PVCC program helps former foster care students
Posted: May 30, 2012 at 4:27 am
For students who age out of foster care, homelessness can be a legitimate worry.
A program at Piedmont Virginia Community College called Great Expectations helps lead them to a less-Dickensian life.
The program helps students ages 13 to 24.
Our program is really targeted to the students who have been in foster care or independent living, so when I work with them, I give them a lot of coaching, I give them a lot of advising, said Constance Cromartie, the programs director. Its pretty much a little more intense.
That help includes assistance registering for classes, organizing schedules and getting access to resources, including the schools learning center.
Maria Chapman, 19, went to high school in Louisa County and opted to attend PVCC rather than Norfolk State University.
She said she definitely considered the program when making her decision.
Youre faced with a lot of challenges really, really early, Chapman said.
Chapman plans to transfer to Virginia Commonwealth University to study social work.
She attributes much of her success to God and to her foster mother. Chapman said her definition of success has shifted as shes participated in the program. Shes now aiming for more than material fulfillment, she said.
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Gulledge to leave coaching
Posted: at 4:27 am
After three state boys' basketball championships, a combined 16 conference titles and Eastern Regionals appearances and countless lives touched, Wells Gulledge has decided to move on.
The iconic Kinston High School coach, physical education instructor and athletic director announced Tuesday he will resign all posts, effective at the end of the school year, to venture into the non-education sector working for a software company based in Greenville.
The father of two and husband to Kinston High English teacher Dawnn Gulledge cited the desire to spend more time with his family for the sudden change in careers.
It was a long, drawn out process. Ive chosen to go into the corporate world, which will give me more flexibility and more time at home to where I will actually see my wife and kids, Gulledge said. Being a dad has become the most important component of my life. By making this change its going to allow me to do so.
I think the dinner table is a special place when youre raising a family.
The 39-year-old Rockingham native arrived in Kinston in 2001 following a three-year stint at Jacksonville High. During his time coaching the Vikings, Gulledge has become one of the pre-eminent high school basketball coaches in the state.
He won 274 games while losing just 55 in 11 seasons at Kinston, and has 320 career victories overall, including a 46-33 mark while at Jacksonville.
Eight of his teams won conference titles, eight reached the regionals, four won Eastern Regional titles and three 2008, 2010 and, most recently, 2012 won a state North Carolina High School Athletic Association boys basketball championship.
Gulledges three state titles account for nearly half of the schools total of eight, which includes five won by Grainger High in the 1950s and 60s.
First of all, Id just like to thank everyone in the community that has supported us in Kinston. I wish I had time to write individual letters to everyone, Gulledge said. (Kinston is) home to me. Its a very special place to me. My 11 years were very great years.
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Get moving today at National Senior Health & Fitness Day
Posted: at 4:26 am
National Senior Health & Fitness Day kicks off at 8 a.m. today at the Purrysburg Fitness Center.
The schedule includes:
Giant Aerobics Class: 89:30 a.m. in front of the Purrysburg Fitness Center.
Get your heart pumping during the Gigantic Aerobics Class. If it rains, the class will be held at the pavilion. Enter the raffle to win a free T-shirt. There will also be chair instruction for beginners.
Aerobics instructors are Chamoni from 88:30 a.m., Lee from 8:309 a.m. and then Lois from 99:30 a.m.
Free Fitness Testing: 89:30 a.m., Purrysburg Fitness Center Aerobics Room.
This is a great way to compare fitness levels from year to year. You are welcome to come and go between the aerobics class and the fitness testing. The fitness testing will be done on a first-come, first-serve basis. Plus a T-shirt raffle.
Four fitness tests are available: Chair stand test testing lower body strength (30 seconds); back scratch test testing upper body flexibility (1 minute); 8foot up and go test agility test; and step in place test measures aerobic fitness (2 minutes).
The Health Fair is from 10 a.m.1 p.m. in Pinckney Hall.
More than 70 health and wellness companies will be on hand. Health care providers will offer informational handouts, free screenings, demonstrations, tests and health screenings including: Blood pressure, oral cancer, skin cancer, ABI, diabetes, foot pressure mapping and much more. They will also have lots of free goodies.
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Get moving today at National Senior Health & Fitness Day
Eye for health, fitness
Posted: at 4:26 am
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Shannan Bergtholdt, the health promotion program manager at the Health and Wellness Center, helps a client. Bergtholdt uses a portion plate to educate the client on a proper diet. Consuming a diet comprising primarily fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy while limiting added sugars and fats is also a great way of keeping healthy and managing weight.
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE -- Maintaining good health and fitness can be daunting while on a profile, but the Health and Wellness Center at Holloman Air Force Base has the staff and resources to overcome the challenge.
HAWC will answer questions and build confidence in airmen who feel they cannot do much of anything because they are limited by a profile, but there are things they can do to be active, said Shannan Bergtholdt, health promotion program manager.
Aqua jogging is a great workout for airmen who have injuries to their lower extremities, said Kevin Fallon, fitness program manager. A foam belt fits around the person's waist that suspends them in the water, which provides resistance to the legs as they move through the pool. The treadmill, elliptical and a high-intensity walk can be good alternatives for a person on a profile that restricts high impact activities.
The resources at HAWC can help airmen understand the different workouts available, along with information for a proper diet.
Many of the classes offered at the fitness center, like spin class, body pump and body combat, are modifiable based on profile restrictions and still allow airmen to get a great workout, Bergtholdt said.
"I offer one-on-one sessions for airmen who cannot make the classes and need extra help during their profile, which has produced more than a 90 percent pass rate for those airmen," said Fallon.
Often, airmen are placed on a profile, then gain weight because their activity level goes down dramatically, Bergtholdt said. To help combat this, HAWC can offer a tailored program that includes structured workouts and a nutritional guide.
Consuming a diet comprising primarily fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy while limiting added sugars and fats is also a great way of keeping healthy and managing weight, Bergtholdt said.
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Equity Release Can Prevent Retired Property Owners Losing Their Homes Report Bower Retirement Services
Posted: at 4:26 am
ONGAR, England, May 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
Award-winning Bower Retirement Services offers a real alternative for retired property owners looking to use their homes to finance their retirement
A recent investigation by the Independent on Sunday found some 250,000 people will owe thousands of pounds on interest-only mortgages when they retire over the course of the next decade. With no income and little in the way of pension to pay this off, many elderly people will be faced with losing their homes.
3 trillion is locked up in property in the United Kingdom. Even taking aside the 1 trillion that is mortgaged, that's a huge amount of money just sitting there, locked in bricks and mortar. Faced with mortgages and no income many people of retirement age sell their homes and downsize, using the cash from the sale to clear their mortgage and pay off outstanding debts.
But it shouldn't be the case that just because a person retires with a mortgage they need to sell their home. There is another way.
With so much money locked up in property, it makes sense to unlock some of this wealth and Bower Retirement Services has the key. It is an equity release firm that can help unlock money from a property to help pay for an existing mortgage or to provide a living allowance to supplement a state pension. Homeowners can find out just how much equity they can release from their property with Bower Retirement Services using its free equity release calculator.
There are four different types of equity release plans on offer from Bower Retirement Services: lump sum lifetime mortgages, lifetime mortgage with flexible cash release, interest only lifetime mortgages and home reversion plans.
The first works in a similar way to a standard mortgage except interest and the outstanding mortgage balance are paid only when vacating the property.
The second, also known as a drawdown mortgage, works in the same way as the above except homeowners can also withdraw cash from a cash reserve at an agreed frequency over a pre-set number of years.
Interest only mortgages, as the name suggests, only require the interest to be paid each month. The amount borrowed remains intact and is repaid when the property is sold.
How the Double-Dip Recession Will Impact the Elderly, Report Bower Retirement Services
Posted: at 4:26 am
ONGAR, England, May 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
Bower Retirement Services offers advice on how the elderly can ride out the double-dip recession
The UK is officially back in recession. This is bad news for everyone, but particularly savers. A new round of quantitative easing is likely and this will further subdue interest rates, eroding the value of savings and pensions in real terms. This puts great pressure on people nearing retirement age, particularly those with mortgages. Smaller pensions and savings will mean retirement dreams remain dreams and homeowners with mortgages face loosing their homes. But there is a way to prevent all this: unlocking the collective 3 trillion the UK has tied up in property.
Bower Retirement Services is an award-winning equity release advice service that puts homeowners in touch with the UK's best equity release providers. It offers impartial advice, a free equity release calculator and information on each and every equity release scheme available to homeowners.
There are four equity release products to choose from, which a homeowner will pick will dependent on their current financial situation and the purpose of the equity release.
Lump sum mortgages are best suited to people looking to minimise monthly outgoings. With this product, homeowners pay the interest and the remaining mortgage value when they vacate the property. There are no monthly repayments.
A lifetime mortgage with flexible cash release, also known as a drawdown mortgage, works in the same manner as the above with the addition of regular cash withdrawals. Interest is charged on these withdrawals but is only paid upon sale of the property. This is most suitable for retirees looking to supplement their state pension.
Interest only lifetime mortgages are for people looking for a lump sum to pay off debts or to go on the trip of a lifetime. Interest is paid each month, but a percentage of the property's value is borrowed and awarded as a lump sum. When the property is sold the original capital borrowed must be repaid. This product requires credit checks to make sure the property owner can repay the interest each month.
Home reversion plans are for people looking to release large sums of money from their home but don't want to move to a smaller property. The property or a percentage of it is sold to the equity release firm providing a lump sum. People can stay in their property but pay monthly rent to the equity release firm. The balance will be cleared when the property is sold.
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How the Double-Dip Recession Will Impact the Elderly, Report Bower Retirement Services
"Social Security and Your Retirement"
Posted: at 4:25 am
SPRINGFIELD, Mass., May 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --MassMutual's Retirement Services Division continues its web-based RetireSmart(SM) interactive participant education series with "Social Security and Your Retirement," directly addressing a key topic of interest for participants of all ages based on 2011's post-event surveys.
MassMutual's live online seminar is scheduled for Wednesday, June 27 at 12:00 p.m. ET. During the 30-minute presentation, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will discuss the role Social Security will play in today's retirement plans. Specifically, the SSA will cover:
A 30-minute interactive question and answer session will directly follow the presentation.
"MassMutual's RetireSmart participant education series is just one way we engage participants and help them make smarter retirement decisions," says E. Heather Smiley, chief marketing officer for MassMutual's Retirement Services Division. "With the future of social security a top concern today, we knew participants were seeking more information on the role it will play in their retirement plans. MassMutual went straight to the source and is pleased to have a speaker from the Social Security Administration lead this much-anticipated presentation," adds Smiley.
MassMutual's latest RetireSmart online seminar, "Understanding Target Date & Target Risk Investments," featured three leaders of its own investment and portfolio teams to help explain the basics of target-date and target-risk investment strategies. The 30-minute presentation, led by Michael Eldredge, CFA, vice president; Bruce Picard, Jr., CFA, investment director; and Frederick (Rick) Schulitz, CFA, investment director, discussed how to take charge of retirement investing in today's market environment, the ABCs of target strategies, and how these investments may fit an overall retirement plan. Following the presentation, 60% of attendees indicated their intent to review their investment mix and 28% planned to consider a target-date or target-risk investment strategy based on the post-event survey. A free replay of this seminar is available for anyone who missed the live event.
Space for the upcoming "Social Security and Your Retirement" seminar is prioritized to retirement plan sponsors and participants on MassMutual's platform. MassMutual retirement plan clients can register by logging in to their retirement plan account at http://www.retiresmart.com or by visiting http://www.retiresmartseminars.com.
For more information about MassMutual Retirement Services, please contact your retirement plan advisor or call MassMutual at 1-866-444-2601.
This presentation is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as, and is not intended as, investment, retirement, tax or financial planning advice. No securities or other financial products or services will be offered for sale.
About MassMutual
MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) [of which Retirement Services is a division] and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. MassMutual is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts and its major affiliates include: Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; The First Mercantile Trust Company; MassMutual International LLC; MML Investors Services, LLC, Member FINRA and SIPC; OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; and The MassMutual Trust Company, FSB.
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Retirement: 3 ways to enrich it without adding money
Posted: at 4:25 am
Retirement planning is about more than saving money. It's about what you're going to do. Here are three ways to stay active in retirement.
In 2009, Rusty Arnesen was forced into retirement. He hadn't planned to leave his job as chief deputy public defender for San Diego County in California quite so soon. He was shocked.
"I'd had a very busy job overseeing 100 lawyers and working at least 50 hours a week," says Mr. Arnesen, who now golfs, does some pro bono legal work, and has several high-level volunteer jobs. "Now, I'm looking for more things to volunteer for. I hadn't figured what it would be like" in retirement.
Neither do many Americans. For all the emphasis put on saving for retirement, planning for what to do in retirement is often lacking. While that may not pose an immediate problem new data from the MetLife Mature Market Institute show 70 percent of 65-year-old retirees thoroughly enjoy retirement it's not clear that enjoyment endures. That's why many experts suggest embracing some second act during this period that can last 30 years or more.
"There's the honeymoon period for the first six months. Then restlessness sets in, and you wonder what to do with the rest of your life," says Todd Tresidder, founder of FinancialMentor.com in Reno, Nev. "That's where [today's] whole new retirement comes in."
The transition tends to be more difficult for men. While 77 percent of men (72 percent of women) have planned financially for retirement, more women have "thought about what they'd like to do in retirement," says a survey released in January by Ameriprise Financial. For example, 41 percent say they plan to spend more time with family (34 percent of men); 21 percent place importance on their proximity to friends (13 percent of men); 25 percent say they've spent time determining how they will rest and relax in retirement (19 percent of men).
"Women tend to have many friends, while men tend to have relatively few friends," says Donald Strauss, codirector at RetireRight Center, a Chicago-based retirement planning firm and coauthor of "Customize ... Don't Minimize ... Your Retirement." Since men have been focused on work through much of their adult lives, they've built structures and an identity around it. Retirement "leaves them with a vacuum to be filled."
What to do? Sure, take a breather after a busy career. But then reengage in something. Here are some options:
Turn your passion into a new career. Instead of "retiring," reinvent yourself, says Mark Walton, author of "Boundless Potential." Do something that "lets you be as successful as you were earlier in life." It doesn't matter if that role creates income, he adds. The shift can be dramatic, such as moving from something technical to an artistic endeavor.
To get started, determine what absorbs your attention; explore how to convert it into real work, then envision a working structure to make that happen in the marketplace. For many, "it will involve inventing and marketing something themselves being an entrepreneur," says Mr. Walton, chairman and founder of the Center for Leadership Communication in Chapel Hill, N.C.
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Retirement: 3 ways to enrich it without adding money
Money Management: Performance Analysis – Video
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2012 Make Windows 7- 8 services Faster and its Performance. – Video
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2012 Make Windows 7- 8 services Faster and its Performance. - Video