Recycle biking community's positive energy

Credit: Times-Dispatch

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By: Tom Silvestri | tsilvestri@timesdispatch.com
Published: September 30, 2012 Updated: September 30, 2012 - 12:00 AM

Advocates for a bike-friendly Richmond Region should get what they want for the community.

Smooth roads.

Surfaces that don't blow out tires.

Clearly marked bike paths, safe from cars and trucks.

A coordinated regional network that unites urban, suburban and rural; cities and counties.

One major revitalized route that goes north and south. Another that travels east and west.

Completion of the Virginia Capital Trail from Richmond to Williamsburg.

A universal commitment to a healthier Richmond.

A welcoming environment just in time for the 2015 UCI Road World Championships.

* * * * *

For those worried about a free ride here, there's a return on the region's investment:

A fitter Richmond that better combats obesity and disease with exercise and the encouragement to move around.

A big lift to amenities sought by generations seeking to be less car-dependent.

An incentive to counter sprawl with more efficient community planning that rewards convenience and utility.

Lesser chances of bike-car accidents.

The land complement to the 2012 distinction of being the nation's top river town.

There's also a bonus reason that was on display at the 41st Public Square: Advocates of bike-friendly roads are Richmond Region super champions in the wings.

This is a group that wants our region to excel.

They could go elsewhere to cities that already demonstrate what they seek.

But they choose to propel Richmond. They see it as a developing canvas that can be turned into a masterpiece.

That's got to be a carrot for any government administrator or elected official, employer or nonprofit chief.

Turn on these folks with a biking network that's a crown jewel, and you'll have a supporter for life.

A pride team that can't be beat.

Regional promoters who will volunteer at the drop of an email call for action.

A group of people who will tell the world that this is best place to live.

And more importantly, a bunch of critical thinkers who will point out a problem and, in short order, offer a solution.

* * * * *

If anything separated this crowd from other Public Square gatherings, it was this achievement alone.

They didn't stop at noting shortcomings, though they did a good job of selling the problems.

They moved to a recommended improvement.

It's not a cynical, carping crowd.

Rather, it's a refreshing, reinventing, rewarding community ready to work shoulder-to-shoulder with neighbors on the concept, plan, installation and use.

In a poignant way, they get the value of a Richmond on the go.

Don't disappoint or frustrate this community of special interest.

Give them what they want.

Source: http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/commentary/2012/sep/30/tdcomm01-recycle-biking-communitys-positive-energy-ar-2243387/

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High Associates Blog For commercial real estate, the Northeast ...

Published by High Associates. on September 26th, 2012

According to the Society of Industrial and Office REALTORS?? (SIOR) most recent Commercial Real Estate Index (for Q2 2012), which looks at information gathered from its members and measures ten variables related to the U.S. industrial and office markets, there are mixed results across the country. But the continued slow economy definitely ?has spilled over into industrial and office markets.??

This is certainly true in the Northeast, which has some of the lowest levels of leasing activity according to the index.?

?Both asking rents and vacancy rates are closing in on historical averages, with vacancy rates lower than they were a year ago. Development activity remains low and sublease space is declining,? reported the SIOR.

These current statistics bring to mind two of my most important pieces of real estate advice:

One:? You make money when you buy, and this is a good time to buy

Down times such as these are a great time to analyze and seize the right buying opportunities. Most investors understand that economic cycles occur and a business downturn only lasts so long, and then values increase once more.

Fully appreciate that you make your money when you buy, and buying when the market is down makes you even more money.

It?s important to evaluate a property correctly to determine what the potential is if you?re redeveloping or repositioning it in the market. It?s also important to reflect carefully on how you can enhance a property in a way that perhaps others can?t envision.

Consider the future income stream you can realize through the process from renovations and repairs through to lease up. Everything is about the future income of that building as well as the future value when you sell it.? The same is also true for a vacant parcel of land, with regard to determining a higher and better use for the property at acceptable financial returns.

Two: Leasing may be an attractive option

In bad economic times, leasing is an attractive option for a number of reasons.? Since it?s more difficult to gain access to capital, in dealing with banks you might be able to acquire only a certain amount of funding, and you won?t want to sink that capital completely into purchasing. Leasing is virtually 100 percent financing, freeing working capital for other business uses.

During such times, you most likely will be able to increase the value of your investment more through expanding your business than with any potential increase in property value.? If you lease, your entire rental payment is tax deductible, whereas if you buy real estate, you cannot depreciate the land, only the improvements on your land.

If you lease an existing building, it is almost always immediately available. Additionally, you avoid much of the development process and its related issues of zoning, permits, codes, fees, etc.

So, as with every challenging set of circumstances, there is always the silver lining if you look for it. Right now, that silver lining could be to purchase or lease a new property.

?

Lin Good, CCIM, SIOR, Senior Vice President, Brokerage Services

?

Tags: brokerage, commercial real estate, CRE, investing, leasing

Source: http://blog.highassociates.com/2012/09/for-commercial-real-estate-the-northeast-remains-a-tenants-market-and-a-buyers-market/

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Former ?Buffy? Star Sarah Michelle Gellar Welcomes Baby Boy!

Former “Buffy” Star Sarah Michelle Gellar Welcomes Baby Boy!

Sarah Michelle Gellar and her husband Freddie Prinze Jr. are celebrating after becoming parents for the second time. The former “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star [...]

Former “Buffy” Star Sarah Michelle Gellar Welcomes Baby Boy! Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2012/09/former-buffy-star-sarah-michelle-gellar-welcomes-baby-boy/

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Study: Voting rule changes may deter 10M Hispanics

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The combined effects of voter roll purges, demands for proof of citizenship and photo identification requirements in several states may hinder at least 10 million Hispanic citizens who seek to vote this fall, civil rights advocates warn in a new report.

Hispanic voters are considered pivotal to the presidential election this November, and are being heavily courted by both Democratic incumbent Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney. If they turn out in large numbers, Hispanics could sway the outcome in several swing states.

In an analysis based on government data, civil rights group The Advancement Project identified legal barriers that could deter voter registration and participation among eligible Hispanics. In some of those states, the group's researchers said, the number of voter-eligible Latino citizens potentially blocked by those barriers exceeds the margin of victory in the 2008 election.

"Like African Americans, Latinos have experienced decreased access and correspondingly lower levels of voter registration and participation than non-Hispanic whites," said the report, which was being released Monday.

The report called for repeal of policies that wrongfully inhibit Hispanic voters, and asked that the Justice Department investigate and prosecute "any related voting rights violations."

According to census data, there were more than 21 million Hispanics of voting age in 2010. They comprised roughly 10 percent of all eligible voters and 8 percent of registered voters in the U.S.

Among eligible Hispanics in 2010, 6.3 million said they were not registered to vote, and 10.8 million ? about half of those of voting age ? said they did not vote, the report said.

By comparison, the report said, there were 172.4 million non-Hispanic white citizens eligible to vote in 2010, with nearly 18 percent unregistered and 38 percent who said they did not vote.

There are three significant barriers to Hispanic voter participation, researchers said: citizenship-based voter purges, proof of citizenship requirements and photo identification laws.

Sixteen states have either adopted or are pursuing citizenship-related purges of their voter rolls, the report said. Those states are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington.

Those states are home to nearly 5.5 million registered Latino voters, and 1.1 million naturalized citizens from Latin America. Colorado and Florida identified voters for possible purging by comparing their voter registrations with driver's license databases that show which voters indicated they were immigrants ? thereby creating a problem, the report said.

"Naturalized citizens typically received their driver's licenses when they were legal immigrants but before becoming naturalized citizens (and before registering to vote); therefore, this method generates lists of voters to be checked that targets naturalized citizens," the report said.

Florida stopped its effort to remove noncitizens from its voter rolls once officials realized that they were using an outdated database to check citizenship.

As of last month, laws requiring additional citizenship documents ? a certified birth certificate, passport or naturalization papers ? in order to register to vote were in effect in Georgia, might take effect in Alabama and Arizona later this year, and had been proposed in several states, the report said.

Such a demand was "previously unheard of" in the U.S., the report said, mainly because federal protections against noncitizens registering to vote already were in place. Asking for extra paperwork effectively puts "onerous and sometimes expensive" requirements on Latino voters at a disproportionate rate over others, researchers said.

The same is true for "restrictive" photo identification laws in nine states: Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin, the report said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-09-23-Election-Hispanic%20Voters/id-c1566269705b476fb396d36fc19634fc

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Nutrition supplements fail to help famine-hit ... - Body Health & Fitness

RECORDER REPORT

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?> Babies and toddlers at risk of malnutrition weren?t helped by special energy-dense food supplements given along with normal food aid, according to a new study on September 18.

Humanitarian groups usually provide staples, like grains and beans, to help families facing food shortages. But some groups wondered if specially-formulated supplements could help more kids stave off malnutrition.

These ?ready-to-use supplementary food? products, often with a peanut butter-base, are already used as an extra boost of calories, fats and nutrients to help get malnourished kids back on track. But new research indicates the food supplements, given as a preventative measure on a wider scale, may not have the hoped-for impact.

The study was published in the online journal PLOS Medicine. In Chad, where annual dry seasons leave a four-month ?hunger gap? between harvests, researchers monitored over 1,000 babies and toddlers aged six months to three years old.

Half of their families were given standard food rations, and the other half received the same rations, plus a daily dose ? about three spoonfuls ? of the special food supplements for the targeted children. At the end of the four months, despite the extra supplements, ?8.6 percent of both groups were found to be undernourished,? or below the desired threshold for height and weight, explained lead researcher Lieven Huybregts. ?We had to refer them to a treatment program outside the study,? the Ghent University researcher told AFP, which was the opposite of what they?d hoped for.

The kids who got the supplements did grow a bit taller, however, had better hemoglobin levels ? meaning a decreased risk of anemia ? and had lower rates of fever and diarrhea. These side-benefits could be traced to the extra vitamins and minerals packed into the supplements, Huybregts suggested. But it is not clear why the supplements didn?t help the kids gain weight. It may have their overall diet: the kids who got the supplements, which were spread among several children, ate less of the other rations, said Huybregts.

He said the researchers are analysing the data ?to see if the supplement was really consumed and what the pattern was.?

For now, he said, the data suggest widespread distribution of the food supplements, which are pricier than traditional food rations, may not be a cost-effective solution to famine in these hunger-prone areas. And if the side-benefits are related to the vitamins and minerals in the supplements, ?maybe there are more affordable strategies to provide micronutrients,? perhaps in syrup and tablet form, he said.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2012

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Source: http://www.bodyhealthandfitness.net/nutrition-supplements-fail-to-help-famine-hit-babies/

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Shakira: Pregnant with First Child!

A judging spot on The Voice is not the only exciting thing on the horizon for Shakira.

The singer confirmed the great news today: She's pregnant!

Leaving a message on her Facebook page, the artist wrote that she and boyfriend Gerard Pique are expecting.

"Gerard and I are very happy awaiting the arrival of our first baby! At this time, we have decided to give priority to this unique moment in our lives and postpone all the promotional activities planned over the next few days."

Shakira and the FC Barcelona soccer player have been an item for about 18 months.

She needn't worry, either, about no one reading this announcement: Shakira has over 54 million Facebook followers.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/09/shakira-pregnant-with-first-child/

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SingTel Acquires Intelligent, Social Photo Aggregator Pixable For $26.5 Million

Singaporean telecommunications giant SingTel has acquired intelligent, social photo aggregator Pixable for $26.5 million. The company develops sleek social photo creation, aggregation, and categorization tools.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/JiTDqohzXdc/

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