by Gary Nelson - Sept. 1, 2012 08:56 PM The Republic | azcentral.com

When Scott Smith threw his many hats into the 2008 mayoral campaign and promised to banish Mesa's sad-sack reputation, you could all but hear the city, the Valley -- for that matter, the whole state -- raising their eyebrows.

Skeptics seemed to think that Mesa, widely disparaged as the home of broad streets and narrow minds, where snowbirds' Buicks turned into pumpkins if they didn't get home before the sidewalks rolled up at 5 p.m., was here to stay. They doubted that Smith's talk about changing the way Mesa did business, about building a better Mesa, about restoring the civic swagger he remembered from his childhood, would ever become a reality.

But a funny thing happened over the ensuing four years.

Smith defeated two City Council veterans in the election and began turning his happy talk into a new reality for America's 38th-largest city.

Some examples:

Defying historical trends, the city has attracted four liberal-arts colleges to establish satellite campuses.

Mesa found a way to finance a Chicago Cubs training stadium on its own, without asking the state Legislature for financial help.

Mesa got the keys to a top-secret military lab that has the potential to become a national aerospace research center.

An economic-development initiative with the acronym HEAT -- health care, education, aerospace, tourism and technology -- has sharpened Mesa's focus on present and future possibilities for growth.

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Mesa Mayor Scott Smith's success could lead to governor run

You know her by the sunglasses she always has with her. You know her from TV, and you might know her from the tabloids, too, but Nicole Richie isn't convinced any of it works for or against her when it comes to building her design career.

She guided aspiring designers on the fashion competition show "Fashion Star," and says she sees success in the fashion business as either potentially intense and fleeting, or broad-based and sustained. It's up to the work you do -- and doing it consistently, she says.

"You're only as good as your last season," she says.

Richie, it seems, is banking on a big fall season. That's when her limited-edition collection for Macy's contemporary department makes its debut.

Richie, 30, isn't an industry novice. She's gained recognition for her lines Winter Kate and House of Harlow, but the Nicole Richie for Impulse collaboration, best described as contemporary clothes styled with Richie's bohemian flair, is her greatest exposure yet. The clothes, including maxi dresses, asymmetrical skirts, cropped tops and fitted jackets in an array of jewel tones and prints, will be in 100 stores and available online starting Sept. 12.

She hasn't taken the task lightly.

"I'm traveling all year just with various appearances that I do for Winter Kate and House of Harlow," she says. "And the reason that I do these appearances is because I really get to come face-to-face with my customer, and as I'm watching them in the store I can see what pieces they're wearing, I can see what they're drawn to, what people's favorite pieces are."

Richie, who grew up in the spotlight as the daughter of Lionel Richie and co-starred with Paris Hilton in the reality show "The Simple Life," doesn't mind working behind the scenes. "It's important to always be a student on some level," she says. "I don't think you should ever hit a place where you feel that there is nothing left to learn."

Getting glammed up is part of her job, but Richie, who has two young children, Harlow and Sparrow, says she's not always picture-perfect. She carries the big round sunglasses she's famous for as well as bobby pins wherever she goes for a quick transformation.

"There are often times that I do look a hot mess," she says. "It's a work in progress."

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Richie wants success via Impulse

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

American Public Education, Inc. (APEI) parent company of online learning provider American Public University System, which operates through American Military University and American Public University announced that Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Harry T. Wilkins plans to address the financial community at the BMO Capital Markets 12th Annual Back to School Education Conference in New York City.

Mr. Wilkins will speak and answer questions from the financial community at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday, September 13, 2012. A link to the live webcast of the presentation, as well as an audio replay, will be available to listeners who log in through American Public Education's website, http://www.AmericanPublicEducation.com. The replay will be available for 90 days after the presentation.

Direct Webcast Link: http://www.bmocm.com/conferences/backtoschool2012/webcast/

American Public Education, Inc.

American Public Education, Inc. (APEI) is an online provider of higher education focused primarily on serving the military and public service communities. American Public University System (APUS), wholly owned by APEI, operates through American Military University (AMU) and American Public University (APU). APUS serves more than 100,000 adult learners worldwide and offers 87 degree programs in fields ranging from homeland security, military studies, intelligence, and criminal justice to technology, business administration, public health, and liberal arts. Nationally recognized for its best practices in online higher education, APUS provides an affordable education through classes taught by experienced faculty who are leaders in their fields and committed to the academic achievement of their students.

American Public University System is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (www.ncahlc.org). For more information about APUS graduation rates, median debt of students who completed programs, and other important information, visit http://www.apus.edu/disclosure.

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American Public Education Announces Participation in the BMO Capital Markets 12th Annual Back to School Education ...

11:34 PM

By Colin Woodard cwoodard@pressherald.com Staff Writer

A study released last month by researchers at Western Michigan University found that only 27.7 percent of the full-time virtual schools run by the nation's largest online education company, K12 Inc., met federally mandated Adequate Yearly Progress goals, compared to 52 percent of public schools.

Students at its schools scored lower in both reading and mathematics and had a graduation rate of only 49 percent, compared to a 79 percent average among comparable students at public schools in the 24 states where the virtual schools are located.

"Across a wide variety of school measures, they do very poorly, even though their demographics looked to us like suburban schools," said the study's lead author, Gary Miron, who is also a fellow at the National Education Policy Center. "We didn't see high poverty or a lot of (English as a Second Language) students."

Proponents of the schools -- including Maine education commissioner Stephen Bowen -- often quote a 2009 U.S. Department of Education study that found programs that blended online and face-to-face programs fared better than conventional learning. They do not mention that the report found this effect only "for undergraduate and older students, not elementary or secondary learners" and that it concluded that there was currently no "scientific evidence for the effectiveness of these emerging alternatives to face-to-face instruction."

In Pennsylvania, where some 30,000 students are enrolled in virtual schools at an average cost of $10,000 per student, pupils scored 13 percent worse in reading and 24 percent worse in mathematics than students at ordinary public schools, according to a 2011 study by Stanford University's Center for Research on Education Outcomes. The researchers broke out the data for separate student groups -- those poor enough to qualify for free or reduced lunch, those still learning to speak English, grade repeaters, blacks and Hispanics -- and compared them to their counterparts at ordinary charter schools. "In every subgroup with significant effects," they reported, "cyber charter performance is lower than the brick-and-mortar performance."

The Stanford study may have helped prompt The New York Times to conduct an investigation of K12 Inc.'s virtual charter schools later that year, which concluded the company "tries to squeeze profits from public school dollars by raising enrollment, increasing teacher workload and lowering standards."

At the K12-managed Agora Cyber Charter School in Pennsylvania -- which reportedly generated $72 million in revenue -- the Times found 60 percent of students were behind grade level in mathematics and nearly 50 percent in reading, and a third were not graduating in time.

"Hundreds of children, from kindergartners to seniors, withdraw within months after they enroll." The company had spent $681,000 lobbying in the state between 2007 and the end of last year.

Link:
Virtual schools have questionable records

KALAMAZOO, MI - Yogis around the world, including in Kalamazoo, will attempt to create the first ever international "yoga relay" to raise money for charity on Sunday, September 9 as part of the Yoga Aid World Challenge.

Sangha Yoga, 157 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Suite 140, will host a practice lead by community teachers from 9-11:30 a.m. The Kalamazoo event is one of more than 200 events being held around the world. Participants must register online at http://www.yogaaid.com.

The event will start in Sydney, Australia and the chain reaction will end in Los Angeles. Yoga Aid is an international non-profit that supports humanitarian charities and cultivates an attitude of giving back in yogis.

The event has raised more than $1.4 million since it was started six years ago, Yoga Aid co-founder Clive Mayhew said in a news release.

"Yoga Aid World Challenges empower yogis to leverage their own networks for the common good," Mayhew said. "We are a community which knows the great benefits of yoga. The Yoga Aid World Challenge allows us to use yoga as a vehicle to give to others less fortunate."

All funds raised in Kalamazoo will support the following charities: 4 OneWorld, Across America Yoga, Yoga Gangsters, Off the Mat Into the World and Africa Yoga Project.

Contact Anthony Smigiel at asmigiel@mlive.com.

See the article here:
Yoga Aid World Challenge: Kalamazoo's Sangha Yoga plans to participate in international 'yoga relay'

September is National Yoga Month and has been since 2008. It was created to teach people about the ways in which yoga can benefit health and encourage a healthy way of living. I will offer 10 wonderful ways for us to all celebrate National Yoga month.

#1 Take a free class

Celebrate National Yoga Month this September by receiving free yoga classes for one week at more than 1,600 different locations throughout the nation. Classes are offered to new students, so if you want to give yoga a try now is your chance.

#2 Download a free song

Get in the mood for yoga by downloading the song "Om Namo," one of the many songs from the Yoga Revolution CD.

#3 Educate yourself on the health benefits of yoga

Educate yourself on the health benefits of yoga in one or more of the following ways:

#4 Teach someone else to do yoga

If you already know how to do yoga, give back by teaching your children, a friend or another family member.

#5 Make a donation

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Top 10 Ways to Celebrate National Yoga Month

Cambridge Healthcare has clinched an exclusive partnership agreement with Microsoft Health UK that sees its award winning How are you? health record technology integrated with Microsofts HealthVault platform.

The partnership will allow for the first time health and fitness data to be transferred automatically from devices such as heart rate watches and blood pressure monitors into an individual's personal health record as well as monitoring of patients outside conventional clinical settings, increasing access to care and decreasing healthcare delivery costs.

The partnership couldnt have come at a better time as the NHS begins to roll out telehealth technologies in millions of homes; with a potential saving reported to be 1.2 billion, the Government is keen to collaborate on the rollout with the private sector.

Prime Minister David Cameron said telehealth, which allows patient health to be monitored by clinicians remotely through broadband enabled technologies, had proven to be a "huge success" after trials.

Cambridge Healthcare, which provides its technology platform free to NHS patients and professionals, believes it is in the perfect position to support the ambitions laid out in Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansleys NHS White Paper, Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS.

Dawson King, CEO and founder of Cambridge Healthcare said: The Governments commitment to promoting shared decision-making and information to support informed choices by patients, service users and carers, can only be realised if patients have access and control of their own health records, with the ability to determine who else can access their records.

The partnership announced today brings us one step closer to realising this ambition. We passionately believe that integrated care is essential if the NHS is to the meet the needs of people with long-term conditions, an ageing population and people with complex requirements.

The Microsoft partnership comes only a month after Cambridge Healthcare announced an exclusive licensing agreement that will see its revolutionary technology adopted in China by the largest consumer website and brand, Sina.com.

Sina.com has more than 500 million registered users more than a third of Chinas population. The landmark agreement for the UK company will allow Sina to integrate Cambridge Healthcares technology directly into its health channel, which already provides a number of key services.

Business Weekly understands that another stunning commercial deal for Cambridge Healthcare is close to completion.

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Landmark Microsoft deal for Cambridge Healthcare

Fitness Together Operating Partner Its amazing how things change once we hit our thirties. Our lives have new priorities and we have new interests. While many things have changed, some things have stayed the same. Being in the field of health and fitness, one thing that I have noticed is how our health and fitness goals have stayed, but the reasons for them have changed. Let me explain.

In our recent Facebook survey, most exercisers said that one of the primary reasons they began exercising and continue to exercise is to improve their appearance. For most of us in our thirties and over, this is one thing that hasnt changed. People at every age are still interested in looking good and exercise is one of the best ways to continue looking good for a lifetime.

Improved energy is another reason that exercisers gave for why they work out, but the over-thirty crowd now gives keeping up with the kids as their primary reason to have more energy. I think we can all agree that there are not many things in life that require as much energy and stamina as keeping up with a young child or two!

Another reason that came in high on the list was improved health. This is a goal that is much more common with the middleaged and senior exerciser than it is with the twenty-somethings. Those of us in our forties and fifties are starting to think about living long enough to see our kids get married, or to stay off of they myriad of medications that often come with aging. These are wonderful motivators and two great reasons to start exercising if you havent yet! Increased strength is a common goal and for the mature exerciser, increased strength gives them the ability to confidently carry the grandchildren and to continue enjoying the sports and activities that they love. An increased quality of life was reported by every exerciser that we interviewed.

Finally, the number one reason that people of all ages exercise is because it makes them feel good. Now whether they feel good because of the natural endorphins that exercise creates, because of the improved confidence and self-esteem that comes from being leaner and stronger or because of the innate feeling of well-being that comes from doing something good for your body; that we do not know. But if you ask me, I dont think anyone really cares about why they feel so good, they are just happy that they do!

If you havent been following a consistent exercise program, it is never too late to start. Your body will respond to exercise at any age, and there is no better way to reverse the aging process than with consistent and fun exercise! Start with simply becoming active and revisiting a sport or activity that you used to love, or contact a local fitness professional who can help design a program for you.

For details, call 305-665-3694, or go to

http://www.fitnesstogethermiami.com

or

email at: scottbaumann@fitnesstogether.com

Read more:
How things change when mid-life approaches

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsDlQNk0guQ

30-08-2012 18:27 Andy Roddick holds press conference to announce his retirement from professional tennis at the age of 30. Roddick is a former world #1 and won the 2003 US Open.

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Andy Roddick Announces Retirement at 2012 US Open - Video

Anyone with a 401(k) retirement plan has been painfully aware of the gyrations in the stock market in recent years. The market has come back up lately, but the economy is still in low gear, so many analysts aren't too bullish in the short term. Also, treasuries and CDs are offering tiny returns.

So what's the average American trying to save for retirement to do? Answers are percolating at an annual economics retreat in Maine.

Every year in August, some of the nation's top economists, money managers and some Federal Reserve officials gather in the woods up near the Canadian border. They do some fly-fishing, they schmooze, and they talk shop about investing.

This year, one of the topics of discussion is fees. The takeaway, especially these days, is that you want to avoid paying big ones.

The 'Compounding Effect'

John Mauldin, president of Millennium Wave Advisors in Dallas, says annual mutual fund fees of 1 percent or 2 percent might sound small. But consider the advisers' fee, which is also required every year. Those, Mauldin says, are a very big deal.

"The difference of 1 to 1.5 percent in commissions on an annual basis over 30 years is the difference between $1 and $2 at the end of the time period," he says.

In other words, paying too much in fees is the difference between retiring with half a million or $1 million.

"It's a huge compounding effect. It only seems like a small amount today, but it compounds over time," Mauldin says. "I think Einstein said that compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world."

Keeping Down Costs

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Saving For Retirement? Here's A Tip