Thursday September 7, 2006: In the News

Thursday September 7, 2006 News

United Way opens $335,000 drive

By Gene Deason — Brownwood Bulletin

Local residents support the Brown County United Way so strongly each year because it’s part of their religious make-up, Brownwood Mayor Bert Massey told a luncheon audience gathered Wednesday to open the 2007 campaign.
The drive to raise $335,000 to benefit 14 Brown County agencies is now under way, and the kickoff luncheon saluted the workers and contributors who made last year’s campaign a success while recognizing those who have agreed to work in this year’s effort.
“If you don’t need help personally, why do you care if someone else gets it?” Massey asked. “Why do you care if children are abused... why do you care if some family needs child care? Why do you love these people who are in need?”
Massey turned to the Bible for the answer, reading selections including the parable of the Good Samaritan and Jesus’ words saying that anything done for others is done for him.
“We care because the one that most if not all of us worship says it’s the thing to do,” Massey said.
Massey’s remarks capped a luncheon program that featured introductions of representatives of the 14 United Way agencies, United Way board members and campaign division leaders.
“This campaign is about the agencies,” drive chairman Joe Childs said. “I’m proud that Brown County gives and continues to give.”
He said he was initially shocked when the goal for 2007 was set at a record $335,000, but that faded when he remembered by the campaign exceeded its $325,000 goal last year.
“That $335,000 is nothing for Brown County; that’s nothing when you consider what these agencies are doing,” Childs said.
Another highlight of the luncheon was a video conceived and produced by Paul and Jill Underwood, set to the Pete Townshend song “Let My Love Open the Door.” Featuring United Way agencies and supporters, the video illustrated the services provided by member agencies.
The United Way campaign has decided to use the video extensively in its campaign, and adopted the theme “Let Your Love Open the Door” to work with its showing.
The near-capacity audience at the Mabee Center at Howard Payne University showed its delight with a standing ovation.
United Way officers include Brett VanOverbeke, president; Douglas Boone Jr., vice president; Cody Stone, treasurer; Bill Thomas, finance chair; and Craig Collier, allocations chair.
Division leaders include Betty Bell, accountants; Weldon Wilson, construction; Von Bates, automotive; Mike Fugua, industry; Kathy Edwards and Ed Nadurata, 3M; Jeannette Pattillo, education; Minessa Medic, government; Chanda Hoppe, farm and ranch; Alicia Newman, utilities; Laurie Chastain, hospitality; Jan Cate, agencies; Veta Young, insurance; Liz Brown, legal; Evelyn Hutchings, Early; Reed Smith, Brownwood Regional Medical Center; Janice Horton, Kohler; Brad Wells, Realtors; Marilyn Jackson, Howard Payne University; Douglas Boone Jr., SECC; Doak Givan, speaker; and Edd Ratliff, finance.

Karen Lynch is executive director.

source: http://www.brownwoodbulletin.com/articles/2006/09/07/news/news03.txt
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Last Updated: Thursday, 7 September 2006, 17:51 GMT 18:51 UK

FBI probes 'Mafia Bible' for code

Bernardo Provenzano allegedly took over the Mafia in 1993
Italian officials have handed to the FBI a Bible that belonged to suspected Mafia kingpin Bernardo Provenzano to see whether it contains a secret code.
Provenzano, 73, was captured in Sicily in April after 43 years on the run.
The Bible found in his isolated hut contained dots, arrows and notations and investigators want to know if it is a code that will unlock other messages.
Provenzano, who allegedly took over the Sicilian Mafia in 1993, is held in a top security prison in central Italy.
'Pizzini'
Italian prosecutor Piero Grasso said: "We need to do everything we can to see if Provenzano's Bible contains coded messages."
Prosecutors say Provenzano constantly refers to the book, found in the hut close to his birthplace in Corleone where he was caught.
Provenzano was arrested at an isolated hut in April
The hideout contained paper notes known as "pizzini" which had numbers that Italian code-breakers said referred to Mafia contacts.
Mr Grasso said it was still to be proved whether a code existed. If there is one it could help police prevent the Mafia from reorganising.
Mr Grasso said Italian authorities had co-operated with the FBI over the Mafia "many times".
A US government official confirmed the FBI was "working with the [Italian] state police to determine whether there are any hidden messages in the Bible".
Any code-breaking will be done at an FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.
Italian police say Provenzano took over as head of the Cosa Nostra in 1993 after then leader Toto Riina was captured.
Provenzano was given the nickname "Binu the tractor" for allegedly mowing down enemies as a hit man.
While on the run, he was sentenced in absentia for murder. A package of laundry sent by his wife led to his capture in April.

source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5325362.stm
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FBI TO CRACK PROVENZANO BIBLE
Holy book may have been used to encode messages

(ANSA) - Palermo, September 7 - A bible used by jailed Mafia superboss Bernardo Provenzano has been sent to the United States to see if the Federal Bureau of Investigation can find codes the boss may have used to send messages .
Italian police experts have tried in vain to make sense of the boss's scribbles on post-it notes he stuck into the well-thumbed bible and the typescripts he copied out of it .
Now they've decided to send it to the FBI's Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit, one of the world's top code-breaking teams .
Italy's Anti-Mafia chief Piero Grasso stressed the importance of doing "everything possible" to see if the bible had a secret use .
Investigators suspect the bible may contain ciphers used to encrypt the notes the 73-year-old Don used to communicate with bosses around Sicily .
Provenzano may have sent similarly annotated copies of the holy book to his Cosa Nostra brothers so they could use them to decode the notes, Italian police think .
He may even have had such copies sent to powerful bosses in prison. The Bible is one of the few books allowed to mafiosi serving time under Italy's toughest prison regime .
Police have already deciphered many of the notes found in the boss's hideout and discovered a number system used to identify bosses and order crimes .
Their work has led to a string of arrests .
But the bible comments and copied biblical passages have proved harder to crack .
Despite investigators' optimism, Grasso indicated that the bible may not prove to be the key to the remaining notes. "It's a hunch that has to be proven," he said .
Provenzano had five bibles with him when he was caught on April 11 after 43 years in hiding .
The annotated copy was by his bedside .
It was the first thing he asked for when he was moved to solitary confinement shortly after his arrest .
His request was turned down. He was given a prison bible, which is currently his only reading matter .
One of the boss's favourite biblical parts, according to what he was found to have copied out, was the Book of the Apocalypse .
He typed out whole chunks complete with notes on the exact meaning of words like "vice" and "fornicate" .
One passage reads: "The beast you saw was there but is already gone: it is about to rise out of the abyss and go to its ruin". Like several Cosa Nostra dons, Provenzano is said to have been a devoted Catholic, in his own way .
Police found religious trappings including cheap posters of the friar with the stigmata, San (Padre) Pio, in the tumbledown farmhouse in which Provenzano spent his last years .
Provenzano is believed to have had a close support network in Corleone, the town 40km (25 miles) south of Palermo made famous by the Godfather films .
Investigators also suspect he enjoyed protection from local politicians and rogue police officers .
The boss, who took sole command of Cosa Nostra when co-boss Toto' 'the Beast' Riina was arrested 13 years ago, is being held in a single cell in a high-security prison in Terni, central Italy .
He has so far made four appearances via video-link at a trial for crimes committed in the 1980s .
Provenzano has been convicted in absentia of a string of murders he committed as a young hitman and more recent assassinations he approved including the 1992 bomb slayings of Italy's top anti-Mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino .

source: http://ansa.it/main/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2006-09-07_1079111.html