Excel Airways has dismissed reports one of its aircraft had to make an emergency landing after it was reported in a national newspaper.

The 767 aircraft was flying from Egypt to Gatwick when it had to be diverted to Athens on Saturday night.

According to Excel the flight was diverted to Greece after the fuel indicator detected a blockage. All 180 passengers were switched to a waiting aircraft and returned to Gatwick.

A spokesperson for Excel Airways said: "There was no emergency landing, no emergency services were on standby at Athens and the aircraft landed and passengers were moved on to another aircraft."

Ryanair’s £1 billion hostile bid for Aer Lingus has lapsed and any future bid may be terminated by a European Commission inquiry announced yesterday.

EC regulators said the proposed takeover raises "serious competition concerns and could give rise to higher fares". The move rendered void the acceptance of Ryanair’s existing bid by Aer Lingus shareholders.

The Commission will report in May, when Ryanair will have 21 days to mount a new bid if the takeover is cleared.

The carrier expressed disappointment, but chief executive Michael O’Leary said: "Ryanair remains confident that its offer will win competition approval."

Only last week Ryanair extended the deadline on its bid for its Irish rival to December 22. It has built its share in Aer Lingus to 25%, matching the size of the Irish government’s stake in the newly privatised carrier.

The Dublin government opposes the takeover and has refused to sell its stake, and the Irish Takeover Panel has reprimanded Ryanair for deficiencies in its offer document.

EC regulators said the proposed takeover raises "serious competition concerns and could give rise to higher fares". The move rendered void the acceptance of Ryanair’s existing bid by Aer Lingus shareholders.

The Commission will report in May, when Ryanair will have 21 days to mount a new bid if the takeover is cleared.

The carrier expressed disappointment, but chief executive Michael O’Leary said: "Ryanair remains confident that its offer will win competition approval."

Only last week Ryanair extended the deadline on its bid for its Irish rival to December 22. It has built its share in Aer Lingus to 25%, matching the size of the Irish government’s stake in the newly privatised carrier.

The Dublin government opposes the takeover and has refused to sell its stake, and the Irish Takeover Panel has reprimanded Ryanair for deficiencies in its offer document.

First Choice has announced it will go ahead with its carbon offsetting scheme despite the Government’s decision to double Air Passenger Duty.

The scheme, to launch in spring next year, was put on hold while the company reviewed its position after the Government’s announcement earlier this month it would hike up APD from February 2007.

However, following news tour operators are expected to retrospectively pay the tax for existing bookings, the company will only match £1 contributions from customers for £1 donations for holidays departing after November 2007. Originally it was due to match donations from launch.

If the Government’s decision on APD is reversed, contributions will be matched from launch, the company said.

First Choice mainstream sector managing Dermot Blastland added: Blastland said: "We continue to support a sensible structured approach to carbon trading or off-setting.

"However, as a company we are expected to pay the Government between £4-5 million in retrospective APD. Regrettably, this means we won’t be able to start matching customers’ payments on summer 2007 bookings.

"This ridiculous tax, which will not be used for any environmental projects, has been imposed and has meant our plans have had to be delayed."

The First Choice scheme, in which passengers have to opt out if they do not want to take part, encourages holidaymakers to pay £1 per adult and 50p per child when they book.

According to the company, its customers are expected to generate £21 million for the Government in APD - yet First Choice estimates the total cost of offsetting the company’s emissions is only £7 million.

The company is working with Climate Care to identify suitable projects for the scheme.

Thomson has become the first major UK travel company to scrap fuel surcharges for summer 2007 holidays – and slammed the Office of Fair Trading for continuing to allow operators to rip off customers with fuel surcharges.

The three major rivals of the UK’s largest package holiday operator – Thomas Cook, MyTravel and First Choice – are all charging customers an extra £30 short haul and £65 long haul in fuel costs.

Thomson has decided to take a stand and incorporate the fuel charges in advertised and brochured prices.

Managing director Peter Rothwell said it’s "time to put an end to misleading pricing" and has criticised the Office of Fair Trading for "sitting" on the issues of misleading holiday prices.

Rothwell wrote to the OFT in September 2006 demanding all tour operators should be forced to include fuel charges in their December brochure prices.

The OFT has failed to respond to Thomson’s call, he said. Until now major operators have not included fuel charges in prices, arguing it is not a fixed cost.

But Rothwell said: "Travel companies have no justification whatsoever for charging a fuel supplement. They are simply baiting customers with artificially low prices and then stinging them with unavoidable supplements.

"I’m dismayed the OFT is still sitting on this issue. We have taken a stand and the OFT should see the benefit and enforce it industry-wide."

Rothwell also criticised Thomas Cook for reducing its baggage allowance by five kilos to 15 kilos and then charging the customer £10 to buy back the five kilos it has taken away from the allowance.

"It’s outrageous," he said. "We refuse to be dragged any further down this route, we believe in honest pricing."

First Choice Holidays has bought online price comparison company LateRooms for an initial sum of £108 million.

The company, which operates the website www.laterooms.com, specialises in late availability hotel rooms and has a 12% share of the UK intermediary online booking market.

Under the agreement, First Choice will pay up to a further £12 million for the company depending on its performance over the next three years. LateRooms’ management team will remain in place.

LateRooms was founded in 1999 and it is estimated it will have sold 1.3 million room nights in 2006. Net revenue was £6.9 million in 2005 and is forecast to grow 57% to £10.8 million for 2006. Operating profit is forecast to grow 68% to £6.2 million for the year ending December 31, 2006.

The site features more than 13,000 independent and major chain properties, with the majojrity in the UK. On average rooms are sold at a discount of 40% on the rack rate.

First Choice chief executive Peter Long said: "We see considerable opportunity to increase LateRooms’ future profitability even further. It has a distinct business model servicing a niche market segment at low cost."

He added the company’s European and international growth prospects will be improved by having access to First Choice’s accommodation.

Skull Kingdom, the landmark haunted attraction that closed in November near International Drive, will not reopen.

International Drive businessman Tahir Ansari, who owns the property and built Skull Kingdom 10 years ago, intends to tear down it and several smaller, nearby buildings and replace them with a residential development, said Zia Burney, the attraction's manager.

So the collection of frights — robotic gooneys, haunted library decor, special effects and all — goes on the auction block next month.

And Broad Street Partners intends to develop apartment buildings on the site.

Widely recognizable because of the giant skull and castle facade facing both International Drive and Universal Boulevard, Skull Kingdom seasonally employed up to 25-30 mostly part-time actors and others, he said.

"It's a pity," Burney said.

But the tourist haunting business has been too slow lately, Burney said. Even the addition of a dinner show two years ago wasn't enough."This is one of the best haunted houses in the U.S.A.," he said. "It was full of fun frights."

Members of the national Darkride And Funhouse Enthusiasts organization agreed. They voted Skull Kingdom among their "10 favorite walkthrough attractions" the past four years running. "I liked it," said director Rick Davis. "The facade was absolutely fantastic. I loved it. It was well done. It carried out its theme."

Not all industry observers felt that way. Leonard Pickel and Larry Kirchner, who both run haunted attraction magazines, believe Ansari always struggled against early mistakes.

Ansari was out of town Thursday and unavailable to comment, Burney said. Messages left at Ansari's home and office were not answered.

Pickel, editor of Haunted Attraction Magazine, said Skull Kingdom had a "great location. But it cost too much to open — reportedly $2 million, he said — and opened with layout problems and routine haunt concepts inside. Ansari was constantly remodeling, Pickel noted, but it was never enough to overcome the interior design and high expenses.

"It was not a great attraction," he said.

Kirchner, publisher of HauntWorld and past president of the International Association of Haunted Attractions, faulted the skull motif — too kitschy and confusing in a town where Disney, Universal and SeaWorld set high standards. He said he told Ansari early on that a traditional-looking haunted house would draw far, far better, regardless of what is inside.

"Tahir went as far as you can go with what he did. He built an incredible building," he said. "I just don't think it was the right theme."

International Drive might not be long between haunted houses. Another, called "Terror in Orlando," is planned a few blocks south, at the corner of Carrier Drive. Developer Haunting Dreams Inc. hopes to open sometime in 2007, but owner Greg Davis said he could not be more specific yet.

Former South Bend businessman, Michael Kelly, was arrested in Jacksonville Florida last Friday.

He is accused of scheming hundreds of investors in what were supposed to be time shares at his Mexican hotels out of more than 400 million dollars.

According to the FBI, Kelly was operating a Ponzi-scheme.

In addition to his hotel holdings in Mexico, Kelly also owns Avanti, a car manufacturer which he moved out of South Bend to Youngstown Ohio, and eventually to Villa Rica, Georgia.

The name Avanti, which is familiar to many people in South Bend, is listed in the affidavit.

“Everythings sold and effective as of today. We've even sold our marketing and sales staff down.” That is what Michael Kelly had to say about sales at his Avanti car plant, in Youngtson, ohio back in 1988.

Things have changed since then.

Witnesses told the FBI that sales are low, and costs are high.

In order to make payroll Avanti depended on 2.5 million dollars which the FBI has traced back to the timeshare scam.
2000-2004 Kelly's main offices from were located in South Bend, before moving to Cancun.

The FBI says they will be looking into what happened here in South Bend, as well as in Cancun.

South Lake Tahoe could have a different look as a city in the crossroads by this time next year - as 2007 may earn the nickname: 365 days of Planning and Purpose.

From east to west and in between, pending projects may either start building or advance to a level near construction.

With the blueprint for planning the basin intended to reach a point of resolution this coming year, Pathway 2007 (or call it '08 or '09) has the potential for laying the ground work for private property owners and public agencies to make improvements in one of the most regulated places in the world.

Convention(al) redevelopment wisdom

In May, the northeast section of the city near Stateline should see groundbreaking on a proposed $410 million convention center project that's just as much about condominium hotel occupancy as it is retail establishments, pedestrian access and rousing entertainment as convention goers discovering a place to meet.

The city Redevelopment Agency project - including its financing agreement - was given approval last spring that involves a transfer of public proceeds through property and sales tax collections, along with special district funds. Lake Tahoe Development Co., which consists of Falcon Capital of Stateline and DGD Development of Carson City, has agreed to foot the bill on construction of the approximately 534,000-square-foot complex to cover 12 acres between Highway 50, Cedar, Poplar and Friday avenues.

In 2006, businesses were bought out, leaving five remaining parcels pending on where to go for how much reimbursement. The year ended with the result of an eminent domain case giving some businesses challenging the forced move with a reprieve until April. The agency was seeking to use the Lakeside Landing building as a sales office.

Jim Hickey, whose Union 76 station is represented by legal counsel, said he's exploring other options because he wants to maintain a presence in town.

"I don't want to leave. But I'm waiting to hear what I'll get, then I'll decide what to do," Hickey said of his pending post-April move.

Across the street in the $250 million Marriott-anchored Park Avenue complex, visitors will find a new dimension to learn about the South Shore in an Explore Tahoe Visitors Center proposed at the Heavenly Village transit station. The multi-faceted visitor center, expected to be erected next year, will feature interactive displays designed to educate visitors on the complex mountain region.

Making middle-of-the-road plans for midtown

The Ski Run area is also due for a transformation in 2007. Ski Run Marina owner Mansoor Alyeshmerni intends to continue with his plan of the last few years with permits in hand by next fall.

With non-financial support from the city's economic development department, the Beverly Hills investor wants to dredge the harbor, replace the harbor walls with steel beams, remove the walking bridge and divert it to an area in front of the Riva Grill. He also wants to add more solar lights, take down electrical lines and replace fuel tanks and lines.

Talks of building an extended pier have stalled given the concentration on the other less ambitious plans.

Next to the marina, Embassy Vacation Resort could be making real headway on Phase IV and V of its timeshare expansion on both sides of Highway 50. The expansion includes a tower on the northeast side that may be completed next year.

After being approved this year, the Kentucky Fried Chicken-anchored commercial complex on the southeast side of the Ski Run intersection isn't due for demolition until 2008. But KFC management plans to undergo its own remodel next year.

Down the street, the Ski Run Business Improvement District will focus its 2007 efforts on marketing the major cross-town thoroughfare, board member Don Huggins pointed out Thursday. The BID formed a few years ago to support the livelihood of Ski Run Boulevard and bring pedestrians in from the surrounding area.



The "Y" and how of investing in the community

Being the gateway into the city, those interested in what happens on the west end of town may see the "Y" fall under the realm of redevelopment as a tool from the city to rebuild the area.

A proposal to explore the legal designation from that side of town through Harrison Avenue to Fairway Drive may throw an umbrella of revitalization over a 56-acre project centered around Campground by the Lake. That project will have a group of stakeholders going right to work to steer the blueprint of a working design intended to enhance the recreational and cultural aspects of the city.

Nearby, a joint government center project between the city, El Dorado County and the Lake Tahoe Unified School District may materialize a community track as the first phase of development next year.

If the redevelopment net reaches that far from the "Y," the financial tool could be used on that project as well.

The Tahoe Valley plan may determine how much investment occurs in the area, but city Community Development Director Teri Jamin insisted Thursday redevelopment will not be the end all of whether private business remodels or builds.

In February, the City Council may see a draft of a consultant-driven revised plan for Tahoe Valley that's expected to incorporate Smart Growth plans. Mixed use of buildings accommodating both commercial and residential use is one example of Smart Growth.

"I don't anticipate significant changes," Jamin said.

And while some aspects of the environmental impact report have been plucked out and worked on, the document should head to a consultant by the end of February.

One consideration may include using the residence of Tahoe pioneer Alva Barton, who died a few years ago, as a historical site given the place was deemed of significance to the history of the South Shore.

But overall, 2007 could go down as a year to complete the planning at the "Y."

"Even though you may not see construction at the ground level, we'll be able to see the work being down leading up to it," Jamin said.

Santa Fe developer Joe Schepps has sold Taos' Fechin Inn to a national firm that plans to convert it into a time share resort.
Fechin Inn manager Joy Barr said the inn will close Tuesday.

Tradewest Resorts, a subsidiary of Florida-based Wyndham Vacation Ownership, is to take over the inn Jan. 5.

Barr said the resort units will be available for one-week periods for members of the Worldmark Owners Association.

The Fechin Inn had opened in 1996 behind the former home of late Russian artist Nicolai Fechin.

The home, now the Taos Art Museum and Fechin House, won't be affected by the sale.

Jefferson County Hearing Examiner Stephen K. Causseaux concluded this week that a proposed timeshare development known as Trendwest should not be allowed in the Port Ludlow Master Plan Resort.

That is his recommendation to the three Jefferson County Commissioners who will make a decision on the matter sometime next year.

Whatever they decide can be appealed to Superior Court.

Department of Community Development Director Al Scalf said Friday that it's important to note Causseaux's conclusion is a recommendation and not a decision.

``Basically, I'm going to ask [the commissioners] to hold a public hearing and make a decision or remand it back to the hearing examiner,'' Scalf said.

County Commissioner David Sullivan, D-Cape George, said Friday he had not yet seen the recommendations but knows it's a complicated issue.

``The first step is really to digest [the recommendations],'' said Sullivan.

``I really do have to do my homework on this.''

Causseaux's conclusion stemmed from a November public hearing regarding proposed amendments to a development agreement between developer Port Ludlow Associates and international timeshare company Trendwest.

The amendments looked to change the zoning of a 14.66-acre tract of land running along Paradise Bay Road from allowing up to 58 single-family units to allow for a 120-unit timeshare development.

Causseaux's recommendations were in agreement with Appellate Hearing Examiner John Galt's fall 2005 decision that stated the timeshare development is considered ``transient accommodations'' and should not be allowed in a single-family zoning tract.

Galt concluded the timeshare units were a commercial use.

``The Board [of County Commissioners] should not authorize a commercial use on a parcel zoned for single family residential homes as such exceeds a modification of the Port Ludlow Development Agreement,'' wrote Causseaux in his recommendations.

An 18-year-old man was shot and wounded when a fight broke out at a party early Sunday morning at a timeshare resort, police said.

The shooting happened between 1:15 and 1:30 a.m. Sunday in unit R-119 of River Village, according to state police at Swiftwater. The unit is part of Fairfield Poconos at Shawnee Village, timeshare units managed by Fairfield Resorts.

Reports indicate that a man pulled out a gun and fired several shots during a fight that erupted at a large party at the timeshare unit, near the Delaware River in Smithfield Township.

At least one of the shots struck the 18-year-old, who was flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital.

Police have not released the name or condition of the shooting victim. The suspect fled before police arrived.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call state police at Swiftwater at 570 839-7701.

An article from Penman & Sommerlad of the Daily Mirror ...

We spend our lives exposing scams, but even we were shocked by this.

One of the most extensive surveys ever undertaken shows that the British public lose a staggering £3.5billion to fraudsters every year.

That equates to about £70 per year for each adult living in the UK.

According to the Office of Fair Trading research, top of the league of frauds are bogus holiday clubs - like timeshare but worse - which net around £1.2billion annually.

Next are investment scams, which take £490million from unwitting consumers.

Just this month we revealed how spam email urged you to invest in an apparently brilliant company called American Unity Investments Inc. At the time the shares were 77 cents - now they're 23 cents and the only people who'll have made any money are the crooks who sent the emails.

Pyramid scams and get-rich-quick frauds pull in £420 million a year from victims while fake foreign lotteries take £260 million.

Nearly a third of victims said they fell for a scam because of the legitimate appearance of the marketing.

Although men and women were equally likely to be victims, women are more likely to fall victim to bogus miracle health scams, clairvoyant junk mail and job opportunity cons.

Men are more likely to fall for investment and property scams.

While older consumers were most commonly targeted, the average age of victims was 35-44 years old.

More than one million people were conned into calling a premium-rate phone number. Pyramid and chain letter scams claimed 480,000 victims and 380,000 people fell for prize draw scams.

The highest average loss per victim was £5,660 for investment scams, followed by £5,000 for African-based advance fee scams.

Typical of these was the "lottery win" letter which claimed to come from the Red Cross but was nothing to do with the charity.

Last month we showed how the crooks behind this wanted a £650 fee after insisting you'd won £500,000.

Mike Haley, who leads the OFT's Scambusters team said: "This research shows for the first time the full extent of damage done to individuals and to the wider UK economy by manipulative and malicious scams.

Young and old, and people from all backgrounds are taken in by increasingly sophisticated scams."

A victim has a 30 per cent chance of falling for another scam within 12 months of first being caught out, because their personal details are added to a "suckers list", which is then sold to other scammers.

Thousands are too embarrassed to tell anyone they've been conned. But please, if you are ripped off, tell the police, tell trading standards, tell us.

And help us shut them down.

Women fall for..

Bogus miracle health cures and junk mail from psychics

Men fall for..

Property scams and investment cons that promise a fast profit

With the prospect of the $2 pound in sight the British market is ‘booming’ to New York and agents are being encouraged to send customers across the Atlantic.

However, with many flights booked direct with airlines, travel agents say they have seen mixed demand for travel across to the States for Christmas shopping or New Year breaks.

NYC & Company vice president of tourism development Fred Dixon said: “The British market is booming for New York City at present as the weak dollar is drawing thousands of travellers into the city looking for bargains.”

Spa Travel partner Paul Dayson said: “We have found a definite interest in the States and people are saying it is a good time to book with the exchange rate but also it is helping places like the Caribbean as most places are tied to the dollar so your money is going further. We have had more enquiries for next year as of this moment.”

However, Bargain Travel Bureau manager Bex Deadman said: “We have not seen an increase of bookings to New York or America generally. Our strong-spots continue to be India, Australia and SE Asia.”

The Government proposes a public consultation next year on construction of a third runway at Heathrow after reaffirming its commitment to an expanding aviation industry.

The runway would be expected to open by 2017 and increase capacity at Heathrow by 50%.

Ministers will also consult on construction of a sixth terminal at the airport, with the fifth due to open in 2008, and the impact of a more intensive use of Heathrow’s existing runways that would allow a 15% increase in take-offs and landings in advance of a new runway.

In a progress report on the 2003 Aviation White Paper, transport secretary Douglas Alexander also repeated the Government’s commitment to building a second runway at Stansted by 2012.

The plans fit a projected doubling of air passengers to 465 million a year by 2030, even with the cost of climate change and the resulting higher fares factored into forecasts.

But they fly in the face the Government’s supposed intention to reduce demand for air travel because of environmental concerns, expressed in the doubling of air passenger duty announced last week.

The report by the Department for Transport described demand at Heathrow as “now far in excess of capacity” and concluded it is “in an increasingly uncompetitive position in relation to other major European airports”.

Sunterra Corp. will restate certain financial statements and delay filing its annual report because of accounting errors at its European subsidiary.

Previously issued statements "should no longer be relied upon," Sunterra of North Las Vegas, Nev., said Friday in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Chief Financial Officer Bob Krawczyk didn't return calls.

The time-share vacation company, which announced its intention to sell the European business in September, said the impact of the restatement could be material. Sunterra will file its annual report for the year ended Sept. 30 "as soon as possible," according to the filing.

Sunterra's shares were unchanged Friday at $12.60 in over-the-counter trading, before the filing was released.

Hilton Hotels Corporation (NYSE:HLT) will discuss with institutional investors and security analysts in New York today the company's earnings growth and global unit growth expectations through 2009.

Assuming compound annual RevPAR growth of 7 to 9 percent, the company anticipates Adjusted EBITDA to increase at a compounded annual growth rate of 11 to 14 percent through 2009; operating income to increase 12 to 17 percent, and recurring diluted earnings per share (EPS) to increase 16 to 22 percent.

Assuming a 9 percent compounded annual growth rate in RevPAR, the company anticipates diluted EPS would approximate $2.00 per share in 2009. Based on this assumption, Hilton would anticipate 2009 fees of $1.005 billion; profit from owned hotels of $980 million; profit from leased hotels of $600 million; timeshare profit of $235 million, and total company Adjusted EBITDA of $2.530 billion.

Assuming a 7 percent compounded annual growth rate in RevPAR, the company anticipates diluted EPS would approximate $1.70 per share in 2009, with fees of $980 million; owned profit of $870 million; leased profit of $515 million; timeshare profit of $235 million, and total company Adjusted EBITDA of $2.310 billion.

Consistent with its strategy of growing its franchise and management fee business and expanding development of its Family of Brands to markets around the world, the company said it anticipates adding approximately 120,000 rooms to its global system between 2007 and 2009, with a gradually increasing percentage of the room growth coming from international markets. The company recently announced deals for development of its Hilton full-service and mid-scale Hilton Garden Inn hotels in markets throughout India and China.

Hilton also reaffirmed the preliminary 2007 guidance it originally provided on its October 31, 2006 earnings call, specifically: management/franchise fee growth in the 15 percent range; pro forma comparable worldwide owned hotel RevPAR and margin growth of approximately 7 to 9 percent and 125 to 175 basis points, respectively; pro forma comparable worldwide leased hotel RevPAR and margin growth of approximately 4 to 5 percent and 30 to 70 basis points, respectively; and an effective tax rate of approximately 38 percent.

The webcast of today's investor meeting can be accessed by going to www.hiltonworldwide.com, clicking the "Investor Relations" tab, and clicking on the "Hilton Investor Day Webcast" icon. Following the live broadcast, the complete presentation will be available on the company's investor relations website, under "Presentations," including reconciliations to the most directly related comparable GAAP measures of the non-GAAP financial measures included in this press release and in the presentation.

PLANNERS will visit the South Lakes site of a proposed leisure centre before deciding whether to approve the scheme.

Pullwood Bay Estates submitted a revised application to Lake District planning chiefs to create leisure facilities at their timeshare development at Pullwood Bay, Windermere.

Proposals include the refurbishment of the boathouse, erection of a new swimming pool/change building and reinstatement of a former tennis court.

The current proposal includes repairing the boathouse and extending it the length of the main building.

Planning permission to build leisure facilities was refused in March.

Principal planner David Buylla, told the development control committee on Tuesday that this was an unusual application for two properties which were interesting architecturally, although not listed.

He considered that the amended proposals for the design, siting, scale and bulk of the scheme now made it acceptable.

Mr Buylla recommended the application be approved with conditions but members disagreed.

Councillor Ron Calvin said: “This is about making money, getting money out of the national park, and I’m against it.”

Councillor Peter Phizacklea said: “I disagree that we need to have such a huge building to prevent the existing one falling into disrepair.

“It’s a nonsense.”

Councillor John Collier said he would like to see the site before coming to a decision and his recommendation was approved.

A $10 million, mile-long boardwalk will be a top budget priority for Myrtle Beach over the next few years as the city tries to find an icon to replace the Pavilion amusement park and keep the local economy afloat.

City Council members hashed out their ideas on what would be best for the future of Myrtle Beach on Thursday in a session at the city's Convention Center.

The commitment to the boardwalk is good news for the Downtown Redevelopment Corp., which has put countless hours into meetings and planning to get the project off the ground.

"To have a one-of-a-kind, mile-long boardwalk will be iconic, and will lead to a lot of great things in the downtown area," said Bert Anderson, chairman of the DRC. "It's a matter of how to do it, not yes or no."

The council members asked city staff to come up with a way to pay for the project, which could be completed in three stages or all at once.

The boardwalk would run from Second Avenue North to 14th Avenue North.

The majority of Thursday's 80-plus-person crowd was from the downtown business community, many of whom are associated with Burroughs & Chapin Co. Inc.

Mayor John Rhodes pushed Anderson to ask the timeshare industry to contribute to the project, saying they haven't done their part toward the improvement of downtown.

"They're sitting there doing pretty daggone good," he said. "They would benefit from it also."

The council took time, with no pressing business before them them, to debate ideological issues, such as whether to fund studies for certain city projects. The city is faced with a dilemma on whether to fund studies on a public market and streetcars for downtown after a state committee said it couldn't use accommodations tax money toward the project.

Councilwoman Susan Grissom Means said she did not support spending more money on finishing a study on whether streetcars would work in the city.

"I think that's a waste of money," she said. "I didn't know anything about it to start with, and if I had I wouldn't have voted for it."

Councilman Mike Chestnut said studies are important to the future of the city, even if the city did not have projects in its current plans.

"Y'all have to study to see what you want to do, and then we come up with the money to do it," he said.

A judge's decision may have stalled the timeline for a massive redevelopment project while it kept one store in business for a few more months.

Judge Jerald Lasarow denied the South Tahoe Redevelopment Agency from using eminent domain to transform boutique store Lakeside Landing into a sales office that would use money from presales to help finance construction.

"We are very pleased with the court's decision and happy our employees are secure with jobs and health insurance over the winter season," said Margaret Maxhimer, owner of the store with husband, John.

Lasarow, who heard both sides argue before him in El Dorado County Superior Court last week, ruled Wednesday that the owners of Lakeside Landing will face "substantial" hardship if they closed by Jan. 10, the date requested by redevelopment officials.

Instead, the business will close April 8. Lasarow said representatives with the redevelopment project are allowed to access the property within reason for planning purposes.

In his ruling, Lasarow agreed with Claudia Gorham, attorney for the Maxhimers, who argued the impending closure of a Taco Bell and an existing, neighboring sales office could be used.

"This location (of the existing sales office) is near the major casinos and not far from the ski gondola," Lasarow wrote. "Many visitors walk by this location."

But Eugene Palazzo, redevelopment and housing director for South Lake Tahoe, said that sales office is for a different project.

Palazzo said he needs time to analyze the ripple effect from Lasarow's decision. He was unsure if the projected May date for construction will remain.

"I need to work with the developer to see what this means," he said.

Stacey Sheston, attorney for the redevelopment agency, said modifying Taco Bell or another business into a sales office could be in the six figures. Lasarow said the reasoning was unfounded.

"The plaintiff has failed to show this court what expenditures would be required to remodel other possible locations as compared to the property in question," he wrote. "One of the declarations stated an estimate of 400,000 to 500,000 dollars could be incurred if another location were used for the sales office. This seems to be speculation since there are no estimates submitted as to the actual cost and no breakdown for each of the possible locations."

The proposed $410 million project will face the Marriott timeshare hotels and Heavenly Village along Lake Tahoe Boulevard near Stateline.

The California State Lands Commission rejected a hotel-timeshare project after a two-hour hearing in San Diego Thursday afternoon, because it restricted public access to San Diego Bay. Developers wanted to build an eight-story hotel on Harbor Island near Lindberg Field. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce has more.

In what could have been a precedent-setting decision, the commissioners decided that the proposed Woodfin Suites Hotel project would limit access to the public trust lands. Those are tideland areas set aside for public access. The commission oversees those lands. The decision turned on the project's plan to sell 40 timeshare units.

Project supporters argued that by providing a restaurant, marina services and other amenities, they were enhancing public access to the waterfront. But opponents claimed that by selling private timeshare units, the project would only benefit people that could afford to buy that access.

Opponents said if the commission approved the project, it could lead to more private development on public waterfront areas. The State Lands Commission has never approved a timeshare project on the public trust lands. The decision doesn't end the Woodfin project. The state coastal commission has final say and will consider the proposal next year

Thousands of Britons heading abroad for Christmas are facing travel chaos today after a holiday firm went bust.

The company, which traded under the names CT2, HCCT Holiday Limited and LOCO Flights, has not paid airlines for around 37,000 tickets already booked by travellers.

Around 1,000 holidaymakers are currently abroad on trips booked through the firm but authorities say they will be able to complete their breaks.

People due to fly out on trips booked through the company are urged not to travel to the airport but to contact their travel agent or the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The Civil Aviation Authority today confirmed the firm still holds an Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL)- the protection scheme for consumers where firms put down a bond to pay for holidays and flights in case they go bust.

ATOL protects travellers from losing money or being stranded abroad when a tour operator goes out of business.

CT2 is based in Sale, south Manchester, employing around 100 staff.

Its business operates mainly in the North West of England and Yorkshire.

It has booked tickets with the airlines Jet2, Thomas Cook and Monarch to destinations mainly in Spain and the Canary Islands.

Flights operate through Manchester, Leeds/Bradford, Belfast and Blackpool airports. No-one was answering the phone at CT2 today and their website is "currently unavailable".

Yet another timeshare crook has been caught out in the south. The man, a 45-year-old Frenchman identified by the initials J.P.E.L by the police, is reported to belong to an organized group working in the timeshare resale sector and targeting foreign timeshare owners.
The victims received tempting financial offers from the fraudsters who promised to manage the sale of their share for a substantial fee.
Many fell into the trap. The money, of course, was never recovered by the would-be vendors. Those who went in person to the address of the fraudulent company found nothing but an empty, locked up office.
The Frenchman obtained 30,000 euros in this way. He was arrested last week in Playa de las Américas.

Let's hope he is the first of many!

UK tourism bosses have been slammed for failing to secure dot-travel domain names for the 2012 London Olympics.

Worldwide tourism chiefs have until the end of the year to secure dot-travel addresses for countries, regions, tourism sites and events before any firm can apply to register a domain in 2007.

So far 65 countries, including the US, Canada and China, have each registered hundreds of tourism-related addresses.

However, the UK has not registered any domains.

Dot-travel president Ron Andruff said he has held talks with former tourism minister James Parnell and VisitBritain chiefs but they have failed to apply for any domain names, including addresses based around the 2012 London Olympics.

Added to the fact that no 2012 Olympic-based addresses have been registered, UK icons including The Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square are also lacking a dot-travel domain.

Andruff accused UK tourism officials of paying “lip service” to dot-travel because they fail to understand the concept.

He claims it will create an “intuitive web” where consumers will trust dot-travel sites and make them their first port of call for information, while dot-travel sites will also achieve high rankings on the search engines.

“It’s criminal,” said Andruff. “There will be hundreds of thousands of people searching for London 2012 and UK tourism bodies risk missing out on that traffic and it going elsewhere.

“The UK is paying lip service to dot-travel. It doesn’t understand what it will mean to travel.”

VisitBritain responded by confirming it had registered dot-travel domain names for VisitBritain and Enjoy England.

However, it said it’s the individual tourism landmarks’ responsibility to register a dot-travel address.

London 2012 declined to comment.

First Choice chief executive Peter Long has said the Government has "driven a cart and horses" through its own attempts to offset carbon emissions accusing it of revenue raising to fill a black hole in its accounts.

An angry Long hit out at yesterday’s doubling of APD during a conference call about First Choice’s preliminary results that saw overall underlying operating profit up by 13% to £135.4 million despite profits in its mainstream holidays division down £3.8 million, or 7%.

Long said work to limit First Choice’s impact on the environment was something that was “very close to our heart” and that the company had been working very hard developing its own carbon offsetting programme.

“We believe at the moment we have had a cart and horses driven through it which, looking at the papers this morning, just looks like another tax grab to fill another black hole,” Long said.

Just last week at the ABTA Travel Convention the operator announced what it claimed was the world’s first and largest leisure airline carbon offset scheme and had hoped taking such measures would win it favours from the Government.

Long pledged to talk to the Federation of Tour Operators about the issue of APD that he described as a “blunt instrument” to tackle travel's impact on the environment.

First Choice has blamed the World Cup, bird flu and the hot summer weather for the worsening performance of its mainstream short-haul business but conceded that it was also in part down to the increasingly commoditised nature of the short-haul holiday market.

Depressed demand during the peak season mant lower prices this year and First Choice was not able to meet rising fuel costs, Long said.

The company said its focus on specialist, long-haul, exclusive product and the fact it has spread its risks into different sectors and geographical areas, something it will continue to do with what Long described as a promising pipe line of potential acquisitions, insulated it against difficult trading conditions.

Long said forward bookings have picked up in the last 10 weeks and he was happy with the prospects for First Choice in 2007.

He would not comment further on the announcement last week that First Choice is looking at a range of options for its Mainstream Holidays Division that came amid reports of talks with MyTravel about a buy-out and prompted speculation about a deal with Thomas Cook.

Doubling existing APD, which have been unchanged since April 2001, will add £5 to a short-haul economy fare, £10 to short-haul premium, £20 to a long-haul economy fare and £40 to premium long-haul.

First Choice has reacted to this week’s doubling of air passenger duty by ditching its own carbon offsetting scheme announced just last week at the ABTA Travel Convention.

Yesterday First Choice chief executive Peter Long signalled his frustration with the Chancellor Gordon Brown’s decision to increase APD saying it had driven a “cart and horses” through its moves to limit its impact on the environment.

First Choice had planned to introduce a £1 charge that would offset the carbon produced by flight with customers having to choose to opt out if they did not want to pay.

In a statement released today First Choice said: “The money being raised by the Government is not being used to combat the effects of flying on the environment, yet the company’s own scheme announced last week has had to be suspended as customer will not pay the additional taxes and then a further contribution on top.”

Sunterra Corp., a large time-share company with substantial holdings in Hawaii, says accounting irregularities in European operations are costing millions to fix.

In May, Las Vegas-based Sunterra (Pink Sheets: SNRR) said it underpaid taxes in Europe. By summer it had replaced its chief executive officer and other executives. Consultants recommended selling the European operations altogether when the books are clear. But the company warns that the investment in Europe will be "substantially impaired" when the matter is cleared up.

The cost of the independent investigation and ensuing operational reviews including outside experts, Sunterra said Thursday, has already topped $12 million.

"Management believes that the above-mentioned issues in Europe did not occur in the North American operations," Sunterra said. "However, the company has retained a global accounting firm to test the procedures and controls in North America to give further assurance that there are no accounting issues in North America and that such issues were confined to Europe."

The company said its Hawaii and North American Mainland operations are doing well, but offered no details, as it currently has no accounting firm.

Palm Desert panel to consider vision for timeshare project at city-owned golf course

A multi-million dollar timeshare project in Palm Desert set for construction as early as next year is up for formal review for the first time next week.
The Palm Desert Architectural Review Committee plans to discuss aesthetic elements for the proposed Westin Desert Willow Resort Villas at Desert Willow Golf Resort.

Construction on the project is expected to begin in 2007, but with the process of seeking approval from the Planning Department and City Council, Assistant City Manager Justin McCarthy said ground-breaking on the project may be about 12 months out.

Florida-based Starwood Vacation Ownership, a division of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., will be developing the the project on 29 acres of land it acquired from Intrawest, which already owns condominiums at Club Intrawest on the golf resort.

The project includes plans for at least 215 timeshare units including a clubhouse and reception building and a game room.

Starwood purchased the entitlements from Intrawest in June - after the city granted Intrawest approval for 215 units - to continue expanding a successful timeshare project the company began in Rancho Mirage, said Laurie Aylayan, Palm Desert redevelopment manager.

Aylayan added, however, that Starwood has expressed interest in constructing a total of 300 units, which would require City Council approval.

"From our perspective, it's increased revenue for the city," McCarthy said. "And it helps in terms of the build-out of Desert Willow."

The matter will come before the Architectural Review Committee on Dec. 12 at noon in the Community Services Conference Room at the Palm Desert Civic Center, 73-510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert.

MACDONALD HOTELS could pull out of a multi-million pound tourism development at Aviemore if its planning problems are not resolved in the next year.

Executives behind the billion-pound hotel group, which owns 68 hotels in the UK, are upset about delays over planning permission to build 140 houses on the grounds of the site; as well as a request by the local authority to extend and widen a road on its property that could bring truck and bus traffic near the resort.

Peter Murphy, the new managing director for Macdonald Hotels in Scotland, said he was "astounded" by the planning struggles happening at the company's developments in Aviemore, Inverurie and other areas. And he has pledged not to spend another penny on new developments north of the Border until the situation is sorted.

Murphy said the Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort had attracted 750,000 visitors and 60 major conferences since the first phase reopened in August 2005. It employs 350 people and pays £2.8 million a year in various taxes.

The resort is a venture between Bank of Scotland, Macdonald Hotels and construction group Tulloch. Murphy said Macdonald Hotels, which was founded by Donald Macdonald, had taken on the site on the basis that it could get planning permission and sell part of the site to Tulloch for housing. Another £10m worth of developments are planned, including an indoor go-kart and skating rink; more timesharecottages,asmalloffice building, a supermarket and housing.

Murphy said: "We have reached a point now where we are thinking: do we really want to continue with this farce? We're really throwing good money after bad if we can't secure our future."

When asked whether Macdonald Hotels would consider selling up at Aviemore, Murphy replied: "That's a decision that we have to make in the next 12 months." He added this could involve dividing up the whole resort development into pieces and selling it off.

He said: "We need planning permissionforthehousestosustainour financial security. That road would also have to find an alternative route and we're very happy to help them on that. We're not getting that opportunity."

Macdonald Hotels agreed to upgrade the road on its site six years ago as a condition of its original outline planning consent but later asked the council to rethink the request because of concerns that it would become a major public road. In 2003, the council agreed to give planning permission for 140 houses and a supermarket, but only if the road was upgraded and the developers would not object to the linking of a north and south road, which in future might create a one-way system around the village. Murphy believes this would bring truck traffic right past the guests' windows.

Basil Dunlop, chairman of Highland Council planning committee, said he was unaware of current attempts at talks, but would speak to planners about the case. A spokeswoman for Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA), which called in the planning permission for the housing, said the matter had not been resolved because of the problems with the roads and access to the site.

She said: "The CNPA is working with all parties to resolve these issues. However, no definitive solution has yet been brought forward by the developer."

Murphy said the redevelopment of the resort had been dogged by delays from the beginning. The first phases, which involved refurbishing the hotel, building a conference centre, a golf course and timeshare cottages had taken seven years.

He said: "The planning for this resort has taken seven years and cost £7.5m in terms of the process itself, loss of revenues during the delays and interest to be paid to the bank. And we're still no further ahead with planning for the houses."

Macdonald Hotels is now planning a campaign to highlight the loss to the economy that comes from unnecessary planning delays, as well as highlighting theinconsistenciesbetweenlocal authorities. The company is also battling a 14-year planning saga to build time sharecottagesonthegroundsofits Pittodrie House Hotel in Aberdeenshire.

Themoveissupportedbyother tourismbusinessleadersincluding Sandy Orr, co-founder of City Inns, which wants to extend its hotel in Glasgow and build a new site in Edinburgh. He said: "If a development takes three years rather than two years, it adds 20% to the cost of the project.

"These figures can be quite big with a large hotel."

Orr said that he had no quibble with planningmeasurestoensuregood design or other legitimate delays. But he added that even when a decision is made, there can be unnecessary delays due to paper work and judicial review periods.

First Choice has announced a raft of green measures, including what it believes is the world’s first and largest leisure airline carbon offset scheme.

The company has revealed plans to buy 2,000 hectares of rainforest, publish detailed audits of its hotels and become a launch partner for rainforest preservation company Coolearth.org.

First Choice mainstream holidays managing director Dermot Blastland said carbon offset schemes to date had not had as much impact as they could.

From next spring the company is introducing a £1 per adult and 50p per child levy to holiday prices. Holidaymakers will have to opt out if they do not want to pay it. The company will match every donation.

Initially First Choice hopes 40% of customers will pay – if all customers pay the company claims it will eventually offset all the carbon emitted by its airline.

Blastland said such a move could win the company favours when it comes to air passenger duty. “We may get tax relief from the Government if we have a certified emission reduction scheme.”

The company is working with Climate Care and has identified four suitable projects to fund.

Meanwhile, independent audits of the operator’s top 150 hotels will focus on green credentials. “We are telling hotels that customers will choose the ones that have a good environmental rating,” Blastland said.

Rhode Island-based real estate developer/hotelier, The Procaccianti Group (TPG), announced today the purchase of the Hyatt Regency Lexington. Located in Lexington, Kentucky, the hotel was purchased from Goldman Sach's Whitehall Street Real Estate Fund and affiliates of Highgate Holdings for an undisclosed amount. The hotel will continue to operate as a Hyatt Regency under a license agreement with Global Hyatt Corporation.

"Lexington is a very dynamic hospitality market," said Procaccianti Group Chief Investment Officer Rob Leven. "We think that the Hyatt Regency has the potential to be the premiere hotel in the market due to its location at the very center of downtown Lexington along with its connection to Lexington Center and Rupp Arena. Our extensive plans for renovating and positioning this hotel will again establish the Hyatt Regency in its rightful place as the true market leader."

Global Hyatt Corporation has recently developed a limited franchise program for a select group of qualified operators for hotels that meet certain criteria. "TPG has demonstrated the proven expertise and systems to maintain Hyatt's exacting standards, and the Hyatt Regency Lexington is a good fit for our program," said Steven R. Goldman, Global Hyatt Corporation's executive vice president of acquisitions and development.

As a new franchise operator for Hyatt, TPG will look to continue to grow its portfolio of hotels by adding Hyatt to its stable of brands. "We are honored to be approved as a franchise operator by Global Hyatt Corporation, and we intend to deliver the quality and high guest satisfaction that distinguishes Hyatt Regency convention center hotels from those of other upscale brands," Leven said. "TPG will look to bring other new acquisition and development opportunities to the Hyatt system."

The 365-room Hyatt Regency Lexington is an integral component of a mixed- use development known as Lexington Center. Lexington Center encompasses a downtown city block bordered by Broadway to the east, West High Street to the south, Patterson Street to the west and Vine Street to the north.

The Center, which completed a twenty-four month, $52-million renovation and expansion in September 2004, includes the Lexington Convention Center, which has 66,000 square feet of exhibition space and 40,000 square feet of meeting rooms. Lexington Center also offers the 23,600-seat Rupp Arena, home of the University of Kentucky Wildcats; the Lexington Opera House, a vintage theatre that seats more than 1,000; and the Shops at Lexington Center, a 75,000-square-foot shopping mall.

TPG's expertise includes working closely with entities similar to the Lexington Center Corporation. "We have a great track record of coming in and building strong relationships between the headquarter hotel and the convention center," said Leven. "We plan to continue to build upon the positive relationship that the Hyatt Regency currently has with Lexington Center and the Downtown Development Authority."

Downtown Development Authority president and CEO Harold Tate told Tom Martin of Business Lexington, "This is a great step in the continuing positive efforts toward the redevelopment of downtown. With the completed renovation of the Lexington Center, the rehabilitation of the Hyatt Regency, the completion of 500s on Main and all the other activities downtown, our downtown will become the 'Gem' of the Bluegrass."

The holiday and hotel market in Malta has seen a persistent decline in visitor numbers in recent years. But where the Tourist Authority has failed, new low cost flights could succeed in the year ahead.

With tourism consistently in decline, the Mediterranean island of Malta is hoping that 2007 will see new life breathed into her hotel and holidays industry.

The Malta hotels and holiday industry are major players in the island's economy, and with unemployment already high, a further drop in the number of visitors next year could have a negative impact not just in tourism but for Malta as a whole.

Throughout the year the monthly statistics for the number of tourists visiting Malta have made depressing reading for the hotels in Malta, and the next twelve months will be pivotal as to whether the island can stay in the mainstream of holiday destinations, or be relegated to niche travel status.

The island was rife with rumours earlier in the year that a UK tour operator was going to withdraw the island from their 2007 brochures, and a survey in the island's biggest market showed that Malta would be more expensive for British tourists than the Canary and Balearic Islands for equivalent holidays next year.

But more recent news has brought hope to the Malta holidays market that 2007 will see an arrest in the decline of visitor numbers seen this year, with MyTravel surprising the Malta holidays market by announcing an increase in the number of winter visitors it will be taking from the UK to Malta.

But the most positive news has come from low cost carrier RyanAir, who have started flights to Malta from London and Dublin.

Between announcing the Dublin and London routes and the maiden flight to Malta, Ryanair sold 30,000 tickets. And the new competition has spurred Air Malta, the island's national airline, to make offers of its own. A successful campaign saw two tickets a minute being sold recently.

"This is all good news," said a spokesperson for Malta hotels and holidays guide http://www.yourmalta.com, "Earlier in the year it looked like there was only one way that the visitor figures for Malta were going for the future, and that was in a continuing downward spiral."

At one stage earlier in the year there were real doubts cast upon whether the Malta Government would approve the new low cost flights at all. Air Malta is a major employer and some in the tourist sector felt that too much of a protectionist attitude was being taken at the expense of a possible upswing in new visitors.

"Unfortunately," continued the YourMalta spokesperson, "The Malta Tourist Authority and The Malta government seem to to make life as difficult as possible for the island's hotel owners and those involved in the holiday industry. A privately run company like Ryanair will achieve more and bring more money on to the island than the Tourist Authority can ever dream of. And Ryanair will probably make a profit out of it while the Tourist Authority is using taxpayers money. We're just waiting for the first set of figures where tourism has risen, and for the Malta Tourist Authority to claim part or all of the credit. In reality if tourist figures do rise it's despite the Tourist Authority, and not because of it."

Travel To Malta
Speaking on a visit to Malta recently, Ryanair's Chief Executive Michael O'Leary declared himself pleased with their new Luton route, and predicted that their Dublin route, due to start operating in February, would be even more successful. He believes that Ryanair could take some 85,000 visitors to the island in 2007.

"If Ryanair do deliver 85,000 visitors to Malta in 2007 it will stop the perpetual decline in overall tourist numbers. It depends of course on whether a large number will be new visitors or simply those who would have visited Malta anyway. We believe the likelihood is that a good deal of the 85,000 will be new visitors who hadn't considered a Malta holiday before. With Air Malta fighting back and having successful promotions too there is every reason to feel confident that 2007 will prove to be a good year for Malta tourism. Hopefully it will prove to be a turning point and not a delay in the downward spiral of the last few years," the spokesperson continued.

The real estate industry in Malta also produces a good deal of inward investment for the Malta economy, and increased visitor numbers often correlate to an increase in Malta property prices.

According to Tribune Properties, a UK based company who specialise in Malta property for sale at http://www.maltaproperty.info , property inflation could be in double digits next year.

"Malta property buyers from overseas start as tourists, and with new tourists arriving next year in increased numbers we do expect this to have some impact on the market overall. The Malta weather is always a plus point when potential buyers are considering where to buy a holiday home. But ease of access is a critical factor, and with the new flights at reduced prices it makes spending a few long weekends on Malta as well as the traditional week and fortnight holiday a realistic possibility for more people," added the spokesperson.

Travel guide YourMalta do offer a cautionary note, urging the Malta authorities to invest in better roads and other infrastructure.

"It's important that holidaymakers want to return to the island in future years, and not just visit once - never to look at a holiday brochure and a map of Malta with good memories and return. The Malta hotels are on a par with the rest of Europe, but if they step outside to dangerous pavements, unclean beaches and a timeshare tout around every corner ready with a high pressure sales pitch they won't return. Hopefully the Malta Tourist Authority will be doing as much as they can ensure a pleasant Malta holiday experience," the spokesperson concluded.

As many people may have already heard, Timesharebeat is to close.

I am not sure of the exact details, but here are the words of Jerry Sykes -

"If we strive to achieve a goal and fail to reach our objectives, some would identify us as losers. If, in some athletic endeavor, we finish in any position except first place, some would identify us as losers. If something we have come to rely upon is taken from us, are we not also losers, rather than victims?

On the average day, over 10,000 individuals visited the Timeshare Beat web-site. In the last year over 4,000,000 did so. These individuals came to rely upon the Beat as the source of daily news and information regarding the entire spectrum of the timeshare / vacation ownership industry, and more. If you are reading this column you are one of those individuals. For almost 350 weeks, I have been allowed to record my opinions on whatever I found of interest in the industry, to express my view of the good, bad and ugly. And to expose the life lessons that came my way from various mentors, especially my Pop. Not once in all those weeks did the Publisher and/or Editor of The Beat attempt to control the subject I chose for any With Regards.

Anyone who is a frequent reader of the Beat (and possibly my column) knows that I am a strong supporter of and active within, the American Resort Development Association (ARDA). While the Publisher and/or Editor of the Beat do not share my enthusiasm about ARDA, they have never once failed to publish any news release submitted by ARDA or attempted to modify my expressions concerning ARDA activities. Anyone who is a frequent reader of Street Talk knows that much of my activity and/or what I expressed in With Regard have not been well received by many who are active on its blog. Still no one associated with The Beat attempted to muffle me.

What I am getting to in a roundabout way is that for years Rod and Andrea Hackman provided in the Beat, the opportunity for anyone in the industry (or its fringes) a forum to express their thoughts, frustrations, ideas, hopes, dreams, concerns, questions, comments, and/or news. They facilitated the epitome of Freedom of Speech and by doing so they exposed themselves to a justice system that failed them because of an inequity of funds between plaintiff and defendant. This is not supposed to happen in our system; however, we all know that lady justice most often tilts to those who can afford representation equal to the task of manipulating the circumstances to make their case. In the end of this case, the plaintiff prevailed and a judgment was rendered against the defendants.

FINAL THOUGHT

While the plaintiff prevailed in the case of Thomas J. Flatley vs. Timeshare Beat (et al), the judgment rendered far exceeded the assets of the Beat and the Hackmans. Under these circumstances, filing bankruptcy was necessary as was the decision to cease publication of The Beat. The reality - there was no winner, only losers.

While we are all losers, no one's assets were affected except those of The Beat and the Hackmans. None of us stepped forward to offset the inequity of funds between plaintiff and defendant until after the fact and then, it was too late. I am sure that Rod and Andrea appreciated the good words offered on Street Talk; however, good words and expressions of outrage were not redeemable in their bank account for the purpose of covering the cost of litigation by attorneys who had a real interest in seeking justice for them (and us).

In reality; Street Talk will continue to provide a forum where individuals, using anonymous names, can vent and where the Shadow may be found lurking around. The Timeshare / Vacation Ownership industry (including ARDA) will find other places to send their press releases with the hope that they get published one day. Those who advertised on The Beat will find other places to run their stuff. We will find other places to seek insight from the likes of Tom Huheey, about what's going on in our Nation's Capital. We will eventually find a source, other than Simone, to read about Europe and all it has to offer. Who knows what will happen with respect to the ramblings of Jerry Sikes as this will officially be the very last With Regard to appear on The Beat. However, Rod has assured that all the Beat Archives will remain available for so long as Andrea and he can maintain their web hosting contract or until their domain name is seized.

Beginning in 1999, the Timeshare Beat attempted to be a resource for information covering everything happening in our industry. Everything has included the good, bad and ugly. When Friday, December 1, 2006 becomes history, I am afraid that few publications will routinely present the bad and ugly, for fear that they will expose the publishing entity and themselves personally, to the wrath of those who purported those acts.

This will be the ultimate abatement of consumer protection that the justice system totally failed to consider when the final judgment was rendered concerning this issue. We know where Thomas F. Flatley (evidenced by the Epic Bankruptcy) stood with respect to consumer protection."

New Zealanders who own timeshares in Fiji are not fazed by the latest threat of a coup.


The streets of Suva remain calm, although the threat of a military takeover still lingers.


Bede Brittenden of the Fiji Timeshare Association says a major timeshare which opened a few days before the last coup has been extremely successful.


He says timeshares have never been affected by coups in the past.