Boston braille press puts out ‘Frozen’ book, CD

What more fitting book for children to curl up with on these bone-chilling days and nights than "Frozen," Disney's wildly popular icy adventure. But the more than 50,000 blind children in the United States have largely been left out of the fun — until now.

The Boston-based National Braille Press has just released a version in both print and braille, along with a CD featuring thrilling sound effects, word-for-word narration and original movie voices, so that parents and children can venture together to Arendelle, a kingdom trapped in a never-ending winter.

"What we try to do is make the most popular children's books accessible to blind children so that they can share in the excitement," said Kimberley Ballard, a National Braille Press spokeswoman.

What makes "Frozen" particularly appealing, Ballard said, is that it has a strong female character and emphasizes the importance of bravery and imagination as the young Princess Anna, a dreamer, goes on a quest to save Arendelle.

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Toyota Camry doesn't toy with success

The changes in the redesigned 2015 Camry are sufficient to attract new buyers, yet subtle enough to appease Camry loyalists.

The new grille and wraparound headlights on its front end give the 2015 Camry a sleek, more aggressive appearance, and taillights that extend into the rear quarter panels echo the front. The overall body shape and roof line is the same, as function over form prevails with the Camry, but 17-inch alloy wheels with chrome paint helped my test sedan's unassuming silver metallic exterior stand out.

The new Camry has a smoother yet slightly stiffer ride as a result of tweaks to the suspension and electronic power steering. A 178-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine comes standard with the front-wheel-drive Camry. The base model starts at just under $23,000 but higher trim models, such as my XLE tester that tops out at $36,000, come with a much more powerful 268-hp, 3.5-
liter V6.

While other manufacturers have switched to the occasionally choppy, continuously variable transmission for improved fuel economy, Toyota sticks with a six-speed automatic transmission throughout the Camry lineup, perhaps due to its refined and uneventful shifting. My tester yielded 25 mpg in combined city and highway fuel economy. Toyota also offers a hybrid version.

The Camry's wide stance translates into a spacious and comfortable interior. A wide chasm separates driver from passenger and there's plenty of elbow and foot room to seat three in the back seat. Leather-trimmed seats and steering wheel along with a push-button starter gave my tester an aura of luxury.

The center console had a 7-inch multimedia screen that provided easy-to-use navigation. I appreciated conventional tune and volume control dials located on either side of the console. Both controls also are on the steering wheel along with hands-free calling. Connecting my iPhone was trouble-free, allowing me to seamlessly continue listening to an audiobook that I started in another vehicle.

A backup camera is standard across the Camry lineup. My tester also had optional safety technology features that included adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, a pre-collision system, blind spot monitors and rear cross-traffic alert.

Buying a mid-sized sedan is no longer a coin-toss decision between Honda's Accord and the Camry because there's an abundance of choices from other manufacturers, including better-looking sedans that offer more bells and whistles and better fuel economy. Chrysler, Ford, and Subaru offer all-wheel-drive with their mid-sized sedans, a feature absent from the Camry lineup.

But it's really hard to find anything to dislike about the Camry, and perhaps that's why the solidly built and reliable Camry has been a top-selling car in America over the past decade.

Obviously with Toyota's Camry, the phrase "don't mess with success" is universally understood.

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Enjoy top-floor loft in top location

This New York-style loft in downtown Boston sits on the top floor of a five-story building and has been recently upgraded from its original 2005 conversion.

The current owner of 289 Devonshire St. No. 5 has invested $12,000 in a new gas-fired heating and central air system, renovated the unit's two full bathrooms and added European-style LED lighting throughout.

The 1,564-square-foot one-bedroom loft, which has exclusive rights to a deck on a just redone rubber roof, is on the market for $999,000.

The building, which sits above the Viga restaurant, has four condos with direct elevator access to each floor-through unit.

The elevator opens into Unit 5's large, open living/dining area with nearly ­14-foot ceilings, along with exposed ductwork and LED recessed lighting. This space has three large-front facing windows and maple hardwood floors.

The area segues into the unit's kitchen, which features 15 maple cabinets and honed black-granite counters, as well as a bilevel ­island that seats four with new contemporary pendant lamps above. At the end of the island is a built-in wine rack.

Jenn-Air stainless steel appliances from 2005 include a refrigerator, dishwasher, gas stove and built-in microwave, along with a Kitchen Aid compactor.

Around the corner from the kitchen sits a built-in honed black granite desk with maple built-in shelving­ above.

Across the hall sits a full bathroom redone in 2012 with white Carrara marble floors and walls for a whirlpool tub and shower, along with a large white sink ­basin and sconce lighting.

Along the hallway to the bedroom is built-in loft storage space.

The unit's one bedroom is large, and could easily be converted into two decent-sized bedrooms. The bedroom area has maple floors, three large windows and 10-foot ceilings.

There's a walk-through closet with custom built-in maple wardrobes on either side leading into a master bathroom with radiant heated porcelain tile floors and porcelain walls for a glass-doored walk-in shower. There's also a contemporary double-sink with white quartz counters and dual mirrors above.

Outside the bathroom sits a closet with a stacked Whirlpool washer and dryer. And on the far side of the bedroom is a utilities closet with decent storage space.

The new rubber roof will support a 1,380-square-foot private deck reachable through a staircase next to the elevator.

The unit doesn't come with an on-site parking space, and with its metered downtown location, nearby garages are the best option.

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Charlie Baker official says Connector to be more transparent

The Massachusetts Health Connector will enter its busiest period of Obamacare enrollment next week as the Baker administration — vowing a new level of transparency — prepares to reveal just how much the agency's "wildcard" costs will add to a budget deficit expected to top $500 million.

"My staff has been working around the clock the past seven days to try to finalize the number," said Administration and Finance Secretary Kristen Lepore. "We're really close, and we should be announcing that very soon."

Baker has said he expects the state budget gap to be more than $500 million. Still unknown is the total cost of temporary health insurance that Bay Staters were transferred onto last year under the Patrick administration when the state's costly Obamacare website failed.

Lepore, in her first Health Connector board meeting as chairwoman after being sworn in last week, pledged at least one major change to the agency.

"Transparency is No. 1," Lepore said.

Meanwhile, Health Connector officials are racing to get the word out to Bay Staters in those temporary plans to sign up for insurance by Jan. 23 or risk losing coverage altogether.

"Our key continues to be this large group that has coverage that ends," said state Obamacare czar Maydad Cohen. "The critical thing we've really been pushing hard in our outreach and communication is the temporary Medicaid program, the Commonwealth Care program, those are ending for these people Jan. 31. There is no extension. They will have no coverage if they take no action."

Cohen said the Connector is expecting its busiest open enrollment period next week and will have more than 300 call center operators to process applications and answer questions.

The Connector's eleventh-hour outreach blitz also includes a radio ad Sunday during the New England Patriots AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts in which the Connector is sponsoring the "Connection of the Game," highlighting the best pass.

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Garden complex signs up a star

Star Market is coming to North Station. The West Bridgewater chain signed a long-term lease for a 63,000-square-foot grocery store in Boston Properties and Delaware North's 
$950 million, mixed-use TD Garden project.

The supermarket will be downtown Boston's largest, and will potentially cap a 16-year push by the North End/West End/Beacon Hill Supermarket Committee to bring an affordable grocery to their neighborhoods.

"My committee is very pleased that it includes the supermarket," committee chairwoman Lia Tota said. "We just hope — and this remains to be seen — that Star Market is willing to keep the prices as low as possible, because the idea of fighting for this was not just having a supermarket."

The committee plans to work with Star Market through the design phase.

"It's a great story of community activism and commitment," said Bryan Koop, senior vice president and regional manager of Boston Properties' Hub office. "There is a population of 75,000 people in these…neighborhoods who do not have a grocery store."

The committee formed after learning that the former Stop & Shop on Cambridge Street would be replaced by a more expensive Bread & Circus, prompting concerns about affordability.

When Stop & Shop finally closed in 2003 — it's now a Whole Foods — a free shuttle bus started transporting residents of the three neighborhoods to a Shaw's in Somerville and Stop & Shop in Medford several times per week. The grocery chains continue to fund the service.

An escalator will take shoppers to the new lower-level Star Market, which will emphasize hot prepared foods, alcohol, cut produce and organics, and include a cheese shop, pizza and salad bars, sushi, a seating area, pharmacy and Starbucks.

Shaw's was attracted to the location because of the tremendous amount of building in the area and access to North Station, a spokesman said. The city in 2013 also approved $7.8 million in tax breaks to help lure the company.

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Heslam: New Boston.com editor needs cred

Boston Globe's beleaguered online sister site, Boston.com, is reeling from its latest viral blunder, and it's high time the rudderless ship finds an experienced captain.

Boston.com yesterday fired Victor Paul Alvarez, an associate editor who posted a story making fun of death threats against House Speaker John Boehner and accusing the Ohio Republican of being a heavy drinker with a "pickled liver" who could survive being poisoned.

Globe CEO Mike Sheehan wouldn't comment on Alvarez's ouster but said no other Boston.com staffers were disciplined over the site's latest mishap.

"It's onward and upward," Sheehan said.

Sheehan, who sent an apology letter to Boehner, said they are in the "final stages" of interviewing candidates to fill the Boston.com editor job, which has been vacant since the end of November.

Boston University School of Communications Dean Tom Fiedler said it's "prudent" that the next Boston.com editor have a strong journalistic background to "avoid the kinds of embarrassments" and "controversy that has come up in recent weeks."

It's also important, Fiedler added, that the next editor run Boston.com "in alignment with the journalistic values of the company in general."

Alvarez confirmed his ouster yesterday but said he was surprised by the firing. He declined to elaborate. As for Boehner, Alvarez said, "I'd like to apologize to the man in a way that is sincere, and I don't think a tweet would do it. He deserves more than that."

In an emailed statement, Boston.com's GM Corey Gottlieb said, "We do not comment on individual personnel matters. Any decisions made are far less about one employee than they are about the collective Boston.com team and maintaining and strengthening the standards and values they share."

Sheehan said he has "100 percent confidence" in Gottlieb leading the site.

Last month, then-deputy editor of Boston.com Hilary Sargent was suspended after hawking T-shirts that mocked a Harvard professor embroiled in a $4 flap with a Chinese restaurant owner — a story she doggedly covered. Sargent, now a senior columnist, also posted a piece that was quickly taken down that accused the professor of sending a racist email.

A contrite Alvarez took to Twitter to address his firing — and critics.

"The story I wrote was awful. Tasteless. Mean. Bosses felt it was inexcusable. They fired me," Alvarez wrote in a tweet. "I did not pine for murder. I made a tasteless joke that I clearly regret. Before I was fired and now."

Alvarez tweeted: "Also, in case it wasn't abundantly clear, I'm looking for a job. I doubt there will be any offers. But I am available."

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Judge won’t dismiss church bankruptcy

A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge yesterday found insufficient grounds to dismiss Greater Love Tabernacle Church's bankruptcy case at the request of its mortgage holder, who cited the Dorchester church's inability to refinance its debt.

Judge Joan Feeney ordered the church to file an appraisal and report on its fundraising efforts toward a purchase of its property or mortgage refinancing before an April hearing.

The church, which filed for bankruptcy in 2013 with some $803,000 in debt after VFC Partners 118 LLC threatened foreclosure, owes its Texas lender approximately $700,000.

"What we're trying to do is come up with a combination of contributions and a new loan ... to pay off the existing debt, and we hope (VFC) will take that at a discount since they purchased the loan at a deep discount," said Michael Goldberg, the church's attorney. "Another option is to use the bankruptcy to restructure the existing note, lower the interest rate and stretch it out over time."

The church so far has raised $150,000 for its refinancing fund.

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Buyers to make recon missions

GM president Charles "Engine Charlie" Wilson, chosen in 1953 to be secretary of defense for President Dwight Eisenhower, was famously misquoted as saying, "What's good for General Motors is good for the country."

In 2014, GM sold more than 2.9 million vehicles. It was good for the country.

And GM wasn't alone: Honda, Hyundai, Nissan and Subaru had record years, and Chrysler and Toyota posted big sales gains.

Against this backdrop, expect happy faces when the 58th New England International Auto Show gets underway today through Monday at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Manufacturers and franchised new vehicle dealers are obviously psyched; their annual party has a lot of promise.

Kelley Blue Book thinks sales could reach 17 million in the U.S. this year, closing in on the record 17.3 million vehicles sold in 2000. American consumers bought
16.5 million new vehicles last year, according to Autodata Corp., a 6-percent hike and a sign that the economy is picking up steam. It was the fifth consecutive year of improving sales.

Boston's auto show is an enthusiast's dream; 57 percent of show guests consider themselves "car fanatics." But almost a third are going to the show for more than just the fun of it — they're on a reconnaissance mission. Thirty percent of the show's annual attendees are thinking of making a vehicle purchase in the next three months.

It's a great time to buy. The more affordable cost of fuel, record-low interest rates and an improving economy have all kicked the buying climate into high gear.

The auto show gives prospective buyers a rare opportunity: They can scout choices from among 36 different manufacturers. Hundreds of cars and trucks will dot the BCEC floor and for five days, it will be the largest showroom in the world.

"It's a great opportunity for consumers to plan their next purchase," said Robert F. O'Koniewski, executive vice president of the Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association. "A few hundred cars will be there."

Among those will be the newest models, such as the Honda HR-V Crossover and the Jeep Renegade. And the first East Coast showing of the new Audi A6 and A7, is expected to be among the big enthusiast draws.

Even better for some, four manufacturers — Ford, Kia, Scion and Toyota — will provide qualified show attendees the opportunity to take a test drive. Each manufacturer will also have numerous product experts working the displays to answer questions. And guests can also take home reams of product info.

Talk about one-stop shopping.

O'Koniewski says that prospective buyers may have a bit more urgency this year.

"The average age of a car on the road in Massachusetts is 12 to 13 years old," he said. "During the down economy, people focused on keeping what they had. So the last time someone bought or leased a car may have been awhile, and they are going to find that cars are better-made now. They're more fuel-efficient and structurally safer."

Enhancing the festivities will be fun and games. Contests give guests a shot to win a Nascar Driving Experience, a remote car-start system, a gas card, or tickets to a Celtics game, among other prizes.

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Cambridge to get Charlie Hebdo mag

Cambridge's Out of Town News so far is the lone Massachusetts retailer slated to receive the "survivors edition" of Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical magazine that yesterday released its first issue since last week's deadly attack by Islamic extremists in Paris.

The Harvard Square newsstand will get five to 10 copies from the first print run of the edition, which features a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad on the cover, according to Martin McEwen, sales and marketing vice president at LS Distribution North America, the Montreal-based North American distributor for the magazine.

"We're trying to get them there for Friday, but it will be probably be over the weekend or Monday morning," McEwen said. "For the first distribution, there are only 300 copies going into the U.S."

The new issue of Charlie Hebdo, which had a press run of 5 million copies, sold out within minutes yesterday in France. Al-Qaeda's branch in Yemen, meanwhile, claimed responsibility for the Jan. 7 attack on the magazine's offices that killed 12 people, saying it ordered the killings because it believed the weekly had insulted Muhammad.

LS Distribution has been inundated with calls from U.S. and Canadian outlets seeking copies of the magazine. "We're expecting additional copies when they do their second print run, but we don't have any confirmation on timings or quantities," McEwen said.

The owners of Out of Town News, which a worker said was slammed with calls yesterday, couldn't be reached. It's unclear if the copies that it will receive already are spoken for by customers. "Most of the retailers I've spoken with, all of the copies are reserved," McEwen said. "They have waiting lists."

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The Ticker

Job openings climb in Nov.

Job openings climbed in November to the highest level in almost 14 years as the strengthening U.S. economy fueled demand for labor.

The number of positions waiting to be filled rose by 142,000 to 4.97 million in November, the most since January 2001, a report from the Labor Department showed yesterday. The pace of hiring cooled and fewer Americans quit their jobs.

Gains in hiring, waning dismissals and rising confidence underscore a vibrant labor market that in 2014 marked its strongest performance since 1999.

Seesaw Dow ends down again

Stocks swung from gains to losses and almost back again yesterday.

The U.S. market opened the day higher, getting a boost from encouraging news on hiring and small business confidence. The market then swooned in the afternoon as oil closed lower. The pendulum then swung back late in the day as oil gained in after-hours trading and stocks ended with small losses.

From peak to trough, the Dow Jones industrial average swung 425 points. The Dow fell 27.16 points, to 17,613.68. The Nasdaq composite slipped 3.21 points, to 4,661.50. The Standard & Poor's 500 index eased 5.23 points to 2,023.03.

Oil prices continue to tumble

Oil tumbled 5 percent to near six-year lows before recovering ground yesterday, and Brent briefly traded at par to U.S. crude for the first time in three months as some traders moved to take advantage of ample storage space in the United States.

Traders were searching to store the glut of oil, which has knocked prices down 60 percent in the last six months. So far this week, Brent has lost 7 percent and U.S. crude 5 percent.

Brent crude settled down 84 cents at $46.59 a barrel, after falling to $45.19, its lowest since March 2009. U.S. crude oil closed down 18 cents at $45.89, after hitting an April 2009 low of $44.20.

Today

 Commerce Department releases retail sales data for December.

 Commerce Department releases business inventories for November.

 Federal Reserve releases Beige Book.

TOMORROW

 Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims.

 Labor Department releases the Producer Price Index for December.

 Freddie Mac releases weekly mortgage rates.

THE SHUFFLE

Re/Max Leading Edge, with offices throughout Greater Boston, has announced the appointment of Christine George to executive vice president of marketing and business development. George will be responsible for setting the overall direction of the company's marketing and business development strategy.

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UMass Lowell receives $4M tech collaborative grant

Gov. Charlie Baker yesterday announced a $4 million Massachusetts Technology Collaborative grant to UMass Lowell to develop a printed and flexible electronics industry cluster, an emerging field with the potential to become a $76 billion global market over the next decade.

The new Printed Electronics Research Collaborative will position both large and small employers in Massachusetts to capitalize on the printed and flexible electronics field, which entails printing circuits on a base, or substrate, to create semiconductors and other electronics that are extremely thin, lightweight and flexible.

"Technical advances will enable us to generate 3-D drawings on the computer and directly print conductive and nonconductive components as easily as we now print with red, green and blue ink," said Julie Chen, vice provost for research. "We envision applications ranging from printed portable power and communications to novel drug delivery and diagnostic devices."

The four-year grant, which will be matched by $12 million in industry funding, will allow the Printed Electronics Research Collaborative initially to focus on supporting the state's defense cluster in printed electronics and branch out from there. Companies that have signed on include Raytheon of Waltham, MicroChem of Westboro and Rogers Corp. of Burlington, Chen said, and more are expected.

"The success of collaboration between the public and private sectors has been bearing fruit here for a number of years," Baker said. "This is exactly the sort of thing that should not only make us proud, but that we should do more of."

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Device makers pin hopes on pols

Massachusetts' medical device industry is banking on a now-Republican-controlled U.S. Senate to repeal a federal tax that costs Bay State companies hundreds of millions of dollars per year.

A bipartisan group of senators led by Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) filed long-expected legislation yesterday to rescind the 
2.3 percent medical device tax enacted in 2013 to help fund the Affordable Care Act.

"This is very important legislation to the medical device industry in Massachusetts," said Tom Sommer, president of the Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council. "We've seen workforce expansion plans stalled ... moves by companies offshore to less costly manufacturing venues and ... reductions in research and development spending."

Massachusetts has the nation's second largest concentration of medical device manufacturing after California. Medical devices are the state's No. 1 exported commodity, accounting for 14.5 percent of goods shipped from the state, according to the council. Some 24,000 employees work at 400 medical device companies, with another 75,000 employed in industry-related jobs.

Identical legislation filed in the last session of Congress passed the House but wasn't considered by the Senate. The legislation proposed yesterday also mirrors a bill introduced in the House last week by Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Minnesota).

Hub think tank the Pioneer Institute estimated in a 2013 report that the tax costs the state's 19 largest medical device companies $425 million in annual levies. "If it were to be repealed, it would have pretty significant impact in Massachusetts," senior fellow Joshua Archambault said.

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The Ticker

Peabody man charged in $1M Apple tech theft

The director of technical and development operations at a South Boston-based media technology company was charged yesterday in connection with his alleged theft of nearly $1 million worth of iPads and other Apple products from his employer.

Michael S. Denning, 33, of Peabody was charged by U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz's office with mail fraud and filing false tax returns.

The U.S. attorney alleges that in late 2010, Denning began working at a South Boston-based media technology company where his job responsibilities included purchasing computer equipment, software and other technology-based products for use by employees.

Shortly after he was hired, Denning allegedly began ordering extra Apple computer equipment, primarily iPads, from a wholesale computer vendor. Denning then allegedly intercepted these packages and sold them for cash, initially on eBay and Craigslist, and later to eBay resellers.

116 Huntington Ave. bought for $152M

Atlanta-based real estate investment trust Columbia Property Trust Inc. has acquired the 274,218-square-foot, Class-A office 15-story building at 116 Huntington Ave. in Boston's Back Bay from Broadway Partners for a purchase price of $152 million, inclusive of capital credits. The 15-story building was built in 1991.

Philadelphia real estate co., Nordblom acquire office building in South End

Affiliates of Philadelphia-based Rubenstein Partners, in partnership with Burlington's Nordblom Co., have acquired 1000 Washington St., a 242,000-square-foot office building located in the South End, for $75 million.

The 11-story, 242,000-square-foot building — the former headquarters of Teradyne — sits across the street from the new Ink Block residential development. The 2-acre site includes a 300-car garage, penthouse cafeteria and lower-level fitness center.

Today

 Labor Department releases job openings and labor turnover survey for November.

 Treasury releases federal budget for December.

TOMORROW

 Commerce Department releases retail sales data for December.

 Commerce Department releases business inventories for November.

 Federal Reserve releases Beige Book.

THE SHUFFLE

The South Shore Chamber of Commerce, the region's largest chamber, has announced that Alan Macdonald director of public policy and community benefits officer with South Shore Hospital, has been named an officer of the chamber's board of directors.

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Business Protocol: People skills becoming a lost art

At a time when casual attire and casual dining are all the buzz, there is no such thing as casual manners.

Manners speak to who we are and where we came from. Moreover, those who have manners notice those who do not. Being well presented and demonstrating respect and courtesy sets you apart.

Next generation leaders lack interpersonal and communications skills, which eventually plagues them at hiring and promotion time and interferes in developing business and even social relationships.

Etiquette is more than just knowing which fork to use. Etiquette, knowledge of business protocol and displaying gestures of respect buoys social skills and helps build more successful relationships.

Showing you know "the difference" can lead to advancement in business and in life, and begs the question: What else do you take the time and make the effort to learn about and master?

Many years ago, David Chag, general manager of The Country Club in Brookline (the oldest country club in the United States), turned to my company for protocol expertise. I had visited TCC and remember saying I assumed the staff was "over the top" in terms of professionalism and personalized service.

"Precisely why I am calling, Judy … because other people expect us to be; it is my job to make sure we are," David told me.

It should be all of our "jobs" to make sure America's future leaders know — and are taught — technical skills, business expertise, leadership skills, social acumen, interpersonal communication skills and cross-cultural diversity.

People skills are required to succeed in our high-tech global business climate today, yet they are quickly becoming a lost art.

Given expectations of management and staff at all levels, companies have a responsibility to help shape leaders of the next generation.

And while a casual environment is acceptable here at home, if you want to compete globally, showing you know "the difference" will set you apart anywhere in the world.

Finely tuned people skills and specific nuances — both acquired and learned — will make a lasting impression. It's never too early (or too late!) to start, and regular reinforcement is key.

Judith Bowman is president and founder of Protocol Consultants International and author of "Don't Take the Last Donut: New rules of Business Etiquette" and "How to Stand Apart @ Work … Transforming "Fine" to Fabulous!" Email her at Judith@protocolconsultants.com.

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Sculptor sues Macy’s over frog display

A shiny bronze frog is now the subject of a federal suit.

David Phillips, the Medford artist who in 2003 created six frog sculptures in the Boston Common near Frog Pond, is suing Macy's for exhibiting a replica of his "Fishing Frog" at its Downtown Crossing store during the Christmas season.

"Macy's ... copied Phillips' Fishing Frog sculpture without permission or authority from Phillips, and it used a copy of said statue in a Christmas window display facing Summer Street in its downtown Boston store," Phillips' attorney wrote. "Such copying, use and public display of the 'Fishing Frog' sculpture without Phillips' permission or authority ... constitutes an infringement of Phillips' copyright for which he is entitled to damages."

Phillips is asking Macy's to refrain from using the fishing frog. He also wants "all gains, profits and advantages derived by" Macy's from its use of the frog. If Macy's willfully violated Phillips' copyright, he wants up to $150,000.

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Use an automatic battery charger when storing a car

I am the proud owner of a restored 1969 Pontiac GTO. This past summer I purchased a new battery from Sears. The salesman said for winter storage to remove one lead and leave it in the car. I have always believed in removing the battery and recharging it every so often. This year I left the battery in the car with one lead off and purchased an automatic battery charger that monitors the battery and keeps it at full charge with a display showing its condition. What do you think about these chargers and storage method?

For a minute there, I thought I was reading a question I wrote! Like you, I've followed the "old school" method of battery preservation by disconnecting, removing and periodically charging the batteries from my summer cars and recreational vehicles.

But the older I get the lazier, eh, make that more efficient, I am. So, I now have several Battery Tender automatic battery chargers connected to the disconnected batteries in my seasonal-use stuff. I've had no issues doing this over the past four years.

Well, make that one issue. My C6 Corvette has electric door locks, so when I carefully prepared it for storage, my final step was to disconnect the battery, hook up the charger and close the hood. Sounds perfect, eh? Except for the fact that with the doors, hood and rear hatch closed and the battery disconnected, there was no way to unlock the doors!

Here's the funny part. I never even thought about the issue until I tried to unlock the doors the next spring! Thankfully, the owner's manual with the little black plastic emergency key was in the house. It unlocked the rear hatch, where I could lean in and pull the emergency driver's door release so I could open the door and unlatch the hood to reconnect the battery. Live and learn.

I have a 2003 manual-transmission Honda CRV with about 100,000 miles. Ever since I bought it used with 90k it has high idle RPM when it starts up. The engine idle RPM hunts between 2,000 and 3,000 until the engine warms up. Then the idle drops to below 1,000 RPM. Any thoughts?

Whenever trying to diagnose a driveability issue, apply the KISS principle first — keep it simple. Start with the basics, which in this case is to check carefully for any type of vacuum leak in the induction system. Any air entering downstream of the MAF sensor (mass air flow) is not metered and can create a lean air/fuel ratio. Until the engine warms up to the point of switching to "closed loop" operation where the air/fuel ratio is monitored and trimmed by feedback from the oxygen sensor, the idle speed can be high and fluttery/unstable.

The IAC (idle air control) regulates air entering the induction system. If it is sticking or binding it may be contributing to this issue. And a scan tool check for DTC fault codes might help pinpoint the problem.

My 2010 Chevrolet Colorado will not start all the time. When I put the key in the ignition all accessories light up and the radio plays but the starter will not engage. Turn key off, take key out of ignition, wait 10 minutes, try again, and it will start. This has happened in all weather, approximately 10 times since May. The dealership could not find anything wrong. Can you help with this problem?

Your vehicle is equipped with a vehicle immobilizer system which will not allow the engine to start until and unless the BCM (body control module) sees the correct voltage through the ignition key resistor circuit. If the voltage generated through the resistor in the key doesn't match, the engine won't start.

Try your spare key first. Have the dealership scan the BCM for fault codes. And again, remember the KISS principle. Check the battery and starter/solenoid cables and connections.

Paul Brand, author of "How to Repair Your Car," is an automotive troubleshooter, driving instructor and former race-car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn., 55488 or via email at paulbrand@startribune.com. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number. Because of the volume of mail, we cannot provide personal replies.

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Wind energy shifts direction

With the Cape Wind project on the ropes, the industry's future in Massachusetts may rest on a federal wind power auction later this month for a sprawling area off Martha's Vineyard.

Twelve companies have qualified to bid Jan. 29 as the federal government auctions four commercial leases for 742,000 acres of sea roughly 14 miles south of Martha's Vineyard. The power generated, if leased and used by the industry, could provide electricity for about 1.4 million homes, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said.

The Massachusetts Wind Energy Area that is up for auction is farther offshore than Cape Wind's estimated $2.5 billion project to install 130 turbines in Nantucket Sound, but that's not enough to silence some critics.

"Offshore wind is a nonstarter. I can't imagine circumstances under which it would be justifiable from an environmental or economic standpoint," said David Tuerck of the Beacon Hill Institute, who's been a vocal opponent of Cape Wind. "There never was any economic justification for the Cape Wind project, and now with the falling fossil fuel prices, there's even less justification for those projects."

The auction comes as Cape Wind's $150 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy is in jeopardy after National Grid and Nstar backed out of their contracts with the company, saying it had missed a Dec. 31 deadline for the necessary financing and had not provided collateral to extend the deadline.

From the beginning, the Cape Wind project was fraught with criticism from environmental advocates and economists alike, who said that it would disrupt fisheries in the area and create higher energy costs for Massachusetts residents.

"Anyone who bids on these tracts and puts up money to obtain them must be assuming that they're going to be allowed to charge even higher rates than Cape Wind got National Grid and Nstar to charge," Tuerck said. "Because however expensive it was, these projects will be more because they're farther out to sea."

But Audra Parker, president of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound and a Cape Wind opponent, said both the lease area in question and the steps taken by the government to look out for the public's best interest already make this endeavor superior to Cape Wind.

"There's a right way and a wrong way of identifying areas. Cape Wind's fight was driven to maximize profit," Parker said. "This process has involved science and stakeholder input."

Although she said that it "does not address the high cost of offshore wind," it is still better "in terms of site and the process it's taken."

That process has involved tools like Coastal Marine Spacial Planning, used to avoid environmental and financial costs in ocean management, she said.

Christopher Boelke, field office supervisor for the national Marine Fisheries Services, said the lease area was reduced by a third in part to protect the fisheries. He added that people may view this project as "less intrusive" than Cape Wind, given that it's farther offshore in a lower-traffic area.

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City eyes rules for Airbnb

Boston is turning its attention to Airbnb, scheduling a public hearing later this month to help determine what, if any, regulations are needed for the booming short-term rental service.

"This is a fast-growing industry here in the city of Boston; we just want to make sure it's operated safely and appropriately," said Jerome Smith, the city's chief of civic engagement, who will host the hearing. "The goal is information gathering. There are a lot of residents in the city of Boston who may use Airbnb."

Smith said it is unclear if the city will push for regulations after the Jan. 26 hearing.

"We're not saying that we're definitely regulating the industry; we're just saying that because it's a growing industry here in the city of Boston we should take a look at it," he said.

San Francisco-based Airbnb, which lets people rent out their homes nightly to strangers through its website, has steadily gained popularity nationwide and internationally. Between July 2014 and June 2014, Airbnb customers stayed in Boston homes 1,080 times, the company said.

"We want to work with leaders in Boston to make sure residents can continue to share their homes and the city they love with the world, while also creating sensible regulations that work for Boston," said Marie Aberger, an Airbnb spokeswoman.

San Francisco and Portland, Ore., have set up regulations to charge hotel taxes to private home rentals and Amsterdam last month penned an agreement with the home-rental service to collect a tourist tax. And New York's attorney general formed a city-state task force last year to investigate illegal hotels after he issued a report alleging that nearly three-quarters of Airbnb's listings in that state were illegal, a charge the company denied.

Boston has taken a more cautious approach to Airbnb, with Mayor Martin J. Walsh telling the Inspectional Services Department last summer not to fine people who rent out their homes through the service.

But City Councilor Salvatore LaMattina wants to take a closer look at Airbnb's practices after hearing complaints about apartments where people cycle through like through revolving doors. LaMattina said he refiled a bill for a hearing on Airbnb before the City Council.

"I really do think they need to be regulated, and we'll look at other cities across the United States and what they're doing to address the issues," said LaMattina. "They're not paying any hotel tax to the cities and towns, and I think there's something we really need to look at."

He said his biggest concern is potential investors buying homes or condos specifically to rent out on Airbnb.

Airbnb has also spurred the creation of Neighbors for Overnight Oversight, a national group pushing for regulation of the rental service.

"At this point we're just glad the city is having this hearing; it's an important first step," said Conor Yunits, a spokesman for the group. "The end goal will hopefully be some sort of oversight of this, so if people are abusing the laws with illegal hotels, that there's some kind of check on that."

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