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30533 N. WOODWARD
ROYAL OAK

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(3 Blocks South of 13 Mile)

1

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directly from New York vendors, is
seeking items that are cross-genera-
tional.
"We believe our customers are
educated consumers and know fash-
ions and brand names,"_ the clothier
said. "We've had some women come
in and purchase things for them-
selves so we think a number of items
could be unisex — chenille vests,
knits and fleece tops."
Those who remember the shop
when it housed Roots will find an
entirely new decor planned by Ron
Rea of James P. Ryan & Associates.
Walls have been covered with
vivid tones — aqua blues, lime
greens and terra cotta. A skylight
brightens the space, and a gas fire-
place adds to the relaxed mood asso-
ciated with the inventory.
"I liked this location because it's
in the center of town," Wetsman
said. "I thought it had a lot of visi-
bility while also offering a good
size."
"Our prices are moderate to
upscale," Wetsman said. "Most of
the separates average around $100.
Sweaters will not go above $150.
The same is true of pants and shirts.
The pricing is very reasonable for
the fabrics."
Since opening in October,
Wetsman has found how much he
enjoys interacting with customers.
"I like dealing with people one-
on-one and helping them pick out
clothes that are right for them," he
said. "There's a lot of excitement
seeing what the fashions are going to
be six months later and editing for
customers what I think will be the
nicest fashions for the season.
"While I believe some of the che-
nille and cotton sweaters that we
carry are updated because of the fab-
rics, I also think the colors are nice
and clean and simple so men can
feel comfortable wearing them for
years to come."
Wetsman projects it will take
about two years for Article II to
become successful as measured in
part by a continuing customer base.
"I understand that it will be a
slow process, but I believe in
Birmingham," he said. "This store
— along with some others that have
opened — signals the rise of the spe-
cialty store's importance, especially
to the growth of downtown
Birmingham.
"We think that we're a very strong
avenue for spending shopping
time."

❑

Wave Of
The Future

Israeli researchers are
completing a one-of-a-
kind software package O -
designed to protect
harbors worldwide from
unexpected choppy waters.

NICKY BLACKBURN

Special to The Jewish News

Where do you go to seek safety in a
storm when you're out at sea? The
answer, of course, is a harbor. But what
happens when the harbor cannot pro-
tect your ship?
Every year millions of dollars' worth
of damage is done to moored ships
when waves penetrate the harbor's
defenses through the entrance.
In a well-designed harbor this may
happen only a few days every year, but
the surprise element causes unloading
delays and damage to ships and quays,
with losses that can range from minor
to phenomenal.
Now an Israeli research team believes
it may have found a way to prevent
some of these losses with a unique
development that can forecast wind and
wave activity up to 48 hours in advance.r-
The advanced hydroinformatics sys-
tem, in essence a fully-automated soft-
ware package, was developed by the
Coastal and Marine Engineering
Research Institute (Cameri), at the
Technion University in Haifa. A pilot
scheme is now being installed in Haifa
Port, and Professor Michael Stiassnie,
director of Cameri, believes that next
year the system will be sold to at least
two ports overseas.
The development, called Sea 21, is
designed for owners of marine installa-
tions, such as harbors, marinas, ports,
offshore terminals and long piers —
most of which are located in shallow
water of less than 15 meters or so.
Up until now, it has been impossible
to predict when destructive waves will
enter these installations, says Stiassnie.
"In advanced countries, weather bureaus
do give forecasts for sea conditions in
the days ahead as part of their daily rou-
tine, but the forecasts are almost always
for deep water [depths of more than 50

Nicky Blackburn is a writer for the
Jerusalem Post Foreign Service.

I