Monday, January 15, 2007

Jobs Data Does Not Point to Fed Cuts

Jobs Data Does Not Point to Fed Cuts

They say appearances can be deceiving, and the September payroll employment report serves as a nice empirical test. According to the top-line job count, the U.S. economy added 51,000 net new payroll jobs in September, well below the expected 125,000, but estimates for July and August were revised up by a combined 62,000 jobs.

The heavy hand of a slowing housing market is all over the September jobs report -- payrolls of residential special trade contractors dropped by 17,500, manufacturers of ...

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Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Godwin Heights: Middle school has parents room

Godwin Heights: Middle school has parents room

WYOMING -- When the doors open to Room 117 at Godwin Heights Middle School in November, parents won't find a typical classroom.

Instead of desks, the room will feature living room furniture, a computer with Internet service, a phone and bookshelves filled with parenting literature.

The school is using a $3,000 grant from the National Association of Elementary School Principals and MetLife Foundation to convert an unused classroom into a resource room for parents.

Principal Nkenge Bergan is one of 30 principals nationwide, and the only one in Michigan, to receive a grant through the Sharing the Dream program, an initiative to build closer relationships between schools and communities.

The goal of the "Parents in the Middle" program is to motivate parents to become more involved in their children's education, Bergan said.



Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Note to self: Music is fun

Note to self: Music is fun

The only paying gig I'd had was as a wedding singer, once. I sang Love is Better the Second Time Around for an elderly couple whose previous spouses had died. It was hardly a stellar debut in show business.

When I returned home to Canada I decided to stop singing and enrolled at the University of Victoria to focus on writing, another passion.

Two university degrees and nearly 10 years later, I am a journalist. Bar the odd hymn at church, I hadn't sung in what felt like forever. That is until a few weeks ago, when I joined the Victoria Philharmonic Choir as one of its newest sopranos.

I got the invitation to audition for the choir from its manager, Anne Mullens, a fellow journalist and former choirgirl, who had recently turned choir advocate after establishing a successful career, marriage and kids.


Wednesday, November 22, 2006

ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR | MELANIE BASS

ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR | MELANIE BASS

SCOUNDRELS AND SCALLYWAGS GHOST WALK: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Oct. 20, Broad River Greenway, N.C. 150, three miles south of Boiling Springs. Walking tour with a series of eerie tales about the spirits who roam the banks of the Broad River. Recommended for ages 8 and above. Refreshments at the end of the walk. $1 in advance, order at www.broadrivergreenway.com. $2 the night of the walk. Presented in conjunction with the Greater Shelby Community Theater. 704-434-2357.FUR, FANGS AND FEATHERS FALL FESTIVAL: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 28, Crowders Mountain State Park, 522 Park Office Lane, Kings Mountain. Bats from the Schiele Museum, storytelling and s'mores around a campfire, car demonstration by the Gastonia Police, Crowders Mountain Volunteer Fire and Rescue children's safety smoke house and fire engine, N.C.


Sunday, November 12, 2006

Krasnodar Territory

Krasnodar Territory

Krasnodar Territory is located in the western part of the Greater Caucasus and on the Kuban-Azov (Kuban) Plain. It is the southernmost Russian region. The territory was formed on September 13, 1937. It has an area of 76 000 km2 and a population of over 5 million. It is divided into 38 administrative districts and includes 26 cities and 24 urban communities. The capital is Krasnodar. The Republic of Adygea is also part of Krasnodar Territory.

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Monday, October 30, 2006

Fanfare: Green, Blue and Red

Fanfare: Green, Blue and Red

It needs to be said: The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust not only has transformed Downtown's seedy tenderloin district into a magnificent, white-hot culture scene that hums with show-stopping entertainment, theaters and art galleries, it has nurtured a stunning rebirth of the Golden Triangle. Top restaurants and clubs are flourishing. The lights are much brighter there, and the heart of the city is beating once more.

Now the Trust has commissioned Concord Eastridge and a world-class design team to develop RiverParc, a spectacular six-acre, $460 million project overlooking the Allegheny River that's destined to become the smartest address in town. Everyone is just thrilly-thrilled about the new metropolis and Friday's soiree celebrated its launch.

"At Home in the District," as planned by Nancy Byrnes, asked nearly 500 guests to live green, view blue and paint the town red in a tented pavilion on the actual site.


Saturday, October 14, 2006

Moving all about planning and budgeting — and expecting ...

Moving all about planning and budgeting — and expecting ...

When the military notified Capt. Cesar Romero in January that he would be reassigned from Elmendorf AFB in Alaska to Randolph AFB, his family commenced a relocation plan they had honed during four previous moves.

Cesar and his wife, Ming, began saving at least $300 extra per month. They used the Internet to find a San Antonio area school district with good test scores for daughter Megan, 13, and son Cesar, 9, and to buy a house in that district.

They sorted household items and prepared to sell their home in Alaska and the family's second SUV — all to stay within the moving allotments provided by the Air Force. In their case, the military would pay to ship up to 12,000 pounds of household items and $4,500 to transport one car.

Theirs is a scene faced by thousands of military families each year.