The use of child labor has been rising around the world

TODAY millions of American children will be opening gifts left under Christmas trees. Sadly, many of those trees are decorated with ornaments produced by involuntary child labor.

Just this month, an advocacy network, the Global March Against Child Labor, led a surprise raid of a sweatshop in New Delhi. Fourteen children, ages 8 to 14, were rescued. They were working in small, unventilated spaces for up to 15 hours a day, forced, under the constant threat of violence, to make Christmas decorations and seasonal gifts to be sold in America and Europe.

These were just 14 children of the six million who, according to the United Nations, are trafficked into labor under the threat of physical harm or physical restraint each year. Forced labor is part of an even bigger problem: recent estimates indicate that there are 215 million laborers under the age of 18 worldwide, over half of whom are working in hazardous conditions. The United States Department of Labor publishes a “list of goods produced by child labor or forced labor,” which mentions 134 goods — including decorations, clothing, electronics, shoes, jewelry, fashion accessories and toys — produced in 74 countries.

During the holiday season, heightened consumer demand in the West for these goods leads to a shortage of labor. To cope with this, teenagers and children are often recruited or, as in the New Delhi case, trafficked into forced labor. Poor parents are often tricked into selling their children to middlemen for a few dollars, after being told that their children will receive care and a free education, and that their wages will be sent back to the family.

Last Christmas, an investigation of toy factories in China, where 85 percent of the toys on the American market are produced, revealed that about 300 youth workers were drafted to help with the holiday demand. Another undercover investigation of a Chinese factory last year revealed that children as young as 14 were making Disney’s best-selling Cars toys in preparation for the 2011 holiday season.

The use of child labor has been rising around the world since the financial crisis in 2008. A recent study by the risk-assessment company Maplecroft revealed that manufacturing supply chains in 76 countries were at “extreme risk” of involving child labor at some stage, up from 68 countries last year. Among these countries are key American trading partners: China, India, Brazil, Indonesia and the Philippines. Bangladesh, where a recent garment factory fire killed 112 workers, is also a major offender. Many of the dead were young women, some as young as 12.

America’s own history of addressing domestic child labor in the early 20th century points the way to a global solution to the current problem. Just as today, toys and trinkets then were often made by poor children in factories and tenements — but in America itself. In 1912, Lewis Hine photographed New York City tenement children sewing dolls and displayed the images alongside photographs of middle-class children playing with the same dolls in Central Park. The photographs prompted the State Legislature the next year to prohibit the making of dolls and children’s clothing, among other items, in tenement houses.

Child-labor opponents in the early 20th century drew attention to child labor at Christmastime to stir a complacent American public. Life magazine captured the irony in a 1913 cartoon that contrasted a child laborer, making a stuffed toy, with a privileged child who would later play with it. And in a popular book from 1914 called “Children in Bondage,” one reformer wrote that tenement children were “wasting their bodies and souls to make a little joy for the rest.”

Child advocates also promoted boycotts on the products of child labor. Florence Kelley introduced the “White Label,” which was given to businesses that refused to sell the products of child labor. During the Christmas season, child advocates told consumers to shop only at White Label stores. The movement raised consumer awareness and helped spur the effective abolition of most industrial child labor in the United States in 1938.

The assumption therefore is that most of the travel

Majority of Kenyans feel that they will spend more during 2012 Christmas holiday celebrations as most people close offices and their businesses for pleasant festivities starting next week, a newly published survey said on Thursday.

According to a nationwide survey conducted by Ipsos Synovate between Dec. 6 and Dec. 11, which polled 1,625 respondents, 66 percent of Kenyans stated that they will spend more, 24 percent felt that they will spend less, 5 percent the same as 2011 and only 5 percent were not sure about their spending.

“As Kenyans gear up for their Christmas shopping, beneficiaries of the planned expenditure are gift shops, outlets that retail airtime, clothing and shoes. The focus on these items could be as a result of the numerous Christmas offers from related retail outlets,” Margaret Ireri, MD Ipsos Synovate said in Nairobi.

The level of spending could be explained by findings from a previous study which was released in November on the Cost of Living, which indicated that only 39 percent of Kenyans mention high cost of living as a pressing issue.

This is despite the inflation has declined significantly from 19.72 percent in November 2011 to 3.25 percent in November this year.

The cost of food items in the East African nation has dropped significantly due to good harvests, decline in inflationary pressure and drop in fuel fuels.

This would be perhaps one of the most memorable Christmas periods in recent times for Kenyans, who will not have to grapple with increased cost of basic items as they seek to make merriment associated with the holiday.

In the current survey, Kenyans indicated will spend on airtime, clothes, foodstuff and beverages. Kenyans in the rural areas indicated that they will spend more (67%) compared to 64 percent of those in the urban areas.

Analyzed by age; 25-34 years and 35-44 years are likely to post higher spending at 72 percent and 68 percent respectively.

About 64 percent of the younger age group of 18 to 24 years will also spend more this Christmas; only 60 percent of those aged 45+ years feel that they will spend more.

Ireri said Kenyans aged between 25 and 44 years comprise the workforce of the nation and therefore have disposable income.

“They also have responsibilities of taking care of their spouses, children, parents and relatives and because they are also actively social, they will be looking forward to being generous towards their friends. It is therefore not surprising that they feel they will spend more,” she said.

According to the survey, there will be more shopping, less travel and church on Christmas day. It said gift shops, outlets that retail airtime will experience increase in sales.

Other items whose prices have gone down, noted KNBS while releasing inflation rate data recently, include housing, water, electricity and gas.

However, the survey says off the 39 percent who intend to travel, 96 percent will be travelling locally i.e. across towns within Kenya and only 4 percent likely to opt for out of the country.

According to the survey, 84 percent of the domestic travelers stated that they will be accommodated by relatives. The assumption therefore is that most of the travel will be upcountry.

“Some 6 percent will travel out of town or their usual location but still go back home at the end of the day while hotels and cottages will provide accommodation to only 11 percent of the travelers. Parents and children will be the biggest beneficiaries of gifts during this year’s festivities,” the study shows.

According to the survey, about 54 percent of the respondents stated that they will give gifts to their parents, 53 percent to their children and 43 percent to their spouses.

The list of gifts is dominated by shoes and clothes, and not surprisingly foodstuff and drinks.

“The presentation of gold, frankincense and myrrh by the three wise men became traditional symbols to remember those early Christmas gifts to Jesus. The Three Kings of Orient also became a symbol of kindness known by different names in different cultures and nations,” Ireri said.

She said going by the recent Ipsos Synovate poll, if the three wise men were living in Kenya today, they would have presented shoes, clothes and foodstuff to Jesus as gifts.

While Zinter loved many sports

Long-time Owatonna High School choral director Albert Zinter lost his six-year battle with Parkinson’s disease on Sunday.

Zinter died Sunday morning at Clare Bridge in Owatonna. He was Owatonna High School’s choral director from 1991-2003, when he was replaced by current choral director Chris Harris. On Monday, Harris said the students loved Zinter.

Along with teaching music, Zinter helped run the Owatonna Community Chorus and umpired softball in the summer. Zinter’s friend of 50 years, OHS boys golf coach Keith Bangs, said Zinter was diagnosed with Parkinson’s shortly after Zinter retired from Owatonna in 2003.

Zinter came to Owatonna from Bloomington, Ill., in 1991 to replace Roger Tenney, who also taught music for years in Owatonna. Tenney was named National Teacher of the Year in 1967.

“Roger put choral on the map, so Al had some big shoes to fill,” Bangs said. “Al was up to the task.”

Jim Herzog was principal of OHS at the time and hired Zinter.

"We were so fortunate to have a first-rate musician following the retirement of Roger Tenney," Herzog said. "What struck me was his passion, his sincerity. He brought skill and passion to work every day. I have the highest regard for Al Zinter."

Owatonna band director Pete Guenther worked with Zinter for a couple of years before Zinter retired.

“Owatonna’s music tradition never wavered, choral in particular,” Guenther said. “There were high expectations when Al stepped into those shoes, but Al came in and made it his own. Then, Chris comes in and makes it his own. The promise of excellence is always there.”

As Guenther settled in as Owatonna’s band director in 2001-03, he saw firsthand the love Zinter had for his students and their love for him.

“Al always had a father-figure feel to him,” Guenther said. “He always taught his kids with a very gentle approach. He had expectations, but he always taught kids about life first. He was a very gentle man.”

Bangs was already at Owatonna High School when Tenney announced his retirement. He reached out to his former friend at Concordia-Moorhead and recommended that Zinter apply. At the time, Zinter was music director at a church in Bloomington, Ill.

Herzog said Zinter was a big reason that Owatonna's music program is so highly regarded around the state.

"I have always felt we have had the finest music program in the state, maybe the entire region," Herzog said. "The choral department has always been a solid component. All you have to do is mention our choir directors from Tenney through Zinter to Chris Harris. We have been very fortunate."

Bangs said that along with being a wonderful singer, Zinter was a strong athlete. Bangs said Zinter was a great tennis player. While Zinter loved many sports, Bangs could never sell him on golf, his personal favorite.

“He always tried to get me to play tennis, and I always tried to get him to play golf,” Bangs said. “Neither of us had any luck turning the other one.

Boxing makes a bullish return to network TV

There is a generation of boxing fans that never had the chance to plop down in a recliner on a Saturday afternoon, channel hop (when you actually had to get up to change the channel) and catch boxing on network TV.

It’s probably inconceivable to today’s fans that the most popular heavyweight champion of the 20th Century, Muhammad Ali, fought Jimmy Young, Ernie Shavers, Leon Spinks and other contenders on network TV. These days a fan may shell out $59.95 to see a pair of fighters that can’t even sniff the bottom of the “The Greatest’s” shoes.

But something quite seismic will occur on consecutive weekends this month – for the first time in many years live boxing will be featured on network TV, starting with CBS’s broadcast bantamweight beltholder Leo Santa Cruz defending his IBF title against fellow unbeaten Alberto Guevara at the L.A. Memorial Sports Arena, in Los Angeles, Calif., on Saturday.

But what happened to boxing on network TV in the first place? It was a Saturday afternoon staple throughout the 1980s and into the early-1990s. Then it slowly withered.

“I think network boxing disappeared because the promoters, and quite honestly, the fighters, were more concerned about a payday than growing their fighters and growing the sport,” said Jon Miller, the president of programming for NBC Sports and the NBC Sports Network. “Boxing just migrated to cable from there, then eventually to pay cable, choking off any kind of development for a good, young fighter to build a fanbase.

Though ratings were solid, boxing became a tough sell to advertisers. It wasn’t a dependable sports property at the time, because promoters weren’t willing to put their name fighters in against comparable competition. Consequently, the result was a lopsided fight.

“The problem was the tomato can would go down after one round and then you’d be stuck with 90 minutes of programming that you couldn’t fill with live boxing, so the advertisers would under deliver,” Miller said.

Advertisers needed to go some place where they knew they’d get value, so they plunged their resources into college football and college basketball. Programming they knew was dependable, that was going to endure and be competitive throughout the time window.

“Eventually, we knew (we were) not getting good matchups and the fighters we were interested in had migrated to pay cable, so there were other options that came down the pike. Boxing did a terrible job of managing their future,” Miller said.

Boxing trail-off for NBC occurred in the mid-1990s and by 1998-‘99 the network was out completely, dabbling a little into the sport in 2004.

“The ratings were fine,” Miller said. “There was no problem with the delivery. In fact, the ratings were better than a lot of other programming out there, but at end of the day, if a network can’t sell advertising and the affiliates aren’t supportive, it becomes a losing proposition.”

What changed NBC’s thought process toward boxing has been the success of Fight Night, which debuted in January of this year on the NBC Sports Network, owned by powerful Comcast. Gary Quinn, the senior director of programming for NBC Sports and the NBC Sports Network, oversaw the network’s new foray into boxing. He put together a template, along with Main Events’ Kathy Duva and Hall of Fame promoter J Russell Peltz, which received strong feedback.

“We didn’t originally plan to get back into boxing on the network side until we saw how well Fight Night went,” Miller admitted. “It’s been successful because of the concept of putting together good, even-matched compelling fighters, with good stories who understand the value of being on linear television, getting their names out there and growing their brands. When the guys came to the table and we saw how successful it was, we jumped on it.”

NBC is looking at six-to-eight Fight Night shows in 2013 and possibly a few that could make the network.

“And I’ll never say never about primetime if the right fight comes up on a Saturday night, but right now, we’re slotted for weekend afternoons,” Miller said. “I’m not ruling out the possibility that something could be prime time, but the financials of that could make it difficult to pull off.”

As for CBS, their plan is more nebulous. Santa Cruz-Guevara, in what promises to be an action fight, is more of a lead into Showtime’s Kahn-Molina broadcast.

Still, Showtime Sports executive vice president Stephen Espinoza is excited about the prospect of being part of something that hasn’t been shown on CBS in over a decade. Espinoza grew up watching boxing on Saturday afternoons on network TV, and witnessed the sport’s subsequent exodus the sport made to cable.

“I think the pendulum is swinging back the other way,” he said. “I think boxing has been more active and more vibrant in the last 18 months to two years than probably any point in a couple of decades.

“I’m very bullish on the sport and the future of it on network TV. If this works well, I would love to see more shows on network TV. I can’t imagine any other way for fighters to get more exposure. I won’t rule out a possibility that there could be more shows on network TV. Right now, we want to take our best foot forward and be grateful to CBS for giving us this opportunity on a one-time basis.”

That Fit with the help of John McGovern

At least one person is dead and four are injured after an unidentified man opened fire on holiday shoppers at a crowded mall in Portland, OR.

A witness told Portland station KPTV News that the gunman ran through a Macy's department store and entered the food court. Witnesses said the man may have fired as many as 60 shots.

Lt. James Rhodes, a spokesman for the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, reported that the scene is no longer an active shooting site and the gunman has been "neutralized."

The shooter is described as a man wearing all black clothing with a white hockey mask and carrying an AR-15 rifle.

John Canzano, a sports columnist for the Portland Oregonian who was at the mall when the gunfire broke reported that mall security ordered all stores' caged gates closed.

Another witness said ambulances were arriving at the mall. Officials have also set up a command post in the parking lot.

All entrances to the mall have been blocked off. Some shoppers have been evacuated from the mall, however the property remains in lockdown, including a Nordstrom store with approximately 150 people inside.

Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber issued a statement soon after news of the shooting broke, offering his assistance to the mall patrons.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. I appreciate the work of the first responders and their quick reaction to this tragic shooting," said Kitzhaber. "I have directed State Police to make any and all necessary resources available to local law enforcement."

PTA president Gina Dacchille contacted Shoes That Fit Headquarters in Southern California seeking help for the hundreds of children affected by this devastating hurricane. "After the families were allowed to return to their homes, they were able to salvage clothing by rewashing them, but shoes were just destroyed," says Gina. When she found out about the Shoes That Fit program, Ms. Dacchille contacted the Shoes That Fit Headquarters and their corporate partner California Sporting Goods Association immediately responded to the need. All 257 students were measured for proper fit and received new shoes donated from Shoes That Fit with the help of John McGovern, president of Forde-McGovern & Associates and member of the California Sporting Goods Association who generously donated to help these deserving children in need.

Shoes That Fit was inspired by one woman who heard of one boy who was in physical pain and mocked by others because he had to go to school in shoes that were three times too small for him," explains Roni Lomeli, Executive Director of Shoes That Fit. "Thousands of children can't attend school in comfort or dignity because their feet hurt. Because of the support of our donors, we were able to respond to the needs of these young victims of hurricane Sandy and provide them with the simple gift of a pair of new shoes."

With no government funding and a staff of only 6 employees, Shoes That Fit takes a simple, grassroots approach to the problem of ill-fitting shoes. A massive network of more than 300 volunteers from local sponsors are matched with nearby schools that have children in need. School staff identifies students, and measures their feet. Volunteers then buy the shoes to deliver them to the school. A sponsor can be any group of people including a business, school, church, civic organization or simply a group of caring friends.

In November 2012, nonprofit watchdog Charity Navigator bestowed its highest 4-star rating on Shoes That Fit for the third consecutive rating period.  Shoes That Fit is proud to earn this exceptional recognition since the scoring reflects all areas of the charity, including financial performance, accountability and transparency, and income.

that it will result in inspiring personal stories

Shoe Sensation has announced a holiday partnership with Soles4Souls to help individuals in need around the world. With one in four adults in the world living on less than $1a day, basic necessities like shoes are not readily available. A pair of shoes can protect an individual's feet from cuts and infection that can be life threatening if untreated.

Through Dec. 17 Shoe Sensation will help this global relief initiative by accepting donations of new or gently worn shoes on behalf of Soles4Souls. Individuals making a donation during the collection drive will be rewarded with 20 percent off their purchase of a new pair of shoes at Shoe Sensation. The shoes donated will be used to support the charity's relief efforts, as well as their micro-enterprise program.

Formed as a relief effort following the 2004 Southeast Asian tsunami, Soles4Souls has donated more than 19 million pairs of shoes across 128 countries. Soles4Souls partners with progressive companies in the footwear and fashion industries like Shoe Sensation to directly impact the lives of people suffering from natural disasters or striving to break free from poverty.

"We deeply appreciate this commitment by Shoe Sensation and its customers," said Keith Woodley, chief development officer of Soles4Souls. "From our experiences over the past seven years, we are certain that it will result in inspiring personal stories from individuals who have witnessed transformation among their families and communities."

Jim Quiggins, advertising director for Shoe Sensation, said: "We are very excited about our partnership with Soles4Souls for this shoe drive. Our hope is to make it effortless for our customers to make a big difference in someone's life through the small gesture of donating a gently worn pair of shoes. This is a great opportunity for all of us to help people around the world experience a higher quality of life."

Two men were robbed of shoes and a hat by two suspects, one of them armed, as they walked along a street in Uniondale Saturday evening, Nassau police said.

The men were walking in the vicinity of California Avenue and Cedar Street about 7 p.m. when two men approached them, one with an automatic handgun, and demanded the contents of their pockets, police said.

boys were dressed head to toe in clothing stolen

Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office deputies were still on the scene taking fingerprints at Politics, a burglarized Metairie sneaker boutique, Tuesday morning when employees noticed a very familiar jacket on the back of a bystander. The bystander's cohort was clothed in an equally familiar and rare pair of teal sneakers.

"I said, 'Man, that's all the stuff from our store,'" Politics' owner Patrick Bowden recalled. The thieves had apparently returned to the scene of the crime draped in the evidence.

Deputies eventually rounded up a quartet of teenagers, three boys and one girl. The boys were wearing stolen shirts, hats, socks and jackets that still had Politics price tags, according to Glen T. Boyd, spokesman for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office.

The burglary occurred about 3 a.m. Tuesday at the boutique, located in a strip mall a 3504 Severn Avenue. Someone broke into the business, which specializes in rare sneakers and other urban wear, and cleared out about $5,000 worth of merchandise, Bowden said. A customer noticed the broken glass and notified employees around 5 a.m.

Investigators were still on the scene about 7:30 a.m. when employee Wendell Carter  noticed a small group of people watching the commotion about a half-block away near a McDonald's restaurant. It was Carter who spotted the silver, 10 Deep jacket on one of the teens and recognized it as one that had just been shipped to the store.

"It hadn't been sold," Carter said. "Nobody else would have had it." The teens tried to casually walk away when they realized they had caught the attention of the employees. But Carter and Bowden followed while on the phone with 911.

During the walk/chase, Carter also noticed the teal sneakers, $165 Nike Air Penny 5's. He had personally ordered the limited edition shoes, referred to as "Dolphins," and knew no other local retailer would have had them in stock.

When deputies finally caught up to the teens, the boys were dressed head to toe in clothing stolen from Politics, Bowden said. They told investigators they purchased the gear on Canal Street in New Orleans, Boyd said. But the clothing still had the Metairie store's price tags.

Morris Mims, Darius Garrison, Anthony Dempster and Koyann Williams, all 18 and from 4218 Hessmer Ave., Metairie, were arrested and booked at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna with simple burglary and possession of more than $1,500 in stolen property, Boyd said. Williams allegedly acted as a lookout for the boys when they burglarized the store.