News In Brief

HELP OUT AGAIN? RUBBISH! "We did a nice job," Frank Barilone says. "I hand-raked the sand. I even built a picnic table and put it down there." And that was after the retiree and a friend gathered up and hauled away broken rowboats, garbage, and other litter from Ellsworth Pond Beach in New Hampshire's White Mountains National Forest. So, were their efforts appreciated? You decide. They were fined $150 by a US Forest Service agent for lacking a permit. Barilone says the service knew in advance of his intentions and vows he'll go to jail before paying. Said a Forest Service supervisor: "There are some communications issues we're looking at."

WANT MY AUTOGRAPH, TOO? Celebrity status isn't all it's cracked up to be. Just ask Romario, the Brazilian soccer superstar. On the one hand, it kept him from having to hitchhike when a passing motorist recognized him standing beside a road in Rio de Janeiro. On the other hand, he needed the ride because thieves who also recognized him had just stolen his cash, cell phone, and luxury car.

Survey asks what firms do to retain high-tech workers In a recent survey, 1,400 chief information officers (CIOs) were asked what their firms were offering to retain Information-technology talent. The results of the poll - developed by RHI Consulting, but conducted by an independent research firm - indicate efforts to balance work with outside activities is playing an increasingly important role. Fifty-three percent of respondents said providing flexible hours and and other programs that help workers balance work and personal time is "much more important" than it was five years ago. The percentage of CIOs responding positively when asked "Which of the following benefits, if any, do you offer your information-technology staff":

Flexible hours 73%

Paid time off/personal days 72%

Part-time work 38%

Telecommuting 34%

Job sharing 27%

Sabbaticals 12%

- PR Newswire

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