Asian American Community Launches 1st Annual Cleveland Asian Festival

Asian American Community Launches 1st Annual Cleveland Asian Festival



In a move that highlights their growing presence, unity and influence, leaders and volunteers from Cuyahoga County's Asian American community are holding Cleveland's first-ever Asian Festival during national Asian Heritage Month on May 22 with 40+ exhibitions and Asian cuisine, 2 stages of performing artists, children fun activities, competitions and health pavilion.



Cleveland, OH (PRWEB) May 5, 2010



In a move that highlights their growing presence, unity and influence, leaders and volunteers from Cuyahoga County's Asian American community are holding Cleveland's first-ever Asian Festival during national Asian Heritage Month on May 22 with 50+ exhibitions and Asian cuisine, 2 stages of performing artists, children fun activities, competitions and health pavilion.



The Cleveland Asian Festival will bring together a diverse array of Asian vendors, exhibitors, artists, performers, health care professionals and visitors. The event is free to the public and will run from 11 a. m. to 8 p. m. along Payne Avenue, between East 27th and East 30th streets, and in Asia Plaza's main parking lots. This is the heart of AsiaTown, the business district from East 30th to East 40th Streets between St. Clair and Payne Avenues that is home to numerous Asian merchants.



"In recent years, there has been greater interest in our Asian community and more of us want to get involved in shaping the future of our community," said Vi Huynh, current MotivAsians for Cleveland President, one of the organizations putting together the festival. "So our thought is to do something really big."



The festival aims to introduce AsiaTown's stores and restaurants to thousands of new people throughout Cuyahoga County. In addition, a health fair with free screenings that will target Asian Americans and address the medical conditions that afflict them most.



Asian Americans make up 2.3 percent of Cuyahoga County's residents, and they range from Asian Indians, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese and Japanese to minor Asian ethnic groups.



This festival is already generating buzz beyond Cuyahoga County. Planners estimate 5,000 visitors, including many from as far as Toledo, Youngstown and Columbus. Visitors will see a children's activities area and be able to participate in games and competitions, like Egg Roll Eating Contest, Inflatable Sumo Wrestling, DDR or Karaoke. Visual artists will have displays and local and national performers, including Indian and Japanese drumming, martial arts and Chinese dragon/lion dances, plus others on two stages, an outdoor main stage and a second stage inside Asia Plaza, throughout the day. Local Asian celebrities including world-renowned classical pianist Tatsuya Nagashima, author Margaret Wong, Radio, and TV Personality Ratanjit Sondhe, Lake County Captians Chun-Hsiu Chen, author Richard Herman, TV anchorwoman Lynna Lai and journalist Robert Smith are scheduled to make their appearances in providing opportunities to meet and greet with the participants. There will also be educational materials, cultural displays, demonstrations and interactive workshops available to the public.



For more information, please visit www. ClevelandAsianFestival. org, email info@clevelandasianfestival. org or call 216.539.4634.



The 1st Annual Cleveland Asian Festival is made possible with the generosity support and donations from Asia Plaza / Li Wah Chinese Restaurant, Asian Festival (Columbus), Asian Food Solutions, Asian Services In Action, Chinese Professionals and Entrepreneurs Association, City of Cleveland, Cleveland Chinese Benevolent Association, Cleveland Chinese Women Association, Cleveland Clinic,, Cleveland Contemporary Chinese Culture Association, Cleveland Film Society, Cleveland Foundation, ClevelandPeople. com, Consolidated Graphics Group, COSE, Councilman Jeffrey Johnson (Ward 8), Creative House Studios, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Erie Chinese Journal, Federation of Indian Community Associations, Fifth Third Bank, Friendship Foundation of America, India International News, Ingenuity Festival, International Community Council, International Services Center, Japanese Americans Citizens League, Kaiser Permanente, KeyBank, Koko Bakery, Korean American Association of Greater Cleveland, Margaret Wong and Associates, May & C. F. Chen, Metromix. com, MotivAsians for Cleveland, National City Bank, Neighborhood Connections, Northeast Ohio Medical Reserve Corps., OCA Greater Cleveland Chapter, Ohio Arts Council, Ohio Lottery Commission, Presque Isle Downs & Casino, Protech Polymer Presto!, St. Clair Superior Development Corp., Stream of Music, University Hospitals, Vietnamese Community of Greater Cleveland, and Walmart.



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Executive Coaching Helps HORAN Build Leadership Strength

Executive Coaching Helps HORAN Build Leadership Strength



Promark Company, Impact Achievement Group's coaching, training translate into proven results.



Seattle, WA (PRWEB) June 30, 2008



Professional development is often a difficult business investment to quantify. Yet for Cincinnati firm HORAN, executive coaching (http://www. impactachievement. com/solutions_performance. html) and leadership development (http://www. impactachievement. com/solutions_management. html) has helped the company achieve targeted goals for the last three years.



The 70-person employee benefits broker and financial planning firm, which has grown 25 percent in the last three years, set out to increase "bench strength" among the executive leadership team, believing that improved leadership is essential to growth. Working with executive coaches from Promark Company and Seattle's Impact Achievement Group, HORAN's group health practice and securities divisions continued consistent growth for the last two years.



The training and coaching process had four goals, with the initial goal to develop future leaders of the company, according to Tim Schoonover, founder of Cincinnati's Promark Company/OI Partners.



"We worked with HORAN to identify competencies and leadership traits essential for their executive team, from which we developed leadership training of existing company management. These competencies and leadership traits also serve as a guide to attract outside leaders as the company grows."



Schoonover added that HORAN was attracted to the concept of assessment (http://www. impactachievement. com/solutions_selection. html) and coaching being closely integrated with performance management (http://www. impactachievement. com/solutions. html) in order to create great leaders at multiple levels of the organization.



To identify and create the core competencies and traits, Promark used Impact Achievement Group's Harrison Assessment System® (http://www. impactachievement. com/solutions_selection. html). The tool provides increased value over typical coaching.



Unlike personality profiles, the Harrison Assessment System measures job behaviors that are based on performance research. It also measures many different traits that track to job success for any given job - 156 job-specific traits - compared to the 10 to 30 traits measured by typical behavioral assessments.



Promark also worked with HORAN on strategic planning, helping develop five critical success factors for management. Schoonover has continued to coach the insurance firm's president and chief executive officer Terry Horan, which spurred leadership training for the management team. Impact Achievement Group senior managing partners and leadership experts Rick Tate and Dr. Julie White have already conducted two leadership workshops, Paradoxes of Leadership and Performance-Based Coaching, and will continue the series later this summer.



Schoonover added that Impact Achievement Group's training tools enhance the coaching process by providing objective data. This data is incorporated by the coach and corporate leadership to guide them toward their overall business objectives during the coaching process. Issues considered include leveraging leadership strengths most effectively, being mindful of outside factors that influence progress toward goals, avoiding obstacles, and developing work-arounds for areas that are not strengths.



By helping individual managers meet personal business outcomes, by definition they are helping companies meet their overall business goals.



About Impact Achievement Group:

Impact Achievement Group (www. impactachievement. com) is a training and performance management consulting company that provides assessments, coaching, story-based interactive workshops, and simulations for managers at all levels of organizations worldwide. Impact Achievement Group helps companies dramatically improve management and leadership competency for bottom-line results. Company experts and co-authors of "People Leave Managers…Not Organizations," Rick Tate and Julie White, Ph. D. are internationally recognized authorities in leadership development, human performance, service quality and communications.



Contact:

Lee Klepinger

888/248-5553

Leek (at) impactachievement. com



Gail DeLano

Fisher Vista/HRmarketer

831/685-9700

Gdelano (at) fishervista. com



This press release was distributed through eMediawire by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www. HRmarketer. com) on behalf of the company listed above.



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Doe Run Peru, Rotaplast International Provide Free Surgery to Peruvian Children

Doe Run Peru, Rotaplast International Provide Free Surgery to Peruvian Children



Doe Run Peru has teamed with medical professionals from Rotaplast International to provide cleft lip and palate surgery to a record number of children from towns near La Oroya and other parts of the central Andes.



La Oroya (PRWEB) August 15, 2007



Doe Run Peru (http://www. doerun. com. pe/) has teamed with medical professionals from Rotaplast International (http://www. rotaplast. org/) to provide cleft lip and palate surgery to a record number of children from towns near La Oroya and other parts of the central Andes.



A Rotaplast International "Smile in the Andes" delegation of 38 surgeons, nurses and other medical professionals and volunteers specially trained in reconstructive surgery is working at the hospital in the town of Chulec near La Oroya to operate on this year's group of children and do follow-up examinations on dozens of other children the program helped on previous trips.



Doe Run Peru pays all expenses for the surgeries so that the surgeries are completely free of charge to the children and their families.



Rotaplast officials estimate as many as 120 cleft palate or cleft lip surgeries will be performed during this year's campaign, which is scheduled to conclude this week. Patients being treated in the program this year come from towns including Huancayo, Cerro de Pasco, Huancavelica and Ayacucho.



In addition to medical expenses, Doe Run Peru provides logistical support for the program. Rotaplast International is a community service organization established by participating Rotary Clubs (http://www. rotary. org/). Rotaplast has performed similar work across South America and around the world for some 15 years, treating more than 10,000 children in that time.



Delegation Director Tom Fox applauded Doe Run Peru's participation in the program: "We do a number of these medical missions around the world with the sole goal of helping children's health," Fox said at a news conference. "Doe Run Peru contributes magnificently to the Smile in the Andes campaign, contributing all the facilities we need, including food, lodging and logistical support.



About Doe Run Peru

Doe Run Peru is a mining and metals company operating in Peru's central Andes. The company has run the La Oroya metallurgical complex since 1997 and the Cobriza mine in Huancavelica since 1998, producing high quality refined metals while at the same time working to operate in a socially and environmentally responsible way.



For more information please visit: http://www. doerun. com. pe (http://www. doerun. com. pe)



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Talk2Rep Call Centers and Contact Management Services Have Won the 2004 Rising Star Award

Talk2Rep Call Centers and Contact Management Services Have Won the 2004 Rising Star Award



Talk2Rep call centers and contact management services have won the 2004 Rising Star awarded from Customer Interaction Solutions Magazine as one of the "Fastest growing call center companies".



(PRWEB) September 15, 2004



Tamarac, FL Talk2Rep call centers and contact management services have won the 2004 Rising Star awarded from Customer Interaction Solutions Magazine as one of the "Fastest growing call center companies". Talk2Rep realized a 54% growth servicing clients in healthcare, publishing, technology, retail and financial markets.



"Many corporations and some government agencies continue to seek a high quality, hi-tech resource without the expense burden of maintaining and managing their own call center infrastructure," said Jim Ryan, CEO of Talk2Rep call centers. We have also realized an increase in language services specifically in Hispanic telemarketing and customer services, given our South Florida footprint, many organizations look for a firm that has a track record penetrating this market.



In addition to typical requests for call center services, we have realized in increase of 34% from 2003 from Clients interested in conducting surveys, database cleansing and updating. This is an clear indication that survey modeling and customer profiling are becoming a crucial step to subsequent marketing even for such channels as direct mail.



"We are proud to receive this award from our industry trade magazine, this growth represents a mutual commitment to and from our valued clients and certainly dedication and hard work from our Talk2Rep call center employees," Ryan said. New businesses that have recently signed on to Talk2Rep Call Centers include Sears, Blue Cross Blue Shield and several other accounts.



Talk2Rep corporate headquarters is based in Tamarac, Florida and has been providing call center and telemarketing services since 2001.



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High Quality Healthcare For Families Hits The Road In Central Ohio

High Quality Healthcare For Families Hits The Road In Central Ohio



Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) and Nationwide Children's Hospital Start the Engine on the 43rd Ronald McDonald Care Mobile (RMCM)



Columbus, OH (Vocus) December 3, 2010



High quality healthcare for children will hit the road in Central Ohio today when the ribbon is cut celebrating a new Ronald McDonald Care Mobile. In collaboration with Nationwide Children's Hospital, Ronald McDonald House Charities is putting its 43rd RMCM on the road to help provide high quality medical services to underserved children in central and southeastern Ohio communities.



Columbus' new RMCM was built in memory of Sylvia Lavin, the wife of RMHC Board of Trustee Member Shelly Lavin. Lavin donated the cost of the 40-foot state-of-the-art vehicle equipped with two patient examination rooms, a laboratory, plus reception and in-take areas. As part of the fleet of 42 other Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles, this state-of-the-art traveling medical clinic will use advanced technology for medical record keeping and information transfer to aid in the treatment of patients.



The medical staff, provided by Nationwide Children’s Hospital, will not only identify and treat medical concerns for children; they will also help connect families with a primary doctor for ongoing and consistent care. While many mobile clinics provide only health care screening, the RMCM fleet at large provides well child and sick care; well-child and sick visits; immunizations; Body Mass Index calculations and nutrition counseling; developmental screenings; vision, hearing and lead screenings; fluoride treatments; blood collection and point of care testing; and childhood health education and injury prevention education. The medical staff can also link families to social services resources connecting eligible families to government-assisted health insurance, as well as heighten their awareness of healthy lifestyles through health care education.



"Nationwide Children's Hospital and Ronald McDonald House Charities have long shared a strong partnership focused on providing family-centered care and support to the children and families served. We're excited that through this new Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, we'll be able to extend that support into the communities where many of our families come from, providing access to quality health care for more children," said Steve Allen, M. D., CEO, Nationwide Children's Hospital.



Staffed by healthcare experts in the communities it serves, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile program works to complement existing services, builds capacity and strengthens the local healthcare infrastructure. Sixty percent of the children who visit the RMCM are uninsured and do not visit a physician’s office during the year, and more than half have no care from a provider of any type in an office-based setting. Uninsured children are at greater risk of experiencing health problems such as obesity, heart disease and asthma, and most likely these will continue to affect them later in adulthood. "We believe all children deserve access to adequate health care," said Marty Coyne, president and CEO, RMHC. "However, many children currently are not receiving even the most basic care. The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile will bridge the gap between health resources and underserved children, so children with the greatest barriers to health services can get the care they need."



Based on estimated market rates for basic pediatric and dental services offered around the world, the health care provided annually by RMHC is valued at nearly $10 million, according to a study of the economic impact of the RMCM program in the United States. The report, RMHC Ronald McDonald Care Mobile Economic Impact Study1, estimates that if 10 percent of the children treated at the RMCM mobile clinics would have had to seek medical care in an Emergency Room/Emergency Department of a non-trauma care hospital, the cost would have been nearly $14 million.



About Ronald McDonald House Charities

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporation, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. Through its global network of local Chapters in 52 countries and regions, its three core programs, the Ronald McDonald House®, Ronald McDonald Family Room® and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®, and millions of dollars in grants to support children's programs worldwide, RMHC provides stability and resources to families so they can get and keep their children healthy and happy. All RMHC-supported programs provide a bridge to quality health care and give children and families the time they need together to heal faster and cope better. For more information, visit http://www. rmhc. org, follow us on Twitter (@RMHC), or like us on Facebook (Facebook. com/RMHC Global)



Ronald McDonald House Charities, RMHC, Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Family Room, and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile are all registered trademarks of McDonald’s Corporation or its affiliates and are used with permission.



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On the Road to Recovery: Your Business Health – a Free Check-up

On the Road to Recovery: Your Business Health – a Free Check-up



Now that the economy is beginning to show signs of turning around, Massachusetts-based 7th Wave Solutions, LLC suggests that this is the time for businesses to think about how to get back on the road and pointed in the right direction. Based on the essential elements critical to business success, 7th Wave Solutions announces Exploring the 7 Essentials of Business Excellence™ in Your Organization, a free program for business leaders of organizations facing economic recovery.



Worcester, MA (PRWEB) August 25, 2003



Now that the economy is beginning to show signs of turning around, Massachusetts-based 7th Wave Solutions, LLC suggests that this is the time for businesses to think about how to get back on the road and pointed in the right direction. Based on the essential elements critical to business success, 7th Wave Solutions announces Exploring the 7 Essentials of Business Excellence™ in Your Organization, a free program for business leaders of organizations facing economic recovery.



"After more than two years of layoffs and downsizing, businesses need to take a closer look at where they've been, where they're going, and most of all, how to get there with what they have left," says 7WS Principal Partner, Nancy Brooks. Designed to help organizations rapidly identify and focus on their business priorities, this session introduces 7th Wave Solutions’ Guided Solutions™ series, beginning with Exploring the 7 Essentials of Business Excellence™ in Your Organization.



Brooks explains how a Guided Solution™ works. “During a Guided Solution™ session, organizational leaders and their colleagues work with an experienced coach/facilitator and subject matter expert. Together they uncover and tackle the organization’s most critical business challenges. The collaboration between business leaders and their teams combined with a subject matter expert/facilitator quickly produces focused and organized results. Participants learn best-practices that can be applied immediately, as well as on future projects. Unlike traditional training, participants in a Guided Solution™ work through their own business issues during the session, and leave with strategic decisions, plans, or other elements directly tied to their desired business results."



Based on 7th Wave Solutions' methodology, Exploring the 7 Essentials of Business Excellence™ in Your Organization is a half-day facilitated session that gives business leaders an insight into their organizations. The session helps leaders determine if their leadership team is in alignment with the organization’s business priorities so they can identify whether the essentials critical to the success of the business are in place and ensure their next steps are the right steps.



As part of this program, participants complete a Business Priorities Assessment™ (BPA). The BPA is a powerful analysis tool based on the principles of The 7 Essentials of Business Excellence™. The BPA pinpoints areas of concern where the organization needs to focus its efforts.



A limited number of these sessions are being offered at no fee. “It's a win for everyone," Brooks says. "Organizational leaders want their people aligned and doing the right things. Their future success hangs in the balance. It's also an opportunity for us to have a positive impact on economic recovery and to expose the business community to resources that can help them remain competitive and become more profitable.”



7th Wave Solutions also partners with Chambers of Commerce and business development organizations, as well as non-profits, charitable and community service organizations, to offer this and other programs to their members.



For more information, contact 7th Wave Solutions at 978-368-0400, send inquiries to info@7thwavesolutions. com, or visit their website at www.7thwavesolutions. com.



7th Wave Solutions, LLC works with organizations from start-ups to mature enterprises to develop solutions to encourage and sustain business growth. 7th Wave Solutions, LLC is privately held and headquartered in Massachusetts.



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HSAEd. com Offers "Ways to Save Money on Health Care" Seminar

HSAEd. com Offers "Ways to Save Money on Health Care" Seminar



Roy Ramthun's HSAEd. com "America's #1 Educational Resource for Health Savings Accounts" will be offering a free tele-seminar on December 6th at 2 PM CST on "Ways to Save Money on Health Care".



Lake Geneva, WI (PRWEB) December 1, 2006



Roy Ramthun's HSAEd. com "America's #1 Educational Resource for Health Savings Accounts" will be offering a free tele-seminar on December 6th, 2006 at 2 PM CST on "Ways to Save Money on Health Care".



Guest speakers will be:



Mr. Daryl Coker will discuss eDoctors On-Line, which provides 24/7 access to the expertise of Board Certified Physicians and Psychologists for questions and concerns about healthcare. Physician responses are normally received within 2-4 hours (guaranteed within 24) and can save unnecessary trips to the doctor. A 24 hour Nurse Call telephone service is also included to assist with more urgent matters where an immediate reply is desired. This program is for employer groups only.



Mr. David Clymer of MyMedLab. com which provides convenient, quality lab testing at a cost that is 50-80% less than the same testing would cost at your doctor's office or local hospital. This program is open to individuals and groups.



As employers are looking for fresh ideas to save on their employee health care expenses these are the types of services that can make a difference.



Health agents, HR personal, and employee benefit companies, should have an interest in attending, and can sign up at HSAEd. com as phone lines are limited.



About HSAed. com



HSAed. com has been developed to provide consumers, agents and the press the most up to date information regarding health savings accounts, consumer directed healthcare and wellness. We are looking for professionals who have the same desire to make a difference by helping consumers understand the short and long term benefits of consumer directed healthcare. HSAed. com is committed to providing the educational materials and tools needed in order for individuals to direct their own healthcare.



From banks to insurance agents specializing in qualified high deductible health insurance plans and HSAs, HSAed. com can help by connecting health agents and brokers with consumers who want to take responsibility for their health and healthcare dollars.



For more information call 262-348-1300, or send an e-mail or visit www. HSAed. com



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One of America’s Most Influential Voices in the Campaign Against Tobacco Picks Another Battle to Win — Obesity

One of America’s Most Influential Voices in the Campaign Against Tobacco Picks Another Battle to Win — Obesity



Former president of the American Medical Association, Dr. Randolph D. Smoak Jr., leading advocate in the AMA campaign against tobacco, joins Monarch Health Sciences, an international health and weight management company.



SALT LAKE CITY, UT (PRWEB) March 12, 2004 -



— One of America’s most influential voices in the campaign against tobacco has picked a new battle to win—the obesity epidemic, costing about 400,000 lives a year, and $75 billion a year in healthcare.



Dr. Randolph D. Smoak, Jr., who served as the 155th president of the American Medical Association June 2000-2001 and Chair of Council of the World Medical Association May 2001-2003, is the newest member of the Medical Advisory Board for Monarch Health Sciences, an international health and weight management company based in Salt Lake City, Utah.



“There are 50 million Americans who are addicted to nicotine, and 127 million who are significantly obese or overweight [according to the American Obesity Association, www. obesity. org ],which is as much of an impact on their health as tobacco is to others,” said Dr. Smoak. “Just as alcoholism and tobacco addiction have evolved into being categorized as diseases, we will see obesity following the same pattern over the next 25 years. That is why I want to contribute—in the same way I did with tobacco use.”



Dr. Smoak is an internationally recognized leader in the AMA's campaign against tobacco, using his name—both literally and figuratively—to aggressively fight the number one preventable cause of death in America. With obesity gaining critical attention worldwide as the second leading preventable cause of death, Dr. Smoak's addition to the Monarch Health Sciences Medical Advisory Board is a simultaneous statement of the importance of the issue and the credibility of Monarch’s “Forever Fit” comprehensive program.



“Having seen an increase in obesity as a problem in my practice over the years has heightened my interest in helping develop a population-based program that would address it the right way,” Smoak said. “The concepts that are being put forth by Monarch Health Sciences are the best that I’ve seen to achieve success against this growing epidemic.”



Dr. SmoakÂ’s involvement is a significant step toward public awareness and action regarding obesity. "It is with great honor and pleasure that we welcome a distinguished



Colleague, Dr. Smoak, to our Medical Advisory Board,” said Dr. Eneida Roldan, Executive Vice President of Monarch Health Sciences and past Chairperson of Board Certification for the American Board of Bariatric Medicine. “His participation on our Board has further confirmed our commitment to excellence and science-based philosophy. Our common commitment to health, science, and ethics will compliment Monarch's mission to reach new heights in services and growth."



A native of Bamberg, South Carolina, Dr. Smoak received his M. D. degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. He completed a senior surgery oncology fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. A diplomat of the American Board of Surgery and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Smoak served as governor of the College for two terms. He is a clinical professor of surgery at MUSC and USC School of Medicine. Dr. Smoak and his wife, Saundra, have four married daughters and reside in Orangeburg, South Carolina.



About Monarch Health Sciences



Www. monarchhealthsciences. com



Monarch Health Sciences is a unique and innovative company which provides a complete, evidence-based solution to weight management and overall health through a multi-disciplinary approach developed and supervised by some of the world’s leading medical experts in the fields of weight management (Bariatrics), obesity, psychology and health. Dr. Smoak joins a team which includes Dr. Eneida Roldan (Past Chairperson of Board Certification for the American Board of Bariatric Medicine), Dr. Denise Bruner (Chairman of the Board of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians), Dr. Vicki Berkus (President of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals), Peter Vidmar (Olympic Gold Medalist – Gymnastics), Henry Marsh (four-time Olympic runner), Sharlene Hawkes (former Miss America and award-winning ESPN sportscaster), and several other nationally recognized Doctors. The Monarch “Forever Fit” Program includes proper nutrition, life-long physical activity, behavioral/emotional coaching and support. It also features the MVP Health Club – an online personal trainer which creates customized nutrition and exercise plans.



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Secova’s 2010 Business Outlook for HR Outsourcing

Secova’s 2010 Business Outlook for HR Outsourcing



Previous adopters of human resources outsourcing (HRO) services are making significant changes when restructuring their end-of-term contracts. According to the Everest Research Institute, the end of the term multi-process HRO market holds a great significance as $6 billion of contracts are nearing renewal in 2010 – 2012. What benefits administration initiatives are corporate HR currently investing in to reduce benefits costs and manage change?



Newport Beach, CA (PRWEB) February 16, 2010



Secova Inc., a leading provider of human resource and benefits management services, today announced its addition of forty nine (49) new business service agreements completed in 2009. Twenty-six (26) of the companies have signed on for benefits administration services (http://www. secova. com/services/), including enrollment, data management, premium billing and call center services, while the other twenty-three (23) clients are working with Secova to implement Dependent Eligibility Verification projects.



With the addition of these new clients, Secova continues demonstrating leadership in delivering valuable, effective benefits administration outsourcing services to clients in a variety of industries. The uncertainty presented from federal, state and local legislative arenas has led to organizations expanding and leveraging outsource providers as a means to keep pace with the rapid rate of change. In 2010, benefits administration outsourcing (http://www. secova. com/) is being driven by the need for organizations to reduce HR transactional time and administrative costs, especially during a continued weak economy.



Previous adopters of human resources outsourcing (HRO) services are making significant changes when restructuring their end-of-term contracts. According to the Everest Research Institute, the end of the term multi-process HRO market holds a great significance as $6 billion of contracts are nearing renewal in 2010 – 2012. Businesses just now entering the HRO (http://www. secova. com/) market are seeking the missing component that is critical to navigate through daily challenges brought on by gap analysis, change management and process improvement.



"Given the economic climate and the potential legislative changes, intensive benefits and administrative restructuring has been a comprehensive undertaking for corporate HR," said Joel Carter, Vice President New Business Development, Secova. "As the industry matures through the early part of the 21st century, Human Resource professionals have embraced the current call for HR transformation and are seeking new service delivery models that can deliver large productivity gains translating into a true competitive advantage."



Second generation HRO allows employers to redefine their strategies to reduce costs and improve performance by leveraging external intelligence and new technology. Manufacturing, banking, government, finance, healthcare and most of the direct-to-consumer businesses such as the retail trade are embracing these new processes that enable their businesses to better position themselves for both the near and long term. These industries see a need for significant change, from innovative business models down to new and emerging programs that lower expenses; such as seen through the Dependent Eligibility Verification (http://www. secova. com/services/cn/depeligibilityaudit. asp).



"In today's economy, the mantra for most businesses is to keep costs low, and stay focused on their core competencies, "said Venkat Tadanki, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the company. " Keeping in mind, the clients' requirements, we have developed customized offerings which, through the year, helped our clients save up to as much as 10% on the total dollars spent on H&W."



As the current economic climate forces organizations to explore tactics to stay competitive, it is apparent that the forecast for outsourcing is positive. Successful outsourcing is built on a foundation of value added support designed to unleash corporate HR savings. Ongoing quality, best practices and process improvements must be an essential component to todays successful outsourcing engagements. As corporate benefits administration (http://www. secova. com/services/cn/depeligibilityaudit. asp) is fueled by change, Secova is well positioned to better enable businesses to achieve their profitability goals and prepare for their current and near term growth objectives.



About Secova

Secova provides mid - to large - size companies offering a combination of services – from Benefits Enrollment and Administration to Absence Management and beyond – including Benefits Auditing, Benefit Plan Management, COBRA Administration (http://www. secova. com/company/news/kcenter. asp), Employee Communications, HR Support Services and Payroll. Our "Best Shore" strategy allows us to shape each solution based on our clients' corporate goals and strategies, utilizing each of our locations to deliver the solution that provides the best value, both in quality and cost. All of the administrative functions can be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, as individual outsourced services or as total HRO/BPO processes. For more information, visit the company's website at www. secova. com.



This press release was distributed through PR Web by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www. HRmarketer. com) on behalf of the company listed above.



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Wondering What Will Happen With Your Health Insurance in the Wake of Health Care Reform?

Wondering What Will Happen With Your Health Insurance in the Wake of Health Care Reform?



Understanding how health care reform is affecting individual medical insurance coverage will be the focus of a teleseminar and Q&A session presented by Wiley Long, President of the HSA for America group of companies. The teleseminar will take place at 2:00 PM Eastern on Friday, May 21, 2010. Reserve a Free Phone Line for the Teleseminar at http://www. HSAforAmerica. com/teleseminar. htm Or call 866-749-2039 for more information.



Fort Collins, Colorado (PRWEB) May 17, 2010



With so many people wondering what effect the new healthcare bill will have on their health insurance coverage, Wiley P. Long, nationally recognized health insurance expert and President of the HSA for America (http://www. health--savings--accounts. com/) group of insurance companies has announced a special telephone seminar to be held on Friday, May 21, 2010 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. The presentation will be followed by an open question and answer session during which callers may participate in the discussion.



Mr. Long will give a concise overview of the new health care reform legislation as it affects consumers and will shed light on questions such as whether the new health care bill will force people to buy health insurance, whether employers will now be required to provide medical insurance, what’s happening to Medicare, whether insurers will be required to cover pre-existing conditions and other questions vital to consumers of health insurance. Following the presentation, he will answer questions from attendees during the open Q & A session.



In March 2010 the U. S. Congress passed two acts that address one of the biggest controversies of our time – what health care should be like in the U. S. The first piece of legislation, called The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was enacted on March 23rd and briefly after that, Congress passed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 to amend portions of the first act, and add new provisions.



Provisions of the new laws start taking effect in 2010 and the legislation will be fully phased in by 2014. The full effects of the new health care legislation on consumers and the economy are unknown at this time. However, several major insurers are already making significant changes to their pricing policies. As an example, as of May 15, 2010, Assurant Health will no longer offer rate locks of 36 or even 24 months.



Mark Rigdon, National Sales Manager at HSA for America (http://www. health--savings--accounts. com/), the nation’s leading online health insurance agency specializing in Health Savings Accounts, said Friday that he is seeing health insurance companies removing even 12 month rate guarantees from their policies and expects that going forward health insurance coverage with any type of rate guarantee beyond month-to-month will be difficult to impossible to find.



In an effort to provide highly accurate information and help consumers understand this complex topic so they can make informed decisions about their medical insurance in wake of health care reform, Wiley Long is providing free access to the teleseminar.



Reserve a Free Phone Line for the Teleseminar (http://www. health--savings--accounts. com/)



Or call 866-749-2039 for more information.



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Loyalty Builders Announces eSeminar on Recession Marketing

Loyalty Builders Announces eSeminar on Recession Marketing



The eSeminar will be held Wednesday, January 28 at 2 PM ET and will focus on 5 key marketing strategies to beat the downturn.



Portsmouth, NH (Vocus) January 17, 2009



Predictive marketing and multivariate testing experts Loyalty Builders (http://www. longbowdirectmarketing. com/company) today announced an eSeminar on Recession Marketing (http://www. longbowdirectmarketing. com/resources/eseminars/recession-marketing). The eSeminar will be held Wednesday, January 28 at 2 PM ET and will focus on 5 key marketing strategies to beat the downturn.



Attendees will learn:

How to allocate your marketing budget for maximum revenue Which customers are the real “low hanging fruit” How a quick test can lead to big lift What kinds of personalization really drive higher response rates Three big mistakes to avoid in today’s economy How to identify potential defectors before they leave How to measure your marketing effectiveness



This eSeminar is one of seven in a comprehensive eSeminar series (http://www. longbowdirectmarketing. com/resources/eseminars) on customer marketing topics using proven Mathematical Marketing techniques. The series is targeted to marketers who are interested in adopting new and powerful tools to increase marketing ROI and move closer to true 1 to 1 marketing practices.



The eSeminars are free and designed to help marketers improve the results of direct marketing campaigns to existing customers. Content is largely non-commercial and based on substantial experience working with both B2B and B2C companies.



“The recession is forcing marketers to search for new ways to meet their revenue goals,” said Scott McComsey, Loyalty Builders’ CMO. “This eSeminar will point out proven techniques to make existing customer marketing more efficient.”



About Mathematical Marketing:

At the core of Mathematical Marketing is the process of marketing to customers based on a scientific understanding of how past customer behavior predicts future purchases. Mathematical Marketing also includes sophisticated direct marketing techniques such as “what-if analysis”, factorial design testing and campaign results measurement.



About Longbow:

Longbow (http://www. longbowdirectmarketing. com/) is a web-based direct marketing system that enables precise targeting of existing customers. Harnessing powerful predictive analytics and multivariate testing capabilities, it allows a marketer to manage a full range of direct marketing tasks including targeting and segmentation, campaign management and email integration.



About Loyalty Builders:

Loyalty Builders was founded in 1999 to bring new levels of precision to the science of customer behavior and its application in direct marketing. Using predictive analytics, clients can pinpoint which individual customers will buy next, what products or services they will buy, and when they will buy it. The result is increased accuracy for cross-sell and up-sell campaigns, and the ability to build early warning systems to spot potential defectors.



Clients (http://www. longbowdirectmarketing. com/solutions/customers) come from a variety of industries including retail, distribution, health services, financial services, transportation, technology and manufacturing and range from small business to enterprise.



For more information on this eSeminar visit the "Recession Marketing" eSeminar signup page (http://www. longbowdirectmarketing. com/resources/eseminars/recession-marketing) or www. longbowdirectmarketing. com.



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Market Leading Design Feature Puts Temperature Data Logger On The World Map

Market Leading Design Feature Puts Temperature Data Logger On The World Map



A design feature has placed an otherwise standard temperature monitoring logger on the world map for food safety as leading specialist research establishment choose Tinytag data loggers in 3rd world food project.



Chichester, UK (PRWeb UK) April 2, 2009



A practical design development of the Tinytag temperature data logger (http://www. geminidataloggers. com/applications/food) has made it a perfect fit for monitoring the temperature of delicate produce like strawberries, grapes and flower buds. In a hands-on project undertaken by the Postharvest unit at Writtle College in Essex, Ethiopians are being encouraged to harvest strawberries to a consistently good quality, with the backing of USAID and the help of Tinytag data loggers to record produce core temperature.



Dr Chris Bishop, Principal Lecturer heading up the Postharvest unit, has reported success of the dataloggers in the project. He says: 'It lies in the logger's design: compact and lightweight. Some units are supplied with a thin flying lead probe. I can insert a sensor into the strawberry, into the grape or into the flower bud, depending on my project. This enables extremely accurate core temperature traces to be recorded during harvest and in-transit overland and during air or sea freight. If I'm advising a 3rd world country on attaining and maintaining the best quality, I need convenient, reliable data that my 3rd world counterparts can also understand and act upon'.



Tinytag data loggers (http://www. geminidataloggers. com/applications/logistics) have also monitored the temperature of cigars in transit from Columbia, health supplements from India and lamb from New Zealand. The shock and vibration of can also affect fragile products like computer hard drives, glass and works of art, where Tinytags have been able to identify when the mishandling took place, proving useful in insurance claims.



Gemini Data Loggers designs and manufactures the Tinytag brand of reliable, robust and battery powered data loggers. The loggers have a comprehensive range of sensors to include temperature, humidity, voltage, current, vibration, shock and count, making them suitable for a wide and diverse range of applications. Gemini Data Loggers has an in-house calibration laboratory providing UKAS traceable certification.



For more information on Gemini and Tinytag data loggers, please visit http://www. geminidataloggers. com (http://www. geminidataloggers. com)



Contact

Nigel Palmer

01243 813000

Http://www. geminidataloggers. com (http://www. geminidataloggers. com)



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U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Renews ELA With ESRI

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Renews ELA With ESRI



Software agreement ensures GIS expansion within federal agency.



Redlands, CA (PRWEB) November 5, 2008



Renewing its five-year enterprise license agreement (ELA) with ESRI, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues its use of geographic information systems (GIS) as a core technology across its nationwide service. The ability to deploy unlimited ArcGIS software allows EPA employees to extend the agency's existing applications and create new ones to support its mission of protecting human health and the environment.



Five years ago, the EPA signed an ELA with ESRI that proved to be very successful. It facilitated the expansion of the EPA GIS user community. This, in turn, has widened the range of GIS applications for research, regulation, and reporting. Additionally, the agreement has effectively supported fast response to environmental events. For example, aftermath activities following hurricanes require easy access to GIS software to perform geospatial analysis necessary for issuing water well precautions and spill notifications and delivering other vital information. The license agreement has made it possible for responders to get the software essential to perform immediate assessments, publish vital information and reports, and create a basis for decision making. This is just one of EPA's many GIS successes that have prompted its renewal of the ESRI ELA.



"The ELA helps ensure that EPA staff have access to the geospatial technology they require to do their work," says EPA's geospatial information officer Jerry Johnston. "It enables us to centrally manage software licenses and deployment. More importantly, no one goes without the GIS tools they need for their work. GIS is deeply integrated into many parts of our agency's business, and its use continues to expand."



The license allows EPA staff to access a full range of ESRI products in the ArcGIS Server, ArcGIS Desktop, and ArcGIS Mobile suites. Because of easy software access, employees have found more uses for GIS such as emissions monitoring, hazardous waste assessment, and water discharge permits issuance. A broadened use of GIS has improved the EPA's analysis, science, regulation, and environmental decision making. It also supports EPA's efforts to keep the public informed about environmental conditions, news, and concerns.



Learn more about ELAs offered through the ESRI Federal GIS Program at www. esri. com/fgp (http://www. esri. com/fgp).



About ESRI

Since 1969, ESRI has been giving customers around the world the power to think and plan geographically. The market leader in GIS, ESRI software is used in more than 300,000 organizations worldwide including each of the 200 largest cities in the United States, most national governments, more than two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies, and more than 7,000 colleges and universities. ESRI applications, running on more than one million desktops and thousands of Web and enterprise servers, provide the backbone for the world's mapping and spatial analysis. ESRI is the only vendor that provides complete technical solutions for desktop, mobile, server, and Internet platforms. Visit us at www. esri. com.



ESRI, the ESRI globe logo, GIS by ESRI, ArcGIS, www. esri. com, and @esri. com are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of ESRI in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions. Other companies and products mentioned herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective trademark owners.



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Seyfarth Shaw Adds Team of 14 Business Services Attorneys to NYC Office : Group totals twenty, including para professionals and staff. All are from Thelen LLP

Seyfarth Shaw Adds Team of 14 Business Services Attorneys to NYC Office : Group totals twenty, including para professionals and staff. All are from Thelen LLP.



Seyfarth Shaw LLP, one of America’s leading full-service law firms, today announced that the firm’s New York office has significantly deepened its Business Services Department bench with the addition of a team consisting of nine corporate and finance attorneys, four trusts and estates lawyers and one real estate attorney. Stanley E. Bloch, Lawrence B. Brownridge, E. Ann Gill, Joel M. Handel, Christopher J. Lagno, Andrew Lucano, William B. Norden and David M. Warburg join the firm as partners. Douglas F. Allen, Jr. and Eric D. Martins join the firm as Of Counsel. Yoni Frider, Ying Li, Lawrence D. Mandelker and Ani C. Manoukian will join the firm as associates. All were previously with Thelen LLP.



NEW YORK (PRWEB) November 24, 2008



"This talented group of transactional attorneys complements our existing business services capabilities in the New York market," said J. Stephen Poor, Chair and Managing Partner of Seyfarth Shaw. "Filling out this part of our practice mix in New York has been part of the strategic vision for our firm and we've found a gifted group of lawyers to help us realize this goal."



"Our new colleagues in New York join us just a month after we were able to welcome a strong team of both real estate and corporate and finance attorneys on the West Coast," said Edward J. Karlin, Chair of the firm's Business Services Department. "With our existing corporate and real estate attorneys nationally and the newest members of the group on both coasts, Seyfarth Shaw is well positioned to help our clients seize opportunities emanating from the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act and related government actions during this turbulent economic cycle."



"This team of adroit attorneys adds a vibrant transactional mix to our office that continues to thrive even in this tough economic environment," said John P. Napoli, Co-Managing Partner of the firm's New York office and Chair of the firm's Tax Practice Group. "In addition to increasing our corporate and finance capacity in New York, we now offer a robust trusts and estates practice, which is a completely new offering for our office. Our new colleagues also share the premium we place on teamwork and they're a good fit with the culture of our firm."



"My colleagues and I are delighted to join Seyfarth Shaw's team of talented business services attorneys both here in New York and across the country," said Bloch. "We look forward to a prodigious future at our new home and look forward to helping grow our firm's presence in the corporate arena in New York."



Attorney Biographies



Douglas F. Allen, Jr. (Of Counsel) practices sophisticated estate planning for high net-worth individuals and families. He also is actively engaged in the general representation of tax-exempt organizations, with a primary emphasis on tax-and contribution planning. Allen received his A. B. from Harvard University, his M. B.A. from Columbia Business School and his J. D. from Columbia Law School.



Stanley E. Bloch (Partner) focuses on corporate transactions and is well known for providing corporate legal services (including M&A transactional services) to the telecommunications industry. He has devoted a substantial portion of his career to serving the cable television, wireless telephone and paging industries. Bloch's practice includes mergers and acquisitions, sales, disposition and financing with an emphasis in intellectual property and information technology. He is an alumnus of Ohio University where he earned his B. B.A., and he earned his J. D. at Case Western Reserve University School of Law and his LL. M. (Taxation) at New York University School of Law.



Lawrence B. Brownridge (Partner) has extensive experience in representing domestic and foreign developers and institutional lenders in the development, leasing and financing of office buildings, hotels, shopping centers, sports facilities, condominiums, cooperatives, apartment buildings, mixed use complexes, vacant land and warehouses. He earned his B. A. (with honors) from Tulane University and his J. D. from Tulane Law School.



Yoni Frider (Associate) is a member of the Corporate & Finance Practice Group. Prior to practicing law in the United States, Frider was an associate at an Israeli firm where he represented private and public companies in corporate and real estate matters. He received his B. A. (cum laude) from Haifa University, an LL. B. from Tel-Aviv University School of Law and he earned his LL. M. from Fordham University School of Law.



E. Ann Gill (Partner) has a broad background in corporate finance, including debt and equity private placements, private acquisitions and acquisition financing, public tax-exempt financing, off balance sheet leases and debt, equity and lease workouts, restructurings and recapitalizations. Her clients include private equity funds, pension funds and foundations and other taxable and tax-exempt investors and investment vehicles. She earned her B. A. from Barnard College, Columbia University and her J. D. from Columbia Law School where she was Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.



Joel M. Handel (Partner) practices corporate law, including mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and consolidations. He has a formal background and training in accounting and tax law and is uniquely qualified to structure, negotiate and successfully conclude a variety of complex financial business transactions. Handel is routinely involved in corporate, finance and securities matters, including corporate reorganizations, restructurings and family businesses, including generation transfers. He has concentrated his law practice on advising consumer products companies, with a special emphasis on the toy industry. Today, Handel is widely recognized for his role in legal representation of major toy manufacturers. Handel is an alumnus of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where he earned his B. S. and he earned his J. D. at Columbia Law School.



Christopher J. Lagno (Partner) has thirty years of experience handling trusts and estates. He represents individuals in sophisticated estate and tax planning matters as well as in the preparation of wills and all types of trust agreements. He serves as legal counsel to executors and trustees in all facets of the administration of simple and complicated estates and trusts. Lagno earned his B. A. (summa cum laude) from State University of New York at Albany, his J. D. from Albany Law School and his LL. M. from New York University School of Law.



Ying Li (Associate) is a member of the firm's Corporate & Finance Practice Group. She received her LL. B. (International Financial Law) from Sun Yat-Sen University School of Law where she also earned her First Year Master of Private International Law. She earned her LL. M. from Indiana University School of Law and her J. D. from Cornell Law School.



Andrew Lucano (Partner) concentrates his practice in representing clients in mergers and acquisitions, general corporate and securities matters. Lucano represents both sellers and buyers in a range of M&A transactions, with a particular focus in the communications industry representing cable operators and financial entities in the sale and purchase of cable systems located throughout the country. He also has experience in securities law compliance and corporate governance matters and advises public companies regarding periodic reporting obligations and other Securities and Exchange Commission related matters. Lucano received his B. S. (cum laude) from State University of New York at Albany and he earned his J. D. (cum laude) from St. John's University School of Law.



Lawrence D. Mandelker (Associate) represents clients in estate planning matters, focusing on asset preservation and minimization of estate, gift and income taxes, and by preparing Wills and Trust Agreements. He also represents clients in individual as well as fiduciary capacities regarding probate matters, the administration of estates and trusts, and in estate and trust litigation. He received his B. A. from Columbia University, his J. D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and his LL. M. (Taxation) from New York University School of Law.



Ani C. Manoukian (Associate) concentrates her practice representing clients primarily in mergers and acquisitions, general corporate, and securities matters. Manoukian has represented both sellers and buyers in a range of public and private transactions, including stock and asset transactions in the telecommunications industry, particularly in cable television. She received her B. A. at Tufts University and earned her J. D. at Fordham Law School.



Eric D. Martins (Of Counsel) focuses his practice on corporate transactions and has extensive experience handling corporate, securities, business law and real estate matters. Martins is involved in public and private equity and debt financings on behalf of underwriters, placement agents and issuers. He also serves as legal counsel on a number of sophisticated mergers, acquisitions and dispositions, both negotiated and contested, and advises clients on commercial loan transactions, including asset-based financing and equipment leasing. Martins is an alumnus of New York University where he earned both his B. A. and his J. D. from the university's School of Law.



William B. Norden (Partner) brings more than 39 years of trust and estate experience representing corporate executives, owners of closely held businesses, real estate operators, developers and other high net worth individuals. He is involved in all aspects of estate and trust and administration, litigation and planning. Norden earned his B. S. from Brooklyn College and his J. D. from New York University School of Law.



David M. Warburg (Partner) concentrates his practice on corporate finance, securities, and real estate financing transactions, with emphasis on public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, private equity funds, real estate investment funds and joint ventures, PIPEs, SPACs, corporate restructurings, and international transactions. He has over 25 years of experience representing both sources and users of capital in private placements and initial public offerings by U. S. and foreign companies of equity and debt securities, formation of U. S. domestic and offshore funds, and private equity technology and real estate-related investments. Warburg represents public and private U. S. and foreign companies in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, debt and equity restructurings, and general corporate, contract, and securities law matters. His practice includes an international component which focuses on Europe, Israel and China. Warburg received his B. A. from Yeshiva University and earned his J. D. from New York University School of Law.



Seyfarth Shaw's New York Office



Seyfarth Shaw first opened its New York office in 1979 with seven attorneys. Today, the office has roughly 100 attorneys, many of whom are also admitted to practice in New Jersey and Connecticut. Practices represented in the New York office include: Bankruptcy, Workouts & Business Reorganization; Commercial Class Action Defense; Commercial Litigation; Corporate; Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation; Labor & Employment; Real Estate; Securities & Financial Litigation; Structured & Real Estate Finance; Tax; and Trade Secrets, Computer Fraud, & Non-Competes.



About Seyfarth Shaw



Seyfarth Shaw is a full-service law firm with over 750 attorneys located in nine offices throughout the United States including Chicago, New York, Boston, Washington D. C., Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento, as well as Brussels, Belgium. The firm provides a broad range of legal services in the areas of real estate, labor and employment, employee benefits, litigation and business services. Seyfarth Shaw's practice reflects virtually every industry and segment of the country's business and social fabric. Clients include over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, newspapers and other media, hotels, health care organizations, airlines and railroads. The firm also represents a number of federal, state, and local governmental and educational entities. For more information, please visit www. seyfarth. com.

Webcom, Inc. Announces New Release of ResponsAbility

Webcom, Inc. Announces New Release of ResponsAbility



ResponsAbility's New Release provides Enhancements that Further Streamline Case Management and Workflow Processes



Milwaukee, Wisconsin (PRWEB) May 19, 2009



Webcom, Inc., the leader in simplifying the complex, today announced the release R5 of ResponsAbility, Webcom's latest offering addressing the case management and workflow processing areas. ResponsAbility is designed to speed "time-to-resolution", eliminate unnecessary time delays and improve overall communications and productivity through improved transparency and collaboration.



ResponsAbility is a robust case management and workflow solution that helps organizations keep their projects on track without making the lives of team members more complicated. This basic application provides a central location for managing the key aspects of all types of cases, including product and service defects, customer and supplier complaints, non-conformance issues, health and safety incidents and RMAs. Separate tabs keep key information within easy reach. Your team can log issues as they arise, prioritize them, and update their status as appropriate. Built-in reports let you see open issues by project, projects by stage, and many other categories.



"ResponsAbility continues to make innovative product enhancements that provide substantial value to organizations looking to improve business processes, reduce costs, and increase knowledge worker effectiveness," says Jeff Wenter, Operations Manager of Apollo Video Technology. "The new release includes enhancements that make critical information more accessible through ResponsAbility, like enabling users to monitor actions that are being performed more closely."



"We have very active and loyal users that continue to help shape the future of ResponsAbility," said Aleksandar Ivanovic, CEO and founder of Webcom, Inc. "Once again, we have taken the feedback and suggestions of our users to integrate a number of enhancements that will benefit all of our customers. From public case creation and case groups to new search filter options and bulk action capabilities, our latest release provides our customers with the tools they need to continue to effectively and successfully manage their business processes."



The new release also includes enhancements designed to improve user adoption and allow users to maximize their value of ResponsAbility. The ability to chat with other users while in ResponsAbility was the most requested feature and is introduced in this release.



ResponsAbility R5 Highlights:

Chat - Ability to collaborate with other users when signed in

Web to Case - Ability for non-users to create cases from any website

Case Groups - Ability for users to create their own case groupings

Search Filter - Ability for users to save and load their favorite search filters

Bulk Action - Ability to update multiple cases at once

Single Sign-on - Oracle CRM OnDemand and Salesforce. com users can access ResponsAbility without having to login



ResponsAbility is available immediately, with a free trial available at www. webcominc. com/trial/resp_trial. asp (http://www. webcominc. com/trial/resp_trial. asp). Deployed in a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, pricing starts at $20 per user per month for an internal user and $5 per user per month for an external user ($1 per case generated by external users).



About Webcom, Inc.

Webcom, Inc. provides software solutions that simplify the complex and helps you attain your business goals. Obtain more business by simplifying the quote-to-order process for the selling of complex products and services. Requiring only a browser, WebSource CPQ allows customers to configure, price, quote and propose their offerings across multiple sales and distribution channels, anytime, anywhere. WebSource CPQ addresses the guided selling, proposal generation and multi-level channel management tasks associated with sales configurators, as well as handling the traditional bill of material, routing and diagram generation tasks frequently associated with product configurators. Retain your customers by simplifying case management with ResponsAbility: you've always had the responsibility, now you have the ability to respond. The solutions help drive increased revenues and margins, increased customer satisfaction, reduced costs and improved productivity. Companies utilizing Webcom's products and services include Rockwell Automation, Danfoss, Corning Cable Systems, Easynet (a BskyB company), Grayhill and Broan-NuTone. Founded in 1997, Webcom is a privately held corporation headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with offices in the USA and Europe. For more information, visit Webcom at http://www. webcominc. com (http://www. webcominc. com) or call 414-273-4442 (toll free 877-508-6323). 



Media Contact:

Webcom, Inc.

Chris Lesar

(262) 617-8231



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Generate Sales Leads for Pennies a Day

Generate Sales Leads for Pennies a Day



A Successful Texas Insurance Agent Reveals his Secrets of Web-Based Sales Lead Generation



(PRWEB) July 17, 2003



Andy Jones, a successful Insurance Agent in Dallas, TX, announced today he has authored an e-book which details his struggle to successfully build a website to generate high quality sales leads.



Mr. Jones stated the process started in November of 2001 and he has made several mistakes along the way. "Hoping to prevent other web entrepreneurs from making the same mistakes was one of my main goals" states Mr. Jones.



Available for immediate download from his website at http://www.724leads. com (http://www.724leads. com), the 38 page e-book is packed with step by step information and diagrams that takes someone with average computer skills from concept to completion.



Mr. Jones says his concepts are not just limited to generating health insurance sales leads. The same concepts apply to any one desiring to generate mortgage leads, mlm leads, real estate leads or any type sales leads.



Additional information can be found at http://www.724leads. com (http://www.724leads. com).

Doc’s Sports Service Posts Breeders’ Cup Picks and Breeders’ Cup Odds and Information for the 2005 Breeders’ Cup Races

Doc’s Sports Service Posts Breeders’ Cup Picks and Breeders’ Cup Odds and Information for the 2005 Breeders’ Cup Races



Doc’s Sports has been handicapping every major horse racing event since they opened for business back in 1971. The Breeders’ Cup features the best of the best and for this reason many bettors look to the professionals for their expert picks and predictions.



Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) October 28, 2005



Doc’s Sports has been handicapping every major horse racing event since they opened for business back in 1971. The Breeders’ Cup features the best of the best and for this reason many bettors look to the professionals for their expert picks and predictions.



Doc's Sports is set to attack the 2005 Breeders Cup. The eight races take place Saturday, October 29th at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY. Doc will be in close contact with a key trainer and horse handicapping experts for this year's races getting the exclusive information needed to produce a profit. Another big factor in this year's race is the weather, as rain is in the Elmont forecast.



With Doc's Breeders Cup package you will receive their top selections from each of the eight races. “We hope to produce the winner in at least four of the eight races,” said Doc. “We will also be giving a detailed analysis of the Breeders' Cup Classic. We will provide a $100 bankroll example, which will include numerous exotics that will hopefully make ourselves and our customers a healthy profit. This is the same formula that would have netted you a $713 winning ticket for your $100 bet in the 2005 Belmont Stakes.”



Below are quick links to exclusive 2005 Breeders Cup articles and Information.



2005 Breeders Cup Section (http://www. docsports. com/breeders-cup-2005.html)



Breeders Cup Picks (http://www. docsports. com/breeders-cup-picks. html)



Breeders Cup Odds (http://www. docsports. com/breeders-cup-odds. html)



“Our 2005 Breeders Cup page is loaded with useful betting information,” said Doc. “With some smart handicapping and a bit of luck we hope to show our customers some easy money with this year’s picks.”



Doc’s Sports has been in business since 1971 and it has established itself as one of the leaders in the sports information industry. Industry luminaries from Nevada to Costa Rica continue to praise Doc’s team for its hard work and strong moral fiber. Doc’s is best known for its Big Ten Game of the Year in college football which covered the point spread 19 years in a row and moved the Las Vegas line more than seven points at its peak.



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Seniors Have Basic Question About Reverse Mortgages: “How Much Money Will I Get?” – Answered Online by Calculator on NewRetirement. com Website

Seniors Have Basic Question About Reverse Mortgages: “How Much Money Will I Get?” – Answered Online by Calculator on NewRetirement. com Website



NewRetirement LLC has added a new feature to their website’s analysis of retirement services – a reverse mortgage calculator. The calculator estimates the reverse mortgage loan amount a senior can expect to receive from reverse mortgage lenders.



San Francisco, California (PRWEB) January 5, 2006



Repeated questions from callers asking “so how much do I qualify for” now are answered online with NewRetirement. com’s reverse mortgage calculator. Retirees will find the new reverse mortgage information online in website’s analysis of reverse mortgages (http://www. newretirement. com/Services/Reverse_Mortgage. aspx (http://www. newretirement. com/Services/Reverse_Mortgage. aspx)).



Unlike a typical home mortgage or mortgage refinance (sometimes called ‘forward mortgages’), a reverse mortgage doesn’t require repayment as long as the homeowner remains in their primary residence. The money provided by a reverse mortgage lender can improve a senior’s cash flow, effectively increasing their retirement income. For those hoping to retire and age in place, but facing increasing expenses, such as healthcare costs, a reverse mortgage can be an attractive option. The first question many have on their mind is: “what kind of income can I get from a reverse mortgage?”



To provide an estimate of the reverse mortgage loan amount for which a senior can qualify, the calculator requires the homeowners’ zip code, birth date and estimated home value. If the senior homeowner inputs optional data, their mortgage balance and payments, the online calculator provides a more detailed estimate of the impact on their current income.



Seniors may have a surprise in store – often, reverse mortgage loans provide less than they expect. A common misconception is the loan amount available will be around eighty percent of the home equity. In fact, the percentage of the home’s equity available varies with each borrower. This is because the amount of a reverse mortgage is dependent upon the following four factors: 1. the borrowers age (minimum age 62); 2. current interest rates; 3. the appraised value of the house or the government mandated mortgage lending limits for the borrowers locale, whichever is lower; and 4. the type of reverse mortgage selected. The reverse mortgage calculator considers all these factors to calculate an estimated loan amount.



The reverse mortgage calculator at NewRetirement. com shows the amount available from the three most well known types of reverse mortgages: the HECM (Home Equity Conversion Mortgage) administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Federal Housing Administration (HUD-FHA); the Home Keeper Mortgage® administered by Fannie Mae; and the Financial Freedom™ Cash Account ™ from Financial Freedom Senior Funding Corporation. These types of reverse mortgages are available from most reverse mortgage lenders.



To demonstrate the range of possible outcomes specific examples are helpful. As a first scenario using a HECM, the HUD reverse mortgage, an 85 year old prospective borrower with no mortgage lives in their median priced home in San Francisco, today appraised at $750,000. They would qualify for about $230,000 in a lump sum or line of credit; or a monthly payment of about $2000 – a significant sum, but not eighty percent of the appraised value. If the same borrower were instead 62 years old, they would qualify for a lump sum of about $156,000 or they could choose payments of $900 per month. However, if the 62 year old borrower had a mortgage balance of $156,000 or more, they wouldn’t qualify at all. The existing forward mortgage balance would exceed the available reverse mortgage loan amount – needed to pay off the forward mortgage. Alternatively, in the first scenario, the 85 year old with no mortgage would also qualify for the Financial Freedom™ Cash Account™, which could provide the most funds of all three, about $350,000 in a lump sum or line of credit. Generally, the more home equity and more years of age a senior has, the larger loan amount they will qualify for.



Fortunately, if retirees use this reverse mortgage calculator, they can see all this information laid out in an easy to read chart and compare the options available to them. Hopefully, the outcome will help them fulfill their retirement plans.



In addition to an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of a reverse mortgage, the NewRetirement website provides analysis of a variety of other retirement planning financial services and products: mortgage refinancing, debt consolidation, annuities, relocation, financial advisors, supplemental health care insurance and long term care insurance. NewRetirement also offers a proprietary data analysis engine, presented in the form of a retirement calculator. This free retirement calculator interactively responds to visitors’ input with customized presentation of financial planning options matched to their specific situation.



About NewRetirement LLC.



NewRetirement LLC was founded in 2004. NewRetirement’s management team is made up of people that have experience and education from several nationally-known organizations. Among these companies are: Charles Schwab, JP Morgan, Embark. com, Wells Fargo, E-Trade, The Princeton Review, BusinessWire, AllAdvantage. com, Insurance. com, Viant Consulting, Williams Sonoma, Seer Technologies (IBM/First Boston), and US Web among many others. Among the educational institutions are: Stanford' s Graduate School of Business Administration, the University of Michigan' s Graduate School of Business Administration, Boston University, Haverford College, Carnegie Mellon and several others.



NewRetirement. com's corporate headquarters is located at 625 Market Street, Suite 1600, San Francisco, California 94105. Paul Lowrey, Director of Marketing, can be reached at 415-738-2435. Email inquires email should be sent via the site’s Contact Us page. The website URL is www. newretirement. com.



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Hanley Wood Launches Green Products and Technology Media Franchise Web Site

Hanley Wood Launches Green Products and Technology Media Franchise Web Site



Hanley Wood, LLC, the leading media and information company serving the residential construction market, announces the launch of its Green Products and Technology network Web site.



Washington, DC (PRWEB) March 5, 2008



Hanley Wood, LLC, the leading media and information company serving the residential construction market, announces the launch of its Green Products and Technology network Web site greenproductsandtechnology. com (http://www. greenproductsandtechnology. com/).



The Web site is the most recent addition to Hanley Wood's GREEN PRODUCTS AND TECHNOLOGY media franchise, complementing its GREEN PRODUCTS AND TECHNOLOGY magazine that launched in January. GreenProductsandTechnology. com includes content that offers building professionals practical advice and guidance (http://www. greenproductsandtechnology. com/green-design-and-building/), leading them to the best solutions for their green projects. It answers the most important question facing them: What products (http://www. greenproductsandtechnology. com/environmentally-friendly-products/) should I use and where can I find them?



"Green building and sustainable design will represent a $45 billion market by 2010, with 10% of all homes built qualifying as green," says Peter Goldstone, President of Hanley Wood Business Media. "Hanley Wood has the editorial strength and depth to reach the key professionals who will build this market with the information they need."



GreenProductsandTechnology. com offers information on new products and technologies, plus in-depth articles on trends and techniques (http://www. greenproductsandtechnology. com/green-news/) in the areas of energy efficiency, resource conservation, and health and comfort. It includes daily content updates as well as stories from the magazine.



Hanley Wood's GREEN PRODUCTS AND TECHNOLOGY media franchise is a multi-media editorial platform for the growing number of building professionals who are seeking more and more information and guidance as they move into green building markets.



It includes:

GREEN PRODUCTS AND TECHNOLOGY (http://www. greenproductsandtechnology. com/toc/2008/winter2008.aspx), a quarterly magazine with product information, case studies on innovative green homes and best practices data for 35,000 builders, remodelers and residential architects identified as active in green building. Green Products News, a bi-weekly email newsletter delivering the latest product information and news to builders, remodelers and residential architects. EcoHome Expo & Conference (http://www. ecohomeexpo. com/EcoHome08/public/enter. aspx), a new expo for the residential construction industry by Hanley Wood Exhibitions in Austin, Texas, October 22 - 24. The Expo will feature conference programming and exhibits, along with networking and interactive opportunities. EcoHome Expo & Conference will serve residential construction industry professionals focused on a greener tomorrow.



Editorial content for the magazine and Web site is managed by two award-winning Hanley Wood editors: Jean Dimeo, Editorial Director of ebuild and BUILDING PRODUCTS, and Rick Schwolsky, Chief Editor of TOOLS OF THE TRADE and EL NUEVO CONSTRUCTOR. As a newspaper reporter and magazine editor, Dimeo has covered home building and remodeling, and building products and technologies for more than two decades. Schwolsky began his professional life as president of his own building company specializing in energy-efficient homes. He also co-authored The Builder's Guide to Solar Construction and has been a frequent speaker and consultant on energy-efficient construction. Kyle Gustafson serves as Senior Web Editor, and Robb Crocker is Senior Editor, Online.



"Consumers are demanding high-performance, energy-efficient, healthy homes," says Dimeo. "Hanley Wood has traditionally been at the forefront of providing building pros with the latest, most comprehensive information on how to improve their businesses and better serve their customers, and GREEN PRODUCTS AND TECHNOLOGY magazine, Web site and e-newsletter follow in that tradition."



The Web dite is the first Hanley Wood Business Media Web site to take advantage of the company's new content management system (CMS), which uses the Tridion platform. The CMS gives Web editors far more flexibility in how and when they add or update online content.



About Hanley Wood:

Hanley Wood, LLC, is the premier media and information company serving housing and construction. Through four operating divisions, the company produces award-winning magazines and Web sites, marquee trade shows and events, rich data and custom marketing solutions. The company also is North America's leading publisher of home plans. Hanley Wood Business Media (Washington, D. C.), publishes 36 award-winning residential and commercial construction titles, including Builder, Remodeling, Architect, Concrete, Construction, and Residential Architect. Hanley Wood Business Media also offers the construction industry's foremost collection of Web sites, including BUILDER ONLINE, REMODELING ONLINE, and ebuild, the comprehensive online guide to building products, as well as the largest collection of house plans online through eplans. com and Dream Home Source.



Founded in 1976, Hanley Wood is a $250 million company owned by affiliates of JPMorgan Partners, LLC. CCMP Capital Advisors manages the Hanley Wood investment for JPMorgan Partners.



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Pace Harmon Reminds Buyers to Review Outsourcing Contract Commitments for Optimal Performance in 2010

Pace Harmon Reminds Buyers to Review Outsourcing Contract Commitments for Optimal Performance in 2010



Outsourcing advisory services firm Pace Harmon says annual contract assessment and action plan are key to realizing the full value of outsourcing agreements and recommends that enterprises review each outsourcing contract’s active obligations to ensure optimal pricing and performance. The company today released a report on the topic, “Kick Off the New Year with a Thorough Review of Contractual Obligations and Commitments,” which outlines 18 areas of review.



Vienna, VA (PRWEB) January 19, 2010



With 2010 getting into full swing, Pace Harmon (http://www. paceharmon. com)—an outsourcing advisory services (http://paceharmon. com/service_lines/outsourcing_advisory. html) firm—recommends that enterprises engaged in current outsourcing agreements perform a thorough review of each contract’s active obligations to ensure optimal pricing and performance going forward. The company today released a report on the outsourcing contract (http://paceharmon. com/service_lines/outsourcing_advisory. html) topic, “Kick Off the New Year with a Thorough Review of Contractual Obligations and Commitments,” which outlines 18 key areas of review.



“Outsourcing deals that meet the originally intended goals are successful because the contract was well governed from the start. This is best accomplished through a back-to-basics approach with regular reviews of contract provisions to ensure that the services delivered match the services contracted,” said Marc Tanowitz, principal, Pace Harmon. “The results more than speak for themselves, as companies that engage in the proactive contract reviews have the potential to generate significant ongoing hard savings and soft benefits.”



In addition to the potential performance and pricing impacts, the report explains that a contract commitment review allows buyers to ensure that metrics, measurements and reports provide meaningful insight into the operations and results and an opportunity to better understand the outsourced operations. The effort can make a healthy deal more productive, provide a platform for productive interactions for deals that are not yet achieving their expected benefits and minimize transition risk for buyers that are considering provider changes.



Pace Harmon’s report outlines 18 key considerations including: Resource and Productivity Commitments; Pricing and Fees; Pass-Through Expenses; Continuous Improvement Plans, Benchmarking, SLAs and Reporting; Processes and Procedures Documentation; Audits; Technology Configuration; Resource Certifications; Document and Data Storage/Retention; Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery Plan and Procedures; User Access; Key Personnel; Competitors; Governance Cadence and Anticipated Business Changes.



Pace Harmon’s clients include Fortune 500 and select high growth middle-market companies spanning industries such as Telecommunications, Health Care, Financial Services, Manufacturing, Technology, and Energy.



To download a full copy of the report, click here (http://www. paceharmon. com/docs/Kickoff%20the%20New%20Year%20With%20Active%20Contract%20Review_01112020.pdf) or visit www. paceharmon. com.



About Pace Harmon

Pace Harmon is an outsourcing advisory services firm providing guidance on complex outsourcing and strategic sourcing transactions, process optimization, and supplier program management. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Tysons Corner, Va., Pace Harmon provides pragmatic and insightful advice that helps its client base of Fortune 500 and other large enterprises maximize the benefits achieved from their mission-critical supplier relationships. For more information, please visit www. paceharmon. com.



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Moms Get Their Own Action Figure Hard Working Mommies Celebrated with SuperMom, the Mother of All Toys

Moms Get Their Own Action Figure Hard Working Mommies Celebrated with SuperMom, the Mother of All Toys



SuperMom, a 6-inch plastic mommy action figure by HappyWorker. com. This crazy busy family and career juggling heroine comes complete with interchangeable happy and frazzled heads, a mood swinging baby, 8 ‘weapons’ of mommy might, an owner’s manual, and her own collection of motherly superpowers and vulnerabilities.



Toronto, ON (PRWEB) May 11, 2006



They manage baby boss temper tantrums by night and meet grownup boss deadlines by day, juggling children and careers in an ongoing pursuit of work-life balance. Now, hard working moms have their own toy heroine – the SuperMom™ Action Figure. SuperMom’s the newest arrival in a line of fun ‘everyday superhero’ action figures, created by the indie toy inventors at Happy Worker.



Just like real-life modern moms, this crazily busy mini plastic mommy morphs between home mode and career mode. SuperMom comes equipped with 8 ‘weapons’ of mommy might, stands 6-inches tall, and has her own superpowers, vulnerabilities, and owner’s manual. She can be posed in lots of fun mothering positions and situations.



“Today, nearly three-quarters of moms are in the workforce, surrounded by a world that has yet to figure out how to best combine family and career” said Shirley Yee, co-creator of SuperMom and co-owner of Happy Worker. “SuperMom’s a little light-hearted mommy worship for all those managing kids and work while standing on their head.”



SuperMom’s ‘weapons’ of mommy might include interchangeable happy and frazzled heads, a mood swinging baby (aka little angel or mini monster), work / home lifeline, super long to-do list, tasty but healthy snacks, magical carryall, and choice of fashionable footwear (work heels and casual mothering shoes). SuperMom was created with help from moms and toy geeks.



With a suggested retail price of $14.99, the SuperMom Action Figure is available online and at select specialty stores - see www. happyworker. com (http://www. happyworker. com) for store locations. Happy Worker’s big kid action figures also include GeekMan™, BossMan™ and MoneyMan™.



On the Web :



> SuperMom FAQs (http://www. happyworker. com/supermom/faqs. html)



> Fun Mom Facts (http://www. happyworker. com/supermom/facts. html)



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Avoid Halloween Calories with Strategies from TOPS

Avoid Halloween Calories with Strategies from TOPS



When Halloween treats start to cast a spell, TOPS Club Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) can help ward off unwanted pounds with timely coping suggestions.



Milwaukee, WI (Vocus) October 6, 2009



When Halloween treats start to cast a spell, TOPS Club Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) can help ward off unwanted pounds with timely coping suggestions.



To manage temptation, try the following “out of sight, out of mind” tips:

Buy treats that aren’t so enticing. If chocolate is a food trigger, buy only gummy treats or small boxes of raisins to distribute to trick-or-treaters. Remove excess candy corn and other sweets immediately after trick-or-treat hours end. Give treats to a food pantry, homeless shelter, or, if needed, toss surplus candy in the garbage. Turn the refrigerator or pantry door into a roadblock rather than an entry point. Decorate it with a frightful image of a monster ready to terrorize a food plan, or a cute orange curtain that literally blocks the way into the vault of food.



Remember that Halloween treats can include non-food items. Halloween fun lasts longer when kids receive:



Stickers, colorful shoelaces, or small containers of bubbles from a party store or dollar store. New pencils – orange or black – to use at school, along with shaped erasers. Pennies, perhaps wrapped in appropriately “slime green” cellophane wrap. Join In the Festivities, Sensibly



There’s no need to avoid Halloween parties. During trick-or-treat hours or at costume events, get in the spirit of the season by wearing toy plastic “fangs.” Others will love the fun, theatrical look, and the mouthpiece will keep you from overindulging in treats.



A tip to limit sugar, suggested by TOPS member Viola Jarvis, outlines how to eat just one cookie. This method, which can make a cookie last 15 to 20 minutes, satisfies a craving for sugar while adding minimal calories. Follow these four steps:



Buy the kind of sandwich cookie that has frosting in the middle. Twist the cookie apart and lick each side slowly until the cream is gone. This will take several minutes and provide a mindful sugary sensation. Nibble the two cookie halves in tiny bites, enjoying the texture of crumbs being chewed and swallowed. Halloween Baking



Costume the top of the following recipe with dollops of fat-free whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. Another festive look is to put jack-o’-lantern faces on each serving. Just before serving, tint fat-free whipped cream with orange food coloring, and frost the cake with it. Dot each serving with raisins for eyes and add pineapple tidbits for a crooked grin.



Pumpkin Cake *



4 eggs, beaten

Three-fourths cup sugar

One-fourth cup canola oil

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 30-ounce can pumpkin pie filling

3 cups whole-wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon cinnamon, or to taste

Three-fourths cup raisins

One-fourth cup chopped walnuts



Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix eggs, sugar, oil, applesauce, and pumpkin. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Combine wet and dry ingredients just until moistened. Add raisins and nuts. Spoon batter into two loaf pans or one Bundt pan. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Makes 16 servings.



*This recipe can also be converted into cupcakes for handy individual servings. Lessen cooking time as needed.



TOPS Club Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), the original, nonprofit weight-loss education and support organization, was established more than 61 years ago to champion weight-loss support and success. Founded and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., TOPS promotes successful weight management with a philosophy that combines healthy eating, regular exercise, wellness education, and support from others at weekly chapter meetings. TOPS has about 170,000 members in nearly 10,000 chapters throughout the United States and Canada, and several chapters in Europe.



Visitors are welcome to attend their first TOPS meeting free of charge. To find a local chapter, view TOPS Web site or call (800) 932-8677 for more information.



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Core Utility Solutions Wins "Most Improved Contractor" Award

Core Utility Solutions Wins "Most Improved Contractor" Award



Core Utility Solutions, one of the UK's leading multi utility infrastructure companies, is celebrating after being named as Most Improved Contractor 2008 by West Lothian Council. Core won the award as part of the council's Considerate Contractors Scheme.



Glasgow, Scotland (PRWEB) September 8, 2008



Core Utility Solutions, one of the UK's leading multi utility infrastructure companies (http://www. core. uk. com/OUR%20SOLUTIONS/multi-utility), is celebrating after being named as Most Improved Contractor 2008 by West Lothian Council. Core won the award as part of the council's Considerate Contractors Scheme.



The programme is designed to promote roadworks excellence and reduce inconvenience and frustration to road users and pedestrians during the installation of new gas, electricity, water and telecoms connections.



The award is testament to the hard work Core has put in over the past year to ensure that and gas, water and electricity connections (http://www. core. uk. com/OUR%20SOLUTIONS/multi-utility/Gas,-Water-and-Electricity) as well as new telecoms supplies cause as little interruption on roads and streets as possible. The company has worked with the Council's Road Services department to consistently improve safety, value and service on its streetworks.



As part of the scheme, contractors are subject to inspections of roadworks sites throughout the county whilst carrying out gas, water and electricity utilities work. Results are reported on a monthly basis to ensure companies constantly adhere to a high standard of work. Instrumental in Core's win was its Broxburn team and engineering staff at the company's Tannochside base. Each have worked to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum and improve works on the public road network during the installation of utility supplies. The award was presented to Stuart Love and Keith Hogg from Core by Councillor Peter Johnston.



Peter Jones, UK Construction Director from Core said: "This is a fantastic achievement for Core. The award reflects our commitment to ensuring we are consistently building on our performance and achieving good results."



"Health and safety is of the utmost importance to Core, as is building on our reputation for delivering high quality gas, electricity, water and telecoms supplies."



The Considerate Contractor scheme is part of West Lothian Council's Capital Programme, set up in 2005 to ensure money invested in improving the roads in West Lothian is spent in the most cost effective way. Core has shown that it strives to be a first class supplier of residential and commercial utilities (http://www. core. uk. com/INDUSTRIAL-AND-COMMERCIAL) and winning this award will set a benchmark to many competitors.



About us: Core (http://www. core. uk. com) is known as one of the leading utilities companies in the UK. As a subsidiary of Scottish Power and the Iberdrola Group, Core has completed a wide range of development projects, including residential utilities, retail and industrial utilities, as well as sports stadia and leisure parks.

Core offers a wide range of bespoke utility services. Including gas, electricity, water and telecoms connections and serves an impressive client list, expertly satifisfying property developers and contractors across the UK.



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