Central Vermont Public Service today announced a $10,000 company donation and $100,000 in matching funds for CVPS Shareheat, a last-resort program that provides emergency fuel assistance to hundreds of Vermont families each year.‘With federal cutbacks in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, Shareheat will be more important than ever this winter,’ CVPS spokesman Steve Costello said. ‘As a result, CVPS is making a special $10,000 donation to Shareheat, in addition to a pledge of $100,000 in funds to match customer contributions dollar for dollar.’The $10,000 grant will be divided and paid immediately to five community action agencies that administer Shareheat funds, with the $100,000 going out as customer contributions are received and matched this winter. The matching pool will also include $21,000 contributed by the Vermont Country Store and Passumpsic Savings Bank, which have made significant donations to help those in need. The Vermont Country Store contributed $16,000 and Passumpsic Savings Bank donated $5,000 toward the matching pool this year.‘VCS and Passumpsic have been steadfast supporters of Shareheat for many years. These funds will be critically important this winter, serving as the last resort for community action agencies working with Vermonters in need,’ Costello said. ‘They are available to Vermonters who face heating crises yet have never sought assistance and suddenly find themselves in need of help, and folks who have exhausted all other forms of assistance or who do not qualify for other assistance.’Businesses that would like to join The Vermont Country Store and Passumpsic Savings Bank as Shareheat Business Partners should contact Costello at CVPS.Contributions from customers should be made payable to the CVPS Shareheat Fund. Donations may be mailed with a CVPS payment, or sent separately to CVPS Shareheat, 77 Grove St., Rutland, VT 05701.Vermonters who need help with a winter heating crisis should contact their local community action agency for assistance.CVPS Shareheat was created in 1987, and has provided and leveraged millions of dollars in heating aid over the years. CVPS initially provided $50,000 annually in matching funds, but has increased the company’s matching donation, which comes from shareholders, in recent years.All Shareheat funds go directly to the five community action agencies within the CVPS service territory. Each donation is directed back to the donor’s community, so their contribution helps their neighbors. Matching dollars are applied on a first-come, first-served basis.CVPS 12.27.2011 read more
17SHARESShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr When anything solid turns into a gas without first becoming liquid, that’s sublimation, according to Wikipedia. When the surface layer of snow or ice turns into fog or steam without melting, this is an example of sublimation. What does this have to do with payments? If the topic is Internet of Things (IoT) then sublimation is the word thrown around a lot to describe the disappearance of the financial institutions’ branding.The IoT is pushing the payment to the background. Once a person sets up a card in the IoT to use for payments (like pushing the Amazon dash button to reorder detergent, or asking Alexa to order a pizza), then every time you want something, the payment is already in place – which is a great convenience for the consumer, but a major challenge to a credit union that wants to move up their card in the virtual or digital wallet. And even more importantly, not only is the payment already in place, but it’s “hidden” during the transaction, changeable only through a buried menu item. The physical plastic card has been turned into a concealed payment capability – sublimation has occurred! When a consumer is ready to make a purchase, how does the credit union ensure that their payment card, be it credit, debit or virtual card or tokenized payment, is top of mind or top of wallet? continue reading » read more
Read also: Meikarta plans to sell 25% more apartments this yearMeikarta spokesman Danang Kemayan Jati denied the Bekasi administration’s finding, saying in a statement that the company only employed 86 Chinese citizens “who worked as either supervisors or key specialists.”Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician and Bekasi Legislative Council (DPRD) member Budiyanto raised the issue when he told journalists on Tuesday that thousands of Chinese citizens were working illegally on the Meikarta project.He told kompas.com that the estimate was based on information from locals and a “trusted source”, who claimed around 200 Chinese citizens were working on Meikarta’s 15 under-construction towers.The law forbids companies in Indonesia from employing foreigners as blue-collar workers.President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is slated to sign into law a landmark omnibus bill on job creation this year. Topics : The Bekasi administration is looking into allegations of Chinese citizens working illegally at Lippo Group’s Meikarta township project in the West Java regency, after a politician’s comment raised concerns over the issue.Bekasi Workforce Agency head Suhup said his side had conducted health checks on 83 out of 267 documented Chinese workers amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. The checks were carried out when the agency “got word that the workers not only worked as supervisors but also as blue-collar workers,” he went on to say.“Not all foreign workers on the Meikarta project are undocumented,” Suhuf told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. “However, we are looking into the allegations.” read more
The Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG), which advises the Church of England on ethical investment, has tightened its recommended investment restrictions.From July, the revenue threshold on investment exclusions – i.e. the maximum percentage of revenue a company can earn from a certain activity before it is removed from the stock lists of the Church’s investment funds – is to be no more than 10%, a reduction on the previous 25% threshold.Activities covered by the restriction include tobacco, gambling, high-interest-rate lending and human embryonic cloning.While this limit represents a default across all investments, some activities have lower thresholds. There is a 3% threshold for pornography, while there is zero tolerance for indiscriminate weapons, such as nuclear arms and land mines.Edward Mason, secretary at the EIAG, said: “The 25% threshold is historic and has been used for many years. But screening has become much more sophisticated, [allowing] us to do this.”The Church invests through three bodies: the Church Commissioners, whose endowment fund is worth £6.1bn (€10.2bn); the Church of England Pensions Board (CEPB); and the CBF Church of England Funds, investing on behalf of churches and dioceses.Most of the Church’s investments are directly held, with MSCI ESG Research providing screening.The threshold reduction follows a review requested by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Church’s spiritual leader, after the Church Commissioners were found last year to have invested indirectly in payday loan company Wonga.Mason said the new restrictions would not have prevented the exposure to Wonga, which was in a pooled fund and thus could not have been screened in the same way as direct holdings.He said: “Exposure to restricted investments, like Wonga, can occur in pooled funds, and the EIAG accepts this.”However, the EIAG will publish a policy on pooled funds this autumn.It will not bar their use but give recommendations on how to manage the risk of exposure to restricted investments.In its annual review, the EIAG also announced that during 2013 it instructed votes for the Church Commissioners and CEPB on more than 30,000 resolutions at around 3,000 company meetings.In relation to resolutions on executive remuneration packages, the EIAG withheld support – i.e. voted against or abstained – in more than 70% of cases, including WPP and Barclays.In terms of corporate engagement, the EIAG’s successes during 2013 included all three major UK-listed supermarkets – Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons – for the first time publishing alcohol policies acknowledging the potential for alcohol to cause harm.And a major telecommunications company, following engagement with EIAG, stopped promoting pornography on its mobile handsets in the UK. read more
The property at 15 Ivy St, Indooroopilly, sold for $3.475m.A RIVERFRONT Indooroopilly home sold for an eye-watering $3,475,000 in the first day of inspections. The living room flows outside.Mr Johnston said the bottom of the market will continue to be pushed up as interstate buyers continue to flock to the region due to more affordable prices.“Once the buyers from Sydney and Melbourne really start arriving en masse that will drive our market,” he said. “They’re cashed up and ready to go.”According to CoreLogic, the median house sale price for Indooroopilly is $1,005,000. The million dollar view from the balcony at 15 Ivy St, Indooroopilly.Johnston Dixon agent John Johnston said they received an enormous amount of interest in the 15 Ivy St home after sending out a memo to clients on their database.“People were practically climbing over the counter,” Mr Johnston said. More from newsDigital inspection tool proves a property boon for REA website3 Apr 2020The Camira homestead where kids roamed free28 May 2019“The first person that saw it bought it and no one else got the chance.” There are even views of the Brisbane river from the master bedroom.Mr Johnston said a shortage of homes on the riverfront that didn’t flood contributed to the swift sale.“That price is absolute entry-level for something like that on the river that doesn’t flood,” he said.“There is nothing on the market and we could probably sell that home 20 times over.” read more
More from newsCrowd expected as mega estate goes under the hammer7 Aug 2020Hard work, resourcefulness and $17k bring old Ipswich home back to life20 Apr 2020There is an open fire and polished Jarrah floorboards.Mr Howard had been searching for a property in the area for some time and fell in love with the home the moment he stepped in the door.“It was one of those experiences where you walk in and you think ‘I’ve got to have this’,” he said. The bedroom at 361 Cavendish Rd, Coorparoo.The owner struck gold after ripping up the carpet in the home and finding solid Jarrah timber floorboards beneath it.“The floors have been polished and we have maintained all the existing character,” he said.“It’s a beautiful in architectural style and the quality of the build was fantastic.”Mr Howard said they did, however, update the kitchen and bathroom, as well as installing airconditioning.A sunroom at the front of the home is Mr Howard’s favourite to kick back and relax in.“It is warm in the winter, cool in the summer and the light is beautiful.“Old architects knew how to build a house to take advantage of the weather.“It’s nice to sit there, having a drink with a nice cool breeze blowing through the louvres.” The home at 361 Cavendish Rd, Coorparoo, is for sale.A RARE opportunity to own a home designed by a famed 20th century architect has arisen as its owners move on.Michael Howard has enjoyed the 1931 Spanish revival home at 361 Cavendish Rd for the past four years and is hoping its next owner will love it as much as he has. The home has french doors.“It’s a gorgeous feeling house,” Mr Howard said.“It’s like a little fairy cottage.”The home was designed by architect Eric Trewern, renowned for a number of homes he designed around the city, including 4 Welwyn Cres, Coorparoo, which recently sold for a suburb record of more than $5 million. The leadlight windows have great detail.While Mr Howard has not made any structural changes to the home, he set out to restore it to its former glory. read more
Subsea World News has put together a recap of the most interesting articles from the previous week (May 15– May 21). Eni has started gas production from the Jangkrik Development Project, offshore Indonesia.Production from ten deepwater subsea wells, connected to the newly built Floating Production Unit (FPU) ‘Jangkrik’, will gradually reach 450 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d), equivalent to 83,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed). The US oilfield services major Halliburton elected Jeff Miller, the company’s president and a board member, to the position of president and CEO.Dave Lesar, who has led Halliburton as chairman and CEO since 2000, will continue serving the company as executive chairman. The leadership changes are effective June 1, 2017. Oceaneering has been awarded a contract to provide services and products to support the design, fabrication and installation of ancillary flowline hardware for the Appomattox development in the Gulf of Mexico for Shell.The scope of work for ancillary flowline hardware will include the procurement and installation of pre-lay and post-lay crossing mattresses, flowline jumper fabrication and installation, manifold installation, as well as the design, procurement, fabrication and installation of subsea buoyancy for flowline thermal expansion. Siem Offshore’s chief executive officer Idar Hillersøy has for personal reasons tendered his resignation, the company said on Monday.He will be replaced by Bernt Omdal, who is currently the head of chartering. Furthermore, Tore Lillestø has been appointed as chief operating officer of Siem Offshore Inc. Recently established Aberdeen-based subsea integrity consultancy, 1CSI (1 Consulting Subsea Integrity) has marked the launch of its business with a move into premises at the James Gregory Centre in the Aberdeen Innovation Park, Bridge of Don.The company was established in April by Matthew Kennedy and Aleksandra Tomaszek and offers solutions to global subsea challenges. read more
According to a rating by Max Prep Cup, Carmel High School was ranked 3rd in the nation for high school sports the past school year. Max Prep rates high schools based on how good they do in state championships. Bentonville, Arkansas, was rated number 1 for the second straight year. They were given 1,092 points on Max Preps rating scale. Second in the nation was Cardinal Gibbons High School of Raleigh, North Carolina. Their rating was 1,033 points.Coming in third was Carmel with 948 points. Carmel won state championships in volleyball, girls cross country, girls tennis, girls and boys swimming, and boys track. Also counting in these points was the school’s rankings in state championships for all sports. Carmel obviously had several state runner-ups, regional and sectional championships.I obtained most of my information for this article from Sports Illustrated. read more
A sad article appeared in the Indianapolis Star recently about Dylan Hess, a high school senior from North Putman High School. Hess played baseball, football, track and field. He was crushed to death when the vehicle he was driving wrecked on the way to a high school athletic practice. He was killed and his two teammates were slightly injured.A similar incident happened at Batesville last spring when a young athlete crashed his car on the way to practice. He fortunately survived the wreck, but was critically injured.I am in no way blaming either driver, because I was no where near where they happened. Most highway experts are worried about young drivers and their ability to recognize driving conditions when they suddenly appear. Here is where I think pushing back the driving age would help. Start drivers ed as they do now, but require an extra year of supervised driving. I am sure all of us are much better driving now than we were in our first year or two of being able to drive alone. There is no way drivers ed can ever present every driving condition you might run into. It is very hard to protect them. read more
New York: While a host of young rivals hope to disrupt the dominance of the “Big Three” in men’s tennis, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer remain the US Open favorites. The year’s final Grand Slam showdown starts Monday on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts with top-ranked Djokovic, 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer and Spanish superstar Nadal having combined to win the past 11 Grand Slam titles. Federer, 38, doesn’t see a problem with the dominance by the sport’s elder statesmen, who together own 54 of the past 65 Slam titles. “I don’t think it’s a problem, per se,” Federer said. “Now that Novak, Rafa and me are healthy again, Andy (Murray) also slowly coming back again, has made it much harder for young guys to come through. They are definitely knocking on the door big-time now. I think that’s very encouraging for those who want to see somebody else win. I think also Novak’s domination, Rafa’s domination is also not normal for the game of tennis. I think there’s going to be chances moving forward, but it’s not surprising with the type of tennis they’ve been playing in recent years.” Third-seeded Federer also throws in a chance for Swiss compatriot Stan Wawrinka, who like Britain’s injured Murray has won three Slam crowns during the “Big Three” reign, but figures a familiar face will be lifting the US Open trophy. “Yeah, it seems like the same guys are the favorites again this time around,” Federer said. “It will be a surprise if anybody else won.” Defending champion Djokovic, seeking a 17th career Grand Slam title, has won four of the past five Slams, denied only by Nadal’s French Open win in June. The 32-year-old Serbian says he has adjusted to the extra pressure of defending over the years. “It’s a paramount challenge to defend a Grand Slam title,” he said. “These are the tournaments you want to win the most. This is where you want to shine.” Nadal, 33, has made an impressive run with titles at Rome, the French Open and Montreal and a Wimbledon semi-final loss to Federer. “Arrive to the big events with good feelings helps,” Nadal said. “Positive feeling, positive memory on my mind. That helps for the confidence. For the moment I am feeling well. I am practicing well during the whole week. Now remain a couple of days to just push a little bit more and try to start the tournament in a good way.” Second-ranked Nadal, an 18-time Grand Slam winner who took his 12th French Open title in June, isn’t too excited over Federer and Djokovic both being in the opposite half of the draw. “I have to win my matches to have an advantage because I only can meet them in the semifinals,” Nadal said. “I have plenty of work before that to know if I have an advantage or not.” Medvedev, Thiem surging Russia’s Daniil Medvedev has enjoyed a stellar US Open run-up with a win at Cincinnati and runner-up efforts at Washington and Montreal. “I don’t consider myself as one of the favorites just because at this moment of my career I haven’t even been in a quarter-final of a Slam,” Medvedev said. “If I get to the quarter-final, it’s going to be already a step forward and I’m going to be really happy about it. When I play my best tennis I can beat basically everybody and that’s what I need to keep doing here.” Austrian fourth seed Dominic Thiem lost to Nadal in the Roland Garros final and will be a threat. “Every year he’s improving,” Nadal said. “Every day he’s very solid and every year is more solid. He has everything to win important events. He already is winning important events. He’s a very, very hard worker. Just a question of time that he achieve all his goals.” Germany’s sixth-ranked Alexander Zverev warns not to ignore other lower seeds such as Japan’s seventh-seeded Kei Nishikori, the 2014 US Open runner-up, and Greece’s eighth-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas. “There are a few guys that have a real shot to win it,” Zverev said. “Obviously the ‘Big Three’ we don’t need to talk about. Of course, Novak is the big favorite, no question about it, but there are other guys that have been playing great tennis. I think those guys will be able to do some damage.” Federer, however, wouldn’t mind stretching his lead over Djokovic and Nadal in the men’s all-time Grand Slam title race. “I’m not putting extra pressure on myself. I know it’s going to be tough,” Federer said. “I feel like I’m part of that group who can do it.” Roger Federer lost in the final of Wimbledon to Novak Djokovic.Novak Djokovic has won the Australian and Wimbledon titles.Rafael Nadal won his 12th French Open title. highlights For all the Latest Sports News News, Tennis News News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. read more