Camden, Maine — Vicki Doudera with Camden Real Estate Company has been awarded the National Association of REALTORS®’ (NAR’s) Green Designation, the only green real estate professional designation recognized by NAR.
Vicki achieved this prestigious designation after completing 18 hours of course work designed specifically for REALTORS®. The courses were created in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of industry experts from across the country, ensuring designees gain a comprehensive knowledge of green homes and buildings and issues of sustainability in relation to real estate.
More specifically, Vicki was trained in understanding what makes a property green, helping clients evaluate the cost/benefits of green building features and practices, distinguishing between industry ratings and classification systems, listing and marketing green homes and buildings, discussing the financial grants and incentives available to homeowners, and helping consumers see a property’s green potential.
“As energy costs rise along with concern for the environment, homeowners are looking for innovative ways to save money and live responsibly,” said Dick Gaylord, NAR’s immediate past president. NAR’s Green Designation was developed in response to growing consumer awareness of the benefits of resource-efficient homes and buildings. The designation helps consumers who care about energy efficiency and sustainable building practices identify REALTORS® who can help them realize their green real estate and lifestyle goals.
“This designation is brand new and I’m proud to be among the first handful of real estate professionals in Maine to earn it,” said Vicki. “I’m hoping it catches on and there are more and more of us out there.” She recently attended the Build Green Maine conference in Augusta, both in her role as a REALTOR® and as President of Midcoast Habitat for Humanity. “The architects and builders I spoke with were pleased to know that the real estate industry is getting up to speed on sustainable building practices. As one speaker at the conference said, ‘Green is the key to energy security and climate change,’ and with 80% of Maine homes dependent on oil, the implications are huge.”


On Thursday 9 January 2014 we hosted an evening of thanksgiving and prayer for Love Southampton to give an opportunity to reflect and look ahead.
Below is the press release given after the event.
Dr John Paul Oddoye, Mandy Harding, Bishop Jonathan, Billy Kennedy, and Rev Mgr Vincent Harvey celebrate Love Southampton’s first year.
Churches come together to serve Southampton
Love Southampton, an initiative of the churches in the city, hosted a successful evening drawing together hundreds of people from across church denominations and Christian projects to pray for the city at the start of 2014.
Love Southampton is a new collaboration project between all the churches in the city, working in partnership with Southampton City Council to find new and innovative ways to serve the city. Twenty six Christian organisations were represented on the evening, including Southampton Street Pastors and Southampton City Mission.
The event included contributions from across the church denominations including a performance by Covenant Life Ministries Gospel choir. Their Pastor, Dr John Paul Oddoye explained, ‘Currently Love Southampton has working groups focused on youth provision, hardship, housing, children and families, creative solutions and fostering and adoption’.
The event finished with a pledge from the church communities to find 50 ways to celebrate the City’s Year of Jubilee: marking 50 years of being a city.
Billy Kennedy from the New Community Church, introduced the evening as a time to pray for Southampton: ‘Last year, we saw our unity together as churches grow as we looked to love and serve the people in our city’.
The event included an encouraging message from the Bishop of Southampton, Jonathan Frost: ‘Love Southampton is for me a joy to be part of. It’s the Christian community turned outwards to the city in partnership, humility, and compassion, seeking the good of everyone’.
Love Southampton will continue to support innovative project in the City such as the Southampton Street Pastors. Mandy Harding from Street Pastors said, ‘we already have 100 people from over 40 different churches in the city serving together as street pastors who have given so far over 24,000 hours on the streets, and it was brilliant to see how we are coming together in lots of other ways to love and serve Southampton.’
Chris Davis from Southampton City Mission, which provided food through its basics bank more than 8500 times in 2013, said, ‘churches are increasingly becoming known for showing love and kindness to people in need, I am delighted to be a part of this initiative’.
Rev Mgr Vincent Harvey, who supported the evening and guided the assembly through prayer, said, ‘I am delighted to be part of the Council of Reference for Love Southampton and to see us commit together as churches to respond to the needs of the people of our city in practical ways’.


Friday, 8 February 2013
BIG's W57 project approved by New York City Council
W57 - West 57th Residential Building from BIG on Vimeo.
"After an “arduous” public review and a heated debate over affordable housing, New York’s City Council has unanimously awarded final approval to BIG’s tetrahedral-shaped West 57th apartment building in Manhattan. As reported by Crain’s New York Business, a compromise has been made to include 173 affordable housing units within the 32-story, 750-unit residential building and the neighboring industrial building that will be converted into 100 additional rental apartments."
- text from ArchDaily.com
Read again the post on BIG's profile and revise the project.


Solelia is a member of the association Svensk Solenergi.
With Mobility Motors Sweden AB customers are offered a package with Solelia’s charging station + the electric car Nissan Leaf. Mobility Motors Sweden AB became a climate neutral company verified by Respect in October 2012.
Together with Garo we make sure that solar can be used for charging in their charging equipment. Garo is one of the largest provider of electric vehicle charging equipment in Scandinavia.
Solelia Greentech has been appointed a Climate Solver 2012 by WWF, the World Wildlife Foundation. Solelia Greentech receives the award for their solar-based charging stations for electric cars, which makes it possible to charge electric cars without any environmental impact.
Ikano bank offers rental deals for Solelia Greentech’s solar chargers.
Solelia Greentech and Brostaden Fastigheter presented the concept “solar parking at work” on the magazine MiljöAktuellt’s conference “Sustainability Day” in Stockholm, Sweden on April 16th.
Solelia Greentech is participating in “Roadmap Sweden” with Volvo, Bosch and ABB. Roadmap Sweden is an industry campaign aimed at accelerating the electrification of the Swedish vehicle fleet.
Solelia Greentech is one of the companies accepted by the business accelerator Stockholm Innovation & Growth, Sting


It’s beginning to look a lot like the Christmas in Madrid.
Well, actually, it began to look a lot like Christmas Dec.1 when the annual Christmas lights in Madrid were illuminated.
Ornate lights depicting holiday packages, snow globes, winter scenes and city buildings hang over the wide avenues and strings of white lights fill the city’s squares.
A large Christmas tree dominates Puerta del Sol, and the plaza’s usual collection of street performers and knock off meet and greet characters have been infused with many a Santa Claus and the three kings.
Vodaphone, one of Spain’s leading cell phone providers and ever present marketing machine, has several smaller trees along Gran Vía, the main thoroughfare of Madrid.
Christmas markets, a popular European tradition dating back to the 14th century are also found in many of the city’s main plazas, offering hand made goods, sweets, regional delicacies such as ham and cheese, and warm wine.
El Corte Inglés, the largest department store in Spain, has its famous Cortylandia display in full force at its Sol location. The panorama of bears, that border a copyright infringement with their similarities to Disney’s Country Bears, sing holiday tunes and move back and forth.
The best spots to see lights and Christmas markets are Puerta del Sol, Opera, Plaza Mayor, Calle Serrano, Calle Gran Via and Plaza del ciebeles.
A popular tour bus company celebrates the season with the Navibus, a non-stop open-air bus that passes all the major locations for lights in the city. Tours last approximately 50 minutes.
For an extrañjera, or foreigner like myself, these decorations are a marvelous reminder that Christmas is around the corner.
For the average madrileño, however, this year’s assortment is a dismal display and one of the ever-present reminders of Spain’s continuing financial crisis.
Spaniards refer to the economic downturn as the crisis. Since 2008, the country has been indebt and suffered large numbers of unemployment, which reached all all-time high of 29.16% in April 2013. Though the crisis is said to have reached a turning point, the outlook is still bleak.
Have you been to Madrid during the holiday season? Where is your favorite spot to see the Christmas lights in Madrid?


Farmers call for Bharat bandh against new farm laws
Thousands of farmers reached the national capital on their tractor-trolleys and other vehicles, responding to the “Delhi Chalo” call against the agri-marketing laws enacted at the Centre in September.
Landowners and agricultural workers from the northern Indian state of Punjab have been striking for days against the central government after it passed a series of reforms on farming laws.
The call for Bharat bandh by farmers protesting against three farm laws is taking shape, the crowd at Delhi’s borders is expanding by the minute as more farmers have joined the demonstration since Monday night and many more are yet to arrive. Security at the borders where the farmer groups are camping has been stepped up in view of the strike.
A much larger gathering could be seen at the Singhu border than previous days, with the protesting farmers saying more of them have arrived since Monday night. “About 200 trucks laden with farmers are set to arrive at the Singhu border by today afternoon. Many have already reached, hence the increase in the rush,” Anavjeet Singh, a farmer from Balauli village of Ropar district, said.
Protesting farmers completely blocked Delhi-Meerut expressway at Ghazipur-Ghaziabad (UP Gate) border that connects Delhi and Ghaziabad. Until Monday night, only one carriageway of the highway was blocked along with the service road of National Highway 24 at the UP Gate border that is closed for the past 10 days.


- GOLDEN DRAGON AWARDS
Golden Dragon Awards hosted annually since 2001 by Vietnam Economic Times in co-ordination with the Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning & Investment. This award is to honour the FDI’s enterprises for their excellences in doing business in Vietnam. There are 80 enterprises in this 2008 award.
November 29, 2008 Starbay Vietnam Company Limited together with 10 other FDI enterprises awarded for their biggest FDI projects in 2008. The Award ceremony was held at Hanoi Opera House and was broadcasted live in nation-wide VTV1 channel at 9.30 am. Mr. Martin H. Kaye – Chief Executive Officer of Starbay Vietnam was on the stage and granted the honour medal by Professor Dao Nguyen Cat – Editor-in-Chief of Vietnam Economic Times cum Head of Organizer and Mr. Nguyen Tri Dung – Deputy Minister of Planning & Investment.
Starbay’s Daibeach 540 hectare 5-star eco-resort project in Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang Province has the total investment capital of US$ 1.67 billion is also the biggest FDI project in Kien Giang Province in terms of total investment capital and project size.
Below is the video and picture of Starbay Vietnam CEO Martin Kaye receiving the award.
- RTF award


president mark s. schlissel
“I am committed to enhancing the University’s already eminent standing as a place where gifted scholars focus on research, teaching, and mentoring the rising generation to become engaged citizens and tomorrow’s leaders in all walks of life.”
President Mark S. Schlissel spoke these words to the University community during his Sept. 5, 2014, inauguration as U-M’s 14th president. Honoring U-M’s heritage and traditions, the day included thoughtful and relevant academic symposia, a procession across campus, and a community celebration.
His work since then has focused on making U-M the model public research university. “Our mission will always be to improve the world through research and education, to build a better place for our children and grandchildren,” he said.
President Schlissel is the first physician to lead the institution, and he has enjoyed getting to know U-M, and the students, faculty, staff, and supporters who make the community a special place. He earned his undergraduate degree at Princeton University and his M.D. and Ph.D. at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.


2012 – 34th edition
RACES OF SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2012 (FREE STYLE)
Podium of the 2012 Transjurassienne – 70kmThe 76km race was reduced to 70 km, due to extreme weather conditions that prevailed between Bois d’Amont and Le Brassus. In the main event, the Byelorussian Aliaksei Ivanou, already winner in 2009, won in 3h25mn13s, the sprint ahead of the Italian Sergio Bonaldi and the Czech Martin Koukal. In the women category, Christelle Jouille (FRA) easily won the race in 4h23km35s before Anne Laure Cuny (FRA) and Russian Valentina Kislukhina.
The UltraTrans (combined ranking of participants who completed the 50km classic race on Saturday and 70km freestyle race on Sunday) was won by Sebastien Isenmann, followed by Sacha Devillaz and Benjamin Faivre, and among women by the Russian Valentina Kislukhina ahead of Perrine Blanc and Florence Golay Geymond.
The 54km race, also reduced to 50km, led the Ukrainian Valentina Shevchenko to victory ahead of the Italian Stephanie Santer, who becomes leader of the FIS Marathon Cup, and the Estonian Tatjana Mannima. Among the men, the Swiss Jürg Ruegsegger finishes ahead of the Estonian Margus Rouk and Hugo Loewert.
The 30km race was won by Martin Bouchet before Clément Mailler and Bastien Buttin. In the women category Marine Dewaele won ahead of Anne Flore Arbez and Morvane Verguet.
RACES OF SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2012 (CLASSIC STYLE)
In the 50km classic competition, Jeremy Weibel (MARKSTEIN Ranspach SC) won the race in a tight sprint ahead of Bertrand Hamoumraoui (CLUB SPORTS CHAMONIX) and Cyril Miranda (SKI CLUB WOOD UPSTREAM). In the women category, Annick Vaxelaire (CLUB VOSGIEN VAGNEY ROCHESSON) prevails before Karolina Bicova (Jizerská) and Gaëtane Perret (TOP SKI JURA) In the 25km classic competition, Corentin Jacquot from Pontarlier is the winner in front of Charlie Blondeau (Bellefontaine) and Richard Balland (Morbier).
Among the women, the Swiss Jéromine Mercier arrives well ahead of Fanny Roche (Usclades and Rieutord) and the Swedish Linnea Pauler.
Find the results of the 2012 edition on the site of the official timekeeper
THANK YOU !


There is no dispute; going through a divorce can be difficult. For some, coming home to a wagging tail is just what the doctor ordered on those stressful days.
What happens to your pet in a divorce? As a prior post explained, pets are considered personal property in Delaware. If the owners cannot agree on what to do, the court can award the family pet to one party or the other.
Recognizing that pets are more like family members than furniture for many, Alaska is taking a different approach. Alaska has amended its divorce statutes to consider the well-being of animals and to allow judges to assign joint custody of pets. It also allows the court to include pets in domestic violence protective orders. Pet lovers and advocates are thrilled with this development. We will have to wait and see if other states follow suit.
Leslie Spoltore is a Partner with the law firm Fox Rothschild LLP. Leslie practices in Fox Rothschild’s Wilmington, Delaware office. You can reach Leslie at (302) 622-4203, or firstname.lastname@example.org.


CUMBERLAND, RI USA (January 24, 2019)â€”InMusic, a global leader in music technology, music production, software and consumer electronics brands, today announced the appointment of Patrick Sullivan as President reporting directly to CEO Jack Oâ€™Donnell. Sullivan joins inMusic from Guitar Center Corporation and brings significant experience in merchandising music technology brands.
In his new role, Sullivan will lead inMusicâ€™s dynamic team during a time of exploding growth across the enterpriseâ€™s growing roster of 16 companies that spans categories ranging from keyboards, electronic percussion, DJ hardware and software, recording hardware and software, live performance loudspeakers/studio monitors/headphones, amplifiers/media players/signal distribution, lighting and consumer electronics.
Sullivan joined Guitar Center Corporation in 2003, most recently serving as Vice President of Merchandising, overseeing the live sound, recording, keyboard, DJ, consumer electronics and software business divisions across all channels and properties, including Guitar Center Stores, Musiciansâ€™ Friend, M123.com and WWBW.com as well as Guitar Centerâ€™s B2B division of Professional Audio and Visual Design Install resellers.
Under Sullivanâ€™s leadership, Guitar Centerâ€™s technology merchandising division strategically expanded its category portfolio, re-imagined the in-store interactive merchandising experience, and co-designed its highly-successful promotional marketing program.
â€œI am honored to take on this new role and look forward to partnering with Jack and our talented senior leadership team to continue the unprecedented growth trajectory of InMusic Brands. Together, we will dedicate ourselves to bringing game-changing technologies and instruments to our customers.â€
InMusic (inMusic) is a family of 16 premier brands that includes AIR Music Technology, Akai Professional, Alesis, Alto Professional, Denon DJ, Denon Professional, HeadRush, ION Audio, M-Audio, Marantz Professional, Marq Lighting, MixMeister, Numark, Rane, Sonivox and Sound Switch. Committed to pushing the boundaries and challenging the status quo, each of inMusicâ€™s brands is a leader in its field, providing cutting-edge products that incorporate and build upon the latest in engineering, design, and technology.


BoxDark struck a deal with Xbox last week, fast-tracking the patented ProSteer gaming innovation into the Microsoft Partner Development Program.
The deal makes BoxDark the first ever Australian company to be welcomed into the program, exposing ProSteer to an active customer base of over 130 million active Xbox users upon commercialisation.
ProSteer is the world’s first handheld steering controller to provide a seamless racing experience thanks to its 80 degrees of linear steering compared to traditional game pads with only 22 degrees.
The ground-breaking ProSteer has been developed in an effort spanning Silicon Valley, Europe and Asia and is praised by industry giants and gaming enthusiasts for its Multi-Single Axis Control (M-SAC) making racing more realistic at a fraction of the cost.
Forecast to be available for purchase in less than 12 months, ProSteer creator Phil Croft says the concept came to him after identifying a major gap in the racing gaming market.
“I was inspired to engineer ProSteer because I recognised the need for better accuracy and control for experienced gamers and easier handling for beginners,” Mr Croft said.
“We’ve created working prototypes in a massive global effort and I’m very proud of our technical development team’s achievements in combining mechanics with electronics and bringing everything together in one simple, robust unit.”
Leaders in the gaming industry have traditionally invested millions of dollars into handheld steering technology that has ultimately failed as the dated accelerometer and motion sensor technology they used failed to provide enough “touch” and steering control.
“We’ve built a market-leading unit in collaboration with racing simulation giants like Forza that will change the outlook of racing gaming for a market of over 875 million people.”
“ProSteer is highly effective, ergonomic and conducive to family entertainment zones. It also offers multi-use capabilities like shooting and generic gameplay.”
ProSteer’s next round of funding will activate a testing partnership with Queensland University of Technology’s respected eSports team, commercialisation in the Microsoft Development Partner Program and the production and launch of 10,000 ProSteer units.
Stay updated on ProSteer news at https://boxdark.com/register-interest/ or follow the journey on Facebook at @boxdarkgamingcontroller.


Joseph O’Rourke is a third year law student at Albany Law School. He graduated magna cum laude from Siena College in 2012, majoring in Political Science and minoring in Philosophy. Joseph currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Albany Law Review, and has previously interned with Young/Sommer LLC and the Honorable Thomas J. McAvoy of the Northern District of New York.
This paper, comparing New York Court of Appeals nominee Justice Leslie Stein with former associate judge Victoria Graffeo, was prepared for the Judicial Process Seminar, Fall 2014.
[Following graduation, Mr. O'Rourke will serve as a law clerk on the Court of Appeals’ Central Legal Research Staff. Of course, the views expressed in his paper are his alone and in no way reflect those of the Court. vmb]
On October 17, 2014, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo made his third nomination to New York's highest court, the Court of Appeals. The decision came just weeks before the election that determined whether Governor Cuomo would continue as governor for a second term, and it is proving to be the most controversial of Governor Cuomo’s first three selections for the Court. Controversial not because of whom the Governor selected, but rather who was passed over.
Governor Cuomo choose Appellate Division, Third Department Justice Leslie E. Stein, over Judge Victoria A. Graffeo, a sitting member of the Court of Appeals whose fourteen year term expired on November 29, 2014. The addition of Justice Stein, a Democrat, would shift control of the Court to Democrats for the first time in many years. Most notably, Stein's nomination by Cuomo marks only the second time in the thirty-five year history of the appointment system for the Court of Appeals where a governor failed to choose an eligible incumbent for reappointment.
_____________________________To read the paper, open HERE.


On June 28th, the latest Journal Citation Report was released by Clarivate, revealing that Chinese Sociological Review (CSR), edited by CASER Director Professor Xiaogang Wu, has received a record high Impact Factor of 3.667. CSR is now ranked 29 of 148 international sociology journals and has stepped into the Quartile 1 (Q1) in its category once again after 2017 (Impact Factor of 2.3) and 2019 (Impact Factor of 2.567).
CSR is an international journal with the second longest history dedicated to Chinese studies, second only to the China Quarterly. It was renamed from the Chinese Sociology and Anthropology (ISSN: 0009-4625) published by M.E. Sharpe since 1968. Starting in Fall 2011, Professor Xiaogang Wu was invited to serve as the editor-in-chief of the journal, and upon his suggestion, the journal was officially renamed to Chinese Sociological Review (ISSN: 2162-0555 [print], ISSN: 2162-0563 [online]). The publication and distribution of CSR has been operated since 2014 by the Taylor & Francis, North America Branch in Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Under the editorship of Professor Wu, the impact of the journal has been skyrocketing, with the Impact Factor jumping from 0.024 in 2011 to 3.667 in 2021. CSR is the only one of the 148 SSCI sociology journals in the world that is devoted to the study of Chinese society (mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan), and is the only international sociology journal that has its editorial office located in China. CSR has become a premium outlet for scholarly work to advance the understanding of contemporary Chinese society and contribute to general knowledge in the discipline of sociology.
While celebrating the achievement of CSR, which is intended for an international readership, CASER is also pleased to announce the launch of a new Chinese journal: 《城市与社会学刊》 (Journal of Cities and Society [JCS], ISSN 2957-4099) in Fall 2022, jointly with the International Chinese Sociological Association (Hong Kong) and Urban Governance and Design Thrust, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou).
JCS will focus on the research and comparative studies of cities in the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and among others. The new journal will be committed to promoting indigenized urban research with global impact by establishing an interdisciplinary platform for scholars at home and abroad to share their latest scientific findings on comparative urban studies in the Chinese contexts and beyond.
Housing two academic Journals CSR and JCS, CASER will join efforts to narrate the China story by showing the world the latest research achievements of Chinese social scientists, enabling Chinese scholars to participate in international academic dialogues, and further enhance its unique role in promoting methodologically rigorous, multi-disciplinary research on the most pressing issues related to China’s socioeconomic development.


Strategic Alliance Formed: DIAC and Dubai Judicial Institute Sign Memorandum of Understanding
November 6, 2023
Dubai, United Arab Emirates –
In a significant move towards reinforcing Dubai’s position as a leading global hub for dispute resolution, the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) and the Dubai Judicial Institute have announced the signing of a strategic memorandum of understanding. This partnership is a testament to both institutions’ mutual commitment to developing the dispute settlement sector, enhancing national arbitration capacities, and raising community awareness of arbitration and alternative dispute resolution methods.
Collaborative Efforts for Dispute Resolution Excellence
Jehad Kazim, Executive Director of DIAC, remarked, “This collaboration marks a pivotal step in fulfilling one of DIAC’s strategic pillars, aiming to elevate the professional standards and expand the arbitration sector in the region. Our joint efforts with the Dubai Judicial Institute underscore our commitment to our ambitious vision and strategic priorities, as we look forward to empowering a new generation of legal and judicial experts through specialised training initiatives.”
Her Excellency Judge Dr Ibtisam Al-Baddawi, Director General of the Dubai Judicial Institute, stated, “Our vision at the Institute is to fortify strategic partnerships for exchanging global expertise in judicial training and development. We are delighted to collaborate with DIAC, sharing our mutual dedication to service excellence and enhancing Dubai’s status as a global preeminent legal and judicial hub. We are committed to contributing significantly to the evolution and future of legal practice.”
Expanding Horizons: Key Areas of Cooperation
The collaboration encompasses a broad range of initiatives, including joint training programs, providing facilities for arbitration hearings, and organising combined lectures and seminars. Both entities will also collaborate in research and legal events, aiming to enrich the region’s arbitration, legal, and business sectors.
For further details, please contact:
Dubai International Arbitration Centre: email@example.com


C3iHub, a National Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) for Advanced Cybersecurity at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK), launched start-up cohorts III, IV, and V at the Hyatt Regency, New Delhi.
Funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under the NM-ICPS Mission, C3iHub presented 19 start-ups in the Start-up Incubation Program, specialising in specific cybersecurity areas including application security, integrated SOC solutions, cyberforensics, blockchain technology, UAV security, IoT security, and cyber insurance.
Under the flagship program of the Start-up Incubation Program, C3iHub has provided support to fifty start-ups across five cohorts that are actively engaged in critical cyber domains such as cyber forensics, application security, blockchain technology, deception technology, threat intelligence, and cyber insurance. Many of these start-ups have launched and commercialised products, while several others are currently in the process of scaling up their operations.
C3iHub provides a seed grant of Rs 10 lakhs to incubated start-ups and offers a monthly salary of Rs 50,000 for one founder over two years, resulting in an initial investment of Rs 22 lakhs. The organisation aims for at least a 20 per cent success rate among start-ups after the two-year incubation period, according to a company statement.
Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Project Director at C3iHub, said, “With the launch of these start-ups, we have crossed fifty start-ups in cybersecurity incubated at C3iHub. It signifies the vibrant potential of our ecosystem to innovate and lead in the face of global cybersecurity.”
The TIH is engaged in all facets of cybersecurity, from identifying vulnerabilities in critical cyber physical systems to creating tools for mitigation. This involves supporting start-ups and collaborating with industries to commercialise these tools, along with training the next wave of cybersecurity experts.
C3iHub, meanwhile, concentrates on addressing cybersecurity challenges within cyber-physical systems such as critical infrastructure, automotive, and drones. Its scope encompasses various cybersecurity domains like network security, cryptography, intrusion detection, and deception technology. Start-ups under its umbrella focus on UAV security, blockchain, intrusion detection, and cyber-physical systems.
(Image courtesy: APACnetwork)


Marcus Zuhr has signed with Spiral Game Studios to compose the score for their flagship title, “Orion: Prelude“.
Following is a press release from www.spiralgamestudios.com
“Spiral Game Studios – Announces ‘Orion: Prelude’ — Today officially marks the announcement of our next endeavor; ORION: Prelude. We are proud to reveal this new title to all of you. We’ve been busy establishing the foundation on it since the beginning of the year. While it is still only in a pre-alpha state, we are currently gearing up for an early 2011 release tentatively targeted and scheduled for the Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network and STEAM gaming platforms.”


Charting COVID-19’s Disruptive Effect on Biosimilar Development and Use
The year 2020 has seen just 2 biosimilars approved in the United States. This is well down from the 10 approved by the FDA last year. Although by the FDA’s count there are 90-some biosimilar development projects in the works, the pace of approvals does not reflect this. The reason may be coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
As it took hold in the epicenter in Wuhan China at the outset of 2020, COVID-19’s first effect on the biosimilar industry was to shut down a $514 million biosimilar factory construction project. As the autumn season unfolded, those plans were still in abeyance. The new coronavirus then rippled through clinics and communities in the United states, causing patients to cancel and postpone treatments and screenings, and causing health care centers to reshuffle priorities. This affected prescribing patterns for biosimilars in ways that may not be fully understood for months.
In the biopharmaceutical industry, sales programs were rejiggered to conform to a virtual world of business. New technologies were deployed to market the handful of biosimilars that were launched during the early months of the pandemic. Digital rapidly replaced in-person visits by pharmaceutical sales representatives, hastening an ongoing transformation that many do not expect to be reversed when the COVID-19 dust has settled.
A new eBook from The Center for Biosimilars® discusses the multiple ways in which COVID-19 has affected biosimilars in clinical practice and in business. It also reviews the hope invested in these agents for new therapies for treatment of COVID-19, as well as a biosimilar-related process potentially able to verify which COVID-19 vaccines can develop the level of antibody resistance needed to overcome this disease.
Check out these stories in the new eBook, “The Disruptor: How Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Has Affected the Development and Uptake of Biosimilars.”
Fill out the accompanying form to receive your copy now!


Michelle Yeoh, the amazing actress who won an Oscar, has some exciting news to share! She is now the newest ambassador for the famous fashion brand, Balenciaga. Let’s find out more about this cool partnership!
Happy Announcement on Instagram
Michelle Yeoh was so happy about her new role that she shared the news on Instagram. She posted three beautiful pictures of herself wearing stylish black outfits, letting everyone know she is now the ambassador for Balenciaga. Her post got lots of likes and comments from fans who congratulated the 61-year-old actress.
Feeling Proud to Work with Balenciaga
In another Instagram post, Michelle Yeoh shared how proud she is to be working with Balenciaga. Being part of such a famous fashion brand is a big deal for her. While many people were happy for her, some remembered a time when Balenciaga had some trouble.
Balenciaga’s Past Issues
Last year in November, Balenciaga faced some problems because of an ad campaign that made people upset. The ad showed kids hugging teddy bears while wearing special clothes, and this made a lot of people mad. The leader of the brand, Demna, and Balenciaga said sorry and took down the ad.
In February this year, Demna talked to Vogue and explained how Balenciaga is trying to fix things. They changed how they make pictures and put in new rules to make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen again. Balenciaga wanted to learn from their mistakes and do better.
Balenciaga Helping Children
To show they want to do good things, Balenciaga decided to work with the National Children’s Alliance (NCA). They want to help kids who had hard times and teach them about staying safe. Balenciaga is doing this to make sure they are responsible and care about important things.
Celebrating Michelle Yeoh and Balenciaga’s Teamwork
Exciting Times for Michelle Yeoh
Michelle Yeoh being the ambassador for Balenciaga is a big deal in her career. She is so classy and graceful, just like Balenciaga, and fans can’t wait to see what she brings to the brand.
Balenciaga Learning and Growing
Even though Balenciaga had some problems before, they are trying hard to get better. Teaming up with NCA shows they want to be responsible and help others. Balenciaga is not just about fashion; they also want to do good things for the world.
Michelle Yeoh and Balenciaga working together is a super cool thing in the fashion world. Balenciaga, by working with NCA, is showing they care about important stuff. As Michelle Yeoh steps into her new role, everyone is excited to see the stylish things they do together.


RACING INFO - NEWS ROOM
MARTY'S CHARM BACK ON TOP IN MEADOWS $22,500 PACE
WASHINGTON, PA, Nov. 5, 2012 - Marty's Charm, a fan favorite at The Meadows who has struggled with injuries for two seasons, showed that he's all the way back when he made up 7 lengths to capture Monday's $22,500 Winners Over $10,000 Life/Preferred Handicap Pace
Unraced at 2 and 3, Marty's Charm went on to become an elite performer for owners Martha and Gerald Baluck and trainer Paul Corey, soaring over $400,000 in career earnings with Monday's victory. But the 8-year-old Aces N' Sevens-Bets Mae gelding managed only nine starts last year and 18 so far in 2012.
He beat a good Winners Over field last week and was even sharper Monday for Randy Tharps, following the live cover of American Rage to down that rival by a head. Early leader Something For Doc saved show. Eric Ledford drove four winners and Dave Palone three on the 16-race card.
Enjoy these upcoming special events at The Meadows:
Wednesday nights in November - 25 X the Points on The Meadows Racing Trifecta wagers ONLY for Racing Player Rewards members;
Turkey Giveaway, Nov. 7, Nov. 14, Nov. 21, with $25 Giant Eagle gift cards given away at each Meadows location. The Nov. 7 card also will feature a "Racing Under Saddle" event originally set for Oct. 31 but rescheduled due to the projected impact of Hurricane Sandy.
The Meadows will hold two Live Bankroll Handicapping Contests in November: a Thoroughbred Handicapping Contest, featuring PARX, Aqueduct and Churchill on Saturday, Nov. 10 at The Meadows-Moon Off Track, and a Harness Handicapping Contest, featuring Northfield, Pocono and Woodbine, at The Meadows Racebook on Saturday, Nov. 17. Entry fee is $70 per player, which includes a $35 bankroll. For details, go to www.meadowsgaming.com/racing or call 724-503-1509.
The Meadows Racetrack & Casino
A world-class entertainment destination, The Meadows features over 80 table games and more than 3,300 slot machines, premier restaurants with spectacular views of the gaming floor and the racetrack, a racing grandstand with VIP suites, a simulcast area, and an all-ages bowling center. The Meadows also offers a high limit slots area and an exclusive high limit table games room featuring exceptional service in a relaxing, upscale setting.
For more information, please see: www.meadowsgaming.com.
Cannery Casino Resorts
The Meadows is owned by Las Vegas-based Cannery Casino Resorts (CCR). CCR conceived, built and operates two highly regarded resorts in Las Vegas: the Cannery Casino & Hotel and the Eastside Cannery. For more information, please see: www.cannerycasinos.com.
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Gambling Problem? Call (800) 848-1880Back to News Room


News and Events
May 24, 2012
Elizabeth Glaser, Dodge Communications
The Center for Connected Medicine Welcomes GE Healthcare as Founding Partner
Pittsburgh, PA, May 24, 2012—The Center for Connected Medicine, a global thought leader defining the transformation of health care, today announced that GE Healthcare has joined the organization as a founding partner. A provider of transformational medical technologies and services shaping a new age of patient care, GE Healthcare joins four other founding organizations and nine strategic partners to advance the Center’s mission of developing a blueprint for overcoming the fragmented state of health care today.
“Connected medicine is vital to creating a sustainable health care system in the United States,” says Marcelo Mosci, president and CEO of GE Healthcare for the US and Canada. “GE has long been committed to offering innovative and integrated health care technology and solutions that can help improve patient care. The Center for Connected Medicine’s efforts align closely with GE’s own ‘healthymagination’ vision of better healthcare for more people at lower cost and we welcome this opportunity to join the Center in driving much needed change.”
In the past two years, the Center for Connected Medicine has hosted more than 10,000 visitors, representing 57 countries. Those touring the Center engage in discussions about how best to overcome barriers to achieve a more cohesive approach to medicine, and experience ways technology developed by each of the Center’s partners can be integrated to transform and enhance care delivery.
“GE’s commitment to continuously develop innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality is a perfect fit with the Center’s ideals,” notes Angela Pantelas, Executive Director at the Center for Connected Medicine. “We believe that, together, we can showcase the value of a connected medicine environment to GE’s customers, prospects and the industry at large.”
“GE Healthcare is a leader and innovator,” says Andrew Watson, MD, MLitt, FACS, Medical Director at the Center for Connected Medicine. “The company’s broad experience across many sectors of the health care industry is invaluable, and its holistic viewpoint no doubt will help us further define solutions for health care. We are excited to leverage the contributions GE will make to the Center’s vision and activities.”
ABOUT THE CENTER FOR CONNECTED MEDICINE
The Center for Connected Medicine is defining the transformation of health care by serving as a global thought leader. It is developing the blueprint for innovative patient-centered and population health models using strategically integrated health information technology solutions. Based in Pittsburgh, the Center was established in 2009 by four founding partners—Alcatel-Lucent, IBM, UPMC and Verizon—and eight strategic partners representing multiple facets of the HIT community. By engaging health care stakeholders—policy-makers, providers, payers, vendors—the Center promotes cultural change, coordinated care delivery, and greater patient accountability to improve access, cost and quality on a societal level. To learn more about connected medicine, as well as the Center’s vision and initiatives, please visit www.connectedmed.com.
ABOUT GE HEALTHCARE
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems.
Our ‘healthymagination’ vision for the future invites the world to join us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality around the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employees are committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com.


There has been a remarkable decline in the transmission of HIV from mothers to newborns in recent years. Since 2000, we have been working to link pregnant and postpartum women living with HIV across Illinois with expert care, treatment and support to help prevent the transmission of HIV to babies.
Basic information on the prevention of transmission for pregnant women living with HIV can be found here from the CDC.
Also this from the CDC provides some nice infographics about prevention and transmission.
When we follow the recommendations, the risk of transmission can be as low as 1% or less.
Here in Illinois, we’ve created a safety net to help identify women at risk, activate hotline for new or potential cases, and provide support throughout the pregnancy with intensive case management for the best possible outcomes.
Our results speak for themselves! The state has published an update on perinatal transmission prevention.


What is the Space Server ChatGPT Plugin?
NASA���s technology transfer, Mars weather updates, SSD/CNEOS, and NASA photos are now available through the Space Server ChatGPT plugin designed by Nabil Brag. With this plugin, space enthusiasts and researchers alike can gain access to the latest news and developments in the world of space exploration. One of the key benefits of using the Space Server ChatGPT plugin is the ability to access NASA���s technology transfer program. This program provides access to the latest advancements in space-related technology, making it easier for researchers and developers to stay up-to-date with the latest findings in their field. This information is vital for anyone who wants to be at the forefront of the space industry and stay ahead of the competition. Another crucial feature of the Space Server ChatGPT plugin is the access it provides to real-time Mars weather updates. With this information, space agencies and researchers can better plan and execute future missions to the Red Planet. The Space Server ChatGPT plugin serves as an invaluable resource for those looking to gain a better understanding of the Martian climate. The plugin also gives users access to SSD/CNEOS, NASA���s Small-Body Database Browser. This database contains information on asteroids and comets that have been studied by NASA. Having access to this information is vital for anyone who wants to learn more about these celestial bodies and their potential impact on Earth. Last but not least, the Space Server ChatGPT plugin provides access to a vast array of stunning NASA photos. From images of distant galaxies to shots of the International Space Station, these photos provide a unique glimpse into the mysteries of the universe. Anyone with an interest in space exploration will find these images to be both inspiring and informative. Overall, the Space Server ChatGPT plugin is a must-have tool for anyone interested in space exploration. With access to NASA���s technology transfer program, real-time Mars weather updates, SSD/CNEOS database, and a vast library of breathtaking NASA photos, this plugin is an essential resource for researchers, space enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the mysteries of the cosmos.


After a long offseason in which yours truly was entrenched in the worlds of high school soccer and hockey, I have finally regained some much needed baseball momentum, just in time for the start of the season this Thursday.
With rosters nearly finalized and four New England teams back home ready to kick up some dust around the local ballparks, it’s time for us to shake off the rust and take a look at what to expect heading into the 2012 season, starting with our lone AAA club down in Pawtucket…
PawSox (2011: 81-61, North Division Champs) – Arnie Beyeler’s bunch will have some top talent in tow as they look to defend their International League North Division title.
Despite the media pining for Jose Iglesias to take the starting shortstop job with the big club, he will return to Pawtucket to start the season. Many pundits feel that it is a chance for him to work on his at-bats, but ultimately it’s a chance for the PawSox fans to enjoy one of the slickest fielders in the game. Go enjoy it now before it’s too late!
Lars Anderson and Ryan Lavarnway will also join Iglesias on the return trip to McCoy, and will be looked at to provide a good portion of the PawSox offensive firepower.
Adding to the lineup will be third baseman Will Middlebrooks – ranked as the top Red Sox prospect by Baseball America – who popped 23 homers and added 91 RBI in three different stops a year ago. He can hit to all fields with power, is very solid defensively, and with Kevin Youkilis holding things down at Fenway, the PawSox faithful should be comfortable in the notion that Middlebrooks will be in town for much of the season.
Massachusetts native and B.C. High grad Alex Hassan will look to make his mark on the next level after batting .291 with 13 home runs in 126 games with Portland last year. In playing all three outfield positions – 97 games in left field – Hassan only made one error during the 2011 campaign.
The pitching staff is another place that will have a déjà vu vibe to it. Brandon Duckworth, Scott Atchison and Tony Pena Jr. all return after combining for 91 appearances with Pawtucket last year.
Alex Wilson and Junichi Tazawa both spent a portion of their 2011 seasons with Pawtucket and are expected to go the distance with the PawSox this year, barring any call-ups to Boston.
An interesting addition to the staff is journeyman pitcher John Maine who will make Pawtucket his fourth I.L. home after going 1-3 with a 7.31 ERA in 11 starts with the Colorado Sky Sox (AAA) a year ago. It’s been a long time since Maine posted a solid 15-10 mark with the Mets in 2007, but after leaving Colorado and contemplating retirement last year, he is looking to give it one last shot.
Newcomers Aaron Cook and Ross Ohlendorf will provide a boost to the starting rotation and will look look to impress early and often as they try to scrape their way back to the bigs. Given the early injury woes of the Red Sox pitching staff, these two may not be long for the PawSox rotation.
All things considered, the PawSox could be in line for a repeat in the I.L. North thanks to a bevy of experience, especially on this level. If Iglesias, Middlebrooks and Lavarnway continue on their paths towards Boston, they should make Pawtucket a tough out for their opponents.
– Craig Forde


UG2018 is scheduled for Thursday, July 19th and Friday, July 20th in Atlanta, GA, Register now!
We have secured the newly renovated Hyatt Atlanta Midtown as the venue for UG2018. The Hyatt is offering UG2018 attendees a competitive nightly rate of $149 plus taxes for single and double occupancy guestrooms. This promotional rate will end on Friday, June 15. In addition to its close proximity to shopping, tourist attractions, and other entertainment, the hotel is 13 miles from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) and is easily accessible via taxi, shuttle, or train.


Rexford W. "Ford" Titus, III, age 74, of Oconomowoc, Wis., and Naples, Fla., died Nov. 16, 2020, at AngelsGrace Hospice, Oconomowoc, from complications of COVID-19. Ford is survived by his beloved wife of 34 years, Roberta "Bobbe" Titus, as well as brother Kent (Sherry) Titus, sister Betsy Titus, children Jeff (Susan) Robinson and Jill (Jeff) Dickson, and grandchildren Ali, Jessica and Drake Dickson and Noah Trieber and Sarah Vida.
Ford came to ProHealth Care’s Waukesha Memorial Hospital in 1969 from Xavier University in Cincinnati to complete his MBA with a focus on hospital administration. He found that he loved the work and community, and never left. A formational, approachable, innovative and generous leader in Waukesha County, Ford served the community as president and CEO of ProHealth Care, where he spent his career of 42 years. Ford’s success in building the organization was rooted in the strong partnerships he fostered with physicians, employees and the community. During his tenure, the organization grew to become a regional health network that included three hospitals, 26 health centers, home health care, assisted and independent living communities and West Wood Health and Fitness Center. In 2004, per Ford’s vision, the system opened AngelsGrace Hospice, now an even more significant chapter in his life’s story.
Throughout his career, Ford was a force behind many civic organizations. He chaired the boards of the Waukesha County Business Alliance, the Waukesha County Community Foundation, the Waukesha County Technical College Foundation and the Wisconsin Hospital Association Information Center, and served on the boards of La Casa de Esperanza, Waukesha State Bank and the Blood Center of Wisconsin (now Versiti). In 2001, he was recognized with the Waukesha County Business Alliance’s Don Richards Award for Leadership.
"It is a noble, noble undertaking," Ford once said about his career in a Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel interview. Family and friends would say he applied this belief to all he did, traveling, telling stories, boating and enjoying long, lingering lunches with friends.
The family will hold a private memorial service, followed by a celebration of Ford’s life when all can safely gather again. The family suggests memorials be sent to AngelsGrace Hospice (prohealthcare.org) and the Lake Area Free Clinic (lakeareafreeclinic.org), both in Oconomowoc.


The Virginia General Assembly passed a Targeted Restrictions on Abortion Providers (TRAP) law in 2011. The restrictions require first-trimester abortion providers to meet the same regulations as hospitals. Regulations drafted by the Virginia Board of Health and enacted in 2012 required existing abortion providers to adhere to the design and construction standards for building new hospitals, including specific requirements around the width of hallways, the number of parking spaces, and style of sink handles. Never before have these design standards been retroactively applied to any other health facility. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Medical Association opposed the TRAP regulations approved by the Virginia Board of Health.
When the clinic-shutdown law passed the General Assembly in 2011, there were 21 first trimester abortion providers in Virginia. Today there are 14.
Senate Bill 924, sponsored by Senator Ryan McDougle (R – Mechanicsville) was amended by the House of Delegates to include language from Delegate Kathy Byron (R – Lynchburg) regulating abortion providers. It passed the House 63-34 and the Senate 20-20, with the tie vote broken by Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling.
When Governor Terry McAuliffe took office in 2014, he instructed the Board of Health to review the TRAP restrictions and started the process of repealing them. This was a long review process aided by the June 2016 Supreme Court ruling in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt that TRAP laws like the ones we have in Virginia are unconstitutional.
In order to bring Virginia law into compliance with the United States Constitution, the Board of Health voted in October 2016 to fully repeal the unconstitutional TRAP restrictions. Now women’s health clinics are no longer forced to meet medically unnecessary, hospital-like standards in order to provide vital services to the women who need them – and Virginia women, in particular women of color and low income women, have more access to the health care they need.
Sources: Va. Code Ann. § 32.1-127; SB924, 2011; Virginia Department of Health; Letter from Stephen H. Bendheim, Chair, Virginia Section of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Holly S. Puritz, Vice-chair, and Christian A. Chisholm, Secretary-Treasurer to Karen Remley, Commissioner of Health, regarding proposed regulations on abortion facilities, September 14, 2011; American Public Health Association, Opposition to Requirement for Hospital Admitting Privileges and Transfer Agreements for Abortion Providers, Policy Statement, May 2012.


Joints just say no. Muscles grow weak.
We all know the body’s ability to do the mind’s bidding often falters later in life. But the effects of age on function can be especially unforgiving when you’re hospitalized. Knee replacements, hip replacement, arthritis, rotator cuff, spinal fusions, laminectomies, osteotomies…all common surgical procedures happening in Winnipeg everyday.
Lying in a hospital bed day after day can quickly undermine one’s mobility. Even though most of the hospital data comes from the USA; our nurses, doctors, hospital staff are experiencing the same trends in healthcare as the Boomers come into their 60s.
Hospitals get it. Care plans are developed for patients that prescribe exercise when appropriate. Doctors put in orders for physical therapists to help patients walk and otherwise preserve their mobility.
Nurses and assistants often are expected to help patients move, even if it’s just from bed to chair for their dinner.
But that doesn’t mean it always happens. When hospital units become swamped with particularly sick patients, preserving mobility can easily slip down the priority list, hospital administrators say.
“There’s the ideal world, and then the practical world,” said Liz Ericson-Macke, a nurse, social worker and case-management supervisor with the Franklin County Senior Options Program.
“Sometimes just getting people up and walking them may not happen as much as we would like it to.”
Michele Weber acknowledges that. While working on her doctorate, the clinical nurse specialist at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center evaluated how well nurses stuck to the mobility guideline for intensive- and critical-care patients.
It took persuading, but physicians bought into the guideline that took effect in 2009. They issued a blanket order giving registered nurses greater power to decide when exercise and physical therapy were appropriate during stays in the ICU, which average 5.5 days. A physician’s order is still required for physical therapy, however.
In late 2010 and early 2011, Weber examined the care provided to 207 patients — 41 percent of whom were older than 60 — to see whether the guideline was being followed.
“We were following protocol 30 to 40 percent of the time,” she said.
There were several barriers to improving compliance, including factors beyond the nurses’ control. Some patients refused to exercise. Many hospital rooms are small, with constrained layouts that didn’t lend themselves to the right kind of chair.
In some cases, nurses didn’t have the right supportive devices — walkers, canes, gait belts — close at hand. Some equipment didn’t have battery backup so that IVs could remain hooked up to patients when they were up and about.
And inadequate staffing levels sometimes hurt compliance.
Today, audits show compliance is better, typically between 50 and 60 percent, Weber said. The hospital added the mobility guideline to the orientation process for new critical-care nurses, provided better equipment and balanced staffing.
Mount Carmel Health System declined to share similar compliance data. A spokesman for OhioHealth said the hospital system doesn’t have such data.
Efforts to get patients moving might seem at odds with another hospital priority: fall prevention. But Weber said there were no adverse outcomes during the OSU research project.
The benefits of getting a patient moving early have become more widely recognized, said Dr. Larry Swanner, vice president of medical affairs at Mount Carmel West.
“In the past several years, we have increased our focus on physical therapy,” he said.
For patients who have had hips or knees replaced, early exercise leads to quicker recovery times. For surgical patients, walking encourages deep breaths and coughing, which reduces the risk of pneumonia.
Meanwhile, patients who have undergone abdominal surgery might find that walking stimulates the return of their intestinal function.
If a physician orders physical therapy in the morning, it should take place that same day, Swanner said. If it’s ordered late in the afternoon, it should happen the next morning.
OhioHealth has been assessing many protocols, including for mobility, through a process-improvement group focused on geriatrics, said Michele Stokes, director of senior health services at the Gerlach Center for Senior Health.
“We really have a lot of opportunity across the system to be aware and do more for our elderly patients,” she said.


Update: Angry Ham's Garage Opening in Framingham
[Ed. note: This article was updated on September 29 and November 8--see below.]
A former Boston Bruins player and two partners are attempting to open a restaurant and pub in Framingham, though it looks like there may be a push to keep it from opening.
According to the MetroWest Daily News, Lyndon Byers is part of a three-man group looking to open Angry Ham's Garage on Beacon Street (at the intersection of Routes 9 and 126) where the Chinese restaurant Green Tea II used to be. The article mentions that Byers and his partners had tried to open Angry Ham's once before, but the plans for the 186-seat dining spot and watering hole were pulled earlier this summer because of the town's concerns about Byers' drunk-driving arrests, as well as another partner's drunk driving arrest. Some people living near the proposed site of the place are also concerned about potential problems that might result from the spot, including drinking-related issues.
New plans for Angry Ham's Garage will apparently go back to the Board of Selectmen on September 21. [SEPTEMBER 29 UPDATE: According to The MetroWest Daily News, one of the persons involved with Angry Ham's Garage bought out his two business parters, including Lyndon Byers. As a result, Framingham selectmen have given the green light for the restaurant and bar to open by unanimously approving its bid as well as transferring a liquor license to the place. Once it opens, Angry Ham's Garage will likely be open from 11:00 AM to 1:00 AM Saturday through Thursday, and 11:00 AM to 2:00 AM on Fridays.]
November 8 update: According to the Phantom Gourmet Facebook page, Angry Ham's Garage is now open for business.]
Lyndon Byers played for the Boston Bruins in the 1980s and early 1990s, earning a reputation as an enforcer. Since retiring, he has become an on-air personality on WAAF, a rock station in Worcester and Boston.
The address for this new restaurant and pub in Framingham is: Angry Ham's Garage, 2 Beacon Street, Framingham, MA, 01701.
For more on this story, please go to the MetroWest Daily News link below.
Neighbors not happy about Angry Ham's


On November 22, 2014, I woke up to my mom speaking quietly but urgently to my sister. I was home for Thanksgiving, slowly waking up to get ready to watch my little brother and cousins play basketball in a town nearby. It's funny how you can always tell when something serious has happened just by the tone of someone's voice. My mind began racing, playing out the different tragedies that may have prompted my mom's serious tone but I was not prepared for the coming news.
In the early hours of that morning, a young man shot four people and then himself outside a home that I had many happy memories in and my cousin was one of the people shot. She did survive after serious injuries and a lengthy recovery, and as we came to know more of the details of the horrific events, I struggled with how something like this could happen in my community and to my family. But isn't that what everyone says when a tragedy touches them?
Intentional and unintentional injury and violence can take many forms but gun violence has been at the forefront of news lately from incredible motivation from our next generation of leaders. Generation Z is picking the rest of us up on their backs and acting with unmatched maturity and passion to combat gun violence and promote gun safety. They may not be aware of it but they are looking at and approaching this issue with a public health lens because, frankly, gun violence is a public health issue. In America, thousands of people are killed each year from guns, and when other things take lives in this capacity, we implement laws to prevent it or some of us put on our research hats and figure out what the problem is and how to fix it.
The American Public Health Association gives some great suggestions on what we need to do to tackle this public health issue:
- Increase research on gun violence
- Advocate for smarter gun policies
- Increase gun safety education and technology
- Expand mental health services
Not only does gun violence result in thousands of lives lost each year, it also costs the U.S. billions of dollars and can have a lasting impact on the survivors. At the heart of all of this is mental health and the lack of mental health services in the U.S., especially in rural areas. What is most significant about all of this is that gun violence is preventable but it will take hard work, hard conversations, and a public health approach.


Young offenders in the UK are regularly subjected to “inhuman and degrading treatment”, according to Europe’s anti-torture committee. In a damning report, young offender institutions (YOIs) are criticised for breaching the European Convention on Human Rights by keeping inmates locked up for nearly 24 hours at a time. Meanwhile, justice secretary Liz Truss has admitted that a teenager who was kept in solitary confinement for four months was the victim of procedural “failings”, highlighting the urgent need for the treatment of young offenders to be reformed.
Almost 24 Hours in Their Cells
In its alarming new report, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture highlights “deep concerns” about overcrowding, violence and the use of solitary confinement in YOIs. The committee found that young offenders were regularly held in conditions “akin to solitary confinement” for as long as 80 consecutive days.
Inmates at Cookham Wood YOI were found to be spending an average of five hours out of their cells, while some offenders had ‘do not unlock’ stickers placed on their doors and spent as little as half an hour out of their cells per day. According to the report, the conditions amount to “inhuman and degrading treatment” – which is prohibited by the European Convention on Human Rights.
The committee’s vice president Mark Kelly said some inmates at Cookham Wood had been banned from education and activities, and were spending almost 24 hours in their cells.
“This points to the very impoverished regimes that young people have in a lot of the prisons,” he said.
“There were just over 40 juveniles in Cookham Wood who for various reasons were not taking part in education or activities of any kind, and they actually had pink signs on their door saying ‘do not unlock’.”
“If you had one of these signs, it meant that you wouldn’t be allowed out at all except half an hour for a period of exercise, which you’d take on your own, and for meal times, for which you were accompanied by staff to pick up your food and then you would eat it on your own in your cell.”
‘Alarmingly High’ Levels of Violence
The UK prison system has been advised to reform its YOI rules to fall in line with the growing international trend to promote
the abolition of solitary confinement as punishment – and to make sure that inmates participate in daily education and activities.
The report highlights “alarmingly high” levels of violence at both YOIs and adult prisons, and said none of the facilities it assessed were safe for inmates or staff. Burns from scalding water, shank wounds, broken teeth and noses and head wounds were all recorded, with many incidents requiring hospitalisation and one resulting in death.
John Wadham, chair of the UK’s National Preventative Mechanism, said: “This report is an important reminder that there is much to be done to improve the conditions in which people are held and how they are treated.
“Governments and detention authorities need to involve our members in their work to take forward these recommendations and to improve the conditions in our prisons, hospitals and detention centres.
“I am particularly concerned by their finding that a number of children held in one young offender institution spent 23.5 hours a day locked in their cells. I agree with the CPT that such conditions amount to inhuman and degrading treatment.”
Liz Truss Admits Feltham YOI’s Rules Were Breached
Meanwhile, at an ongoing High Court hearing, justice minister Liz Truss has admitted that a Feltham YOI inmate who was held in solitary confinement for four months was the victim of procedural “failings” – and that the facility’s rules had been breached. But she is contesting claims from the boy’s mother that his treatment has been inhumane or degrading. Truss’ lawyer said the boy had a history of assaulting staff and had been isolated because of his “challenging” behaviour.
The court heard that the boy’s “removal from association” breached Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and that he had not received the legally required 15 hours of education per week.
Responding to the report by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “We have always been clear that we need to make our prisons safe so we offenders can turn their lives around and live as law-abiding citizens. That is why we have taken immediate action to stabilise the estate by tackling the issues that undermine security, and are investing £100 million annually to boost the frontline by 2,500 officers.”


Following his recent consultation with the clergy of the diocese, Archbishop George has appointed a new Vicar General and a new Chancellor for the diocese. Archbishop George says:
“Following the recent consultation on the appointment of Vicar General, Canon Joseph Boardman has agreed to assume this important responsibility. I envisage the appointment will take effect sometime after Easter, following a transition period with Mgr. Bob Reardon to whom I express my deep gratitude for his sterling work on my behalf and on behalf of the diocese.
I have appointed Fr David Hayman as Chancellor of the diocese. He already exercises significant canonical functions within the diocese, and I am grateful for his willingness to continue serving us in this important field. My vision for these two posts is that the Vicar General should be the ‘Minister of Internal Affairs’ and the Chancellor the “Minister of External Affairs”. The next few months will allow the opportunity for defining what that means. As always, I welcome comments and suggestions from priests, deaneries and consulters as to how best we may organise our affairs in the diocese for the greater good of the Church and our people”.


Malaysia on Track to Expand Rail Mileage by 65% as Key Projects Unfold by 2027.
Rail is earmarked as the backbone of Malaysia’s land public transport network, and under the 2013 National Land Public Transport Masterplan (NLPTM), the Government seeks to boost the carrying capacity of rail through a three-pronged strategy involving the construction of new lines, procurement of additional trains for existing lines, and upgrading the signaling system to increase service frequency.
The determination to make rail as the artery for the movement of people has borne tangible results. Over the past 7 years, the Government has significantly increased the urban rail network from 279km to 369km. Over the next few years, the urban rail network is expected to grow to 505km with the completion of LRT3 (by 2020), MRT2 or the Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya line (by 2022) and MRT3 (Circle Line) in the future.
Examples include the Interim Stage Bus Support Fund (ISBSF) introduced in 2012, which provides Government funding to sustain operations of social routes for the benefit of more than 330,000 passengers per day.
Meant as support for ailing stage bus companies, ISBSF will be replaced by the myBAS initiative in capital cities under the Stage Bus Services Transformation Programme (SBST). The Government has invested RM143 million for the operationalisation of myBAS services by SPAD in Kangar since August 2015, in Seremban since January 2016, in Ipoh since June 2016. To-date, myBAS has recorded more than 8.4 million passengers.
We are working towards a fair level playing field for taxi drivers and the e-hailing industry while assuring that passenger safety continues to be prioritised. On a related matter, thousands of Malaysians visited the two-day land transport exhibition held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre which saw the Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia deliver a keynote address.
The SPAD-organised event saw the participation of experts, thought leaders and luminaries from China, South Korea, Japan, Germany, United States and the United Kingdom, just to name a few.


How Delta Barley Lives On
A Look Inside Alaska’s Only Commercial Flour Mill
In 1982, Bryce Wrigley read an article in a farming magazine that changed his life.
At the time, he worked on his family’s farm in Idaho, where his ancestors had farmed for generations. They raised sheep and cattle and grew peas and grain. Wrigley was young, enthusiastic, and looking to expand. But he wasn’t the only one in his area looking for land. The other children and grandchildren of generational farmers were looking, too. The market was crowded.
When he read about the Delta Barley Project in Alaska, he saw his opportunity to grow.
“Sometimes you read something, and you just can’t get it out of your mind,” he says. “It just bothered me.”
Wrigley leans against the vinyl siding of his modest, one-story home outside of Delta. He owns Alaska Flour Company now, which runs the only commercial flour mil in Alaska and exports its line of barley-based products across the state and the country. They sell everything from pancake mixes to whole barley. Wrigley is one of the few farmers in Alaska growing grains for human consumption and the only farmer in the country—to his knowledge—with a full line of barley-based products. Food security, family legacy, and new market opportunities motivated him to start the business.
It was a long and sometimes bumpy road to reach those goals. Wrigley gestures toward an old, blue Toyota parked next to lush, green pasture. It’s the vehicle that got him and his dad from Idaho to Alaska in May of 1983. They drove 60 hours straight and stayed a week. They wanted to see if Alaska, swimming in oil revenue and eager to create an agricultural economy, could be their new home. What they saw convinced the Wrigleys to take the plunge. Like so many others, untapped potential drew them north. Bryce and his wife had two small children.
“You leave a lot of stuff behind,” he says. “I’ve got to admire my wife for being willing to do that.”
In the late ’70s, Alaska Governor Jay Hammond chose Delta Junction, where the state owned a large block of land, as the grain-producing heart of an agricultural dream. It would feed a new dairy and livestock industry in the state and create a grain export market. Delta barley was supposed to head south on a train from Fairbanks to a grain terminal in Seward and eventually to Japan. The state lent farmers millions of dollars to buy and clear land.
It was November when Bryce, his family, his parents, and his two youngest siblings moved north. They cut firewood until they established residency, a requirement to qualify for state funds.
“The banks weren’t loaning money for ag, and that hasn’t changed,” Wrigley says.
By the time they got into the business, many farms had been cleared and abandoned. Creating infrastructure and a market for a brand-new industry in a remote place wasn’t easy business. The Seward grain terminal was never built. A few others were, but they were never used as intended. Very little barley was ever exported.
Nowadays, the grain industry in Delta barely resembles the envisioned Delta Barley Project. “It’s a small industry, unfortunately, still a very fragile industry,” says Phil Kaspari, who has known Bryce since the mid-’80s and is the Head of Cooperative Extension for the Delta area.
But the grain industry is alive. According to the 2017 Census of Agriculture for Alaska, 18 farms were growing nearly 5,000 acres of barley in the region. Today, there’s a small cattle industry, and a slaughterhouse due to open a few hours north to serve it. Distilleries have started using Alaskan-grown barley to make alcohol, and a few people are experimenting with growing wheat and other grains. There isn’t the equipment and infrastructure for large-scale, industrial agriculture, but there are fewer pests than in other climates, clean soils, clean water, and room for niche markets.
“The people that hung on here were creative, aggressive—dedicated enough to chisel out some kind of an in-state market,” Kaspari says.
The Wrigleys fit that description perfectly. They raised pigs when the grain market was saturated. They switched back to grain production when the pork market plunged. And when the University of Alaska Fairbanks introduced a barley well-suited for Alaska that could feed people instead of livestock, they took a trip to an out-of-state flour mill and decided to start their own.
“I told my family, if a flour mill is going to happen in Alaska, we should stop waiting on somebody else and get it started,” Wrigley says.
OUT IN THE FIELD
Wrigley rides an orange, diesel-powered side-by-side to a field of cover crops down the road from his house. When he cuts the engine, the sea of delicate blue, yellow, and red flowers hums with life.
“I was out looking [at the field] and became aware of this constant buzz, hum—the flies and the bees, and everything that was out in that field, you know. I just fell in love with that,” he says. “If you go out into a barley field or hay field, you don’t hear that. It’s just quiet.”
Wrigley reaches down, pulls out a turnip, and takes a bite. “It’s so sweet,” he says with a smile. The Wrigleys’ 1,700 acres would feel more like the Midwest than Alaska if it weren’t for the spruce trees dotting the perimeter and the Alaska Range towering in the distance. Bryce says he loves passing through the fields with a tractor, seeing linear progress. He’s practical, organized, and cautious, but not too cautious to try new things.
Wrigley has been experimenting with different varieties of cover crops. He rotates the turnips, radishes, and other nitrogen-fixing crops with fields of barley to reduce the need for fertilizer and increase microbes in the soil. It’s part of a focus on sustainable agriculture.
“Over the years, so many of us have specialized in certain crops, and we’ve gotten away from rotation with animals and grasses and legumes and things like that,” he says. “We’re hoping that people that eat our products will recognize that we’re trying to be as responsible as we can.”
What their customers eat is a few fields down. Bright green stalks of barley are just starting to turn brown. The Sunshine barley that Wrigley grows was developed in 2009. It’s a cross between wheat and barley, but it matures faster than wheat. The difference between it and barley meant for livestock is the hull: it comes off easily when thrashed. And it stays standing when it comes time for harvest, instead of falling to the ground, risking contamination. When it was first introduced, a few farmers experimented with it, but Wrigley is the only one to make a business out of it.
“It’s not as simple as putting a crop in the ground and then combining it and then putting it in a bin and then selling it to somebody for feed,” he says.
Wrigley must have his product inspected, and his flour has to pass a bake test. He also had to build a mill, a line of products, and a market.
Food security motivated the switch. Wrigley worried about what would happen to a remote state like Alaska if the food supply was cut off during a major disaster. He knew grains could provide nutrition on a large scale. “In an emergency, what breaks down society is primarily a fear that they’re going to run out of food,” Wrigley says.
But there’ve been all sorts of other unexpected benefits, like providing a healthy alternative to wheat-based products and getting to work directly with customers.
“It was kind of a selfish reason that I like driving tractors and combines, but when I saw the quality of food that we could grow, there’s a different level of satisfaction when you know you’re producing something that can help people,” Wrigley says. “I’ve become addicted to that.”
Before heading to the mill, there’s one last field to inspect: wheat. The UAF is working on a variety well-suited for Alaska, but it takes time. So far, Bryce hasn’t had much success with what’s available, and and few other farmers in the state have given it a serious try. Palmer’s VanderWeele Farms has grown wheat and rye. VanderWeele currently sells to breweries, at farmers markets, and to an Anchorage bakery on a small scale.
Wrigley feels the season is too short for wheat to mature, but he’s hopeful.
“I want to be in a position where as the summer gets a little warmer or a little longer that we have already found those next crops that are ready for that,” he says.
FROM THE FIELD TO THE KITCHEN
Inside a big, red building, the Wrigleys’ mill spits grain into bins. It smells earthy, and it’s so loud that Bryce and his son Milo Wrigley have to shout to communicate. Milo works quickly as the pneumatically conveyed sifter sorts the grain by size: flour, cereal, and barley couscous. Eventually, the flour will turn into thick, nutty pancakes and barley-flour brownies in their customers’ kitchens.
The mill is impressive. The Wrigleys imported pieces from Denmark and North Carolina. Neither Bryce nor his son is an engineer, but they learned as they went. When they needed a platform, they bought shelves from Costco, turned them upside down, and re-braced them.
“We built this small,” Bryce says. “We didn’t want to lose the farm if we couldn’t pay for it. We figured we could invest this much, and if it fell flat on its face, we could still pay our way out of it.”
They borrowed money from the state’s agriculture revolving loan fund to get started. And they’ve slowly added on since. There were a few flour mills in the state near Fairbanks in the early 1900s, but that was when importing grains was prohibitively expensive. Bryce and his family had to create a model for Alaska from scratch.
They’ve found a market among health-conscious consumers and the local food movement. Barley has a lower level of gluten and more fiber than wheat. And he thinks there’s room for growth, inside the state and out. He has his eyes on Japan and Taiwan as potential markets. And Wrigley wants other farmers to join him.
“We have the capacity to mill a lot more here than what we’re doing,” Wrigley says. “I’d like to get to a point that I’m contracting that growth. It spreads our risk… I think it adds resiliency to the food system and to us.”
It’s a dream he has, to bring Delta’s agricultural community closer together. He wants farmers to learn from each other and help each other succeed. But he has to prove that his model is working. And he has to convince consumers to step out of their comfort zone and try something new, like a barley pancake.


“I skate to where the puck is going to be,
not to where it’s been.”
– Wayne Gretzky –
Today in his keynote address at Macworld 2007, Steve Jobs introduced the highly anticipated iPhone. Jobs claims that they will “redefine the phone” and compares this development to the Mac in 1984 and iPod in 2001. The device includes a widescreen iPod, phone, and internet device all controlled by a multi-touch display. I am currently in the market for a new cell phone that will incorporate all those functions. I will have to say that the pictures and demonstration of the iPhone definitely have me interested. The only problem – we have to wait until summer and the price will be high. The links above contain pictures of the event as well as guides of the iPhone.
Jobs also introduced a new device called Apple TV that integrates your computer with your television. It too looks quite impressive.
So, what do you think? Will the iPhone control the market like the iPod? Will Apple TV be the next big thing for televisions?


Our last PTSA meeting of the year will be held on Tuesday, June 13th at 7:00 pm in the school library and we hope that you can join us! We will be discussing end of year distribution of funding and voting on next year’s board. The Nominating Committee have proposed the following slate (below) for the 2023-2024 PTSA Board. Nominations can also be made from the floor.
President: Regan Morgan
1st Vice President: Beth Eachus
2nd Vice President: Angela Sorrell
Treasurer: Kara Reynolds
Secretary: Tana Keeffe
All Board positions are held for one year with an opportunity to serve a second consecutive year in the same position.


The regional tax and advisory firm of Cole Gavlas, PC, is pleased to announce that Jeffrey Cole, Partner, will compete in Michigan’s first ever 100 Men Who Cook fundraiser.
This inaugural event is a unique fundraiser that aims to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kalamazoo. Presented by Old National Bank, the event puts chef hats on nearly 100 men of influence in the community who cook signature dishes. The popularity of the dishes are judged through donations put into “tip jars” throughout the evening.
“What attracted me to this fundraiser was how unique it is,” said Jeff Cole, CPA, CSPM, CFP, Partner. “I’m excited to not only show off my culinary skills by making pork BBQ sliders, but to raise money for an excellent organization. The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kalamazoo provides outstanding services to our community.”
To see Jeff Cole in action, please attend the event on Saturday, August 12, 6 PM, at WMU Bernhard Center. The event will feature food, cocktails, a silent auction, and other entertainment. Tickets can be purchased at 100menkalamazoo.org.


Orlando City Part Company With Coach Jason Kreis
Orlando City have parted ways with coach Jason Kreis after his side endured a six-game losing streak stretching back to last month.
After 64 games in charge, Kreis and the club agreed to terminate the American's contract after a 2018 campaign that saw The Lions win 6 games straight before a further 6 straight losses.
Assistant coach Bobby Murphy will take interim charge of first team matters until a new coach is appointed in the near future.
Kreis' assistant coaches CJ Brown and Miles Joseph have left the club with immediate effect.
Jason Kreis' record at the helm in Florida leaves a lot to be desired with the talent currently on the club's roster. He won just 21 matches in his 64 games in charge.
Club CEO Alex Leitao said: "This is a very difficult decision to take, but sometimes in sports we must make tough decisions with the best future of the organization in mind."
"I have enormous respect for Jason and the work his team have done in Orlando. He arrived in a difficult moment and is leaving with a legacy of respect and professionalism."
Kreis was hired midway through the 2016 season, replacing City's first ever MLS coach Adrian Heath.
For more MLS news and to listen to the MLS UK Show podcast, follow @MLSUKShow on twitter.


A robot is only as smart as its programming. Learning on the go has been the sole purview of living things. That was, until a team of scientists at UC Berkeley programmed a robot to learn simple tasks through trial and error, just like humans do. The robot itself, a Willow Garage PR-2, is not new. But researchers applied a relatively new form of artificial intelligence, known as Deep Learning, to give it a kind of primitive learning ability. Of course, the robot learns its skills very slowly.


_In May of 2010, Enbridge Inc. submitted a proposal to build a controversial 1,172 km pipeline that would link Alberta’s Tar Sands to the North Coast of British Columbia, and for the first time introduce crude oil supertankers to BC’s northern waters. These supertankers would navigate through the narrow channels of the Great Bear Rainforest, one of the last truly wild places on earth and home to humpback and killer whales, sea lions, eagles, ravens, wolves, Grizzly bears, and the legendary Spirit Bear. The Great Bear is also the traditional territory of 28 First Nations whose histories, identities and spirituality are inextricably linked to the landscape and wildlife.
_If Enbridge’s pipeline is built, the abundant life and fragile ecosystems of the North Coast could quickly be lost. The scope of the proposed pipeline project has set the stage for a disaster that would eclipse that of the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill. More than 250 crude oil super tankers would have to navigate the narrow waterways and 90 degree hairpin turns of Douglas Channel every year. Even with safety measures already in place, significant shipping accidents are occurring along the proposed tanker route. In 2006 the BC Ferries’ Queen of the North sank at the entrance to Douglas Channel, and is still leaking oil into the surrounding waters.
__The proposed pipeline is undergoing an environmental assessment by the federal government, which is supposed to protect the public interest in developments like Enbridge’s Northern Gateway project. But with eighty percent of British Columbians opposed to oil tankers in our northern waters, how does a project like this continue to push forward? These federal assessments have a history of approving 99% of projects. The three board members responsible for the decision on the pipeline proposal all have ties to industry, and the board lacks any representation from B.C. Even if the board does listen to the overwhelming opposition from the public, the current government focused on energy development and export can over-ride the decision and push it through. When faced with marginalization and few options, B.C. has a legacy of citizens stepping outside of the restrictive official processes. The people who stand to loose everything from an oil spill will not be marginalized; the scale of resistance building against the Enbridge pipeline has set the stage for this to be a defining moment in Canadian history.
Situated within a so-called democratic system in which 80-percent opposition is not sufficient to halt a project backed by barrels of oily wealth, this film explores why we must search for our own ways and create our own spaces to have our voices heard. An oil spill will not engulf Enbridge’s corporate headquarters, the mansions of its executives, nor the corridors of Ottawa’s bureaucratic machinery. Oil will tar the kelp that brushed the team’s kayaks, wash on the beaches where they landed to rest after long hours of paddling, and choke the abundant life and fragile ecosystem of the North Coast. Through their journey, the Pipedreams Team has become deeply impacted by their experience, irreversibly entangled in the Pacific Northwest, and awakened to a world of power, politics and the question of democracy.
Find out more!
Check out these other great organizations working to stop crude oil tanker traffic on our coast.


Diabetes currently affects more than ten percentage of total Nepali population and, unfortunately, it is expected to affect in rapid rate in coming years.
World Health Organisation defines ‘Diabetes’ as a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. According to the International Diabetes Federation, diabetes affects at least 285 million people worldwide, and that number is expected to reach 438 million by the year 2030, with two-thirds of all diabetes cases occurring in low- to middle-income countries like Nepal. It is imperative that steps be taken, taken full-fledged and right away, to address before more people and families suffer from diabetes.
Since the proclamation of the first World Diabetes Day in 1991, the day is celebrated worldwide as an acknowledgement of the condition, symptoms, complications, treatment and resolve to find a cure for the diabetes. More than two third of the nations worldwide celebrate this day with participation from organizations, health care professionals and people living with and without diabetes. World Diabetes day was celebrated on November 14th this year, and I must say I was privileged to be among the organisers for day celebration in Nepal. The event was organized by HERD International, in collaboration with Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) Dietetics Department, University College London (UCL) and World Diabetes Foundation (WDF).
Named as ‘World Diabetes Day Mela (Fair) Nepal’ to urge people to learn more about facets of diabetes, we had planned several activities in order to organise the event in enthusiastic presence of high-level stakeholders, media personnel, health workers, volunteers, among others. We started making necessary logistic arrangements a couple of weeks prior to the event which also included getting approval from local police department. With all planning and rehearsals in place, we were all set to celebrate the day, and I must admit the thought of event gave me butterflies in the stomach.
Walk against Diabetes
To start the event, participants gathered at Narayan Chaur, Kathmandu to initiate ‘Walk Against Diabetes,’ a walk covering about 4 kilometers. The communication team at HERD International had done extensive announcement of the event via website and social media, so that larger section of people would know about diabetes, even if they could not participate in the event. The presence of media and security personnel definitely made our presence felt among the passersby.
Dr. Sushil Baral, Managing Director of HERD International informed the participants about diabetes and its effects to individual, family, community and nation as a whole. With commitments made for increased physical activities, reduced stress, and secession from alcohol, tobacco and other unhealthy food habits, participants proceeded towards TUTH with banner and several placards with messages written to create awareness about diabetes.
At the premises of TUTH, a group of around twenty-five volunteers were getting ready to welcome the participants and start the proceeding as planned for the day-celebration. Heads of several departments of TUTH graciously welcomed the participants and gave their respective speech, and together signaled formal opening of the event.
Diabetes Screening and Prevention Counselling
Lack of knowledge about diabetes means that spotting the warning signs is not just a problem for individuals, but is an issue impacting a cross-section of society. Several studies suggest that the adults across the globe failed to correctly identify the warning signs of diabetes. The signs are milder in type 2 diabetes, the most prevalent form of the condition, and it has been a major concern. To emphasize on this matter, visitors at TUTH were provided with free diabetes screening and prevention counselling. The blood sugar level of participants was revealed on the spot, and counselling was provided accordingly. Participants appreciated the activity as it would let them know about their diabetic status instantly and get appropriate counselling; all free of cost. This activity was conducted all day long with about 500 participants benefitted.
Short Personal Photo-Stories
To show the point-of-view of several persons related to diabetes, from doctors to patients, photo-story were presented to the audience. An audio clip would play on the headset, depicting the view of doctor or diabetes survivor, depending on the stall.
A corresponding picture placed on the stand gave the audience the feel of the stories they were hearing on the headsets. This was the most challenging activity to organise as it took more than a couple of weeks to prepare the audio clips and had to be precise on timeliness. In the hindsight, I believe this activity proved its worth exactly as we had envisioned while planning. A lot of stereotypes were addressed to bring positive changes in the lives of the participants on this day-long activity.
BMI Calculation and Counselling
BMI is a calculation of the body size size that takes into account the height and weight. In general, higher the BMI is, higher is the risk of developing a range of conditions linked with excess weight, including diabetes. It’s a useful starting point for important conditions that become more likely when a person is overweight or obese. In the event, volunteers measured the height and weight of the participants and let them know about their BMI instantly. They were also counselled about importance of the measures to get into correct body shape and size to prevent several conditions including diabetes. On this day-long activity, around 600 participants have had their BMI calculated and counselled.
To make the event interesting and enhance the knowledge of participants about diabetes, we conducted four sessions of quiz with questions related to diabetes. Due to high volume of want-to-be participants, we were facing difficulties initially to manage the crowd (which is actually a pleasant trouble for an organizer). We decided to have about twenty participants on each session, and each session would have only six yes/no questions. The winners were provided with fruits and vegetables as the gift. For each question, the participants were explained why their answer to the diabetes related question was right or wrong.
Zumba is a great alternative to traditional fitness programs as it is more fun, great for weight loss, tones the entire body, boosts the heart health and helps to de-stress. Repeated practice improves body coordination and helps to feel more comfortable moving the body. This is one of the effective methods to help prevent and control diabetes, although several bodily conditions may have to be predetermined.
During the event, five sessions of Zumba were conducted with energetic participation. Time constraint of the trainer was the factor that we could not organize more sessions. These sessions were the attraction of the day.
The participants learned during the event that diabetes can become a life-threatening condition if not treated early and managed appropriately, leading to devastating complications. They also learnt that the rise in diabetes, particularly type 2, could in many cases be stopped if people knew the warning signs and risk factors so they could adopt a healthier lifestyle and seek treatment as for many people in developing countries, type 1 diabetes is considered fatal and many with type 2 diabetes are diagnosed too late when complications are already present. Every time I look at the statistics, I am a bit more shocked to realize that the numbers are going up much faster than I thought was possible. Diabetes currently affects more than ten percentage of total Nepali population and, unfortunately, it is expected to affect in rapid rate in coming years.
The symbol of World Diabetes Day, a blue circle, has become the sign of unity against Diabetes. I came out more educated on diabetes than I knew before the event, and I hope that all participants and observers of the day will have positive effect on reduction of severity of diabetes and its concerns on families. The bunch of blue balloons that we let go up in the air during the inauguration of the day will unite everyone on this noble cause, I am optimistic.
Dr Baral best summarized the day, during the closing ceremony of the event, “the wide spreading rate of diabetes is unacceptable and needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. Many community level interventions are required with active participation from government, development partners, health workers and all stakeholders to control diabetes before this goes epidemic. We must join hands in raising awareness of the impact that diabetes has on family and support network of those affected as there is immediate need to promote management, care, prevention and education of diabetes.”
By Santosh Pudasaini
The event was covered well by national media. Below are some of the links to the news coverage:
Janata TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2lIdiVX6tI
Image Khabar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WoitZPu5TQ
ABC News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtaaJ2oE4As
Swasthya Khabar: http://swasthyakhabar.com/story/26074
This image below has been published on 15 Novemeber 2018 on Kantipur (with glimpse on front page, top-right corner):