The Winter Haven Young Professionals Group offers networking activities for people age 21 to 40. "Some of what we do is social; some is personal development. Lots of times we try to link those together," said Clay McKown, the group's chairman.

LAKELAND | If you're a young professional in Polk County, there's an easy way to learn about the community and meet others like you.

Lakeland, Winter Haven and Bartow all have groups designed for professionals in their 20s, 30s or early 40s. Affiliated with local Chambers of Commerce, the organizations offer social gatherings, personal and professional development activities and opportunities for volunteer work.

In Lakeland, there's EMERGE (emergelakeland.com), a group with nearly 200 members open to young professionals age 21 to 42. EMERGE Lakeland holds monthly events open to members and nonmembers alike. Membership is $50 annually.

Recent activities have included a presentation on business etiquette, a field day with mentors and youths from the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, and a "casino night" membership drive. You'll regularly catch EMERGE members downtown during the monthly First Friday event.

"I moved to Lakeland three years ago and got signed up with EMERGE through work. All of a sudden I got to meet all of these other young professionals in town that grew up here or are new to town," said Jorge Rivera, 32, a senior accountant with CPS Investment Advisors, who also serves as EMERGE's treasurer and membership committee chairman.

"I've built up a big base now of all of these people I consider friends that are like-minded and involved in the community," Rivera said. "Some of them are really inspiring."

EMERGE will hold a gathering with Congressman Dennis Ross on Sept. 24 to get an inside look at the campaign process. October will bring "A Round of Shots For Breakfast," a morning event held at the Shoot Straight gun range.

In East Polk, the Winter Haven Young Professionals Group (whypg.camp7.org) is open to those age 21 to 40 in the greater Winter Haven area. Membership is $60 annually.

Clay McKown, 26, is the current WHYPG chairman and a member of three years. He describes the group as a "springboard to meet other young professionals and build a network with your peers and also learn about your community."

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Three Polk Groups Offer Networking for Young Professionals

Sep 3, 2012 - 11:00

Image Caption: A woman selling vegetables at the market at Fada N'Gourma, Burkina Faso (Keystone)

byJean-Michel Berthoud, swissinfo.ch

After a period of expert advice we quickly came to the conclusion that we need to allow the local population to take their development goals into their own hands, Philippe Fayet of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) told swissinfo.ch. The coordinator of the SDC cooperation office in Burkina Fasos capital city Ouagadougou cites the example of the town of Fada NGourma to illustrate the efforts for development of medium-sized towns in the countryside. In Fada the livestock market has developed into an economic hub. Every week hundreds of animal traders and other traders meet here. The Swiss-financed development project has an impact which extends far beyond the local context. The market is significantly contributing to the development of the whole region, Fayet said.

The trading infrastructure provided by the community of Fada NGourma, with Swiss support, which includes a central market, an animal market and a bus station, appears to have been a success. I dont trust the word success, Fayet said. To set up a market and make it work is not as important as the question what will the population make of it in the future. The decisive thing, according to Fayet, is what other people will develop out of this idea to solve their own problems building slaughter houses, bus stations, product processing, for example. This independent choice of activities by the people is important. And we have to support it. In this sense our activity at the moment is successful. Our commitment has to advance such success, said Fayet, who attended a recent development aid conference in Bern.

Josphine Ouedraogo, sociologist, ex-minister in Burkina Faso and former general secretary of the non-governmental organisation Enda Tiers Monde, accompanied SDCs rural development work at a time when the farmers movement was emerging. There was an SDC rural development study that promoted discussion among farmers and encouraged them to take personal responsibility. Through this the farmers made an important step forwards, she told swissinfo.ch. The personal responsibility acquired by the local actors can be seen now in places like the market at Fada: the activities of the local authorities, the business people, the animal traders, the banks, the local committees. Thats where the success of this movement is visible. In any case a useful infrastructure has now been put in place, Ouedraogo said. Infrastructure that mobilises even traditional circles like the livestock traders. And at this livestock market in Fada there are lots of other activities and exchange possibilities, including dealers from neighbouring countries. The earnings from this market allow the authorities to invest in other sectors, she added.

Does this mean Burkina Faso is on the right path for the future? I wouldnt put it like that, Ouedraogo answered. We have a market economy that first has to be developed, the same goes for the farmers movement. We have another long way to go towards the building of a democracy, it is a very long process. What is happening now is that the population, with or without development aid, has become aware that they can demand the local authorities or the state to deliver on their promises. Ouedraogo gives an example. In a rural village the schoolchildren not their parents staged a sit-in demanding the removal of an unpopular and violent teacher. The authorities had to get rid of him and find a replacement. That happened without the help of a development organisation, Ouedraogo laughed. This sense of personal responsibility, this self-confidence that is an important means on the way to a law-based state.

There will always be mistakes in projects, Fayet believes. We have a bus station in Fada NGourma that works badly, because of negotiations with the unions. The problem wasnt created by SDC but by the local authorities because they played it down. Whats important is that there is a solution culture. How can one overcome these difficulties? I believe such problems also happen in Switzerland. The question is the same everywhere: How can we solve such difficulties?

It is clear to Fayet that the effectiveness of development aid cannot be measured with figures alone. What really counts is listening to the voice of the local people. SDC will remain active in Burkina Faso until 2016. And then? The foreign aid organisations have to leave. Otherwise we always feel under their patronage, not confident, needing help, Ouedraogo said. Im not saying we dont need help from outside but it must be a different kind of help. Countries like Burkina Faso have to be capable to move forward with their own resources. We have to choose our own partners tell them what we need. Maybe it will then be SDC again

Jean-Michel Berthoud, swissinfo.ch (Translated from German by Clare O'Dea)

Excerpt from:
Supporting the cattle market as rural hub

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) When the Massachusetts Institute of Technology offered its first free online course this spring, Ashwith Rego jumped at the chance to learn from some of the worlds leading researchers without leaving his home in India.

I never imagined that I would be taught by professors from MIT, let alone for free, said the 24-year-old engineer who works in Bangalore.

From Harvard to Stanford, a growing number of elite universities are throwing open their digital doors to the masses. Theyre offering their most popular courses online for no charge, allowing anyone with an Internet connection to learn from world-renowned scholars and scientists.

Many colleges have offered Web-based courses for years, but the participation of top-tier research universities marks a major milestone in the expansion of digital learning.

The proliferation of so-called massive open online courses, or MOOCs, has the potential to transform higher education at a time when colleges and universities are grappling with shrinking budgets, rising costs and protests over soaring tuition and student debt.

Supporters say these online courses can lower teaching costs, improve learning online and on campus, and significantly expand access to higher education, which could fuel technological innovation and economic growth.

It holds the potential for serving many, many hundreds of thousands of students in a way we simply cannot today, said Molly Corbett Broad, president of the American Council on Education.

Last month, a dozen major research universities announced they would begin offering courses on the online learning platform Coursera, joining Stanford and Princeton universities and the universities of Pennsylvania and Virginia.

The University of California, Berkeley said it would start making online courses available this fall through edX, a competing Web portal launched in May by Harvard University and MIT with $60 million in funding from the two schools.

I believe it will ultimately revolutionize education, said UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau.

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Elite colleges transform online higher education - Boston.com

Summary: Stanford has announced the creation of a Vice Provost for Online Learning office -- signalling that the university may be getting serious about online education.

Stanford has announced the creation of a Vice Provost for Online Learning office -- signalling that the university may be getting serious about online education.

Computer science professor John Mitchell will be serving as the head, which has been created "in response to the requirements and potential of the 21st century". The creation of the Office of the Vice Provost for Online Learning (VPOL) is aimed "restructuring" the university, and reforming education in demands of today's global education platform -- made possible through Internet access and the rising adoption of mobile technology.

Universities are quickly learning that online platforms not only allow more flexible means of learning -- without the need to rely on traditional lecture-based models -- but they also represent a new revenue stream. By offering courses online, location and physical student intakes no longer become an issue, and universities are able to monetize on the distance-learning trend.

Stanford President John Hennessy said during the announcement:

"Stanford has been at the forefront of this game-changing, challenging initiative. Our faculty have been working in online education for some time now, and their excitement is growing. This is a field that deserves increasing attention and investment, and the new Office of the Vice Provost is in keeping with Stanford's tradition of leadership in innovation and experimentation."

The creation of the office is part of a wider scheme called Stanford Online. A new website facilitates a community of online learners, and a seed grant program is aimed at boosting online learning efforts.

In the past 20 years, Stanford has only established two Vice Provost offices -- for undergraduate and graduate education. Both of which "fundamentally reshaped education at Stanford," and it is likely the third will aim to do the same.

Around 15 courses will be offered online by fall; covering engineering, mathematics, social science, education and entrepreneurship. The university intends to launch more by spring next year. Stanford already offers courses through education startup Coursera, which was created by Stanford professors.

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Stanford creates office for online learning

Editors note: This is the fourth story in a series profiling the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2012.

Dont hate on Don Nelson after reading about the life he has led and is still leading.

An early investor in the Hawaiian Island of Maui where he owns beachfront and farming real estate and lives fulltime, Nelson spent 50 years in the NBA as a player and a coach.

Now hes going into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Nelson and the rest of the class of 2012 will be Enshrined on Friday at Symphony Hall, a moment the man known as Nellie never thought would happen.

I was nominated four times and got rejected four times so I figured it wasnt going to happen, Nelson said. I had this wonderful friend of mine who died this year, Jim Fitzgerald, who wanted me to be in so bad. He kept putting my name in I guess.

But I never really thought I was that worthy of going in, Nelson added. I never won a title or anything like that and usually thats pretty important for getting in.

What he did win was 1,335 NBA games, putting him second to none for coaching wins in the NBA. He coached 31 years in the NBA, beginning with the Milwaukee Bucks for the first 11. He coached Golden State for a total of 11 years over two stints, spent eight years in Dallas and coached one year in New York.

And while a title eluded him, Nelson garnered three Coach of the Year Awards, joining Pat Riley as the only ones to accomplish the feat.

Nelson wasnt the kind of coach who wanted him next job to be an easy one. Building a team and making it into a competitor was more his speed.

Read this article:
Don Nelson caps great coaching career with entry into Basketball Hall of Fame

CARLTON'S decision to replace Brett Ratten as coach, with a view to appointing Mick Malthouse, was painful but understandable. Given five years, the incumbent was still to convince that he could drive a team all the way. The opportunity to grab one of the best, who's done it repeatedly, was too good to pass up.

But the Carlton/Malthouse fit is not entirely without challenge. The club and its new man will at some future stage be required to extend themselves in ways they have previously resisted. There are interesting times ahead.

''We have to strike,'' club president Stephen Kernahan said at Thursday's announcement of Ratten's departure.

Carlton's reputation as a successful club within the AFL era is shaky - one flag in 25 years is scarcely top 10.

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They can hear the clock ticking on Chris Judd. They have a core of high draft picks and other good players in the prime of their football years. Time is on the wing. Only a flag will appease the discomfort.

So the Blues intend to appoint a proven coach who, in his first year at the helm, will turn 60. On the score of age, it will be a unique appointment. And they will hope to quickly win a premiership to justify it.

If the coup is completed and delivers its clear objective, all will be well. The Baggers will have a 17th flag and the coach would join the exclusive four-flag club. But what then?

As ever, Carlton is acting for the here and now. Replacing coaches is in its DNA; doing hard yards towards a longer-term objective is not. The play for Malthouse, justified though it may be, can't be seen as other than a short-term grab. He perhaps has a five year shelf-life. As well as he coached at Collingwood, the premiership there took a decade.

This means Carlton, as it commits to a full assault under a proven veteran, must also think to the long-term. The last time it did this, Wayne Brittain was shoehorned into the coach's box behind David Parkin, then - in a moment of political expediency - sacked within two years.

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Life of Mick, Blue messiah?

Bobby and Sue have 10 years until their goal retirement age, so they feel they need guidance. Both 52, the couple has concerns about their childs college tuition costs, which will start one year from now. They also plan some major upgrades to their home worth about $25,000, but they dont want to go into debt.

"For retirement, we would like to sell our house and move to another part of the country," Bobby says. "We would like to be comfortable, periodically travel and be as debt-free as possible."

The couple, whose names have been changed, set aside $111,100 in 401(k) plans, $10,300 in IRAs, $6,500 in bonds, $2,700 in savings and $200 in checking. They also have $34,000 earmarked for college tuition, and Bobby expects an annual pension of $64,650 at age 62.

The Star-Ledger asked Jody DAgostini, a certified financial planner with AXA Advisors/RICH Planning Group in Morristown, to help the couple plan for their future.

"Bobby and Sue are wise to begin to see if their retirement can take shape for them," she says. "One of the obstacles in knowing if you have enough to retire is first to visualize what you plan to be doing in retirement, and where you plan to be doing it."

Then, you can attach a price tag.

Bobby and Sue have several goals, including home improvements, which they have been putting off, and a college education for their child. Theyd like to retire in 10 years when theyre both 62.

First, retirement.

DAgostini says retirement often takes on three stages.

First is the "go-go" stage, where retirees often enjoy good health and want to maximize their days by traveling and engaging in new hobbies. "This can often be costly, resulting in expenses that exceed their pre-retirement budget by as much as 105 percent," she says.

Original post:
Get With the Plan: Sizing up retirement costs when there's tuition to consider

Janice Durflinger, 76, is still running computer software programs for a Lincoln, Neb., bank. She worries that a higher retirement age would be tough on people with physically demanding jobs. (Nati Harnik, The Associated Press)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. Just how much the Great Recession reshaped what many baby boomers thought retirement would look like is becoming clearer: More than ever, they now expect to retire later or work when they're "retired."

In 1991, just one in 10 workers told the Employee Benefit Research Institute that they planned to wait to retire until they were older than 65. By 2007, three in 10 said that.

This year? More than four in 10.

Boomers cruising toward a traditional retirement suffered a financial comeuppance in the prolonged economic slump that began in late 2007. The downturn sapped jobs, stock and housing values, and interest on savings.

Many were also caught in the shift from defined-benefit pension plans to 401(k) plans that required workers to contribute toward their own retirement savings. Some didn't, a choice that will leave them short financially.

Small wonder that, according to the Pew Research Center, boomers are the gloomiest of all age groups about the health and future of their finances. Boomers were more likely than other age groups to tell Pew researchers that they lost money on investments since the recession hit. Nearly six in 10 said their household finances worsened.

Finally, employment-based health insurance for many retirees has been withering away, which is causing older workers to cling to paychecks.

Overall, the stage is set for a new normal: working in retirement.

That suits William Brockman just fine. The 65-year-old working retiree began a job this year at a child-care center in Overland Park, Kan., where he delightedly calls himself "a shepherd to flocks of children" four days a week.

Read the original here:
Baby boomers find retirement age now a moving target

Sergio Perez says he feels he should have done better than fifth on the grid at Spa

The Mexican was able to secure a place on the third row of the grid after setting the fifth best time in the session, although he will now start from fourth after a post-session penalty was handed to Pastor Maldonado.

With team-mate Kamui Kobayashi second on the grid, Sauber was able to celebrate its best qualifying result to date in the session, with Perez now aiming to build on the podium finishes he has already taken this season in Malaysia and Canada.

Second and fifth are really good qualifying positions for our team and I am pleased for the crew, he said, speaking before Maldonado's penalty was applied. Personally I'm not too happy because my last lap in Q3 wasn't perfect. I had the feeling the car was performing differently to this morning.

In any case, the most important part comes tomorrow. It will be a very challenging race on a demanding circuit. I need a good start and I want to fight the people in front of me because I know the car will allow me to do that. I am definitely targeting another podium.

Head of track engineering Giampaolo Dall'Ara was understandably delighted with the result.

Perhaps we should have a wet Friday at every race! he said. Free practice three this morning was quite tough after we had all lost so much time yesterday. We had to put together a lot of work in an hour, which went very well. We found some performance and then in qualifying everything went according to plan. Now let's keep concentrated for the race.

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Perez 'not too happy' despite personal best

Kyle Stokes installs a Stokerized SS1 Stabilizer on a G5 Prime bow in his Annville-based assembly room. (LEBANON DAILY NEWS TYLER FRANTZ )

Ten years ago, a then 27-year-old Cedar Crest grad took a risk while leaving his comfortable teaching job in Baltimore to return to his roots and follow his passion. After doing some research to discover that there were roughly 7,000 archery permits sold annually in Lebanon County, with very few archery shops to meet the growing needs of these local hunters, an optimistic Kyle Stokes gambled on all he was worth and opened Swatara Creek Outfitters. Looking back now, he's sure glad that he did.

"I knew the area could benefit from a well-run pro shop," Stokes said, "but I also knew it wouldn't happen overnight."

In fact, for the first three years of the shop's existence, the owner worked a full-time job on night shift while keeping the shop open for eight hours during the day.

"It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get where we are today," he added.

But Swatara Creek Outfitters has come a long way. Initially, starting out with a modest bow inventory of three relatively small lines, Stokes has since expanded to now carrying 12 different top-market bow company lines, including Matthews, Hoyt, Bowtech, Elite, G5, Bear and more. He employs two full-time staff members and anywhere from 4-6 part-timers depending on the time of year.

Though Stokes found it necessary to hire

"I am a bit of a control freak in some regards, but I take great pride in making sure that each bow I service is absolutely perfect," he said. "I try to treat each and every bow as though it is my own."

As he gained experience, Stokes proved to the archery industry and local patrons alike that he ran a professional, reputable, quality business, but he wasn't satisfied with that alone.

About five years ago, Stokes' creativity got the best of him and he began to toy around with ideas for new products that could improve his trade. While working with acrylic waterfowl calls, which channel the vibration of a reed through a solid tube to mimic the vocalization of ducks and geese, Stokes pondered the possibility of using acrylic material to reduce the vibration caused by the release of an arrow from a bow.

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Success is solid aim for Annville archery shop