In December, I was in awe of enthusiastic 4th graders working in groups to highlight international holiday celebrations. At their special event, I enjoyed delicious holiday treats from all around the world, and played games to salute the winter holidays—game traditions that came from many diverse cultures. The kids were excited and were taking real ownership of their group projects; I couldn’t help but feel inspired.
“What a great idea!” I told the teacher, then asked, “Who came up with it?”
“Why, the kids of course!” she answered. “I just let them run with it.”
I thought to myself, What is at play here? I wondered what had inspired nine-year-old kids to want to learn about and understand cultures beyond their own. Then it hit me: One of the six C’s of 21st century education—cross-cultural understanding—is alive and well at High Point.
Now, I grew up with an encyclopedia and a typewriter when life seemed slower and more certain. So, it is difficult for my 49-year-old mindset to understand Generation Z (or Post-Millennials) who were born in the early 2000s to the 2010s, are being raised on the Internet, and communicate via social media. Their only certainty is rapid change and uncertainty. Their world is diverse and richly multicultural, whereas I grew up in a country that was largely Caucasian: in 1960 85% of the US population was White, 3.5% was Hispanic, 11% was Black, and only .6% was Asian, according to US Census figures. But Post-Millennials are the most culturally and ethnically diverse generation in our nation’s history: as of 2011, 47% of the US population is White, 29% is Hispanic, 13% is Black and 9% is Asian.
That rich diversity is very personal to me. Two years ago, my then 12-year-old twins went online to complete their 7th Grade applications. When they got to the part where they were supposed to identify who they are, they stopped cold: there was only one box available for them to check. But they went down the list, looking for the entry that would apply to them. Caucasian: check (my Eastern European Jewish side of the family). African-American: check (my wife’s side of the family). Native American: check (Cherokee, also on my wife’s side of the family). East Indian from Asia: check (again, my wife’s side of the family). Without realizing it, my Post-Millennial twins were the new poster children for cross-cultural understanding! And where kids in previous generations had to accept that everyone must fit into a single check-box, my twins proudly refused to deny any aspect of their heritage. They embrace it all.
All of which brings me right back to High Point where, in January, we will be celebrating International Day. The theme of that day will be to share our own special, cultural stories. For the truth is, here in this melting pot of cultures we call America the Beautiful, each and every one of us has a unique and powerful story to tell. Mine is the story of Eastern European immigrants escaping poverty and prejudice. It is the story of penniless immigrants arriving at Ellis Island with little from the old country, yet a land of unknown promise stretching before them. As a boy, I can recall my grandfather telling me that as a newly arrived 19-year old immigrant, he believed that the streets of America were paved with gold and opportunity.
What is your story?
Sharing our own individual stories is so important because the very first step in developing cross-cultural understanding is to affirm our own identities and heritage. Only when we do this are we then able to appreciate and understand the identities and heritage of our friends and peers. From there, we can branch out and develop an understanding of all people and cultures across the globe—an essential 21st century life skill in a globally transformative world.
Here at school, through this cross-cultural “C” of the “six C’s” process, we know that “We are the world at High Point.” We are a rich mosaic of cultures, ethnicities, languages, and backgrounds. We embrace this rich mosaic. We embrace every aspect of who we are individually. We share and celebrate our unique stories. And in doing so, we foster the essential 21st century skill of cross-cultural understanding. We realize we are all united by common values. We are unified not by the color of our skin, the faith that we observe, or the heritage that we embrace, but by the very richness of diversity of all of these aspects and—most important of all—by the content of our character.
Yo-Yo Ma, a French-born American cellist and United Nations Messenger of Peace, once observed that “our cultural strength has always been derived from our diversity of understanding and experience.” Our post-millennial students at High Point intuitively appreciate this principle. They understand that, above all else, character counts. As parents, educators and community members, it is up to us to help empower our students to lead the way in promoting cross-cultural understanding as they move through our halls, out our doors, and into the world and their lives beyond.


Home >> Social Studies >> Continents Of The World
Continents Of The World
There are seven major continents.These are separated by large water bodies.These are Asia,Europe,Africa,North America,South America,Australia and Antarctica.
Asia-Asia is the largest continent.It covers about one third of the total land area of the earth.The continent lies in the Eastern Hemisphere.The Tropic of Cancer passes through this continent.Asia is separated from Europe by the Ural mountains on the west.The combined landmass of Europe and Asia is called the Eurasia.
Europe:-Europe is much smaller than Asia.The continent lies to the west of Asia.The Arctic Circle passes through it.It is bound by water bodies on three sides.
Africa- Africa is the second largest continent after Asia.The Equator or 0 latitude runs almost through the middle of the continent.A large part of the Africa lies in the Northern Hemisphere.Africa is the only continent through which the Tropic of Cancer,the Equator and the tropic of Capricorn pass.The Sahara desert ,the world's largest hot desert is located in Africa.
North America-North America is the third largest continent of the world.It is linked to South America by a very narrow strip of land called Isthmus of Panama.
South America-South America lies mostly in the southern hemisphere.The Andes world's largest mountain range runs through its length from north to south.South America has the world's largest river,the Amazon.
Australia- Australia is the smallest continent that lies entirely in the Southern Hemisphere.It is surrounded on all sides by the oceans and seas.It is called an island continent.
Antarctica- Antarctica completely in the southern hemisphere is a huge continent.The south pole lies almost at the centre of the continent.It is permanently covered with thick ice sheets.


Warren & Deanna Bowers
ASSIGNMENT:Teacher (Warren)/School Nurse & Teacher (Deanna)
SITE:St. Rita Vocational School
Warren and Deanna Bowers, retired engineer and nurse, served at St. Rita Vocational School in Nkambe, Diocese of Kumbo, Cameroon. Warren taught woodworking and project management. Deanna served as the school nurse and taught health education.
IN OWN WORDS:
"Lay Mission Helpers provided the way of our first bridge to Nkambe, Cameroon We came to Nkambe armed with the LMH classes in everything from church history to spirituality, from cultural and other religion sensitivity to assorted types of prayer. We were full of professional competence, having recently retired from responsible engineering and nursing careers. We were also full of apprehension — about living and working in this entirely foreign community for three years — in the unknown and unfamiliar, so far from our California home, family and friends.
Upon reflection I am aware of many more bridges. In Nkambe, there is a lovely old stone bridge (probably from the German colonial period) over a year-round stream that brings water to the town and crashes off the bluff at Tchua Tchua, our local waterfall. That bridge supports the main road through Nkambe, and is the center of the Botanical Garden, the work of our friend, Farmer Tantoh and his friends, begun in earnest with beauty and design, now fading for lack of sustainability. It symbolizes so much of our frustration here — there is great natural beauty, youthful imagination and desire, but a paucity of funding, follow-through and long range planning.
In Nkambe, there are also small plank foot bridges over small streams — simple, utilitarian and sturdy (most of the time). Our everyday life has been like those bridges — a way to the other side, a way to another culture. Our days are simple — no TV, intermittent short wave radio, no fast food places, rising with the sun, daily 6 a.m. Mass, teaching and working at St. Rita’s just a quarter of a mile away, and early (8:30-9:00 p.m.) to bed — especially if the power is out.
The roads going to and from Nkambe are full of dust or mud (depending on if it is dry or rainy season) with pot holes the size of VWs, rocky and washboard texture — and the bridges are the worst! Any one could be an axle-breaker if you don’t watch and slow down. Those are sure to be bridges we shall always remember!
There are also hanging rope bridges — one in nearby Misaje, and one at the botanical garden in Limbe, reminding us of the traditional heritage in Cameroon — exciting, natural and functional.
We have seen many bridges built in our 3+ years here at St. Rita’s Catholic Technical High School in Nkambe, Cameroon — two-way bridges sure to remain with us wherever we are.
There has been the spiritual bridge of the Catholic Church which bridges all cultures. The Church encourages local color in the basic liturgy, as we worship one God and Father of us all, Jesus who came that we might all have life and the Holy Spirit, the constant presence in our daily lives. There has been a two-way bridge with our parishes, Christ the King in Nkambe and St. Anthony’s in Upland, California. We have exchanged books and stories and prayers — 'solidarity in action.'
School nursing has bridged a career of 25 years in California to the assignment here as school infirmarian to 200+ boys and girls at this boarding school — ages 10 to 22. It was a big stretch! Organized school nursing also bridged, as school nurses from throughout the Diocese of Kumbo met twice a year to share information and experience — much as California school nurses have been doing for long.
The bridge of technology has brought us computers, a computer projector, woodworking power tools and that new copy machine — and we now have a new internet connection in Nkambe — a bridge to the whole world that we only dreamed of when we arrived. Yes, technology and development are coming to these rural mountains of Cameroon, and our students will be prepared.
The Lay Mission-Helpers have continued to be a bridge of support — with annual visits from the LMH staff, regular contacts by phone and e-mail, and the great LMH volunteers who have been with us here.
The social bridge is filled with so many people. We have made many new friends here, of all ages, from newborn babies to revered 'Pa’s and Ma’s,' from the big (2 ½ million people) city of Douala to the tiny village of Moh, from the local beggar to the local tribal chief, the Fon — all with extended hands of welcome.
Students have been a generation bridge for us — keeping us young in thought and spirit, reminding us of our own children and grandchildren, and challenging us to be better teachers, better Christians, and better communicators. We are enriched with the individual students who have become good friends.
In our term of service, we have grown from relationships with the newly installed Archbishop of Bamenda, Cornelius Esua, the staff of Kumbo Diocese, two school principals and more than 30 school staff members, four parish priests, the community of ICM sisters and assorted lay leaders at Christ the King and officials and neighbors of Nkambe.
We are grateful to God for providing these opportunities, enabling us to cross these bridges and ask that He continue to make them available to us and our Cameroonian friends. We look forward to continuing relationships which have been so mutually beneficial."


23.1 All individual markets will be settled according to the official result of the relevant governing body immediately after the end of the fight, regardless of any subsequent disqualification or amendment to the result.
23.2 If a fight is abandoned, cancelled or postponed and not completed within 36 hours of the scheduled start time, all bets will be voided.
23.3 A contestant will be deemed the loser in the event of a disqualification.
23.4 Where the country of a fight has been changed, normal change of venue rules apply, however where there is a change of venue but the fight remains within the same country all bets will stand.
Last modified: January 16, 2017


A bus tour of Brooklyn sounds pretty awesome right? Now imagine this bus tour with two stops for pizza! This is exactly what A Slice of Brooklyn offer.
From our pick up in Manhattan we headed off on the 4 and a half hour tour. Our first stop was for a photo in front of Brooklyn bridge.
Our first pizza stop took us to Grimaldis under the Brooklyn Bridge where even though they sometimes have queues out of the doors we had tables waiting for us. Here we had some coal brick oven cooked pizza. It’s so good sometimes people wait over an hour in the queue!
After a couple slices we hopped back on the bus and headed to see some of the amazing houses in Brooklyn. My favourite of them all is the Gingerbread house. Beautiful isn’t it?
We passed famous locations from Saturday Night Fever, Goodfellas, The French Connection and more, and whilst we did the movie clips were shown on tv screens.
Then it was time for some more pizza and ! this time at L&B Spumoni Gardens (as seen on Man Vs Food)
Then unfortunately it was time to head back to Manhattan. We had an amazing time on our Slice of Brooklyn Tour. The guides were super fun and interesting, the pizza was awesome, and the sites were amazing! Next time I visit NYC I’ll be staying in Brooklyn and away from the madness in Manhattan.
A slice of Brooklyn also offer a Neighbourhood tour and a Christmas lights tour and have some other ideas for the future so make sure you add them to your New York bucket list.


The Leading Edge has appointed Gillian O’Sullivan to APAC CEO and the promoted Chris Paxton to EMEA CEO from EMEA MD.
The newly created CEO roles are part of The Leading Edge’s push to further strengthen its global leadership team to support its significant increase in global work over the last three years. Both CEOs will have regional responsibilities and will be supported by the recently appointed Managing Partners to deliver their 2021 vision and to ensure the delivery of global excellence.
Gillian joins from Ipsos, where she has been the ANZ Managing Director for the last eight years. Gillian has worked with many global clients in a diverse range of industries including FMCG, healthcare, financial services, automotive, utilities, telecommunications, tourism and retail, and has a great deal of experience leading and developing teams, strategic planning and product management.
The appointment of Chris and Gillian as CEOs reflects The Leading Edge’s global growth, having worked on projects in over 35 countries in the last two years – 75% of which were multi-market.
Gillian, who will be based in The Leading Edge’s Sydney office, said: “I’m excited to be joining a business that is focused on a global model of delivering insight-led strategic advice. When The Leading Edge was first created, they were pioneers in research. Now they are leaders in combined insight and strategy. There is so much potential for growth as witnessed by recent client wins.”
The EMEA business, based in London, has seen fast growth over the last 18 months, having tripled its headcount.
Chris said: “There is a growing need to service client requirements across multiple markets, not just domestically. Over the last two years the majority of our clients held a global remit. We’re perfectly placed to partner with global clients thanks to our expertise and our global reach.”
The Leading Edge also has plans to expand its presence in the USA in the next 12 months to further strengthen its global footprint.
For press enquiries please contact Hema Chauhan on firstname.lastname@example.org.


Ostomy specialist hires new international directors as it expands export operations
Trio Healthcare is targeting significant global expansion after appointing new directors within key regions. Christian Stegle joins as the company’s Business Director for Asia Pacific, based in Singapore, and Hussain Malkawi has taken up post as Trio’s Business Director for the Middle East, based in Dubai. Stegle and Malkawi aim to support the introduction of Trio products into over 20 new countries over the course of 2021.
It comes as the company also agrees a new distribution partnership allowing its products to enter the Republic of Ireland for the first time. The ostomy specialist has partnered with medical device distributor Ceannaire Medical, to serve ostomates and stoma care clinicians within ROI and Northern Ireland, enabling Trio to significantly grow its footprint within the Irish ostomy market.
Stegle has over 20 years’ experience within the medical device industry and close to 15 years in the Asia-Pacific region, having spent time with Smith & Nephew in Singapore, and global wound care leader Acelity. Malkawi joins with over two decades of experience in healthcare, at the likes of Molnlycke, Crawford Healthcare and Abbott Laboratories.
Trio recorded international sales of £1.1m in FY20, representing double digit growth on previous years. Its silicone-based products are developed and manufactured at its Skipton site and exported into 30 countries.
After receiving significant funding in 2020 from the likes of HSBC UK and US-based SWK Holdings Corporation, the company has increased its global share of the ostomy products market by continually investing in R&D and the expansion of its Skipton manufacturing facilities.
Trio was founded in 2006 by CEO Lloyd Pearce. The company’s patented, hybrid silicone formations are designed to provide ostomates with products that are more breathable and gentler for the skin, as compared to traditional ostomy products. It is targeting further global growth this year ahead of a significant new product launch that will represent a first for the ostomy market.
Chris Lane, chief operating officer at Trio Healthcare, said: “Alongside investment in our UK operations, targeting new countries and expanding in our existing territories will help to significantly further our position in the global ostomy market. The MENA and Asia Pacific markets in particular are high value and rapidly growing, so it’s vital we have a dedicated presence there, and we’re thrilled to have Christian and Hussain join the team. Their extensive knowledge and experience within their respective regions will enable us to gain a foothold across a wide range of new countries.
“As well as targeting growth further afield, European exports remain a priority, and we have been able to record significant sales revenues on the continent via key new partnerships with the likes of Ceannaire. Our R&D challenges the lethargy within the market and means that we can ultimately provide ostomates across the globe with greater choice when it comes to their day-to-day stoma care. It’s an area within the medical devices industry that has attracted less attention than other conditions over the years, but is primed for new developments that genuinely improve quality of life for patients and ease healthcare burdens for clinicians.”
Christian Stegle, Business Director Asia Pacific, Trio Healthcare, commented: “Trio is a fast-growing, ambitious team that has the technology and experience to truly disrupt the provision of ostomy care in the region, where there’s increasing prevalence of conditions typically associated with stomas, such as colorectal cancers. Trio’s focus on supporting ostomates with suitable products will play a valuable role in stoma care across Asia Pacific, and I look forward to driving our growth here, a key strand of the business’ international growth plans.
Hussain Malkawi, Business Director MENA, Trio Healthcare, said: “The sustained global growth Trio has enjoyed in the past year is testament to the influence this innovative Northern manufacturer is having internationally. We’ve already made great progress within the Middle East, with positive evaluations of Trio products and listings within UAE, Kuwait and Qatar. I’m delighted to be onboard to further our presence in a region that is quickly growing within the ostomy market.”
29th April 2021


World Bellyboard Championships
The World Bellyboard Championships began at a little known beach in Chapel Porth, UK. From its humble beginnings in 2002, the competition now attracts over 200 entrants from around the world. Event Director and British surf champion Robyn Davies talks about this quintessentially British event, the history of bellyboarding, her own surfing career and surfer-led coastal conservation efforts in the UK.
Where is Chapel Porth?
It’s a tiny little beach on the north coast of Cornwall in the UK (south west corner of England). Lots of surfers over here haven’t even heard about it. At low tide you’ve got probably about five miles of a pretty white sand beach with amazing, amazing banks and an incredible backdrop as well. That’s what makes Chapel Porth so special – its backdrop to the surf, which is just this huge, huge high rugged cliff. Cornwall was very, very famous during the industrial revolution time when tin was very popular and that’s really a very striking and very unique sight of Cornish surfing. It’s a kind of spiritual place really.
What does a tin mine look like? It doesn’t sound very beautiful.
It doesn’t, does it (laughs)! A tin mine consists of an old stone building … you can’t see the mineshaft unless you go into these buildings. They have tall stone stack as well. They’re actually very beautiful things. I’m sure when they were working they were pretty noisy, ugly, a lot of pollution. But it’s how Cornwall became famous in a way. Cornwall became extremely rich through tin but then the whole economic bottom dropped out of tin and there was no money in it and Cornwall kind of got left behind in the economic world. The shafts go on for tens and tens of miles beneath the ground. It’s quite incredible. So that’s where Chapel Porth is … it’s on the North coast of Cornwall. It’s pretty hidden away and a great surf spot … the surfers down there are so proud of coming from Chapel Porth because it is an incredible sight.
What is the ratio of women and men surfing in the area?
I would have to say possibly a third or even more of the surfers in the water are women. Sometimes there’s more women than men out there even. Surfing in the UK for women has really taken off, especially in pockets in Chapel Porth. Chapel Porth is one of those pockets where a lot of women do surf, which is quite interesting.
Tell me about the history of bellyboarding in Chapel Porth.
Bellyboarding is how the British first started surfing. They’re literally just pieces of plywood that are no taller than five foot in height. They’re usually around the four-foot mark and it’s got a lip on the nose to hold on to. If there’s peeling green waves further in, you can catch those as well, but it’s usually a white water sport. Back in the 1940s or very late 30’s, it started up around the Brighton region and then it started creeping further and further south. When you see the board you just think, that’s not going to catch a wave, it won’t even float me. But, in fact, it’s exhilarating … it sounds mad to kind of compare the two, but I’ve been to the North Shore of Hawaii and I’ve surfed Pipe and I’ve surfed Waimea and it’s that same kind of exhilaration. It’s a great sport to get into and it’s so accessible. You don’t need to know how to duck dive, you don’t need to be the strongest swimmer or the strongest surfer, you can literally just grab one and go out into the white water and have the time of your life.
How did the World Bellyboard Championships start?
It started nine years ago in memory of a chap called Arthur Traveller. He lived up country but he always used to come to Chapel Porth for his holidays. And no matter what the weather, no matter what the conditions, he would go in regardless, into the sea and have a bellyboard every day of his holiday. And he was just a real inspiration. Everyone knew him and had great respect for his passion for the ocean. When he passed away, friends of mine started up the world championships and it started off absolutely tiny with 8 or 10 people entering it and then it grew and grew, until three years ago, I took over as contest director. Last year we had 212 people enter. So it’s grown in a relatively short time into a huge, huge event that has just captured the imagination of the country. It’s quite quirky and quintessentially British. It’s an event that’s a bit tongue and cheek but you do become a bona fide world champion at the same time. We have people who are aged as young as 6 and our oldest competitor last year was 84, so it’s an event for literally everybody.
We’ve had people from New York come over; we’ve had people from Australia, from the Caribbean. There was a chap last year from Denmark and a family came over from South Africa. It’s truly become the world bellyboard event. We have thirty-four categories like the best swimsuit on the day. Nobodies allowed to wear wetsuits. Everybody’s in their swimsuits and it’s really encouraged to wear traditional costumes, a kind of 1940s attire. There’s prizes for the best costume, there’s prizes for the longest ride, there’s prizes for the most inventive and radical trick, there’s a prize for the best swimming cap because that’s also very quintessentially bellyboarding.
It’s really all-inclusive … it hasn’t become male dominated like the stand up surfing world has become. There’s no particular clique attached to it, it’s just really friendly. Everyone is out there together, enjoying it, helping each other along.
How did you start surfing? What was it like being a woman in the professional surfing world?
I first took it up when I was thirteen. And it was literally a case of never seeing it before, to seeing it one day and thinking, wow, that looks amazing. I hired a board and I stood up the first time. I thought, I’m a natural; this is my sport and then obviously spent the next year in the white water struggling to get to one knee. But that first wave, I was hooked. My passion started in the blink of an eye, just one stroke into a wave and I’ve been a surfer ever since. When I was seventeen a friend said to me, hey, you should go in for some of the national competitions, which I did and it just kind of snowballed from there. I feel so blessed that I found something that I love so much which then became my career and then went off onto the world tour and just met very, very like mined people. Personally, I never felt a divide between men and women surfing. The only divide that was there for me was the ratio of men to women in the water. And when it came to career earnings and things with sponsors, I was always treated exactly the same way as my male teammates. I never actually found any sexism in surfing. I just saw myself as a surfer and saw everybody else as a surfer. I think that’s how it should be. I have heard stories about girls being told to get out of the water, they shouldn’t be out here and stuff but I never came across that.
I was in a car crash and damaged my back and it has never got to that point where I’ve been able to train as much or surf as much as I really, really wanted to when I was a full time professional. But I’m still in the water all the time, just not up to the level that I used to be. And then it kind of dawned on me that a lot of the places I was surfing belonged to the National Trust. The National Trust is a conservation charity (with 3.6 million members in the UK) that looks after houses and beautiful gardens as well as the countryside and coastline all around the British Isles. And I thought, wow, I’ve used these beaches all my life and yet I’ve never felt any connection with this conservation charity who are actually enabling me to get to the beach. They put the paths in and the steps to get down the cliff, and also keep it undeveloped so most of the spots I go and surf it’s just me and whoever I go surfing with. So I started volunteering my image as a surfer to the National Trust and said hey listen, there’s an opportunity here, because I’ve surfed your beaches all my life and I had no Idea you were looking after them. I’d like to give something back and I know all the surfers would because surfers care for their environment, they especially care for their playground. And it kind of just snow balled from there. I started then working for the National Trust and working with the surf community to highlight the importance of conservation and the heritage of our coastline and how best to maintain and look after it, which has been a really hugely satisfying job.
The response back from the British surf industry has just been so welcoming. I mean I’ve had ten of the top British surfers turn around and say, we’d really like to be ambassadors for this cause because like you, we had no idea that this beach was being maintained by a charity. I think you could approach most surfers around the world and say, how important is the environment to you? And whether you’re talking about their immediate beach environment or further afield, I think they would all have some degree of knowledge and experience and passion to keep it safe and beautiful. There’s been a precedent set by Surfers Against Sewage who are a big campaign group to clean up the seas because sewage in the UK was a big, big problem. Surfers Against Sewage moved mountains to clean up the seas and it really crystallized in surfer’s minds that craggy, I’m not just a drop in the ocean, I am part of the ocean. When we all get together, we can actually make things happen, we can conserve stuff, we can change for the better and we can work as one so it’s all been really positive. I just find that so encouraging for the future. Yeah, I’m stoked.
What would you say to someone in the US who is thinking about participating in the World Bellyboard Championships?
It’s a fantastic event. It’s like one big hug from two hundred belly boarders. It’s celebrating all that’s good about surfing and surfing roots as well, the heritage of surfing. Chapel Porth is one of my favorite places. It’s stunning. It’s barren in the winter and then in the summer months all the heather blooms into life and there’s just so much to see and marvel at down there. I’d say, if you were thinking about a quirky different holiday, definitely come along; we’d be really stoked to see you.
But you don’t allow wetsuits?
Yeah, no wetsuits (laughs)! It can be quite cold, especially for the older members of the event, so we do provide hot water bottles and cups of tea afterwards (laughter).
• World Bellyboarding Championships: http://www.bellyboarding.co.uk
• Video of event: http://vimeo.com/10688226
• The National Trust: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/
• Surfers Against Sewage: http://www.sas.org.uk/
• Photo Credit – Matt Cardy/Getty Images Europe: http://www.mattcardyphoto.com


Hampton Inn, conveniently located amidst a busy shopping and dining locale of Charlotte’s suburban town Matthews, offered a great deal of comfort and normalcy to us who were relocating from the East Coast to the West with a two-week transit stop in Charlotte, NC.
In fact, as we got ourselves familiarized with the hotel’s friendly personnel and many complimentary perks, like, a hot continental-style breakfast buffet, 24/7 coffee and tea bar complemented by fresh-baked gourmet cookies, and weekday wine and appetizer tastings catered by the local restaurants and diners, it started to feel like a cozy bed & breakfast, and my little one even went on to call it “home”.
I was okay with it. Under the circumstances, home was where there was food at our fingertips.
Matthews is stunningly green. And that alone may be one of its major attractions. Trees everywhere! Tall, full, graceful! Pine, maple, oak, juniper, birch, ash trees! I was glad to point out the species to Nicole on our daily walks to a Chick-fil-A for lunch.
I felt like I was back home in Russia . . . I have a fondness for forests. For their tranquility. Mystique. Majesty.
If you love nature, you can’t pass up a visit to Squirrel Lake Park that’s nestled in one of the many wooded areas of the town. Besides a kiddie playground, picnic shelters, and a fishing pond, it offers Four Mile Creek Greenway—an asphalted trail intermittent with boardwalk. As you stroll, jog, or bike along there, you might spot a wild rabbit as it hops away into the thick of the trees frightened by the noise of your shoes or a water snake basking in the sun on the rocks of the creek or a patch of wild strawberries on the side of the trail hidden in the tall grass.
Perfect for a quiet getaway. We went there numerous times after Kevin got home from work.
Charlotte is definitely one of a kind. Charming, laid-back southern city where rich history permeates its everyday life. I love the way sleek skyscrapers tower over quaint centuries-old houses without ruining the integrity of the historic uptown, the way modern-day traffic caters in to a horse and buggy taking tourists sightseeing, the way a lot of shops and businesses are located in the old mills and warehouses that they took the time and effort to renovate and bring back to their original glory. This is a city that values the past, enjoys the present, and projects for the future.
We started our tour of Charlotte with visiting Atherton Farmer’s Market. My kind of attraction. Housed inside an old warehouse in Historic South End of Charlotte, it’s a hodgepodge of local foods, farms, and artisans. From fresh meats and vegetables to unique art and jewelry, this place has something for everybody. Even for me who had no basket to load, no stove to cook, and no extra room in the luggage to fill.
As I was leaving the place, I grabbed a spring issue of Edible Charlotte from the newsstand which led me to discover a place so unique and gorgeous it takes your breath away. Right under our noses in a green quirky town of Monroe where Kevin drove to work every day. A place not a lot of locals know about and a place I am already brewing plans to return to.
Treehouse Vineyards is a family-owned Vineyard and Winery that specializes in producing wines from native muscadines as well as imported grapes. We headed there on Mother’s Day for a wine tasting and a tour of the wine-making process followed by a stay in one of their ruggedly charming tree houses about 30 feet off the ground. And I thought tree houses were only for kids! The one that we rented for an hour can accommodate up to 6 people, seats comfortably 4 inside, and includes an outside fireplace on the deck overlooking the vineyard. Are you raising your eyebrows yet? Wait! It gets better! Their other tree house has a kitchenette, full bath, upstairs bedroom with a queen size bed, hot and cold water, heat, air conditioning, and a gas grill on the private deck . . . and it is booked through the end of this year already. And this is exactly why I have to make plans to return there some time in the fall next year for their Grape Stomping event or in the winter when bonfire nights complete with s’mores kits draw people in from near and far.
And while the house wines are bold in character, rich in taste, and distinct in flavor, and the farm’s vistas of well-groomed muscadine vines and horses roaming them freely are beautiful and romantic, and the tree houses make perfect getaways for kids of all ages, it’s one family’s incredible journey that brings it all together into one-of-a-kind experience.
Phil and Dianne Nordan, the owners, took a chance when they decided to put the farmland that’d been in Dianne’s family for over 200 years to good use by growing native muscadine grapes and wining them in the state that wasn’t big on wine at the time and muscadine wines were often overlooked in liquor stores due to their intensely sweet taste. But hard labor, strong vision, and the tree houses that are an attraction by themselves have definitely paid off, with the vineyard considerably outselling its competitors and taking home both the gold and silver medals for its muscadine wines at the 2011 NC State Fair.
Although I am not crazy about very sweet wines, I must admit their Sunset Hills, which is a sweet red blend of three different muscadine varieties, seemed a bit smoother than the others and more gripping with the flavor of the fruit. Pretty good.
Their viniferous wines are as delicious. My personal favorite is “Rock Quarry” Riesling. Made without the muscadine grape, it has a dryer, more delicate flavor.
They sell the wines by the glass and the bottle, and you are welcome to make a picnic out of it on the deck of one of the two tree houses while enjoying the farm’s spectacular views.
In short, good people, good wine, good entertainment.
Stop by and wine a bit.


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National Science Week: Building Community in your Street
August 19, 2021 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm AWST
In National Science Week 2021, be inspired by local sustainability legends as they demonstrate how to build a community in your street!
About this event
Do you know your neighbours? Do you long for the sense of community in your street that you had as a child? Since the COVID19 pandemic, many of us have come to realise just how important our local neighbourhood is during times of crisis.
To celebrate National Science Week this year, come and discover how much science there is in your community – from composting to gardening to cooking, your neighbourhood is a ready-made community to share knowledge and build resilience through food.
At this workshop, you will hear two inspiring stories about geographic community – the community around where you live. From book exchanges to shared compost systems, street parties to movie nights, you are sure to leave inspired to think about your local area and what you can do it make its bonds stronger.
Suitable for ages 10 years and over. Tea, coffee and snacks will be provided.
Please dress warmly.
This National Science Week project is brought to you by Switch your Thinking, Perth City Farm and the City of Perth and supported by the Australian Government.
The session will be in the Community Room at Perth City Farm, 1 City Farm Place East Perth. Right next to Claisebrook train station, so public transport is best for you and the planet. If you need to drive there is plenty of paid parking in the Royal St carpark. There is one ACROD bay right in front of Perth City Farm on City Farm Place, and two more in the Royal Street carpark. This venue is wheelchair accessible and features an accessible toilet.


Here are some of the other summer dates for Oldsmobile events near our region:
May 1, 2016 Northern Ohio Chapter Spring Dust-Off
7011 W. 130th St.
Parma Heights, OH 44130
Contact: Jim Olson 440-781-8343
June 12, 2016 25th Annual Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac Car Show& Swap Meet
1000 E. Edgerton Rd.
Broadview Heights, OH 44147
Contact: Tom Ferencz 440-227-4080
June 18, 2016 24th Olds Homecoming Car Show&Swap Meet (OCA Regional)
7285 Parsons Dr.
Dimondale, MI 48821
Contact: www.reolds.org or Judy Badgley 517-645-7438
August 28, 2016 Northern Ohio Chapter 33rd All Olds Show and Swap Meet
Carnation Mall, Rte 62
www.northernohiooldsclub.com or Galen Kolesar 330-502-3160


The Upper Indravati Project would form the first step in development of the power potential of the Indravati river in odisha. The project has features favourable for a very economical hydro electric development such as good water availability, low dams to form a large regulating storage, less submergence and short water conductor system to concentrate a high head for power generation. Additional attractive features of the development is the possibilities of utilising the tail race releases for providing irrigation to a large command area in the backward district of the state.
The main works involved in the Upper Indravati project are:
- Formation of a reservoir with a gross storage capacity of 2300 Mcum at FRL + 642 m (2106.3 ft.) and a live capacity of 1435.5 Mcum above the MDDL of + 625 m (2050.62 ft.)
Water conductor system comprising of 165 m long head race channel, 4.32 km. long and 7 m dia head race tunnel designed for a discharge capacity of 210 cumecs and terminating in a surge shaft.
- 2 pressure shafts 330 m long and 5.25 m dia bifurcating near the valve house;
- 4 surface penstocks, 790 m long and 3.5 m dia to lead the water to the power house;
- an overground power house with an installation of 4 units of 150mw each operating under an average gross head of 371.00m (1218 ft.)
- a 9 Km long tail race channel to discharge tail racewater into the Hati river
- Aweir ,12.01 m high and 117 m long on the Hati river with a live storage capacity of 603.57 HM between RL 265 m and 260.4m to even out diurnal variations in the releases from the power house
- two gravity canals 48.5km. long left bank and 70.4 km. long right bank to command an ayacut of 49085 hectares and 27195 hectares respectively
- a lift canal 56.3 km . long taking off directly from the left side of the weir to command an ayacut of 41400 hectares (the lift involves is 45.7 m).
The items of work from point (7) to point (9) are being taken up under the irrigation project . The dam and appurtenant works are taken up as common work for irrigation and power.


We serve Southeastern Ohio Including all suburbs of Greater Cincinnati and Dayton. We are familiar with each individual market and community from the Ohio River North to the Dayton airport area and East to Washington Courthouse. We look forward to helping you find a home that will be a great fit for you, your family, and your lifestyle. Consider the bustling downtown Cincinnati vibe or, the trendy area of Hyde Park or the quiet neighborly suburb of Oakwood, near the University of Dayton. Whether your dream home is a city loft, a suburban craftsman or a country farm, The Proven Home Pros Can can help you find your dream home.


Key Stage 1
Key Stage 2
· Investigate the world’s continents and oceans.
· Investigate the countries and capitals of the United Kingdom.
· Compare and contrast a small area of the United Kingdom with that of a non-European country.
· Explore weather and climate in the United Kingdom and around the world.
· Use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to and describe key physical and human features of locations.
· Use world maps, atlases and globes.
· Use simple compass directions.
· Use aerial photographs.
· Use fieldwork and observational skills.
· Locate the world’s countries, with a focus on Europe and countries of particular interest to pupils.
· Locate the world’s countries, with focus on North and South America and countries of particular interest to pupils.
· Identify key geographical features of the countries of the United Kingdom, and show an understanding of how some of these aspects have changed over time.
· Locate the geographic zones of the world.
· Understand the significance of the geographic zones of the world.
· Understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region or area of the United Kingdom (different from that taught at Key Stage 1).
· Understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region or area in a European country.
· Understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of the human and physical geography of a region or area within North or South America.
· Describe and understand key aspects of:
o physical geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes and the water cycle
o human geography, including: settlements, land use, economic activity including trade links and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water supplies.
· Use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied.
· Use the eight points of a compass, four-figure grid references, symbols and keys (including the use of Ordnance Survey maps) to build knowledge of the United Kingdom and the world.
· Use a wide range of geographical sources in order to investigate places and patterns.
· Use fieldwork to observe, measure and record the human and physical features in the local area using a range of methods, including sketch maps, plans and graphs and digital technologies.
· To investigate places
· To investigate patterns
· To communicate geographically
· An excellent knowledge of where places are and what they are like.
· An excellent understanding of the ways in which places are interdependent and interconnected and how much human and physical environments are interrelated.
· An extensive base of geographical knowledge and vocabulary.
· Fluency in complex, geographical enquiry and the ability to apply questioning skills and use effective analytical and presentational techniques.
· The ability to reach clear conclusions and develop a reasoned argument to explain findings.
· Significant levels of originality, imagination or creativity as shown in interpretations and representations of the subject matter.
· Highly developed and frequently utilised fieldwork and other geographical skills and techniques.
· A passion for and commitment to the subject, and a real sense of curiosity to find out about the world and the people who live there.
· The ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about current and contemporary issues in society and the environment.


Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am grateful for the opportunity to address you here today.
International migration often provokes strong emotional reactions. The Population Division plays a crucial role in providing accurate, timely and unbiased information to the international community about the many facets of migration, including its links to the process of social and economic development.
Member States of the United Nations and other stakeholders have made repeated calls for an improved evidence base on international migration. The Population Division has worked hard to respond to this demand.
I would like to acknowledge the work of the Migration Section within the Population Division. The Section is headed by Mr. Bela Hovy. He and his team have worked tirelessly to bring you the data and analysis we are presenting today.
The data come from our recent publication, Trends in International Migration: The 2013 Revision. This publication is currently available through the worldwide web. It includes global estimates of the number of international migrants, defined in most cases as persons who are living outside their country of birth.
These estimates have been produced for 232 countries or areas of the world. They cover the years 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2013. Notably, the estimates in this series have been fully disaggregated by age, sex and country of origin and destination.
In this brief overview, I would like to highlight some of the major trends that we have uncovered in our analysis of this new dataset.
More people than ever are living abroad. According to our latest estimates, the
number of international migrants worldwide has reached 232 million in 2013, up from
175 million in 2000 and 154 million in 1990. About 6 of every 10 international migrants
are living in the developed regions, or the global North. In total, these migrants
number 136 million, compared to 96 million living in the global South.
Worldwide, international migrants account for a small share of the total population. Although the number of international migrants worldwide has been steadily increasing, they only account for about three per cent of the total population. In the developed countries, however, migrants account for about 11 per cent of the total population, compared to less than 2 per cent in the developing world.
The effects of migration are much broader than these percentages suggest, since many people who do not migrate are also impacted by migration.
Overall, Europe and Asia host the largest numbers of international migrants, with 72 million residing in Europe and 71 million in Asia. Together, they account for nearly two-thirds of all international migrants worldwide.
Yet, international migrants are highly concentrated in just ten countries. The largest number of international migrants is living in the United States (46 million, or 20 per cent of the world’s total) followed by the Russian Federation (11 million), Germany (10 million) and Saudi Arabia (9 million).
Migrants by age and sex
Most international migrants are of working age — from 20 to 64 years old — numbering
171 million and accounting for three quarters of the total migrant population. This
share is significantly higher than for the general population, where the proportion
of people in the working age range stands at 58 per cent.
Since most migrants are of working age, young migrants, those under age 20, are generally underrepresented among all international migrants. In addition, children born to foreign-born parents are not counted as international migrants in many countries. As a consequence, children only account for 15 per cent of the global migrant population, compared to 35 per cent for the total population.
Older migrants — those above age 65 — represent about 11 per cent of all migrants in the world. Many older migrants have been living in their countries of destination for decades. In developed countries, the number of older migrants has increased from 11 million in 1990 to 18 million in 2013.
Roughly half of all international migrants are women. Yet, there are considerable differences across regions. Whereas 52 per cent of all migrants in the North are women, they account for only 43 per cent in the South. Historic destinations of international migrants, such as Europe and the Americas, generally host higher proportions of women. Male migrants, however, significantly outnumber female migrants in Asia and Africa, where migration is often of shorter duration, and where the living and working conditions favour men over women.
Migrants by origin and destination
Our new estimates track movements of individuals between countries, recording both
the country of origin and the country of destination. Our estimates reveal that
South-to-South movements were the most common form of migration around 1990. The
data also show that, since around the year 2000, migration from South to North has
become as common as migration between countries of the global South.
Today, in 2013, about 82.3 million international migrants who were born in developing countries are now living as migrants in other countries of the South. This number is only slightly higher than the 81.9 million international migrants who originated in the South but are now living in the North.
From 1990 to 2000, most of the growth in the number of international migrants was driven by rising levels of South-to-North migration. Since 2000, however, both South North and South-South migration have accounted for about 40 per cent of the growth in the global population of foreign-born persons. Thus, most international migrants originate in developing countries, but in recent years they have been settling in almost equal numbers in the developed and the developing regions.
Overall, Asians represent the largest diaspora group residing outside their major area of birth. They account for about 19 million foreign-born persons living in Europe, 16 million in Northern America and 3 million in Oceania. Migrants born in Latin America and the Caribbean represent the second largest diaspora group, with the majority living in Northern America, especially the United States.
Some countries of Southern and Western Asia host large populations of international migrants from neighbouring countries. In 2013, for example, we estimate that 3.2 million international migrants from Bangladesh are residing in India. Another prominent example is migrants from Afghanistan, mostly refugees, who live in neighbouring countries: there are around 2.3 million Afghanis in Pakistan and a similar number in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The oil producing countries of Western Asia host many foreign-born individuals from Southern Asia: we estimate that there are around 2.9 million persons born in India who are now living in the United Arab Emirates, with another 1.8 million in Saudi Arabia.
The world’s largest corridor of international migration is between the United States of America and Mexico. Our estimates indicate that the United States is hosting some 13 million persons who were born in Mexico. Germany and France host the largest immigrant communities within Europe. About 1.5 million persons born in Turkey reside in Germany: many of these migrants came to Germany under the guest worker programmes of the 1960s and 1970s and then opted to stay. In France, there are some 1.5 million international migrants from Algeria, a former French colony.
Refugees account for a relatively small proportion of the global migrant population, numbering 15.7 million or around seven per cent of all international migrants in 2013. Nearly nine of every ten refugees in the world live in developing regions. Asia hosts the largest number of refugees (10.4 million) followed by Africa (2.9 million) and Europe (1.5 million).
The 2013 High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development
The United Nations General Assembly, for the second time in its history, will convene
a High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. This event will
take place from 3 to 4 October 2013. Its purpose is to identify concrete measures
to strengthen coherence and cooperation at all levels, with a view to enhancing
the benefits of international migration for migrants and countries alike and its
important links to development, while reducing its negative implications.
The High-level Dialogue presents an opportunity for Member States, civil society and the international community to advance the debate on international migration and development, and to promote concrete actions to improve the lives of migrants and to enhance the benefits of migration for countries of origin and destination.
I think everyone agrees that data and research are essential for evidence-based policy-making and informed public debate. We are convinced that these new data will inform the ongoing debate about international migration and guide Member States in their deliberations and future actions.
Let me finish by mentioning the Population Division’s website devoted to international
migration, www.unmigration.org, where you can find a wealth of detailed information,
including this statement, the press release, a wall chart, three fact sheets and
a link to an online database containing detailed country-by-country statistics.
I thank you for your interest, and I would welcome any questions you may have at this time.


The Rural We: Gerri Griswold
Gerri Griswold is director of Administration and Development at the White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield, Conn. (The Center, founded in 1913 by brother and sister Alain and May White and comprised of 4,000 acres of protected land, is open all year round for hiking, swimming, kayaking and canoeing, camping, boating, biking, horseback riding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, fishing and bird-watching.) She’s handled bats for 25 years as a wildlife rehabilitator and educator and is licensed by the state of Connecticut and the U. S. Department of Agriculture to keep and exhibit non-releasable bats and, more recently, porcupines, for education. She and her bats have appeared on the cover of “The Weekly Reader” and in a segment for “The Late Show with David Letterman.” Griswold also serves as the morning voice of traffic on WTIC AM and WZMX FM. In 2010 she launched a travel company, Krummi Travel LLC, (named after the affectionate Icelandic word for “raven,” her favorite bird) which takes small groups on trips to Iceland.
I was born and raised in Winchester, Conn. and I live on the farm my grandfather bought in the late 1800s. I first got wanderlust in sixth grade when I saw Stonehenge in a history book. I went to the UK when I was 21, and immersed myself in all of the ancient art and archeology I could find. Luckily, I married a guy who was interested in travel, too. I’ve got a really busy life, so when I travel now I like to visit more rural, remote places where I can relax. I’m not a risky traveler, I prefer places where I can be alone or with local people. Iceland is my favorite place to travel; I’ve been there 45 times. With my travel company, I take small groups and we can get into the nooks and crannies that big tour buses can’t.
I’m a curious person and my curiosity has allowed me to have an interesting life. I have a degree in art history from NYU, and I was a professional chef for many years, but that’s an extremely physical profession. I was a full-time traffic broadcaster for what was Metro Networks, and now I record traffic reports for another company. I get up at 4 a.m. and record them in my studio here. I own a small farm, so I take care of the animals first (a bat, a porcupine, goats, a pig, a peacock, a turkey, a hamster, and a parrot that swears), then I do the radio broadcast, then I take my dog Bradley with me to work.
What first brought me to White Memorial was my work as a wildlife rehabilitator. People get an impression that this is a gigantic institution but, while it’s a big piece of property, it’s maintained by very few people. We’re the largest privately held land organization in the state and we have one of the most beautiful museums in the U.S., which includes precious dioramas painted by James Perry Wilson (whose work can be seen in the Museum of Natural History).
Alain and May White were such land junkies; beginning in the early 1900s, they began buying land and bringing it back to its natural state. They gifted 6,000 acres to the state of Connecticut, which are now some of the best state forests in the country. Alain was a published botanist, and was instrumental in the reforestation of red pines, as well as a chess master who solved German codes.
I’m the editor of the organization’s newsletters, and I arrange Saturday programming here, which is a way to selfishly bring in everything I’ve always wanted to learn about. If something interests me, I figure everyone else will be interested, too. I love extinct species — I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to learn about the dodo bird. Our whole drive is to get children out into nature. I don’t think it’s ever too early to teach kids about animals becoming extinct. It’s important to show how human greed and not being educated about this has caused the demise of species around the world.


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Westward Viking Festival
July 21, 2013 @ 8:00 am - July 31, 2013 @ 5:00 pm
Join us for the 2nd annual Westward Viking Festival: a Real Taste of Vinland in enchanting L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland and Labrador. Held each year for the ten days of July 21- 31st, we invite you to join in the celebrations and experience the cultural and natural wonders of the Northern Peninsula:
Walk back in time along the Birchy Nuddick trail at L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic site and experience a living Viking encampment at three reconstructed sod huts. Forge iron nails with Ragnar the blacksmith or learn single- needle knitting from the Chief’s wife, Thora.
At Norstead, join costumed interpreters in the dim light of the Viking-style Chieftain’s Hall. Step aboard the full-scale replica Viking ship “Snorri”. Enjoy a campfire complete with stories, mussel boil and musical entertainment.
Introduce yourself to a pair of loyal and affable Newfoundland dogs.
Tour the bogs of St. Lunaire-Griquet, soon to be resplendent with berries, and taste some of The Dark Tickle Company’s delicious products.
Dance the night away to traditional Irish/Newfoundland music and become an honorary Newfoundlander at one of the island’s famous activities for come-from-aways – a Screech-in – at Skipper Hot’s Lounge in Straitsview.
Experience the old-fashioned Newfoundland tradition of mummering at Northern Delight Restaurant in St. Anthony, and taste their wonderful cloudberry (bakeapple) desserts.
Enjoy tapas and martinis made with local berries and iceberg ice (the purest ice on the planet!) at the Norseman Restaurant.
Let our Viking interpreters take you back to far away and long ago as they regale you with tales from the Viking Sagas at the Daily Catch and L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site.
Set sail from Vinland with Northland Discovery Boat Tours with Viking on Board, and take in the salt air and sea creatures around you as you experience live music and stories of discovery and adventure.
Come celebrate at the Parks Canada-hosted weekend of events on July 27-28, featuring the launch of a book by Anne Stine Ingstad, a lecture from a Viking historian from Trondheim, Norway, A Taste of Vinland gala showcase, and a Leif Eriksson statue unveiling, as described below…
A truly regional showcase, everyone is invited to join us in celebrating the arrival of the Norse at Vinland during the exciting and activity-packed Westward Viking Festival!


The world's largest globe hotel - South Taihu Lake Pearl "Sun Hotel · Shuijingjing Square"
In Nanxun, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, a 98.7m high spherical building shaped like the sun stands in front of us. This is the Sun Hotel, known as the "Pearl of South Taihu Lake". Its interior is hollow and its appearance is spherical, just like a pearl inlaid on the crystal water surface. The world's largest spherical building built by China MCC5 Group will become a new energy building landmark in the Yangtze River Delta integration, as well as a fruitful result of cooperation between central enterprises and local governments.
The planned land area of "Sun Hotel · Shuijingjing Square" is about 330 mu, with a total building area of about 220,000 square meters. It is divided into two blocks, namely, Sun Hotel and Shuijingjing Square. The total investment of the project is about 2.65 billion yuan. The project will be started in June 2020. The Sun Hotel is a five-star comprehensive hotel, in the form of a 19 storey spherical building, 98.7 meters high, 97.2 meters in diameter, and its arc roof is a single-layer spherical reticulated shell structure, with a maximum span of 58.8 meters, It is the largest spherical building in the world.
The construction of this project is extremely complex, especially in steel structure, new energy, green construction, etc., which has its own uniqueness. The glass curtain wall coat assembled with diamond as the unit makes the whole building shining. The installation of outdoor glass curtain wall will begin in May 2022, covering an area of 50000 square meters, with 16000 pieces of single glass. At present, the installation work is about to end, and the entire project is expected to be fully completed by the end of 2022.
It is understood that the laminated glass in the curtain wall glass project of this project is provided by the dealers cooperating with our company. The high-end ionic intermediate membrane is used, which has more stable performance and better quality. In the exploration of high permeability, stability, wind proof and explosion-proof products, China E&N has once again made great efforts to help curtain wall construction, serve customers well with high-quality film, and contribute to key landmark projects!


Sensei Ben Pethick
founded Crouching Tiger Karate in 2008, with four local Dojos. Demand grew rapidly and in 2012, Sensei Tom Leask was invited to join as Lead Instructor. By 2014, the student body had grown even further so a second Lead Instructor, Sensei Alex Glazebrook was appointed.
Together, they now inspire hundreds of Karate students to participate in the Crouching Tiger Karate curriculum in nine conveniently located Dojos throughout the South West London area.


The town of McConnells, located in rural York County between Rock Hill and Chester, was incorporated in 1906 and is home to Historic Brattonsville, a living history village, as well as many historic churches.
McConnells can trace its origins to a colonial trading post located at the intersection of two wagon roads, which was followed a century later by a railroad depot and a rural post office.
In October 2006 the town of McConnells celebrates the one hundredth anniversary of its incorporation. Although the town itself is officially 100 years old, the community known as McConnells (originally McConnellsville) is actually much older. Like many other small towns in the Carolina Piedmont, McConnells can trace its origins to a colonial trading post located at the intersection of two wagon roads, which was followed a century later by a railroad depot and a rural post office.
McConnells, like the cities of York and Chester which it lies between, is situated on a natural elevated ridge that runs north-south through the centers of York and Chester Counties. The land gradually slopes off to the east and west on both sides of this ridge, and both slopes are well watered by numerous creeks and spring branches. The South Fork of Fishing Creek begins just east of McConnells, and empties into the main body of Fishing Creek, which in turn enters the Catawba River in southeastern Chester County. The headwaters of Turkey Creek lie immediately to the north and west of McConnells, and these streams join together and enter the Broad River in southwestern Chester County. The fertile hills and woodlands along these creeks were traversed and hunted by Native Americans for at least 10,000 years before the coming of Europeans, and these areas were natural choices for settlement by early pioneers coming from Virginia, Pennsylvania, and the British Isles in the mid-1700s. Indian corn, wheat and oats were the predominant food crops raised by these first settlers, and the waters of Fishing Creek and Turkey Creek provided ample power for grist mills that produced corn meal, wheat flour and oat meal from the harvested grains.
An early eighteenth century wagon road cut across the headwaters of Fishing Creek and Turkey Creek in an east-west direction, following the approximate path of modern Chappell Road east of McConnells and US Highway 322 west of McConnells. This wagon road replaced an even earlier Indian track that connected the prehistoric Indian fords on the upper Catawba and Broad Rivers. This road intersected another early wagon road known as the “Turkey Creek-Sandy River Road,” which followed the natural ridge running through the middle of York and Chester Counties and formed the main route from Kings Mountain in the north to the intersection of the Charleston and Saluda Roads, where the city of Chester now lies. This road approximated the modern route of US Highway 321, and the intersection of these two wagon roads laid the groundwork for the future town of McConnells.
One of the earliest settlers in what would eventually become McConnells was William Moore, a member of a large Scotch-Irish family who settled on upper Fishing Creek in the 1750s. On April 8, 1754, Moore received a 300 acre North Carolina land grant “on ye South fork of fishing Creek adjoining branches of turkie creek.” This was during the period when present-day York County was claimed by North Carolina, and Moore’s grant was located in what was then considered to be Anson County. Another very early family who settled on upper Fishing Creek near McConnells were the Kuykendalls, a Dutch family from New York who began arriving around 1752. After 1754 the French and Indian War slowed the influx of settlers to the area, but settlement resumed in earnest once the war ended in 1763. By this time the area was considered to be part of the newly-formed Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and the incoming settlers were predominantly Scotch-Irish Presbyterians moving down from the heavily settled western frontier districts of Virginia and North Carolina.
A trader and surveyor named John Wade settled on the old wagon road near modern McConnells and built a store or trading post there sometime prior to 1764. His earliest land record, a 300 acre Mecklenburg grant, was surveyed on August 19, 1764, but by that time colonial officials were already referring to his trading post as “Wade’s old store” or “Wade’s old store house.” It seems likely that Wade came here much earlier, probably during the French and Indian War, but he did not record his property until after the war was over. Wade also obtained several other grants in and around McConnells, and he purchased property from another early Turkey Creek settler named Matthew Floyd, a wealthy planter and colonial tax collector. Floyd would later gain notoriety during the Revolutionary War as the commander of a Loyalist militia regiment at the Battle of Huck’s Defeat near present-day Brattonsville.
Among the other early families who settled in the McConnells area prior to the American Revolution are many names familiar to modern McConnells residents: Ashe, Bratton, Burris, Love, Lowry, McKnight, Neely, Rainey, Sadler, Steele, Wallace, Williamson, and, finally, just before the outbreak of the Revolution, the McConnell family. However, the bulk of the land covered by the present town of McConnells was originally owned by a Scotch-Irish settler named James Hannah. Between June 1765 and August 1767, Hannah obtained several large land grants totaling over 500 acres, and he also purchased some of John Wade’s earlier patents and William Moore’s 300 acre tract.
Around 1769 these early settlers established Bethesda Presbyterian Church, which became the first Christian church in the vicinity and provided a focal point for further settlement. The colonial border survey of 1772 officially resolved the dispute between the two Carolinas over who owned the area of present-day York County, and the territory officially became known as the New Acquisition District of South Carolina. During the American Revolution (1775-1783), the predominately Scotch-Irish settlers on Fishing Creek and Turkey Creek almost overwhelmingly supported independence and fought against the British, Loyalists, and their Indian allies in numerous battles throughout South Carolina and Georgia. These engagements included the Battle of Huck’s Defeat, fought at James Williamson’s plantation near McConnells in July 1780, and the Battle of Kings Mountain, fought in northwestern York County in October 1780. Local planters like William and Hugh Bratton, Robert Ashe, James and William Hannah, Andrew Love, John and Reuben McConnell, Samuel Rainey, John and Joseph Steele, and Samuel Williamson all distinguished themselves during the war, and after the war they resumed their lives as planters, church leaders, civic officers, and as the heads of large families. They also lent their talents and energies to creating a new county between the Broad and Catawba Rivers named York, which was officially established in 1785 with its county seat at another early crossroads which became Yorkville.
The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 made short-staple cotton a viable cash crop for the South Carolina upcountry, and upland cotton took its place alongside Indian corn, wheat and livestock as one of the area’s chief agricultural products. Cotton planting also opened the door to the increased usage of slave labor. Prior to the Revolution, the total number of slaves and slave owners in the York County area was small, but after 1790 families like the Brattons, Raineys and McConnells began aggressively expanding their plantations and buying up large numbers of African slaves from Virginia and the South Carolina lowcountry to work these new plantations.
In 1800 York County became York District. Gordon Moore surveyed York District in 1820 for Robert Mills’ South Carolina atlas, which was published in 1825. The 1820 survey shows the old wagon road running from Kings Mountain through Yorkville and then due south past the “McConnel” and “M. Love” plantations into Chester District, but no actual town yet existed at the old crossroads. That situation began to change in 1848, when residents of Yorkville and western York County decided to construct a new railroad that would run from Chesterville through Yorkville and into North Carolina.
As originally planned, the Kings Mountain Railroad would tie in with the existing Charlotte and South Carolina Railroad in Chesterville and proceed northeast through the town of Lowryville (now Lowrys), then turn due north and parallel the Turkey Creek-Sandy River Road to Yorkville. From Yorkville it would bear northwest into North Carolina, where it would tie into the Southern Railroad at the town of Kings Mountain in Cleveland County. Investors were recruited, capital was raised and the Kings Mountain Railroad Company received its charter in 1848. By the end of 1852 a line had been built connecting Chesterville with Yorkville, but the line stopped at Yorkville due to a shortage of funds. The crossroads near the McConnell plantation, located almost exactly halfway between Chesterville and Yorkville, was a natural place to put a railroad depot with a water tank and firewood supplies. As the railroad was being finished, Joseph P. Moore and Hugh Burris opened a small store nearby selling dry goods and millinery, which they called Moore & Burris.
Once the railroad was completed, a post office was not far behind. The name “McConnellsville,” like the names of many other rural communities in the area (including Guthriesville, Brattonsville, and Lowryville), was probably coined when the first US post office was established there. The McConnellsville Post Office officially opened for business on April 1, 1854, and the first postmaster was Joseph P. Moore, who operated the post office out of the same building as his store, adjacent to the railroad station. With the establishment of a railroad station, country store, and post office, McConnellsville officially began its life as a small Southern town. When the War Between the States began in 1861, the white population overwhelmingly supported the Confederacy, and several companies of soldiers were organized from the area in and around McConnells, including the Turkey Creek Guards and the Turkey Creek Grays, which became Company E and Company I of the 5th South Carolina Infantry Regiment, and the Lacy Guards, which became Company K of the 17th South Carolina Infantry Regiment.
With South Carolina’s secession from the Union and the establishment of the Confederate States of America, the McConnellsville Post Office ceased to be a United States post office and became a Confederate States post office. Following the conclusion of the War Between the States, the US government would not sanction the appointment of any postmaster who had supported the Confederacy, and this eliminated J. P. Moore and most of the other white residents of McConnells. The McConnellsville Post Office was closed down on January 4, 1867, and for the next four years the residents of McConnells had to travel several miles north to the Guthriesville Post Office, run by Miss Susan Jane Guthrie, in order to send and receive their mail. The McConnellsville Post Office was finally reopened on March 30, 1871, with the appointment of Andrew F. Lindsey as postmaster, who presumably was acceptable to the Federal authorities.
Courtesy of Michael C. Scoggins, Yorkville Historical Society


For fifty years, Deep Water Cay has been the finest bonefishing destination in the Bahamas. Fishing has always been an integral part of Bahamian life and it is the foundation of Deep Water Cay. It has played host to some of the most adventurous and distinguished fly fishermen. Joe Brooks, Curt Gowdy, Stu Apte, Flip Pallot, Lefty Kreh, Chico Fernandez, and Sandy Moret are just a few. More recently and for two years running, the Buccaneers & Bones, which include legendary anglers Lefty Kreh, Tom Brokaw, Liam Neeson, Michael Keaton, Bill Klyn, Dr. Aaron Adams, and Yvon Chinouard chose Deep Water Cay as the place to meet for their adventures in bonefishing.
As you wade the more than 250 square miles of hard-packed white sand flats, you’ll easily spot bonefish. Boat fishing is done around the softer bottoms that are covered in Turtle Grass and oriented around the mangroves. But the water runs far beyond the mangrove root tangles and into saltwater lakes with freshwater sources, making them a virtual baitfish factory.
The real treat is that the 2.2 square mile Deep Water Cay lies on an east/west tack and is situated below an archipelago of moderate-sized cays arranged on a north/south tack. A series of channels connect the southern and northern fisheries, making an angler’s trip a quick run to any of them.
Deep Water Cay is located in the midst of an incredibly diverse string of currents. The Straits of Florida are to the west and have strong, fertile currents connecting to the western end of Grand Bahama Island. The Grand Bahama Bank runs north and connects at that same point. From the fall through the spring, these currents bring Wahoo, Sailfish, White and Blue Marlin, Mahi Mahi, and tuna to within casting range. What brings them close to Deep Water Cay is the Northwest Providence Channel providing anglers with short runs to prime fishing. Here the channel depths drop quickly from a foot at Mean Low Water to nearly 750 feet. So climb aboard our center console 33-foot World Cat and experience our bluewater offshore fishery.
Because of the difference in tides, there is a three-hour passage of time between the east and the west ends of Deep Water Cay so anglers enjoy more prime time fishing.
Fishing times run from 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
If you want more, there are flats within walking distance of the infinity pool, the cottages, and all the private residence homes.
Anglers who arrive at Deep Water Cay will fish from an entirely new fleet of Hell’s Bay Flats Skiffs: the Hell’s Bay Marquesa and the Hell’s Bay Professional. These boats float in the skinniest of water, offer a dry and comfortable ride, and provide stability while casting. They have custom enhancements for the best fishing experience possible. Additionally, the Yamaha outboards don’t release oil and gasoline into our pristine environment.
Less than a mile off shore, reef fishing will provide the perfect activity for everyone, including the kids. No special skills are required. Grouper, snapper and barracuda are the commonly caught saltwater fish. This type of fishing is done from our 28-foot Grady White and remains strong year round.
Our Executive Chef will prepare your catch for dinner.
Bahamas Best Guides
The Deep Water Cay guide team is an assemblage of skilled and talented men who have been learning as well as teaching techniques over a very long time. Some of our guides are second and third generation guides that come from legendary families of fishing guides. Fathers, grandfathers, uncles, cousins and brothers have shared information, tips, and tricks that have become time-honored over the fifty years since Deep Water Cay was founded.
Our current guide staff includes: Meko Glinton, Mervin Thomas, William Pinder, Joseph Pinder, Pery Demeritte, Michael Taylor, Randy Reckley, Harry Rolle and Ted Cooper. All of these men are seasoned veterans who also run a Guide Training Program working with younger, up-and-coming guides.
Two of the more celebrated guides include Meko Glinton and Mervin Thomas. These fellows have been guides with us for many years and continue to serve the guests of Deep Water Cay. Mervin joined the guide staff in 1977 and enjoys introducing new and experienced anglers alike to the thousands of acres of bonefish flats in the area. His early expertise was with reef fishing for grouper but then began adding flats fishing to really hone his trade. Mervin’s hard work was rewarded when Stanley Glinton took him in under his wing. Stanley was our senior guide at the time and one of the original Deep Water Cay guides.
Omeko “Meko” Glinton has a fabled past of family guides that were the early pioneers of flats fishing in the Bahamas. Meko’s grandfather is David Glinton, Sr., his father is Stanley Glinton and his uncles are the famous talented Pinder brothers! His grandfather guided at Deep Water Cay from 1958 to 2002 and his dad was a lead guide for over 20 years. Today Meko is one of the most requested guides at Deep Water Cay and prefers to wade fish over boat fish as there is a tremendous amount of hunting and stalking involved. Meko is a past Bahamas bonefish Champion and past winner of the Redbone Tournament.
The fishing future of Deep Water Cay is very much secure with the continual support of our outstanding collection of guides and the training program. They all enjoy the challenge of the hunt and the teaching opportunities that come with every outing as well as the guests who just can’t seem to get enough.
Time of Year
January and February are good months; with an occasional northern wind cooling off the flats. January’s average temperature is 69 degrees, and you’ll find good numbers of bones in the 3-6 pound class.
March, April and May are peak Bahamian bonefishing months – terrific for both numbers and size of fish.
June, July and August are largely perceived as too hot to fish, but it’s not true. Average temperatures in July and August average 83 degrees. You’ll see big schools of bonefish that weigh up to about 8 pounds.
September through November is when the biggest fish of the year are caught.
From January through May you’ll want to have a nine-weight rod and in the summer you can scale down to a saltwater six- or seven-weight.
Flurocarbon leaders ranging from 8-16 pound test tippets get the nod. If you had to bring just three flies, bring a Mantis shrimp, a McVey Gotcha, and a Meko’s Special. Bring some more to try. Tie them with plastic eyes and bead chain eyes around a size 6. By the way – the Meko Special was developed for these waters by a Deep Water Cay guide (obviously named Meko).
The technical outerwear of casting shirts and fast-drying shorts is ideal. Long-sleeved shirts and pants are the best idea, particularly if they are made from a quick drying material with an SPF rating. Flats boots for wading are recommended and either amber or copper-colored, wrap-style sunglasses help you spot fish.
The Pro Shop is fully stocked with the best quality fly gear on the market. You’ll find ORVIS rods and reels along with Sage rods, Tibor reels, and Rio lines. If you forget anything at home, don’t worry, you’ll find it here.


With 19 acres of green space in the middle of downtown Birmingham, including nine acres of open lawn, Railroad Park is the ideal place to have a little lunch, throw a little Frisbee, take a little jog.
More than 600 trees are planted onsite: a mixture of hardwoods, evergreens, and flowering trees. There are 50 Princeton elms, alone. The luxurious landscaping is punctuated with masses of annual, biennial and perennial flowers, making this oasis not only lovely, but a cool escape in the center of a bustling urban environment.
Many of the walls and seating areas are constructed from bricks and objects unearthed on the site when Railroad Park construction began. Re-used and recycled objects including hand cast bricks and original cobblestone can be found throughout the park.
Railroad Park is 30% water, with a beautiful lake, a stunning rain curtain, a bio-filtration wetlands area and ponds & streams everywhere. These many water features are irrigated by onsite wells.
In addition to the paths that wind throughout Railroad Park, the Rail Trail extends the length of the park, perfect for runners and walkers. At its highest point it affords breathtaking city views. The outer loop around the Park is just under 3/4 of a mile.
Railroad Park is open 7am-11pm daily. Railroad Park is monitored around the clock by a state-of-the-art security system and by rangers on patrol. Get driving directions to Railroad Park.
Railroad Park has been open since September 2010 and is proudly owned by the City of Birmingham. The City of Birmingham has a management agreement with the Railroad Park Foundation, a private not-for-profit 501c3 organization, to run Railroad Park. Admission to Railroad Park is free, thanks to the City of Birmingham and the many private donors that donate to Railroad Park Foundation. For information on how to support Railroad Park, please visit our Support page.
- The 17th Street Plaza is large and partially covered and houses the ranger station, the Railroad Park Foundation office, restrooms and the Railroad Park Dining Car.
- Two age-appropriate play areas filled with modern playground equipment and a climbing dome invite toddlers and children to play as trains pass nearby.
- Outdoor gym equipment in the style of Muscle Beach in California offers additional opportunities for good fitness in the middle of the city.
- A variety of walking trails accommodate runners, walkers, and casual meanderers, including the Magic City Loop (3/4 mile), Rail Trail (1/3 mile), Powell Avenue Promenade (1/3 mile), and Limestone Trace (1/2 mile).
- Water features make up 30% of the Park, featuring a beautiful lake, striking Rain Curtain, wetlands, ponds, and streams.
- A designated skate area with three varying sizes of skate bowls keeps some of our young visitors entertained while the more faint of heart observe from benches.
- Birmingham History Wall with timeline and images
Sweeping lawns, picturesque streams and the Birmingham skyline make Railroad Park a prime spot for memorable events of all kinds, such as weddings, class reunions, or family reunions. Contact us for more information on Railroad Park facility rental and to get on the calendar for private events.
- 16th Street Baptist Church
- Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame
- Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
- Alabama Theatre
- Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum
- Birmingham Botanical Gardens
- Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
- Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex
- Birmingham Museum of Art
- Birmingham Zoo
- Great Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau
- McWane Science Center
- Pepper Place
- Red Mountain Park
- Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve
- Sloss Furnaces
- Trek Birmingham
- Vulcan Park and Museum
- Regions Field, Home of the Birmingham Barons
THE PARK IS OPEN DAILY FROM 7A.M. TO 11:00P.M.
- PETS WELCOME UNDER CONTROL OF OWNER; PETS MUST BE ON A LEASH AT ALL TIMES
- PLEASE CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR PETS
- PLEASE DO NOT PICK THE FLOWERS
- NO LITTERING, GRAFFITTI, STICKERS OR SIDEWALK CHALK
- NO SMOKING
- NO OUTSIDE ALCOHOL. ALCOHOL IS ALLOWED IN DESIGNATED AREAS ONLY, WHEN PURCHASED FROM PARK VENDORS OR AS PROVIDED FOR SPECIAL EVENTS
- NO WADING, JUMPING, SWIMMING OR FISHING IN THE LAKES AND PONDS
- NO ROCK THROWING
- NO VEHICLES
- NO LYING ON BENCHES
- NO PLACEMENT OF STAKES, POSTS OR SIGNS
- NO PANHANDLING
- NO ILLEGAL DRUGS
- NO FEEDING THE BIRDS, FISH, OR WILDLIFE
- NO BARBECUE GRILLS
- SKATEBOARDING ALLOWED IN DESIGNATED AREAS ONLY
- CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 16 SHOULD BE SUPERVISED AT ALL TIMES ON THE PROPERTY
- RAILROAD PARK IS MONITORED 24-HOURS A DAY, 7-DAYS A WEEK
Free parking is available along the outer perimeters of the Park along 1st Avenue South. Please refrain from parking in the spaces allotted for the various local businesses that operate along 1st Avenue South unless you are attending those venues. Violators may be subject to tickets or towing. Metered parking is available within a 3 to 4 block radius of the Park. Please be informed that METERED PARKING IS FREE DURING EVENINGS AFTER 6PM AND ON WEEKENDS.


Energy Technologies Institute
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Travelling to Holywell Park
Holywell Park is situated on the Loughborough University campus and is less than 2 miles away from junction 23 of the M1 motorway. London is one-and-a-half hours away by train, Birmingham one hour and Manchester and Leeds two hours. There are regular scheduled flights from UK, European and international destinations to East Midlands Airport, 7 miles away.
Travelling by rail
There are over 40 trains daily to and from London St Pancras, 90 minutes away. Once at Loughborough railway station, you are ten minutes’ drive from the campus by taxi or regular bus service which operates every ten minutes during term time. For information on train times and ticket prices go to The Trainline.
Travelling by air
East Midlands Airport is 7 miles away, with domestic and international flights. For destinations and a full timetable contact the East Midlands Airport Information Desk, tel: +44 (0) 1332 852852
University shuttle bus service (“Kinchbus”)
Kinchbus Number 7 runs from Loughborough Railway station and brings you straight to campus. Alighting points for the Kinchbus on the campus include: – Students’ Union – Pilkington Library – Wolfson School – Holywell Park In term time this service runs every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime until 5.45 pm. A Monday to Friday evening service operates every 30 minutes until 8.40 pm during term times only. Sunday service runs from 12 noon until 7.20 pm.


This program seeks to provide logistical support and physical for regional research groups for carrying out scientific group meetings on the premises of the Center. This program may accept research groups led by associate researchers or researchers affiliated to academic and research institutions associated through an agreement with the MCTP.
Associate Group grants are for groups of researchers working in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, whose collaborations are well established and documented, preferably in joint publications.
Who can apply?
Research groups that are operating in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean and have people working and living in the same institute or institutes in the region.
Duration of the program
The members of the Group make a single visit to the MCTP with a duration of two weeks per month as agreed with the organizers. This stay must include the period of several days in which the contributions of the subgroups are presented in plenary form and the technical report will be prepared.
The date for applications is open.
Field of study / research
All fields of the MCTP.
Depending on the composition of the group, each member will receive a scholarship as a Junior Associate, Regular Associate or Senior Associate.


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Lastline provides AI-driven Network Threat Analytics and Email Security products that eliminate the disruption of vital business processes. We provide superior detection of advanced threats attempting to enter or operating within enterprise networks and the visibility security teams need to quickly and completely respond before a costly and damaging data breach. We are innovating the way companies defeat cyberattacks with solutions that require fewer resources and cost less than existing security tools. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, Lastline has offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia.


We found that the organization hosting Facts.eu is Swisscom in Switzerland.
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Our Simple Disclaimer
While every effort has been made to provide the correct dates and locations of events and sights in this website, the authors assume no liability as to the accuracy of the dates or locations contained in this website. Please verify all dates and locations prior to planning your visit.
While we have endeavored to use only our own photos; some restaurant, hotel and event photos have been used from their respective websites in order to promote these properties and/or events. If you are the copyright owner of any images used on this website and do not wish them to be used, please notify us and we will remove the image immediately.


Our beautiful school facility is on 20 acres nestled into the Tahoe National Forest in Northern California. It includes hiking trails, full track and field, gymnasium, dormitories, commercial kitchen, a resourceful library and spacious classrooms with vaulted ceilings designed to distribute abundant natural light.
Nestled in the forest, our retreat-style school is a serene and peaceful oasis — perfect for intensive reading and study. With acres of forested walking trails and a complete track and field, students have plenty of room to stretch their legs.
A full gymnasium with a capacity for nearly a thousand, a commercial kitchen, renovated bedrooms, reading nooks everywhere and blanketed Wifi. Even on rainy days, there is plenty of room to move around and lots of quiet places to curl up with a good book.
We have perhaps the most un-school-like classrooms you have ever seen. Since our students study for long hours together, we did everything to make them comfortable. Starting with plush leather sofas and ottomans, reclining chairs and coffee bars in every classroom.
Our mountain retreat school was renovated from a beautifully designed but lately vacant public high school. It was a real diamond in the rough. The whole community rallied together and pitched in to help resurrect this beautiful facility.


Infracapital and InfraVia to acquire Gruppo Investimenti Portuali
Infracapital and InfraVia have reached an agreement to acquire Gruppo Investimenti Portuali SpA (“GIP” or “the Group”), one of the leading independent container terminal operators in Italy. The two funds will control GIP on an equal basis and Giulio Schenone, one of the founders of GIP, will remain a shareholder in the Group and will become GIP’s new Chief Executive Officer. The transaction was negotiated bilaterally.
GIP was established in Genoa in 1993 by Luigi Negri, Giovanni Cerruti, the Magillo family and Giulio Schenone, who together successfully developed the Group into a significant operator with interests in four strategic container terminals. In 2016, GIP’s terminals moved over 2.6 million TEUs to and from the key manufacturing and trading markets of Northern and Central Italy.
The Group has interests in the following terminals:
- Southern European Container Hub (SECH): GIP acquired SECH, one of the first container terminal concessions in Italy, in 1993. It has grown steadily under GIP’s ownership and is now the third largest terminal port in the Port of Genoa.
- Terminal Darsena Toscana (TDT): TDT is the largest container terminal in Tuscany and primarily serves the large markets of Tuscany and Emilia Romagna to and from the Americas.
- Voltri Terminal Europe (VTE): GIP is invested alongside PSA International in VTE, the largest terminal port in Genoa and the largest gateway port for shipping lines serving Northwest Italy.
- Venice Container Terminal (Vecon):GIP is also invested alongside PSA International in Vecon, the main container facility in the Port of Venice. Vecon is the natural gateway between the substantial cargo market of Northeast Italy and the East Mediterranean/Middle and Far Eastern markets.
GIP has also partnered with MSC, a world leader in global container shipping, in the new deep-water Bettolo container terminal which will adjoin the SECH terminal in the centre of the port of Genoa.
Luigi Negri, Chairman of GIP, said: “We are proud to have built GIP over the past 25 years to become one of Italy’s leading container terminal operators. GIP sees considerable opportunities ahead and we are excited that Infracapital and InfraVia have agreed to support the next stage of GIP’s development.”
Ed Clarke, Co Founder of Infracapital, said: “We are delighted to be investing alongside Infravia in GIP. GIP’s portfolio of strategic container terminals in Northern Italy serving the country’s economic heartland is an excellent fit with Infracapital’s investment strategy. This is our second investment in Italy and follows on from our very successful investment in Associated British Ports. We look forward to working with GIP’s management team, customers, employees and local communities as well as GIP’s existing partners, PSA and MSC, to continue to support the development of the business and its important contribution to the Italian economy.”
Vincent Levita, Founder and CEO of InfraVia, said: “GIP is one of the leading container port operators in Northern Italy and thanks to its state-of-the-art facilities and the partnership with the leading global container port operator, PSA, we believe GIP is ideally positioned to capture the further growth of container trade in the region. We are pleased to invest alongside Infracapital and are looking forward to our collaboration with management, local stakeholders, customers and employees to further develop the business.”
About Gruppo Investimenti Portuali (GIP)
GIP’s main business includes interests in the port terminals Voltri Terminal Europa (VTE), Southern European Container Hub (SECH), Venice Container Terminal (Vecon) and Terminal Darsena Toscana (TDT). GIP’s terminals are strategically placed across the financial and trade hubs of Northern and Central Italy in Genoa, Livorno and Venice.
Source: Infravia and Infracapital Press Release