Podcasts about economic development department

0:01:16 - Proposed Ogden City Fiscal Year 2025–2026 Budget: Community and Economic Development Department & CIP Projects1:15:20 - Proposed Ogden City Fiscal Year 2025–2026 Budget: Fire Department & CIP Projects1:48:15 - Proposed Hazardous Environmental Conditions Amendment2:04:25 - Proposed Redevelopment Agency Fiscal Year 2025–2026 Budget

Miranda Evans, the Deputy Director of the Community and Economic Development Department for the City of Riverside the 12th largest city in California joins Enterprise … Read more The post A Sustainable Hub of Innovation & Green Business Opportunities appeared first on Top Entrepreneurs Podcast | Enterprise Podcast Network.

The GOP HQ fire bomb suspect appears to have been captured. He looks JUST as you'd expect.  MLG vetoed two bills in the waning hours of her signing period (we agree with her on both). MLG also ripped Democrat leadership in the Legislature saying of the tax bill  “Even more troubling is the fact that what ultimately emerged lack both strategic coherence and fiscal responsibility,” the governor added. “There was no plan and no preparation for how to pay for the tax relief in this bill. She also vetoed a lowrider license plate bill and tortilla as the state's official bread. MLG argued that these bills represent a "misuse of time and priorities"  Paul and Wally discuss the latest political news in Albuquerque's Mayoral race and race for Governor. Specifically Paul and Wally discuss the possible impact of one of the bills the Gov. signed sets up "semi-open primaries" and how it COULD open new strategic voting opportunities.  Freedom Index results are now finalized. How did your legislators do? Also, RGF recently tabulated how the average stacks up relative to other sessions. The Maxeon deal has been changed (downsized) dramatically, yet the Economic Development Department website still touts the original deal. Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin recently launched Katy Perry and others to space for 11 minutes. Is Bezos taking Virgin Galactic's market?  MLG sends the National Guard to Albuquerque, but to what end?

In today's episode, Melissa introduces two authors from the new anthology, "Latinas in PR", Jeannette E. Garcia and Paola Vargas-Strassner.About Jeannette:Jeannette is the Director of Communications at a San Antonio systems-change nonprofit organization, UP Partnership. In the past, Jeannette was a reporter with the San Antonio Business Journal. She has more than a decade of communications, public relations, and marketing experience, having led these types of efforts for places like the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the City of San Antonio's Economic Development Department. She has a bachelor's degree in public relations with concentrations in Latino Media Studies and Business Foundations from the University of Texas at Austin.Connect with Jeannette on LinkedInAbout Paola:Paola Vargas-Strassner, MPS, APR is a Strategic Communications and Public Affairs professional currently serving the Maryland State. She is a well-traveled, seasoned bilingual communications professional who specializes in the areas of public affairs, strategic planning, and digital media. Connect with Paola on LinkedInView Paola's portfolioTopics covered:- How the authors got in Public Relations- What inspired them to share their story- A preview of each author's story- Advice for someone taking a step forward in their career- Buy your copy of "Latinas in PR" on AmazonResources mentioned: - "Latinas in Public Relations: Shaping Communications, Communities, and Culture"- "Smart Talk: Public Relations Essentials All Pros Should Know"- MVW Communications

Meet Kelly Baggett, the Innovation Coordinator for the City of Fort Worth's Economic Development Department. She drives innovation in the city by helping foster policy recommendations to help innovation-led companies, assists companies in filling financing gaps through tax incentives and connects innovation districts around the city. A former librarian, Kelly is driving research and development tax credits for qualified companies to spur innovation and economic growth in Cowtown. Kelly also shares where she thinks innovation is headed in the future and shares a glimpse of some exciting projects on the horizon in Fort Worth. Kelly is also a published author of a children's book of fables that help explain technology in the connected age. To learn more about the City of Fort Worth's Department of Economic Development, visit https://fortworthtexas.gov/econdev To purchase Fables for the Connected Age by Kelly Baggett, visit Monkey and Dog Books or https://a.co/d/8ONO811 To learn more about HSC Next, visit https://hscnext.com

Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 44 points this morning from yesterday's close, at 23,002 on turnover of 3.4 billion NT. The market rebounded on Thursday, after Wall Street resumed its upward climb as an update on inflation in America appeared to clear the way for more help for the economy from the U-S Federal Reserve. AIT says Chinese Activity Not Response to Lai's US Stopovers The American Institute in Taiwan says it doesn't believe increased Chinese military activity near Taiwan this week was a response to President Lai Ching-te's recent stopovers in the United States. The institute believes the "elevated activity in the East China Sea and South China Sea follows a broader increase in China's military posture (姿態) and military exercises over the last several years .. .. and it does not see this wider activity as a response to Lai's transit (轉機)." An A-I-T spokesperson says the United States continues to call on Beijing to "avoid any destabilizing or escalatory actions (升級動作) that might undermine regional peace and stability… and will continue coordinating with allies and partners regarding our shared concerns." The statement was issued by A-I-T following China's designating of seven areas east of Zhejiang and Fujian provinces from Monday to Wednesday as "temporary reserved areas" of airspace (空域保留區). Government Seeking Private Investment in Public Infrastructure The National Development Council says it's seeking private investment in public infrastructure (基礎建設) projects. According to the N-D-C's Economic Development Department, the government is set to create a ministerial-level mechanism (機制) to encourage such investment in order to "boost cooperation between the government and the private sector in jointly building Taiwan." Department head Chiu Chiu-ying says the mechanism will bring together officials from the N-D-C, the Ministry of Finance and the Financial Supervisory Commission to work with private enterprises … .. who are interested in investing in "major public infrastructure projects" projected to "yield stable returns." Chiu also says it's hoped that bringing in private capital (私人資金) for public projects will help alleviate financial burdens on both central and local governments. Lows of 11°C Forecast for North and Center The Central Weather Administration says a continental cold air mass is forecast to bring temperatures in the north and center down to 11 degrees early Sunday morning. According to the administration's forecast center, cold air mass will affect Taiwan from tomorrow through Sunday. The effects of the cold front will be the strongest on early Sunday morning - with lows of between 11 and 13 degrees forecast for the north and center, while other areas could see lows of between 14 and 15 degrees. The mercury will rebound slightly on Monday. However, another cold air mass is forecast to begin affecting the island next Friday. Nato calls on nations to ramp up defense spending In global news, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is urging European nations to shift to a wartime mindset… He also pointed up a need to ramp up (增加) defense spending to counter an aggressive Russia… as Sagher Meghani reports. US Mideast Initiatve Meanwhile… Top U.S. officials are in the Middle East pressing for stability in Syria and an end to Israel's 14-month war in the Gaza Strip in a last-ditch diplomatic push by the outgoing Biden administration. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Jordan and Turkey on Thursday for talks on how to ensure a peaceful transition of power in Syria following the ouster of longtime President Bashar Assad. National security adviser Jake Sullivan is in Israel in a bid to wrap up a ceasefire with Hamas militants. Sullivan expressed cautious optimism that conditions are ripe for halting (中止) the conflict. South Korea latest And… The leader of South Korea's ruling party is expressing support for impeaching President Yoon Suk Yeoul over his martial law declaration. Local media reports say Han Dong-hoon now says removing Yoon is the only viable option left to restore politicial stability (恢復穩定政治). On Thursday, the embattled president defended his martial law declaration, which some media reports considred a confession of treason. Han voiced his support days before South Korea's National Assembly holds a second vote calling for Yoon to be impeached.

MDJ Script/ Top Stories for November 26th  Publish Date:  November 26th       Commercial:   From the BG Ad Group Studio, Welcome to the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast.      Today is Tuesday, November 26th and Happy Birthday to Tina Turner  ***11.26.24 - BIRTHDAY – TINA TURNER***  I'm Dan Radcliffe and here are the stories Cobb is talking about, presented by Credit Union of Georgia.   'It's Electric': Acworth Turkey Chase Draws More Than 1,100 Runners  Marietta Pilgrimage Returns Dec. 6-8  Churros, Ice Cream, Coffee Shop Opens in Kennesaw    All of this and more is coming up on the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast, and if you are looking for community news, we encourage you to listen and subscribe!     BREAK: CU of GA (06.26.24 CU OF GA FREE CHECKING_REV_FINAL)  STORY 1:  'It's Electric': Acworth Turkey Chase Draws More Than 1,100 Runners  The 16th annual Acworth Turkey Chase 5K set a new record with over 1,100 participants, including runners in festive costumes. The event featured a 5K, 2K, and a "Little Pilgrim" Trot for young children, supporting the city's Tackle Hunger program with registration fees and non-perishable food donations. Approximately 5,000 food items were collected. The race route showcased historic downtown Acworth and Lake Acworth. Notable participants included Sam Howren, who finished third, and costumed locals adding fun to the event. Acworth Mayor Tommy Allegood wished participants well, highlighting the community spirit.  STORY 2:     Marietta Pilgrimage Returns Dec. 6-8  The 38th Annual Marietta Pilgrimage, happening on December 6-8, offers tours of five historic homes in Marietta's Whitlock Avenue neighborhood, each uniquely decorated for the holidays. The event, a fundraiser for Visit Marietta and Cobb Landmarks, allows guests to explore diverse architectural styles and learn about the history and preservation of these homes. The self-guided tours are supported by local volunteers, with proceeds aiding the hosting nonprofits. Tickets are available online and in-person, with the event expected to attract 1,800 to 2,300 participants.  STORY 3:  Churros, Ice Cream, Coffee Shop Opens in Kennesaw  Dulce Canela, a new dessert shop in Kennesaw, opened on November 8, offering a variety of traditional Mexican churros and ice cream. Owned by Katty Sanchez and Albert Trevino, the shop also serves as a coffee bar featuring Hispanic flavors like their popular horchata iced latte. The menu includes vegan-friendly churros and diverse ice cream flavors, such as strawberry cheesecake and Gansito. The shop aims to create a welcoming space with board games for guests. With support from the local community and experience from Sanchez's family restaurant, Dulce Canela is now hiring and open six days a week.      We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.799.6810 for more info.      We'll be right back     Break: DRAKE (Drake Realty (Cobb County)     STORY 4:  Small Business Grant Program gets $50K Funding Boost  The Development Authority of Cobb County has approved an additional $50,000 for the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Grant program, bringing its total contribution to $250,000 since 2019. This program, run by Cobb County's Economic Development Department, supports small businesses with grants up to $10,000 for marketing, equipment, operational funds, and renovations. So far, 24 businesses have benefited, with 20 still operating in Cobb. The program aims to foster job creation and business growth. The Board of Commissioners will consider a new grant application from FruiTea Bubbles Cafe on December 10.  STORY 5:  Work Underway on 600-home Marietta Development  Beazer Homes has begun construction on "Greenhouse," a 600-home development in north Marietta, marking the largest residential project in Cobb County in decades. The 175-acre site, annexed by Marietta City Council, will feature 300 single-family homes, 200 townhomes, and 100 senior-targeted homes, with amenities like a clubhouse and pickleball courts. Homes will range from $400,000 to $900,000, with completion expected by 2027. Despite initial opposition due to traffic and environmental concerns, the project emphasizes energy efficiency, aligning with the U.S. Department of Energy's Zero Energy Ready program.    We'll be back in a moment     Break: Ingles Markets 7  STORY 6:  We're Thankful for Cobb's Custodians  Cobb Schools celebrate their dedicated custodians, who play a crucial role in maintaining a clean, safe, and welcoming environment for over 105,000 students. With a team of 643, these custodians are often the first to arrive and last to leave, ensuring schools are ready for daily activities. They handle safety concerns, assist with deliveries, and engage with students, often going beyond their duties to support school programs. Recognized as "hidden gems," many have long careers in the district. This year, Gov. Brian Kemp acknowledged their contributions with a $1,000 bonus, highlighting their essential role in education.  STORY 7:  Jeni's Ice Cream Coming to Marietta Square  Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams is set to open a new location in Marietta Square, joining the Bridger Properties development on Church Street. The Ohio-based ice cream company signed its lease and plans to open by summer, next to Gianni & Mac's Ristorante Piazza Nostra, which could open as early as next month. Bridger Properties co-founders, Merritt Lancaster and Jack Arnold, noted the quick progress and local construction team. The new shop will add to the vibrant atmosphere of Church Street Park, offering a variety of dining options for visitors.  Break: 07.09.24 MDJ THEATRE GIFT OF THE MAGI_FINAL    Signoff-    Thanks again for hanging out with us on today's Marietta Daily Journal Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at www.mdjonline.com  Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Giving you important news about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. 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Tune in and hear Mark Thompson, Chief of Commercial Development with the Economic Development Department, talk with Jake Dyer and Doria Fleisher about how economic development brings important revenue into the county.  You'll hear about some exciting new projects and find out how you can get news and alerts on businesses coming to Charles County!To learn more about Charles County's Economic Development Department and sign up for their monthly newsletter that includes a listing of new businesses coming soon and opening up in Charles County, visit www.meetcharlescounty.comLearn more about how retailers like grocery stores choose their locations, check out this episode of Charles County Now: https://youtu.be/-RxzCO4FinU?si=a5-Nd9ukg_Ml1OzkAnd to learn more about Citizens Academy, a great opportunity to learn more about all that's going on in Charles County Government, visit: https://www.charlescountymd.gov/services/media-services/community-engagementThanks for listening. If you like this podcast and want to hear more, search Charles County Government on Apple Podcast, Spotify or where ever you get your podcast - and be sure to like and subscribe. We're also available on YouTube. Search Charles County Commissioners And Stay Connected for all County news, information, and programs by visiting www.CharlesCountyMD.gov/StayConnected

As planning for Fiscal Year 2026 begins, each department within Charles County Government begins to consider its needs.  In this episode, Fiscal & Administrative Services' Jake Dyer joins in conversation with Michelle Frye, Deputy Director, Economic Development Department and Sam Drury, Deputy Director, Recreation, Parks & Tourism Department to discuss how their departments involve feedback from staff and the community to plan for their budget requests.Thanks for listening. If you like this podcast and want to hear more, search Charles County Government on Apple Podcast, Spotify or where ever you get your podcast - and be sure to like and subscribe. We're also available on YouTube. Search Charles County Commissioners And Stay Connected for all County news, information, and programs by visiting www.CharlesCountyMD.gov/StayConnected

Festivals are big business in Austin, bringing in millions of dollars in taxes, fees, and donations. But what happens with all those funds? It turns out, Austin does its best to keep them circulating to support live musicians, historic businesses, and more in town. In today's episode, Sylnovia Holt-Rabb, Director of the City of Austin's Economic Development Department, joins host Nikki DaVaughn to explain it all. Plus, stay tuned after Sylnovia's interview for a special segment: A mile in their boots, where we feature the unsung heroes of Austin. Today, we'll hear from Montserrat Fuentes, the president of St. Edward's University.  We'd like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor.  Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Send us a Text Message.How does a city balance preserving its historical charm with the pressing need for affordable housing? What is a comprehensive plan? And how is it different from the land development code? Join us as we engage with Jessica Garner, Arvada's Community and Economic Development Director, who explains the multifaceted role of her department. Jessica delves into the inner workings of the five key divisions she oversees: planning, housing, building, economic development, and systems and administration.Discover how collaborative efforts across departments guide Arvada's strategic community growth and ensure cohesive development. Additional information on topics covered in the episode: Arvada's Comprehensive Plan and other long-range plans The Land Development CodeW. 64th Ave. Sub-Area PlanHousing and the Arvada Housing Advisory Committee Other news and events: The last Bulky Item Drop-Off Event of the year is Aug. 10Information about utilities rates on the Utilities Transparency webpageArvada's newest park, Serenity Ridge Park, is now open! The next Movies Around Town is Aug. 9 featuring "Back to the Future" at Wolff ParkTake the People's Choice Movie Poll to help choose the final movie for Movies Around TownCelebrate the end of summer at the Arvada Days festival on August 24Visit us at ArvadaCO.gov/Podcast or email us at podcast@arvada.org.

In Episode 112, Scott Piehler's topics include: The City Council hears from the Base Reuse and Economic Development Department, and makes changes to the operation of Dignity Village. Alameda continues to grapple with the shock of last week's mass shooting. The Water Shuttle starts, and stops. The Art & Wine Faire is almost here. Get ready to save the planet in your spare time, and The Post's Event Calendar just got bigger and better. Support the Show.• AlamedaPost.com • Podcast • Events • Contact •• Facebook • Instagram • Threads • BlueSky • Reddit • Mastodon • NextDoor • YouTube • Apple News •

This broadcast first aired on Wednesday the 8th of May, 2024. At a special outside broadcast at Careers Day Out 2024 at DECA, Shepparton. One FM Presenter Plemo talks to Emma McColl from the Greater Shepparton City Council's Economic Development Department about the services they offer and how people can pursue a career with them. For more information head to - https://greatershepparton.com.au/ Contact the station on admin@fm985.com.au or (+613) 58313131 The ONE FM 98.5 Community Radio podcast page operates under the license of Goulburn Valley Community Radio Inc. (ONE FM) Number 1385226/1. PRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association Limited and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society) that covers Simulcasting and Online content including podcasts with musical content, that we pay every year. This licence number is 1385226/1.

The City of San Diego's Economic Development Department will begin dispersing as much as $2,500 in emergency relief grants starting today. Officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be in San Diego today to tour flood damaged homes and businesses. Water contact closures remain in effect at a number of San Diego County beaches from all this rain and runoff. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Want to know what's going on in Charles County Government? Each month, we will feature one of the departments in County Government that keeps our community moving, growing, and improving!! This episode features Kelly Robertson-Slagle, Director of Economic Development.https://www.meetcharlescounty.com/

Welcome to Musicians Tip Jar where we talk about musicians and money. Where we play on words almost more than we play on our instruments. I'm Chris Webb, joined by my co-host and musician who practices far more than I do, Dave Tamkin. Today we chatted with Austin, Texas, musician Josh Pearson about how music can be our teacher and growing into who you are as a full time musician.We are always finding more ways that music not only sustains musicians financially but also helps them grow and find themselves. We choose this path because it calls us, or perhaps it chooses us. It's hard to know, but no matter which it is, it's clear that our paths are only shown when we follow them. When we listen. “A big reason how I found a way to make a living playing music was to play other people's music” - Josh PearsonThe Austin Music Foundation and Leaders in Austin Music (LIAM) program is a program designed by the Austin Music Foundation and the Economic Development Department's Music & Entertainment Division. This program provides participants with top-level music industry leadership effectiveness training for existing leaders in the Austin music community. Each class is composed of about 18 individuals, and the program focuses on exploring solution-oriented initiatives regarding the music industry's pressing issues and opportunities as well as increasing cross-industry collaboration opportunities with other creative industries in Austin.Learn more at: https://austinmusicfoundation.org/ or let us know when you will be starting one of these programs in your city?Today's guest shares his journey to finding himself by way of finding his instrument by way of life. By leaving room to improvise, he now finds himself sustaining a full-time career as a musician in a great music town.Action:Decide who you sound most like and consider some ways to harness that in the marketplace. Cover shows, cover band, instruction videos for others. This can so often bring new fans to your own original music.** We know how valuable your time is, and we appreciate you for spending this time with us and being a part of this community. It is our hope that you feel that sense of community here at Musicians Tip Jar and help us spread the word to make us stronger together.https://www.musicianstipjar.com/https://joshpearson.org/If you find this information useful, please rate and subscribe to the podcast. So we can help keep you up on the financial side of your music business.As always, thanks for joining us, and remember, there is already enough for everyone, you just need to know how to get it. Until next time, on behalf of Dave Tamkin and myself, Stay happy, healthy, and wealthy. Be the instrument playing the sound of your life as it's happening. This is Musicians Tip Jar

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: Happy Thursday, there's certainly no other occasion to be happy about on this day…, right? Top of mind for Scott today: The city's plans for the waterfront is expected to generate millions of dollars in taxes. - This week another secret police station operated by China was found in New York City. - The Sound of Music returns in June, and they've released their line up! - A new McMaster residence in the downtown core has been facing some criticism for being ‘unsustainable and not affordable”. – And SpaceX launched a 2nd rocket today… but it exploded shortly after liftoff. It is all coming up on the Hamilton Today Podcast. Guests: Chris Phillips, Manager, Municipal Land Development Office, Planning & Economic Development Department, City of Hamilton.  Christian Leuprecht, Professor at both the Royal Military College of Canada and Queen's University, and a Fellow at the Macdonald Laurier Institute. Myles D. Rusak, CEO, Sound of Music. Vic Wojciechowska, President, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 3906 Paul Delaney, Professor of Astronomy, York University. Jeff Kucharski is a Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and an Adjunct Professor at Royal Roads University in Victoria, B.C.; Former Assistant Deputy Minister in the Alberta Department of Energy responsible for international energy policy, strategic planning and intergovernmental relations. Dr. Jane Boulden, Professor, Department of Political Science, Royal Military College.  Dr. Kathleen Ross, President Elect for the Canadian Medical Association. Don Kerr, Professor and Demographer, King's University College. Scott Radley, Host of the Scott Radley Show and Columnist with the Hamilton Spectator. Host – Scott Thompson Content Producer – Elizabeth Russell Technical/Podcast Producer - William Webber Podcast co-producer – Ben Straughan News Anchor – Dave Woodard, Jennifer McQueen Want to keep up with what happened in Hamilton Today? Subscribe to the podcast! https://megaphone.link/CORU8835115919

This panel, co-organised with Hamad Bin Khalifa University, was the launch of 'Tunisia's Economic Development: Why Better than Most of the Middle East but not East Asia' co-authored by Mustapha K. Nabil and Jeffrey B. Nugent. Recently published as part of the Routledge Political Economy of the Middle East and North Africa Series edited by Hassan Hakimian, 'Tunisia's Economic Development' provides useful insights into the factors that have enabled Tunisia's initial economic success, and suggests opportunities for improving the management of economic development in the country, drawing wider lessons for the MENA region. Find out more here: https://www.lse.ac.uk/middle-east-centre/events/2023/tunisia-economic-development. Mustapha K. Nabli has been Professor of Economics at the University of Tunis, Chairman of the Tunis Stock Exchange, Minister of Planning, Regional and Economic Development in the Government of Tunisia, Chief Economist and Director of the Social and Economic Development Department for the Middle East and North Africa Region at the World Bank, and Governor of the Central Bank of Tunisia. Jeffrey B. Nugent is Professor of Economics at the University of Southern California, USA. He has worked on and in various countries of both the MENA and East Asian regions including for the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Leila Baghdadi is Professor of Economics at ESSECT, University of Tunis, where she holds the World Trade Organization Chair. She is an executive board member of the Central Bank of Tunisia since August 2019. Mohamed Ali Marouani is Associate Professor in Economics at the Sorbonne Institute of Development Studies and currently on leave as Resident Representative of the Institute of Research for Development (IRD) in Tunisia. Hassan Hakimian is Professor of Economics and Director of the Middle Eastern Studies Department (MESD) at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University. During 2010-19, he was Director of the London Middle East Institute (LMEI) and Reader in the Economics Department at SOAS University of London.

The city of Norcross recently announced that its NorcrossWorks web site has been relaunched. According to the city, NorcrossWorks is a user-friendly website whereby employers can post and advertise openings at no cost. All a business has to do is complete a simple form which will be reviewed and posted by the Economic Development Department. Likewise, job seekers can access job postings and apply. "This platform aims to address some of the city's labor, income and educational gaps, which have all been exacerbated by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapidly changing nature of the global economy," a statement from the city said. "The goal is to serve both businesses (employers) and individuals in the labor market (job seekers) by connecting both parties together." Norcross Mayor Craig Newton said the relaunch is particularly timely due to current economic conditions. To learn more about the site, go to norcrossworks.com. And now here's your Gwinnett County sports update presented by Tom Wages funeral home. Grayson head football coach Adam Carter has resigned to become head football coach at Lowndes, Lowndes County Schools announced Tuesday morning. Carter has been the Rams' head coach the last four years with a 45-9 record highlighted by going 14-0 and winning the Class AAAAAAA state championship in the pandemic-affected 2020 season. Grayson also made the 2021 semifinals and the quarterfinals in 2019 and 2022. Prior to being hired at Grayson, Carter went 12-1 in one season as Creekview's head coach. He was previously an assistant at Camden County, Paulding County, Marietta, Reinhardt and South Carolina State, as well as head coach at Bradwell Institute in 2013. How strong is the upcoming partnership between Lawrenceville and the Gwinnett/Walton Habitat for Humanity group? Strong enough for the city to pledge 15-person weekend shifts by city employees to help on two of the builds for the nonprofit. That's the unique part of the agreement, which the city announced at its Dec. 14 council meeting. The City Council approved a project to build four houses  in the upcoming year in the Lawrenceville city limits, located in the Saddle Shoals neighborhood off Springlake Road. The project will begin in the first quarter of 2023. Part of Habitat for Humanity's business model is for future owners and community leaders to work side-by-side to make their dreams of homeownership a reality. But what makes this project unique is the fact that other city employees from Lawrenceville will help with the builds. According to city officials, Lawrenceville will provide $100,000 to the project using ARPA funding for construction. Gwinnett/Walton Habitat for Humanity will sell the homes to individuals meeting the income requirements of the Habitat program. City officials said the homes will contain at least 1,500 square feet of heated space, a two-car garage and a working fireplace and chimney. A group of Georgians is suing the state over its failure to provide health benefits for transgender people through the State Health Benefit Plan, which provides health coverage for state employees, including public school employees. Two of the plaintiffs in the case work for the state, while one is the son of a state employee covered by the State Health Benefit Plan. The lawsuit maintains the failure to provide the medical services, including gender-confirming surgery, amounts to discrimination based on sex. The Campaign for Southern Equality, an LGBTQ advocacy group with members in Georgia, is also a plaintiff in the lawsuit. Medicare and many other private insurance companies already cover the treatments. Recent lawsuits have successfully pushed other health plans in Georgia to provide gender-confirming treatment, including surgery. A lawsuit forced the University System of Georgia to cover the medical care in 2018. Earlier this year, a federal district judge ruled employers cannot deny or exclude coverage for gender-confirming care for transgender people after a Houston County policy denied coverage for a county employee who wanted the surgery. In July, the state Medicaid program changed its policy to cover transgender health-care, including gender-confirmation surgery, as part of a settlement in a separate lawsuit. The state Public Service Commission (PSC) approved a $1.8 billion rate increase requested by Georgia Power Tuesday that embraced most of an agreement between the agency's staff and the company presented last week. Commissioners slightly lowered the upper limit on profits Georgia Power will be allowed to keep and sweetened incentives to be offered to encourage the development of solar energy and the deployment of electric vehicle charging stations. But the PSC stopped short of more far-reaching changes proposed by Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald, who provided the lone opposition in Tuesday's 4-1 vote. The $1.8 billion rate hike – down from Georgia Power's original request of $2.9 billion – will raise the average residential customer's bill by $3.60 per month starting Jan. 1. That's down significantly from the $14.90 monthly increase customers would have seen next year under the original front-loaded three-year request the company proposed in June. Instead, customer rates will go up by 4.5% in 2024 and again in 2025 under the agreement between Georgia Power and the PSC's Public Interest Advocacy Staff. The commission set the return on equity (ROE) for the utility at the staff-recommended level of 10.5%, down from the 11% the company sought. But commission Chair Tricia Pridemore amended the upper limit of the “earnings band” – the range within which the utility can earn profits for its shareholders without sharing them with customers – to 11.9%, slightly below the 12% Georgia Power requested and currently receives. The PSC staff had recommended reducing the upper limit to 11.5%. Chris Womack, Georgia Power's chairman, president, and CEO, said in September the company expects to file a request in February for unrecovered fuel costs to account for the volatility of the energy market resulting from factors including rising natural gas prices and the impacts of the war in Ukraine. The utility also will be looking to the PSC to recover the costs of bringing into service the two new nuclear reactors being built at Plant Vogtle.   For advertising inquiries, please email j.southerland@bgadgroup.com For more information be sure to visit www.bgpodcastnetwork.com   https://www.lawrencevillega.org/  https://www.foxtheatre.org/  https://guideinc.org/  https://www.psponline.com/  https://www.kiamallofga.com/  https://www.milb.com/gwinnett  https://www.fernbankmuseum.org/                 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest on the podcast today is Feraud Calixte. Feraud is the founder and lead financial planner of Vantage Pointe Planning, which is a fee-only financial planning firm based in Burlington, North Carolina. He started Vantage Pointe in order to serve clients who weren't being served by the traditional models for financial advice, especially those who don't meet an asset minimum and business owners with a lot of their net worth tied up in their firms. Before starting Vantage Pointe, Feraud worked as an advisor for several large wealth management firms. He currently serves as a national board member for the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, and he also frequently teaches financial literacy courses. Investment News named Feraud to its 40 under 40 list of financial advisors under the age of 40. He earned his undergraduate degree from New York University and his law degree from Southern University Law Center. He is also a CFP certificant.BackgroundBioInvestment News 40 Under 40: Feraud Calixte“Business Spotlight #5—Feraud Calixte,” City of Burlington, Economic Development Department, burlingtonnc.gov.com, Jan. 6, 2022.Financial Education and AdviceNational Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE)“Financial Education to Stoke Wealth Creation for Diverse Groups,” by Bloomberg, investmentnews.com, Sept. 18, 2018.“Blue Ocean: The Future Is Bright for Financial Planners,” by Feraud Calixte, feraudcalixte.substack.com, Nov. 12, 2021.Current Environment“Bonds vs. Bond Funds: What's the Difference?” by Kent Thune, thebalancemoney.com, April 26, 2022.“Should You Invest in Individual Bonds or Bond Funds Today?” by Christine Benz and Susan Dziubinski, Morningstar.com, April 20, 2022.OtherGarrett Planning NetworkNAPFA

Jorge was born and raised in Laredo, Texas and joined the Texas Diaper Bank in 2001. His first professional career was 10 years of banking and financial services with a local bank. He worked with the City of Laredo, Economic Development Department as Grant Writer and Laredo Community College, as Program Director of the Rio Grande Environmental Study Center, and Executive Director of Mi Laredo, Goals for the 90's. In 2001, Jorge moved to San Antonio, Texas 2 weeks before 9-11. The Texas Diaper Bank was originally the Hispanic Religious Partnership for Community Health. The organization was a consortium of ten United Methodist Churches providing outreach ministries in the poorest churches of San Antonio. In 2011, Jorge secured funding to establish a Diaper distribution program. In 2013, the Board agreed to change the organizations name to Texas Diaper Bank and in 2017, Hurricane Harvey happened and it changed everything. We hope you enjoy....Jorge Medina! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/happybottoms/support

The City of Austin's Economic Development Department just raised their rate of pay for musicians to $200 per hour per musician. Hear why that happened, and how they hope this change will inspire other departments.

As a business owner, it's vital for you to know where you can find answers and support in your community. The City of Mesa's Economic Development Department has been working hard to not only bring you access to resources but to also provide direct connections to organizations in your community that are also here to serve you.

The City of Glendale is seeing tremendous success with new developments along the 101 and 303 Freeways, and the tip of the spear is the City's Economic Development Department. Check out how Brian and Randy from Glendale's Economic Development Department help prepare and pave the way for successful developments, and why all new projects should start with them first.

Jennifer Lindley and Constance Halonen-Wilson with Queen Creek Queen Creek is positioned as a center of influence in the PHX East Valley, featuring a strategic location, land available for development and a young, highly educated workforce. Queen Creek offers limitless opportunities. Jennifer Lindley has served in the Town of Queen Creek's Economic Development Department since […] The post Jennifer Lindley and Constance Halonen-Wilson with Queen Creek appeared first on Business RadioX ®.

Let’s begin today with a Patreon-fueled shout-out. Charlottesville 350 is the local chapter of a national organization that seeks to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Charlottesville 350 uses online campaigns, grassroots organizing, and mass public actions to oppose new coal, oil and gas projects, and build 100% clean energy solutions that work for all. To learn more about their most active campaigns, including a petition drive to the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/cville350                                                                                                                  On today’s program:The CDC has approved booster shots for all adult AmericansThe city fills one position while another became vacant The Virginia Supreme Court appoints two Special Masters to complete the redistricting process Members of the Crozet Community Advisory Committee debrief after Supervisors adopt a master planCOVID updateAs the week ended, the percent positivity creeped up slightly to 5.8 percent as reported by the Virginia Department of Health and the seven day average rose to 1,518. Nearly a million Virginians have received a third dose or a booster shot. The seven day average for doses administered a day was 40,389 on Friday. Also on Friday, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the use of the Moderna and Pfizer booster shots for all adults, and the Centers for Disease Control followed suit later in the day. Dr. Costi Sifri is director of hospital epidemiology at the University of Virginia Health System, and he said this means anyone who completed their two-dose cycle of Pfizer and Moderna can now get a booster dose. “We’re at a point right now where that is going to start including a fair number of people,” Dr. Sifri said. “It’s clear that boosters are really beneficial in boosting up the number of antibodies.”Dr. Sifri said there are an increasing number of “breakthrough-cases” in people who were vaccinated over six months ago. Some of these cases have resulted in hospitalizations and Dr. Sifri recommended those at higher risk should schedule their booster. “I really strongly encourage those people to get a booster especially as we head into the holiday season and as we are starting to see increasing rates of COVID in the nation as well as our community,” Dr. Sifri said. Dr. Sifri said others should consider getting the third dose, especially if they want to avoid contracting COVID. “There hasn’t been much of a rush,” Dr. Sifri said. “Right now we understand that about 16 percent of people in our health district who are eligible for a booster vaccine has received one.”Dr. Reid Adams is the Chief Medical Officer at UVA Health. His recommendation is a little more sharp.“I think the time is now,” Dr. Adams said. “We have gotten to a lower rate in Virginia but it’s certainly not low enough. If you look around the country, particularly in the midwest and the upper plains, we’re really seeing a surge so ideally folks would get their booster now before that happens here.” People who want to schedule a booster dose or get vaccinated for the first time can do so at vaccinate.virginia.gov. There are plenty of appointments and shots.“We have not seen long waits for booster doses here at the medical center,” Dr. Sifri said. “Those are available. In addition there is the availability of getting booster vaccines through local pharmacies and the Blue Ridge Health District.”Since November 6, over 4,674 children between the ages of 5 and 11 have been vaccinated, or around 25 percent of the eligible population. Sage Smith disappearanceToday marks nine years since Sage Smith disappeared, having last been seen in the 500 block of West Main Street. The Charlottesville Police Department put out a release this morning stating they are still seeking the whereabouts of Erik McFadden, calling him a critical person of interest in the case. The two had been expected to meet the night of November 20, 2012, but Smith has not been heard from since. McFadden is believed to have left town rather than speak to the police. “Smith was a beloved family member and friend to many in the Charlottesville and LGBTQ+ communities,” the release reads. “Although [nne] years have passed, CPD is hopeful with the help of the media and continued public interest, we can finally solve this case and bring closure to a family and community that continues to experience anguish.” A missing persons report was filed for McFadden in June 2019 but multiple leads have not turned up any further developments. For more information, take a look at the release. Charlottesville personnel updateThe city has hired a Minority Business Development Coordinator. Ajoni Wynn-Floyd will take the position within the city’s Economic Development Department. The Minority Business Program was created in 2018 to assist qualified businesses with one-on-one business consulting, start-up assistance, and help registering to be vendors for state and local government. “The program is focused on increasing the number of minority- and woman-owned businesses that are registered vendors with the City and to encourage more City spending with such businesses,” reads the intake form on the city’s website.Wynn-Floyd has worked with the Latino Student Alliance and the Diversity Awareness Program board. Earlier this month, the city’s Tree Commission learned of the resignation of Mike Ronayne, the city’s urban forester. He served in the position for five years. The position has not yet been advertised on the Charlottesville jobs board as of Friday afternoon.  At that November 2 meeting, Tree Commission chair Brian Menard said the city must demonstrate support for urban forestry.“We need to have more resources, not just financially, but we need more resources in terms of hands that can do this work and support this work,” Menard said. “We recognize that this has not been an ordinary 18 months but even before then it was clear that there’s just a lot that’s put on one person,” Menard said. Map-drawers selectedThe Virginia Supreme Court has appointed two special masters to complete the process of redistricting maps for the General Assembly and the U.S. House of Representatives. Sean P. Trende and Bernard F. Grofman are the selected candidates. “Though each was nominated by legislative leaders of a particular political party, the Nominees… shall serve as officers of the Court in a quasi-judicial capacity,” reads the appointment order made Friday.The pair will work on a single map and have 30 days to complete their work. According to the order, Trende and Grofman must resolve differences in good-faith and are not permitted to consult with anyone except for designated staff at the Supreme Court and the Virginia Division of Legislative Services. They are directed to take into account the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Voting Rights Act. “In short, the Court expects to receive from its Special Masters redistricting maps that have been drafted using factors that are fully compliant with constitutional and statutory law applied in an apolitical and nonpartisan manner,” reads the order. Trende was nominated by Republicans and is a senior elections analyst with Real Clear Politics. Grofman is a political science professor at the University of California at Irvine. Read more at the Virginia Mercury.In today’s second Patreon-fueled shout-out, Code for Charlottesville is seeking volunteers with tech, data, design, and research skills to work on community service projects. Founded in September 2019, Code for Charlottesville has worked on projects with the Legal Aid Justice Center, the Charlottesville Fire Department, and the Charlottesville Office of Human Rights. Visit codeforcville.org to learn about those projects. Crozet updateA month has passed since the Albemarle Board of Supervisors adopted an update of the Crozet Master Plan, with some land use aspects included over the wishes of some members of the Crozet Community Advisory Committee. For a good summary of what happened on October 20, read Allison Wrabel’s story in the October 21 Daily Progress. Or Lisa Martin’s story in the November 5 Crozet Gazette.On November 10, the Crozet CAC had the opportunity to talk about the plan. Chair Allie Pesch didn’t have anything prepared, and neither had Planning Manager Rachel Falkenstein. The Albemarle Planning Commission had recommended removing the Middle Density Residential designation from a portion of downtown Crozet, but there were four votes on the Board of Supervisors to move forward. White Hall District Supervisor Ann Mallek ended up voting with that majority on the eventual 5 to 1 vote in support of the plan’s update.“I should have done it differently,” Mallek said. “I should have made the motion I was going to make that adopted the Planning Commission’s route and if that had been voted down we would have been much more clear to the membership in the community what was going on.”  Meetings in Albemarle are still virtual due to the pandemic and Mallek said the logistics of getting that motion moved forward were difficult to accomplish over Zoom. She acknowledged that many landowners in Crozet are concerned about the increased density. Many CAC members thought their concerns were too easily dismissed.“I found a fair amount of pretty serious community input ignored at points and I feel that ever since the state abolished the ability to negotiate proffers, developers kind of trump most of the decisions,” said Brian Day.Day referred to legislation in 2016 that rendered invalid an Albemarle policy that required a cash payment from developers for every new unit authorized by a rezoning. Proffers are still legal if they are deemed reasonable and contribute to the direct impact of a development. However, the 2016 legislation ushered a cooling off point where localities were hesitant to even discuss the issue. This past week, for instance, representatives of Greystar Development said they would pay a proportional amount toward upgrades on Old Ivy Road. Michael Monaco, a new member of the CAC, said he felt public input had to be broadened in range. He said Crozet needs more housing and more entry-level jobs so young people can stay.“I think any process that is guided mostly by homeowners is going to be guided mostly by the financial interests of homeowners, consciously or not,” Monaco said. “Any attempt to counter that would be wise.” Kostas Alibertis is on his second term on the CAC. “I think the struggle and the challenge that we had here was the vision of the county versus the vision of the community and I think we’ll always have that unless there is some delineation of where those lines are, and I think that’s what led to all of this frustration,” Alibertis said. Shawn Bird said the process was hurt by a lack of in-person community engagement meetings due to the pandemic.“If you remember those meetings we had at the high school, I thought there was really strong turn out, I thought there were people energized by the process, we had a certain momentum behind it,” Bird said. “I saw new people coming out to those things and then COVID hit and we all had to jump on our computers and it just changed the whole dynamic.”During the process, the CAC took votes indicating a majority were not in favor of the middle density residential category. Those votes are not binding and are only symbolic, but Bird defended the practice as well a 2017 survey (as published in the Crozet Gazette),“I think the powers that be need to know was this issue 13 to 2, or 8 to 7, by the CCAC?” Bird said. “I think you need to quantify to some degree where the citizens fall on particular issues. In my mind, that’s what makes a survey much more powerful to some degree than anecdotal one-offs by people who have the time to jump on these cools and may have the loudest voices.”Allie Pesch said the master plan update was revision and not a rewrite. She said an analysis of the update should look at whether existing goals are being met.“We’ve wanted to increase affordable housing for a while and the solution seemed to be just to increase density and not really look at how that has or hasn’t worked in the existing plan,” Pesch said. Marc McKenney is in his first term on the CAC and he said many are concerned that Albemarle has not made the investments to support that density. “There’s been massive growth in Crozet in the past two decades,” McKenney said. “Population went from 2,200 in 2000, to 5,500 in 2010, to 9,500 or 9,200 a decade later. (TRIM) If we cannot show citizens what’s actually been delivered from an infrastructure perspective, I guarantee you there will be a complete loss in faith by citizens to the county that they have their best interest in providing sidewalks, and road repairs, and bridges.”Some of the current projects in the planning process are:$1.5 million in improvement to the Square anticipated to be completed in May 2023 (page 26 here), $21.25 million expansion of Crozet Elementary School expected to be completed in August 2022 (page 28 here)Sidewalk improvements on U.S. 250 West from Cory Farms to Cloverlawn (page 44)A revenue-sharing application was submitted to the Virginia Department of Transportation on October 1 to complete Eastern Avenue across Lickinghole Creek to Cory Farms Road (Albemarle transportation priority #8)Improvements at Crozet Avenue and U.S. 250 West are being considered for Smart Scale recommendations in 2022 (Albemarle transportation priority #21) The adoption of the Crozet Master Plan happened just before the first phase of the county’s Comprehensive Plan review got underway. A public kickoff meeting will take place in January. Supervisor Mallek urged members of the CAC to become engaged in that process to ensure that Crozet’s voice can be heard.“While people may feel discouraged about particular outcomes in our process, we all need to be keeping our eyes on this other prize going forward because from natural resource planning to historic preservation to climate change to all slews of things, that is the core book that the Board and the staff refer to and this is our chance to make sure that our local words are maintained,” Mallek said. One of the items to be discussed during the Comp Plan review will be the county’s growth management policy. Thanks to Ting for their support in helping this program be produced each day. Today the newsletter ends with a limerick from friend of the show Bekah Saxon honoring Ting for their commitment to match your initial payment to a paid Substack subscription!There once was a reporter named SeanWho needed a check to go onWith money from TingHe could make his words singAnd keep Charlottesville moving alongSpecial announcement of a continuing promo with Ting! Are you interested in fast internet? Visit this site and enter your address to see if you can get service through Ting. If you decide to proceed to make the switch, you’ll get:Free installationSecond month of Ting service for freeA $75 gift card to the Downtown Mall This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

LISTEN TO PART 1 FIRST We are excited to share our raw and uncut interview with Mayor Jason Lary of The City of Stonecrest. We had a candid conversation around many topics including his perspective on resignation, his attempted recall, why Stonecrest is important, and why he started The City. You don't want to miss it!! CONNECT WITH USMake sure you visit our website for updates, community events and more!! www.stonecrestweekly.comFollow us on Instagram @stonecrestweeklySubscribe to our Newsletter for early access to future episodes, exclusive updates, and community hot topics!  Click Here to Subscribe Now********Mayor Jason Lary BioJason Lary, Sr. was elected as Stonecrest, Georgia's first mayor on March 21, 2017. Since taking office on May 1, 2017, Mayor Lary has led the efforts to staff the city and secure a location for the first city hall. Through a partnership with CH2M, a worldwide consulting firm, Mayor Lary is serving the citizens of Stonecrest by staffing professionals in code enforcement, planning and zoning, parks and recreation, communications, city management and administrative services. During his first few months in office, Mayor Lary also hired a team of staff attorneys, set up short-term financing to address the city's cash flow needs and led the effort to begin adopting ordinances that will improve the quality of life for Stonecrest residents. In September 2017, Mayor Lary took the first steps toward implementing the city's Economic Development Department. One month later, he began efforts to lure major corporations such as Amazon, a company set to open a second, multi-billion-dollar headquarters. Mayor Lary crafted an idea to develop a corporate brand for Amazon by eponymously naming the 345 acres to be occupied by the retail giant. The mayor's efforts will continue as he targets companies like Apple, Micro Center, and Costco.Civic InitiativesBefore Mayor Lary became actively engaged in cityhood initiatives, he was a 2012 graduate of Leadership DeKalb, a prestigious organization designed to advance emerging leaders throughout the county. This organization helps leaders identify ways to improve the quality of life of DeKalb County residents and businesses. Mayor Lary's cityhood experience includes serving as the founder and president of the Stonecrest City Alliance in 2013, and the chairman of Stonecrest Yes from 2015 to 2017. He raised more than $50,000 from individuals, small businesses and corporations to conduct two Carl Vinson Institute studies. A successful CVI study was required by the Georgia General Assembly before the City of Stonecrest, Senate Bill 208, could be allowed on the ballot. The 2013 study failed, and in 2015 the study passed. Mayor Lary is universally recognized as the architect and founding father of the Stonecrest Cityhood movement. To read more about the Mayor's career and family visit: https://www.stonecrestga.gov/JasonLary.aspxSupport the show

We are excited to share our raw and uncut interview with Mayor Jason Lary of The City of Stonecrest. We had a candid conversation around many topics including his perspective on resignation, his attempted recall, why Stonecrest is important, and why he started The City. You don't want to miss it!! CONNECT WITH USMake sure you visit our website for updates, community events and more!! www.stonecrestweekly.comFollow us on Instagram @stonecrestweeklySubscribe to our Newsletter for early access to future episodes, exclusive updates, and community hot topics!  Click Here to Subscribe Now********Mayor Jason Lary BioJason Lary, Sr. was elected as Stonecrest, Georgia's first mayor on March 21, 2017. Since taking office on May 1, 2017, Mayor Lary has led the efforts to staff the city and secure a location for the first city hall. Through a partnership with CH2M, a worldwide consulting firm, Mayor Lary is serving the citizens of Stonecrest by staffing professionals in code enforcement, planning and zoning, parks and recreation, communications, city management and administrative services. During his first few months in office, Mayor Lary also hired a team of staff attorneys, set up short-term financing to address the city's cash flow needs and led the effort to begin adopting ordinances that will improve the quality of life for Stonecrest residents. In September 2017, Mayor Lary took the first steps toward implementing the city's Economic Development Department. One month later, he began efforts to lure major corporations such as Amazon, a company set to open a second, multi-billion-dollar headquarters. Mayor Lary crafted an idea to develop a corporate brand for Amazon by eponymously naming the 345 acres to be occupied by the retail giant. The mayor's efforts will continue as he targets companies like Apple, Micro Center, and Costco.Civic InitiativesBefore Mayor Lary became actively engaged in cityhood initiatives, he was a 2012 graduate of Leadership DeKalb, a prestigious organization designed to advance emerging leaders throughout the county. This organization helps leaders identify ways to improve the quality of life of DeKalb County residents and businesses. Mayor Lary's cityhood experience includes serving as the founder and president of the Stonecrest City Alliance in 2013, and the chairman of Stonecrest Yes from 2015 to 2017. He raised more than $50,000 from individuals, small businesses and corporations to conduct two Carl Vinson Institute studies. A successful CVI study was required by the Georgia General Assembly before the City of Stonecrest, Senate Bill 208, could be allowed on the ballot. The 2013 study failed, and in 2015 the study passed. Mayor Lary is universally recognized as the architect and founding father of the Stonecrest Cityhood movement. To read more about the Mayor's career and family visit: https://www.stonecrestga.gov/JasonLary.aspxSupport the show

Abdul Karim Hanif and Rania Saadi go over the newest guidelines issued by the Sharjah Economic Development Department regarding foreign ownership of firms. Listen to #Pulse95Radio in the UAE by tuning in on your radio (95.00 FM) or online on our website: www.pulse95radio.com ************************ Follow us on Social. www.facebook.com/pulse95radio www.twitter.com/pulse95radio www.instagram.com/pulse95radio

Albuquerque Journal photojournalist and photo editor Dean Hanson calls it a career after 35 years at the paper. Senior producer Matt Grubs talks with Hanson as the self-described “camera guy” looks back at his experience and shares some of his favorite images. Looking to leverage what has traditionally been a low cost of living and affordable housing market, the City of Albuquerque is expanding its “Home for Life” program. The effort seeks to lure former residents and remote workers to New Mexico. But a booming housing market means homes are harder to find than ever before. Senior producer Matt Grubs interviews Synthia Jaramillo, director of Albuquerque's Economic Development Department, about how she'll measure the program's success and avoid overcrowding a seller's real estate market. Correspondent: Matt Grubs, NMiF senior producer Guests: Dean Hanson, photojournalist Synthia Jaramillo, Albuquerque Economic Development Department

May 19, 2021 — The pandemic has been an economic catastrophe as well as a health disaster. In Mendocino County, where 98% of the businesses are small, the blows have kept landing. Now a group representing a variety of local interests has assembled economic data and a plan they think will help the county climb out of a slump following multiple disasters and long-term stagnation. A little over a year ago, the county received a grant from the Economic Development Department to come up with resiliency strategies after the fires. West Business Development Center contracted with the county, and assembled a group that is now called MOVE2030, to do the research and report back with ideas. Executive Director Maryann Petrillo says the time is now. Paul Garza, who assembled much of the data for the team’s analysis, said that even before the most recent crises, the county was in a weak financial position. The average annual income in Mendocino County is $20,000 below the national average. But that doesn’t mean the cost of living is commensurate with low wages. A real living wage for a local family of four would be $27 an hour, plus benefits. The group has a few requests for the Board of Supervisors. They want ordinances that will simplify licensing and permitting requirements. And they want an employee of the county to help bring together local economic and educational players to form a business hub where entities like non-profits and chambers of commerce could coordinate their approach. And Garza envisions a grant writing clearinghouse, because there have been instances where two organizations with a similar mission each assumed the other was applying for a particular grant, so neither of them did so. We’ll hear about the connection between local private industry, non-profits, and what MOVE2030 wants from the Board of Supervisors.

0:04:32 - Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Amendment – Airport Capital Improvement Plan Projects;0:13:13 - Fiscal Year 2022 Budget - Community and Economic Development Department and Capital Improvement Plan Projects0:37:44 - Fiscal Year 2022 Budget - Redevelopment Agency1:05:52 - Fiscal Year 2022 Budget - Fire Department and Medical Fund and CIP Projects1:40:16 - Fiscal Year 2022 Budget - Municipal Building Authority

This is a Call to Action!  Unemployment Insurance rates charged to school districts in 2021-22 will increase by 2,400% and divert over $550 million dollars meant for students to the Economic Development Department of California.  Learn how the new rates will siphon off school funding in this episode.  Follow the links below to see the potential impact on your school district and contact your legislator to take action to preserve school funding.Find your Legislator - Enter your Zip Code in the "Find your elected officials" boxSample Letter to Legislator - Halt UI Rate IncreaseGuests: Richard De Nava, CASBO President and Assistant Superintendent of Business, San Bernardino County Superintendent of SchoolsDarrin Watters, Deputy Superintendent of Business Services, Hemet Unified School DistrictSara Bachez, CASBO Chief Governmental Relations Officer

KZN's Economic Development Department says the farming community of Dalton's been given a R5 million boost.

To kick off our 4th anniversary Pledge Drive, on this week's program we bring you one of the most electrifying conversations to crackle over our airwaves this past year. We’re taking this opportunity to share with you again our favorite moment from the November 2020 Louisville Sustainability Summit: “Climate Crossroads: Exploring the intersection of Climate Change and Social Justice.” Today we bring you the Regional Panel on Building an Inclusive Sustainability Movement in Kentucky, featuring: Carla Walker, Climate Advisor, City of Cincinnati; Cassia Herron, Board Chair KFTC; and Dr. Carolyn Finney, author "Black Faces, White Spaces." Carla Walker is the Climate Advisor for the City of Cincinnati. She has a 15+ year career developing complex projects for large-scale civic engagement and public policy initiatives at the local, state, national and international levels. She has managed or consulted on 100+ advocacy or political campaigns, held Senior staff posts in three urban Mayoral Administrations, staffed State Legislators, and managed regional operations in three Presidential campaigns. In 2010, she started think BIG strategies, LLC to integrate the typical project silos and accomplish project goals for clients, connecting communications, government & community relations, organizational operations, project development, and team building. Cassia Herron is a native of Richmond, KY and has lived in Louisville for most of her adult life. She is a community development professional and public policy activist with over 15 years experience working on projects at the intersections of community and economic development, food and the built environment and has a unique perspective on these issues as they relate to West Louisville and Kentucky. She has organized farmers markets in West Louisville with Community Farm Alliance and later served as Board Chair. When she worked in the Economic Development Department for Louisville Metro Government, Cassia was instrumental in establishing the Farm-to-Table initiative. As the President of Louisville Association for Community Economics, she is leading efforts to open the Louisville Community Grocery - a community-owned grocery store in one of Louisville's downtown neighborhoods. As Board Chair of Kentuckians for The Commonwealth, she is engaged in energy reform, voter engagement and racial justice issues. Cassia is a graduate of UofL and has a Masters of Urban Planning from the University of Michigan. Carolyn Finney, PhD is a storyteller, author and a cultural geographer. The aim of her work is to develop greater cultural competency within environmental organizations and institutions, challenge media outlets on their representation of difference, and increase awareness of how privilege shapes who gets to speak to environmental issues and determine policy and action. Carolyn is grounded in both artistic and intellectual ways of knowing - she pursed an acting career for eleven years, but five years of backpacking trips through Africa and Asia, and living in Nepal changed the course of her life. Motivated by these experiences, Carolyn returned to school after a 15-year absence to complete a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. She has been a Fulbright Scholar, a Canon National Parks Science Scholar and received a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in Environmental Studies. Along with public speaking, writing, consulting and teaching (at Wellesley College, UC-Berkeley & UK), she served on the U.S. National Parks Advisory Board for eight years which assists the National Park Service in engaging in relations of reciprocity with diverse communities. Her first book, Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors was released in 2014 (UNC Press). Truth to Power airs every Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 11am, and Sunday at 4pm on Louisville's grassroots, community radio station, Forward Radio 106.5fm WFMP and live streams at http://forwardradio.org

This episode covers best practices for cross-departmental collaboration as well as the City of Austin’s COVID-19 economic recovery initiatives, robust economic development divisions, place-based economic development strategies, and innovative approach to using data and technology.A note to our listeners: Unfortunately, we experienced technical difficulties while recording this episode—about 15 minutes in, we lost all audio for our host, Nigel Griswold. We’ve gone back and added in new audio for Nigel; however, because of this, the flow of conversation might occasionally feel disjointed. Thank you for understanding!About Veronica BriseñoVeronica is the Chief Economic Recovery Officer and Director of the Economic Development Department for the City of Austin, Texas.Veronica Briseño has served the City of Austin in various roles since 1999. Currently, she is the City of Austin’s Chief Economic Recovery Officer, responsible for identifying and implementing strategies to help Austin’s economy recover from the unprecedented health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also serves as Director for the City of Austin’s Economic Development Department, which engages business and creatives in Austin through its six divisions: Cultural Arts, Global Business Expansion, Heritage Tourism, Music & Entertainment, Redevelopment, and Small Business. In addition, she is currently serving as the Interim President/CEO for the Austin Economic Development Corporation (AEDC). Prior to these positions, Veronica served as the City of Austin’s Interim Homeless Strategy Officer and held several progressively responsible positions at City of Austin’s Small & Minority Business Resources (SMBR) Department, including Director, Assistant Director, and Certification and Administration Manager. Prior to SMBR, she was a Policy Aide to former Austin City Council Member Raul Alvarez and the City Council Agenda Manager in the City of Austin’s City Manager’s Office. Veronica currently serves on the Board of Directors for Workforce Solutions Capital Area and LifeWorks. She previously served on boards for the Austin Metro YMCA, PeopleFund and Mission Capital. When it comes to professional engagement, Veronica serves as Past President of the Local Government Hispanic Network (LGHN), a national organization that promotes inclusiveness of Latinos in local government. She also co-founded and co-chairs Woman to Woman, a City of Austin employee affiliation group for women. Previously she served on the board of the Austin Hispanic/Latino Network in many roles, including President. She earned her Master of Public Affairs from The University of Texas at Austin Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, as well as undergraduate degrees in Journalism and Government from The University of Texas at Austin.

This episode covers best practices for cross-departmental collaboration as well as the City of Austin’s COVID-19 economic recovery initiatives, robust economic development divisions, place-based economic development strategies, and innovative approach to using data and technology.A note to our listeners: Unfortunately, we experienced technical difficulties while recording this episode—about 15 minutes in, we lost all audio for our host, Nigel Griswold. We’ve gone back and added in new audio for Nigel; however, because of this, the flow of conversation might occasionally feel disjointed. Thank you for understanding!About Veronica BriseñoVeronica is the Chief Economic Recovery Officer and Director of the Economic Development Department for the City of Austin, Texas.Veronica Briseño has served the City of Austin in various roles since 1999. Currently, she is the City of Austin’s Chief Economic Recovery Officer, responsible for identifying and implementing strategies to help Austin’s economy recover from the unprecedented health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also serves as Director for the City of Austin’s Economic Development Department, which engages business and creatives in Austin through its six divisions: Cultural Arts, Global Business Expansion, Heritage Tourism, Music & Entertainment, Redevelopment, and Small Business. In addition, she is currently serving as the Interim President/CEO for the Austin Economic Development Corporation (AEDC). Prior to these positions, Veronica served as the City of Austin’s Interim Homeless Strategy Officer and held several progressively responsible positions at City of Austin’s Small & Minority Business Resources (SMBR) Department, including Director, Assistant Director, and Certification and Administration Manager. Prior to SMBR, she was a Policy Aide to former Austin City Council Member Raul Alvarez and the City Council Agenda Manager in the City of Austin’s City Manager’s Office. Veronica currently serves on the Board of Directors for Workforce Solutions Capital Area and LifeWorks. She previously served on boards for the Austin Metro YMCA, PeopleFund and Mission Capital. When it comes to professional engagement, Veronica serves as Past President of the Local Government Hispanic Network (LGHN), a national organization that promotes inclusiveness of Latinos in local government. She also co-founded and co-chairs Woman to Woman, a City of Austin employee affiliation group for women. Previously she served on the board of the Austin Hispanic/Latino Network in many roles, including President. She earned her Master of Public Affairs from The University of Texas at Austin Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, as well as undergraduate degrees in Journalism and Government from The University of Texas at Austin.

This episode covers best practices for cross-departmental collaboration as well as the City of Austin’s COVID-19 economic recovery initiatives, robust economic development divisions, place-based economic development strategies, and innovative approach to using data and technology.A note to our listeners: Unfortunately, we experienced technical difficulties while recording this episode—about 15 minutes in, we lost all audio for our host, Nigel Griswold. We’ve gone back and added in new audio for Nigel; however, because of this, the flow of conversation might occasionally feel disjointed. Thank you for understanding!About Veronica BriseñoVeronica is the Chief Economic Recovery Officer and Director of the Economic Development Department for the City of Austin, Texas.Veronica Briseño has served the City of Austin in various roles since 1999. Currently, she is the City of Austin’s Chief Economic Recovery Officer, responsible for identifying and implementing strategies to help Austin’s economy recover from the unprecedented health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also serves as Director for the City of Austin’s Economic Development Department, which engages business and creatives in Austin through its six divisions: Cultural Arts, Global Business Expansion, Heritage Tourism, Music & Entertainment, Redevelopment, and Small Business. In addition, she is currently serving as the Interim President/CEO for the Austin Economic Development Corporation (AEDC). Prior to these positions, Veronica served as the City of Austin’s Interim Homeless Strategy Officer and held several progressively responsible positions at City of Austin’s Small & Minority Business Resources (SMBR) Department, including Director, Assistant Director, and Certification and Administration Manager. Prior to SMBR, she was a Policy Aide to former Austin City Council Member Raul Alvarez and the City Council Agenda Manager in the City of Austin’s City Manager’s Office. Veronica currently serves on the Board of Directors for Workforce Solutions Capital Area and LifeWorks. She previously served on boards for the Austin Metro YMCA, PeopleFund and Mission Capital. When it comes to professional engagement, Veronica serves as Past President of the Local Government Hispanic Network (LGHN), a national organization that promotes inclusiveness of Latinos in local government. She also co-founded and co-chairs Woman to Woman, a City of Austin employee affiliation group for women. Previously she served on the board of the Austin Hispanic/Latino Network in many roles, including President. She earned her Master of Public Affairs from The University of Texas at Austin Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, as well as undergraduate degrees in Journalism and Government from The University of Texas at Austin.

This episode covers best practices for cross-departmental collaboration as well as the City of Austin’s COVID-19 economic recovery initiatives, robust economic development divisions, place-based economic development strategies, and innovative approach to using data and technology.A note to our listeners: Unfortunately, we experienced technical difficulties while recording this episode—about 15 minutes in, we lost all audio for our host, Nigel Griswold. We’ve gone back and added in new audio for Nigel; however, because of this, the flow of conversation might occasionally feel disjointed. Thank you for understanding!About Veronica BriseñoVeronica is the Chief Economic Recovery Officer and Director of the Economic Development Department for the City of Austin, Texas.Veronica Briseño has served the City of Austin in various roles since 1999. Currently, she is the City of Austin’s Chief Economic Recovery Officer, responsible for identifying and implementing strategies to help Austin’s economy recover from the unprecedented health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also serves as Director for the City of Austin’s Economic Development Department, which engages business and creatives in Austin through its six divisions: Cultural Arts, Global Business Expansion, Heritage Tourism, Music & Entertainment, Redevelopment, and Small Business. In addition, she is currently serving as the Interim President/CEO for the Austin Economic Development Corporation (AEDC). Prior to these positions, Veronica served as the City of Austin’s Interim Homeless Strategy Officer and held several progressively responsible positions at City of Austin’s Small & Minority Business Resources (SMBR) Department, including Director, Assistant Director, and Certification and Administration Manager. Prior to SMBR, she was a Policy Aide to former Austin City Council Member Raul Alvarez and the City Council Agenda Manager in the City of Austin’s City Manager’s Office. Veronica currently serves on the Board of Directors for Workforce Solutions Capital Area and LifeWorks. She previously served on boards for the Austin Metro YMCA, PeopleFund and Mission Capital. When it comes to professional engagement, Veronica serves as Past President of the Local Government Hispanic Network (LGHN), a national organization that promotes inclusiveness of Latinos in local government. She also co-founded and co-chairs Woman to Woman, a City of Austin employee affiliation group for women. Previously she served on the board of the Austin Hispanic/Latino Network in many roles, including President. She earned her Master of Public Affairs from The University of Texas at Austin Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, as well as undergraduate degrees in Journalism and Government from The University of Texas at Austin.

Episode 6:  Host Jim Ray interview's Mike DiCenso of Amplify Louisville and his focus on highlighting Louisville's entrepreneurial opportunities.  They also discuss a job board he's created for both college students and companies which may have internships or co-op positions available. Mike is the Program Director for Amplify Louisville, an entrepreneurial support organization.  He moved to Louisville in 2014 while working for Pepsi.  He later joined GE Appliances.  Later, he decided to focus his energy and passion in the start-up world. The objective is to promote job growth.  Amplify Louisville is state-funded by the Economic Development Department, via the RISE grant.  Mike and Amplify's Executive Director, Larry Horn, focus primarily on Louisville area.  They are promoting the tech-enabled, scalable businesses. However, both Mike and Larry have broad experience in the start-up world, so even if your business doesn't seem to be a “tech-enabled, scalable business,” they are still willing to try to help. Other cities such as Cincinnati, Nashville and Indianapolis have flourished, while Louisville is still waiting on a catalyst.  Amplify Louisville hopes to be part of that catalyst and part of the Kentucky Innovation Group.  They are trying to bring in new investors, new ideas and other enablers to propel economic growth. The 4 Pillars of Amplify Louisville Access to capital (from in-state and out-of-state sources) Access to customers Access to talent Access to programming The Job Board This resource is a new clearing house to help all of us to better understand the available start-up opportunities in Kentucky.  Companies can get listed on this board to find resources related to Amplify's 4 pillars.  It's also a way to understand the start-up ecosystem.  What companies are hiring?  What do those companies do?  Where can I find out more about those companies? The resource is for companies, investors and potential employees. To learn more about the Job Board, visit:  https://startupkyjobs.getro.com. A Training Resource Part of Amplify Louisville's mission is to fill the gaps for those who may need some additional skill development.  As the program director, Mike works to create weekly programming on specific subjects.  September 2020 was Sales Week featuring professionals sharing information and knowledge via Zoom meetings.  These sessions were uploaded to a program library, and can be accessed, for free, by anyone who is interested in learning more about specific topics of interest.  It's a great resource to support local entrepreneurs. Opportunities for Undergrads and Graduate Students The job board is a terrific resource for undergraduates and graduates who are looking for to start a career.  This can be used to find internships, co-ops and capstone project opportunities.  Start-ups can really use the help from students.  It's usually a win-win.  Students may find that they are getting involved will many different areas of the business because smaller companies are less divided into operational silos.  It can be a great, immersive, learning experience. If you're a Bellarmine student and are interested in learning more or pursuing an existing opportunity, the Amplify Job Board is already integrated with the Bellarmine system, via Handshake.  If you're involved with a local start-up and you'd like to get involved with Bellarmine's students, you can contact Amplify Louisville, or go directly to Bellarmine's Career Center office.  Upcoming Events via Amplify Louisville Bellarmine's Digital Divide Hackathon Pre-Seed Financing Fundraising 101 And many more Moving Forward Among other things, Amplify is working on a resources map to help better understand the elements and resources available to start-ups in our community.  Mike intends to continually build bridges and assets to help connect the ecosystem.  Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed during the Bellarmine on Business podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Bellarmine University, its administration or the faculty at large.  The episodes are designed to be insightful, thought-provoking and entertaining.   THE MONTHLY FORECAST: Upcoming Events 3/16/21 – Dean's Executive Speaker Series (virtual).  Scott Colosi, former President of Texas Roadhouse, will discuss his journey and moving up through the organization.  He'll also provide 10 tips for recent graduates to help them succeed.  Click here to register for the event. 3/20/21 – Social Innovation Hackathon – Bridging Louisville's Digital Divide.  Bellarmine, Louisville Metro Government and others are sponsoring this event to discuss and find solutions to some of our community's most pressing issues.  Click here for more information. Bellarmine Career Development Service – This service is open to both Bellarmine students and alumni.  Is it time to make a change?  Click here to contact learn how Bellarmine can help.   On the next Bellarmine on Business Podcast Episode Episode 7 will launch on in April 1st, 2021.  Associate Professor Alisha Harper be joined by Eric Scott, Managing Director of Tax Services for Ernst & Young.  They'll discuss some of the aspects of the Biden Administration's tax proposals.  Be sure to join us for the next episode of the Bellarmine on Business Podcast. Want to Listen to Additional Episodes? You can find additional episodes on the Rubel School of Business Podcast page of the Bellarmine website, various Bellarmine social media pages, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Libsyn, Podchaser and many other podcast directories.  We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast so you don't miss an episode. Interested in Developing a Podcast for Your Business or Organization? This podcast was produced by Jim Ray Consulting Services.  Jim Ray, host of the Bellarmine on Business podcast, can help you with the concept development, implementation, production and distribution of your own podcast.  For more information, visit:  https://jimrayconsultingservices.com/podcastproduction.

For the third consecutive year, Albuquerque is the No. 1 Big City on MovieMaker's list of the Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker. Nearby Santa Fe is No. 2 on the list of smaller cities and towns. How is the Land of Enchantment drawing powerhouses like Netflix and NBCUniversal?Alicia J. Keyes, Cabinet Secretar of New Mexico's Economic Development Department, tells us why they love it — and why you just might love it, too. She knows firsthand, after moving to New Mexico from California. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this week's program, we bring you one of the most electrifying conversations from the 11/12/20 Louisville Sustainability Summit: “Climate Crossroads: Exploring the intersection of Climate Change and Social Justice.” Today we share with you the Regional Panel on Building an Inclusive Sustainability Movement in Kentucky, featuring: Carla Walker, Climate Advisor, City of Cincinnati; Cassia Herron, Board Chair KFTC; and Dr. Carolyn Finney, author "Black Faces, White Spaces." Carla Walker is the Climate Advisor for the City of Cincinnati. She has a 15+ year career developing complex projects for large-scale civic engagement and public policy initiatives at the local, state, national and international levels. She has managed or consulted on 100+ advocacy or political campaigns, held Senior staff posts in three urban Mayoral Administrations, staffed State Legislators, and managed regional operations in three Presidential campaigns. In 2010, she started think BIG strategies, LLC to integrate the typical project silos and accomplish project goals for clients, connecting communications, government & community relations, organizational operations, project development, and team building. Cassia is a native of Richmond, KY and has lived in Louisville for most of her adult life. She is a community development professional and public policy activist with over 15 years experience working on projects at the intersections of community and economic development, food and the built environment and has a unique perspective on these issues as they relate to West Louisville and Kentucky. She has organized farmers markets in West Louisville with Community Farm Alliance and later served as Board Chair. When she worked in the Economic Development Department for Louisville Metro Government, Cassia was instrumental in establishing the Farm-to-Table initiative. As the President of Louisville Association for Community Economics, she is leading efforts to open the Louisville Community Grocery - a community-owned grocery store in one of Louisville's downtown neighborhoods. As Board Chair of Kentuckians for The Commonwealth, she is engaged in energy reform, voter engagement and racial justice issues. Cassia works as a freelance writer and urban planner with expertise in community engagement, facilitation, grant-writing, policy development and strategic planning. Cassia is a graduate of UofL and has a Masters of Urban Planning from the University of Michigan. Carolyn Finney, PhD is a storyteller, author and a cultural geographer. The aim of her work is to develop greater cultural competency within environmental organizations and institutions, challenge media outlets on their representation of difference, and increase awareness of how privilege shapes who gets to speak to environmental issues and determine policy and action. Carolyn is grounded in both artistic and intellectual ways of knowing - she pursed an acting career for eleven years, but five years of backpacking trips through Africa and Asia, and living in Nepal changed the course of her life. Motivated by these experiences, Carolyn returned to school after a 15-year absence to complete a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. She has been a Fulbright Scholar, a Canon National Parks Science Scholar and received a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in Environmental Studies. Along with public speaking, writing, consulting and teaching (at Wellesley College, UC-Berkeley & UK), she served on the U.S. National Parks Advisory Board for eight years which assists the National Park Service in engaging in relations of reciprocity with diverse communities. Her first book, Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors was released in 2014 (UNC Press). Truth to Power airs every Sun. 4pm, Mon. 2pm & Tue. 9am on Louisville's grassroots, community radio station, Forward Radio 106.5fm WFMP and http://forwardradio.org

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley now helps feed about 500,000 people every month -- double what it served before the pandemic. Across the Bay Area, food banks are struggling to keep up with increased demand for food and volunteers. The core Bay Area has lost close to 350,000 jobs during the past year as of September, according to the state Economic Development Department, which has led many more people to rely on food banks. We’ll talk about how food banks are responding in this time of crisis and how you can help.

On today's episode we speak with return guest Veronica Briseño, recently named Chief Economic Recovery Officer for the City of Austin. Most recently serving as Director of the Economic Development Department (EDD), her new role reflects the city's continued focus on economic recovery due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Veronica and Bingham Group CEO A.J. discuss recent efforts by the city and Austin Council including the Save Austin's Vital Economic Sectors (SAVES) resolution and fund, and a coming local economic development corporation. ABOUT GUEST: Veronica Briseño has served the City of Austin, TX in various roles since 1999.  Currently, she serves as the Interim Homeless Strategy Officer (HSO) coordinating the City's homeless response activities with multiple departments. She transitioned transition into the top leadership role of the Economic Development Department effective in late June of 2019. LINKS: Leadership Changes at City of Austin Economic Development (BG Blog) -> https://www.binghamgp.com/blog/2020/9/18/new-economic-development-department-leadership City of Austin CARES Act Spending Framework -> https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=342068 City of Austin Relief Programs -> http://www.austintexas.gov/department/economic-development/programs City of Austin Business Expansion Program (Ch. 380 agreements)-> http://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Chapter_380_Policy_2018.pdf RELATED EPISODES: Episode 97: Talking Relief and Recovery with Veronica Briseño, Director of Austin's Economic Development Department -> https://www.bgmediagp.com/bgpodcast/episode97 Episode 60: Opportunity Zones with Christine Maguire, Redevelopment Division Manager at City of Austin -> https://www.bgmediagp.com/bgpodcast/episode60-opportunity-zones Episode 23: David A. Colligan, Acting Assistant Director Economic Development Department, on Austin's economic incentives program -> https://www.bgmediagp.com/bgpodcast/2019/4/3/episode-23-david-a-colligan-acting-assistant-director-economic-development-department Episode 12: David A. Colligan, Acting Assistant Director Economic Development Department, on Economic Incentives for Real Estate Projects -> https://www.bgmediagp.com/bgpodcast/2019/4/2/episode-12-david-a-colligan-acting-assistant-director-economic-development-department ABOUT THE BINGHAM GROUP, LLC The Bingham Group, LLC is minority-owned full service lobbying firm representing and advising clients on government affairs, public affairs, and procurement matters in the Austin metro and throughout Central Texas. -> https://www.binghamgp.com You can listen to this episode and previous ones on iTunes and Google Play at the links below. Please subscribe!

October 2 is National Manufacturing Day! Director of Existing Industry Services Meridith Berger catches up with Core Technology CEO Geoff Foster, who is in the running for Entrepreneur of the Year for the southeast United States. Thanks for joining us! This episode is sponsored by Truliant Federal Credit Union Visit Truliant here --------------------- Today's host is Meridith Berger, the Chamber's Director of Existing Industry Services for the Economic Development Department. --------------------- 00:58 - Meridith kicks off the episode with a welcome and recognizes Manufacturing Day and Manufacturing Week! Guilford County is home to the highest number of manufacturing jobs in North Carolina, a wide range of manufacturing degrees and training programs, and is in a prime location for transportation, logistics, and infrastructure.   1:44 - Meridith introduces guest to the podcast, Geoff Foster, CEO and President of Core Technology Moulding in Guilford County. Core Technology Moulding Inc. is a plastic injection moulding company that offers a diverse range of products from automotive parts, medical supplies, aerospace, outdoor equipment, and appliances.   3:30 - Meridith asks Geoff what drove him to become an entrepreneur, and Geoff shares a story where he designed a part for Ford Motor Company, and this experience really sparked his passion to start his own company to create products and share the benefit of new creation with his employees.   4:51 - Meridith asks how COVID impacted Core Technology's production and hiring processes. Geoff explains that while Core Technology had to retool their approach, they shifted into creating a new mold for faceshields, leading to an increased need for employees for production and assembly.    6:23 - Geoff shares about being recognized as a finalist in the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, a prestigious and exciting award to be chosen for!   7:12 - Meridith asks for more information on the diversity and range of the products that Core Technology offers. Geoff explains that their product portfolio is incredibly diverse and their parts appear in a huge number of products that are used every day, around the US. This has allowed for a strong business foundation to grow, and puts Core Tech in a position where they can strategically pursue production in certain fields, like medical supply.   8:45 - Meridith asks Geoff if he sees growth in a certain industry in the near future, to which he says that growth is seen more in additive manufacturing rather than a targeted industry. This means that “printing” parts with 3D printers is becoming the new norm and has helped Core Tech prototype and go-to-market faster!   10:37 - Workforce and culture is important to Core Technology, and Meridith asks how this helps Geoff develop the talent pool at Core Tech. Geoff found a strategic partner in NC A&T, brining in highly talented and educated students who are eager to learn. He also explains that a diverse workforce with different perspectives brings about better solutions and increased value.   12:09 - Geoff reiterates that the location of his company in Greensboro and Guilford County has been a critical part of Core Technology's success. The location, partnerships, logistics and transportation access, and incredible talent pool available have all contributed to Core Tech's success.   12:57 - Meridith asks more about Core Tech's medical clean rooms. Geoff talks about the two different clean rooms established so Core Tech can create needed medical supplies, but also assemble critical vaccine materials.   14:16 - Find out more about Core Technology at their website: www.coretechnologycorp.com  And also find them on their social channels: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook! --------------------- Manufacturing Day is October 2! Find out more here: https://www.ncmep.org/manufacturing-day/  Learn more about Core Technology at coretechnologycorp.com. --------------------- Remember to subscribe for new episode notifications each week. Make sure to follow impact. The Boro on social media! Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: @gsochamber Visit the Chamber website at greensboro.org.

Today’s installment materializes courtesy of the French Press, open every day from 7 to 7 in Waynesboro for delicious coffee and light treats. Cool snacks, and cold and frozen bevvies. Order in advance on the @cloosiv app or call ahead 540.221.6568. See you there at the French Press!***Virginia has become the first state in the nation to roll out a mobile app intended to track COVID-19 cases and alert users if they have been close to any positive cases. Governor Ralph Northam made the announcement yesterday. "I want to be clear that this app, COVIDWISE, does not track or store your personal information," Northam said. "It does not track you at all. It does not rely on GPS or your personal information. And while we want everyone to download it, it is voluntary."Northam said people who are alerted are advised to get tested as soon as possible and to quarantine. "You are in control,” Northam said. “All of this is your choice, to download the free app and use it. But I hope Virginians across the state will use this." Northam also said rapid COVID-19 testing will come to Virginia thanks to an interstate compact entered into with several other states. The antigen tests have already been approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.“Antigen tests are different from the PCR test which is primarily what Virginia and other states use,” Northam said. “As we are seeing days [for] test results on PCR tests, we believe this compact is a way to get faster testing.”Each state hopes to purchase 500,000 antigen tests and Northam said it is intended to signal to the pharmaceutical companies that there is a demand for the tests. He said efforts to conduct contact tracing have been hampered by long delays for testing. The new test results are expected to come back within twenty minutes. “We want everyone to get tested if you think you need to,” Northam said. Dr. Keith Jones is the pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Norfolk. He is involved in efforts to get more people tested in Black communities and said the COVID era is shining a light on fractures in society.“It’s shown us the need to have people who sit on boards of caring agencies who actually know something about the communities that they advocate for,” Jones said. “This pandemic fixes the glaring beam on all types of racial, policing and most of all health care disparities.” Dr. Jones said more genuine efforts need to be make sure people have access to information, including boosting broadband and wi-fi efforts. He and other pastors in the Hampton Roads made a video of themselves getting tested, and are holding testing events in their churches. Governor Northam will attend a virtual town hall on the future of policing in Virginia beginning at 6 p.m. (register)***The Virginia Department of Health is reporting another 818 cases of COVID-19 this morning for a cumulative total of 95,867. Another 25 deaths have been counted for a total of 2,299. The seven day average for PCR tests has risen to 7.3 percent.  The Thomas Jefferson Health District reports another 17 cases today for a total of 1,845. There’s another seven cases from Albemarle, one in Charlottesville, one in Greene, three in Fluvanna, and two in Nelson. There are three more deaths reported for a total of 44. ***The City of Charlottesville’s Economic Development Department has announced an initiative to promote the city’s “key commercial districts.” The city will use funding from its CARES Act allocation to install signage with reminders on physical distancing, hand sanitizer stations, and to provide 5,000 facial coverings directly to businesses. On-street parking spaces that have been set aside for curbside pick-up will be made permanent, and there will be free parking in the Water and Market Street parking garages on Saturdays and Sundays through the end of the year. “Consumer driven tax revenues, such as sales, meals and lodging taxes, which are largely derived from these key corridors, comprise approximately 20% of the City’s annual revenues; making restoration of these revenues critically important,” reads a release on the initiative. ***The Madison County Board of Supervisors voted just before 2 a.m. this morning to approve a special use permit for an agri-tourism resort, according to the Madison County Eagle’s Facebook page. Orange County resident Barbara Miller had filed an application for an event center attached to a hemp farm on Route 231. Opponents said the proposed Crescere project is out of scale with the community. According to the MThe master plan for the project includes a 12,000 square foot event center, a 7,000 square foot welcome center and restaurant, and space for up to 230 overnight guests. ***The Jefferson Madison Regional Library (JMRL) will consider changing its name, as well as the name of the main meeting room in its downtown Charlottesville branch. Director David Plunkett said JMRL’s mission statement was updated to reflect an awareness of the system’s problematic past. “The public library of today strives so hard to be free and open to the public, but that was service wasn’t available for Black families for a long time in the area here so that by your bootstraps story about public libraries being a cornerstone of education for Americans to improve their lot in life wasn’t available for Black families,” Plunkett said.The first library in Charlottesville opened in 1921, but a segregated library for Black people did not open until 1934 and closed in 1948. Plunkett said the library is working with filmmaker Lorenzo Dickerson on a documentary.  He said a working group will consider the library’s naming convention and whether the current name is a barrier to access for people. Plunkett said the entire staff of the library has gone through racial awareness training using something called the Groundwater approach. “It was really eye-opening for a lot of staff to just see number after number after number that really showed a disparity in equity in this country and that opened up a conversation for us about where libraries fit into that and not only where have libraries participated in systemic inequalities in the past but also what we can to knit those together in the future,” Plunkett said.Plunkett’s comments came during a panel discussion held last night on race and representation in library collections. Meredith Dickens is JMRL’s collection manager. “We want to make sure that everyone who walks into the library sees material that fits their needs, maybe it mirrors them, allows them to see their voice in the collection and their story, but also allows them to learn about other voices and stories,” said Meredith Dickens, JMRL’s collection manager. “So even when you are a white library patron, you need to be able to learn more than about white people, so we need to make sure there is as broad a range of materials as possible.”***In government meetings today, the Albemarle Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. on the future of Confederate representations in Court Square, the county seat and location of the general and district courts. The county has been holding a series of community engagement efforts on the topic. One of those was on July 20. Here’s UVA Historian Kirt von Daacke with some context about how the Jim Crow era got started. “The Confederacy fails after a four year attempt to create a slave-holding empire and Virginians and the locals return and support that effort,” von Daacke said. “They are unwilling to accept the social, economic, and political realities of defeat and this includes in 1865 more than 14,000 freed people. By the 1880’s they are steadfastly committed to re-imagining the war and the past The Board of Directors for the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission meets virtually tonight at 7 p.m. Among the items are the funding agreement for the rent and mortgage relief program the TJPDC is administering, as well as a framework for how the agency will support broadband expansion in its member counties. They’ll also consider a proposal to purchase property. (agenda) The Charlottesville school board will meet at 5 p.m. and among the items on the agenda is a discussion of childcare, special education, preschool and nutrition will be handled as the school system begins the academic year online only. (agenda) This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

BE SURE TO SEE THE SHOWNOTES AND LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE. Eve Picker: [00:00:12] Hi there. Thanks so much for joining me today for the latest episode of Impact Real Estate Investing. Today marks the first anniversary of this podcast, something I am immensely proud of.   [00:00:36] A year ago, I didn’t know that our audience would grow as it has. In fact, a year ago I wasn’t sure we would have an audience at all.  And I certainly never imagined that I would have the opportunity to talk with so many extraordinary individuals, leaders and movers in their respective fields, all doing remarkable things.  When we started the podcast, I thought we would focus on real estate and the impact it makes.  But I’ve discovered that “real estate” is a very broad industry. I’ve found a horde of people working in fascinating niches around this one big central theme – the built environment we all occupy. [00:01:26] These people work in city planning, on affordable housing, in impact investing, on mobility issues, in fintech, as architects, on sustainable development, on community capital, on equity in communities and in many other niches, pushing the boundaries of the built environment to be better for everyone.  The range of work that is being accomplished, is quite frankly, astounding. [00:01:59] I learned how big, visionary thinkers make cities better. Like Josh MacManus in How to leave places better than you find them. He’s spent quite a lot of time rebuilding downtown Detroit.  Or Tom Murphy, past mayor of Pittsburgh, who showed incredible fortitude in shepherding Pittsburgh from abandoned to reinvented in How to transform a city. And most recently, Avra Jain, who tells us all to look past the working girl on the corner in Beyond the Vagabond. When she looked she saw the future of Biscayne Boulevard.   [00:02:45] Other guests have reminded me of the power of zoning, architecture and design starting with Liz Faletta in By right, by design. Her in depth research on the impact of zoning on housing in Los Angeles provides unexpected insight.   In Atlanta, Eric Kronberg convinced me yet again of the importance of salvaging architecture in The zoning whisperer.   Christine Mondor reinforces the idea that architects can influence the future of cities in The power of design.   And Lorenzo Perez’s creativity as a real estate developer in Phoenix caught me off guard in Real estate artist. His approach to transforming ugly desert architecture into beautiful community spaces is wildly creative. [00:03:44] Let’s not forget the housing crisis. Lots of my guests are all in looking for big solutions. John Perfitt and Jason Neville are tackling homeless housing in Los Angeles by re-introducing iconic architecture, in Hungry for disruption; Molly McCabe describes the unusual approach of the Lotus Campaign in Capital is just a tool. Jonathan Tate takes an architect’s approach by focusing on the value of odd lots and the houses you can build on them in Lead by example. Scott Choppin is tackling multi-generational workforce housing in The contrarian developer, an important niche that has gone unnoticed by other housing developers. [00:04:31] Matt Hoffman is focusing instead on how technology might solve the crisis in 7.4 million short. Rebecca Foster, in San Francisco, is busy saving existing affordable housing through financial tools on Accelerating affordable housing. Brian Gaudio has a modular housing solution in Scaling up. And Thibault Manekin (T-bo) of Seawall Development is focusing on specific communities, affordability and astounding preservation efforts in Choose your own rent. [00:05:22] Across the Pacific Ocean, Australian architect Jeremy McCleod has figured out how to deliver Sustainable, affordable and beautiful housing in a market that most people can’t afford. Fellow Australian, Kris Daff, is tackling the same problem in a different way. He’s Assembling communities and offering them a path to home ownership.   And across the Atlantic Ocean Marc Koehler is turning the architectural design process upside down by first curating communities and then designing a building around them in his Superlofts project.  It’s super fantastic!  [00:06:08] Community development and social equity have moved into the foreground this year, and I expect will even more so next.   Brian Murray is Embedded in community in Philadelphia, working on projects that provide equitable opportunity for everyone. Josh Lavrinc has spent his career squarely focused on Advancing community development, through capital raising and real estate development Emerick Paul Patterson is busy experimenting with inclusionary community tactics in New York. Listen to his love of diversity in Delicious Urban Soup. [00:06:47] In West Virginia, Brandon Dennison is experimenting as only an entrepreneur can, on how to end generational poverty in A bold experiment in coal country. John Folan, who heads a department of architecture, wants to make sure that the next generation of architects understand the meaning of equity. For John, Equity is the thread. Majora Carter has gone from Revitalization strategist to barista in her efforts to bring equity to the South Bronx, one of the poorest zip codes in the country, and where she lives. “Nobody should have to move out of their neighborhood to live in a better one,” says Majora. Sadie McKeown, in Political will and community, has seen firsthand the influence of good and steady political leadership in building better communities. [00:07:43] Justin Garrett Moore has a day job ensuring the quality of public space in New York City.  But on the weekends, he’s knee-deep in redeveloping the community he grew up in. Hear what he’s up against as a black man in Black, white and red(lining). Adam Sgrenci is showing communities how they can control their own destinies, andn educating developers on how to Co-create. Adrian Washington has been developing in Opportunity Zones before they were a thing. He decided a long time ago that Greenfields are boring. And Katie Swenson is the quintessential community architect. Home is the most important community development concept for her. [00:08:43] For insights into economic development and financial inclusion hear Kimber Lanning who is Striving for justice in Arizona or Brian Beckon explain how to raise community capital in Share the wealth. Jorge Newbery is using Fintech to keep people in their homes. He’s saved 10,000 and counting, while Ommeed Sathe sees Big Change in his role at Prudential, helping them to build a billion-dollar impact fund. Lance Chimka who leads an Economic Development Department believes their role should always be First in. Towards growth. Christina Marsh has given herself over to the remaking of Erie in Of service. In Erie. Melissa Koide is researching and advancing ideas on financial inclusion. With Fintech. And Lyneir Richardson, wants to help 1,000 urban entrepreneurs grow their business.   [00:09:55] I’ve learned about mobility in cities, and how it touches real estate and equity, from Karina Ricks, who heads a newly energized Department of Mobility, and from Gabe Klein, a mobility rock star, who convinced me that the future of mobility will be enhanced by data in Mobility is pretty pedestrian. Harriet Tregoning is taking on a leadership role with NUMO, the New Urban Mobility Alliance, and explains why in The reluctant planner. And let’s not forget Donald Shoup, parking czar, who believes that parking is over-rated and under-compensated in Parking not required.  [00:10:38] Others think about investment in ways I never imagined. Janine Firpo is on a personal journey to ensure that every dollar she invests does good. Listen to her explain why in She’s all in. Laura Callanan is squarely focused on Connecting impact and creativity. And Mark Roderick, a crowdfunding attorney, explains how the Securities and Exchange commissions are opening the doors for Democratizing investment. And why its a huge step forward; [00:11:12] For innovation in the building industry listen to Jennifer Castenson, who surely has her finger on the pulse of new trends, in Living the Jetson life;   Or maybe you want to learn about blockchain? Listen to Sandy Selman explain how it might be applied to real estate in Digital twins; and if you are ready to embrace sustainability and saving our planet in the most wholistic way, Sandy Wiggins may just be the one to listen to in Let’s change our mindset. And if you think we need to get back to a former time, listen to Jim Kumon of the Incremental Development Alliance talk about The lost art of small-scale development.  He’s teaching small-scale developers how to get back there all over the country. [00:12:01] Phew. That’s a lot of podcasts.  I’ve enjoyed every interview with every person.  I’m in awe of them all.   But it’s time to take some time off to rest, enjoy the weather and just step back from the extraordinary last few months that has rearranged all of our lives.   We’ll be back refreshed in September with many more amazing people for you to listen to and me to learn from. Thank you so much for joining me.  Now go forth, invest a little in your community and make some change!

Meet Holly Eskridge, Assistant Director of the City of Charlotte's Economic Development Department on The Kim Jacobs Show Today! www.fftc.org/cltcitygrant. Please take a moment to Subscribe to The Kim Jacobs Show: Https://youtube.com/user/dailybalancewithkimjWant to partner with the Kim Jacobs Show: $Kimjacobsinc or paypal.me/kimjacobsinc

On today's episode Bingham Group CEO A.J. speaks with Veronica Briseño, Director of Austin's Economic Development Department (EDD). Traditionally tasked with leading Austin's global business outreach and business expansion incentive programs, EDD has pivoted becoming the lead city department on economic recovery. Veronica discuss several of the recovery programs developed thus far, as well as the $271.6 million Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. spending framework passed by the Austin City Council on June 4th. ABOUT GUEST: Veronica Briseño has served the City of Austin, TX in various roles since 1999.  Currently, she serves as the Interim Homeless Strategy Officer (HSO) coordinating the City's homeless response activities with multiple departments. She transitioned transition into the top leadership role of the Economic Development Department effective in late June of 2019. This episode was recorded remotely on June 26, 2020. LINKS: City of Austin CARES Act Spending Framework -> https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=342068 City of Austin Relief Programs -> http://www.austintexas.gov/department/economic-development/programs City of Austin Business Expansion Program (Ch. 380 agreements)-> http://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Chapter_380_Policy_2018.pdf RELATED EPISODES: Episode 60: Opportunity Zones with Christine Maguire, Redevelopment Division Manager at City of Austin -> https://www.bgmediagp.com/bgpodcast/episode60-opportunity-zones Episode 23: David A. Colligan, Acting Assistant Director Economic Development Department, on Austin's economic incentives program -> https://www.bgmediagp.com/bgpodcast/2019/4/3/episode-23-david-a-colligan-acting-assistant-director-economic-development-department Episode 12: David A. Colligan, Acting Assistant Director Economic Development Department, on Economic Incentives for Real Estate Projects -> https://www.bgmediagp.com/bgpodcast/2019/4/2/episode-12-david-a-colligan-acting-assistant-director-economic-development-department ABOUT THE BINGHAM GROUP, LLC The Bingham Group, LLC is an Austin (TX) based full service consulting firm representing and advising clients on government affairs, public affairs, and procurement matters throughout Texas. -> https://www.binghamgp.com You can listen to this episode and previous ones on iTunes and Google Play at the links below. Please subscribe!

East Coast Radio — There will be no alcohol on sale tomorrow according to the Economic Development Department in the province.

James Kohnstamm is an experienced economic development professional who began with the Miami-Dade Beacon Council in 2008. As Executive Vice President in the Economic Development Department, Kohnstamm consults with local, national and international business leaders on the economic trends and attributes of Miami-Dade County and develops customized services to expanding and relocating business to facilitate job generating investments. With a focus in the Aviation industry, Kohnstamm has directly managed over 100 economic development projects that have generated over 4,700 jobs and $1 billion of investment for Miami-Dade County. Clients include: Amazon, The Boeing Company, Brightstar, Cable & Wireless Communications, Cosentino, Deloitte, LAN Cargo, Ryder System, Telemundo, Univision, and UPS.Prior to joining The Beacon Council, Kohnstamm worked for The University of Miami School of Education and was a high school English and History teacher. A Seattle native, he holds a MA degree in International Administration from The University of Miami and a BA in Anthropology from Connecticut College.About The Beacon CouncilThe Miami-Dade Beacon Council, a public-private partnership, is the official economic development organization for Miami-Dade County. Led by a professional staff and Board of volunteer community leaders, the organization facilitates business growth and expansion locally, nationally and internationally. The Council was founded in 1985 as an outgrowth of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce to focus on business recruitment, expansion and retention.Contact James:80 SW 8th StreetSuite 2400Miami, FL 33130jkohnstamm@beaconcouncil.comPhone: 305-579-1300Listening Guide to the Inside B.S. Interview with James Kohnstamm02:45 What is the Beacon Council?05:30 How does a public private partnership work?08:12 What does the Executive Vice President of Business Development do?12:31 What are the plans for a business comeback in Miami?14:35 How will the business landscape change in Miami while the Coronavirus Pandemic is ongoing?17:04 What does the future look like for the hospitality industry in Miami? Both short term and long term?21:38 What does the future of Miami Real Estate look like?25:47 James talks about the importance of diversity in the workforce and how it is a competitive advantage in Miami30:20 Who needs to be a member of the Beacon Council?33:45 What is the future of the airline industry in Miami?37:14 How will the cruise industry come back?38:55 How can people connect with the Beacon Council and James?

In this episode we will learn how to find out about the political environment of a city that you’re looking at purchasing, How to deal with bank problems? How to prepare and ride the next downturn? We are interviewing Michael Flight, an expert retail real estate entrepreneur who has been active in commercial real estate over the past 34 years. Michael has handled more than $500 million worth of real estate transactions. You can read this entire interview here: https://montecarlorei.com/how-to-deal-with-politics-problems-in-real-estate-investing/ How would someone go about understanding the political environment of a particular city? The best thing to do is, when you have it under contract, to call up either the building department or the Economic Development Department and say “We’re interested in buying this. And here are some of the things that we’re looking to do. So what’s it going to take?” Your local retail brokers or commercial property managers will also know how difficult the city is to deal with. Then the other really good way to get a handle on how cities are is to speak with individual tenants, or you’ll hear about it. Because we deal with properties nationwide, there are nationwide brokers. For example, the guy that represented Pet Supplies Plus does Pet Supplies Plus and a number of other national tenants across the country. So I can just call him and say, we’re looking at this area and I see you guys did a store down here, how was it for you? And he’ll say, oh, it’s fantastic. Or “I’m just going to tell you, won’t be able to get any signage out there and everything. You’ll be pulling teeth. And then they’ll come out just randomly and inspect you and then create all kinds of other problems which we’ve had in the past.” How do you sleep at night during hard times? I had some real issues with the downturn of 2008. On one of them was that we had a very conservative loan and I had started to renew the loan with the bank a year in advance, And all of a sudden, everybody that I was working with was gone from the bank. The last guy who was let go, calls me up and says that they’re not going to renew my loan. So then this new woman comes in and she says, you need to pay this right away and we’re going to come after you and blah, blah, blah. And they sent the default notice to my house and my wife opens it up and asks if we are going to lose our house. I said, no, we’re not going to lose our house. I called her up because I had done workouts before and I knew how to go about this. I said, look, I’ll move my loan in an orderly fashion over to this other bank. In the meantime, you’re going to extend my loan. And she said no, we’re not going to do that. And I answered, no, you need to listen. You’re going to extend my loan because if you don’t extend my loan, I gave her the name of my foreclosure attorney who was helping me out with some other things. And this guy actually argued about foreclosures all the way up to the Illinois Supreme Court. I said, “We will tie you up for four years, you won’t get any money, so we could do it the easy way, or we could do it the difficult way. I’m going to be out of here in six months. You can rest assured that if you touch any of my deposit accounts in the meantime and freeze anything, I will sue you, and I will throw all these other properties into foreclosure, too. Michael Flight www.concordiarealty.com/contact Want to become Steff's mentee? Tell me more about you here: https://montecarlorei.com/contact-us/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/best-commercial-retail-real-estate-investing-advice-ever/support

Welcome The BG Podcast! Conversations at the intersection of business, community, and public policy, from the Austin metro and around Texas. Today we speak with Christine Maguire, Redevelopment Division Manager at City of Austin. She and Bingham Group CEO A.J. discuss opportunity zones. NOTE: Dec. 31, 2019 is the last day to invest in Qualified Opportunity Zone Fund to recognize maximum program benefits Opportunity zones prioritize socially responsible investment by working with private sector businesses and investors to invest in Qualified Opportunity Zone Funds to qualify for federal tax incentive provision. These funds invest in businesses, real estate, or business assets located in an Opportunity Zone, which are classified by census tracks. Austin has 21 census tracts designated as Opportunity Zones. Learn more about opportunity zones through the City of Austin. This episode was originally recorded on September 12, 2019. ABOUT CHRISTINE MAGUIRE Christine leads the Division in the Economic Development Department that structures public-private partnerships and revitalization initiatives in a manner that achieves important community goals. Notably, she has worked on developments such as Mueller, Seaholm EcoDistrict, Second Street Retail District, Colony Park, Souly Austin, and M&O PIDs. ABOUT OUR SPONSOR Thanks to our podcast sponsor Regions Financial Corporation! Regions is a member of the S&P 500 Index and one of the nation's largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, it operates approximately 1,500 banking offices and 2,000 ATMs across the South, Midwest and Texas (including 10 branches in the Austin metro). Learn more here. Subscribe to BG Reads to get episodes emailed to you every Wednesday. The BG Podcast is produced by BG Media Group, LLC (2019)

Downtown Las Cruces has transformed during the past few years and has become a more attractive place for residents and guests to visit.In a new video podcast now available for download, Mandy Guss with the City’s Economic Development Department explains how the Downtown area has developed, what it can now offer to business owners and visitors and what we can expect for the future.The video podcast is now at iTunes, http://askthe.podbean.com, and www.las-cruces.org/podcast.

Recording of the 100 Business Forum event. Led by the city’s Community and Economic Development Department, it was held in September at Corporate College and was a great success. More than 110 participants heard from local business leaders about development opportunities, market trends, business incentives, the new school facility plan and much more. It was co-sponsored by the Warrensville Heights Area Chamber of Commerce.

Don and Peter shared their experience performing music ecosystem audits for four cities. The 2015 Austin Music Census and their continuing studies of Charlotte, Pittsburgh, and Washington DC are more than doing a venue count. They gather the personal, qualitative stories of local life as an artist and musician in a community. They also began to take a look at what really then happens post-study with a community, including what happens with local community groups. Folks can end up swimming in different directions. They are beginning to have enough information to look across cities to compare and contrast the lives of artists. And in some cases, they have gathered up to 12 different ways that a single musician makes a living through music in this live and digitally connected age. They have great insights to share about how local makes a tremendous difference in what the superpowers are for a city. They also share how some smaller organizations and some smaller cities are making a difference and how it's more than the city -- it also is the ecosystem of the region. Guests: Don Pitts and Peter Schwarz, Co-Founders, Sound Music Cities About Sound Music Cities: Based in Austin, Texas, Sound Music Cities was born from direct experience in music-related policy, music development program implementations, and leadership of sound management initiatives. Founded by Don Pitts and Peter Schwarz in 2017, the team has extensive experience in music strategy that balances the needs of the music and nightlife industry with the needs of the community. Their growing list of clients includes WYEP Pittsburgh, The City of Pittsburgh Office of Nighttime Economy, The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, The City of Seattle Office of Film and Music, and the Government of the District of Columbia Office of Cable TV, Film, Music and Entertainment. Don Pitts: After 30 years in the music and entertainment industry, Don Pitts launched Sound Music Cities to help emerging and established music and entertainment cities find practical solutions to sound issues, and grow their music economy. Having garnered the nickname “The Sound Whisperer” from his tenure as the head of the City of Austin’s Economic Development Department’s Music and Entertainment Division where he reduced sound complaints by 70%, Don brings his experience and passion for creating vibrant music cities to Sound Music Cities and its clients. Originally from Nashville, Don has gone far and wide in the music industry, doing everything from managing bands and venues, to handling entertainment relations for Gibson Guitar, to co-founding the North American Music Cities Summit, to working in the public sector. His strategic perspective lies at the cross-section of these experiences – lending him the ability to navigate and bring together the political and industry landscapes. While with the City of Austin, Don’s leadership fueled programs to increase prosperity for musicians, music businesses and music venues – all important when building a sustainable economic engine. Don values political know-how, street-smarts and active listening skills – three things that help when beginning to connect the dots over the course of a large music ecosystem project.  Peter Schwarz:  Peter Schwarz brings almost four decades of experience as a musician and a business leader to the team. He recently completed a long-term commercial music industry plan for the City of Austin’s Economic Development Department, Music and Entertainment Division, as well as authored research studies for “The Pittsburgh Music Ecosystem Study” and the City of Seattle’s 2018 Music Industry Survey. He was previously for 14 years the executive-in-charge of all of Ray Benson’s holdings, including Asleep at the Wheel and Bismeaux Records. He oversaw album releases and artist management for Carolyn Wonderland, Willie and the Wheel, Raul Malo, A Ride With Bob, Texas Tornados, Wheeler Brothers, Aaron Behrens, and the 2015 GRAMMY-winner Still The King. Earlier experience includes festival coordination, arts programming, album producing, touring musician and composer (as a member and manager of Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys), protégé of master Cajun fiddler Dewey Balfa, and longtime musical collaborator with his father, Tracy Schwarz, of The New Lost City Ramblers. Schwarz is a graduate of Harvard College (BA) and the McCombs School of Business (MBA). Website: Sound Music Cities ATX Music Census and Needs Assessment Survey (2015) Pittsburgh Music Ecosystem Study (2018) Charlotte Music Ecosystem Study (2019) LinkedIn: Don and Peter Twitter @schwarzy

Emily is the Director of Kennewick Parks & Rec Department. A fun fact about her is she won the homecoming burping contest! Emily felt as she was summoned to her current position. She had the great opportunity to work for the Economic Development Department for the city, and while she was in that position, she was asked to take on the director role. During those years with the city, she showed them that she could work with people and build relationships. The department had been floundering for a couple years and they believed that she could help them move forward. As an agile leader, when she is looking for team members, she is looking for a can-do attitude, a problem solver who will work just as hard as she is. She has high expectations and she finds that when her team members also have high expectations of themselves and the projects they are working on, they can accomplish hard things. When everyone is working equally hard, then they can move faster and more effectively. She also looks for those who can juggle their jobs and unforeseen obstacles at the same time. Our teams deserve to work in a healthy, positive environment. As leaders, it our responsibility to create that environment, even when it is uncomfortable. Emily affirms and praises her team by picking up the phone or meeting with them to have a real-time conversation. She believes it is an immediate affirmation of their success and behavior. She also believes in affirming her team publicly. She maintains weekly meetings even if there isn’t a heavy agenda so that she can recognize her teams’ efforts in front of one another. Often, they do an icebreaker where they learn something more personal about their teammates. She takes time to think, dream and plan between the Christmas holiday and the New Year. She takes this time to reflect, goal-set, evaluate what worked, where she can eliminate static, and what the game plan is. She does that for both personal and business. She schedules a mid-year check up to see if she is staying on track. She typically does that in the summer--poolside. She plans her day around what is urgent, the big rocks. She writes them down and places them by her keyboard and crosses them off as she completes them. Procrastination rarely leads to anything awesome. Emily energizes herself by listening to Craig Groeschel leadership podcasts, and she has a couple songs on her playlist that pump her up on her way to work or when she is exercising. One of her leadership secret weapons is lifelong learning so she can bring new methods to her team. Her biggest challenge in leadership is confrontation and criticism. Operating from a place of integrity and for the right reasons help to recover from those tough talks. Her greatest reward is seeing her team accomplish their goals and successes. Bite off what you can chew and then share it with those around you. The best way to connect with Emily is on Linkedin or in the City of Kennewick directory.

Sarah Walters, Senior Economic Development Officer at Plymouth City Council, talks about the work the team does for Plymouth business and Invest in Plymouth.

Sarah Walters, Senior Economic Development Officer at Plymouth City Council, talks about the work the team does for Plymouth business and Invest in Plymouth.

As one of the key nodes in the Greater Golden Horseshoe area, Hamilton is enjoying a renaissance of sorts. Old run-down buildings are being re-animated and new ones are filling the sky thanks to a slew of new investments in the downtown core. The city’s population is on the rise, local and regional transit connections are improving, and there’s real swagger in the city’s emerging arts and culture scene. All told, Hamilton is no longer Toronto’s neglected neighbour to the west. Instead, it’s fast becoming the place to be. Jeremy sits down with Jason Thorne, General Manager of Hamilton’s Planning and Economic Development Department to learn more about Hamilton’s rising appeal, and how the City is managing its growth and long term plans for its future.

Khadiza heard about apprenticeships at school and, unable to go to university for financial reasons, started at Camden aged 17. Two years later she has achieved level 4 in project management, working within the Economic Development Department. Tahir became an apprentice more recently, after dropping out of university. He has achieved level 3 in business administration working within the council's community safety and emergency team. He'd not previously realised the wide scope of council activity or the careers on offer in the public sector. Both apprentices are enthusiastic about the work (although it is harder than being a student says Tahir…) and the fact they can earn while gaining qualifications. But above all they relish the opportunity to work for, and give back to, the community in which they grew up. Both now have firm ambitions to continue their careers in public service and improve the places where they live. The strong message emerging from the session was that councils should visit their local schools and work with social media to ensure that young people are exposed to information about opportunities on offer via apprenticeships.

In 2011 the Economic Development Department started to change their communication strategy to better reach citizens, business owners, and potential businesses. Since putting the newsletter online and reaching more then 6,000 people, they have continued to add more communication avenues. Learn more in this episode of #MondayMinute Sign up to receive our newsletter by emailing: susie.king@stcharlescitymo.gov Listen on Soundcloud: http://bit.ly/RIB2018 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/STCHMO Follow Us: Grow St. Charles Facebook: http://bit.ly/2Hnv47F Grow St. Charles Twitter: http://bit.ly/2C4mWKb The City of St. Charles Facebook: http://bit.ly/2obOxQd The City of St. Charles Twitter: http://bit.ly/1ERNLN7 For more information visit: http://growstcharles.com

In this special edition of Inside Your County Government, we're going inside our Economic Development Department (EDD). This is first part of a series highlighting EDD and their efforts to bring economic growth to Charles County. In this episode, host Kim Hicks Dye introduces the staff and the mission of the department. More information about our Economic Development Department can be found at: www.MeetCharlesCounty.com.

We’re not usually ones to pat ourselves on the back, but this week we made an exception. Recently the Economic Development Department received a Bronze Excellence in Economic Development Award for its Business Retention Program, a project in the category of Business Retention and Expansion Program of 3 Years or More of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). Learn more in this week’s episode of #MondayMinute IEDC: https://www.iedconline.org Listen on Soundcloud: http://bit.ly/RIB2018 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/STCHMO Follow Us: Grow St. Charles Facebook: http://bit.ly/2Hnv47F Grow St. Charles Twitter: http://bit.ly/2C4mWKb The City of St. Charles Facebook: http://bit.ly/2obOxQd The City of St. Charles Twitter: http://bit.ly/1ERNLN7 For more information visit: http://growstcharles.com

On Friday, June 15th our Economic Development Department hosted their annual Regional Investor's Breakfast at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts on the campus of Lindenwood University. For more information about our Economic Development Department, check out their website: http://growstcharles.com

On this weeks episode, we will be covering the Arctic Hare. The Arctic Hare is the largest Hare found in North America. We have Inuit folktales about the Arctic Hare, as well as a poem about the arctic hare. Our plant of the week is Oats, and the word of the week is Blow! We will then conclude with the news. This episode is close to an hour, so we have a long episode this week, but I will not have an episode next week. I have some projects to work on the homestead, and it takes about 8 hours to put together an episode with research, recording, and editing. If you like to be first, and who does not like to be first, we have a few chances for you to be first. You could be the first person to rate and review the show on whatever platform you are listening, such as Itunes. You could also be the first to support the podcast through Patreon/Hare of the Rabbit. I would like to thank those that purchased from Amazon through the link at the HareoftheRabbit.com. It looks like there was several purchases this month.         Arctic Hare The Arctic Hare is the largest hare found in North America. The Arctic hare (Lepus arcticus), or polar rabbit, is a species of hare which is highly adapted to living in the Arctic tundra, and other icy biomes. The Arctic hare survives with shortened ears and limbs, a small nose, fat that makes up 20% of its body, and a thick coat of fur. It usually digs holes in the ground or under snow to keep warm and sleep. Arctic hares look like rabbits but have shorter ears, are taller when standing, and, unlike rabbits, can thrive in extreme cold. They can travel together with many other hares, sometimes huddling with dozens or more, but are usually found alone, taking, in some cases, more than one partner. The Arctic hare can run up to 60 kilometres per hour (40 mph). The Arctic hare can achieve very fast speeds when the Arctic hare feels threatened. If the Arctic hare senses danger, the Arctic hare will stand on its hind legs and survey the area. If the Arctic hare feels threatened, the Arctic hare is capable of taking off at very fast speeds as the Arctic hare moves by hopping off its back legs in a similar way to a kangaroo. The Arctic hare runs erratically and leaps while running away from a predator to try and escape. Predators The Arctic hare is a vital component in the Arctic circle food chain, being one of the few smaller mammals able to thrive in such a harsh environment. The Arctic hare is therefore common prey for bigger animals of the Arctic tundra, such as Arctic wolves, foxes and polar bears. Known predators of the Arctic hare are the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), gray wolf (Canis lupus), Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), ermine (Mustela erminea), snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus), grey falcon (Falco rusticolus), rough-legged hawk (Buteo lagopus), and humans (Homo sapiens). The Arctic wolf is probably the most successful predator of the Arctic hare, and even young wolves in their first autumn can catch adult hares. Arctic foxes and ermines, which are smaller, typically prey on young hares. Grey falcon carry hares to their nests, cutting them in half first; grey falcons use hare bones and feet in the structure of their nests on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut. Peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) also prey on Arctic hares in the southern end of the hares' range. The Snowy owls mainly targets young hare; the French common name of the species derives from Anglo-Saxon harfang ("hare-catcher"). Four groups of parasites have been known to use Arctic hares as a host: protozoans (Eimeria exigua, E. magna, E. perforans, and E. sculpta); nematodes (including Filaria and Oxyuris ambigua); lice (including Haemodipsus lyriocephalus and H. setoni) and fleas (including Hoplopsyllus glacialis, Euhoplopsyllus glacialis, and Megabothris groenlandicus. Fleas are more common than parasitic worms. Range and habitat The Arctic hare is predominantly found on the hillsides and rocky areas of Arctic tundra, where there is no tree cover. This species lives mostly on the ground, but will occasionally create dens or use natural shelters during times of cold weather. During winter, the Arctic hare has been known to move into forested habitats. The Arctic hare is distributed over the northernmost regions of Greenland, the Canadian Arctic islands and Northern Canada, including Ellesmere Island, and further south in Labrador and Newfoundland. The Arctic hare is well-adapted to the conditions found in the tundras, plateaus and treeless coasts of this region, including cold weather and frozen precipitation. The Arctic hare may be found at elevations between 0 (sea level) and 900 m. In Newfoundland and southern Labrador, the Arctic hare changes its coat color, molting and growing new fur, from brown or grey in the summer to white in the winter, like some other Arctic animals including ermine and ptarmigan, enabling it to remain camouflaged as their environments change. However, the Arctic hares in the far north of Canada, where summer is very short, remain white all year round. Characteristics Hares are a bit larger than rabbits, and they typically have taller hind legs and longer ears. Like other hares and rabbits, arctic hares are fast and can bound at speeds of up to 40 miles an hour. In winter, they sport a brilliant white coat that provides excellent camouflage in the land of ice and snow. In spring, the hare's colors change to blue-gray in approximation of local rocks and vegetation. The Arctic hare is one of the largest living lagomorphs. On average, this species measures from 43 to 70 cm (17 to 28 in) long, not counting a tail length of 4.5–10 cm (1.8–3.9 in). The body mass of this species is typically between 2.5–5.5 kg (6–12 lb), though large individuals can weigh up to 7 kg (15 lb). One of the world’s largest hares, the Arctic hare (Lepus arcticus) has a distinctive, uniformly white summer coat, aside from the tips of each ear, which are black. The thick white fur provides both warmth and camouflage against the Arctic hare’s snowy surroundings. After the spring molt, the fur of southern populations is replaced with a shorter grey-brown fur. More northerly populations also molt into shorter fur, but retain the white coloration year-round. The time of shedding fur and the molting patterns vary with latitude. Not much is known about the molting pattern but it has been assumed that the annual molt starts in June. During his research at Sverdrup Pass on Ellesmere Island (now in Nunavut), biologist Dr. David Gray saw hares begin losing their winter coats in April, when temperatures still hover around -30°C (-22°F). Nursing females seem to molt later than other Arctic hares. The molt into winter or summer pelage is dependent on the number of daylight hours. When the Arctic hare detects a change in the number of daylight hours, hormones are released which trigger the molt. In mid-summer, when their camouflage is not as effective, Arctic hares are wary and difficult to approach. In the High Arctic, where summers are short (six to eight weeks), a sandy brown or grey wash appears on the nose, forehead and ears, and occasionally on the back. The predominant color, however, remains the snowy white of winter, which makes High-Arctic Arctic hares starkly visible against a snow-free background and therefore more vulnerable to predators. In the more southern reaches of their range (including Baffin Island, Nunavut), where the summer is somewhat longer, the white coat changes to brown with blue-grey tones, while the tail and parts of the ears and legs remain white. Arctic hares can be active all winter because of the insulating quality of their fur coat. A short, thick and warm under-fur is protected by the longer, silky top fur. A hare with fat for 20% of its body weight could live for 15 days at -24°C (11°F) on that stored fat alone because of this excellent insulation. The female Arctic hare is larger than the male, and also begins to molt earlier in spring. Otherwise, males and females look so similar that they are difficult to tell apart at a distance. During the breeding season and the nursing period, males and females can be more easily identified by their behavior. The arctic hare lives in the harsh environment of the North American tundra. These hares do not hibernate, but survive the dangerous cold with a number of behavioral and physiological adaptations. They sport thick fur and enjoy a low surface area to volume ratio that conserves body heat, most evident in their shortened ears. The Arctic hare is mostly solitary. However, during winter months, this species may demonstrate ‘flocking’ behavior, sometimes gathering in large groups of up to 3,000 individuals. This unique behavior may offer the Arctic hare protection from predators such as the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) making it harder for predators to catch an individual without being seen. The ‘flock’ are synchronized with each other and are able to move, run and change direction at the same time. The Arctic hare is always white in the far north where there is snow all year round. In parts of the Arctic circle that have seasons, the Arctic hare will go from white to a blue-grey color in the summer but is known to keep its white tail all year. The Arctic hare has long claws which helps the Arctic hare when digging through icy and snowy conditions when the Arctic hare is searching for food or if the Arctic hare is digging a den. The paws are heavily padded with thick, coarse fur which helps the Arctic hare to walk on the surface of snow without sinking. The well adapted claws and incisors enable the Arctic hare to dig through snow and feed on the plants beneath. Distress calls are made by hare and rabbit species when they are caught by predators, but all other communication is thought to be done by scent marking. The glands which secrete the scent are found underneath the chin and in the groin area. Diet Food can be scarce in the Arctic, but the hares survive by eating woody plants, mosses, and lichens which they may dig through the snow to find in winter. In other seasons they eat buds, berries, leaves, roots, and bark. An omnivorous species, the Arctic hare’s diet is mostly composed of woody plants such as Arctic willow (Salix arctica), as well as grasses, herbs, berries, buds, shrubs and lichens. An opportunistic feeder, the Arctic hare may also eat small animals and carrion. This species has an acute sense of smell, which enables it to locate and dig for food in the snow. Arctic hares feed primarily on woody plants, and willow constitutes 95 percent of their diet year-round. Arctic hares predominantly consume such as saxifrage, crowberry, and dwarf willow, but can also eat a variety of other foods, including lichens and mosses, blooms, other species' leaves, twigs and roots, mountain sorrel and macroalgae (seaweed). Arctic hare diets are more diverse in summer, but still primarily consists of willow, dryas and grasses. Arctic hare have been reported to occasionally eat meat, including fish and the stomach contents of eviscerated caribou. They eat snow to get water. Breeding Arctic hares are sometimes loners but they can also be found in groups of dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of individuals. Unlike many mammals, arctic hare groups disperse rather than form during mating season. Animals pair off and define mating territories, though a male may take more than one female partner. The breeding season of the Arctic hare begins in April or May, with the male pursuing the female and biting her neck, which often draws blood. The gestation period is around 53 days, with females usually giving birth to a litter of between 2 and 8 young hares, or ‘leverets’, in June or July. The female Arctic hare gives birth in a depression in the ground, which is lined with grass, moss and fur or sheltered under rocks. Arctic hare leverets are born at an advanced stage of development, with fur and open eyes. The female returns to feed the leverets every 18 hours with highly nutritious milk, eventually leaving them to fend for themselves when they are fully weaned after 8 or 9 weeks. Two to eight young hares grow quickly and by September resemble their parents. They will be ready to breed the following year. The leverets stay within the mother's home range until they are old enough to survive on their own. There is little information on the lifespan of Arctic hare. Some anecdotal evidence suggests they live three to five years in the wild. Arctic hare do not survive well in captivity, living only a year and a half at most. Traditionally, the arctic hare has been important to Native Americans. These fairly plentiful animals are hunted as a food resource and for their fur, which is used to make clothing. Arctic hare threats The Arctic hare is threatened by habitat loss in the southern part of its range, as well as by unrestricted hunting in certain areas. It may also come under threat in the future due to climate changes (whether those changes are man made, solar min/max changes or changes in the earths axis). However, the Arctic hare is not currently believed to be at high risk of extinction due to any of these factors. Conservation Some parts of the Arctic hare’s range have seasonal limits on the harvest levels of this species. There are not known to be any other specific conservation measures currently in place for the Arctic hare. Subspecies There are nine recognized subspecies of the Arctic hare: ⦁ Lepus arcticus andersoni, ⦁ Lepus arcticus arcticus, ⦁ Lepus arcticus bangsii, ⦁ Lepus arcticus banksicola, ⦁ Lepus arcticus groenlandicus, ⦁ Lepus arcticus hubbardi, Lepus arcticus labradorius, ⦁ Lepus arcticus monstrabilis, and ⦁ Lepus arcticus porsildi. The subspecies vary in range, molting behavior and appearance, with northern populations remaining white year-round. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/a/arctic-hare/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_hare https://a-z-animals.com/animals/arctic-hare/ http://www.arkive.org/arctic-hare/lepus-arcticus/ http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/edu/ViewLoitLo.do;jsessionid=9111F3DC840DAB947DC1538CECB74E3A?method=preview&lang=EN&id=13762 http://interesting-animal-facts.com/Arctic-Animal-Facts/Arctic-Hare-Facts.html Hares in Newfoundland https://retrieverman.net/tag/arctic-hare/ One of the most interesting biological stories takes place on the island of Newfoundland. Before settlement, only Arctic hares could be found on Newfoundland. Its predators included the now extinct Newfoundland wolves and a very small population of Canada lynx. Its population was small, mainly because Arctic hares use open habitats and they are always somewhat vulnerable to predation. The small population of lynx that lived in Newfoundland were always at a bit of disadvantage. They are mostly adapted to eating snowshoe hares, which are creatures of the dense forest. However, before the 1860’s, there were no snowshoe hares on Newfoundland. The Canada lynx that lived on the island had to live like bobcats– eating what prey species availed themselves. Bobcats and Eurasian lynx are better at hunting deer species than the Canada lynx, but the Canada lynx on Newfoundland occasionally hunted caribou, especially the young of the year. But because there were no easily captured snowshoe hares for the Canada lynx to eat, their numbers remained quite small. The Canada lynx doesn’t do well as a bobcat. In the 1860’s, the government of Newfoundland discovered it had a problem. Lots of people were going hungry. The forests and sea were not producing enough to feed them. To rectify this problem, the Newfoundland government introduced the snowshoe hare, which is staple in the diet of many rural residents of the mainland. The hares fed the people, and they adapted well to Newfoundland’s environment. And they spread. In the early 1900’s, there were tons of them on the island. They soon reached what ecologists call the “carrying capacity” and then many of them starved. Then something else happened. Arctic hares began to disappear, and the caribou numbers began to drop. What caused the numbers of those species to drop? Well, it has something to do with the Canada lynx. What? Well, as I said before, the Canada lynx is a snowshoe hare specialist. On the mainland, its population is directly linked to snowshoe hare populations. It lives almost exclusively on them, and it is very well adapted to hunting them. When the population of snowshoe hares began to take off in Newfoundland, the native Canada lynx population could stop living like bobcats. They could return to their ancestral habits of hunting the snowshoes, the species they evolved to eat. Things were fine until the snowshoe hares reached their carrying capacity and their population dropped off. Then, the larger population of Canada lynx that had developed from eating those large number of snowshoe hares had to find something else to eat. They slaughtered the Arctic hares, even though Arctic hares are much harder for the Canada lynx to hunt. With so many Canada lynx in Newfoundland looking for food, the poor Arctic hares had no respite from the predation. The predation was so intense that Arctic hares can be found only in remote areas the northern part of the island, where one cannot find Canada lynx or snowshoe hares. On the mainland, Canada lynx, snowshoe hares, and Arctic hares are not found in the same spots. Arctic hares are always found to the north of prime Canada lynx and snowshoe hare habitat. It is likely that Canada lynx are the main reason why Arctic hares have a rather clearly demarcated southern limit to their range. They simply cannot live where Canada lynx and snowshoe hares do, because the Canada lynx will eat the Arctic hares when the snowshoe hares have their population crash. Yes, snowshoe hares have a ten year cycle in which the population hits its carry capacity within ten years and then has a massive die off. Then it rebuilds after that die off until it hits its carry capacity ten years later. The Canada lynx is at the mercy of these ten year cycles. And so, it seems, is the Arctic hare. The introduction of the snowshoe hare in Newfoundland had been a major disaster for the Arctic hare, even though the two species do not necessarily conflict with each other. They don’t even live in the same habitats, with Arctic hares preferring the open tundra and snowshoes preferring the forest. It is the rather strong predator-prey relationship that exists between the snowshoe hares and the Canada lynx that ultimately affected the Arctic hare. Now, that is only part of the story. Why did the caribou drop off? Well, it is a very similar story. When the Canada lynx population exploded with the introduced snowshoe hares, they generally left the moose and caribou alone. Canada lynx will eat snowshoe hares before they’ll touch any species of deer. When the snowshoe hare population collapsed, the caribou and moose population began to suffer almost as badly as the Arctic hares. The caribou population collapsed through the 1950s until there were just a few hundred caribou on the island. It turned out that many of these caribou were dying as calves from a bacterial infection. Large numbers of calves were found dead. They had strange puss-filled marks on their throats, which were cultured and found to have the Pasturella multocida bacteria in those puss-filled marks. It was this bacteria that was killing them. The caribou of Newfoundland prefer to calve in low-lying swampy areas on the island. They try to keep their calves out of the elements so they do not succumb to illnesses or the elements. So why were they getting this bacterial infection? And what about the strange marks on the caribou calves’ throats? Well, remember the earlier story about the Canada lynx and the snowshoe hares in Newfoundland? It turns out that the Canada lynx were not only preying on Arctic hares when the snowshoe population crashed. They were also preying caribou calves. However, as I said before, Canada lynx are pikers when it comes to hunting any species of deer. They often made a mess of it. As you are aware, cats often kill by a bite to the throat. Canada lynx kill biting the throats of their prey. However, when they tried to kill caribou calves, they really didn’t do too well. They really don’t have the teeth of a big cat to really suffocate a large prey species like a young caribou. When they would have a young caribou on the ground biting its throat, the mother caribou would have time to run back and drive the lynx off its calf. With that many lynx making failed attempts to kill young caribou, it didn’t take that long for lots of calves to get infected with nasty bacteria. And thus, they died. Now, the discovery that Canada lynx were causing Arctic hare and caribou populations to drop was a major revelation in population ecology. The biologist who made this discovery was A.T. Bergerud. Bergerud’s discoveries were a major afront to the accepted theory in wildlife management at the time. Before Bergerud, the accepted theory was that of Paul Errington. Errington’s theory is the classical predator-prey relationship. Prey species produce many offspring, usually far more than the habitat can handle, but these prey species are kept in check because they are eaten by the predators. The ones the predators catch are called the “doomed surplus.” Predators play a vital role keeping these prey species at healthy numbers. Because natural predators take the animals that are part of this doomed surplus, natural predators do not make prey species go extinct or make their populations drop precipitously. Bergerud’s theory is quite different from that. It suggest that there are conditions in which predators actually can make a population drop really quickly. I don’t think that it entirely negates the classical wildlife management theory on predator-prey relationships. However, there are exceptions to every rule, and the Canada lynx and snowshoe hare are pretty exceptional species. Not very many predators are so closely linked with a single prey species. It is also rather unusual to find a prey species with such clearly defined cycle to its population dynamics as the snowshoe hare. And Newfoundland is a pretty strange place. It is an island that never had snowshoe hares on it. When prey species are introduced to an environment where they don’t have many predators, they will reproduce at an astounding rate. The doomed surplus doesn’t become doomed, and the population explodes until the ecosystem can handle no more. The small population of Canada lynx had been eking out an existence as a generalist predator until the snowshoe hares appeared like manna from heaven. Yes, it is an unusual situation, but it proves that exceptions exist to every rule. And that’s why predators sometimes need to be managed to protect the prey species. FolkTale: Arctic Hare stories from Voices of the Inuit from the Canadian Museum of Nature Inuit—Stories of Long Ago Oral Tradition: Between the Physical and the Spiritual Worlds https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/stories/020020-3100-e.html According to Inuit tradition, human beings could travel between the physical and spiritual worlds. Humans could also transform into animals and animals could transform into human beings. As well, there were invisible spirits that were capable of changing into any form. Inuit saw the world as having infinite possibilities. The titles of the stories varied from region to region. Even the names of main characters in stories sometimes varied according to different regions of the Arctic. Many legends were for entertainment and amusement, there were also stories that taught lessons to the listeners. According to Inuit tradition, there was nothing but water when the world began. Suddenly, stones and rocks came down from the sky. Land was created! There was only darkness, and humans and animals lived together as one species. The animals and human beings took on each other's forms and shapes. Words were created and, because these words had never been used before, they contained very powerful magic. Whenever anyone used words, strange things would happen. For example, when Tiriganiaq, the fox, met Ukaliq, an Arctic hare, the fox said, "Taaq, taaq, taaq! 'Darkness, darkness, darkness!'" said the fox. It liked the dark when it was going out to steal from the caches of the humans. "Ulluq, ulluq, ulluq! 'Day, day, day!'" said the hare. It wanted the light of day so that it could find a place to feed. And suddenly it became as the hare wished it to be; its words were the most powerful. Day came and replaced night, and when night had gone day came again. And light and dark took turns with each other. -Rasmussen 1931 Many other things, such as the concepts of good and bad, were created by the magical powers of words. http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/edu/ViewLoitLo.do;jsessionid=49726EB7BBC409F8674F9AE248C20BBF?method=preview&lang=EN&id=14008 Inuit Oral Tradition The stories told here about the Arctic hare originate in the oral tradition of Inuit culture. They were written down -- probably for the first time -- in the 20th century. The Story of 'The Marriage of the Fox and the Hare' "The tale of 'the fox and the hare' tells how a hare married a female fox, promising to provide her with all the prey she needed to eat. Sadly, however, he was unable to live up to his job and, full of shame, told her that they should separate since he was unable to look after her. Full of tears, she left him, mourning the loss of her hare husband". -Randa 1994 The 'Two Rabbits Outsmart an Owl' Story "An Owl saw two Rabbits playing close together, and seized them, one in each foot; but they were too strong for him and ran away. The Owl's wife shouted to him, 'let one of them go, and kill the other!' but he replied, 'The Moon will soon appear, and then we shall be hungry. We need both of them.' The Rabbits ran on; and when they came to a boulder, one ran to the right side, while the other ran to the left side, of it. The Owl was not able to let go quick enough, and was torn in two". -Boas 1901 The Story of 'The Fox and The Rabbit' "Once upon a time a Fox met a Rabbit, and asked him if he had recently caught any seal. The Rabbit became angry on account of this question, and said to the Fox, "Yes, if you just follow my tracks backward, you will find one I have just killed." The Fox went along the Rabbit's tracks, but, instead of finding a seal, he only found the place where the Rabbit had spent the time sleeping in the sun by the side of some rocks. He ran away and whenever he met an animal, he would tell him that the Rabbit was a great liar". -Boas 1901 The Arctic Hare Poem https://www.abctales.com/story/well-wisher/arctic-hare By well-wisher Now where is the hare? Is it here or there? With its coat so white, it keeps out of sight. And if not for that magic coat, it’d be prey to fox or stoat, the Arctic wolf or snowy owl or polar bears out on the prowl. Yet the hare can see what’s unseen; smell willows underground with twitching nose and, with its keen ears, hear the slightest sound. You glimpse a black tipped ear; its eyes, jewels in the snow but then it disappears. Now where did that hare go? News: Vitakraft Sun Seed recalls rabbit and macaw foods The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/vitakraft-sun-seed-recalls-rabbit-and-macaw-foods-062617.html Vitakraft Sun Seed of Weston, Ohio, is recalling certain Sunseed Parrot Fruit & Vegetable diet and Sunseed SunSations Rabbit Food. The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. There have been no report of any illnesses to date. The following products, sold in Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, are being recalled: ITEM DESCRIPTION LOT Best buy date 87535100597 SS PARROT FRT/VEG. 25# 104082 5/22/2019 87535360564 SS Sunsations Rabbit Food 3.5lb 6/C 104246 6/5/2019 70882077713 MJR PARROT FOOD 4LB 6/CA 103980 5/17/2019 70882077713 MJR PARROT FOOD 4LB 6/CA 103981 5/18/2019 73725732119 ALT Small Animal Apple Slices 1oz 24/CA 103435 4/28/2019 73725732119 ALT Small Animal Apple Slices 1oz 24/CA 103118 4/13/2019 73725749989 NG GUINEA PIG ENTRÉE 4lb 6/C 103440 5/1/2019 73725749989 NG GUINEA PIG ENTRÉE 4lb 6/C 104434 6/8/2019 73725749989 NG GUINEA PIG ENTRÉE 4lb 6/C 103439 5/1/2019 73725750019 NG RABBIT ENTRÉE 4lb 6/C 104436 6/8/2019 73725750019 NG RABBIT ENTRÉE 4lb 6/C 103442 4/27/2019 73725750019 NG RABBIT ENTRÉE 4lb 6/C 103444 4/27/2019 73725750019 NG RABBIT ENTRÉE 4lb 6/C 103443 4/27/2019 82514158955 DFS Premium Blend Macaw 5lb 5/C 104094 3/16/2020 82514158955 DFS Premium Blend Macaw 5lb 5/C 103741 2/19/2020 82514158955 DFS Premium Blend Macaw 5lb 5/C 103876 2/24/2020 What to do Customers who purchased the recalled products may return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact customer service at 1-800-221-6175, Monday through Friday between 8:30am and 5:00pm (EST). Rabbits are hopping all over https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/2017/06/28/forget-jackrabbit-bunnytown/cWn12dnTUCjdDUGS76xqXI/story.html Lately, it seems, the city of Boston has been overrun by a collection of entitled youngsters, occupying the trendiest neighborhoods, adhering to strict vegetarian diets, and fornicating at a rate that would make Hugh Hefner blush. Yes, exactly: rabbits. No matter where you look these days, you’re bound to spot these cotton-tailed city dwellers making themselves comfortable in the city’s backyards, pathways, and streets. In recent weeks alone, they’ve been spied hopping near grassy lots in Southie, hiding under cars in Somerville, and strutting past red-brick townhomes in the Back Bay. They can regularly be found canoodling in Cambridge. “It seems like there’s always a bunny around,” says Michelle Kweder, a Harvard Law School employee and Somerville resident who insists she is no longer surprised when she stumbles upon one. Whether there’s been an actual surge in the number of rabbits is difficult to determine; due in part to their short lifespans, keeping tabs on the number of wild rabbits in any region can be nearly impossible. Anecdotally, though, there seems to be a rash of rabbit-human run-ins around town, and one theory is that it’s simply that time of year. The mating season for cottontails stretches from March to September, says Marion Larson, information and education chief for the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, and each spring — as residents and homeowners inevitably spend more time outdoors — they’re bound to run into what she calls the “very prolific rabbit.” “It’s a seasonal phenomenon,” says Larson. Still, the rabbit has found itself in the news from time to time. In 2015, for instance, the federal government removed the New England cottontail rabbit from the list of endangered species. And some locals insist that the rabbits occupying their yards are more than temporary guests. “These aren’t just random wanderers,” says John Byrne of Medford, who counted at least five or six rabbits during a recent bus commute to Somerville. “I can’t fairly call them tenants, because they don’t pay rent. But as far as they’re concerned, they’re home.” They’ve become such a fixture during twice-daily walks with his dog, says Al Weisz, a Somerville-based architect and engineer, that he now notices when he doesn’t spot one. “It’s the exception rather than the rule when I don’t see a rabbit,” he says. But while the rabbits’ presence within city limits — and in the various surrounding suburbs — might seem curious, it’s not all that surprising. For one thing, they don’t require much territory, according to Marj Rines, a naturalist with the Massachusetts Audubon Society. The two local rabbit species — New England cottontail and Eastern cottontail — can exist in a habitat as small as a half acre, she says, meaning that a single block of Commonwealth Avenue in the Back Bay would likely provide all the space and vegetation the small creatures would need. For another thing, rabbits have developed something of a reputation for their rate of reproduction. As Larson puts it: “When they say ‘breed like rabbits,’ it’s true.” While some might worry about the bunnies’ penchant for mischief, others insist that concerns about the creatures have been overblown. “In terms of the wildlife that we deal with, they’re relatively benign,” says Amanda Kennedy, director of animal care and control for the city of Boston. “And even the amount of damage they can do in your garden is typically less than what you’ll see for a skunk or squirrel.” Which isn’t to say that they’re completely harmless. “I was startled by one last weekend,” says Byrne. “I was doing some work in the yard, and there was a rabbit just sort of sitting on a dirt patch, kind of just blended right into the ground. I didn’t know it was there, and [then] he moved, and I just kind of recoiled a bit.” Indeed, like squirrels before them, rabbits seem to be growing quite comfortable in the city’s streets. “What’s surprising is how close me and my dog can get to it,” says Kweder. “This morning, the rabbit looked a little bit nervous, but also totally held her ground.” For the most part, though, it has been a fairly peaceful cohabitation. And despite their less-than-stellar reputations with gardens, the rabbits hordes have been kind enough to leave the city’s most prominent one unscathed. “They’ve been all over Twitter, I’ve seen people posting pictures — but not us, unfortunately” says Susan Abell, director of communications and outreach for the Friends of the Public Garden. “Or maybe,” she added, “fortunately.” The urban rabbit is the unofficial mascot of Chicago https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/urban-rabbits-bunnies/BestOf?oid=27092070 Three years ago my wife and I rented an old bungalow in Avondale, and when we moved in, we discovered the street was lousy with rabbits—the eastern cottontail, to be exact, one of the most common species in the U.S. On one side of our house lay a weedy area that the rabbits used for cover, and on the other side stood a grassy open plot that they treated as their personal country club. When I came home at night, there would always be one in our front yard, giving me the hard stare, twitching its nose if I spoke, and hopping away if I made a move askance. I remember some epic stare downs with those guys, and they always won. After a while we came to think of the rabbits as our friends and neighbors, and we looked forward to seeing them when they came out to forage at dusk. Periodically we'd sit down for ceremonial viewings of the misbegotten 1972 horror movie Night of the Lepus, set in an Arizona town that's been overrun by rabbits after the townspeople have gotten rid of its coyote population. Stuart Whitman and Janet Leigh are scientists who inject rabbits with a hormonal formula to stunt their breeding, and after one of the rabbits gets loose, authorities begin to find mutilated bodies of livestock and people. Eventually the scientists discover that their serum has created a mutant species of marauding bunnies the size of bears. Cheapo special-effects shots show live rabbits loping around miniature sets, though an actor in a rabbit suit fills in for the attack scenes. Chicago rabbits may not be quite as big, but their numbers have risen dramatically since the 1990s, when Mayor Daley's various greening projects began to invite more woodland creatures into an urban environment. Drawn by the elevated heat level of the city, rabbits began spreading from parks into grassy areas like expressway ramps, and even made their way into the Loop. They eat any kind of vegetation, laying waste to people's gardens. When there's no greenery available, they'll chew the bark off a tree trunk. Similar greening projects have brought population explosions in other cities. As a graduate student at University of Frankfurt and a doctoral candidate at Goethe University, ecologist Madlen Ziege has made comparative studies of rural and urban rabbits and finds that city rabbits are a lot like us. Out in the country, rabbits live communally in large, sprawling burrows, with multiple exits that offer escape from predators; as they move into the city, where predators are less common, their burrows become smaller, simpler, more private, and more uniformly spaced. Ziege has also discovered that urban rabbits establish communal latrines that they use to demarcate their territory from that of rival bunny gangs. During the winter I'd come home after dark, find rabbits sitting in our snowy front yard, and marvel at what tough bastards they were. But according to Mason Fidino of the Urban Wildlife Institute at Lincoln Park Zoo, 70 percent of Chicago's rabbits die every winter. The population keeps growing only because they breed like crazy: with a gestation period of four weeks, females typically deliver 16 to 20 offspring a year. Apparently rabbits do nothing but eat, mate, defend their turf, cause property damage, and die. So, you know— typical Chicagoans. Skype, Facetime, or Rabbit?: What’s The Best Way To Remotely Binge with Your Pals? http://decider.com/2017/06/28/skype-facetime-rabbit-the-best-way-to-remotely-binge/ Rabbit: The Perfect Place to Co-Watch YouTube Videos There is actually a company that has realized people want to watch content together from across the web, and they’ve kind of figured it out. Rabbit is essentially a free screen sharing site. Each user has a chat room, which is where you can watch anything from Hulu to YouTube by logging onto your account through a webpage on the site. From there, you can invite up to 25 of your friends to your chat room. I tested rabbit with my best friend and her husband, and the two biggest issues I found with the service had to do with quality and privacy. The video quality of Rabbit is not good by any stretch of the imagination. It’s a choppier version of whatever video you’ve already found (I later found out that Rabbit has a high definition option that I was not using). Also, the way it interacts with paid services that already have your credit card information, like Netflix and Hulu, gives me pause. Since you have to re-enter your paid account information into Rabbit’s site, it’s unclear if the service has any additional privacy measures in place to protect that info. Even reading through Rabbit’s privacy policy didn’t remedy my concerns, and I’m not the only one who has been suspicious of the site. However, if the site’s privacy policy doesn’t concern you, Rabbit only requires one user to have an account. All of the other options on this list are contingent on both users having a Netflix or Hulu account. That being said, Rabbit features text chat and audio chat while letting you successfully watch TV with 25 of your closest friends. No other option does that while perfectly syncing the video with all users. In my test trial, we found that the service works well for a branch of content that’s short, accessible to everyone, and is already all over the place quality-wise — YouTube videos. You’d be hard pressed to find a better service that lets you dive into the oddities of YouTube together. UPDATE: After speaking to a representative from Rabbit, it seems as though there is a way to switch the streaming quality of the service. For this article, I was unknowingly streaming YouTube videos in Rabbit’s lowest quality setting, but there is a high definition option available in the bottom toolbar. The same spokesperson also clarified Rabbit’s privacy policy. According to this representative, the site scrubs its service after users watch videos. Because of this, the site cannot see users’ private information. Basically, if you use Rabbit to log into Netflix, Rabbit will not be able to see the information you enter. Knowing this information, it now seems as though Rabbit is the ideal site for streaming with your friends. Clevedon hospital rabbit goes missing http://www.northsomersettimes.co.uk/news/clevedon-hospital-rabbit-goes-missing-1-5081595 Bigwig lived in the garden outside The Little Teapot café at the North Somerset Community Hospital in Old Street. The rabbit, named after a character in Waterhship Down, is believed to have been taken from the hospital in early June. Matt Croughan, clinical lead at the minor injury unit, said: “This is a hare-raising story of a kidnap and we are hoping Bigwig will hop back to us soon. “But joking aside, we would really like whoever removed Bigwig to return him. “He was a great addition to our beautiful garden, which is tended by volunteers, and it seems a shame someone has chosen to deprive the hospital of our Bigwig.” The hospital’s inpatients unit is currently closed to undergo a refurbishment, and is expected to reopen in September. Vancouver City Council weighs limits on rabbits, hens, cats City may put cap on pets per household http://www.columbian.com/news/2017/jun/27/vancouver-city-council-weighs-limits-on-rabbits-hens-cats/ Residents of Vancouver may soon be limited in how many cats, hens or rabbits they can keep on their property. On Monday, Vancouver City Council voted to advance an ordinance that would prohibit residents from keeping more than five adult cats, five adult hens or five adults rabbits on their property. Residential properties larger than 10,000 square feet would be allowed an additional hen or rabbit for each 1,000 square feet, under the ordinance. According to a staff report, the city’s current code limits the number of adult dogs allowed on private residences to three and prohibits roosters and peacocks. The ordinance, which has been in the works since earlier this year and will be heard and voted on July 10, is intended to discourage hoarding while also addressing noise, odor and property destruction concerns. The council was provided with two different versions of the ordinance and opted for one that allows residents to have up to 10 adults cats if they are participating in a foster program run by a nonprofit. During the meeting, the council heard from Sherry Mowatt, a resident of the Hough neighborhood, who said that she has a flock of a dozen hens. She said she cares for them responsibly and expressed concern about the ordinance. Bryan Snodgrass, principal planner in the city’s Community and Economic Development Department, explained that people like Mowatt would effectively be grand- fathered in. But Councilor Alishia Topper expressed reservations about the ordinance, specifically how the number of animals the measure allows for was chosen “randomly,” and how it could adversely affect responsible animal owners. “It’s like we are penalizing the people who are being good because of the people who are behaving poorly,” she said. Topper suggested creating some sort of permit for people to own more animals. Councilor Ty Stober said that the ordinance was crafted partially in response to a resident who was raising in a “suspect fashion” rabbits and chickens on their property. “We are a city,” he said. “We are not unincorporated Clark County.” From donut sandwiches to rabbit sausage, these are the weirdest foods in Lawrence http://www.kansan.com/arts_and_culture/from-donut-sandwiches-to-rabbit-sausage-these-are-the-weirdest/article_a0627cc2-583b-11e7-9f00-9f2a7a6f7b78.html Lawrence is a place that lends itself to weird and unusual pieces of Midwestern culture. A massive part of that, undoubtedly, is the food throughout town. Foods from almost any place in the world, or from any culture, can find a niché in Lawrence. The Kansan found some of the most unique dishes in the Lawrence community and learned the stories behind them. Harold’s Chicken, Whiskey and Donuts, located at 918 Massachusetts Street, serves a Grilled Do-nut Burger and a Grilled Glazer Sandwich, both served on glazed donuts. Harold’s was created for lovers of chicken, whiskey, and donuts. So it’s no surprise that one of the restaurant's weirdest and most popular food items includes two other menu options. The Grilled Glazer Sandwich is made up of a piece of fried chicken, cheddar cheese, Harold’s secret sauce and, to top it off, it all goes in between two glazed donuts. Harold’s also has a Double Do-nut Burger which has two hamburger patties, cheddar cheese, Harold’s secret sauce and it’s placed between two glazed donuts. Katie Chamberlin, assistant manager at Harold’s, said that these two items are some of their top sellers. She said the taste of the burger patty and do-nut bun is a good combination of sweet and salty. “People are surprised,” Chamberlin said. “They would never ordinarily order something like that, but almost everyone loves it.” Customers also receive a side with their sandwich or burger, including fries, mac and cheese, or mashed potatoes and gravy. Luckily for customers, these menu items are around all year long. Hank's Rabbit Sausage and Toast Hank’s Charcuterie has been and Lawrence for three years. Its seasonal menu items might catch customers' eye of people dining in, especially an item on its current menu: rabbit sausage and bone marrow toast. Jamie Everett, chef de cuisine at Hank’s, said that the idea to place the item on the menu occurred after the restaurant served it at an event and the response from people was really good. Everett said that the dish includes bread from 1900 Barker Bakery, wooly rind cheese, spicy spring greens mustard vinaigrette, rabbit jus, and rabbit sausage. “We get in local rabbits, break it down, and grind it up with a little bit of pork fat, roasted garlic and herbs, slice it real thin and sear it off in a pan,” he said. Everett said that the rabbit sausage has a very mild flavor and that a lot of people say it tastes like chicken. As for the bone marrow, Everett said that they roast meat bones off and save the marrow and put it on top of the dish, which adds a savory flavor. “Everybody loves it,” Everett said. “We sell quite a few and there is nothing super game-y in it.” One of Wake the Dead's interesting cocktails. Contributed Photo/Wake The Dead Wake the Dead's Death Star Sandwich and bizarre cocktails Wake the Dead likes to follow the motto "coffee until cocktails." Dante Colombo, manager of Wake the Dead, said that they want people to have coffee until they are ready for something stronger. But Wake the Dead doesn’t just serve drinks, they also serve breakfast for dinner, including the Death Star Sandwich. The Death Star Sandwich is an egg sandwich with a twist. It includes egg, fontina cheese, a choice of ham or bacon, lettuce, tomato, and the chef’s special sauce. The whole thing is placed between a un-glazed do-nut. Deanna Vierling, an employee at Wake the Dead, said that the sandwich is really popular among customers. “I have had a few people tell me they get it every time they come in, but a lot of people are like oh I have to try it,” she said. As for unique drinks, Wake the Dead also has Cereal Killer Cocktails, with flavors including fruit loops, frosted flakes, and cinnamon toast crunch. Vierling said that the cinnamon toast crunch cocktail is the most popular and that it tastes a lot like the leftover milk from the cereal. “I have had people order them and they will drink one and say, ‘This is really good, it’s really sweet so I’m not going to stick with it but I’m really happy I tried it,’” she said. Colombo said a lot of their menu items are based off of the concept of doing something fun that Lawrence hasn’t seen before. “We are one of Lawrence’s only downtown do-nut shops, but we wanted to focus a large part of our food menu on donuts,” he said. Colombo said that it’s a fun place and fun idea. “We wanted something that was Instagram-able and kind of fun so we wanted to play off the bar vibe and keep the energy rolling,” he said. "Is The Order a Rabbit?" Hops Into Japanese Theaters in November Limited theatrical release was originally scheduled for Spring of 2017 http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2017/06/25/is-the-order-a-rabbit-hops-into-japanese-theaters-in-november The Rabbit House cafe is back in business, because the Is The Order a Rabbit? ~Dear My Sister~ special episode once again has an official theatrical release date for a limited run at 40 movie theaters in Japan beginning on November 11, 2017. The special was originally scheduled to debut in Spring of 2017, but the release was delayed due to unspecified "production circumstances". The main staff for the special episode includes: Director: Hiroyuki Hashimoto Original work, screenplay: Koi, Hiroyuki Hashimoto Character design: Yousuke Okuda Music: Ruka Kawada Animation production: production doA Additionally, it was also announced that the official theme song CD for Is The Order a Rabbit? ~Dear My Sister~ will be released on November 11, 2017, and that a new character song CD will be released in October of 2017. The original Is the Order a Rabbit? manga by Koi is serialized in Houbunsha's Manga Time Kirara Max seinen manga magazine. The previous two seasons of Is the Order a Rabbit? are directed by Hiroyuki Hashimoto and feature animation by White Fox and Kinema Citrus. Crunchyroll describes the series as follows: Kokoa arrives in a new town in spring to start high school. She gets lost and pops into a coffee shop called "Rabbit House", which turns out to be where she will live. All the characters are so cute - tiny but cool Chino, soldierly Lize, gentle and Japanese Chiyo, sophisticated but down-to-earth Sharo. They are joined by Chino's class mates Maya and Megu, and a regular at the shop, Mr. Blue-Mountain Aoyama. Everything is so cute every day at Rabbit House! Warrior rabbit is a winner for Kieran http://www.iwcp.co.uk/news/entertainment/warrior-rabbit-is-a-winner-for-kieran-315553.aspx A ONE-EARED rabbit has won Island author Kieran Larwood the Blue Peter Book Award. The book, Podkin One-Ear, has also been named Waterstones’ Book of the Month. The adventure tale, inspired by The Hobbit, is the legendary tale of Podkin, ‘a fearsome warrior rabbit whose reputation for cunning and triumph in battle has traveled the ages’. Kieran is an early years leader at Wroxall Primary School. He won The Times children’s fiction competition in 2011 with his debut novel, Freaks. The Blue Peter Book Award celebrates children’s books published in the past year in two categories — the best story and the best book with facts. Around 400 children were sent a copy of the short list, asked to read them and select their favourite. Kieran said: “It was quite special to win something judged by a young audience. It really was amazing — I was thrilled because I didn’t expect to win.” Podkin One-Ear is the first in a trilogy, with the second book due out in September. Kieran has been signing books at Waterstones across the country and will be signing an exclusive edition copy, with a special cover, tomorrow (Saturday) from 2pm to 4pm at Waterstones, Newport. Bunny Park revamp to enter next stage http://citizen.co.za/news/news-national/1547987/bunny-park-revamp-enter-next-stage/ The estimated cost of Phase 1 was R3.7 million. Phase 1 of the Bunny Park’s revamp will be concluded at the end of June, reports the Benoni City Times. According to Themba Gadebe, Ekurhuleni metro spokesperson, the second phase will commence on July 1 and last until the end of June next year. The facility will remain closed to the public until at least the end of Phase Two. “About R8 million has been set aside for the second phase of revamping of the park,” Gadebe said. “This will include the upgrading of the gazebos, installation of playground equipment, upgrade of the bunny shelters and installation of new park furniture. “Work in the park during the second phase will also include construction of mini-bridges, a new pump house, fencing around the animal shelters and the addition of gabions.” The estimated cost of Phase One was R3.7 million. It was focused on dredging two of the park’s three dams and connecting them through canals, to ensure the water doesn’t become stagnant. Gadebe said after the construction period, vegetation will be planted and allowed to grow before any animals are brought back to the park. The material dredged from the dams will be used as a natural fertilizer for the vegetation. The cows, sheep, goats, some birds and one pig were moved to temporary foster homes by mid-May, where they will remain for the duration of the revamp. Local breeder's rabbits win best in show thanks to tender, loving care http://www.swvatoday.com/news/article_f474e21b-50a6-593d-9429-f8745d72a175.html ABINGDON, Va. — Nina Cipriani has had hare-raising experiences ever since she was a child. Known in the community as the “rabbit lady,” the Abingdon woman learned a lot about rabbits when she was growing up in town. Her first pet rabbit was Butterscotch, a New Zealand Red. “I’ve always had at least one rabbit since then,” she said. Now, her Abingdon farm, Rattle Creek Rabbitry, is home to 45 of the cute and fluffy animals, most of which are Rhinelander and Jersey Wooly show rabbits. Each year, Cipriani is a judge of rabbits entered in the agricultural show at the Washington County Fair in Abingdon. She also speaks to students about raising rabbits at local 4-H meetings during the school year. Cipriani’s granddaughter, Hattie Galbreath, is carrying on the family tradition. The grandchild recently received Best in Show in the youth category at a competition where she showed a retired Jersey Wooly, a calm and good beginner rabbit for children. “Now, she has two rabbits of her own. It’s a good start for her,” said Cipriani. Throughout her life, Cipriani has gone different directions with rabbits. She raises them for their wool. Cipriani collects wool from her Angora rabbits by clipping or brushing them every three months. She has spun yarn from the rabbit wool and plans to make something from the yarn. She raises rabbits for their meat. “It’s one of the healthiest meats you can eat. The majority of my New Zealand white rabbits are sold to people to produce a healthy meat source for their families,” she said. But raising pet and show rabbits has got to be a favorite hobby for her. The couple spends at least an hour each day feeding and watering the rabbits, two hours each week grooming and one day every two weeks focusing on cleaning and maintenance. Cipriani and Charlie Sutherland, a friend in Blacksburg, Virginia, discussed how there were no rabbit shows in the area. Within six months, the friends developed the Southwest Virginia Rabbit Association (SWVARA), an incorporated chapter with the American Rabbit Breeders Association. Their first show was held a year ago in a small metal building in Christiansburg, but since then the shows have been moved to a spacious livestock arena at Virginia Tech. Cipriani said anyone interested in learning more about rabbits can visit the upcoming SWVARA show on Nov. 11 at the livestock arena in Blacksburg, Virginia.

This week, we take a rare look a gigantic battery that's helping to balance our region's energy grid. Plus, we get perspective from Maine’s top energy official, who is stepping down. We also take trips to a tiny island where opioid addicts go to seek treatment, and to the city that inspires the country’s most famous horror writer. And we learn what charitable donations — or lack thereof — say about New Englanders. The road into the entry portal of the hydro-electric power plant in Northfield Mountain. At 33-feet in diameter, the tunnel is nearly a mile long and leads 750 feet deep into the heart of the mountain. (Credit: Jesse Costa/WBUR) Finding the Right Energy Mix Today’s batteries come in all shapes and sizes. The largest in New England — and once the world — was built 45 years ago and is still working. But it’s hidden, on top and deep inside a mountain in north-central Massachusetts. WBUR’s Bruce Gellerman reports from Northfield Mountain. Inside the Northfield Mountain pumped storage hydroelectric station. (Credit: Jesse Costa / WBUR) The upper reservoir is the battery that powers the Northfield Mountain pumped hydro-electric plant. It holds more than five billion gallons of water. (Jesse Costa/WBUR) In Maine, Republican Governor Paul LePage's energy director is stepping down from his job at the capitol. “Augusta is really broken,” Patrick Woodcock, who held his position since 2013, told the Portland Press Herald. “Energy policy is really complicated and there's an over-reliance on special interests,” he said. Patrick Woodcock, director of the Governor’s Energy Office in Maine, is stepping down this week. (Credit: Mal Leary/ Maine Public Radio) Woodcock says he wants to keep working in energy, in Maine, outside of state government. As our region aggressively moves toward more renewable sources of power, he says we need to stay focused on bringing down costs for consumers and businesses. We recorded our conversation with Woodcock on Tuesday. Since, we’ve learned that President-elect Donald Trump has picked Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to head the EPA. Pruitt has been a close ally of fossil-fuel companies, questions the human impact on climate change, and has been sharply critical of EPA regulations. We asked Woodcock – as someone who served in the administration of Paul LePage, a governor who has been likened both politically, and in temperament to Donald Trump – what he thinks the impact of Trump's national energy policy might be on Maine and New England.  You won't hear Woodcock's response to this appointment – because, at the time, we had fewer specifics. But he did have some interesting thoughts on the issue. Treatment Island Brett, a program participant at Penikese, learns how to chop wood. (Credit: Karen Brown/NEPR) About a dozen miles off the coast of cape cod sits a rustic island named Penikese, near the end of the Elizabeth Island Chain. A hundred years ago, Penikese was home to a leper colony. Later it housed a school for troubled boys, and a bird sanctuary. This past fall, Penikese opened to its newest incarnation: a treatment program for young men suffering from addiction. The program’s participants live simply: using kerosene lamps and cooking on a wood-burning stove, and minimal access to the internet. New England Public Radio’s Karen Brown takes us there. New Englanders Give Less to Charity, Stephen King Excepted Bangor, Maine is one of the most famous towns in the world, though some may not realize it. Fans of renowned horror author Stephen King know Bangor well, but by another name: Derry. The fictional town is a thinly disguised version of Bangor, where the author has lived for decades. Derry appears in many of King's stories and provides the major setting for the novel “It.” Maine Public Radio's Jennifer Mitchell took a tour of the real Derry with a tour company exclusively devoted to showcasing Stephen King's Bangor. A family poses in front of Stephen and Tabitha King’s home in Bangor Maine during a King-themed tour. (Credit: Jennifer Mitchell/Maine Public Radio) Alongside his wife Tabitha, Stephen King has given millions to public projects in Bangor, according to the city’s Community and Economic Development Department. The Kings have quietly funded upgrades to libraries, fire departments, baseball diamonds and more around Maine. But New Englanders in general look less than generous compared with people in other parts of the country. We give an average of less than three percent of our household incomes to charity, compared to the national average of 4.7 percent. Of course within New England, some states give more than others. With the holiday season upon us, Connecticut-based columnist Susan Campbell took a hard look at household charitable giving in a recent article for the New England News Collaborative. We sat down with Susan and Jim Klocke, CEO of the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network. Create column charts About NEXT NEXT is produced at WNPR. Host: John Dankosky Producer: Andrea Muraskin Executive Producer: Catie Talarski Digital Content Manager/Editor: Heather Brandon Contributors to this episode: Bruce Gellerman, Karen Brown, Jennifer Mitchell, Susan Campbell Music: Todd Merrell, “New England” by Goodnight Blue Moon, “The Mountain” by the Heartless Bastards Get all the NEXT episodes. We appreciate your feedback! Send praise, critique, suggestions, questions, story leads, and pictures of your corner of New England to next@wnpr.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How to market your business when opportunity is knocking with Cheryl Tan Today, I wanted to address the second most-asked question I receive. The first one, by the way, is no surprise. It’s, “How do I get my story featured in the news?” I have articles, videos and resources here at cheryltanmedia.com where you can get answers to that and much more. Just go to cheryltanmedia.com/start. The second most-asked question isn't so much a question, but more of a situation, followed by a, “What do I do?” It’s this. “I have a book, an event, a new business I’m about to launch. Maybe I have received a big award, I just got a new client, I have to hire five people, I have taken on a partner. Big things are happening in my business and I don’t want to waste a marketing opportunity. What do I do?” And while the lack of new things happening in your business feels terrible, too much happening at once may feel just as bad. Today, I wanted to address that. How to maximize opportunity in your business. Put another way, how to market your business when opportunity is knocking - nonstop! I have to be honest. I wouldn’t have thought this was a thing a couple of years ago. As a former news reporter, I used to call people up, people who had things happening to them or because of them, interview them quickly, like within the hour if I could, write the stories and they’d be on the news before the evening was over. But working now with business owners who are trying to navigate the ever-changing world of media and publicity, I get it. There’s no real road map. It’s intimidating. It’s the unknown. Before you move onto the next project in your business, because there is always a next project, I want you to take a deep breath and consider these three questions as you figure out what marketing and media opportunities await you. Because you have things going on in your business. Question 1. Why is it important? Take a step back and determine whether what is happening in your business is something worth sharing. I know this may sound harsh, but how does your book, your new product or new building impact the community? Remember, what’s important to one person isn’t necessarily important to someone else. This is where a little self-awareness comes into play, or a good sounding board who can be honest with you. But don’t downplay it, either. If people don’t learn about what you’re creating, they can’t benefit from it. So, determine, what’s the big picture? What role does your new addition play? While it may be important for you and your business, is it important enough that other people who don’t know you or anything about your business would be interested as well? Let me share an example. I am working with a woman who is launching a nonprofit that will help teen girls learn how to become entrepreneurs. She is partnering with several groups and the media sees the value of her mission. Her story has been told on TV and in print many times. They see her mission impacts the community in many ways. Question 2. Who needs to hear about it? Whether it’s a book, an event, a workshop or a sale - who would benefit from learning about your news? Who would really care about its release? Think about that and picture that person in your mind. Or that group of people. For sales and for live events, it may seem obvious - you’d want to share the information with your past clients and customers. You can post something on social media about your upcoming event, you can send an email to your list. But for awards or big changes to your business structure, there are partners who probably should get the heads up - people who have helped you grow. These are people you may stop by to see, people you would pick up the phone and actually talk with to share the good news. Mentors, educators, family members, other relatives, the Chamber of Commerce, the local Economic Development Department.

In this episode, we continue a previous conversation with Teresa McDow from the County’s Economic Development Department with the Minority Women and Small Business Enterprise (MWSBE) Program, and Nancy Rosado from the City’s Charlotte Business Inclusion (CBI) Program. If you haven't checked out Part 1 yet, please do at CBRBiz.com.    

This week we are joined by Prof. Hlengiwe Mkhize - Deputy Minister – Telecommunications & Postal Services (former Deputy Minister of Correctional Services, the Deputy Minister of Economic Development Department and the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training). We discuss some of the Telecommunications & Postal Services Department’s gender empowerment interventions: such as rolling out nationwide access to broadband, emphasising the effects of connectivity as an enabler particularly in the rural environment and the economic opportunities it affords women; the Department’s Techno Girl’s project that focuses on promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics education and placement with companies. We emphasise the need for more women to occupy leaderships roles in the private sector. Tune in for more…

The Isle of Man has been an area of interest for many Bitcoin companies as of late. The local government of this small British Crown Dependency, located in the middle of the Irish Sea, wants to attract Bitcoin businesses by adopting light regulation as well as providing accessible banking relationships and infrastructure for companies dealing in crypto. This business-friendly approach has made the island an ideal place for tech, aerospace and e-gaming companies to establish, which has been a great benefit for the local economy in the last few decades. As an example, the leading online gaming site Poker Stars now employs some 200 people on the island. With the support of the Economic Development Department, the Isle of Man recently hosted Crypto Valley Summit to help promote their wiliness to work with Bitcoin companies. Siân Jones was at the event and captures this enthusiasm in three interviews, which we discuss on the show: Topics covered in this episode: Peter Greenhill, CEO of e-Gaming Development at Isle of Man Department of Economic Development Paul Davis, CEO of Counting House who specializes in payment solutions Archie Watt, Head of e-business and Micky Swindale, Head of Advisory at the global consultancy firm KPMG Episode links: Crypto Valley Summit Isle of Man Economic Development Department COINsult This episode is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain and Sébastien Couture. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/043