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Bob Shallit: Up, up and out of that traffic jam
By Bob Shallit -- Bee Columnist
Published 2:15 am PDT Saturday, October 22, 2005
Story appeared in Business section, Page D1

Looking for the Christmas gift for the guy or gal who has everything?
How about a flying car?

This year's Neiman Marcus holiday catalog is featuring the prototype
"Skycar" developed by Davis-based Moller International.

The price: a mere $3.5 million.

Company founder Paul Moller has been working on personal flight
vehicles for five decades. It may be decades more before folks hop
into one of his M400s instead of an auto for the commute to work.

But progress is being made. Joint development talks are under way with
companies in China and Europe. Moller and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
are jointly seeking funding for development of the Skycar engine.

The vehicle - which lifts off vertically like a helicopter - has been
flown via remote control on numerous occasions. A big test is coming
up early next year, Moller says, when a manned flight is planned in
front of more than 700 media people.

As for the listing in the famous, upscale catalog, Moller says Neiman
Marcus contacted the company, inquired about its work and then opted
to include the prototype in its "Christmas book." A buyer could take
possession of the craft after next year's test flight.

Will somebody actually pay $3.5 million to own a vehicle that won't be
as flight-worthy as future versions?

It's certainly possible, Moller says. If the firm achieves its dream
of mass-producing commuter vehicles that cruise at 275 miles per hour
and create a new highway in the sky, the prototype will be "quite
valuable to a collector some day," he says.

Fast city: Sacramento's made the leap from cowtown to ... hub of the
"creative class." So says Fast Company mag, which places the capital
among the top 10 U.S. cities for scientists, artists, engineers and
other creative types.

The listing is based on a survey that assessed which cities drew the
most "creatives," on a percentage basis, between 1999 and 2003, and
looked at intangibles, such as quality of life and tolerance of
differences.

The story - which hits newsstands Sunday - has a blurb on each of the
cities on the list. Among the others: San Diego; Phoenix; Raleigh,
N.C.; and Portland, Ore. Sacramento's attributes ("creative-class
cred") include UC Davis and yes, its proximity to Tahoe and the wine
country. Also mentioned is that Daniel Libeskind-designed condo tower
planned for downtown. The one negative in the blurb: It cites the
"years of false starts" in sparking downtown entertainment options.

Not a flop: Vlade and Ana Divac may take along a piece of Sacramento
when they move their family to Europe next year.

They've been offered a chance to franchise their L'Image boutique in
Madrid, Ana reports.

She's not providing details and hasn't made any decision yet on the
offer. But she says the potential franchisee loves the shop she has
now in the Pavilions shopping center and would want her to play a role
in managing the European version.

"It would be nice to have a L'Image in Sacramento, California, and a
L'Image in Madrid, Spain," she says.

Meanwhile, she insists that she and Vlade intend to keep their
ownership of the Tunel 21 nightclub and eatery open as well as the
local L'Image boutique and bistro. The businesses are being run by
Ana's sister, Jelica Orbovic.

"We kind of grew up in Sacramento as a family," Ana says, "and we plan
to be a part of the community definitely forever."

Fright on wheels: Deborah Chausse runs the outrageous Old Sac costume
store called Evangeline's. Her husband, former filmmaker Leon Corcos,
loves fixing up old cars.

So when they started talking about ways to promote the store for
Halloween, the answer was obvious: Buy and fix up an old hearse.

The two searched all over for just the right car. They considered a
1925 model. "It ran, but oh! It was like a Disneyland ride," Deborah
says. "Very high maintenance."

They finally settled on a 1962 white Cadillac hearse in need of lots
of work. Leon rebuilt the engine, replaced the transmission, fixed up
the interior (including adding new curtains), did some body work and
had it painted black. He even ordered the engraved metal plaques -
with the Evangeline's Costume Mansion name, of course - that funeral
homes put in the windows of their hearses.

The 22-foot vehicle goes on display today in front of the shop. After
Halloween, it'll be put away until next year. "Fortunately," Deborah
says, "we have a really large garage."

FACT FACTS
* Cost: $3.5 million

* Passsengers: 4

* Weight: 2,400 pounds

* Length: 21.5 feet

* Width: 8.5 feet

* Height: 7.5 feet

* Span: 18.5 feet, unfolded

* Miles per gallon: 21

* Maximum speed: 375 mph

* Maximum range: 750 miles

http://www.sacbee.com/content/business/columns/shallit/story/13752396p-14594108c.html


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"I don't care (if I get booed). I don't know any of those people. As long as my kids tell me that they love me, I'm fine. My motto is, when people talk about me, I say, 'Who are they? They're not God.' If God was out there booing me, I'd be upset."
-- Bonzi Wells, Sacramento Kings
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