Rodney debate reopens decades old political wounds
… as APNU/AFC Govt rejects 0M CoI reportThe profoundly entrenched political divide in Guyana among its people and politicians was laid bare in the hallowed Chambers of National Assembly over the course of an hours-long marathon debate which began on Thursday evening and concluded in the wee hours of Friday morning.The activity has since proven to be another failed attempt to bring closure to the 36-year-old enigma that has engulfed the June 13, 1980 bomb explosion that killed world renowned scholar, historian and political activist,Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil WilliamsDr Walter Rodney.People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Chief Whip Gail Teixeira, unsuccessfully piloted the motion which sought to have Government adopt the ‘Report and Findings’ of the Commission of Inquiry (C0I) – which had been initiated by former President Donald Ramotar, to inquire into the circumstances of the 1980 assassination of Dr Rodney.$400M report rejectedTeixeira’s motion was also looking to compel the coalition, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government to take measures to implement the recommendations emanating from the Commissioners in their report, “in order to ensure that the democratic architecture of the State is preserved and strengthened.”This however, did not obtain.In fact, Government rejected outright the findings of the $400 million CoI’s report.Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton ScotlandUsing its voting strength in the House, Government amended Teixeira’s motion to ‘acknowledge’ instead of ‘adopt’ the Commissioner’s report and findings.Government’s amendments, promulgated by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams, also modified the Opposition Chief Whip’s motion, to instead call on Government to examine the findings and recommendations in order to ascertain if any are acceptable to the administration and implementable.The tumultuous debate obtained in the chambers since Opposition matters took precedence in the order of business for Thursday’s sitting of the National Assembly.The debate commenced in earnest on Thursday evening shortly, after 20:00h but did not wind up until 15 presentations later and a vote taken at minutes to 04:00h Friday morning.Unfounded findingsConjecture, speculation and unfounded findings based on hearsay evidence were among some of the reasons proffered on behalf of Government speakers in their rejections of the findings of the report and as such could not support the motion in the form it was presented.Teixeira in presenting her arguments in support of her motion, said the fact that the Report of the CoI was before the House was a small victory for transparency and accountability and she was hopeful that the engagement in the would serve to give some sense of closure for the Rodney family.She espoused the merits of supporting such a motion in the National Assembly in an effort to right a wrong that had been perpetrated on the Rodney family, the WPA and the people of Guyana in general 36 years ago.WPA Executive, Dr Rupert RoopnarineWPA, PNC excludedFormer Attorney General Anil Nandlall, who spoke in support of his Chief Whip’s motion, also told the House that it was as a result of the entreaties of the Rodney family, particularly his wife, Dr Patricia Rodney, which triggered the CoI.Attorney General Basil Williams, in his contribution to the debate reminded the House that he was in fact a part of the CoI deliberations and had cross examined Dr Rodney’s wife specifically on that matter. He categorically dismissed the assertions made by the two Opposition speakers and relied on the verbatim records of the CoI where Dr Rodney’s wife had denied making any such requests of the Ramotar Administration.Who did it?Williams rehashed his arguments to the CoI for the House and again suggested that the PPP, at the time under the leadership of Dr Cheddi Jagan, did in fact also have motives for Dr Rodney’s removal from the political scene, since the WPA was poaching its members.The Attorney General lamented too that the CoI ignored the suggestion that the WPA itself or other external forces could have been involved in the plot to kill Dr Rodney.He was adamant that the Commissioners were in fact handed a task to do and had to arrive at the conclusionPPP/C Chief Whip, Gail Teixeirawhich it did.As far as Williams and Government speakers were concerned, the CoI did not bring any closure to the matter since the jury is still out on ‘who done it.’Williams in chiding the report, its findings and the Commissioners said “we cannot accept and support the motion as worded… we can’t adopt the report because we don’t accept the findings.”He suggested too that the recommendations offered by the Commissioners suggest that they might have been out of touch with reality since they are applicable to the situation 36 years ago and not 2016.Sgt Smith guiltyNandlall, in his presentation to the debate suggested that the CoI could have only come to one conclusion since it is an accepted fact that Dr Rodney did die at the hands of Guyana Defence Force Sergeant Gregory Smith.He later fled to neighbouring Cayenne (French Guiana), purportedly with the assistance of the State.The former Legal Affairs Minister was also quick to point out that if President David Granger and Government had that many reservations with regard the CoI, its Commissioners – jurists Sir Richard Cheltenham, Senior Counsel Seenauth Narine and Queen’s Counsel Jacqueline Samuels-Brown – and findings, he was well within his right to terminate the proceedings.Nandlall suggested that for President Granger to continue with the CoI, it meant that he inherently adopted it.He also sought to rubbish arguments proffered by some Government speakers that persons that could have supplied critical information to the inquiry were not allowed to testify.Nandlall said if this was the case, President Granger was free to intervene and have the witnesses recalled but this did not obtain.Convicted felonMinister of State Joseph Harmon in his presentation to the debate, criticised the former Administration for preventing witnesses from being called to testify despite the fact that they had been flown into the country and accommodated at tax payer’s expense.He singled out the then Crime Chief, Cecil “Skip” Roberts, former Army Chief Norman McLean and another person he identified as ‘Jomo the Nigerian’.In rubbishing the CoI report, Minister Harmon observed that it had relied heavily on the hearsay testimony of the convicted felon Robert Gates, whose credibility was highly questionable.He too sought to support his arguments by pointing to the extensive coverage afforded to the CoI using the State apparatus, including the shady multimillion-dollar arrangement with Shaun Samaroo, whose reports were biased, inflammatory and aimed at tarnishing reputations, according to Harmon.In dismissing the report, he said it failed to identify the intellectual authors of the assassination plot and further it also failed to provide any factual evidence in support of its conclusion that the Burnham Government had been at the heart of the plot to eliminate Dr Rodney.The CoI, he said, missed out on an opportunity to provide closure and moral answers to the 36-year-old mystery but nonetheless the Administration was prepared to accept some, if not all of the recommendations since many are similar to those emanating from an earlier Disciplined Services report.CoI report also ‘assassinated’General Secretary of the PPP Clement Rohee, in his signature spirited contribution to the debate, lamented the assertions cast by Government speakers and said the proceedings in the House was tantamount to an assassination of the CoI’s report.Rohee was of the opinion that it was distressing to listen to some of the presentations that were made to the Assembly against the motion. Cognisant of the fact that there are “not many around (still alive) today who can do so,” Rohee said, “what we witnessed here tonight (Thursday), is what I describe as an assassination of the truth.”Upbraided by Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland, over his use of the word assassination, Rohee remained steadfast in his position and suggested for the benefit of the Speaker and his insistence of the use of acceptable Parliamentary language that the “truth has been murdered,” by the Government speakers.Deep divisionsHe surmised in his presentation that the Commissioners arrived at the only logical conclusion in its report that Dr Rodney had been killed by a bomb delivered to him by Sergeant Smith, who was acting on the political directive of the State.Rohee suggested this to be the reason that the APNU/AFC Administration – of which the PNC forms the largest bloc – was having difficulties in accepting the findings and the recommendations and in an attempt to rubbish it, moved its own amendments.According to the PPP stalwart, the debate in the House illustrated that “it is clear that there is a division in the House on this matter of national importance and significance.”Rohee maintains that the findings in the report are obviously damaging to the current Administration and by logical extension, they have to reject it, “that is the only logical conclusion one can draw.”Nagamootoo’s about-facePrime Minister Moses Nagamootoo was the first Government speaker to reject the motion saying all were in pursuit of the truth but this must be accomplished on the basis of credible evidence.He queried whether this was accomplished by the CoI.Nagamootoo’s presentation was however tainted in large part by the persistent heckling emanating from his former colleagues in the PPP.Throughout the Prime Minister’s presentation he was being accused of making an about-face on the matter of Rodney’s death and Burnham’s guilt.The House heard in no uncertain terms that Nagamootoo had been at the forefront of blaming the then President Burnham for Dr Rodney’s death.The House was reminded that the former PPP strong-man had led a procession following Dr Rodney’s death along with Working People’s Alliance members, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine and Professor Clive Thomas, among others and was chanting slogans to the effect that Burnham bore responsibility for Dr Rodney’s death.He was ridiculed for refusing to embrace this position during the course of the debate since he would have left the PPP and joined forces with the PNC through APNU.Dr Rupert RoopnaraineWPA Executive Member and Education Minister for the APNU/AFC Government, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, another of the political stalwarts who over the years accused the Burnham Administration of murdering Dr Rodney, also stayed clear of repeating this allegation during the course of the debate.He instead, during is unusually brief presentation, chronicled some of the key events that would have occurred over the years relative to Dr Rodney’s death and the investigation.He recalled incidents such as an unsuccessful request of the French Government to have Sergeant Smith extradited from Cayenne.By the time the matter was ready for a vote, the initial optimism expressed by the mover of the motion – Teixeira – had been tempered significantly.According to the veteran politician, the nation is currently even more divided than it was in 1980 when Dr Rodney was assassinated and this was brought to bear through the course of the debate.Teixeira lamented the various levels of ‘misinformation’ that had been disseminated to the House by Government speakers.She sought to rubbish claims made which suggested that the CoI had been established strategically ahead of the 2015 Regional and General Elections.Connections labyrinthAccording to Teixeira, at the time the CoI was conceived in February 2014, there was no discussions within her party relative to any elections, since the PPP had resigned itself to a 2017 General Elections.She called many of the suppositions offered by Government speakers as merely smokescreens.Teixeira refuted Attorney General Williams’ theories that the WPA and PPP might have been involved in Dr Rodney’s death since it was impossible for either of the parties to be in possession of the explosive ordinances and telecommunications device used against Dr Rodney.She said the two parties were in Opposition at the time and did not have any access to such devices.The labyrinth of connections between the death of Dr Rodney and the Burnham Administration cannot be explained away in any other way except to conclude the involvement of the PNC, according to Teixeira.“I know this commission report hurts you, it hurts you bad,” blurted Teixeira.According to the PPP/C Chief Whip, based on all of the evidence provided over the years, it is clear that it would be improbable, if not impossible, for any other body other than the State to have successfully accomplished the assassination plot.Other speakers to the debate which punctuated by bouts of raucous heckling and verbal jousting included PPP/C Members of Parliament Neendkumar, Colonel Damon and Komal Chand while other Government contributors included Junior Public Works Minister Annette Ferguson.Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland was forced to intervene throughout the course of the debate in an attempt to maintain decorum during the emotive affair.
We have a couple of school bus cancelations to report this morning.The route 6 or Mrs. Wiebe’s bus for Upper Pine School has been canceled today along with Mrs. Schubert’s bus that runs to Charlie Lake Elementary School. We are also getting reports from parents in Taylor that Marlene Bigcharles bus is cancelled along with Mrs. Cassidy’s bus.If we hear of any other cancelations we will pass them along. You can also listen to 100.1 Moose FM for more.- Advertisement -If you hear of any other cancelations, send us an e-mail contact@energeticcity-beta.mystagingwebsite.com
Photo: A fully-loaded transport truck came within feet of a Boston Pizza Restaurant off of Highway 16./Submitted by RCMP RCMP and Commercial Vehicle Safety Inspectors are investigating the incident. – Advertisement -Prince George RCMP are investigating after a transport tractor trailer narrowly avoided crashing into a Boston Pizza.Police say they received a call on Thursday just after 1 p.m. local time that the driver of the tractor trailer had lost control.When police arrived, they say they found a fully loaded chip truck just feet from the restaurant. They say it appears the driver wasn’t able to use the brakes while travelling down the Peden Hill on Highway 16.The driver then drove the truck over a meridian so as to avoid crashing into other vehicles.Police say no one was hurt in the incident and no other vehicles were involved.Advertisement
BAGHDAD – Mortar rounds hammered the U.S.-controlled Green Zone for a second day Wednesday, killing at least two people, wounding about 10 more and raising new fears for the safety of workers at the nerve center of the American mission in Iraq. About a dozen shells crashed into the 3.5-square-mile area of central Baghdad about 4 p.m., sending terrified pedestrians racing for the safety of concrete bunkers. Motorists abandoned their cars and sprinted for cover. Sirens wailed and loudspeakers warned people to seek safety. No American casualties were reported, and the two dead as well as most of the wounded were Iraqis, U.S. Embassy spokesman Lou Fintor said. “When they launch these type of weapons systems, they launch from populated areas, around civilians and in built-up areas,” Brig. Gen. Perry Wiggins, deputy director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Pentagon press briefing. U.S. officials would not comment on damage in Wednesday’s attack, citing security. However, the U.S. Institute of Peace said its office suffered “significant” shrapnel damage though there were no casualties among its staff. The institute sponsored the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, which outlined a plan last December for the withdrawal of most U.S. combat troops by early 2008. Nine people were wounded in a rocket attack Tuesday, and four Asian contractors were killed in a barrage May 3. State Department spokesman Tom Casey downplayed the latest attack, saying “it’s been part of the operating environment for our officials there, as well as for other people working there.” “This is something, unfortunately, that has been a factor and a safety concern for our people since the beginning,” he said. “But certainly we are always looking at what we can do to better protect our staff and our facilities.” Nevertheless, the recent increase in attacks has raised alarm among American staffers living and working in what had been considered an oasis of safety in the turbulent Iraqi capital. This month, the U.S. Embassy ordered diplomats to wear flak jackets and helmets while outdoors or in unprotected buildings.160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! An Iraqi security officer said one of the dead was a driver for the staff of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose office is in the Green Zone. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not supposed to release the information. Both the intensity and skill of the attack were noteworthy. The shells, believed to be 122mm, exploded in rapid succession over about a three-minute period. The blasts were relatively close to one another, suggesting an experienced mortar crew using more than one launcher. It was unclear whether the rounds were fired by Sunni or Shiite extremists. Both groups operate in areas of the city within rocket and mortar range of the secured complex despite the ongoing Baghdad security crackdown. Mortar and rocket crews can set up their weapons quickly on the beds of trucks or in parts of the city with limited surveillance, fire their rounds and flee before U.S. and Iraqi forces can respond. 
In the other group fixture, Saudi Arabia winger Salem Al-Dawsari scored a last-gasp winner as Mohamed Salah’s Egypt suffered a 2-1 loss in their Group A dead rubber in Volgograd.The 45-year-old Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary became the oldest player in World Cup history and saved the first of two controversial penalties after Salah had opened the scoring, with Salman Al-Faraj equalising from the second spot-kick, before Al-Dawsari had the final say.In Samara, Russia were reduced to 10 men after 36 minutes when right-back Igor Smolnikov was sent off for two yellow cards in a match that will be a reality check for a team that easily won its first two matches.This is the first time Uruguay have won all three group games at a World Cup finals.The South Americans will play their last-16 tie in Sochi this Saturday against the Group B runners-up, either Spain, Portugal or Iran.Russia, who had sealed their spot for the last 16 before the match, will have the consolation of a day’s extra rest and huge support at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium when they face the Group B winners on Sunday.Uruguay stamped their authority early in the group decider.When Russian midfielder Iury Gazinsky fouled Rodrigo Bentancur on the edge of the area, Suarez expertly placed the direct free-kick in the gap between the out-stretched glove of Russia’s goalkeeper and the post on 10 minutes.Uruguay doubled their lead when Diego Laxalt’s shot took a wicked deflection off the leg of defender Cheryshev and flew past the despairing Akinfeev on 23 minutes.Uruguay’s forward Luis Suarez (L) celebrates and Russia’s goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev (R) reacts after Uruguay’s second goal scored by Uruguay’s defender Diego Laxalt during the Russia 2018 World Cup Group A football match between Uruguay and Russia at the Samara Arena in Samara on June 25, 2018.It was heart-breaking for Cheryshev, who scored twice in the 5-0 trouncing of Saudi Arabia in the opening game.– Russia kept battling –To compound Russia’s problems, Smolnikov was sent off after scything down Laxalt just eight minutes after his first booking.Smolnikov, one of three changes from the team which enjoyed a 3-1 win over Egypt, was on the verge of tears as he trudged off with the home crowd stunned into near silence.Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov responded by taking Cheryshev off and slotting Brazilian-born Mario Fernandes into the vacant right-back berth.Despite the numerical disadvantage, Russia had opportunities to get back in the game as they kept battling.With 20 minutes remaining, the video assistant referee turned down Russian appeals for a penalty after Artem Dzyuba appeared to be elbowed in the face by Diego Godin.Moments later, a badly-hit clearance kick by Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera was snapped up by the Russians and Dzyuba fired just over the bar from 14 metres out.Cavani sealed the win on 90 minutes by tapping home the rebound, after Akinfeev had parried Godin’s header.-Saudi break Egyptian heartsThings didn’t go too well for Salah and Egypt in Volgograd as Saudi Arabia scored deep into stoppage time in both halves, with Salem Al-Dawsari’s last-gasp winner securing their first World Cup victory since a run to the last 16 in 1994.Egypt still have not recorded a World Cup finals win in three appearances, despite the Liverpool talisman’s superb opening goal.El Hadary, 45, made an incredible penalty save but was powerless to keep out a second spot-kickEl Hadary was 45 years and 161 days old when he took to the field as the two already-eliminated teams in Group A played only for pride.He smashed the age record set by Colombia goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon, who was aged 43 years and three days when he played against Japan in Brazil in 2014.Salah was named in the starting line-up as expected and thrilled an Egyptian-dominated crowd of 36,823 by opening the scoring in trademark fashion after 22 minutes.The 26-year-old controlled a long ball over the top with one touch of his left boot at pace and did not break stride before lobbing a deft finish with the same foot over the onrushing goalkeeper Yasser Al-Mosailem.Salah at least had the consolation of scoring Egypt’s first goal from open play at the World Cup since May 27, 1934, when Abdulrahman Fawzi netted in a 4-2 defeat by Hungary.The Egyptians were still clinging onto their lead when the Saudis were awarded a controversial second penalty deep into first-half stoppage time as Fahad appeared to pull the shirt of the covering Ali Gabr before going down in a heap.But after a VAR-induced review that took almost five minutes to complete, Colombian referee Wilmar Roldan decided to stick with his original decision.It was second time lucky from the spot as Salman Al-Faraj took responsibilty from 12 yards and El Hadary could not repeat his heroics as the first-half clock ticked past 51 minutes.El Hadary made his debut for Egypt in 1996, a year before his Egyptian teammate Ramadan Sobhi was born.He is older than three coaches at Russia 2018 — Roberto Martinez of Belgium, Serbia’s Mladen Krstajic and Aliou Cisse of Senegal.The Pharoahs captain lived up to his nickname of “High Dam” with two stunning saves from headers in the second half.But in the fifth minute of second-half injury-time, Al-Dawsari popped up in the box to beat El Hadary with the last kick of the match and secure a famous Saudi win.0Shares0000(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today) 0Shares0000Uruguay’s Edinson Cavani and Diego Godin celebrate one of their goals against hosts Russia in a Group A match in Samara on June 25, 20`8. PHOTO/FIFASAMARA, Russia, Jun 25- Uruguay beat 10-man Russia 3-0 on Monday to top World Cup Group A with three wins out of three as the host nation qualified for the next round in second place.Luis Suarez opened the scoring in the 10th minute and the South Americans extended their lead with the help of a Denis Cheryshev own goal midway through the first half. Edinson Cavani added a late third.
“Tunisian coach Nabil Maaloul (will be) the new technical manager of the football team,” said Al Duhail in a statement.The club added that Maaloul was already on his way to Austria to meet players at a pre-season training camp.The Tunisian football federation announced earlier they had agreed to a request from Maaloul to end his contract following an offer from Al Duhail.Maaloul led Tunisia to their first World Cup since 2006 when they qualified for Russia.Tunisia won one game and came third in a group containing both beaten semi-finalists, Belgium and England.Maaloul had been in charge of the national side since April 2017.Al Duhail beat Xavi Hernandez’s Al Sadd to the Qatari league title last season and are in the last eight of the AFC Champions League, which resumes next month.They were formerly known as Lekhwiya but last season the club was merged with El Jaish to form Al Duhail.Maaloul was the coach of El Jaish, back in 2014.Qatar’s domestic season starts on August 4.0Shares0000(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today) 0Shares0000Tunisia’s World Cup coach Nabil Maaloul has been appointed as coach of Qatari league champions Al Duhail. © AFP/File / JACK GUEZDOHA, Qatar, Jul 12 – Tunisia’s World Cup coach Nabil Maaloul has been appointed as coach of Qatari league champions Al Duhail, the club announced on Thursday.Maaloul, who turns 56 later this month, takes over from Djamel Belmadi, who quit and is widely expected to be appointed coach of the Algerian national team.
I remember the Whittier/Narrows quake very well. It was at approximately 7:45 in the morning. At the time, I was a back office dental assistant working for Dr. John Lehman (now retired) in Whittier. I had arrived at the office before anyone else and was setting up for our first patient when the trembling started. In the four procedure rooms there was floor-to-ceiling glass, so it was quite scary. I ran out and just stood in the center hallway shaking as much as the quake was shaking the building. But my most memorable moment was later that morning or sometime that day, there was a large aftershock and I was taking X-rays on a patient. I had already placed the X-ray in her mouth and lined up the X-ray machine against her cheek when it hit. I ran out and stood in that stupid center hallway again, leaving the patient with the X-ray still in her mouth. Fortunately she was a good sport about it, as was my boss. 160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set!
160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! VIENNA, Austria – Iran must “confess” to running a past nuclear weapons program or its claims of cooperating with a U.N. investigation will not be credible, the chief U.S. envoy to the U.N. atomic watchdog agency said Friday. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, meanwhile, said in Washington that if Iran wants U.N. sanctions lifted and avoid new ones, it must halt uranium enrichment and related activities that could make the ingredients for an atomic bomb. If Iran complies, Rice said she was “prepared to meet my (Iranian) counterpart any place and anytime and anywhere, and we can talk about anything.” But “as long as the Iranians are talking and practicing enrichment, we’re not getting anywhere,” she said. Iran says it needs an enrichment program to produce fuel for power plants, but Washington says it is part of its ultimate drive to possess nuclear weapons. Low enriched uranium generates power, but highly enriched, it has no use other than for fissile payloads of nuclear warheads. Gregory L. Schulte, the chief U.S. delegate to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, said Iran’s refusal to suspend enrichment “violates Security Council resolutions and casts doubt on its leaders’ ultimate intent.” “Iran is already a danger in the Middle East,” Schulte said. “That danger only increases as Iran’s leaders shorten the timeline to produce nuclear weapons.” The IAEA has been investigating Iran’s nuclear programs since revelations in 2003 that the country had conducted nearly two decades of secret atomic activities, including developing enrichment and working on experiments that could be linked to a weapons program. A recently published U.S. intelligence assessment concluded that in the same year, Iran stopped direct work on creating nuclear arms.
LOS ANGELES – Weeks before the original Napster shut down for good in 2001, Internet users were flocking to alternative song-swapping programs. Nearly 20 million people used Morpheus in its first four months, for example, to trade music and other files for free online. But the man behind Morpheus was worried. Michael Weiss figured popularity could bring its own perils. As he feared, the notoriety led Hollywood studios and recording companies to sue Weiss’ StreamCast Inc. for copyright infringement. It was part of the entertainment industry’s wider effort to contain Morpheus and other Napster clones such as Kazaa and Grokster from taking up where Napster left off. Now, like Napster founder Shawn Fanning before them, Weiss and other file-sharing barons are facing their own day of reckoning after a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision last summer. Such capitulation was once unheard of among the file-sharing operators who lobbied against Hollywood and the recording industry. They billed themselves as defenders of technological innovation who shouldn’t be held liable because some people used their software for piracy. But the high court’s ruling in June opened file-sharing operators to potential liability – something the entertainment industry underscored when it sent notices to seven file-sharing software operators in September warning them to shut down or prepare for court. Companies behind once-popular file-swapping programs like i2hub and WinMX shut down after receiving the notice. LimeWire, BearShare and others also put on notice have yet to make their decisions public. Separately, an Australian court ordered Sharman Networks Ltd., which distributes Kazaa, to ensure that new versions of the software filter out unlicensed copyright material. Still, the amount of file-sharing has continued to increase since the days of Napster, and that’s not likely to change much, said Eric Garland, chief executive of BigChampagne LLC, which tracks activity on file-sharing networks. “These Web sites and these businesses were shut down but it doesn’t shut down the software, it doesn’t shut down the (file-sharing) networks,” Garland said. “The open-source community will continue to build new, uncensored versions.” Mitch Bainwol, head of the music industry trade group Recording Industry Association of America, concedes some file-sharers will find other means of obtaining pirated music online. “There will always be new technological challenges,” Bainwol said. But he noted a sea change since Napster fell: Propelled by the success of Apple Computer Inc.’s iTunes Music Store, young music fans now have more legal options for obtaining music in digital form than they did back in 2001. Ultimately, the entertainment companies are banking that the new-look file-swapping services that emerge from the ashes of Napster’s heirs will draw computer users away from illegal services. To persevere, file-sharing providers that seek to steer clear of copyright lawsuits will have to hope for the same. “I don’t think anybody wants to see a replay of what happened to the entertainment industry when Napster shut down,” Weiss said. “The company or companies that find the most effective method for transforming downloaders into consumers will be the biggest winners in 2006.” So far, iMesh has been the only to complete the transition from being sued by the recording industry to relaunching as a new service with the music labels’ seal of approval. But others are hoping to follow. Rosso’s new industry-blessed file-sharing venture, Mashboxx, has been in the works for more than a year and is now expected to launch in early 2006. Grokster settled its long-running copyright lawsuit for $50 million and is slated to re-emerge as a licensed service, while executives at MetaMachine Inc.’s eDonkey have also opted to transform. “We’re going to go legit,” said chief executive Sam Yagan. “The eDonkey of the future will be very much different from what it has been and will be largely dictated by what the recording industry wants.” Rosso, Weiss and other file-sharing proponents insist that over the years, they have sought the recording industry’s blessing in one form or another. But such offers were often rejected by major labels that saw the unfettered sharing of their artists’ songs as unacceptable. “We were always in the background trying to get licenses and in those days we would get one of two responses – either, ‘We’re not going to reward pirates,’ or ‘Shut down, and we’ll talk about it,”‘ Rosso said. Still, despite millions of dollars in legal costs and often public acrimony between music companies and file-sharing executives, people on both sides are playing up the spirit of cooperation. “For most of the participants in this drama, this isn’t about personal relationships. It’s about our ability to sustain a marketplace,” Bainwol said. “Those folks that are helping to power this transition are doing the right thing.” 160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MORECoach Doc Rivers a “fan” from way back of Jazz’s Jordan Clarkson Over the last four months, several Napster heirs have shut down and others are contemplating what they once couldn’t abide – doing business by the entertainment industry’s rules to survive. “We can take a look at another four years of legal battles and spending millions of dollars on both sides, (but) is that where I want to spend the next four years of my life?” said Weiss, 53. “It’s better to focus the company’s energy on creating new technologies.” StreamCast hasn’t shut down Morpheus, but the company recently approached the entertainment industry to pursue talks about settling a lawsuit against the company, according to court documents. Wayne Rosso, who built a reputation criticizing the recording industry as head of Grokster Ltd., is also pursuing a decidedly more cordial relationship with music labels as he prepares to launch a copyright-friendly file-sharing service. “It’s pretty clear who won,” Rosso said. “We always knew that this free trading of all this copyright material couldn’t go on. It just wouldn’t work.” 
160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! Also at the event will be Oak Park (6-7) vs. Alemany of Mission Hills (8-5) at 3:30 p.m. and last year’s City Finalist Chatsworth (7-7) against Chaminade of West Hills (8-9) at 5 p.m. -Justin Frank AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREGift Box shows no rust in San Antonio Stakes win at Santa Anita
Taylor Lilley and the top-ranked Hart of Newhall girls’ basketball (12-4) team will attempt to rebound from a shocking 54-53 loss to Burroughs of Burbank on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. against Michelle Clark and Oaks Christian of Westlake Village (8-7) as part of the New Year’s Ball at Moorpark College on Saturday. Indira Kaljo and Montclair Prep of Panorama City (14-2) will play Grant of Van Nuys (7-7) in the first game at 12:30 p.m., followed by Valencia and Louisville of Woodland Hills at 2 p.m. 