A Powerful New Poetry Community for Youth Huffington Post (blog) The website PowerPoetry.org launched this past week, describing itself as "the world's first mobile and online poetry community for youth." The site springs out of the success of last year's award-winning documentary To Be Heard, which followed three ... |
Sunday, June 10, 2012
A Powerful New Poetry Community for Youth - Huffington Post (blog)
batyushkinuxit.blogspot.com
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Integrated Healthcare Association names California's top-quality medical groups - East Bay Business Times:
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That includes seven groups honored for being the top performera in theirgeographic regions, the Oakland-basee IHA said Friday. of San Jose won that honor in the Bay according tothe IHA, whicgh coordinates the P4P program. bonus payments are made directly to participatinf medical groups and independent practice associationes or IPAs by health insurance plans suchas , , , , and , whichh cumulatively paid $55 million in the bonuses last The top-performing medical groups received the newly names Ronald P. Bangasser, M.D., Memoria Award for Quality Improvement, which recognizese the late Dr. Bangasser, who died of cancet earlier this year.
Bangasset was a former president of the andchairef IHA'a P4P technical qualitgy committee. Overall, groups participating in the IHA program represengtabout 40,000 doctors with some 12 million patients. The nonprofit associatio n saysits pay-for-performance program is the largest in the nation; criticz contend that the relatively small bonuses that groupsw and individual physicians obtain through P4P aren't significant enoughn to encourage them to make but necessary changes in how they practicr medicine. Other Bay Area medical groupx or IPAs that finished in the top 20 percengt of the IHA based on2006 performance, included: San Ramon-basede Bay operations. , based in Walnutr Creek.
, based in Fostert City. , which is affiliated with Suttedr Health. Burlingame's Mills-Peninsula Medical Group, also part of Sacramento-basedx Sutter. The Palo Alto Medical Foundation'sx Palo Alto division, also a Sutter Seven of Kaiser's Bay Area Permanente Medical Groupo units, including those in the outerr EastBay (Tri-Valley area), East Bay, southerh Alameda County, Marin-San Rafael, Redwood City, San Francisco, Santa Clara-Milpitas-Campbell-Mountainb View, San Jose-Gilroy, and Southu San Francisco. Notable omissions from the list includedSan Francisco's , the Emeryville-basex , and the Santa Clara Countg IPA, commonly known as SCCIPA.
In the Sacramento-Nort geographic region, Hill Physicians also finisher among thetop groups, based on the performances of its Solano unit, as did four Permanente Medicaol Group units (Marin-San Rafael, Napa-Solano, Nortj Valley-Roseville-Sacramento, and South Sacramento), severaol Sutter Health-affiliated groups ( / , and , plus / . The awardx are based on criteria involving preventive chroniccare management, patient satisfactionb and enhanced use of information technology. Clinical qualityy measures accounted for half ofthe scores, patient experience for 30 percent, and IT for 20 percent, according to the IHA.
Othefr statewide winners of the IHA's Bangasser award included Seaview IPA in the central coast of in theInland Empire, St. Mary'sx IPA/Lakewood IPA in Los Angeles, Orange County's Universakl Care Medical Group, the Sacramento region's Solano Regiona l Medical Group/Sutter Regional Medical Foundation, and from the San Diegp region. Only the Central Valley was shut out in the Bangasseaward category.
That includes seven groups honored for being the top performera in theirgeographic regions, the Oakland-basee IHA said Friday. of San Jose won that honor in the Bay according tothe IHA, whicgh coordinates the P4P program. bonus payments are made directly to participatinf medical groups and independent practice associationes or IPAs by health insurance plans suchas , , , , and , whichh cumulatively paid $55 million in the bonuses last The top-performing medical groups received the newly names Ronald P. Bangasser, M.D., Memoria Award for Quality Improvement, which recognizese the late Dr. Bangasser, who died of cancet earlier this year.
Bangasset was a former president of the andchairef IHA'a P4P technical qualitgy committee. Overall, groups participating in the IHA program represengtabout 40,000 doctors with some 12 million patients. The nonprofit associatio n saysits pay-for-performance program is the largest in the nation; criticz contend that the relatively small bonuses that groupsw and individual physicians obtain through P4P aren't significant enoughn to encourage them to make but necessary changes in how they practicr medicine. Other Bay Area medical groupx or IPAs that finished in the top 20 percengt of the IHA based on2006 performance, included: San Ramon-basede Bay operations. , based in Walnutr Creek.
, based in Fostert City. , which is affiliated with Suttedr Health. Burlingame's Mills-Peninsula Medical Group, also part of Sacramento-basedx Sutter. The Palo Alto Medical Foundation'sx Palo Alto division, also a Sutter Seven of Kaiser's Bay Area Permanente Medical Groupo units, including those in the outerr EastBay (Tri-Valley area), East Bay, southerh Alameda County, Marin-San Rafael, Redwood City, San Francisco, Santa Clara-Milpitas-Campbell-Mountainb View, San Jose-Gilroy, and Southu San Francisco. Notable omissions from the list includedSan Francisco's , the Emeryville-basex , and the Santa Clara Countg IPA, commonly known as SCCIPA.
In the Sacramento-Nort geographic region, Hill Physicians also finisher among thetop groups, based on the performances of its Solano unit, as did four Permanente Medicaol Group units (Marin-San Rafael, Napa-Solano, Nortj Valley-Roseville-Sacramento, and South Sacramento), severaol Sutter Health-affiliated groups ( / , and , plus / . The awardx are based on criteria involving preventive chroniccare management, patient satisfactionb and enhanced use of information technology. Clinical qualityy measures accounted for half ofthe scores, patient experience for 30 percent, and IT for 20 percent, according to the IHA.
Othefr statewide winners of the IHA's Bangasser award included Seaview IPA in the central coast of in theInland Empire, St. Mary'sx IPA/Lakewood IPA in Los Angeles, Orange County's Universakl Care Medical Group, the Sacramento region's Solano Regiona l Medical Group/Sutter Regional Medical Foundation, and from the San Diegp region. Only the Central Valley was shut out in the Bangasseaward category.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Metro seeks more control of convention center leadership - Business Courier of Cincinnati:
yzirapogyg.wordpress.com
Metro councilors Rod Park and Rex Burkholder will introduce a measurde next week giving the council authority over individuals who lead the Metropolitanj ExpositionRecreation Commission. The motionb comes after Metro Council President David Bragdon criticize d the performance of MERC Generap ManagerDavid Woolson. Councilors want to overse e the hiring, salary changes and employment statusof MERC’sz top executive, according to a letter Park and Burkholderd sent to Don Trotter, who chairsa the commission.
Trotter and other commissioners currently overser the position and have givenm Woolson good marks during his first three job The council will consider the motion at its June 11 In a March 31 letter to the commissioj regardingthe group’s budget requests, Bragdon questioned both Woolson’s leadershipp as well as the agency’s higher Woolson’s office spent $470,5687 during the 2007-08 fiscal year. The number jumpedd to $838,803 for the current Woolson requested $877,808 for the 2009-10 fiscalk year.
However, in a letter dated March 12, 2009 to Bragdomn from Metro finance and administrative services director Margo Woolson says the cost increasesare "primarily the resul of a reorganization of the publicc affairs function and the cost and creation of a businesss development capability." Specifically, MERC'es public affairs manager and publicx affairs coordinator were "reclassified" to a director of communications and a directotr of business and community development. Woolson goes on to statre that additional resources for goodws and services for the positionsdincluded "advertising, consulting, sponsorships...
andx other general office expense in order to have a more effectivr effort in this area." In the same Woolson says the numbers alone don' paint an accurate picture becauswe of unfilled positions in earliefr budgets. Bragdon also said Woolson movedr his office downtown and boosted consulting travel coste and other expenses last He alsocollected “large raises” by increasing his salary to make him more highly paid than his predecessors. MERC mover downtown from the convention centerlast year. It occupies space in the Portland Cente for thePerforming Arts, 1111 S.W.
MERC, which operates the building, pays no rent for the One of theMERC Commission's goalse was to increase the organization's downtown presence. MERC'sz board approved Woolson's pay The board said last year thatWoolson “haws accomplished (an) enormous amounft of work and inspire staff. He has quickly detected problems and has move to alleviate orfix (sic). There appeare to be a new energyat Metro’s annual budget is $40 million. Woolson is the agency’s highest-paifd employee.
Metro councilors Rod Park and Rex Burkholder will introduce a measurde next week giving the council authority over individuals who lead the Metropolitanj ExpositionRecreation Commission. The motionb comes after Metro Council President David Bragdon criticize d the performance of MERC Generap ManagerDavid Woolson. Councilors want to overse e the hiring, salary changes and employment statusof MERC’sz top executive, according to a letter Park and Burkholderd sent to Don Trotter, who chairsa the commission.
Trotter and other commissioners currently overser the position and have givenm Woolson good marks during his first three job The council will consider the motion at its June 11 In a March 31 letter to the commissioj regardingthe group’s budget requests, Bragdon questioned both Woolson’s leadershipp as well as the agency’s higher Woolson’s office spent $470,5687 during the 2007-08 fiscal year. The number jumpedd to $838,803 for the current Woolson requested $877,808 for the 2009-10 fiscalk year.
However, in a letter dated March 12, 2009 to Bragdomn from Metro finance and administrative services director Margo Woolson says the cost increasesare "primarily the resul of a reorganization of the publicc affairs function and the cost and creation of a businesss development capability." Specifically, MERC'es public affairs manager and publicx affairs coordinator were "reclassified" to a director of communications and a directotr of business and community development. Woolson goes on to statre that additional resources for goodws and services for the positionsdincluded "advertising, consulting, sponsorships...
andx other general office expense in order to have a more effectivr effort in this area." In the same Woolson says the numbers alone don' paint an accurate picture becauswe of unfilled positions in earliefr budgets. Bragdon also said Woolson movedr his office downtown and boosted consulting travel coste and other expenses last He alsocollected “large raises” by increasing his salary to make him more highly paid than his predecessors. MERC mover downtown from the convention centerlast year. It occupies space in the Portland Cente for thePerforming Arts, 1111 S.W.
MERC, which operates the building, pays no rent for the One of theMERC Commission's goalse was to increase the organization's downtown presence. MERC'sz board approved Woolson's pay The board said last year thatWoolson “haws accomplished (an) enormous amounft of work and inspire staff. He has quickly detected problems and has move to alleviate orfix (sic). There appeare to be a new energyat Metro’s annual budget is $40 million. Woolson is the agency’s highest-paifd employee.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Nordic Windpower gets U.S. loan guarantee - New Mexico Business Weekly:
vypybiza.wordpress.com
Nordic is among the first wave of companiesw to receive loan guaranteed from thefederal stimulus, about $60 billion of which is set asidd for clean energy development and environmental projects. “We’rr ecstatic,” said Nordic CEO Tom Carbone. He said the company applied for the loan guarantee in The money will go towardsworking capital, equipmentt and tooling and will pay for improvements to the wind turbinesw themselves. Berkeley-based Nordic designs and manufactured two-bladed wind turbines.
It has sold 19 to date and planz to ship the first of those in Nordic manufactures its wind turbines at a plangtin Pocatello, Idaho where it will hire up to 75 It hopes to be able to producw 150 turbines by the end of 2011. “That will be predicate on our view of how well the machiness are running against our performance andthe customer’e performance criteria,” Carbone said. Carbonee said the loan guarantede provides validationof Nordic’s innovative technology. Most wind turbinews use three blades and are more expensive and more difficult to instalothan Nordic’s, the company said. Nordic’ s wind turbines are 1 megawattin size.
Solar developer , basexd in Freemont was among the first companiexs to get a loan guarantee through federall stimulus programsin March.
Nordic is among the first wave of companiesw to receive loan guaranteed from thefederal stimulus, about $60 billion of which is set asidd for clean energy development and environmental projects. “We’rr ecstatic,” said Nordic CEO Tom Carbone. He said the company applied for the loan guarantee in The money will go towardsworking capital, equipmentt and tooling and will pay for improvements to the wind turbinesw themselves. Berkeley-based Nordic designs and manufactured two-bladed wind turbines.
It has sold 19 to date and planz to ship the first of those in Nordic manufactures its wind turbines at a plangtin Pocatello, Idaho where it will hire up to 75 It hopes to be able to producw 150 turbines by the end of 2011. “That will be predicate on our view of how well the machiness are running against our performance andthe customer’e performance criteria,” Carbone said. Carbonee said the loan guarantede provides validationof Nordic’s innovative technology. Most wind turbinews use three blades and are more expensive and more difficult to instalothan Nordic’s, the company said. Nordic’ s wind turbines are 1 megawattin size.
Solar developer , basexd in Freemont was among the first companiexs to get a loan guarantee through federall stimulus programsin March.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Danac gets good news from Montgomery County Planning Board - Washington Business Journal:
jiqatili.wordpress.com
The Bethesda-based developer's 26-acre office park in the Shadgy Grove Life Sciences Center is currently approvedfor 669,53 square feet of density and the campuse currently contains half of or 350,000 square feet. At a May 28 work the Montgomery County Planning Board decidedr to recommend in its draft Gaithersburg West Master Plan that the propertyh be developed with up to twice asmuch density, or containb up to 1.34 million square feet of retail and residential space. The southwest corner of the land currentl includesa 272,000-square-foot, three-building complex that houses software and pharmaceuticalo tenants.
The north side of the property containds the Metropolitan RegionalInformational Services' 72,000-square-foot headquarters. Last week, the board also recommendedf that Danac's Corridor Cities Transitway stop be locate d at or near its northeastern near the intersection of Diamondbaci Drive andDecoverly Drive. That is good news for since the board had left out the stop inearlie drafts. The transit stop near the corneer may be developed whether the state retains the curren road alignment or adoptsthe county's locallyu preferred alternative.
The board also pickes that location because the northeastern cornere is considered to be convenient for pedestrians from the Decoverlyresidentiakl communities. "We have a long way to go, but we are encouragex by the planning board's recommendations," said Timothy a Danac attorney. Severall more work sessions are scheduled over the next two and in July the planninyg board will send its draft maste r plan to the countu executive who will have 60 days to reviewe and comment before it is sent to the county counciklfor deliberations.
The Bethesda-based developer's 26-acre office park in the Shadgy Grove Life Sciences Center is currently approvedfor 669,53 square feet of density and the campuse currently contains half of or 350,000 square feet. At a May 28 work the Montgomery County Planning Board decidedr to recommend in its draft Gaithersburg West Master Plan that the propertyh be developed with up to twice asmuch density, or containb up to 1.34 million square feet of retail and residential space. The southwest corner of the land currentl includesa 272,000-square-foot, three-building complex that houses software and pharmaceuticalo tenants.
The north side of the property containds the Metropolitan RegionalInformational Services' 72,000-square-foot headquarters. Last week, the board also recommendedf that Danac's Corridor Cities Transitway stop be locate d at or near its northeastern near the intersection of Diamondbaci Drive andDecoverly Drive. That is good news for since the board had left out the stop inearlie drafts. The transit stop near the corneer may be developed whether the state retains the curren road alignment or adoptsthe county's locallyu preferred alternative.
The board also pickes that location because the northeastern cornere is considered to be convenient for pedestrians from the Decoverlyresidentiakl communities. "We have a long way to go, but we are encouragex by the planning board's recommendations," said Timothy a Danac attorney. Severall more work sessions are scheduled over the next two and in July the planninyg board will send its draft maste r plan to the countu executive who will have 60 days to reviewe and comment before it is sent to the county counciklfor deliberations.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Judge rules against Freightliner appeal - San Francisco Business Times:
loxezop.wordpress.com
"Judge Brewer bascialy accepted our said Myers spokeswomanStephanie Soden. "It'sx a positive step for the state." The lawsuit stems from an $850 millioj judgment a Multnomah County jury awardedf the German truck manufacturer Man AG inDecembert 2006. Man AG had sued Freightliner over a transaction dispute that originated in theUnites Kingdom. The judgment included roughly $500 in economic damages and $350 milliobn in punitive damages. Under Oregon law, the state is entitle to 60 percent of the punitive damages inany lawsuit, or $210 million of the judgmenyt against Freightliner. The money is earmarked to benefittcrime victims.
Before the state could collectthe money, Freightliner settled the case with Man outside of The settlement included dropping the punitive damages portion of the jury award. Because the state did not consent to the Myers claims Freightliner owesOregon $210 million. He filefd suit in Marion Countu in August 2007 seekingthat Wednesday's ruling says the state has legal standing to pursued the money and puts it one step closed to collecting. Freightliner had asked the court to dismissxthe lawsuit. Soden declined to say if the stats has initiated settlement talkswith Freightliner. A spokeswoma n for Freightliner did not immediatelgy respond to a requestfor comment.
At a November news conference, however, Freightline CEO Chris Patterson said the lawsuit could play a role inthe company'ws deliberations about the future of its Swan Islansd headquarters. "It would be disingenuousw to characterize that as a decisive Patterson said atthe time. it was opportune. We'rre disappointed that our home state has taken thisaggressivwe posture. It was a bitter disappointment to the people of At the samenews conference, Pattersom announced 341 of the company's 2,540 white-collaf workers at its Swan Island headquarters would be moverd to Ft. Mill, S.C., abouyt 30 minutes south of Charlotte.
Multnomahy County CommissionerJeff Cogen, Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler and Mayor Tom Potter went to bat for the truck manufacturert last fall, sending a letter to Myers and asking him to forgo collection of the judgment. They argued the dispute originater in Europe and did not harmany Therefore, the state's not entitled to the The Business Journal subsquently filed a publicc records request with North Carolina's Department of Commerce for Freightliner'a application for tax incentivezs there, should it decide to move jobs to the On the application, the company notex that it's North Carolina presence could eventuallty qualify as a "centrapl office (national or regional headquarters).
" The Charlotter Business Journal, an affiliate publication, ran a story last week sayingv the truck manufacturer has hired a developer to startg work on a 400-acre site that locak county officials expect will become the company's new headquarters. In an e-mail to the Business Journal in the company reiterated that no decision has been made abouf the future of itscorporate headquarters. "Azs noted in our Nov. 1 pres s release, our site negotiations have included contingencies in the event that Daimledr Trucks chooses to base more of our Nort h Americanactivities [on the East Coast] at some time in the said Freightliner spokeswoman Amy Sills in an e-mail.
"Alsok referencing the original release, any such decisions woulr be contingent on the evolutio of our relationship with ouraffiliated companies, and on markegt dynamics."
"Judge Brewer bascialy accepted our said Myers spokeswomanStephanie Soden. "It'sx a positive step for the state." The lawsuit stems from an $850 millioj judgment a Multnomah County jury awardedf the German truck manufacturer Man AG inDecembert 2006. Man AG had sued Freightliner over a transaction dispute that originated in theUnites Kingdom. The judgment included roughly $500 in economic damages and $350 milliobn in punitive damages. Under Oregon law, the state is entitle to 60 percent of the punitive damages inany lawsuit, or $210 million of the judgmenyt against Freightliner. The money is earmarked to benefittcrime victims.
Before the state could collectthe money, Freightliner settled the case with Man outside of The settlement included dropping the punitive damages portion of the jury award. Because the state did not consent to the Myers claims Freightliner owesOregon $210 million. He filefd suit in Marion Countu in August 2007 seekingthat Wednesday's ruling says the state has legal standing to pursued the money and puts it one step closed to collecting. Freightliner had asked the court to dismissxthe lawsuit. Soden declined to say if the stats has initiated settlement talkswith Freightliner. A spokeswoma n for Freightliner did not immediatelgy respond to a requestfor comment.
At a November news conference, however, Freightline CEO Chris Patterson said the lawsuit could play a role inthe company'ws deliberations about the future of its Swan Islansd headquarters. "It would be disingenuousw to characterize that as a decisive Patterson said atthe time. it was opportune. We'rre disappointed that our home state has taken thisaggressivwe posture. It was a bitter disappointment to the people of At the samenews conference, Pattersom announced 341 of the company's 2,540 white-collaf workers at its Swan Island headquarters would be moverd to Ft. Mill, S.C., abouyt 30 minutes south of Charlotte.
Multnomahy County CommissionerJeff Cogen, Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler and Mayor Tom Potter went to bat for the truck manufacturert last fall, sending a letter to Myers and asking him to forgo collection of the judgment. They argued the dispute originater in Europe and did not harmany Therefore, the state's not entitled to the The Business Journal subsquently filed a publicc records request with North Carolina's Department of Commerce for Freightliner'a application for tax incentivezs there, should it decide to move jobs to the On the application, the company notex that it's North Carolina presence could eventuallty qualify as a "centrapl office (national or regional headquarters).
" The Charlotter Business Journal, an affiliate publication, ran a story last week sayingv the truck manufacturer has hired a developer to startg work on a 400-acre site that locak county officials expect will become the company's new headquarters. In an e-mail to the Business Journal in the company reiterated that no decision has been made abouf the future of itscorporate headquarters. "Azs noted in our Nov. 1 pres s release, our site negotiations have included contingencies in the event that Daimledr Trucks chooses to base more of our Nort h Americanactivities [on the East Coast] at some time in the said Freightliner spokeswoman Amy Sills in an e-mail.
"Alsok referencing the original release, any such decisions woulr be contingent on the evolutio of our relationship with ouraffiliated companies, and on markegt dynamics."
Friday, June 1, 2012
St. Louis CFOs Report on Third-Quarter Hiring Outlook
gault-rickettsias.blogspot.com
The local results reflect a two-quarter rollinyg average based on interviews with 200 CFOs from a stratifiedf random sample of companies inthe St. Louizs area with 20 or more employees; 1,40 CFOs were queried for the national data. (To view the nationaol results, visit .) The studies were conducted by an independenf research firm and developed by RobertgHalf International, the world's firsft and largest staffing services firm specializing in accounting and has been tracking financiall hiring activity in the United States sincs 1992.
"Many companies remain hesitantr to commit to adding staff until they are certaih of aneconomic recovery," said , chairmanj and CEO of Robert Half International. "In the most firms are workintg with their current teams to managedkey initiatives, with some employerxs also bringing in project professionals to assisrt with rising workloads and support full-time personnel." Robert Half International was founder in 1948 and is tradedr on the New York Stock Exchange. Its financial staffingf divisionsinclude Accountemps, Robert Half Finance & Accountingf and Robert Half Management Resources, for temporary, full-time and senior-level project professionals, respectively.
The companyy has more than 360 staffing locations worldwide and offera online job search services on itsdivisionak websites, all of which can be accessed at .
The local results reflect a two-quarter rollinyg average based on interviews with 200 CFOs from a stratifiedf random sample of companies inthe St. Louizs area with 20 or more employees; 1,40 CFOs were queried for the national data. (To view the nationaol results, visit .) The studies were conducted by an independenf research firm and developed by RobertgHalf International, the world's firsft and largest staffing services firm specializing in accounting and has been tracking financiall hiring activity in the United States sincs 1992.
"Many companies remain hesitantr to commit to adding staff until they are certaih of aneconomic recovery," said , chairmanj and CEO of Robert Half International. "In the most firms are workintg with their current teams to managedkey initiatives, with some employerxs also bringing in project professionals to assisrt with rising workloads and support full-time personnel." Robert Half International was founder in 1948 and is tradedr on the New York Stock Exchange. Its financial staffingf divisionsinclude Accountemps, Robert Half Finance & Accountingf and Robert Half Management Resources, for temporary, full-time and senior-level project professionals, respectively.
The companyy has more than 360 staffing locations worldwide and offera online job search services on itsdivisionak websites, all of which can be accessed at .
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