function initialize(){

  	
    if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) {
      // this variable will collect the html which will eventually be placed in the GMapSidebar
      var GMapSidebar_html = "";
    
      // arrays to hold copies of the markers and html used by the GMapSidebar
      // because the function closure trick doesnt work there
      var gmarkers = [];
      var htmls = [];
      var i = 0;
      // arrays to hold variants of the info window html with get direction forms open
      var to_htmls = [];
      var from_htmls = [];

      // A function to create the marker and set up the event window
      
   
	function createMarker(point,name,html) {
        var marker = new GMarker(point);
       	
       	
       	GEvent.addListener(marker, "click", function() {
          marker.openInfoWindowHtml(html);
        });
                
         return marker;
      }
            
       // This function picks up the click and opens the corresponding info window
      function myclick(i) {
        gmarkers[i].openInfoWindowHtml(htmls[i]);
      }

      // functions that open the directions forms
      function tohere(i) {
        gmarkers[i].openInfoWindowHtml(to_htmls[i]);
      }
      function fromhere(i) {
        gmarkers[i].openInfoWindowHtml(from_htmls[i]);
      }
        
      // create the map
      var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("map"));
      map.addControl(new GSmallZoomControl());
      map.setCenter(new GLatLng(61.422,-149.495), 14);
      map.setMapType(G_HYBRID_MAP);

      // Read the data from map.xml
      var request = GXmlHttp.create();
      request.open("GET", "/themes/newsflash/js/map.xml", true);
      request.onreadystatechange = function() {
        if (request.readyState == 4) {
          var xmlDoc = request.responseXML;
          // obtain the array of markers and loop through it
          var markers = xmlDoc.documentElement.getElementsByTagName("marker");
          
          for (var i = 0; i < markers.length; i++) {
            // obtain the attribues of each marker
            var lat = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lat"));
            var lng = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lng"));
            var point = new GLatLng(lat,lng);
            var html = markers[i].getAttribute("html");
          
      		html = html + '<br><br><form name="useraddress" action="http://maps.google.com/maps" method="get" target="_blank">' +
           '<input class="text" type="text" SIZE=30 MAXLENGTH=40 name="saddr" id="saddr" onClick="select_all();" value="enter starting address" /><br>' +
           '<INPUT value="Get Directions" TYPE="SUBMIT">' +
           '<input type="hidden" name="daddr" value="61.41988,-149.495752"/>';
          
          var label = markers[i].getAttribute("label");
            // create the marker
            var marker = createMarker(point,label,html);
            map.addOverlay(marker);
          
          	marker.openInfoWindowHtml(html);
          }
       
        }
      }
      request.send(null);
    }

	 
    else {
      alert("Sorry, the Google Maps API is not compatible with this browser");
    }
}