At the time of year when most children are dreaming about what new toy they might find under the Christmas tree, one 6-year-old instead was thinking about what he could give away.

It all started with a Veterans Day program at Osborne Elementary in the Quaker Valley School District when fifth-grade teacher Thomas Shaughnessy spoke to students about his time in Iraq as a platoon leader. He told a story about a little girl he met there who didn't own a pair of shoes and had only one dress.

After the assembly, Kristina Policastro's kindergarten students went back to class, reflected on Shaughnessy's speech and expressed sadness for the less-fortunate children.

"I was very surprised the kindergarten paid as much attention as they did," Policastro said. "I was amazed that the kids got his message."

But it was student Will Campbell who became particularly interested in Shaughnessy's story, Policastro said.

"I thought, 'That doesn't seem fair to those kids,' " Will said, thinking back to what Shaughnessy said.

Over Thanksgiving break, Will visited his grandparents in Ohio. During a church service there, he spoke in front of parishioners about what he learned during the program and sold drawings he made to church members to raise money to help the children in Iraq.

Will, described by Policastro as "heartfelt, creative and always thinking," raised almost $100, which he brought back to the school. Still, he didn't feel that was enough.

Will, Policastro and Shaughnessy brainstormed and came up with an idea.

"(Shaughnessy) explained how much American soldiers loved receiving packages of things they could hand out to the children in Iraq. He said it always reminded them of home," Policastro said.

They decided to hold a toy drive with the rest of the kindergarten and send new and gently used toys overseas. Last week, the toys were packaged and made ready to be shipped. The money Will raised likely will go toward shipping costs.

Policastro said she was amazed at the generosity shown by the kindergarteners.

"The thing that got me the most was kids that came in and said, 'This was my favorite toy, but I want them to have it,' " she said. "I'm proud that the students really got something out of it."

By James Carlson

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

A little more glam, a little less casual -- that's Christian Siriano's fashion prescription for Topeka.

The 23-year-old winner of the reality show "Project Runway" and designer Gucci Replica Watches of a new line for Payless ShoeSource stopped in at the Collective Brands headquarters on Monday to sign a few pictures, tape a few interviews and, of course, look fabulous. (Oh, snap!)

Siriano's holiday season of shoes is part of the brand's "democratization" of fashion that includes top designers' vision at bottomline prices. I chatted with the small-in-stature, big-in- talent fashionista about his simple flats and towering heels, but our 10-minute talk ranged from Topeka's fashion fierceness or hot messiness (Siriano catchphrases) to the Midwest's love of denim to my need for an iron. (Where's my mom when I need her?)

Topeka Capital-Journal: First time in Topeka?

Christian Siriano: Yes, first time.

TCJ: How is it?

CS: It's great. I just got here. I had an early flight. It's cool. This place is crazy, right, a pretty intense office here.

TCJ: Let's get down to serious talk here.

CS: All right.

TCJ: Topeka's fashion sense -- fierce or hot mess?

CS: Oh my gosh, um, I think it's on the verge of being fierce, but right now it's a little bit worrisome. But that's why I'm here, to make it fabulous.

TCJ: You're bringing it here?

CS: Yeah, bringing it, bringing it in on a budget.

TCJ: Anything specific about Midwestern fashion that strikes you?

CS: Oh gosh. Not necessarily. For the most part it's pretty casual, business casual I guess is what I would say. I think it needs a little rework.

TCJ: What kind of rework are we talking about?

CS: I think we need a little more glamour going on. We have a lot of T-shirts and denim happening. Maybe we could change that. But other than that everybody looks nice and put together, which is good. But I've only been in this office building, so I can't tell you outside.

TCJ: I'm going to ask you to be brutal for a minute. Can you critique what I'm wearing?

CS: Let's talk about it. I think you need a little pressing going on in this shirt.

TCJ: People always tell me that.

CS: Yeah, you need an iron. I love your little chino and your tie. Your tie is very evening and your outfit is very day. I think you need to bring a daywear tie. Other than that you look very nice. It fits well.

TCJ: Too shiny?

CS: That's what I mean. Too evening, too shiny. You need something matte and simple, but other than that it fits.

TCJ: I matched (my tie) to my socks.

CS: See, that's fun.

TCJ: Is this your second or third line?

CS: Third season. Yes, this is my third season (with Collective Brands). But I've only done two collections.

TC
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SOUTH SHORE ENTREPRENEUR - HARRY SHAMIR

If the shoe fits, wear it - then go exercise with it. Plymouth entrepreneur Harry Shamir recently developed a prototype of an exercise shoe that he says adds a new dimension to its wearer's workout.

"It's a type of shoe that looks and smells and tastes and weighs and feels like any other good sneaker, or exercise shoe," said Shamir, a 71-year-old who teaches fencing and is a mechanical engineering consultant. "The difference is, in addition to being comfortable, it also induces the wearer to actually exercise a little more during a walk or a jog."

Shamir declined to reveal the specifics of the element that he adds to a shoe to force its wearer to expend more energybecause he is still going through the patent process. "There is a calorie- expending mechanism so that weight loss will be experienced throughout the whole body," Shamir said.

Shamir, who calls his innovation TREXS (True Exercise Shoe), has approached New Balance in Brighton in hopes of having that company work with him in manufacturing the shoe.

"Harry's is a very interesting concept, and we're still evaluating it," said Edward Haddad, vice Rado Watch Replica president of intellectual property and licensed products at New Balance. "I've been speaking with our development people about the idea to see if the concept itself has merit."

Haddad said the absence of a patent could be a roadblock.

"With a patent, it's a whole different thing," Haddad said. "You have legal protection. When it's not issued yet, it becomes much more complicated, almost impossible to work with unless as a company you wanted to take a risk on it."

Should a major company such as New Balance decide not to take on Shamir's shoe, he would seek investors to serve as partners in the drive toward mass production. "What we have now is a modified commercial shoe," Shamir said, "so we need to create a prototype which would be completely our own from start to finish."

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In the early stages of his research, Shamir said he bought a pair of standard shoes and modified the left, leaving the right as purchased, and he walked with them for about an hour.

"Ten or 15 minutes into the walk, depending on how briskly I actually went, I felt it in my left leg, that it was actually working more than the right," he said. "The set of muscles in the rear of the upper leg (hamstring) is the first to be affected. Then the bum, the ankle and the calf, in that order."

Shamir said others tested the shoes and had similar results. "My objective is to make it between 5 and 20 percent more effective than if you were wearing standard shoes or sneakers," Shamir said. "I would like to target it at the office worker, students and housewives who are not working physically and having them use these shoes. ... They will automatically exercise while doing the standard things they do, anyway."

Byline: By Daniel Oliver

A gunman has randomly shot dozens of people in Phoenix, Arizona, since May 2005, killing 13. While many still shutter themselves inside their homes, a growing number have decided to fight back.

They are patrolling their neighbourhoods at night, mobile phones and emergency whistles in hand. Some have started new block watch groups, while others have donned the red berets and white T-shirts of the Guardian Angels, who are starting a chapter in the city.

At community meetings, women remind each other of the safety advice they heard while growing up: Squeeze a car key between your fingers and you have a knife. Wear your handbag in the front so someone can't strangle you with the strap. Keep your head up. Make eye contact. Kick him in the groin.

"It's not like we didn't know there are crimes in Phoenix," said Wendy Fields, aged 42, who delivers rental tuxedos. "But we always thought they were in another part of town. Guess what? The shootings are right here where we live."

Yves Saint Replica Every night last week, Fields marched through her neighbourhood after work and stood sentry in a park with the Guardian Angels volunteer watch group.

"This is a nice place," she said. "I want to keep it that way."

Police have no suspects in either case.

They believe the attacks started more than a year ago, beginning with a gunman who fires from a car and has been dubbed the Serial Shooter.

That assailant - police do not know if they are dealing with a man or a woman, or if the shooter is acting alone - is thought to have killed five people, wounded 17 and targeted horses and dogs, too.

Another predator known as the Baseline Killer, so-called because some of the killings took place near Baseline Road, is thought to be responsible for eight more slayings and 11 sexual assaults since August. In all but one case, his victims were women. He attacks at close range.

The Baseline Killer tends to strike in the late afternoon and evening, while the Serial Shooter usually opens fire during the overnight hours.

Karate instructor Mike Wall has been teaching rape-awareness seminars to packed rooms since the attacks began. "When it's bad out there, business is great here," he said.

Even the best self-defence tips would be worthless against someone randomly shooting from a car, like the Serial Shooter.
embroidered patches But if the attacker gets close enough to rape, he is close enough for a good tough kick to the middle.

Wall teaches his students to drop to their backs and kick at the attacker with their feet.

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At one of Wall's recent seminars, police Sergeant Paul Penzone told families to keep their eyes open. Phoenix neighbourhoods can be anonymous places, divided by cin-derblock walls and wide streets.

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So far, the message has been working. The Silent Witness tip line that Penzone manages has b
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