Spread over seven G+4 buildings, Sandoval Apartments will include 57 studio apartments, 81 one bedroom apartments, 17 two bedroom apartments and 10 special duplex apartments. Additionally, the apartments ranging from 680 square feet - 2700 square feet will be sold at a highly value driven price bracket . The sale of apartments will be held at Al Murooj Rotana from December 14th to December 16th, 2007. Commenting on the launch of Sandoval Apartments Mr. Raymond Lefevre, Managing Director, Bavaria Gulf said:

>'Our previous launch of Sandoval Townhouses was a complete eye-opener for us. Though we had launched this project after studying the Dubai market and customer requirements for over two years we never expected such an overwhelming response. Sandoval Apartments once again follows our customer focused approach of providing high quality and functional yet luxurious and value driven realty concepts.

Ex-library official files suit

The former finance director of Sacramento's Public Library filed suit this week, saying he was wrongfully fired from that position after raising concerns about $650,000 in payments to a library staffer's company.

Arkansas Valley Ground Zero For Invasive Tamarisk

Unlike native cottonwood trees, the plants also spread to upland areas.Some stands of trees near John Martin Reservoir are up to 1.5 miles wide.The Tamarisk Coalition estimates water losses in the watershed from tamarisk, above and beyond what native vegetation would use, is 76,600 acre-feet per year, or about the same amount needed by Aurora each year.If the problem is not addressed, future water losses from "infilling" (no expansion from existing infested areas) alone are estimated to be 198,000 acre-feet per year, or enough for Pueblo, Colorado Springs and Aurora combined.The mapping and survey project estimated it would take $70 million to completely eradicate and restore the watershed."This goal is a daunting undertaking in itself for a watershed to accomplish," Van Pelt said. "The solution may lie in developing partnerships to achieve this gargantuan goal."There are several efforts in place to control tamarisk, including the statewide Tamarisk Coalition, which provides education and outreach on the threat.Pending state legislation proposes a Colorado Water Conservation Board grant program to provide $4 million over the next four years to cost share with federal, local and private funds for tamarisk restoration projects.Federal legislation was passed in October 2006 to assist in rectifying the tamarisk problem.In the Arkansas watershed, several groups have formed, including: Bent County Tamarisk Working Partners, Conservation Partners Conquer Tamarisk, Tackling Tamarisk on the Purgatoire, Upper Arkansas Regional Weed Management Cooperative, Bent's Fort Project and local landowner groups.The Southeastern district and Bent County have assembled a collaboration of partners to fund and develop the Arkansas River Watershed Invasive Plants Plan for the watershed.

Camp Fire Candy to brighten U.S. troops' day in spring

Samantha Valuikas, a home-schooled Edmond fifth-grader, used creativity to sell her Campfire Candy. She sent out e-mails to friends and family members asking them to purchase candy by the case to be donated to the troops. She even offered a 'prize' to the person who bought the most from her. She said she wanted to get second place in candy sales because the prize was an iPod. The first place prize was a Wii and she already had one."It is so special to be able to send Camp Fire candy to our troops serving overseas, but it was extra special last year, when some of the candy we shipped was received by someone we knew," said Guthrie resident Keri Rosebrook-Weuste, director of public relations and sales for Camp Fire USA Heart of Oklahoma CouncilSamantha's parents are Tony and Regina Valuikas.Hayden and Landen Hirzel and Adam Deter, all of Guthrie, are pictured on one of the Campfire Candy boxes this year.Hayden and Landen's parents are Kelly and Jason Hirzel and Adam's mother is Martha Deter."Last year my husband and I volunteered to be club leaders for our oldest son, Hayden's Pre-K Camp Fire Club.

Yale relaxes int’l travel restrictions

Students hoping to spend their summers studying in Bhutan, Burma or Bangladesh can now rest easy.

The new policy replaces one developed in 2003 under which University administrators identified dozens of countries to which Yale-sponsored travel by undergraduates might need to be restricted and then reassessed the list semiannually.

Sunday, February 24:

With Kucinich's Exit, Democratic Discourse is Diminished (6 comments) Kucinich never got much credit from the media or the other candidates. But he influenced the national debate for the better, and the race for the Democratic presidential nomination is diminished by his exit.

Outing of governor in Rezko case won't deepen already big hole

SPRINGFIELD — A federal judge's outing of Gov. Rod Blagojevich as “Public Official A" in a federal corruption case won't deepen the political hole the governor is already in, lawmakers and analysts said Tuesday.U.S. District Judge Amy J. St. Eve confirmed Monday it is Blagojevich who is referred to in court documents outlining Antoin “Tony" Rezko's allegedly corrupt practices. The real estate developer is accused of collecting millions of dollars in campaign funds for state politicians in exchange for seats on state boards and commissions.When the General Assembly convened Tuesday, lawmakers on both sides on the aisle were certainly aware of the news, but they hardly were shocked by it.“The problems the General Assembly has had with the governor have stemmed from the way he's governed, not from any of his personal problems," said state Rep.

Va. hookup thief released after pleading guilty Gay

A Richmond resident was sentenced to jail time Jan. 10 but released soon after for stealing money and credit cards from men he hooked up with in Arlington. Shawn Boyd, 36, was sentenced at the Arlington County General District Court to 12 months in jail and 10 months probation. Since he had already served jail time while awaiting his trial, he was released on the same day he was sentenced. Boyd served his time in the Arlington County Detention Facility. As part of a plea bargain, Boyd pleaded guilty to petty larceny and failure to appear in court in September 2005. Boyd stole a credit card from an Arlington resident on Feb. 15, 2005. He also stole less than $200 from another Arlington resident on March 19, 2005. Officer Loreann Grimes, team coordinator for the Arlington County Police Department’s Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit, said Boyd had been hooking up with men he met online and stealing their money and credit cards afterward.

Congressman: Rules dangerous for inshore fishermen

Gloucester, Mass.— New fishing regulations that will take effect next month underscore the need to change the national law that determines how new rules and restrictions are made, Congressman Barney Frank said.The new rules, called Framework 42, would count each day at sea in Massachusetts Bay and along the New Hampshire coast as two days and each trip between three and 71/2 hours as 15 hours. Frank said the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which controls how the nations fisheries are governed, should be modified significantly before it is renewed.If you get the right kind of Magnuson reauthorization bill, it would provide better science more flexibility to take into account the economic effects and conservation of the threatened species, said Peter Kovar, a spokesman for Frank.In particular, Frank said the double counting will be dangerous for fishermen in small boats who venture out of the patch of ocean where that clock is in effect to make more money.The overall reductions will make it even more difficult for our fishermen to make a living, and the differential counting will be especially harmful to the inshore fishing fleet because it will tend to increase safety risks for smaller vessels that may attempt to fish in more dangerous, offshore areas to avoid double counting, he said in a statement.Frank, whose district includes New Bedford, said the New England Fishery Management Council should have considered several proposals introduced by fishing industry advocates and local mayors, including Mayor John Bell and New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang, that would have set catch limits for threatened species without the 2-for-1 days at sea clock.I am disappointed that alternative proposals, put forward by people active in the industry that could have given much needed flexibility to this framework, were not formally considered, or else excluded from the final rules, Frank said.He and Congressman John Tierney, D-Mass., introduced a fishing reform bill in March that calls for more flexibility in the time lines given to rebuild weakened fish stocks and greater focus on the economic impact of fishery management plans on fishing communities.