For the third straight ACES conference, members had the opportunity to pick up a few souvenirs while adding to the group'seducational fund. This year's auction brought in more than $3,200.
    All day Friday, conference attendees had  theopportunity to browse and bid on nearly 300 items donated from newspapersand magazines
nationwide. There were T-shirts from New Orleans, hats from Philadelphia,umbrellas from Louisville, photo books from Los Angeles and travel mugs
from Maui.
    Among the more unusual items this year ÷ and onecoveted by rock 'n' roll fans ÷ was a large poster touting a Rolling Stonesconcert in Chicago. It was produced by The Chicago Sun-Times and appearedon the side of the newspaper's trucks in the early '80s. ACES member MargaretMaples, who donated the poster, said it has always been too big to hangin any commemorative newspaper marking the day the of the Windy City apartmentsshe has lived in.
    Also unusual were a portable grill that burns newspaper,donated by the Tulsa World; a Titanic sunk, contributed by The New YorkTimes; and a jigsaw puzzle book of Faberge eggs, donated by Forbes magazine.
       For the first time, members tookpart in the 

auction all day Friday. At the Portland and Dallas conferences, theauction was open only during the Friday evening banquet. This year's auctionended during the banquet, and successful bidders picked up their itemsafterward.
    Proceeds raised by the silent auction each yeargo into the ACES education fund, which pays for the ACES scholarships andother educational programs.

====
Thad Ogburn is editor and general manager of The News& Observer's North Raleigh News section. He can be reached at togburn@nando.com.