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Page 2 of 2 U.S. distribution is being handled by Moorpark, California-based Phillips & King and the brand is making its way into stores now. Altadis C.E.O. declines role with Imperial: The first shoe has dropped in the executive shuffle sure to take place with the merger of Altadis, S.A. into Imperial Tobacco. Altadis chief executive officer Antonio Vasquez has declined an offer from Imperial to join its Board of Directors and to be the head of the cigar and logistics businesses of the combined companies. An Altadis statement said that Vasquez made his decision for personal reasons, which were not specified. Newman takes time out from cigars for Paws for Patriots: “A light went on in my head, and I said, 'Hey, why don't we offer all the soldiers who have been blinded in the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan - why don't we offer them all a guide dog?’” That was the reaction of Bobby Newman, the second-in-command of the Tampa-based J.C. Newman Cigar Company, to the story of Cpl. Michael Jernigan, a Marine blinded during his tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2004. Newman told reporter Andrea Chang of the St. Petersburg Times in 2006 that after he offered to arrange a guide dog for Jernigan, he wanted to do more. That led to the formation of “Paws for Patriots,” a privately-funded group which provides guide dogs for veterans who have been blinded in battle. Of the 33 soldiers blinded in Iraq or Afghanistan, eight requests have been made and all have been provided with dogs, Newman said earlier this week. There’s an especially close relationship between the Tampa area and the military since the U.S. Central Command – the unit responsible for American military affairs in the Middle East – is headquartered there. Newman recruited retired U.S. general Tommy Franks – himself a noted cigar enthusiast – to serve as spokesperson for the program and more than $40,000 has been raised from private donations and from foundations. It takes about two years to properly train a dog to be a companion. Newman has been involved for some time as a board member of the Southeastern Guide Dogs association and is looking to expand the Paws for Patriots program. He told Chang “We think it’s a great way to give back to our country.” The Paws for Patriots program isn’t part of Newman’s already over-extended schedule at J.C. Newman, but it’s just as important. Just ask those veterans who have the dogs. ~ Rich Perelman CLASSIFIED ADVERTISINGCigar Humidors and Cigar Accessories at Humidor Vault! Your online cigar humidor source, with rock-bottom pricing and fantastic customer support!Like sports? Get news and commentary you won’t see in your morning newspaper at TheSportsExaminer.com! Join the examination! A limited amount of classified advertising is available in this space on a weekly basis. For details, call Pat Harris at (213) 365-7965 or inquire by email by clicking here. Have an opinion? You can send it using the “Comment” button below! Don’t forget to register for our drawing for free cigars and accessories! Just click on the “Register & Win” button above; enter today! Looking for a cigar party? Take a look at our exclusive list of hundreds of cigar events across the country, listed by state and date, only on CigarCyclopedia.com!
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Did you know?
“Cigar-making machines were introduced in the U.S. in the 1920s, but were banned in Cuba until 1937.
