Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/415476
ByMarthaMendoza The Associated Press LOSGATOS Themoreyour knees quiver, the more the 90 pound board you're perched on, floating above a pillow of air, seems about to shoot out from under your feet. A high-pitched engine scream bounces from the sheet of copper as you swivel and glide your way a few feet forward. This is hoverboarding. Skateboarding is going airborne this fall with the launch of the first real com- mercially marketed hover- board which uses magnet- ics to float about an inch off the ground. The cre- ators believe their technol- ogy will someday be used to transport large contain- ers or hold buildings above earthquakes as the ground shakes below. But for now, it's all about fun, as demon- strated in a recent practice session. "You can very much tell that it's frictionless so you just smoothly move along, and it's odd because you can move in all directions," said engineer Kyle O'Neil, seated on a copper ramp where they test their prod- ucts wearing helmets and safety lenses. But there are some catches. The Hendo cur- rently only works for about 15 minutes before it needs recharging and can only op- erate over metal surfaces. And that price tag: $10,000. Greg and Jill Henderson, co-founders of the firm Arx Pax which developed the Hendo Hoverboard, envi- sion much more. Sketches of hoverboard parks where people could rent boards and ride up and down ramps, much like skateboard parks, are already pinned to the walls. "This is not the end, this is just the beginning of where this technology can go," said Greg Henderson, sitting on a retro sofa in their makeshift labs in the Silicon Valley enclave of Los Gatos. He's definitely think- ing big. "The wheel has served us very, very well, and we're not taking the wheel head on, but there are certain places where this may be more appropriate than the wheel," he says. Here's how it works: four dinner plate-sized hover en- gines on the bottom of the board create a magnetic field that induces a second- ary magnetic field in a con- ductive surface, in this case copper, although aluminum — even under concrete — works as well. Magnetic levitation trains, currently operating in Asia, work on similar principles. Henderson said the board is the most efficient way of communicating what the technology can do. "When you discover that you can levitate a dynamic load in a stationary posi- tion, can you think of any- thing more exciting than a hoverboard?" Hoverboards captured public interest in the "Back to the Future" trilogy when character Marty McFly hopped on one to escape attackers, banking against bushes and petering out over a lake in one scene. There have been some real attempts, and some hoaxes, since then. The current prototype, designed in part by surf- board shaper Bob Pearson, is broader and wider than a typical skateboard, and fairly slow. But Henderson is de- lighted with what they've done so far. "Last month the Wikipe- dia entry for Hoverboard said this was a fictional de- vice. It doesn't say that any- more," he said. MAGNETICS St ar tu p wo rk in g to t ur n ho ve rb oa rd s in to r ea li ty JEFFCHIU—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Arx Pax engineer Shauna Moran demonstrates riding a Hendo Hoverboard in Los Gatos Skateboarding is going airborne this fall with the launch of the first real commercially marketed hoverboard which uses magnetics to float about an inch off the ground. By Gillian Flaccus The Associated Press LOS ANGELES A man who accused a high-ranking Ro- man Catholic monsignor in Los Angeles of molestation said Wednesday he is furi- ous that an internal Vati- can tribunal recently exon- erated the priest. The 58-year-old man told The Associated Press that Msgr. Richard Loo- mis molested him once be- tween 1969 and 1971 when he was a freshman at Pa- ter Noster High School, a Catholic school where Loo- mis taught. He said he was never contacted by the Vati- can and was unaware it had been examining the case for a decade. The man spoke to the AP only on condition of an- onymity because he said he hasn't told his adult chil- dren the allegations. "They never contacted me for anything. It just infu- riates me," he said. "They're laughing in my face." Loomis has been on leave and living privately outside the church since the man accused him in 2003 in a civil lawsuit that was set- tled by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles four years later. Loomis, who always said he was innocent, said in an emailed statement to the AP on Wednesday that his exoneration was a "vin- dication not only for me, but for the priesthood" and thanked God and everyone who had prayed for him over the past decade. "We are often urged to pray for victims of abuse. That is a good thing to do," he wrote. "We should say a prayer, too, for priests falsely accused of abuse. They bear a terrible bur- den for a crime they did not commit." Loomis has never been criminally charged and the internal church tribunal was the only body to re- view the evidence because the civil lawsuit was set- tled, his canon law attorney, Charles Renati, said. In 1974, another boy told his parents that he had been molested by Loomis and the family reported it to a parish priest, according to church documents. It's not clear whether the Vat- ican considered those alle- gations, and they won't say. Loomis was never charged in that case either. Generally, in a church — or canon — trial, the church appoints the equivalent of a prosecutor to advocate for the alleged victim's inter- ests and the accused also has a canon lawyer. The case can be decided by a local tribunal and can be appealed to Rome by ei- ther side or it can be heard by the Vatican tribunal from the beginning. It wasn't immediately clear how the case against Loomis unfolded. Renati, the canon lawyer, declined to answer ques- tions about the tribunal proceedings, citing "pon- tifical confidentiality." MOLESTATION ALLEGATION Accuser angered over Vatican exonerating monsignor THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Roman Catholic monsignor Richard Loomis at his Carson home. Loomis who was removed from duty a decade ago a er he was accused of sex abuse has been exonerated a eer a church trial and review of the case by the Vatican. By Juliet Williams The Associated Press SACRAMENTO Democratic freshman Julia Brownley has survived her first re- election bid to Congress, edging out Republican Jeff Gorell in one of the nation's closest congressional races. The two candidates com- peted for a Democratic- leaning district in Ventura County that is home to two naval bases and an Air Na- tional Guard base, mak- ing the military the larg- est employer in the county and veterans issues a major emphasis of political cam- paigns. Brownley was ahead by about 2,000 votes out of more than 157,000 cast. She claimed victory Wednesday. "I will continue to stand up for women and families, fight for our veterans, and work to bring jobs and eco- nomic security to Ventura County," Brownley said in a statement released by her campaign. But Gorell did not con- cede the race Wednesday, saying in a post on his Face- book account that he would await the release of more vote tallies expected Friday. "While the trend is not promising, we will not be making any decisions as to the outcome of this race un- til the final absentee ballots are counted," he said in the post. Gorell served two tours in Afghanistan. He also had ties to the district as a former criminal prosecu- tor and as a member of the state Legislature. Brownley, a member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, had a significant financial edge early on, but Republican- aligned groups entered the race late and spent heavily against her, indicating that polls were signaling the race was a toss-up. In all, outside groups spent nearly $3.8 million to help sway the race's outcome. Two other congressional races featuring incumbent Democrats remained too close to call Wednesday. In the Sacramento area, Dem- ocratic Rep. Ami Bera had a slim lead over his Repub- lican challenger Doug Ose, a former congressman. In the Central Valley, five-term congressman Jim Costa was trailing Republican Johnny Tacherra in a race that an- alysts had not expected to be close. Meanwhile, the Assem- bly seat that Gorell gave up to run for Congress gave Democrats a rare pickup in the state Legislature this year, as Thousand Oaks City Councilwoman Jacqui Irwin defeated GOP chal- lenger Rob McCoy. Irwin was leading McCoy by more than 3,500 votes out of about 101,000 cast in the 44th Assembly Dis- trict seat in Ventura County. The competitive district has been shifting Democratic because of a growing con- centration of Latino voters in Oxnard. CLOSE RACE Rep. Julia Brownley wins re-election The Associated Press BIG SUR The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for an off-duty Cal- ifornia Air National Guard airman who was swept by a wave into the sea south of Monterey. The Monterey Herald reported Wednesday the 24-year-old man was vis- iting Big Sur with three friends when he was swept into the ocean Tuesday. The U.S. Coast Guard and several other agencies called off their search Tues- day after looking for the man for several hours. The man is the second person in less than a month to be swept off the rocks at Soberanes Point, 54 miles south of Santa Cruz. The other person was rescued. WAVE Search ends for airman swept to sea 3rd Annual Shopping Bazaar! Join Us For An Evening of FUN, FOOD & PRIZES! Vendors Include: • Creative Party Jewelry & Scarves • TC Woodburnings (Pens, Bottle Stoppers) • Essential Oils • Pamper Chef • Mary Kay • DM Kydex Gun Holsters • Damsel In Defense (Pepper Spray & Tasers) • Ray's Therapeutic Bodyworks Massage • Rocking S Creations (Aprons & Pot Holders) Wednesday,November19 th 6:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. 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