Vermont Family Business Initiative
BURLINGTON — The Vermont Family Business Initiative (VFBI), a program that has been assisting family and privately owned businesses in Vermont since 1998, announces its 2004-2005 forum series schedule as well as an addition to the Board of Advisors. The Vermont Family Business Initiative presents its own version of “Breakfast Theater.” This one-act play and ensuing discussion about a father and a son and the company they keep offers a fly-on-the-wall perspective about a business family facing many challenging issues. This event will take place on November 9 at the Inn at Essex in Essex, Vermont. A recent survey of family owned businesses by the Mass Mutual Financial Group discovered an unprecedented 39% of family owned businesses will experience leadership shifts in the next five years as CEOs retire. Of those businesses, only 37% of family businesses report having a strategic plan, while slightly more than half report knowing of the senior generations share-transfer intentions.The Vermont Family Business Initiative and Gravel and Shea are pleased to announce the addition of Margi Montgomery to the VFBI Board of Advisors, a seat previously occupied by Steve Magowan. Ms. Montgomerys areas of expertise include corporate and business law and planning, business entity formation, financing, leveraged buy-outs and mergers and acquisitions. Gravel and Shea is very excited about the forum series for the coming year. While all businesses are important to the local and national economy, family owned businesses represent a critical link to local control and economic development. The legal and financial challenges are daunting. The more we can foster healthy communication amongst the businesses and between generations, the greater our chances are of helping these businesses to succeed and remain locally owned, comments Ms. Montgomery. Family businesses account for 50% of gross domestic output and employ half of the U.S. workforce. As well, over one-third of Fortune 500 firms are controlled by families. However, many businesses do not endure as family businesses: 70% fail to make the transition to the second generation; 90% do not make it to the third. The goal of the Vermont Family Business Initiative is to give Vermont businesses the tools and support they need to compete in both the local and global arenas through a series of statewide forums and the free exchange of ideas.For more information, or to arrange for commentary on the challenges facing family businesses, please contact Daniel Van Der Vliet at 656-5897.
Spring Break!Riding bikes in other geographical areas is what vacation is all about, so I’m folding all sorts of fun into five days of bliss with my little boys. They will still be forced to eat peas and brush their teeth, but maybe they won’t notice because they’ll be having too much fun.We’ve got our eye on False Cape State Park in Virginia Beach for at least a couple of days playing on the beach and fishing. It’s a mile-long barrier spit that has no vehicular access. Lucky for us, bikes aren’t considered vehicles. Our first bike ride will be the road out to this beautiful island, crossing the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I keep trying to imagine camping there, but I’m afraid the 4-year-old will balk at having to ride with his gear for six miles. Stuffing him into the trailer will only tick him off now that he’s used to riding his own rig, whether it’s a tandem with me or his little 12-inch wheels. The 8-year-old will complain as much as usual, but that seems to be less of an issue when he’s pedaling. Maybe it’s because he’s too far away for me to hear?There’s lots to explore on this small bit of paradise with an old town developed in the 1800s by the survivors of a shipwreck, constructed from cypress washed ashore. The 4-year-old, who is obsessed with fishing and diving for sharks in all of his bedtime stories, is now terrified that he will see a shark. I assured him that seeing a shark is rare, that I’ve only seen one once in my whole life, and that I am certain the sharks aren’t in the area where we will be. With my luck, that will be the first thing we catch on a line once we’ve gotten there. I’d better plan for swimming before fishing. And more biking.Then there’s the environmental education center in case we get too hot or can’t find our own beach treasures, like shark teeth and horseshoe crabs.I guess I should throw a little boardwalk biking in there as well, visiting the popular beaches as long as it involves ice cream breaks for the kiddos and umbrella drinks for mommy. I am currently keeping a list of vacation items to pack. Suddenly I realize that I need a flask, so as not to be tempted to fill my hydration pack with tequila.Then there’s the military base. Of course this is one of the main reasons we are going to the Norfolk area. The big boy is obsessed with military crafts, especially ships. I know my way around the naval base after having been stationed there and look forward to showing him up close these impressive vessels. I’m hoping this can be done via bicycle as well, entirely avoiding parking problems.Now if only I could also bring the canoe…
By Juan Delgado / Diálogo October 17, 2019 The organization, a fish and seafood exporter, was charged with smuggling, tax evasion, and money laundering. Authorities estimate that the criminal activities caused the loss of more than $23 million to the Argentine Treasury between 2017 and 2019.Argentine authorities determined that the organization was made up of six companies that exported fish products at low prices to two companies in Uruguay belonging to the same Chinese group members in Argentina. The Federal Tax Administration (AFIP, in Spanish), which led the investigation, said the evasion tactics ended with the delivery of goods to companies in Brazil and China, rebilled at market prices.“For many years, [the organization] set up a complex transnational corporate structure that included over-invoicing operations among the companies to inflate costs, and under-invoicing foreign trade operations,” AFIP said in a press release. “In this way, they evaded millions of dollars in taxes, which had to be reintroduced into the economy through money laundering.”AFIP agents, in coordination with the Argentine Federal Police, raided 14 facilities in Buenos Aires province. The agents seized currency from 10 countries (more than $35,000 in cash), as well as cell phones, memory cards, and passports of Chinese nationals, which enabled them to dismantle the Chinese ring.“The actions of this criminal group are likely associated with the practices of so-called Chinese triads, organizations with roots on the continent and Hong Kong,” Sergio Cesarin, coordinator of the Center of Studies on Asia Pacific and India at the University of Tres de Febrero, Buenos Aires, told Diálogo. “This is very common with Chinese criminal organizations, which are deeply rooted in illegal gambling, weapons trafficking, and even narcotics.”Cesarin emphasized the vulnerability of the fisheries sector, which is also exploited through other criminal activities, such as illegal fishing or trafficking of endangered aquatic species. According to 2018 data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Argentina loses an estimated $2 million a year from illegal fishing.In a 2018 report, the investigative organization InSight Crime said that Chinese criminal groups have been operating for years out of Asian migrant communities in Latin America and that they were connected to larger structures in China.In 2016, Argentine authorities disrupted the largest Chinese organization in the country, the Pixiu group, linked to a powerful and violent mafia in China. The organization extorted some 300 local Chinese businesses, making up to $1.5 million per month, reported InSight Crime.Although the capture of the Pixiu leaders dealt a harsh blow to the Chinese mafia in Argentina, the investigative group said that criminal organizations are very adaptable. In November 2018, the Argentine Security Ministry said it had disrupted another Chinese ring that was also connected to the Chinese Pixiu group, which extorted Asian businesses in Buenos Aires province. In July 2019, the Argentine newspaper La Nación reported several attacks against Argentine shopkeepers in the same area, indicating that the Chinese mafia may be widening its targets.
Sign up for our COVID-19 newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest coronavirus news throughout New York Over the phone, Theresa Caputo, Long Island’s favorite medium, sounds like someone you might bump into on line at the supermarket: a voice dripping with Lawn Guyland-ese, a friendliness that pervades every turn of phrase, and a quick kinship born of someone who helps people heal for a living. Yet, we all know there’s something that sets her apart: She communicates with the dead.The star of a hit reality show on TLC, Long Island Medium, a New York Times bestselling author of two books, with a tour that takes her around the country channeling the souls of the dearly departed (which stops at NYCB Theatre at Westbury Dec. 17, 18, 19 & 20), not to mention being a wife and the mother to a couple of kids, it’s surprising Caputo has time to chit-chat with those on the other side. But she doesn’t choose when “Spirit” comes, she tells the Press. “Spirit” does the choosing.It could be when she’s out shopping, like just last Friday. She’d been out running some errands with her aunt, when the spirit of the salesman’s father came to her with a message. “Your father’s talking about a money clip,” she’d told him. It turned out that message had a two-pronged purpose. While Caputo conferred with the salesman, her aunt stood by, dumbfounded. “’Do you know that I have grandpa’s money clip?’” she asked.“That’s not really a common thing Spirit usually has me talk about,” Caputo explains. That day was, coincidentally, the anniversary of her grandfather’s death. Caputo’s aunt told her that the upcoming holidays—a tough time for those missing loved ones—will now be easier because of that message. “That one little thing about a money clip is life-changing,” Caputo says. “And that’s the incredible thing.”Caputo has been sensing Spirit from the time she was 4 years old, but didn’t come to learn how to translate what she describes as a sixth sense or strong intuition that serves as the communication mechanism Spirit speaks through. She doesn’t hear distinct voices or see images, rather she intuits signs and symbols that she translates to those who need to hear the message. Those messages could be full of significance that even she doesn’t understand. But that’s not the point—Caputo is the conduit. The messages are for others. Caputo has long understood that the messages she works to convey are only for the healing of those she speaks to. Mostly, they lift burdens from those still living.“The bottom line is that we’ve lost someone that we have to continue our lives without,” she confides. “And it’s sad and it’s hard. And we don’t know how to heal and move forward because we may be too busy beating ourselves up with burdens and guilt and shoulda, coulda, wouldas, and only-ifs. And then they come through and give us messages that we need to heal. To say ‘You know what? It’s okay. I want you to be able to move on.’”The healing that comes from these experiences, Caputo says, is life-changing. And it’s something that continues to amaze her, even after 10 years of being an active medium. “It’s just absolutely incredible,” she says, with her signature booming laugh. “I mean for me, in a theater out of 3,000 people, to stop and just look at someone, and start saying things, is mind-blowing. And it’s so unbelievable that people say, ‘She has to have planted somebody in the audience.’ Because it’s so crazy!”Indeed, searching Caputo online yields about as many fans singing praises as skeptics doubting her abilities—the latter alleging she utilizes vague questioning and “fishing” techniques or even investigates subjects’ social media profiles and records them in the lobbies of her appearances to learn important details about their lives.To them, Caputo gives little credence, though her voice betrays an emotion her words don’t let on.“Listen, people have a right to their own opinions,” she says, “but my gift has helped millions of people. And it has helped the ones to embrace life with happiness and be able to move forward from the loss of a loved one and I’m not asking anyone to believe in what I do. You don’t have to. I tell people all the time. That’s not what this is about. “But the one thing they can’t deny is that it helps people and to me, there’s nothing wrong with that,” she continues. “Why would someone want to destroy that for someone? To me that’s sad. It is what it is, because no matter what it is in life, people are going to have something negative to say about something, about anything. No matter what it is. So why should what I do be any different?”This philosophy could apply to a number of different categories, from religion to self-help. If it makes someone feel better, why question it? The answer to that is as complicated as it is varied. To some, the validation that a message delivered from Caputo is an absolute truth. To others, doubt might creep in, altering an already emotionally charged experience. Whether to believe or not is a highly personal decision. Perhaps a visit to one of her live shows or a personal reading might help to quell some of the desire for confirmation that “Spirit” lives on in the Afterlife.Either way, we’ll surely find out for ourselves in the end. For more amazing gigs and performances at NYCB Theatre at Westbury, check out their page in The Island Ear!NYCB Theatre at Westbury, 960 Brush Hollow Rd., Westbury. venue.thetheatreatwestbury.com $59.50 – $96. 8 p.m. Dec. 17, 18, 19 & 20.
A health care worker injects the a syringe of the phase 3 vaccine trial, to a volunteer at the Ankara University Ibni Sina Hospital in Ankara, Turkey on October 27, 2020. This vaccine candidate developed against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by the U.S. Pfizer and German BioNTech company.Dougkan Keskinkilic | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images – Advertisement – However, the Pfizer news sends a signal that things could be getting back to normal sooner instead of later.“My big concern was that we would see slow growth for a long time because it would take time for the economy to adjust,” Faucher said. “If we have a viable vaccine, then we don’t have to do as much restructuring.”Good momentum despite rising casesFueled by a surge in consumer spending and residential and business investment, gross domestic product exploded at a 33.1% growth rate in the third quarter. That helped offset some but not all of the – also unprecedented – 31.4% plunge in the second quarter, brought on by a massive shutdown in March and April.The economy relied largely on accommodative fiscal measures from Congress and looser monetary policy from the Federal Reserve.Data has been almost universally positive of late, with the October payroll growth of 638,000 the latest sign of continued strength. Private payrolls actually rose more than 900,000 as part of a continuing trend in which economic reports have easily outperformed Wall Street expectations.Adding vaccine-fueled confidence to the economy provides an even stronger platform.“The big news to me is just how strong the economy already is,” said Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist the Leuthold Group. “What’s underestimated is the lagged effect of past policies. It’s well established that there’s a pretty long lag, a year or more, on the impact of these, and we’re just entering the window of when that might show up.”Though he acknowledged that the help from a vaccine won’t be immediate, it’s “going to add a ton of stimulus to the economy just in terms of animal spirits lifting. I think you’re talking high growth,” Paulsen said.“What the pandemic did in a big way was it put corporate America into a survivability mode in a manner that has never really happened before,” he added. “What that means for profitability is it put the entire corporate world at maximum operating efficiency, maximum profit leverage, minimum breakeven points, which means that if you get any incremental demand that falls to the bottom line, it could be immense.”Markets rallied strongly on the news, with major averages approaching new highs and the Dow Jones Industrial Average nearing 30,000.‘Consistent’ with expectationsTo be sure, though, there was some caution that there’s still work to do and progress on the disease front could still come in fits and starts.“Obviously, this is great news, though I still haven’t changed my forecast as a result of it for the near term or next year,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. “It doesn’t change the reality that the pandemic is raging and will likely cause business and consumers to be a little more cautious over the next two or three months while we work through this.”“I’ve long been expecting we’d have an effective vaccine or vaccines that are widely distributed or adopted by mid-next year, and I don’t think that changes that timeline, it’s just consistent with that timeline,” he added.One other question that was front of mind whether the latest developments would change Fed policy.Central bank officials have recently affirmed a policy commitment not to raise rates even if inflation starts to rise above the Fed’s 2% target or if unemployment starts to fall sharply. Stronger-than-expected economic growth could pull the Fed off its ultra-easy policy, though most of those interviewed Monday said that would be more likely come in terms of the Fed’s bond-buying and lending programs and not so much from its rate stance.“Moving from expectations to reality on the vaccine has to bring in the timeline for when the Fed thinks it’s going to begin to raise rates,” said Steve Blitz, chief U.S. economist at TS Lombard.However, he doesn’t see any major changes to Fed policy coming until at least 2022. In the meantime, he expects a gradual boost to growth with the Fed reluctant to move until it sees a much tighter labor market and a strong outlook for national health.“This is not going to change the economy in Q4 or Q1 next year. You and I are not going to suddenly go and sit in an arena with 20,000 of our best friends or sit in a bar with 100 of our best friends on top of each other drinking and yelling at each other because I’m going to get an injection in June,” Blitz said. “In terms of the broader economy, you’re going to be getting back to the world much more quickly because the damage done will prove to be less than we originally anticipated.” American business has had to retool itself greatly during the pandemic, adjusting to less travel and nightlife and more stay-at-home activities in both work life and personal life.- Advertisement – – Advertisement – “This is very good news in both the near term and also over the longer run. In the near term, we’ve seen the stock market boosted so that’s going to boost household wealth. That’s a positive for consumer spending going forward,” said Gus Faucher, chief economist at PNC Financial Services. “We’re not out of the woods, obviously. We are going to have setbacks, but hopefully this sets us on the right path.”Following a record-breaking third quarter that helped offset most though not all of the damage from the early days of the pandemic, the outlook ahead was unclear and looking dimmer. That’s because surging coronavirus cases raised the prospects of a tough winter ahead, with business slowdowns and less commercial activity as people became more cautious. The coronavirus and the economy have always been linked tightly, but the relationship took a decidedly positive turn Monday.With the news that Pfizer had seen a more than 90% success rate in its vaccine trials came the first tangible feelings that the eight-month Covid-19 nightmare was, if not nearing an end, at least loosening its death grip sometime in the foreseeable future.That’s unequivocally good news for the U.S. economy, which has been in a technical recession in February.- Advertisement –
The interactive map “Authentic Istria”, intended for cycling enthusiasts, was created in cooperation with the LAG of Central Istria, ie as part of the INSiGHTS project, and it contains bike and trail trails of the tourist boards of Motovun, Central Istria and Žminj. Sustainable Development Strategy coming soon As for other facilities, two more cycling events are planned. “This year, on the occasion of the folk festival Bartulja, the MTB and the family bicycle race Bartulja will be held on August 25, 2019. It will have two routes; family shorter and lighter and MTB. As every year, there will be a Gastrotura S piruonon in Žminjšćine. It will be held on September 22, 2019, the week before the Day of the Municipality, ie its patron Saint Michael“They conclude from the Žminj Tourist Board. On the map there is also a QR code with which outdoors fans can educate outdoors about the offer on and along the Žminj trails – churches, frescoes, chapels, lookouts, caves, boška, town center, restaurants, bike & bed accommodation, agritourism, wines , cheese, donkey milk, etc. The project “INSiGHTS – Integrated Strategies for Slow, Green and Healthy Tourism” (Integrated, Slow, Green and Healthy Tourism Strategies), is aimed at developing attractive tourist destinations through the development of strategies that will focus on the protection of natural and cultural resources. The total value of the project is 2,3 million euros, and the share of the LAG Central Istria is 160.000 euros. The Administrative Department for Tourism of the Istrian County participates as an associate partner in the project, and the Tourist Board of Central Istria, the Tourist Board of Motovun and the Tourist Board of Žminj are involved in the implementation, which will work together on a sustainable tourism strategy. The strategy will include guidelines for healthy, green and slow tourism as one of the fastest growing trends in tourism, for which central Istria has a very good potential. You can find the interactive map “Authentic Istria” HERE. “At the moment, three bicycle paths have been arranged in the area of the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Žminj; Rumenija 652 (8 km long), Žminjka 5 (653 km long), and trail 23 Žminj – Feštine (651 km long). These almost 24 km of bicycle paths are also intended for pedestrians. They pass by natural beauties such as caves, ponds, lookouts and forests, but also by agritourism that offers accommodation, meals and wine, dairy, Robinson tourism, bike & bed accommodation, bed & breakfast accommodation, apartments, holiday villas, family farms with an offer of sausages and prosciutto, a studio that sells “Žminj rice”; a replica of the Žminj earring found in the middle of the last century in the old Croatian cemetery in Žminj. The trails pass along the oldest Istrian Calvary, the oldest church in the Žminj region; the church of St. Foška, as well as the chapels of which there are more than a hundred in this area. Cyclists will also go through the road; paved street in the picturesque old town, next to the canonical house, the church of St. Anthony the Abbot from the 60th century rich in frescoes, with the oldest depiction of a musical instrument in Istrian painting in general. It will not bypass the walls of the castle, nor the tower of the feudal castle from the 14th century“, Explain the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Žminj. “Along the trails it is possible to taste the rich gastronomic offer of this area; cheese, cottage cheese, sausages, bacon, prosciutto, wine and pasta; that is, macaroni from Žminj. All these bike paths are marked and arranged.” When asked about the next steps for the development of cycling tourism, the Tourist Board of Žminj reports that the Operational Plan of Cyclotourism of Istria from 2019 to 2025 includes Žminj projects such as paved pump track polygon, arrangement of bike rest areas, setting up e-filling station, bike share point, arrangement bicycle-educational trails on the roads of the Austro-Hungarian border, and MTB trail park Žminj – Draga. Source / photo: TZ Žminj; authentic-istria.com; lag-sredisnjaistra.hr
Roy Keane is not impressed with Nicolas Pepe’s start at Arsenal (Sky Sports)Roy Keane has hit out at Nicolas Pepe following his performance in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Monday evening.The 24-year-old was signed in a £72 million deal from Lille in the summer but has yet to find his best form for the Gunners.Pepe was given another chance by Unai Emery to impress from the start at Old Trafford but he was substituted with 16 minutes remaining having struggled to make an impact.And Keane admits he has not been impressed with the start Pepe has made at Arsenal.ADVERTISEMENT‘Disappointed with him since he’s come to the club,’ Keane told Sky Sports. Nicolas Pepe struggled to make an impact against Manchester United (AMA/Getty Images)‘Not great body language… okay, sometimes we make excuses for players a lot, it takes time to settle into a club.AdvertisementAdvertisement‘You see this young kid tonight [Saka], Pepe compared to him for the money they paid, he needs to do a lot more.More: FootballRio Ferdinand urges Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to drop Manchester United starChelsea defender Fikayo Tomori reveals why he made U-turn over transfer deadline day moveMikel Arteta rates Thomas Partey’s chances of making his Arsenal debut vs Man City‘His work rate, his lack of quality, end product, his body language.‘He didn’t seem up for the fight tonight.’ Roy Keane slams Nicolas Pepe after Arsenal’s draw with Manchester United Comment Advertisement Metro Sport ReporterMonday 30 Sep 2019 10:56 pmShare this article via facebookShare this article via twitterShare this article via messengerShare this with Share this article via emailShare this article via flipboardCopy link961Shares Advertisement
No bail bond was recommended for histemporary liberty./PN Officers of the Panay police stationserved the warrant issued by Judge Esperanza Isabel Poco-Deslate of theRegional Trial Court Branch 1. ILOILO City – Charged with three countsof rape, a laborer was arrested in Barangay Binantuan, Panay, Capiz. Quiazon was detained in the municipalpolice station’s custodial facility. Rodel Quiazon of Baranagay Pili, Panaywas caught on the strength of an arrest warrant around 8:20 a.m. on Sunday, apolice report showed. 
“Ngayon, may mga nagtatangkang burahin ang alaala ng EDSA para sa pansarili nilang agenda. Tatlumpu’t apat na taon pa lang ang nakakalipas: kasama pa natin ngayon ang marami sa nagtipon noon—silang mga sumubaybay sa balita habang nagaganap ang rebolusyon, at malamang ay nakadanas din ng pagmamalupit ng diktadurya,” she added./PN President Rodrigo Duterte. PCOO “Magsilbi nawang babala ang EDSA sa sinuman ang muling magtatangkang ikuyom tayo sa loob ng kamaong bakal: Hindi sila magtatagumpay,” Robredo said. “Inspired by the freedoms that we secured in February 1986, let us all, rise above our petty political differences so that we may, together, ensure that the legacy of Edsa will remain relevant in the years ahead,” he added. Vice President Leni Robredo, in a separate message, has reminded the Filipinos that the Edsa People Power movement is a warning to abusive leaders that strongman rules will never succeed.
MANILA – Filipinos must set aside “petty” political differences to keep the legacy of the EDSA revolution relevant in the years ahead, according to President Rodrigo Duterte. “I, therefore, join the valiant heroes of EDSA and the countless others whose lives touched by this bloodless uprising in commemorating its 34th anniversary with the renewed hope that the succeeding generations of Filipinos will also have the courage, strength, and determination to protect, defend, and preserve the liberties that we have won during that historic revolution,” Duterte said in his message. President Duterte also said that the People Power Revolution remains “one of the most remarkable events in our nation’s history” as it is regarded as bloodless movement that ousted the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
WHITE HOUSE, Tenn. (March 11) – KSE Racing Products makes a single change in its post-season award program with IMCA, giving a Gen 2 power steering gear to the 2014 national Eagle Motorsports RaceSaver Sprint Car champion. Second through 10th place drivers in national point standings for the winged division again receive $100 product certificates.The White House, Tenn., high-performance parts manufacturer gives certificates of the same value to designated place finishers at 50 special events for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds, IMCA Late Models and the Sprints.The national Modified champion earns a KSE tandem power steering/fuel pump. Second through fifth place drivers in national standings receive $200 product certificates while sixth through 10th place drivers each get $100 product certificates. Certificates will be mailed from the IMCA home office or presented during the national awards banquet“The positive growth of the IMCA Eagle Motorsports RaceSaver Sprint Car program has led to an increase in awards for those drivers, and KSE will not only step up and provide great incentive for our national champion, but they’ll do the same for the winner of the Super Nationals event at Eagle Raceway,” said IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “KSE is a great supporter of this division and I’d like all of our members to turn around and support them at every opportunity.”KSE is in its 18th season as an IMCA marketing partner. Information about KSE-made products is available by calling 800 443-3562 and at the www.kse-racing.com website.