This year’s committee has been working for nearly a year solidifying plans.

Committee member Sandy Dean said that a lot of planning, work and fun has gone into the tour.

The Dec. 5 event will feature live entertainment and, perhaps, some surprises, tiffany as well.

“A lot of the houses will have live entertainment,” Dean said. “There will be a live nativity at one of the homes.”

The entertainment aspect won’t be confined to the houses — carolers from various churches will be wandering the Brunswick historic district with Yuletide selections.

Committee members including Dean, Marijane Lawson, Toni Clark and Marilyn Houser, said that the featured homes will be decorated for the Christmas season and will provide people with hints for doing their own holiday decorating, as well as provide a glimpse into the past lifestyles of Brunswick residents.

“We want to bring people into Old Town,” said Clark.

A variety of architectural and interior styles will be highlighted.

“Most of the homes are within walking distance; the farthest one is the McGarvey House (1705 Reynolds St.),” Clark said.

There are eight sites on the tour, including five private homes, two bed and breakfast inns and the First Presbyterian Church of Brunswick.

Matthew Hill and Jack Waters, who own the Watershill Bed and Breakfast on Union Street silver bangles, are beginning to unearth their Christmas decorations, which include twin vintage Santa figurines that were “reunited” after many years apart.

Hill and Waters are encouraging people who want to hear the rest of the story to participate in the tour.

Their home, at 728 Union St., Brunswick, is a folk Victorian that was built sometime between 1860 and 1870.

“City Hall burned, so we don’t have the exact records,” Waters said, explaining that he and Hill had researched cemetery records and other sources to determine an approximate construction date.

Watershill has been featured in a home tour before, but never at Christmas, Waters said.

“It’s been at least 10 years since we’ve done one (a home tour),” he said.

The tour will begin at 1 p.m. Dec. 5, and is being held the same day as the Brunswick Christmas Parade, which begins at 10 a.m.

“All of the houses are around 100 years old,” Dean said. “And, the Presbyterian Church is one of the silver rings oldest in Brunswick.”

Tickets are available at several locations in the area, but if tour-goers wait until the day of the event, they will be available only at Old City Hall, Brunswick, where there will also be baked goods, cookbooks and crafts available for purchase.

Stops on the home tour include:

–1705 Reynolds St., The McGarvey House. This is an example of exotic revival architecture, due to its Moorish influence. It is thought to be the best example of carpenter gothic in the state. Owners: Mark and Yvonne Buss.

–1127 Union St., The Tupper House. It was built in the Queen Ann style in 1901 for Capt. Tupper, who was a harbor pilot and tug boat captain. Owners: Greg and Sandy Dean.

–1105 Union St., First Presbyterian Church. The building, constructed in 1867m provides one of the few examples of Gothic revival style buildings in the South. Pastor: The Rev. Dawn Mayes.

–503 George St. Early records for this Greek revival style house are lost, but the homeowners found a note stating the house was built in 1880. A previous owner collected chandeliers and many of them exist in the house. The claw foot bathtubs in all the bathrooms are original to the house and have been restored. Owner: Arlene Bolt.

–711 George St., The Story Book House. Built in 1923 for Hope Strong, the daughter of Judge Daniel Webster Krauss, this Provincial revivalist house is in a style popular with veterans returning from World War I in Europe, where they fell in love with quaint European country homes. Owner: GuyNel Johnson

–825 Egmont St., Brunswick Manor, also known as the Maj. Downing House. This house was built in 1886 silver bracelets by John Baumgartner for Maj. Columbia Downing. The 6,500-square-foot Queen Ann style home was designed by Alfred S. Eichberg, who also designed Old City Hall. Owners: Jay Anderson and Stacy Bass.

–707 Dartmouth St., The Spencer House. Built between 1895 to 1905 in a Victorian stick style, in a “T” with one gable facing the street, this house is one of six built by one builder facing Union and Dartmouth streets. It may have been built as a “spec” house. Owners: Jerry and Nora Sue Spencer.

–728 Union St. What is now Watershill Bed and Breakfast was built about 1872. This classic folk Victorian was built by Lorenzo and Marietta Oldham, and features a rocking chair porch, two parlors and embellishments such as antique chandeliers and a secret room. Owners: Matthew Hill and Jack Waters.

–824 Union St., The Carriage House. It was built about 1910 for Frank D.M. Strachan as part of his home at 822 Union St. The home was built in a mix of architectural designs, which was common during the 1910 era. Strachan used the carriage house to store his vehicles and as quarters for his servants. Owners: Joe and Marijane Lawson.

If you go

The Historic Brunswick Tour of Homes will be from 1 to 6 p.m. Dec. 5. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 the day of the tour. Group tickets for 10 or more are available for $17 each, in advance.

Ticket outlets are:

–Brunswick — Daddy Cate’s, 302 Gloucester St.; Hattie’s Bookstore, 1531 Newcastle St.; Antiques Etc., 1601 Newcastle St., and Color Me Happy, 1426 Newcastle St.

–Jekyll Island — Jekyll Island Pharmacy, 16 North Beachview Drive, and Jekyll Books, 101 Plantation silver cufflinks Road.

–St. Simons Island — Fox’s Pizza Den, 249 Retreat Village, and Go Fish, 203 Mallery St.

–Darien — Chamber of Commerce, 1111 Magnolia Bluff Way, and Sail Fish Inn, 203 Broad St.

At times, it was chaos.

But it was for a cause.

As a part of the church’s Awana gatherings, children assembled boxes of toys and goods to send to less fortunate children around the world.

The project is called Operation christmas gift Child.

Since 1993, the organization reports nearly 69 million boys and girls in more than 130 countries received the boxed gifts.

In 2008, nearly 8 million shoe box gifts were collected in the United States and other sending nations.

Jerome Greene, Awana commander, said Bible Christian Church has been involved in Operation Christmas Child for five years.

“Every year, they’ve got new ideas,” Greene said.

He said the boxes used to be shoe boxes, but because of the durability and usability of plastic boxes, the organization has made the switch.

“The kids can keep using the plastic boxes longer than the shoe boxes silver cufflinks,” Greene said.

Greene said the object of the project is to make children feel the joy of giving, not just receiving presents, during the holidays.

It’s something people forget, he said.

“It’s a way for us to give something in the U.S., where things are plentiful, to help those who are less fortunate,” he said.

The boxes are filled with toys, school supplies and necessity items, then taken to drop-off locations around the country.

Children, parents, volunteers and anyone involved provided the items for the boxes silver money clips. The items are in three categories: hygienic items, school supplies, and “fun stuff,” Greene said.

Greene said that during November, Bible Christian Church focuses on missions and sponsors a couple of area families for Christmas.

Moses Rodriguez, 7, packed a box for a boy Wednesday night at the church. He said he wasn’t sure where this particular box would go.

But he thought “someone without a house” would be receiving it.

Riley Methenny, 6, said she was packing a box for a girl.

“It’s going to people who don’t have presents on Christmas,” she said.

Last year, the church sent 48 boxes, and this year it will be sending 57.

The boxes are being collected at Family Bookhouse, 519 N. Main St. Semi trucks then will haul the boxes to Denver, one of six regional centers in the country, where volunteers inspect the boxes and pack them into cartons. The boxes are then shipped around the world.

Joan Lobmeyer, co-owner of Family Bookhouse, said the store has collected 217 boxes so silver pendants far from various churches and organizations, as well as a few individuals.

Last year Family Bookhouse collected 692 boxes.

“We’re hoping for more, but it’s up to the people,” Lobmeyer said.

The last day to drop off boxes is Monday, Nov. 23, before noon.

Family Bookhouse hours are Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The store will be open Sunday, Nov. 22, from 1 to 4 p.m. for collections.

There’s no doubt that Selfridges and Christmas go together. For exactly 100 years, the Oxford Street institution has been a yearround focus for window shoppers, but the festive season is the bighitter. On a regular day, 125,000 people will see a Selfridges window, but you can add 30 percent to that estimate at Christmas. “People still bring their families to see them,” says Bruno Barba from the marketing team, which works closely with the display department. “Selfridges windows have been a draw from the start.”

When Harry Gordon SeI fridge brought his fresh new department store concept over from Chicago in 1909, he brought with him not just a new form of shopping, but the American way of celebrating Christmas. Those new traditions were so taken to heart by the English that many of us now believe they’re home-grown.

Every inch of the shop was decorated for the celebrations that first Selfridges Christmas silver bangles in London. Customers were given mince pies, choirs sang, Father Christmas distributed gifts and the staff got a bonus, plus a card from Mr. Selfridge himself. The “information bureau” offered a gift advice service and the store’s own “supermodel,” Gloria, ran men-only shopping sessions on what to buy for wives, mothers and difficult aunts.

But it was the windows that were the real draw. From the very beginning, Gordon Selfridge, a natural risk taker, had been more interested in creating a buzz than shoving as many products in to the window as possible. His firstever window display didn’t feature any goods at all. The blinds lifted to reveal windows inspired by the fabulous paintings of Watteau and Fragonard (perhaps a link between the store and the Wallace Collection, which had opened just nine years earlier a street away?) “The thinking was,” says Barba, “people would say ‘This is so beautiful that inside the store it must be even better!’” Selfridge was also the first shop owner to leave the window lights on after the store closed – to the shock, then emulation, of his commercial contemporaries.

The freedom to experiment remains with the company today, and has resulted in some controversial window designs – not least a live naked model in 2008 (for a very limited period only). And a set of five panes at the west end of the store has recently been defined as “Wonder Windows.” These work independently from the normal displays, as works of art in their own right. Often they feature famous or hip new artists creating staggering showcases a combination of retail haven and art gallery.

“It’s never one person that comes up with all the ideas,” says Rebecca Bateman. “It’s always silver rings a collective decision. We set a theme, something we do for every project, though more people get involved at Christmas. We look at the catwalk shows, what’s happening around town – and what people are talking about.” Even when a traditional theme is chosen, the team is encouraged to find ways of subverting expectations, as Father Christmas discovered last year.

People had missed the jolly old man in the red suit, and there was huge rejoicing when his famous grotto returned in-store in 2006 (though sadly there was no sign of his cheery friend from the 1930s and 40s, the bewhiskered Uncle Holly). With a Santa Express train ride last year, it seemed a mere formality to bring him back to the windows for 2008 in a spectacular called The More The Merrier. “We used layers and abundance,” Bateman continues, “but as usual we wanted to tum traditions on their heads. We don’t actively realize we are doing it; it’s just ingrained in us.”

Bruno Barba chuckles. “We fancied him as a ‘naughty Santa’ a single man about town.” The finished windows depicted a neontinged Santa enjoying London’s great contemporary tourist sights, though the one everyone remembers is him travelling on the London Underground and getting his enormous belly stuck in some closing tube doors.

Selfridges’ Christmas is the Forth Bridge of Window Design. Almost as soon as the blinds go up on one year’s Christmas display, the team of 12 sits down to look at the next year’s extravaganza. At this stage, there are many fingers in the pie – a lot of people in a lot of departments want their say.

The team is divided into three groups. Creative works out the practicalities of concepts, Production silver bracelets turns those ideas into reality and Styling adds the finishing touches. More money is spent on Christmas than any of the other displays throughout the year, though no one will admit exactly how much it all costs. “A lot,” is the best I can get from Bruno Barba. There are no short cuts to be taken either – whereas displays during the rest of the year go “on tour” to Manchester and Birmingham, the Christmas windows are the same in every branch simultaneously.

Even during the five other window promotions each year, one eye is always kept on The Big One. Once the theme is decided upon, the team collects images and ideas together and creates a template-pack to be used as inspiration. The theme will run throughout the store. In-store visualiser Michael Ryley creates mock-ups of the windows using a variety of graphics packages that could be taken for photographs of the real thing. By June or July the basics are finalized, and the main work starts, taking around three months to produce a masterpiece. At the same time, rather more mundane-sounding boxes need to be checked. “We have to book-out from stock any products we’ll be displaying, so that we can ensure they will be available,” says Rebecca Bateman.

In the past there was a vast in-house workshop in the subbasement of the store, responsible for wonders such as the iconic 1948 Carnival Christmas. The displays were so famous they were even turned into collectable postcards. “We outsource most of the jobs these days,” says Bateman, “though we still make some things. We use all kinds of techniques such as vac-form which are better done by experts,” she explains. “We go to people who normally work in TV, film or other media and ask them to turn their craft to our purpose. That way we get the best. ”

Also unlike olden days, although some classic props are kept, it is impractical to keep much stuff in storage. Notwithstanding escalating warehouse costs, after being on tour around the other stores, many items just aren’t fresh enough to be used again. “Besides,” she admits, “we sometimes forget what we’ve got and accidentally buy things again anyway.” Display items are recycled in a number of ingenious ways – props from Selfridges windows have turned up in school productions, at charity events and even the odd individual’s house.

In-store Week is the Windows department’s equivalent of a West End show’s Production Week. The blinds silver cufflinks go down, and behind them, 24 hours a day, people are beavering away to create design perfection. Staff work in shifts, leaving notes for the group clockingon as they leave, bleary-eyed, for bed in the mornings. Clothes must be pinned properly; there can be no wrinkles or dirt specks. It doesn’t help that the team are like Ginger Rogers to the public’s Fred Astaire – they have to do everything backwards as, of course, they can’t see the view shoppers will see. My suggestion of putting mirrors onto the back of the blinds is only half-laughed at.

Sight problems are just as much of a problem as they are in the theater. Authences don’t want to see the joins – something particularly challenging when Selfridges hosted one of its simplest but most memorable-ever windows – completely made from mirrors. “They reflected everything,” shudders Bateman. “Up, down, sides… but it was wonderful when it finally worked.”

In the early hours before the morning of the launch, the blinds go up and the final touches are added. Windows are cleaned, lights focussed, last-minute adjustments made. The whole team is present. “I do a final walk-round and hope to God everything is okay,” admits Bateman. “It’s nerve-wracking.”

Gordon Selfridge used to send examples of the store’s famous Christmas hampers to his favorite newspaper and magazine editors; it’s interesting to look at the contents of hampers from years gone by, sent to tempt the media to carry favorable reviews. In 1940, for example, the hamper contained biscuits, cheeses, chocolates, oranges – and a dressed boar’s head.

These days the decorations need to speak for themselves. But the unveiling of a Selfridges Christmas silver money clips window is still front-page news. TV, newspapers and magazines all have their two-penn’orth to say about each year’s marvels, but they have now been joined by a new generation of bloggers, e-writers and fashion opinionsetters twittering and tweeting the second those blinds go up. Gordon Selfridge, that great Prophet of the New would have wholeheartedly approved.

And this year? How will Selfridges be celebrating 100 years of cutting-edge window design now that Santa’s out of the bag? Lips are sealed, but Rebecca Bateman is confident. “This year,” she says, “we’ve cracked it…”

Selfridges holiday windows are revealed in mid-October.

A teenage neighbor who called 911 and the dispatcher waited as the emergency phone rang unanswered.

A minute passed. Then another.

Recordings indicate it took 20 rings — spanning two minutes, 27 seconds — before an Allegheny Power employee answered the call.

The 911 dispatcher, identified in transcripts as Debbie Blair, says twice: “Allegheny Power is not answering.”

Attorney Shanin Specter of Philadelphia has filed a civil lawsuit in Allegheny County silver bangles over the electrocution of Carrie Goretzka, 39. She died after being trapped under a fallen power line outside her West Hempfield Drive home as her mother-in-law and two daughters, Chloe, 4, and Carlie, 2, helplessly watched.

Goretzka, who had burns over 85 percent of her body, died three days later in UPMC Mercy, Pittsburgh.

Specter provided the Tribune-Review audio tapes and transcripts of the frantic phone calls neighbors made to 911, plus attempts by Blair to reach Allegheny Power to shut off the power so rescue crews could pull Goretzka from beneath the line.

Allegheny Energy spokesman David Neurohr said the company would not comment on specifics regarding the calls because of the pending litigation.

However, Neurohr said, “Every 911 center, in every region we serve, has a dedicated telephone number to call for service in the event of an emergency” and a separate dedicated fax number to report emergencies.

“Two minutes sounds like a long time,” said Scott Hempling, director of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, which comprises commissioners from utility regulatory bodies in each state.

Goretzka became trapped under the line when she went outside her home to check on the cause of a power outage, according to the 23-page lawsuit filed on behalf of Goretzka’s husband, Michael. Goretzka saw flames coming from the line and went into the garage to get her cell phone to dial 911. She walked into a side yard to make the call when the line fell on her, the lawsuit said.

“Although there were no adverse weather conditions … the 7,200-volt power line fell from the pole in her yard nearest to West Hempfield Drive, striking Mrs. Goretzka and knocking her to the ground. Mrs. Goretzka was shocked continuously and caught on fire,” the lawsuit states.

It alleges Allegheny Power “failed to use reasonable and proper care in installing and maintaining a power line so it would not fall to the ground.”

In taped conversation between Blair and an unidentified Allegheny Power employee, silver rings the dispatcher tells the worker to get a crew to the site “ASAP” because she (Goretzka) is “wrapped up in a high-tension wire … and she’s literally smoking and burning.”

“Oh, my!” the worker says, before repeating Goretzka’s address.

Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety officials said they do not plan to review their procedures in the wake of Goretzka’s death.

The state Public Utility Commission is reviewing the circumstances involved in Goretzka’s death.

A shock greater than the electric chair

Specter also is representing JoAnn Goretzka of Elizabeth, who was shocked when she came within 3 feet of the line as she tried to save her daughter-in-law. He said the utility should have a dedicated line into 911 that is “picked up as soon as it rings.”

“Obviously, she would have suffered much less if they had answered the phone, as they should, because the amount of time she was receiving thousands of volts of electricity and was writhing in pain, smoking and on fire from the electricity would have been lessened,” Specter said.

During the delay, Goretzka was subjected to a higher level of electricity than Pennsylvania’s electric chair, which zapped the condemned with 2,000 volts. It was last used in 1963, after courts ruled it was cruel and unusual punishment.

Dr. Daniel O. Hensell, a critical care surgeon and associate professor at Temple University Hospital’s burn center in Philadelphia, said he has treated patients who have survived an electrical injury at 7,200 volts.

“We’ve had some cases where someone with that type of shock has survived, but their injuries would be very, very bad. The person would never be the same,” Hensell said.

He said the severity of such an injury is affected by various factors, such as the amount silver bracelets of current, the length of contact and the path it takes through the victim’s body. At such a high voltage, a victim does not even have to come into direct contact with the line.

“It can actually leap to your body if you come too close,” Hensell said.

Victims rarely remember the incidents.

“First, as they begin treatment they are usually kept intubated. When they are able to speak again, they do not remember,” Hensell said.

“There are usually major thermal injuries, depending on what they were touching,” he said. “With that kind of voltage, they would probably lose one or more limbs.”

Jennifer Kocher, spokeswoman for the state Public Utility Commission, said there are no laws governing response times by utilities except when it comes to restoration of service. The commission does not monitor response rates to emergency hot lines.

“Any time there is an emergency with a utility, especially with electricity or natural gas, we encourage them to respond as quickly as possible,” Kocher said. “We are reviewing that particular call and are looking at the overall handling, as well as investigating the maintenance of the lines.”

But, she added, turning off the current “could be more complicated then flipping a switch.”

Utilities are required to immediately notify the PUC in the event of an accident or death, and must follow up with a written report.

Neither the PUC nor the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency tracks response times of utilities or emergency services units.

“Really, there was no delay from our point,” said Sandy Smythe, Westmoreland emergency silver cufflinks management’s deputy public information officer. “The system worked as planned.”

Dan Stevens, public information officer with 911, said under normal circumstances dispatchers “strictly fax” notification.

“But this case was so urgent, our dispatcher went the extra mile trying to use a call-line program into our system and, when that wasn’t answering, used the same 1-800 Allegheny number the public uses (during emergencies),” Stevens said.

On the recording, Blair is heard asking for a “slip.” Smythe said, the form used to fax the utility about the emergency.

“We have in place a redundant system to protect against any delay. We automatically fax pertinent information to the utility on the slip, as you heard, and that is automatically done,” Smythe said.

Rigoberto Rubios, 24, Hays, Kan., has been sentenced to 90 months in federal prison for drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch said today.

In June 2009, Rubios pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. In his plea, he admitted that from April 1, 2008, through Oct. 31, 2008, he was part of a drug trafficking ring in Hays, Kan. He supplied cocaine to co-defendants Rusty Marshall, Thomas Matheny, silver cufflinks Keaton Moellker and others.

Other defendants include: Rusty Marshall, who was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison. Dylan Motta, who was sentenced to 36 months. Thomas Matheny, who was sentenced to 18 months. Keaton Molleker, who was sentenced to 18 months. Franklin Graton, who was sentenced to 18 months. Angela Marie Alvarez, who was sentenced to 2 years probation.

Welch commended the agencies that participated in the eight-month silver money clips investigation, including the Ellis County Drug Enforcement Unit, a joint city, county and state task force unit, with assistance from the Garden City office of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office, the Hays Police Department, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Kansas Highway Patrol, as well as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Wood, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Curzydlo, who are prosecuting the case.For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.

Jim cross, 316/269-6481, 316-269-6420

“It’s not true,” Fator said Tuesday. “But one of these days she’ll get one.”

Fator and his former onstage assistant moved into a $6 million home in Summerlin earlier this month, he confirmed.

Fator went public with the relationship with Dew shortly after she turned 21 in July, a few days after he announced he and his wife of 18 years, Melinda, were getting a divorce.

She has been in contact with Las Vegas heavyweight attorney David Chesnoff, who has represented Britney Spears, Martha Stewart and Celine Dion’s husband, Rene Angelil, in the past decade.

Fator recently moved out of Turnberry Place.

He’s singing the national anthem at the silver bangles Seattle Seahawks-Arizona Cardinals NFL game on Sunday in Seattle.

He’s not taking any of his puppets. He’s performing solo.

EARLY INDICATORS

Media observers got early clues Tuesday that something was up with layoffs at Greenspun Media Group.

First Rob Curley, president and executive editor of Greenspun Interactive, the new-media division of the Las Vegas Sun and Greenspun Media Group, posted a frowning emoticon on his Facebook page.

Then Emily Gimmel, host and producer of the now-disbanded 702.tv project, posted this Scripture passage on her Twitter site: “know the plans I have for u, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. — Jeremiah 29:11.”

GMG Interactive writer John Katsilometes, whose job was not lost, tweeted what many staffers were feeling: “As John Lennon once said, ‘nobody told me there’d be days like these.’”

Late Tuesday afternoon Gimmel added the tweet: “… no longer working at silver rings 702.tv. If anyone is hiring in video reporting/editing/producton/distribution let me know.”

A half-dozen videographers were among those losing their jobs.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

There’s buzz out of Nashville that Garth Brooks has a surprise up his sleeve for his two news conferences Thursday, one in Nashville and one at Wynn Las Vegas. Judging from the time of his Nashville conference, his one at Wynn will be around midday. Back on Aug. 9, I reported that Brooks had signed a 16-week deal, but the report was denied. …

A radio promotion at the Hard Rock Hotel pool last Friday devolved into a messy scuffle involving a star deejay at KOMP-FM, 92.3, and a former deejay. Craig Williams of KOMP’s morning show got into a fight with former KOMP deejay who went by the on-air name Wolf. The Hard Rock confirmed that two men involved in the incident were escorted off the property. Lotus Broadcasting did not return calls on Tuesday. …

An Internet site, Mediaite.com, is reporting Fox News White House correspondent Major Garrett has H1N1 flu. No confirmation yet from Fox. Garrett, 47, is a former Review-Journal courthouse reporter. According to the report, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow and CNN’s Sanjay Gupta have also contracted swine flu since September. …

Comedian Bobby Slayton left the Tropicana at the end of September. He had a contract until May. He’s shooting a Showtime special next month. …

Holly Madison spent 45 minutes in Mayor Oscar Goodman’s office Tuesday, part silver bracelets of a reality show pilot that she’s working on. The theme, we’re told, is that Holly wants to do what she can to make Las Vegas even better and cooler than it is already. In the segment filmed Tuesday, she got suggestions from the mayor on how to accomplish that. Madison was with her galpal Angel. …

SIGHTINGS

Comedian Frank Caliendo, performing in front of an audience of 30 family members and friends during his final rehearsal Monday at Monte Carlo. One of his biggest laughs came when he told the group that he went to see magician Lance Burton over the weekend with his 5-year-old son, who went on stage with Burton before bolting back to his father. …

Greg Jarmolowich, the co-operator of Prive nightclub before it was shut down temporarily for a number of problems, was spotted working the ropes at the Louis Lounge at the Gansevoort South in Miami over the weekend. The club is owned by Opium Group, which also owns Prive, which recently regained its operating license. …

TV personality Jerry Springer, who hosts the new Strip show “America’s Got Talent Live!”, taking a private tour of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health with founder Larry Ruvo.

THE PUNCH LINE

“Rush Limbaugh has been named one of the judges in the Miss America pageant. I’m thinking silver cufflinks, ‘A loud-mouthed judge who likes prescription painkillers?’ Well, it worked on “American Idol.’” — Craig Ferguson

Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.

Frause

Nathan Hambley, 206-352-6402

nhambley@frause.com

Logo: http://www.eerobbins.com

The economy has taken a toll on marriage. According to recent U.S. census data from the American Community Survey, the number of Americans who have never been married is the highest it’s been in a decade. Many couples have put off getting married due to the economic downturn.

To help some of those couples in the Northwest, E.E. Robbins will give away 100 silver bracelets pairs of wedding bands starting today. Each of the three E.E. Robbins stores–in Seattle, Bellevue and Tacoma–will participate in the giveaway.

“Throughout my years in business and as a husband, I know that when you’re with the one you love, the good times are sweeter and the bad times are easier to handle,” said E.E. Robbins owner Emerson Robbins. “Because the economy’s been tough, we want to help those who are in love but maybe can’t afford a ring.”

The rings E.E. Robbins is giving away are made of Platina, an innovative new precious metal composed of white gold, platinum, palladium and silver. To qualify for the giveaway, couples are only asked to sign a pledge that verifies their commitment to each other and their intention to marry. The first 100 couples that qualify will either be given their rings on the spot or the rings will be ordered in the appropriate sizes.

“No matter how difficult the economy is, people will still fall in love and want to get married,” added Robbins. “We’re just trying to do our small part to help some of those people. And maybe someday in the future, if they’re ready for a diamond, they’ll keep us in mind.”

About E.E. Robbins

E.E. Robbins is one of few stores in the entire nation exclusively dedicated to engagement and silver cufflinks wedding rings. With locations in Seattle, Bellevue and Tacoma, E.E. Robbins has won best for wedding rings in the Northwest from Best of Western Washington KING5 and Seattle Bride. Emerson Robbins is a third generation jeweler whose grandfather Ben Tipp, owned one of the premier jewelry stores in America on the corner of 3rd and Pine in downtown Seattle from the late 20s to the 1950s. www.eerobbins.com.