By Abby Spegman

The Olympian

New year, new rules?

Jan. 1 will bring changes to local life. Here are some things to watch out for.

Timberland goes fine-free

Timberland Regional Librarys board voted in December to stop charging fines for late returns starting Jan. 1. Existing fines for late returns will also be wiped out in the new year.

The change does not affect fines for lost or damaged items. Due dates will still apply; items overdue more than 28 days will be considered lost and the user will be charged a replacement fee if he or she doesnt return the item.

The move is meant to encourage people who are staying away because they owe money to come back to the libraries. It comes as other library systems throughout the country are dropping fines in hopes of increasing circulation.

The Nisqually Valley News reports fines were expected to bring in $242,000 in 2019, down about 10 percent from the previous year thanks to the rise of digital checkouts that return automatically.

Timberland Regional Library serves Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific and Thurston counties with more than two dozen branches.

Also in 2020, the library plans to reopen the Olympia branch, which has been closed since November for renovations, in early February. The Lacey branch is slated to close for renovations in the fall.

Olympia transit stops collecting fares

Something else that wont cost you money in 2020: riding Intercity Transit. At least, not when you get on a bus.

IT, which offers bus service throughout Thurston County, will stop collecting fares on buses Jan. 1. The change also applies to Dial-A-Lift, a door-to-door service for people with disabilities.

Voters in 2018 approved a sales tax increase to fund what IT leaders billed as transformational changes for the system, including ways to speed up service.

IT says fares currently net less than 2 percent of its operating revenue, while replacing an outdated fare collection system would cost at least $1 million.

Coming later in 2020: a new route to serve growing northeast Lacey. Route 65/Hawks Prairie is scheduled to begin March 22 and will connect with existing high-frequency service on Martin Way and at the Lacey Transit Center.

Curbside recycling cuts glass in Olympia

Glass and plastic coated cartons will no longer be accepted in Olympias curbside recycling bins starting Jan. 1. While glass can be dropped off at collection sites, the cartons should go in the trash, the city says.

The changes are only for city of Olympia customers. LeMays curbside recycling in Thurston County will continue to accept glass in separate bins.

Olympias changes are linked to Chinas recently crackdown on imported recyclables, which decreased the value of materials and made recycling more expensive. They come at the request of Pioneer Recycling Services, which sorts recyclables collected in Olympia and other Thurston County cities.

Olympia plans to collect glass bottles and jars at three locations starting Jan. 1: at Yauger Park on Alta Street Southwest on the west side, at the citys drop-off recycling center on 10th Avenue Southeast, and at Concrete Recyclers on Black Lake Boulevard Southwest in Tumwater.

Glass already is accepted at the countys Waste and Recovery Center in Hawks Prairie.

City officials have said they expect to save $90,000 to $170,000 a year by collecting glass at drop-off sites.

Car seats, tobacco and minimum wage

State laws going into effect Jan. 1 include stricter car seat regulations and an increase in the minimum wage.

Starting Jan. 1, children under 2 years old must be in a rear-facing car seat, while children ages 2 to 4 must be in a car seat with a harness. Children who are older than 4 and who have outgrown a car seat must use a booster seat until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall.

The minimum wage will increase from $12 to $13.50 an hour, the last of four increases that voters approved via ballot measure back in 2016.

Lastly, a state law raising the legal age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21 goes into effect Jan. 1, days after a federal law already effectively raised the age.

Congress inserted a provision raising the purchase age into an emergency spending bill signed by the president Dec. 20. That went into effect immediately.

The change comes as teens report growing use of vaping products with nicotine. Thurston County Public Health and Social Services reports one in three Thurston County high school seniors use vaping products, according to a 2018 survey, and kids who vape are more likely to start smoking cigarettes.

Continued here:
Fine-free libraries, zero-fare Olympia buses and other changes coming to region in 2020 - The Daily World

The story of the lost canoe, dance theater and a journal workshop are among the weekends activities on the North Olympic Peninsula.

Information also is available on the interactive calendar at peninsuladailynews.com/calendar.

SEQUIM

Guild to meet

SEQUIM Lolly Golden and Susan Cleaves will present Rug Hooking Across the Globe at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Knoll will address a monthly meeting of the North Olympic Shuttle and Spindle Guild in the meeting rooms at Sequim Community Church, 950 N. Fifth Ave.

Spinners, weavers, felters and other fiber enthusiasts are invited to attend the free meeting.

For more information, contact Kathy Martin at 303-638-2169, [emailprotected] or visit nossg.org.

Genealogy meeting

SEQUIM Priscilla Hudson will present The History of the Lost Canoe at a meeting of the Clallam County Genealogical Society from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

The society will meet at the Dungeness Schoolhouse, 2741 Towne Road.

The meeting will begin with a potluck social, followed by Hudsons presentation about the mysterious wooden canoe that was displayed for years at Pioneer Memorial Park in Sequim.

The public is invited to attend this free meeting.

For more information, call 360-417-5000, email [emailprotected] or visit clallamcogs.org.

Build-It program

SEQUIM The North Olympic Library System will host a childrens Build-It program from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

The program will be at the Sequim Library, 630 N. Sequim Ave.

Participants can build their own creations using the librarys Lego bricks and are encouraged to write a story about the creation.

The free program is open to the public. Children younger than 8 should be accompanied by a parent or caregiver.

For more information, call Jennifer Knight at 360-417-8500, ext. 7733, email [emailprotected] or visit nols.org.

VFW dance

SEQUIM A free public dance is set from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4760 hall.

The VFW hall is at 169 E. Washington St.

Jerrys Western Swing will perform classic country hits from the 50s and 60s.

Pancake breakfast

SEQUIM A pancake breakfast is planned from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

The meal will be served at the Sequim Prairie Grange, 290 Macleay Road.

Breakfast will include eggs, ham and hotcakes, all you can eat, with homemade applesauce, coffee or tea.

The meal costs $7 per person, $3 for children younger than 10. Proceeds benefit the grange building fund.

For more information, call 360-582-0100.

Sunday breakfast

SEQUIM The Veterans of Foreign Wars serve breakfast from 9:30 a.m. to noon Sunday.

The meal is served at Post 4760, 169 E. Washington St. The meal costs $6 per person and is open to the public.

The menu includes blueberry pancakes, bacon, eggs, juice and coffee.

For more information, visit vfwpost4760.com.

Elks bingo

SEQUIM Sequim Elks will host bingo games from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Games will be at the Sequim Elks lodge, 143 Port Williams Road.

Admission is free with a minimum buy-in of $10. Players must be 18 years or older.

Proceeds will go to Elks scholarship programs, other charities and lodge operating expenses.

For more information, call Crystal Parker at 360-683-3034.

Dance concert

SEQUIM Sequim Elks will host a dance and concert from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

The dance is at the Elks Lodge, 143 Port Williams Road.

Music will be performed by the The OrcaStraitors, including both old standards and new standards.

Admission is $10 per person, $8 for Elks members.

For more information, call Lance Staub at 360-460-9608 or email [emailprotected].

PORT TOWNSEND

Dance theater

PORT TOWNSEND Bill Evans, Don Halquist and special guest Claire Porter will perform dance theater at 7 tonight and at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Celebrate the Comic and Poignant Genius of Claire Porter! will be at the Key City Playhouse, 419 Washington St.

Advance tickets to Celebrate are available at keycitypublictheatre.org or 360-385-5278 and range from $12 for students to $20 general.

Creation supporter passes, which include an invitation to a reception with the artists Saturday afternoon, are $40.

Come performance time, any remaining seats will be sold on a pay-what-you-can basis at the door 30 minutes before showtime.

PORT ANGELES

Journal workshop

PORT ANGELES Sarah Jane will lead a New Years Journal Workshop from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. The workshop will be at the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, 1203 E. Lauridsen Blvd.

Participants will be able to create tiny personal journals to set intentions and record reflections for 2020.

The evening will include time for personal reflection and for group sharing.

Tickets are $10 per journal and can be purchased online at pafac.org.

For more information, call the center at 360-457-3532 or email [emailprotected].

Contra dance

PORT ANGELES Lindsey Dono will call a contra dance at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Requested donation is $8 per person, $4 for youths younger than 18 years.

The dance will be at the Black Diamond Community Hall, 1942 Black Diamond Road.

Music will be provided by Kate Powers and David Rivers.

A free dance lesson will be offered at 7 p.m. to those who have paid admission to the dance.

The dance starts at 7:30 p.m.

For more information, visit blackdiamonddance.org.

Dancing program

PORT ANGELES The Sons of Norway will host a dancing program from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

The program will be held at Scandia Hall, 131 W. Fifth St.

The program includes Scandinavian, swing, ballroom and folk dancing. A lesson will be held at 6:30 p.m.

The public is invited, no partner is needed. Families and all ages are welcome.

Suggested donation is $3. Refreshments will follow the dancing.

For more information, call 360-457-7035 or 360-452-6334.

JOYCE

Benefit breakfast

JOYCE A benefit breakfast is planned from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sunday.

The meal will be served at the Crescent Bay Lions Clubhouse, 181 Holly Hill Road.

The Secords will perform live music during the meal.

The menu includes pancakes, French toast, biscuits and gravy, hash browns, breakfast meats and beverages.

The meal costs $7 per person, $4 for children. Proceeds go to the Crescent Bay Lions for community programs and scholarships.

Read the original post:
Lost canoe talk, dance theater, journal workshop set this weekend - Peninsula Daily News

The Hokies lost the toss, again... someone check the karma chart to figure out how many times that has happened this season and how rare that is...

The opening drive was assisted by 30 yards of penalties by the Wildcats, and then a final stall. It was rescued by #25 wearing Brian Johnson, who booted a 54 yard field goal to open the scoring.

After some back and forth Kentucky just outsized and out powered the Tech defense to drive the ball down the field to score a touchdown.

The Wildcat passing game consisted of a 1 for two RPO style play the second of which hit for a first down.

Tech did execute two nice touchdown drives capped off by two Hendon Hooker TD passes, one in the first quarter to Damon Hazelton, and then one in the early 2nd quarter on a nice risk taking drive all the way to the Wildcat 5 where Hooker hit Dalton Keene in the front 1/3rd of the endzone (with a super armsqueeze catch by Keene) to go ahead 17-7.

Unfortunately after a nice Tech defensive stop (which are hard to come by in this contest). The Tech offense was completely stalled with much too conservative at the line of scrimmage play calling. The ensuing punt and Kentucky offensive series was an excercise in the defense just getting man handled and pushed down the field until there was no way that Kentucky wasnt going to power it in.

With 53 second and two timeouts left, Tech functionally took no chances, and though getting to mid field, and close to a chance to get into position for a field goal, Tech offered up an unchallenging offensive formation and play where Hooker was again caught immoble in a collapsing pocket.

Tech stumbles off the field with a tiny 17-14 lead.

Link:

Virginia Tech Hokies lead the Kentucky Wildcats by a Slim 3 Points - Gobbler Country

Pattanaphong Khuankaew / EyeEm

The stock market surged in 2019, closing out the end of the decade by posting its best annual gain in six years.

But investors hypnotized by the prospect of big profits should temper any knee-jerk reaction to load up on stocks as the new year gets under way.

Charlie Fitzgerald, a financial advisor at Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo, an advisory firm with offices in Orlando and Melbourne in Florida, said a strong stock market often leads investors to be overconfident and assume the gravy train will last.

"People look at their portfolios and say, 'Stocks did great last year. I don't want to miss out,'" Fitzgerald said.

"One of the biggest investing myths is that people can time the market," he said. "It's just not possible."

The S&P 500 index was up a whopping 31.5% last year, including reinvested dividends. That's its best showing since 2013, when the index had a total return of 32.4%.

The only year that saw better annual performance over the past three decades was 1997, when the S&P 500 yielded 33.4%.

There were several factors nudging the stock market upward in 2019.

For one, the Federal Reserve reversed course on monetary policy, reducing its benchmark interest rate three times last year. The Fed had previously raised rates four times in 2018, up to 2.5%.

Lower interest rates generally lead investors to pour more money into stocks in search of higher returns, since safer havens such as cash and certificates of deposit yield less in low-rate environments.

Further, much of last year's market run-up went into erasing steep losses from the fourth quarter of 2018, which contributed to the S&P 500's first annual loss since the financial crisis a decade earlier. A surge in stocks is typical after a year in which there was a downturn.

While there aren't strong indicators suggesting the market's upward trajectory won't continue in the near term, some financial experts say the prudent course of action for investors especially those near or in retirement after 2019's banner year would be to reduce stock holdings.

"It stands to reason after this performance that you'd want to take some chips off the table," said Christine Benz, director of personal finance at research firm Morningstar.

That doesn't mean selling out of all stock holdings, though. Increasingly longer lifespans mean retirees will have to make their money last for perhaps three to four decades, and some investment risk is necessary to ensure adequate returns.

One of the biggest investing myths is that people can time the market. It's just not possible.

Charlie Fitzgerald

financial advisor at Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo

However, investors should consider rebalancing their portfolios, which are likely stock-heavy after 2019's performance, Benz said. That would mean selling some stock holdings and reallocating them to a less risky part of the portfolio such as bonds.

Let's consider a $100 portfolio, allocated 60% to stocks and 40% to bonds, to see how an investor could inadvertently take on more investment risk over time.

A 31.5% increase in stock returns last year would have grown the stock portion of the portfolio to $78.90. Let's say bonds returned 5%, bringing bond holdings to $42. The portfolio would now be 65% stocks and 35% bonds, instead of the investor's target of 60%-40%.

"You have to think about portfolios not just from a return perspective but from a risk perspective," Fitzgerald said. "If rebalancing isn't done, the risk is unchecked."

More from Personal Finance Why you might not want to move all your IRA money to a Roth Here's why you should consolidate those 401(k)s and IRAs If you hit the $237 million Powerball jackpot, this is your tax bill

Based on average annual stock market returns of around 10% over the last century, probability dictates that performance exceeding 25% in any given year is rare or, with odds of roughly 1 in 6, Fitzgerald said.

It's impossible to know how long the current market rally will last, but chances are returns will, at the very least, be lower in 2020.

Younger investors with decades until retirement should maintain stock-heavy portfolios, because they have time to weather any future losses and can afford to take more risk, Benz said.

However, such investors can reallocate within their stock holdings, Benz said perhaps by adopting some more foreign versus U.S. stocks, since the former underperformed domestic equities last year and may be in store for stronger returns.

Read the original:
Don't fall prey to the stock market's banner year - CNBC

Jan. 2, 2020, 3:46 PM UTC

Virtual meetings and instant-messaging apps like Slack mean we have the ability to communicate more easily than ever. We can share files nearly instantly. We can be in communication with our teams in transit from trains and airplanes. If we need to stay home with a sick child or because we're sneezing ourselves, deadlines can still be met.

But experts say that these changes that seemingly make work easier than ever before are making work more challenging in some ways, too.

Work has fully invaded our personal lives in that we can work 24/7, but the reverse is not necessarily true, explains Christine Carter, Ph.D,, a sociologist and senior fellow at the Greater Good Science Center at University of California, Berkeley. We dont take our personal lives to work in the same ways that we are taking our work into our personal lives. (Carter is also author of the book, "The Sweet Spot: How to Accomplish More by Doing Less," a guide to balancing the busyness of modern life.)

There are a few changes Carter and others hope to see in the next decade to get smarter about how we use the technology we have and refocus on the metrics about work that matter. Here are a few.

Employees have been very flexible towards letting their work responsibilities come home with them. Punching out (and staying offline and away from work) when the clock strikes 5 p.m. is a thing of the past. We stay those extra 15, 30 or 90 minutes to send those last few emails or wait for that client to call. We log onto our email after weve put the kids to bed to check if any other urgent emails have come in we need to address before heading into the office the next morning. We get a jump on things over weekend days were not scheduled to work.

In the 2020s, that flexibility needs to be allowed to work in the other direction, Carter says. It means workers need to be able to take their kids to the dentist during the work day or work from home because the plumber needs to fix a leak, she says (because we know were going to spend the time later on to get our work done). Human beings want to do their best work, she says. When you set them up to do well by not creating so much conflict between their families and their personal lives and their work, we do better.

Doing more than one task at the same time (or switching very quickly between tasks) makes us less, not more efficient. Psychology research dating back to the 1990s suggests its because theres a mental cost to the type of mental juggling required to switch back and forth between multiple tasks.

Its basically the opposite of productivity, Carter says. It makes us feel productive, but it fries our brains to the point where we cant get anything done.

We get real, deep work done when we single-task and focus, but we need to allow ourselves to do that, Carter says. And to do that

We need to get rid of the antiquated notion that value in the workplace is tied to time spent on the job. Its an outdated idea thats a holdover from the first Industrial Revolution from when people worked in factories and the more time spent on the line really did mean more output, Carter says. People who take breaks are actually able to focus more and do more deep work (the type of work that puts our education and multiple degrees to use), she explains.

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We are on the completely wrong track valuing busyness, and looking up to the people who are constantly rushing around and crossing stuff off their to-do lists, says Brigid Schulte, author of the book "Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love & Play When No One Has the Time." Were learning from behavioral scientists (whove researched and written books on the topic) that that kind of rushing around and feeling out-of-time creates tunnel vision where we are only able to focus on the things that feel most urgent (even if theyre not the most important tasks), she explains. Experiments, for example, have suggested that when peoples resources are very limited they are less able to take into account bigger-picture considerations. Working this way makes us feel productive, but it stops us from tackling those bigger projects on our list that require more complex strategizing and long-term planning.

While there is a lot that individuals can do, there is also a lot that needs to be done on the parts of our managers and leaders to change the expectations for the people who work for them. The people with more power in organizations need to show that what they value is high-quality, focused work over busyness, Carter adds.

There are a couple of ways that technology (over the past decade) has infringed on our time off from work, says Jeffrey Pfeffer, Ph.D., the Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. Just-in-time scheduling (algorithms that are constantly being updated to make the most efficient employee schedules for companies bottom lines) mean a lot of hourly workers dont know their work schedules until a few days or a few hours before they need to be at work. Theres an increased pressure on companies to reduce labor costs, Pfeffer says and its really hurting employees and their wellbeing. (Pfeffer is also author of the book "Dying for a Paycheck: How Modern Management Harms Employee Health and Company Performance and What We Can Do About It.")

It means that people do not know when or how much they will be working. That reality makes it difficult (or near impossible) to schedule child care or elder care help; and for hourly-paid workers, the variation in week-to-week schedules creates economic insecurity because they dont necessarily know what their income will be, Pfeffer says.

And as Carter explained, for a lot of people technology has made it possible for some workers to always be reachable and made it possible so that we can nearly literally be working or potentially working all the time. For a lot of us, we no longer take time off when we actually disconnect from work. (And there is a plethora of research that suggests real, disconnected time off improves not only mental and physical health and well-being, but it also improves our productivity and performance at work, too.)

Read the original post:
'Work has fully invaded our personal lives.' Here are 8 ways we can work smarter in 2020 - NBC News

Benjamin Houltberg and Arianna Uhalde, University of Southern California, The Conversation Published 12:07 p.m. CT Jan. 1, 2020 | Updated 12:36 a.m. CT Jan. 2, 2020

What's the key to making resolutions stick?(Photo: Getty Images)

People worldwide make New Year's resolutions every year in an attempt to improve their lives. Common resolutions are to exercise more, eat healthier, save money, lose weight and reduce stress.

Yet, 80 percent of people agree that most people won't stick to their resolutions. This pessimism is somewhat justified. Only 4 percent of people report following through on all of the resolutions they personally set.

We have spent years studying motivation, emotion regulation and behavior in family relationships, athletic performance and health information processing in the marketplace. Now at USC's Performance Science Institute, we help people attain and sustain high performance in all aspects of their lives.

Based on our research, we propose a potential solution to the problem of New Year's resolutions that people can't keep: Encouraging people to reframe their resolutions to emphasize purpose-based performance.

Oversimplified resolutions like 'Exercise more,' lack a personal directive that could help promote follow through.(Photo: Chuck Kirman/Gannett)

What leads to so many abandoned New Year's resolutions?

A large body of research on goal-setting and habits provides insight into the various reasons for failed resolutions.

Many people are not framing their resolutions in ways that will motivate them over time. For example, "exercise more" is a fairly clear directive, but it lacks depth and personal meaning that could help promote follow through. Overly simplified resolutions, such as "exercise more" and "eat healthier" contribute to the ongoing problem that emerges as early as mid-January each year: unintentional neglect of important self-improvement goals.

Purpose has been defined simply as someone's reason for doing something. However, scientists have recently developed a more comprehensive framework for purpose.

Purpose is associated with positive outcomes for people of all ages. People with a sense of purpose make more money, cope with life hardships more effectively and are healthier across the lifespan. Organizations that foster or reinforce employees' sense of purpose are now referred to as "high performance workplaces".

In the context of goal-setting for the new year, the concept of purpose-based performance becomes especially relevant. In our research, we have found that purpose-based performance is much healthier and more sustainable than outcome-driven performance.

Purpose-based performance has three critical, interrelated components: goal orientation, personal meaning and focus on something or someone beyond the self. We provide three questions that you can ask yourself when developing New Year's resolutions to inspire purpose-based performance.

The first thing to consider is your long-term goals, and how each resolution fits with those goals. Purpose-based performance includes goal orientation, or an internal compass that directs people toward some long-term aim. This orientation helps people organize and prioritize more immediate actions to make progress toward that aim. People who are goal-oriented and remind themselves of their "end game" live consistently with their beliefs and values and perform better on the immediate goals they set.

When setting New Year's resolutions, many people end up with a long list of simple resolutions without thinking deeply about their rationale for each resolution, or where each resolution will take them. Linking an immediate goal with a longer-term aim can sustain progress. Thinking about who you want to become can help you decide which resolution(s) to take on.

No matter what your resolution is, making it personally meaningful will help you stick to it through the year.(Photo: alfexe, Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The next step to consider is why each resolution is personally meaningful for you. When people pursue personally meaningful goals, they are not only more intrinsically motivated but also find more joy in the process of goal pursuit. They are able to reframe challenges as opportunities for personal growth. In one study with elite athletes, we found that personal meaning helped them regulate their emotions when things didn't go their way and display more patience as they pursued their goals.

Someone who pursues a goal for external rewards that are contingent on a particular end result for example, validation that comes from winning is likely to experience shame when they fall short of their goal. Even when they win, they may feel disappointed because the end result does not bring meaning to their life. This is exemplified by the "post-Olympic blues," when Olympians experience depression after such a significant accomplishment.

Spend time thinking about your motivation for each resolution. Ask yourself, are you focused on a particular outcome because it will give you self-esteem, status or something else? It can be helpful to think about the potential meaning found in the process of pursuing a goal, regardless of whether you attain the desired outcome.

The final step is to consider who or what, beyond yourself, will be positively affected by your resolution(s). Desire to be a part of something greater than the self, or transcendent motivation, is beneficial for performance for several reasons.

Linking a resolution to transcendent motivation can be a powerful source of inspiration. Someone may link exercise goals to a charitable cause they care about, or they may think about how improving their health will make them a better partner, friend or parent. Research shows transcendent motivation improves self-regulation when things get dull or repetitive during goal pursuit, and it strengthens character virtues like patience and generosity. When someone's transcendent motivation is prosocial in nature, they are willing to accept feedback about performance and receive increased social support in the workplace.

Think about the bigger picture. Consider whom you are helping with each goal. Potential impact beyond yourself is added fuel for your goal pursuit.

What might New Year's resolutions that incorporate purpose-based performance look like? Using the three questions above, we have reworked three common resolutions to reflect purpose-based performance:

"Exercise more" becomes "I commit to working out two times per week so I can be more present and energized with my children, so they feel more loved and inspired by me."

"Save money" becomes "I commit to saving $100 per paycheck so I feel more secure in my role as a husband and father, which will ultimately benefit my family."

"Lose weight" becomes "I commit to losing 10 pounds so I feel more confident at work, and my coworkers will experience a more positive version of me."

Cheers to a new, purpose-filled year!

Read or Share this story: https://www.baxterbulletin.com/story/news/local/2020/01/01/reframing-resolutions/2786039001/

Originally posted here:
Reframing resolutions - The Baxter Bulletin

THURSDAY, JAN. 2

Class A North

Long Branch 39, CBA 20

106

Nicholas Geissler (CBA) over Domenic Demarzo (Long Branch) (MD 9-1)

113

Vincent Principe (CBA) overDylan Kelleher(Long Branch) (Dec 4-2)

120

Maximus Bean (CBA) over Ignacio Guzman (Long Branch) (MD 20-8)

126

Julian George(CBA) over joseph Conlon (Long Branch) (Dec 8-2)

132

Zander Silva(CBA) over Victor Lemus (Long Branch) (Fall 0:49)

138

Angel Bonnano (Long Branch) over Nicholas Punzi (CBA) (Dec 4-1)

145

Ryan Zimmerman(Long Branch) overTyler Barrett(CBA) (Dec 2-0)

152

bobby Lawrence (Long Branch) over Nathaniel Massell (CBA) (Dec 8-3)

160

Ryan Carey(Long Branch) over Peter Grippo (CBA) (Fall 3:20)

170

Jack Friedman (Long Branch) over Robert Canterino (CBA) (Fall 1:09)

182

Andrew Conklin(Long Branch) over Ethan Diamond (CBA) (SV-1 3-1)

195

Patrick O`Dwyer (Long Branch) over Declan McGagh (CBA) (Dec 5-3)

220

Tracey Taylor (Long Branch) over Taig Sheehy (CBA) (Fall 1:41)

285

Matthew Guidetti(Long Branch) over Unknown (For.)

Class A South

Southern 41, Jackson Memorial 24

220

Brad Galassi(Jackson) over Gabe Murray (Southern) (Fall 4:49)

285

JT Cornelius (Southern) over Antonio Farias (Jackson Memorial) (Fall 1:00)

106

Brett Blaess(Jackson) overConor Collins(Southern) (Dec 2-0)

113

Pat Iacoves (Southern) over Lucas Lipari (Jackson) (MD 8-0)

120

Jayson Scerbo (Southern) overLuke Temple(Jackson) (Dec 6-2)

126

Nick Bennet (Southern) overLance Hobbs(Jackson) (Dec 6-5)

132

Nate Bischoff (Southern) over George Ebid (Jackson) (Fall 2:55)

138

Matt Brielmeier (Southern) overNick White(Jackson) (Dec 6-0)

145

Eddie Hummel (Southern) overLuke Hamann(Jackson) (Fall 3:16)

152

Cole Velardi(Southern) over Mike Rauch (Jackson) (Fall 1:35)

160

Robert Woodcock(Southern) over Rob Lagravenis (Jackson) (MD 15-5)

170

Hunter Smith(Jackson) over Brock Lefkus (Southern) (Fall 1:00)

182

Mike Fiore (Jackson) over Colin Boero (Southern) (Dec 3-2)

195

Kyle Epperly(Jackson) over Unknown (For.)

Brick Memorial 69,Toms River South 10

195

David Szuba (Brick Mem.) over Jack Gallin (TR South) (Fall 1:45)

220

Kyle Kohlmann (Brick Mem.) overDylan Applegate(TR South) (MD 13-3)

285

Matthew Murphy(Brick Mem.) over Shane Watkins (TR South) (Fall 0:00)

106

Justin Murray (TR South) over Max Wright (Brick Mem.) (MD 10-2)

113

Anthony Santaniello(Brick Mem.) overRay Gardner(TR South) (Fall 3:40)

120

Anthony Krslovic (Brick Mem.) over Chris Yuro (TR South) (Fall 3:50)

126

Vincent Santaniello(Brick Mem.) over Unknown (For.)

132

Michael Richardson(Brick Mem.) over Cody Cox (TR South) (TF 18-3 4:32)

138

Ryan Smith(Brick Mem.) over Jimmy Cohen (TR South) (Fall 1:00)

145

Victor DiPianta (Brick Mem.) over Evan Thomas (TR South) (Fall 0:33)

152

Shane Gibson(TR South) over Henry Lindquist (Brick Mem.) (Fall 0:51)

160

JT Henderson (Brick Mem.) overAndrew Ganun(TR South) (Fall 2:40)

170

Ruben Lizardi (Brick Mem.) over Matt Zyckowski (TR South) (Fall 1:30)

182

Joe Colon (Brick Mem.) over Unknown (For.)

Class B South

Jackson Liberty 36, Donovan Catholic 31

152

Steven Schmitz (Liberty) overChristopher Gallegos(Donovan) (Fall 0:52)

160

Ian Boyce (Liberty) over Noah Bakos (Donovan) (Fall 1:25)

170

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A brand-new Shen Yun performance is coming to Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in downtown Seattle this spring, from March 27 to April 5. Purchase tickets from McCaw Hall or at ShenYun.com.

World-renowned theatrical experience pushes boundaries and revives ancient culture

How often do you get to see a show that touches your heart and dazzles your senses? When was the last time you had a fully immersive experience that moved your soul?

Shen Yun is a multidisciplinary Chinese performance known around the world. Its an authentic Chinese experience you wont see in China today.

Shen Yun is a transporting experience that takes you to almost heavenly realms, says Michael Green, spokesperson for the local Shen Yun presenter.

Sit down at a Shen Yun performance and youll experience elegant, acrobatic dancing, beautiful bel canto vocals, spectacular costumes and high-tech sets. Each of the seven performance groups tours with its own live orchestra, with top-caliber musicians playing original compositions on Chinese and Western instruments.

Modern Revival

In 2006 a group of artists gathered in New York to revive a traditional art form for the modern era. Thirteen years later, Shen Yun has become the worlds premier classical Chinese dance company touring 150 cities around the world.

Each year Shen Yun creates a completely new show with brand new stories, music, costumes and choreography. So whether youve seen Shen Yun before or are experiencing it for the first time, youre sure to have a novel, moving experience.

5,000 years of stories

With Shen Yun youre not just watching a show, youre experiencing a rich history almost like youre living though it, Green says.

The performance has the power to make personal connections with audience members, often moving them to tears.

It hits so deeply in a positive way, Green says, Thats the power of the show. Everyone benefits in some way.

A brand-new performance is coming to Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in downtown Seattle this spring, from March 27 to April 5. Purchase tickets from McCaw Hall or at ShenYun.com.

Every Shen Yun performance includes dancing, singing and a live orchestra with top-caliber musicians playing original compositions on Chinese and Western instruments. A brand-new performance is coming to Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in downtown Seattle this spring, from March 27 to April 5. Purchase tickets from McCaw Hall or at ShenYun.com.

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Spectacular multidisciplinary performance journeys through 5000 years of civilization - Seattle Weekly

We regularly hear people asking about L&Ds function within a business and where it should sit in relation to HR and the business units. For instance, is it a function of HR or a partner of the business in and of itself? Do the two need one another or can they work independently?

In our view, often when L&D is a mature and established department, it tends to remain as a function of HR. When this is the case, however, there appears to be a sense of detachment from the primary business drivers (provision of services or products). In contrast, when we have witnessed L&D aligned with key business areas and objectives, this close working is usually driven and led by the business areas themselves rather than by L&D.

For L&D to be a partner within the business, they must first and foremost understand the company purpose and strategy.

We see very different imperatives driving training procurement for a more traditional, HR-based approach, versus the procurement of L&D services directly by the business areas themselves. All too often, it feels as though L&D are passive participants in the business, rather than proactive in bringing their services and capabilities to the party.

With an increasing business focus on efficiencies and cost savings, however, competitive advantage being derived through customer experience, and the ongoing pressures of digital transformation, L&D has a real opportunity to take a seat at the transformation table. They can do this by focusing training around specific business needs and by building cohorts of people with similar problems to solve rather than having courses open to all.

Whilst we have the desire to create a Peter Senge style continuous learning organisation, we also must appreciate that L&D cannot be a passenger on the business journey; it has to be seen as a key component within the organisation that measurably supports change and growth.

Generally the spend on training is low only 12% of companies have a budget of more than 600 per annum per employee. If, however, that training improves performance by 20%, reduces errors or complaints by 15%, reduces the cost to serve by 10%, then suddenly the spend per head is largely irrelevant.

In a situation where you can measure a positive return on investment in-line with the corporate agenda, L&D is no longer a cost to the business, but rather a value-add service contributing to the success of the organisation. At a time when some businesses are converting face-to-face learning to e-learning specifically to save money, L&D really does have an opportunity to show the measurable value add and play an essential part in business growth.

Some of the most successful L&D teams are made up of a mix of L&D professionals and people from the business areas, those who understand what we do and how we do it and can translate that into training requirements.

There is also a correlation between colleague engagement and customer experience. By getting it right for colleagues within your business, you are often helping to get it right for customers interacting with your business improving the human experience (something that we call HX), as well.

For L&D to be a partner within the business, they must first and foremost understand the company purpose and strategy. Secondly, they will need to work in partnership with HR. If HR and L&D work collaboratively to ensure a healthy people function that is aligned to the company purpose, ultimately everything else should cascade from there.

This includes measuring peoples performance and contribution. If you understand what your customer needs and how you are going to provide that, you will be able to provide training that directly supports that business purpose. Furthermore, when personal performance measures and learning outcomes align with the business purpose, the result is a positive one for all.

Certainly, some of the most successful L&D teams are made up of a mix of L&D professionals and people from the business areas, those who understand what we do and how we do it and can translate that into training requirements. When a transformation strategy is being shaped, L&D need to be involved early on and those people with both the business insight and the L&D experience will play an extremely important part in ensuring the business has the skill set it needs to be successful.

So where should L&D sit? Its probably the wrong question to ask. Rather what is critical is that whatever your organisational design or operating model L&D sits where it can link closely to the business agenda and where it can best deliver measurable, positive benefits.

Interested in this topic? ReadHelping change the role of L&D by changing roles in L&D.

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Business-aligned learning: the role of L&D - TrainingZone.co.uk

New data shows Delta Air Lines is the most on-time airline in all of North America. Cirium just released its on-time performance numbers for 2019. Delta was also the number No. 3 worldwide according to the travel and data analytics company, which released its findings on Thursday. As we previously reported, Aeroflot was the most punctual in the world.

Cirium releases the report every year, and shares the worlds best performing airlines and airports for on time ratings. Well share the airports data soon. Across all 10 network airlines in North America, performance improved by 1% year over year with an average on-time performance of 79.93%.

Alaska Airlines also performed well in the annual review, placing second. Delta has now taken top honors the past three years in a row. Rounding out the top five were No. 3 Southwest (more than 81.32% on-time), No. 4 Spirit (81.19%) and American (79.89%). Americans numbers came despite a dispute with mechanics that the airline says created widespread operational issues.

Cirium analysts wrote, Southwest Airlines is another worthy runner-up, having finished in third place despite overcoming challenges with recent maintenance delays in the first half of the year, as well as the impact of the 737 MAX groundings.

Overall, Southwest Airlines, Allegiant Air, WestJet, JetBlue and Frontier all improved on-time performance from 2018.

Cirium also pointed out that ninth-ranked JetBlue improved its performance slightly this year.

Delta Air Lines also took third place in the global mainline category with 85.7% of flights arriving on time.

Jeremy Bowen, Cirium CEO, said: Airlines and airports which consistently operate on time and go that extra mile for their customers deserve to be recognized in an increasingly competitive environment and should be justifiably proud of reaching such a world-class industry standard.

New Delta partner, Latin American airline LATAM was the top ranking airline in the category of global network airline with 86.7% of the flights in its network arriving on time. ANA was No. 2 with 86.5% of its flights on time. Delta was number in this category as well followed closely by Japan Airlines and Iberia.

Cirium analyzed 600 sources and more than 100,000 flights a day to compile the ratings.

A timely reminder from Cirium time is money.

American Express recentlyadded trip delay insurance, which covers round-trip flights purchased entirely with an eligible card. If your trip is delayed by more than six hours due to a covered reason, this perk will reimburse unexpected expenses such as meals, lodging and personal-use items up to $500 per trip with the following cards:

The information for the American Express Corporate Platinum card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

And, if your trip is delayed more than 12 hours due to a covered reason, youll be eligible for expense reimbursement of up to $300 with these cards:

Additional reporting by Victoria Walker.

Featured image courtesy Clint Henderson/The Points Guy

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Delta Air Lines is the most on-time airline in North America - The Points Guy