03.05.2011
Medtronic CEO will stay on until replacement named
Minneapolis-based Medtronic previously announced that Hawkins would step down on April 29, the close of the company's fiscal year. In a note to employees, Hawkins said the board is making "excellent progress," but has not yet found a successor.
"To ensure a smooth leadership transition I will continue to serve as chairman and CEO until my successor is named," Hawkins stated.
Analysts expect Medtronic to select a new CEO with medical device industry experience.
Hawkin's tenure leading the world's largest device maker has been characterized by sluggish sales and a falling stock price. Shares of the company have fallen more than 20 percent since Hawkins took the reins in August 2007.
The company's business has been hurt by tighter hospital budgets and the loss of health insurance for many U.S. workers. For the current year, company executives expect the global market for devices to increase just 2 to 3 percent.
In February Medtronic announced it would lay off up to 2,000 workers as part of a restructuring effort to make up for anemic sales of its implants. The company said the cuts aimed to achieve "long-term sustainable growth" and would reduce its 41,000-person work force by 4 to 5 percent.
Shares of Medtronic Inc. rose 49 cents to $42.25 in morning trading.
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Sharks beat Red Wings 2-1 in OT in Game 1
Ferriero sure made the most of his opportunity.
Ferriero scored 7:03 into overtime on a deflected goal that gave the Sharks a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series.
"That was a pretty special birthday present," he said. "I don't think I could ask for anything more than that."
Neither could the Sharks, who were stymied most of the night by Jimmy Howard before tying the game in the third period on Joe Pavelski's power-play goal and then winning it with a goal from a most unlikely source.
Ferriero, who has seven goals in 57 career regular-season games, spent the final two months almost exclusively in the minors. He played only once in the NHL after Feb. 5 this season and watched the entire first-round of the playoffs.
He played sparingly in the game before getting on the ice at the tail end of a 4-minute power play. After the power play ended, he sent a shot toward the net that hit off Detroit defenseman Brad Stuart's stick and got past Howard. Stuart slammed his stick to the ice in disgust after the goal, as the Sharks won their fourth overtime game already this postseason.
"You never know who the hero is going to be," Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle said. "You never know where it's going to come from. That's just a prime example of just shooting, just putting it at the net in overtime. You never know what's going to happen."
Nicklas Lidstrom scored in the first period for Detroit the day after his 41st birthday. Howard made 44 saves, including three during Justin Abdelkader's double minor for high-sticking, but had little chance on Ferriero's deflected winner.
"It's very disappointing, especially after leading for most of the game," Lidstrom said. "We were able to kill off that 4-minute penalty in overtime. They kept coming at us; our guy was coming out of the box and it was still a scramble in our zone. This is what happens in the playoffs. You're going to have those momentum swings."
Game 2 is Sunday in San Jose.
After being shut out for two-plus periods by Howard, the Sharks finally broke through midway through the third on their third power play of the night with Todd Bertuzzi out for boarding Pavelski.
Joe Thornton took a big shot from just inside the blue line that Howard stopped, but Pavelski batted the rebound down out of the air with his stick and into the net to tie it with 9:38 to go with San Jose's first power-play goal in four games.
The Red Wings killed another power play later in the third and withstood a late flurry from San Jose, with Howard making a tough pad save on a deflection by Dany Heatley to send the game to overtime.
"It was not enough," Howard said. "All that matters is winning. I felt good out there and I saw a lot of the shots."
The Sharks dominated the play in the first half of the second period but were unable to score. Howard made a tough stop on Pavelski and helped kill a power play as Detroit maintained the lead despite being outshot 16-2 in the first 10 minutes of the second period.
Detroit allowed two shots the rest of the period and had chances to extend the lead but one shot rolled along the goal line and away from the net, and Antti Niemi stopped Jiri Hudler on a wrist shot in the closing minute.
The Red Wings were well-rested, with eight full days off since their sweep of Phoenix in the first round. That's in stark contrast to their one day off a year ago before playing San Jose after a seven-game series against the Coyotes. They fell behind 3-0 in that series and were eliminated in five games.
The time off also allowed two of Detroit's most potent players, Johan Franzen and Henrik Zetterberg to heal from injuries that kept them out of action for at least part of the first round.
San Jose killed off an early power play before the Red Wings broke through midway through the period when Pavel Datsyuk got the puck on the boards and fed Lidstrom in the slot for a slap shot that beat Niemi to the glove side.
NOTES: The last player to get his first playoff goal in OT of his first playoff game was San Jose's Niko Dimitrakos, in Game 1 of the first round against St. Louis in 2004, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ... Detroit coach Mike Babcock turned 48 on Friday.
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Charitable Senior High School Project Becomes a CD of Musical Gold
Saint Peter, MN (PRWEB) April 26, 2011
Every year seniors at Saint Peter High School in southern Minnesota are required to do a senior project that does something good for the community. For years, Willy Pelton’s friends and family had been asking him to record his original music to a CD. When it came time for his senior project, Willy’s dad, Bill Pelton, suggested that he make a CD of his music and donate some of the profits to a charity of his choice. Willy then learned that the school music department was in need of a new piano but there weren't funds in the budget for one. Since music was his favorite class and Mr. Hermanson, the music teacher, was one of his favorite teachers, Willy decided to finally record his CD and donate some of the proceeds to buying the school a new piano. He didn’t anticipate his music would be so successful.
Larry L. LeBlanc, Program Director for Three Eagles Communications- and host of the Lar Dawg Show on KYSM-FM, COUNTRY 103.5 weekdays from 2 to 7 Said, “I would definitely like to include Willy in a couple of our station events in the coming months. I have never in 30 years of broadcasting stepped out on a limb to help a local artist! But I have decided to present a few of Willy’s CD's to a couple of industry executives in town next week for a concert. Willy is that good! There is something about this kid. What a joy he is to be around.”
“Willy has written some of the best original commercial material I have heard in a long time. The songs are not just thrown together. They are very well thought out, and all of them have very good and appealing commercial hooks,” said Jason Anderson who helped out on Bass for the song "I am what I am." Jason, who has played with numerous bands and on many CD projects, recounts working with Willy. “I remember sitting at home listening to the initial guitar and vocal recording for "I am what I am" and trying to learn it. I said to myself, 'Wow this song is not easy.' There were many complex chord progressions and different changes in the song. But it all flowed together very nicely. I only wish I could have helped out more. The songs 'Confidence' and 'Feeling alright' that Willy has written really rock. I wish I would have had time to work on those, but Willy gets the bragging rights for putting those together all by himself.”
“I remember when Willy presented his first song to us at the age of 14,” said Willy’s father, Bill Pelton. “My wife and I just looked at each other and said, ‘We have to get him to record that.’ Then he started cranking out song after song. Each song had its own unique hook and sound to it. I have heard a lot of music over the years and have always been able to pick out the hits. Willy has quite a few hits on this CD if they can just be heard.” Mr. Pelton, a musician himself with deep musical roots added, “My Grandmother Cora was a ground breaker in music back in the early 1900s. She was the leader of an Orchestra that was all males except for her at the age of 18, which was unheard of back then. It was in leading that band that my father, Howard Pelton, was conceived with concert violinist Ross Pelton. She once told me the toughest job she ever had was playing piano for the silent movies in the front of the theater.She was extremely talented, so you can definitely see that music runs in the family.” Mr. Pelton added jokingly, "But thank God Willy got my talent and my wife’s looks. The kid definitely has the 'It Factor' or the 'X Factor' as a new TV series by Simon Cowell is being labeled.Everyone loves the kid, and he lights up any room he walks into. He has what it takes to be a star in the music industry.”
After hearing the quality of the songs Willy was producing, Mr. Pelton, a successful internet pioneer, decided to set up a home-based recording studio for Willy to get his initial music recorded. He then contacted long-time friend and recording industry veteran Scot Combs about helping with production. After hearing some of the initial recordings, Scot said, “I would love to be involved. This is great music, but I think my son Ian would be much more in tune with this type of music. He has produced many bands and done a lot of song writing himself. He has a great ear and has done some work for some Nashville recording studios."
"When I first heard the songs, my initial thought was toward the engineering. I thought, 'these guys have done some great work recording the initial songs, but what they really need help with is the mixing and mastering'” said Ian Combs, who did the engineering, mastering, and some lead guitar for the CD. “I love the songs on this CD. They cross over into multiple music categories and there is something for everyone. The music on the CD has great commercial appeal unlike anything I have heard in a long time.If Willy doesn’t become a star in the music industry he definitely has a future as a song writer, but there is something about Willy, I think he has what it takes.”
Willy Pelton’s music is now available for sale on iTunes and through his website . "The feedback I am getting and the response we are getting from sales is very encouraging, and I hope I may be able to buy that piano for the school," said Willy Pelton. Of course if Baldwin Piano wanted to jump in and make a donation that wouldn’t hurt either,” Willy Joked. "But seriously I am very proud of the work that we have done here, and I love singing the songs live. It’s really a great feeling seeing people getting into my music and signing along with it."
What’s next for Willy? “I have started on another CD of songs as a follow up to this CD." Willy said, “I have, I don’t know, maybe a couple of hundred songs that are in various stages of writing to choose from. I have to decide what will sell and what won’t. I also have many offers that are coming in to perform all over the place, but I still have to finish high school and I have some college planning to do.”
If you would like to help with Willy Pelton’s Senior Project you may buy his CDor ITunes. You may also view videos of Willy on the TV news and Watch Willy performing some of his songs on his website.
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William PeltonNOTLEP Productions507-382-2054Email Information
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