| City's new shuttle under fire
Hollywood beach's new HOT Express shuttle service may have put city officials in hot water just days after it picked up its first passenger. The city's beach Community Redevelopment Agency could get in legal trouble because the new bus service doesn't have ramps or lifts for wheelchairs -- a blatant violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act. The city is in the midst of making $1.6 million in ADA-required improvements to city facilities as a result of a settlement with a resident who sued in 2000 over multiple ADA violations. City commissioners, acting as the CRA board, approved the shuttle Jan. 16. The HOT Express started Thursday and at least one complaint has been reported. The bus service is a 12-week pilot program that transports guests at certain hotels on the beach to dining and entertainment spots in the city.
Outgoing Saudi Ambassador speaks of diplomacy
The Sept. 11 attacks caused a rift in the long, storied relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States, said the Saudi Arabia outgoing ambassador to the United States in the 147th Landon Lecture Friday in McCain Auditorium.
Prince Turki al-Faisal said the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States dates back to Saudi King Abdul Aziz and U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt.
After the discovery of oil in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia was inundated with offers to deal for oil from many world powers including England and France. But the kingdom of Saudi Arabia chose to deal with the United States, due to the lack of U.S. colonialism, al-Faisal said.
Roosevelt and Aziz became friends and wrote letters to each other, beginning a long history with the United States.
DAILY POST YOUR VOICE IN WALES: Fault Lies in Transport System
THERE is nothing much new in the report going before the Welsh Ambulance Trust today - except that since it was commissioned in 2005 a small glimmer of light has appeared at the end of the tunnel. For decades, ambulances in most health authorities were divided into those which were "emergency" vehicles, double-manned by highly qualified staff and equipped to deal with life-threatening incidents' and minibus-type vans with a sole driver, which essentially provided a free taxi service for outpatients capable of walking unaided or with the minimum of assistance. Some specialist vehicles were also equipped with lifts for patients in wheelchairs. These "non-emergency" ambulances were never available for responding to medical emergencies unless they happened to be crewed by fully qualified staff, in which case they could render some aid in the interim.
Health briefs
Holistic fairMore than 100 professionals in the fields of holistic medicine and alternative practice will be on hand at the Northeastern Holistic Health Fair Jan. 27, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Jan. 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Salaam Shriners Center, 369 E. Mount Pleasant Ave., Livingston. The fair will also feature swing music by Joe Licari on clarinet and Larry Weiss on piano, a display of hand-made pottery and an art exhibit by surrealist artist Jay Hoffman. For more information, call fair coordinator Dara Winters at (201) 230-5927. People's Pharmacy Joe and Terry Graedon, authors of the syndicated newspaper column "The People's Pharmacy" and hosts of a radio show of the same name, offer simple remedies for heartburn caused by too many goodies and rich foods in their new book, "Best Choices from the People's Pharmacy." Among their suggestions: Chew gum for heartburn.
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