilated victims of war, but the sole fight here is one for survival. The hamlet’s residents eat, sleep and go about their daily business surrounded by low-grade explosives, yet swear on the lives of their children that their products are perfectly safe and innocent forms of amusement. Disaster comes only from negligence, recklessness and occasionally bad luck, they say, claiming their biggest problem is that the outside world simply won’t leave them in peace.

Protecting Company Secrets

Whereas noncompetes restrict workers' job options, the other contracts just prevent them from taking company secrets or client relationships with them when they go. It's an important difference, because companies that reach too far with their noncompete agreements often find they end up with no protection at all. The laws regarding noncompetes vary from state to state (see "The Legal Landscape"), but many state laws are friendly to employees. "Courts generally don't like the idea of putting people out of work," Shepherd says. "So you'd better have a pretty damn good reason for stopping someone from plying their trade."

For many companies, the value of a noncompete agreement lies in its psychological effect, not its enforceability. Andrey Tomkiw, an employment attorney with Tomkiw Dalton, in Royal Oak, Michigan, says some employers view noncompetes as a retention tool rather than a method of protecting intellectual property.

Photos: Parliament Coach and Frontline Communications Build The CNN ...

CLEARWATER, Fla., Jan. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- When it came time for CNN to plan its coverage of the 2008 election campaign, the decision was made: Have Parliament Coach and Frontline Communications build the Ultimate News Bus.

Enter David Bohrman, CNN Senior Vice President and Washington, D.C.

Your Opinions

His words gave me pause, for on so many Christmas Eves past, I had driven to the bakery on Columbia Avenue for a dozen or so fresh, hot, hard rolls sprinkled with numerous little black seeds - they were always sold out. This year with Eric J. Greene's words in mind I hoped, and then I hoped some more. I hoped until I fell asleep. And so it was that I woke up that cold Monday morning, hoping that this was my year; that it was going to happen. It did. I got my hard rolls; the exact ones I always wanted, but never before hoped for. Thank you, Eric.

If all the presidential hopefuls would be required to answer questions posed to them with a simple yes or no, we might have a better understanding of exactly what they stand for.

OUR VIEW: File a lawsuit and fix Fairhaven

That the family of a former Fairhaven High School student who was subjected to a twisted form of hazing and then essentially forced to flee his tormentors and enroll in private school should demand compensation from the town is not surprising.