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LONDON, March 29 /PRNewswire/ — Families remain strong and functional according to a report out todaywhich paints a different picture from that of a “toxic childhood” so commonlydescribed in the press. Stories of childhood obesity, increase in violenceand crime, falling academic results, couch potato teenagers are rife andcontribute to a sense of doom when thinking about our children and families.But given the opportunity, families describe a very different scenario. With over 40% of families spending 8 hours or more a weektogether and 68% of parents agreeing that quality family time is about ‘justbeing together’, a new study suggests that, actually, families like eachother and want to spend time together. Families are finding a modern, 21stcentury way of maintaining family life that may be different from previousgenerations, but is no less valuable or enjoyable for it. The report, commissioned by Center Parcs and published byParent Focus, looks at how modern families spend time together: how they havefun, what they enjoy doing and who takes part. Based on discussions withdifferent parents across the country, it shows how parents are blending theold and new activities, creating a more democratic, participatory familylife. Commenting on the report, Mary MacLeod, Chief Executive of theFamily and Parenting Institute said,”In a climate of anxiety and negative comment about familylife, it is both salutary and heartening to be reminded that the picture isnot so bleak as one might believe. Family life is not without its challenges,but on the whole parents do want to do their best for their children and mostare doing a good job. Families appear to have embraced the huge range of activities availableto them including playing electronic games together alongside some of themore traditional activities like board games and going to the park.” Creating good memories for their children was uppermost inparents’ minds and was often the driving force behind the energy given overto making sure the family could spend leisure time together. Center Parcs commissioned the report to better understand apicture of modern family life. Martin Dalby, Chief Executive of Center Parcssaid, “At Center Parcs we see families enjoying spending time together. Infact our most popular activities are the ones where all members of the familycan participate. Our experience conflicts with many predictions of thecollapse of family life and we were keen to investigate just how realfamilies interact in the 21st century.” Justine Roberts, founder of Mumsnet welcomed the reportsaying,”It’s refreshing to read a report on parenting which captureshow hard most parents try to do the right thing for their children. Onmumsnet.com we frequently encounter parents planning and working out ways tospend time with their family, despite the pressures of modern life that areput on them.” All of which provides a refreshing contrast to thedoom-mongers intent on characterising the family as a failing institution onthe brink of collapse. Note to Editor: - Set in the beautiful locations of Sherwood Forest,Nottinghamshire, Elveden Forest, Suffolk, Longleat Forest, Wiltshire andWhinfell Forest in Cumbria, Center Parcs is the perfect woodland escape. Asthe leader in the UK short break holiday market, it occupies a uniqueposition after 20 years of operation in Britain, enjoying enviable annualoccupancy rates in excess of 90% and welcoming over 1.5m guests each year. Inthat time, the name Center Parcs has become synonymous with the provision ofan exceptional short break experience in a forest location. - Parent Focus is an independent company specialising inunderstanding parents. They conduct research with parents and develop familyfriendly policy. - The qualitative element of the research consisted of sixgroups and four couple interviews with children present. In total 44 parentswere involved. A discussion guide led the groups but free-running discussionwas allowed to take place. The groups were recruited to reflect ageographical spread, with an ethnic and social class mix. - This was backed up with quantitative research carried outonline by Research Now to a sample of 1000, taken from their 370,000 UKValued Opinions panel. All participants were required to be from the UK, overthe age of 18 and have one or more child under the age of 18. The surveyconsisted of 17 questions and was carried out online. - To download a full copy of the report visithttp://www.parentfocus.org.uk http://www.centerparcs.co.ukCenter Parcs Ltd

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COLOGNE, Germany, March 28 /PRNewswire/ — - The Takeover of Rdb Gmbh is an Additional Strong Step Towards theInternationalization of ISR ISR Interseroh Rohstoffe GmbH is acquiring a majority share in theinternationally operating waste plastic trader and processor RDB GmbH. Thefirm with headquarters in the northern German town of Aukrug and a yearlyturnover of approx. 50 million euros transports approx. 130,000 tons of usedplastics throughout Europe, including over 70,000 tons of plastic film,approx. 40,000 tons of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and additionalplastics. Asia is its largest sales market for the used plastics, some ofwhich are processed beforehand. The participation is subject to theauthorization of the Antitrust Agency.”By acquiring a majority share of RDB GmbH, we are consistently expandingour presence in the plastics branch across Europe. After a similaracquisition in the recovered paper branch and in the non-ferrous metalbranch, this is an additional step towards creating a tightly knit network oftrade capacity and direct access to final purchasers in Asia,” explainedInterseroh CEO Johannes-Jürgen Albus. Furthermore, this step reduces the dependence of the Interseroh rawmaterials segment on the internal secondary raw material quantities from thedifferent collection systems of the affiliated company InterserohDienstleistungs GmbH, which are subject to different regulatory guidelines.This thus enables the raw materials division to stand on its own, statedAlbus when describing the additional advantages of purchasing RDB GmbH. The management of RDB GmbH will remain in the firm RDB and support theactivities of ISR Interseroh Rohstoffe GmbH, which globally trades secondaryraw materials including recovered paper, waste plastics and scrap wood. RDB currently employs approximately 80 people. The purchasing departmentis represented not only in Germany, but also in several other Europeancountries. Four operating sites in Germany with a storage and handling areaof approx 60,000 m2 and two plants for processing PET primarily from theGerman mandatory deposit system on disposable drinks bottles are integralparts of the company. A processing plant in Hong Kong is also planned. Thecompany has a tightly knit network of purchasers in the recycling industries,for example the textile and fibre industries in China. By pooling Interseroh raw materials activities in ISR InterserohRohstoffe GmbH, the acquisition enables Interseroh to further concentratequantities in the sales segment and in maritime container logistics, explainsthe ISR management. “We can pass on the price and cost advantages gained thisway to our suppliers across Europe and thus further increase our growth intonnage.” With headquarters in Cologne, over 70 branch locations, and nearly 1,700employees in Europe the Interseroh Group stands for high-quality recyclingand modern ecological recycling management. Its tasks include the collection,transport, processing, and recovery of empty packaging, end-of-life products,and scrap metal in several European countries. Interseroh thus assures thatvaluable secondary raw materials traded world-wide are available toindustries for their production activities. In 2007 this totalled approx. 5.8million tons and the Group generated a turnover of around 1.75 billion euros. As a leading supplier of the paper, plastic, and derived timberindustries, and biomass power stations, ISR Interseroh Rohstoffe GmbH poolsthe raw materials trading activities of the Group in Europe and world-wide.Altogether, the Group sold approx. 1.3 million tons of recovered paper,160,000 tons of plastic, and 670,000 tons of scrap wood. More information on raw materials and recycling athttp://www.interseroh-news.de. (in German only) Contact: Michael Block Leiter Unternehmenskommunikation INTERSEROH AG Phone: 49-22039147-1264 Fax: 49-22039157-1264 Mobile: 49-1735398340 E-Mail: michael.block@interseroh.com Web: http://www.interseroh.deInterseroh AG

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NEW YORK, March 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — WallSt.net’s 3-Minute Press Show is a daily video program hosted by WallSt.net reporter, Tracee Tolentino. Shows air Monday through Friday on: .WallSt.net’s 3-Minute Press Show features in-depth interviews with public company executives on their company and most recent press releases. The show is designed to provide viewers with insight into a company’s most recent press release, and its impact on the company’s growth. The following executives were interviewed on today’s show: — George Naddaff, Chairman and CEO of UFood Restaurant Group, Inc. (BULLETIN BOARD: UFFC) () About WallStreet Direct, Inc.WallStreet Direct, Inc. a wholly-owned subsidiary of Financial Media Group, Inc., owns and operates WallSt.net (), a leading source of up-to-the-minute business news, comprehensive financial tools and original multimedia content for the investment community. In addition to WallSt.net, WallStreet Direct owns and operates WallStRadio () an online hub for business podcasts from well-known business news personalities and publishers. We have received four hundred ninety five dollars from UFood Restaurant Group, Inc. for the dissemination of this press release. To read our full disclaimer, and for a complete list of our advertisers, and advertising relationships, visit .About UFood Restaurant Group, Inc.Headquartered in Boston, MA, UFood Restaurant Group, Inc. is a franchisor and operator of fast-casual food service restaurants with an integrated retail store that sells nutritional products for a dual revenue stream business. UFood Grill offers a healthy lifestyle alternative to consumers in the fast-casual restaurant space and is positioned to become a leading player in the “better-for-you” quick serve restaurant category. The Company is led by franchise innovator George Naddaff, who founded Boston Market and led the franchising of several companies including Sylvan Learning Center and Ranch*1. Mr. Naddaff has a veteran management team with a record of success in the franchise market. UFood is currently launching a growth plan to franchise nationwide. Contact WallSt.net 800-4-WALLSTWallStreet Direct, Inc.; UFood Restaurant Group, Inc.

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WASHINGTON, March 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Following is the daily “Profile America” feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:FRIDAY, MARCH 28: A NEAR DISASTERProfile America — Friday, March 28th. One of the most frightening industrial accidents in the U.S. occurred on this date in 1979. It was 4 a.m. at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant on the Susquehanna River, south of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. A cascading chain of events started when someone mistakenly cross-connected air and water lines in the plant’s number two reactor. Before the crisis was over, the plant reportedly came close to a hydrogen gas explosion and a meltdown of its uranium core, which would have caused extensive radiation contamination. The incident sparked a large scale review of how nuclear power plants were built and operated. Today, there are 104 such generating plants across the country, producing nearly one-fifth of the country’s electricity. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau on the Web at .Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments ready to air on a monthly CD or on Internet at (look under the “Newsroom” button). For further information, contact Rick Reed at 1-301-763-2812, fax at 1-301-457-3670, or e-mail at rreed(At)census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., March 28 /PRNewswire/ — Four thousand women across the country will “feel the burn” as they crunch their abs for one hour straight during the Ab Crunch Challenge taking place tomorrow (Saturday), March 29. More than 200 local Lady of America, Ladies Workout Express and Workout Express gyms will host the fitness challenge, with a goal to raise $1 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and make history by creating a new Guinness Record for the most abdominal crunches done in one hour by a group.(Photo: )”When I first heard about the challenge it sounded like the perfect way to get fit while helping a great cause. But crunching for an hour straight seemed out of my reach,” said Roberta Hirsch, member at Lady of America in West Hempstead, NY.Knowing that Roberta would not be alone in her thinking, earlier this year, Lady of America, the world’s largest chain of full-service women’s fitness centers, began promoting the life-saving work of St. Jude and challenged women to choose a weight loss program that benefited their waistline and helped others in need. They invited both members and non-members to sign-up for free ab training classes in local Lady of America gyms and asked the “crunchers” to solicit donations for St. Jude. Thousands of women enrolled and have trained for the past 10 weeks to build up the strength and endurance to perform hundreds of crunches on Challenge day.”With the help of fellow crunchettes in my local ab training class I am now able to crunch for more than 60 minutes straight and am excited to show how far I’ve come — and how much I’ve raised for the children of St. Jude — on crunch day,” added Hirsch.Tomorrow morning the crunchettes’ training will be put to the test as they crunch for one hour in hopes of raising $1 million and achieving a new world record.Founded by Hamilton Township, New Jersey Ladies Workout Express club owner Tony Parziale — a two-time Guinness Book of World Records holder for performing more than 4,000 crunches within a one hour time limit — the Ab Crunch Challenge began as a small event in honor of a gym member who lost a child to cancer. Three years later, Parziale now nicknamed “Captain Crunch,” has turned his ab crunching challenge into a national philanthropic competition with thousands of women and 200 Lady of America franchised gyms participating.”I’m extremely proud to lead this national philanthropic fitness campaign,” said Parziale. “The women participating in this challenge have worked hard to build up their core strength and fundraise for St. Jude and should be applauded for the collective number of crunches they perform, and money donated, at tomorrow’s challenge.”"St. Jude is an incredible research center where doctors and researchers are committed to saving the lives of children with cancer and other deadly diseases,” says Beth Lucas of Malibu, Calif. whose son is a St. Jude patient. “Ab Crunch Challenge participants are part of a vital team supporting the hospital’s life-saving work and ensuring that no child is ever turned away because of a family’s inability to pay.”For information about local Lady of America locations participating in the Ab Crunch Challenge, or to make a donation, visit . Lady of America

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CANTON, Mass., March 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Specialty-sized apparel is the fastest growing segment of retailing today and Casual Male Retail Group , retail brand operator of Casual Male XL, Rochester Big & Tall, LivingXL and ShoesXL, is leading the way with a new store, opening in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. The new Casual Male XL store is the twenty-fourth store in the Los Angeles area and will be located in Victoria Crossroads at 12455 Victoria Gardens Lane in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. There are also three Casual Male XL Outlet store locations in Los Angeles.”The Los Angeles area is an important market for us and we are excited about continuing to expand here, now bringing our twenty-fourth Casual Male XL store to the area,” said David Levin, President and CEO of CMRG. “With a wide selection of apparel, a variety of quality name brands and a keen insight into our customers’ needs, Casual Male XL strives to be the best and most comprehensive resource for big and tall men’s fashion.”According to the NPD Group, a New York based consumer and retail market-research firm, the U.S. men’s big and tall apparel industry is nearly a $6 billion market. Casual Male XL caters to men starting at size XL, with waistlines 40″ and up, and specializes in clothing sizes XL to 6XL and XLT to 5XLT, making it the preferred apparel choice for big and tall men. Casual Male XL strives to serve this market through broad apparel assortments carried in more sizes than any other retailer and through multiple channels.Before Casual Male XL changed the face of retailing, men with sizes larger than XL had few options in ready-to-wear clothing. Today, men can visit Casual Male XL and choose from a wide range of quality fashions from a variety of designer and popular name brands.Casual Male XL also offers casual, athletic and dress shoes in its merchandise mix and has become the largest footwear retailer in the nation for sizes 11 to 16, with select styles up to 17M, in widths up to extra wide (5E).By realizing that big and tall men want the same quality, comfort, variety and value that is available to their regular size counterparts, the chain has achieved a significant share of the market. The company is owned by the Casual Male Retail Group, Inc., and operates the apparel chain from its corporate headquarters in Canton, Massachusetts. Store locations can be accessed by calling 1-866-thinkXL or by visiting .About Casual Male Retail Group:Casual Male Retail Group, Inc., the largest retailer of big and tall men’s apparel with retail operations throughout the United States, Canada and London, England, operates over 470 Casual Male XL stores, the Casual Male e-commerce site, Casual Male catalog business and twenty-six Rochester Big & Tall stores, including a direct-to-consumer business at RochesterClothing.com. The Company is headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts and its common stock is listed on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol “CMRG.” Contact: Ric Della Bernarda 781-828-9300 555 Turnpike Street Canton, MA 02021Casual Male Retail Group, Inc.

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LONDON, March 28 /PRNewswire/ — Anchorage Capital Partners (”ACP”) (a Mercantile InvestmentGroup company) recently reported to the Financial Times that it is preparingto launch a closed-ended fund which will invest in the rare and vintageguitar market. The US$100 million fund is to be listed on the Channel IslandStock Exchange (CISX) in Euros for a 10-year term. According to ACP, the vintage guitar market has comfortablyoutperformed traditional markets ever since it has been tracked by an indexcreated by Vintage Guitar magazine in 1991. “The ‘42 Index’ which is widelyaccepted as a conservative tracking device for the vintage guitar market, hasdemonstrated an average annual return of over 31% since it began 17 yearsago,” said Tommy Byrne, co-founder of ACP and Chief Investment Officer of theFund. He went onto say, “Historically, when the major markets have collapsed,this market has plateaued until the traditional markets picked up again.” Currently the Fund has a number of institutional investorsinterested in subscribing for shares of the Fund in amounts beginning at US$10 million each, though this is contingent on finding a qualified Lead Investor. Valerio D’Arco, a Senior Associate at ACP said “Most of the interest we are seeing is being generated from the wealth management divisions of private banks, family offices and funds of hedge funds. We are also beginning to see more interest from High Net Worth Individuals who want to take advantage of being able to invest some of their retirement money into a listed security.” With many vintage guitar models trading well over US$250,000,ACP doesn’t see the market being driven up simply by the Baby Boomergeneration. The Company views generations X and Y as a major part of theequation. Mr. Byrne explains, “The vintage guitar market, like some of theother exotic investment strategies such as art and wine funds can be enjoyedwhile holding them, but where this market differs significantly is in how theguitars improve every time you play them. The vibrations on the wood improvethe sound of the guitars, so the more they’re played the better they sound.The younger generation knows this and has an increasing appetite foracquiring their favourite models. After all, that Monet hanging on the walldoesn’t improve every time someone looks at it.” The Fund has structured a lending strategy that will allowinvestors to borrow the guitars so they will continue to be played andenjoyed. The Fund will also lend guitars out to well-known musicians fortours, TV and movie spots adding value to the investment as it obtainsmemorabilia status. Dr. Bernard A. Wagenmann, also a co-founder of ACP, emphasizedthat “…though this exotic strategy has proven to be a tremendousinvestment, investors cannot expect the same type of liquidity as in thestock and bond markets, which is why potential investors should view this asa long term investment strategy.” The Fund also benefits from an advisory board of guitar experts, privateequity managers and professional musicians, one of which is Elliott Randall,best known for his lead guitar work with the band Steely Dan on mega-hitsincluding Reelin’ In the Years. Another professional musician on the Board,Robbin Thompson, once the lead singer for the Bruce Springsteen band SteelMill, commented, “Since so many passionate collectors are unlikely to eversell their own stash of vintage guitars, this fund prevents them from takingtheir investment to the grave.”Anchorage Capital Partners Ltd

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WASHINGTON, March 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The U.S. Small Business Administration this week launched a new Web site, , for National Small Business Week 2008, featuring information about the agency’s premier annual event. The celebration of National Small Business Week is April 21-25, with events in Washington, D.C., April 21-23 and in New York City April 24-25.Among the featured speakers confirmed are Secretary Mike Leavitt, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Ambassador Susan C. Schwab, United States Trade Representative; Newt Gingrich, former House Speaker; David Latimore of the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City; John Bryant of Operation HOPE, and other prominent business leaders, CEOs and politicos.Visitors to the site will find it richer, deeper, and easier to navigate, with a look and feel that conveys the spirit of excitement surrounding this year’s Small Business Week events.Up-to-the-minute highlights, multimedia content and information will be updated to the Web site during Small Business Week events in real-time. An added interactive feature will allow visitors to to upload photos of the events directly to the site.Created with the user in mind, one of the newest features of the new Web site is an interactive blog that will allow sponsors, award winners, and the public to post content about Small Business Week events.The new Web site provides detailed information about the National Small Business Week schedule, including day-to-day-events, featured sessions, events locations, award winners’ biographies and detailed sponsor information. In addition, information for Small Business Week award winners will be accessible on member-only sections of the Web site.”National Small Business Week.com is a leap forward for the SBA, and represents a new platform for how the agency can engage in a dialogue with small businesses online,” said Anoop Prakash, SBA Associate Administrator for Entrepreneurial Development.A full updated schedule of events appears below, and online at .After Small Business Week 2008 events have ended, the Web site will continue to serve as a nucleus for dialogue and communication, with archived events from 2008 accessible at the click of a mouse button. Small business community members can receive updates on future SBA events, including a post-event discussion of National Small Business Week 2008 activities.The small business community is invited to join the SBA for a week of valuable executive panel forums that will feature an exceptional lineup of notable speakers, expert panelists, and business industry leaders discussing best business practices and the latest developments in the business world. The small business community nationwide can also take part in the forums, and view other Small Business Week events that will be webcast live.Online registration for National Small Business Week is now open. To hold your place, visit online to the new site at . Media outlets are encouraged to cover National Small Business Week events, and can also register online.– EXECUTIVE PANEL OPEN FORUMSThis series of executive discussions will feature some of the brightest minds in the industry and engage forum attendees on key issues of critical importance Healthcare - Cost and Coverage: Healthcare Chicken and Egg Trade - Going Global: Accessing New MarketsEnergy - Meeting the Energy Challenge: Impacts & Opportunities for Small BusinessProcurement - Secrets of Building Alliance Partnerships with Prime Contractors Financial - Investing in the Future: Financing Inner City Businesses — ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARDS CEREMONIES — CONTINUOUS WEB STREAMING OF EVENTS (Check the Web site for Details on Live Streaming Video Events)The U.S. Small Business Administration’s participation in this cosponsored activity does not constitute an express or implied endorsement of any cosponsor’s, donor’s, grantee’s, contractor’s or participant’s opinions, products, or services. All SBA programs and cosponsored programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made, if requested at least 2 weeks in advance, by contacting . Cosponsorship Authorization #SBW2008Small Business Week 2008 cosponsors include: Sam’s Club, Administaff, Raytheon, IBM, Chevron, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Cisco, Lockheed Martin, Salesforce.com, Lowe’s, Banco Popular, Minority Business Development Agency, General Services Administration, MyBizHomepage, Dun & Bradstreet, National Association of Development Companies, Direct Selling Education Foundation, Association of Small Business Development Centers, National Small Business Association, Federal Allies Institute, Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, Consumer Energy Alliance, National Federation of Independent Business, and SCORE (The National Small Business Week 2008 Schedule of Events is attached.) Small Business Week 2008 Schedule of Events(Note to Press: Seating is limited at all events and the events schedule is subject to change.) Monday, April 21 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm Registration Open Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Pre-Function Area6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Opening Reception and Presentation of the Entrepreneurial Development Awards U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Reception Rooms Tuesday, April 22 7:00 am - 5:00 pm Registration Open Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Pre-Function Area10:30 am - 12:00 pm Healthcare Forum: “Cost and Coverage: Healthcare Chicken and Egg” Mandarin Oriental, Oriental Ballroom Sponsored by: NFIB- National Federation of Independent BusinessConfirmed: Secretary Mike Leavitt, U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesNewt Gingrich, American Solutions12:30 pm - 3:00 pm National Awards Luncheon Honoring State Small Business WinnersMandarin Oriental, Grand BallroomThis event celebrates entrepreneurship in America by honoring outstanding small business men and women from all 50 states and territories. From that group, a national small business person of the year is selected. Sponsored by: Sam’s Club 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm Trade Forum: “Going Global: Accessing New Markets” Mandarin Oriental, Oriental Ballroom Sponsored by: IBM & Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Confirmed: Susan C. Schwab, United States Trade Representative 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Congressional Reception Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room SD-G50 Wednesday, April 23 7:00 am - 5:00 pm Registration Open Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Pre-Function Area 8:00 am - 10:00 am Phoenix Awards Breakfast Mandarin Oriental, Grand BallroomThe Phoenix Awards are given to those individuals whose efforts and contributions have enabled their businesses or communities to recover successfully from a disaster.10:30 am - 12:00 pm Energy Forum: “Meeting the Energy Challenge: Impacts & Opportunities for Small Business” Mandarin Oriental, Oriental Ballroom Sponsored by: CEA- Consumer Energy Alliance Invited: John Hofmeister, Shell Corp.12:30 pm - 2:30 pm National Awards Luncheon Honoring Procurement Award Winners Mandarin Oriental, Grand Ballroom Sponsored by: Raytheon This event honors achievement in several areas of procurement.3:00 pm - 4:30 pm Procurement Forum: “Secrets of Building Alliance Partnerships with Prime Contractors” Mandarin Oriental, Oriental Ballroom Invited: Michael Chertoff, Department of Homeland Security 7:30 pm - 11:00 pm Champion Award Winners Gala Mandarin Oriental, Grand Ballroom Sponsored by: AdministaffThis event serves as the culminating award event to honor all the award winners of the week. Thursday, April 24 8:30 am - 4:30 pm OSDBU Procurement Matchmaking Event Show Place Arena, Upper Marlboro, Maryland For information, please visit SBA Administrator Steven C. Preston will be a guest speaker at this event. 3:30 pm - 6:00 pm Reception Celebrating Women Entrepreneurs Hosted by the National Women’s Business Council NASDAQ MarketSite, New York CityA reception to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the legislation establishing the Women’s Business Centers.Friday, April 2511:00 am - 2:00 pm Financial Forum: “Investing in the Future: Financing Inner City Businesses” and Lender Awards Luncheon The Westin New York at Times Square, New York City Majestic Ballroom, 5th Floor Sponsored by: ICIC- Initiative for Competitive Inner CityThis event is designed to serve as dialogue between the SBA and those interested in community investment, followed by a luncheon to celebrate SBA’s top Small Business Lenders.Confirmed: John Bryant, Operation HopeDavid Latimore, Initiative for a Competitive Inner City U.S. Small Business Administration

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CREVE COEUR, Mo. and CHICAGO, March 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Smurfit- Stone Container Corporation announced today the Internet availability of its 2008 annual stockholders’ meeting proxy materials under the new Notice and Access rule of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In December 2006, the SEC voted to adopt amendments to its proxy rules that allow companies to furnish proxy materials to stockholders through a Notice and Access model using the Internet.(Logo: )By utilizing Notice and Access, Smurfit-Stone reduced the number of printed copies of its proxy materials by more than 65 percent from 2007, reducing the environmental impact of the annual meeting materials by using less paper and ink, as well as less energy to manufacture and deliver the materials. Additionally, Smurfit-Stone’s printed copies of its Annual Report and Form 10-K used paper that meets the sourcing procurement requirements of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative(R), the most comprehensive wood supply monitoring system of any forest certification program in the world.Smurfit-Stone’s proxy statement and Annual Report on Form 10-K have been filed with the SEC and are available on line at: .Stockholders may obtain a free printed copy of the annual meeting materials by following the instructions provided on the notice.The company’s annual stockholders’ meeting will be held May 7 beginning at 10 a.m. CT at the University of Chicago Gleacher Center located at 450 N. Cityfront Plaza Drive, Chicago, IL, 60611.Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation is the industry’s leading integrated containerboard and corrugated packaging producer and is one of the world’s largest paper recyclers. The company is a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative(R), and the Chicago Climate Exchange. Smurfit-Stone generated revenue of $7.4 billion in 2007, has led the industry in safety every year since 2001, and conducts its business in compliance with the environmental, health, and safety principles of the American Forest & Paper Association. Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation

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FORT WORTH, Texas, March 28 /PRNewswire/ — On the heels of new U.S. Census Bureau figures that show Dallas/Fort Worth has had the largest population increase of any metropolitan area in the nation, a new study shows that the booming energy sector is fueling the growth.The Barnett Shale is energizing the North Texas economy with activity that is far exceeding expectations, even while the rest of the nation remains mired in an economic slump, according to a new report on the natural gas field’s economic impact. In 2007, activity in the Barnett Shale created 83,823 permanent jobs and pumped more than $8.2 billion into the local economy, a net gain of more than 50 percent over the previous year.The Barnett Shale is one of the largest natural gas fields in the nation, and is unique in that much of it is located in a highly urbanized area. Although the field was discovered in the early 1980s, little activity took place until 2001 after technological improvements in recovery methods and a favorable price environment led to substantial development. The Barnett Shale covers about 5,000 square miles.The study, commissioned by the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and authored by economist Ray Perryman, found that the Barnett Shale is having a multiplier effect on virtually all segments of the regional economy. Highlights of the Perryman report include: — The local real estate market is benefiting because of energy companies’ need for commercial and industrial space and increased demand for housing from new employees. The report estimates housing demand has increased by more than 38,000 units since the inception of major drilling activity in the area. — State and local governments are sharing in the gains as well. In the aggregate, Barnett Shale activity is responsible for almost $1.1 billion in annual fiscal revenues. — Companies operating in the Barnett Shale have been good corporate citizens, donating millions of dollars and substantial time to local charities. In fact, charitable giving among the energy companies surveyed more than tripled in the last year. — Overall activity in the Barnett Shale has not yet peaked and is growing faster than expected. Production has reached an estimated level of 3.7 billion cubic feet per day, accounting for 4.3 percent of total U.S. production. Projections are that production will increase to between 6.5 and 9.7 billion cubic feet per day by 2014-15.Perryman concludes that previous estimates of the future impact of the Barnett Shale have proven to be far below the actual effect of exploration, drilling, and production on regional business activity.”Last year, we projected that the economic impact of the Barnett Shale would increase by a rate of about 20 percent per year. But it was absolutely astounding to see that, in reality, it expanded by more than 50 percent in 2007,” said Perryman, who spearheaded the report, “Drilling for Dollars: An Assessment of the Ongoing and Expanding Economic Impact of Activity in the Barnett Shale on Fort Worth and the Surrounding Area.”"Although the national economy is definitely slowing, activity in the Barnett Shale is insulating Fort Worth and the surrounding region and serving as a catalyst for ongoing economic vitality.”Perryman’s report examined the economic impact of the Barnett Shale on the 18 Texas counties with the most drilling activity: Bosque, Clay, Cooke, Comanche, Denton, Eastland, Ellis, Erath, Hill, Hood, Jack, Johnson, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Somervell, Tarrant and Wise. The Barnett Shale is a major economic generator in these areas, accounting for 8.1 percent of gross product, 7.8 percent of personal income and 8.9 percent of employment.The release of the report coincides with the second annual Barnett Shale EXPO, the largest trade show ever devoted to the Barnett Shale energy industry. Scores of local chambers, energy companies, expert speakers and more than 160 exhibitors will be converging on the Fort Worth Convention Center on Saturday, March 29th to provide information and answer questions about the natural gas field.”Fort Worth has emerged as a very diversified economy that includes everything from manufacturing to tourism,” Bill Thornton, president and CEO of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. “The Barnett Shale now fuels the region as well, both by injecting direct revenues into the economy and through all the charitable giving that has helped enhance our quality of life.”Six major energy companies, comprising 81 percent of total Barnett Shale production, responded to a seven-page questionnaire prepared by The Perryman Group as part of the study. The firms were asked to break down by counties the number of full-time employees, staffing needs, annual payroll, operating costs, current and future production levels, charitable contributions and the amount of state and local taxes paid. To see the full report, go to Contact: Andra Bennett, 817-336-2491, ext. 265, Ellen Sterner-Sedeno, 214-546-8893, The Perryman Group

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