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State Recognizes 24 Emergency Workers for First Responder Efforts
Post author By TN Press Release Center
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Press release from the Tennessee Department of Safety; Sept. 10, 2012:
NASHVILLE— Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam's Chief of Staff Mark Cate and Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Bill Gibbons were among several state officials to honor 24 individuals from across the state for their service as emergency first responders.
The First Responder Awards Ceremony, held at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) headquarters, celebrated those who have dedicated their lives for the safety and security of all Tennesseans. The special ceremony has been held each year since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. The event is also held in conjunction with National Preparedness Month.
"It has been more than a decade since the 9/11 attacks on the United States. However, we will always remember the public servants like you, who were willing to risk their lives and rescue as many people as possible. The lessons learned on that day have changed the way you all train for emergencies or disasters, for the better," Cate said.
The 24 individuals recognized at Monday's ceremony were nominated by their peers and represent each of the 11 Homeland Security districts in Tennessee, as well as the TBI, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), Tennessee Citizen Corps., and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. (The names and biographies of the honorees are attached separately.)
"This ceremony is an important reminder that we should recognize all of the men and women who put themselves in harm's way for our safety. Tennessee's law enforcement officers and first responders have selflessly put the lives of strangers before their own. The daily sacrifices they make to keep us safe are worthy of recognition," Gibbons said.
The ceremony is one of the Office of Homeland Security's National Preparedness Month activities. National Preparedness Month is a nationwide effort encouraging Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies. Critical to the preparedness process are the men and women who serve our state and citizens as first responders.
State of Tennessee 2012 First Responder Award Receivers.
Tags 2012, award, department of safety, First Responder, tennessee
Hagerty Takes Leave to Campaign for Romney
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Press release from the Department of Economic & Community Development; Sept. 10, 2012:
NASHVILLE – Gov. Bill Haslam today announced that Commissioner of Economic and Community Development Bill Hagerty will take a temporary leave of absence to volunteer as a member of the Romney/Ryan presidential readiness team in Washington, D.C.
Hagerty's unpaid leave will run from Monday, September 17 through Tuesday, November 6. Despite the scheduled time away, he will be in Nashville October 18 and 19 to oversee the Governor's Conference on Economic and Community Development.
The presidential readiness team is led by former Gov. Mike Leavitt of Utah. Hagerty served in a similar role for the 2008 presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).
"Bill's background makes him a logical choice to serve in this role," Haslam said. "He will do a great job."
Deputy to the Governor Claude Ramsey will assume oversight of the department during Hagerty's leave of absence.
"Creating and growing Tennessee jobs is a top priority for our administration, and I appreciate Claude for his willingness to serve in this capacity in the upcoming weeks," Haslam continued. "His experience will be an asset to the department as we continue to focus on new jobs in Tennessee."
Hagerty will return to the department on Wednesday, November 7.
Tags 2012, Bill Hagerty, election, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, President
'SCORE Prize Award' Finalists Announced
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Press release from the Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Eduction(SCORE); August 30, 2012:
(Nashville) – The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) today announced the 12 finalists for the second annual SCORE Prize Award. The Prize is awarded to the elementary, middle, and high school, along with one school district in Tennessee that have most dramatically improved student achievement.
The winners of the SCORE Prize will be announced at an event at the historic Ryman Auditorium on Monday, October 8 at 6:00 pm, which will be hosted by SCORE Chairman and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Tennessee Commissioner of Education Kevin Huffman will make remarks during the event.
The 2012 SCORE Prize finalists are:
Boones Creek Elementary, Washington County Schools
John Sevier Elementary, Maryville City Schools
Pigeon Forge Primary, Sevier County Schools
Power Center Academy, Memphis City Schools
Rose Park Math/Science Magnet School, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools
Southside Elementary, Henderson County Schools
Covington High School, Tipton County Schools
Fayette Ware Comprehensive High School, Fayette County Schools
Ravenwood High School, Williamson County Schools
Hamblen County Schools
Maryville City Schools
Tipton County Schools
"The SCORE Prize is awarded to recognize tremendous success in preparing students for the future," said SCORE President and CEO Jamie Woodson. "Each of the 2012 SCORE Prize finalists has made significant strides in raising student achievement levels. All 12 finalists, as well as the communities that support them, should be proud of the progress their children are making. Their work demonstrates that meaningful improvement in public education is possible."
The SCORE Prize will award $10,000 to the elementary, middle, and high school and $25,000 to one district in Tennessee that have most dramatically improved student achievement. Winners and finalists are also highlighted by SCORE throughout the year. Winners are chosen in a two-step process. The first stage identified finalists through a weighted criteria selection process that took into account TVAAS growth and TCAP improvement. This process also factored in attendance rates and socioeconomic status. College-readiness data, such as ACT and college-going rates, were considered for high schools and districts. The second stage will consist of site visits to the finalists to document the policies and practices that have enabled them to make significant gains in student achievement.
The SCORE Prize event is being held in conjunction with the Tennessee Department of Education's annual Education LEADership Conference (LEAD). To reserve free tickets for the SCORE Prize event or learn about the 2011 finalists and winners visit www.tnscore.org/scoreprize.
Tags 2012, SCORE, SCORE Prize Award, State Collaborative on Reforming Education, tennessee, TN
Ramsey: GOP 'United' Behind Romney
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Statement from Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey; August 31, 2012:
The fall election season has begun. The Republican National Convention has concluded and the party has nominated two excellent men to lead it through November and beyond: Gov. Mitt Romney and Rep. Paul Ryan.
I was proud to represent both my party and my state as a Tennessee delegation co-chair in Tampa and witness the introduction of this great ticket to the American people. Our Tennessee delegation had a great time sharing stories and ideas with Republicans from across the country.
And then there were the speeches. So many different voices all coming together for one common purpose. Whether it was the foreign policy genius of Condoleezza Rice, the inspiring social conservatism of Governor Mike Huckabee or messages from the tea party delivered by Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, all the speakers were united in reaching one goal: electing Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan and ending America's Obama ordeal.
As many of you may know I supported a different candidate in the primary. But after this past week and after studying the record of Mitt Romney, I truly believe we are united behind the best candidate to defeat Barack Obama.
The Obama campaign will try and paint Mitt Romney's experience in business as a negative but I believe the American people will see through these transparent attacks. Mitt Romney has a story to tell and it is one of economic recovery.
For 15 years, Mitt Romney worked at a company that took failing businesses and turned them around. He described his experience in an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal.
"I know what it takes to turn around difficult situations. And I will put that experience to work, to get our economy back on track, create jobs, strengthen the middle class and lay the groundwork for America's increased competitiveness in the world," Romney explained.
Mitt Romney, for lack of a better term, is a turnaround artist. That skill is the number one requirement to lead America out of the Obama recession.
I'm excited at the prospect of a president who has worked in the private sector identifying new ways to maximize resources and solve problems. I'm energized to support a presidential candidate who speaks from experience and with optimism about the possibilities of our free enterprise system in contrast to a President who belittles the efforts of small businessmen.
Mitt Romney's competency as an executive leader was proven once again in his choice of a runningmate. Many urged Governor Romney to make a safe choice and choose a bland figure who would make no waves. He instead made a bold choice.
Paul Ryan is young, visionary leader of the intellectual Right and one who has been unafraid to stake out clear and definable positions.
The choice of an advanced thinker such as Ryan shows that Romney is concerned not just with the politics of getting elected but with the policy expertise needed to govern. In his speech in Tampa, Rep. Ryan revealed himself as the perfect compliment to Mitt Romney and showed that he is ready to serve on day one.
The choice the American people have been given is a stark one — and that is just how I like it.
On one side, we have a man who spent a career building success out of failure, a man who has turned around companies and saved jobs. On the other side, we have a man who has taken a recession and turned it into a near depression all the while telling individuals who have managed success in tough times that "they didn't build that."
These two visions of America could not be more diametrically opposed.
In Tennessee, Republicans have proven that conservative governance works. We have proven that you can shrink a budget's bottom line, cut taxes and still provide high quality services. We have shown that a state that pays its bills on time can thrive — even in the Obama recession.
I see the same principles of conservative governance in the Romney/Ryan ticket. I look forward to seeing a change in the White House and cannot wait to see Mitt Romney make America's economic comeback his turnaround masterpiece.
Tags 2012, barack Obama, Elections, GOP, Mitt Romney, President, Republican National Convention, Ron Ramsey, tennessee
TDEC Issues Conservation Awards
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Press release from the Department of Environment & Conservation; August 24, 2012:
NASHVILLE – Deputy Governor Claude Ramsey and Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau presented the 2012 Governor's Environmental Stewardship Awards at the Ellington Agriculture Center campus in Nashville today, recognizing 11 honorees whose efforts have made a positive impact on Tennessee's natural resources.
"Today's award ceremony honored groups and individuals across the state for their commitment to healthier and more sustainable communities," Ramsey said. "I want to commend all of this year's honorees for their hard work and for their dedication to Tennessee's natural resources."
In its 26th year, the Governor's Environmental Stewardship Awards program recognizes exemplary voluntary actions that improve or protect our environment and natural resources with projects or initiatives that are not required by law or regulation. A panel of 36 professionals representing agricultural, conservation, forestry, environmental and academic professionals judged more than 100 nominations and selected this year's award recipients based on criteria including on-the-ground achievement, innovation and public education.
"The ongoing protection of our land, water and air are essential components to our quality of life," added Martineau. "This year's award winners have put forth an extraordinary amount of effort, and we are pleased to be in position to honor their commitment to environmental stewardship and for leaving a positive legacy for all Tennesseans."
Ten awards were presented to individuals, community organizations and government agencies in a number of environmental categories. The winner of one additional honor, the Robert Sparks Walker Lifetime Achievement Award, also was announced at the August 24 ceremony.
The 2012 Governor's Environmental Stewardship Award winners are:
The Robert Sparks Walker Lifetime Achievement Award
The Robert Sparks Walker Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Carter County native Gary W. Barrigar, an award-winning science teacher and long-time advocate of Tennessee's environmental heritage.
"Each year, we recognize an individual who has devoted a lifetime of exemplary service to environmental protection or conservation stewardship in Tennessee," said Martineau. "Gary Barrigar has imparted the value and importance of the natural world to thousands of students, parents, administrators and various organizations throughout his 40-year career by using nature as a classroom and integrating environmental education into daily curriculum."
In 2000, Barrigar was selected to chair the Tennessee State Board of Education Science Standards Committee that developed standards for high school courses in Ecology and Environmental Science that remain in use to this day. Barrigar also served as the president of the Boone Watershed Partnership from 2005-2012, growing the multi-faceted partnership from a loosely organized group to a highly effective 501(c)(3) organization that works to identify and address water resource issues in the Boone watershed, located in East Tennessee and parts of Virginia.
Barrigar also has served in a number of leadership roles with various environmental and conservation groups, including the Southern Appalachian Highland Conservancy, Friends of Roan Mountain, the Buffalo Creek Watershed Alliance and the Overmountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
Alongside his wife, Nancy, Barrigar has led the "Peacemaking Committee" at First Presbyterian Church in Elizabethton, Tenn., for more than 20 years – a group that involves church members in a variety of projects and activities focused on improving our natural environment.
Category: Excellence in Building Green
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis / Sustainable Building Program (Shelby County) – During 2011, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis was the top builder of single-family, EcoBUILD-certified homes in Shelby County. All Memphis Habitat for Humanity homes are built to this standard, and they are 33 percent more energy efficient, use 30 percent less lumber and generate 75 percent less construction waste than traditional homes. Homes also incorporate many innovative and sustainable features, including Energy Star windows, appliances, lighting and ceiling fans; low-flow toilets, faucets and shower heads; recycled drywall and carpet; brick and cement-fiber board siding; OSB sheathing and house wrap; radiant roof decking; and low-VOC paints and coatings. The Habitat homes are sold at no profit, with zero-interest mortgages to qualified homebuyers who earn at or below 80 percent of the area median income. Projects through the Memphis-area Habitat for Humanity created an infusion of nearly $3 million into the local economy during 2011, providing steady employment to nearly 60 workers in the hard-hit construction industry, while making affordable home ownership possible for 44 low-income families.
Category: Excellence in Energy and Renewable Resources
The Tennessee Renewable Energy & Economic Development Council (Knox County) – The Tennessee Renewable Energy and Economic Development Council (TREEDC) demonstrated exceptional leadership in 2011 by partnering with 75 cities and counties to facilitate the advancement of renewable energy and energy efficiency in Tennessee.
TREEDC's biggest mark in 2011 was through its assistance to several small communities with solar and biodiesel development. TREEDC also started a joint program with TVA to help bring more renewable energy to the state via its partnership with the Green Power Switch Program. As part of their efforts, TREEDC hosted six free clean energy forums across the state, reaching out to more than 500 citizens to learn more about the environmental and economic benefits of renewable energy. TREEDC's outreach is designed to plan and facilitate development of Tennessee's abundant natural renewable resources to spur sustainable economic development and to provide long term energy security to the citizens of Tennessee, extended to private businesses, local governments, farmers, energy and service providers, resource agencies and universities.
Category: Excellence in Environmental Education and Outreach
Duck River Watershed Education and Action Project (Marshall County) – The Duck River Watershed Education and Action Project is an experiential curriculum designed to educate and engage students and citizens about watershed issues, the value of parks and recreation, and how today's youth can positively impact communities. A collaborative effort between the Friends of Henry Horton State Park and the Tennessee Environmental Council, the project involved hands-on biodiversity training, as well as opportunities to better understand our role as active citizens to better the environment, economy and quality of life.
Over 130 Marshall County fifth grade students participated in the project in 2011. Tasks included stream-bank observation and collection of samples from the Duck River. The students then analyzed the data, formed conclusions, and proposed and implemented actions to enhance streamside habitat such as planting trees to increase the riparian buffer. The project's innovative design bridges the gap between classroom studies and applicable field work and engages students and leaders through observation, identifying opportunities for enhancement and proposing solutions.
Category: Excellence in Environmental Education and Outreach / Schools
Tigers Initiative for Gardening in Urban Settings / TIGUrS Urban Garden (Shelby County) – The University of Memphis' Tigers Initiative for Gardening in Urban Settings (also known as TIGUrS) serves as a model to students, staff, faculty and the community at large for demonstrating responsible, affordable environmental stewardship through proven urban agriculture methods. The project serves not only as a premier setting for learning sustainable agriculture – it also provides all participants with high-quality, organically produced foods at no cost. The TIGUrS program also demonstrates a model of sustainable urban agriculture that can be easily understood and transferred to almost anywhere in the community, benefiting both the environment and economy. The program imparts direct, hands-on experience with soil reclamation and improvement, organic pests and disease management, and environmentally-conscious structure design and usage. The TIGUrS program is the first and only student-grant funded program of its kind offered at no cost and without restriction by a state university in Tennessee.
Category: Excellence in Land Use
Cherry Farms Conservation Project (Lauderdale County) – In 2011, Cherry Farms installed a comprehensive array of environmental best management practices that addressed water quality, soil erosion, and plant and animal productivity and health. Many of these efforts were designed to reduce the impacts of cattle access, manure runoff and erosion to Cold Creek, which is listed by the state as an impaired stream. The project included 2,155 feet of exclusion fencing, 3,347 feet of cross fencing, 11,700 square feet of heavy use area, one water well, 2,700 feet of pipeline, eight cattle-watering facilities, one water and sediment control basin, 10 grade control structures, and 300 acres of nutrient management. These measures resulted in a 96 percent decrease in E.coli counts from water samples taken in Cold Creek downstream from Cherry Farms, as well as increased cattle productivity and health due to more efficient and higher quality grazing and watering systems.
Category: Excellence in Materials Management
Cumberland County's Friendly Glass (Cumberland County) – Glass bottles present unique management challenges due to their weight and volume. In 2011, the Cumberland County Solid Waste Department purchased the Andela Glass Pulverizer System – a machine that crushes glass into a fine sand-like substance. This innovative system facilitates landfill diversion of glass bottles and also creates a marketable product with many beneficial uses. The fine glass product is mixed with sand and spread on county roads during inclement weather, reducing salt usage and runoff into area streams by up to 1,000 tons per year.
Last year, the system contributed to a 20 percent recycling increase in Cumberland County, including approximately 15 tons of glass. More than 1,000 tons of glass is projected to be recycled and processed by the system in 2012. The revenue generated by the sale of the product to the county road department, as well as savings in landfill disposal fees, will provide a return on investment in less than two years.
Category: Excellence in Natural Heritage
Athens Community Initiatives to Restore and Protect Our Natural Heritage (McMinn County) – The city of Athens Wetland / Rain Garden Demonstration project began as a restoration of 5.3 acres of wetlands on the Oostanuala Creek, the location of the city's E. G. Fisher Public Library. This effort served as a springboard for several other projects and locations throughout the city, including pervious amphitheaters and picnic areas, bio-retention areas, community vegetable gardens and orchards, rain gardens, sink hole buffers, the restoration of a limestone glade and native plantings.
The demonstrations also provide unique educational opportunities for both current residents and future generations. Tours of the various project features are given to educate the public about how wetlands improve water quality, the importance of endangered cedar glades, our relationship to native trees and plants, and other environmental topics. This was all accomplished by a community effort involving only 15,000 people, with the help of numerous grants, donations and partnerships, and more than 600 volunteers.
Category: Excellence in Sustainable Performances
Food City Energy Conservation Objective (Statewide) – Food City, headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, exemplifies superior leadership for a more sustainable future. Operating 62 stores in Tennessee, Food City is incorporating environmental initiatives on multiple fronts including recycling, energy savings, and chemical and waste reduction. Food City is very active in the community and has a history for demonstrating their commitment to local charitable organizations, promoting social sustainability via financial support of schools, utilizing the NuVal healthy food rating system, and providing associate health screenings at each location. Food City also contributes to the state's economic vitality and supports local farmers by purchasing and marketing local products. Food City won the Progressive Grocer / Green Grocer Award for 2011 for its ECO-friendly design at the company's Morristown, Tenn. location.
Pursuit of Excellence Recognition / Going Gold Twice
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (Hamilton County) – BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee was honored with the Governor's Environmental Stewardship Award in 2010 for its 950,000 square-foot Cameron Hill campus, the state's largest LEED Gold-certified project to date. In 2011, BlueCross completed renovation of the 180,000 square foot Gateway Building, an existing four-story structure originally built in 1965, again earning LEED Gold.
Highlights include a 198.24 kilowatt solar array; state-of-the-art water control, utilizing natural storm water filters to remove pollutants; and reuse of 96 percent of the building's existing walls, floors and roof. Additionally, BlueCross BlueShield's enterprise-wide paperless drive, daily recycling efforts, telecommuting program, hybrid shuttle service and use of green cleaning and green pest control services have made a positive impact on the health of the environment and, in turn, the quality of life for Tennesseans.
Pursuit of Excellence Recognition / Environmental Partnership Initiative
The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay State Park (Hamilton County) – The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay State Park is an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus signature golf course located just minutes from downtown Chattanooga. Its Environmental Partnership Initiative combines multiple environmental programs and projects aimed at improving and preserving wildlife habitat, reducing the impact on natural resources, protecting waterways on and around the golf course, and educating the public on environmental conservation and stewardship issues. A notable highlight is the Harrison Bay Eagle Cam Project, which captures the activities of two bald eagles nesting at the golf course. To date this project has provided over 57,000 visitors an opportunity to view nature up close. Additionally, the Bear Trace at Harrison Bay has been certified as both an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary and as a Groundwater Guardian Green Site. Receiving numerous regional, state and national recognitions for its exemplary stewardship, the Bear Trace at Harrison Bay continues to balance the needs of golfers with the needs of the wildlife that call Harrison Bay home in an environmentally sustainable manner.
For more information about the Governor's Environmental Stewardship Awards program, please visit www.tn.gov/environment/awards.
Tags 2012, Governor's Environmental Stewardship Awards, tennessee
State Looks to Lease Fields for 2012 Dove Season
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Press release from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency; August 13, 2012:
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is seeking fields to lease for the upcoming 2012 dove season. The first phase of dove season opens at noon on Saturday, Sept. 1.
Mourning doves are a popular game bird and one of the most widely distributed and abundant birds in North America. More mourning doves are harvested than all other migratory bird species combined in 39 of the continental states. In Tennessee, about 40,000 hunters harvested approximately 300,000 mourning doves last year.
Landowners can earn up to $3,000 for providing a dove field for public hunting. These fields must be available for a minimum of three priority hunt dates in September.
TWRA began its leased dove field program in the late 1980s and the program has been very successful in providing quality hunting opportunities for hunters. In addition to leased fields, many public dove fields are provided on wildlife management areas in each TWRA region. The TWRA website has specific information about WMAs and leased dove fields in each region.
The standard fall leased field is a harvested grain or millet/hay field to which TWRA leases the hunting rights for three priority dates. Rates paid to landowners for traditional fall leased fields will be $75 per acre for a maximum field size of 40 acres for a total contract of $3,000 per field. These fields will be signed up by Sept. 1.
Anyone interested in leasing a dove field to TWRA should contact their TWRA regional office. The TWRA has four regional offices across the state that interested landowners can contact: Region I (West Tennessee) 731-423-5725 or toll free 1-800-372-3928; Region II (Middle Tennessee) 615-781-6622 or toll free 1-800-624-7406; Region III (Upper Cumberland) 931-484-9571 or toll free 1-800-262-6704; Region IV (East Tennessee) 423-587-7037 or 1-800-332-0900. For additional information, contact Tim White, TWRA Migratory Game Bird Program Coordinator at (615) 781-6610.
Tags 2012, doves, fields, hunting, lease, season, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, twra
State Announces Free, Reduced-price Meal Guidelines
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Press release from the Tennessee Department of Education; June 30, 2012:
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Department of Education today announced the 2012-13 U.S. Department of Agriculture policy for free and reduced-price meals for children in Tennessee's schools. The USDA's school meals programs help ensure all students have access to nutritious meals.
"It is important to give our children healthy and nutritious meals to improve their chances of successful and improve their learning opportunities," Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman said. "Research indicates eating habits affect learning. We want to ensure all our children are well nourished and ready to learn."
Basic facts about free and reduced price meals:
Do I need to fill out an application for each of my children? No, you only need one application for all students in your household.
Who can get free meals? All children in households receiving benefits from SNAP or Families First can get free meals regardless of your income. Also, your children can get free meals if your household's gross income is within the free limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines.
Can foster children get free meals? Yes, foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court, are eligible for free meals. Any foster child in the household is eligible for free meals regardless of income.
Can homeless, runaway and migrant children get free meals? Yes, children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant qualify for free meals. Check with your school, the homeless liaison or migrant coordinator for more information and to see if your children qualify.
Who can get reduced meals? Your children can get low cost meals if your household is within the reduced price limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines.
Should I fill out an application if I get a letter this school year saying my children are approved for free or reduced-price meals? Read the letter carefully and follow the instructions, or call your local School Nutrition Program Director.
My child's application was approved last year. Do I need to fill out another one? Yes. Your child's application is only good for that school year and for the first few days of this school year. You must send in a new application unless the school told you that your child is eligible for the new school year.
If I get WIC, can my children get free meals? Your children may be eligible for free or reduced price meals, but you will need to fill out an application.
Will the information you give be checked? Yes, and you may also be asked to send written proof.
If I do not qualify now, may I apply later? Yes, you may apply at any time during the school year. Children with a parent or guardian who becomes unemployed may become eligible for free and reduced price meals if the household income drops below the income limit.
What if I disagree with the school's decision about my application? You should talk to school officials, or you may also ask for a hearing by calling or writing the school officials.
May I apply if someone in my household is not a U. S. citizen? Yes. Neither you nor your children have to be U. S. citizens to qualify for free or reduced price meals.
Who should I include as members of my household? You must include all people living in your household, related or not (such as grandparents, other relatives, or friends) who share income and expenses. You must include yourself and all children who live with you. If you live with other people who are economically independent, do not include them.
What if my income is not always the same? You must list the amount that you normally receive. If you normally get overtime, include it. But if you do not normally get it, do not include it. If you have lost a job or had your hours or wages reduced, use your current income.
If you are in the military, do you include your housing allowance as income? If you get an off-base housing allowance, you must include it as income. If your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income.
If my spouse is deployed to a combat zone, is the combat pay counted as income? No, if the combat pay is received in addition to the basic pay because of deployment and it was not received before the deployment, combat pay is not counted as income.
If I need more help, whom should I contact? For more information on the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, contact Sarah White, TDOE, at Sarah.C.White@tn.gov or at 615-532-4714. For more information on applying for SNAP, or other assistance benefits, visit https://fabenefits.dhs.tn.gov/vip/website/signupservlet?pagename=homepage or call the toll free hotline at 866-311-4287.
For more information contact Kelli Gauthier at 615-532-7817 or Kelli.Gauthier@tn.gov.
Tags 2012, 2013, free meal, guidelines, policy, reduced-price meal, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Education Featured Tax and Budget
Higher Spending Requested for Higher Ed
Post author By Mike Morrow
2 Comments on Higher Spending Requested for Higher Ed
Tennessee higher education officials, sensing the wind in the back of the state's education reform efforts, boldly made their request to Gov. Bill Haslam Tuesday for a budget increase of $28.7 million.
Haslam has asked all state agencies to submit a contingency plan for 5 percent reductions, and the state's higher education schools complied with an outline that would trim $55.1 million from their books.
But leaders of the state's public colleges and universities seized upon the initiatives from K-12 education and higher education like the Complete College Act as a means of persuasion with the governor. The $28.7 million request represents a 2.7 percent increase in funds.
"This is an interesting time," Richard G. Rhoda, executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, told Haslam during a budget hearing. "We have a new way of looking at it.
"The state has higher education serving the needs of the state. We have a new master plan. We have a new funding formula that reinforces that master plan based on outcomes. We're seeing positive movement."
Rhoda said there are indicators of more students completing degrees, better retention rates and improvements in the amount of remedial and developmental courses that have been falling to higher education. But even as a higher ed official, Rhoda pointed to the significance of what the state is doing in K-12 as the foundation for improvements in higher education.
"The reforms in higher education are great, but the bigger context is how it fits the other reforms in K-12," Rhoda said. "For us to succeed really is predicated on those improvements in K-12. Just suffice it to say we very much support those."
Rhoda sat between Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor John Morgan and University of Tennessee President Joe DiPietro at the hearing at the Capitol in Nashville. All three seemed keenly aware of the daunting financial obstacles facing students and families in affording college. THEC approved its budget request last week, but it came along with proposed increases in tuition that would range from 3-10 percent depending on the schools in the state's higher education system.
Morgan made a pitch similar to Rhoda's.
"The combination of Race to the Top, the Complete College Act, the talk is right," Morgan said.
"There's a tremendous amount of energy out there and discussion going on and realization that it really is about the state's future."
The education officials knew they were preaching to the choir in Haslam, who has made the ties between education and job growth a major theme in his first year in office. But it didn't make the governor's job any easier in funding education requests. Haslam cut the budget for higher education in his first year in office by 2 percent, or $20 million.
But the three educators brought even more ammunition to the table. DiPietro pointed to efforts to operate more efficiently in universities. Morgan said the costs at schools actually haven't gone up at the pace of what students are experiencing in paying tuition.
Rhoda broke down funding trends for Haslam. He told the governor that 10 years ago a university's funding came roughly 60 percent from the state and 40 percent from the students, while community colleges received about 70 percent from the state at that time.
Now, the figures have been reversed, Rhoda said. The state provides about 36 percent while student tuition and fees cover 53 percent. Rhoda, like Morgan, said cost itself is not increasing for the schools. The change, he said, is in the mix of revenue, where students are having to pay more for their share.
Haslam told reporters after the hearing that he believes there will have to be some tuition increase but that he hopes to limit it. He said he didn't anticipate being able to grant the colleges a $28.7 million increase but that he didn't believe he would have to hold them to a 5 percent decrease either. Haslam also pointed to capital needs at colleges and universities.
Haslam said the recent improvements in revenue figures could help the state address a $360 million budget gap.
"I'm really, really hopeful we don't have to go 5 percent," Haslam said. "Some of those cuts are tough.
"I feel a little better now than I did three weeks ago, but I can't sit here today and tell you it will be 3 percent or 1 percent, instead of 5. I just don't know that yet."
The state reported that revenue collections for October were $791 million, 8 percent above October in 2010.
Tags 2012, Bill Haslam, Complete College Act, First to the Top, higher education, Joe DiPietro, k-12, Race to the Top, Richard G. Rhoda, state budget, Tennessee Board of Regents, university of tennessee


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The story is told of a young boy who made a toy boat and then went to sail it on a pond. While he was playing with it along the water's edge, the boat floated out beyond his reach. In his distress he asked an older boy to help him. Without saying a word, the older child picked up some stones and started to throw them toward the boat.
The little boy became upset, for he thought that the one he had turned to for help was being mean. Soon, though, he noticed that instead of hitting the boat, each stone was directed beyond it, making a small ripple that moved the vessel a little nearer to the shore. Every throw of the stone was planned, and at last the treasured toy was brought back to his waiting hands.
Have you ever considered the possibility that the trials going on in your life are God throwing rocks your direction to redirect you in another way? Is it possible the ripples you are experiencing are carefully directed by Him to push you in the way He wants you to go for your own well-being? Consider that today. Paul wrote: "Set your mind on things above, not on things on earth" (Colossians 3:2).
Its pleasantly relaxing to sit around a campfire and listen to the crackle of burning wood. I enjoy the smell of wood smoke, as long as its not in my eyes. I think most men find that calming and enjoyable.
I've noticed a strange thing happen in wood fires, though. On occasion, an eerie whistle may come from the depths of an inflamed timber. It can sound like a chirping bird, although no birds chirp in the dark. Where does that pleasant sound come from? Is it the echo of songbirds from long ago when that tree was a sapling?
No, we understand that the sound comes from escaping gases from deep within the wood itself. Yet, there may be a great spiritual lesson for each of us in that whistling sound. Perhaps it should remind us that in troubled times in our lives there should always be a song in our hearts. As a matter of fact, there has been no sweeter sound to God than my hurting heart's cry to Him. It may sound sadistic, but God loves to hear our outcry to Him in times of trouble. And that broken cry for help moves His heart to respond.
There is a computer printer company in Colorado that puts each printer through a rigorous test. First, they freeze them, then heat them to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, and finally shake them violently for fifteen minutes. This testing is the final stage in a process called "ruggedization," which prepares an ordinary printer for use by the military. With its circuit boards secured and all components enclosed in a metal case, the printer is thoroughly tested to make sure it will work on the battlefield where lives and success depend upon it.
Perhaps you've been experiencing a little ruggedization in your own life. God Himself arranges difficulties in our lives to develop character for the long haul. People who strive for comfort never develop this ruggedness.
James puts it like this: "Count it all joy…knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience" (James 1:2-3).
You might remember Dave Dravecky, who pitched with amazing success for the Dan Diego Pirates and the San Francisco Giants baseball teams. His pitching arm developed an unusual soreness. Medical tests identified the problem – cancer. Surgery and months of rehabilitation followed.
Then, after pitching for a time in the minor leagues, Dave made a widely applauded comeback to the majors. But in Montreal, as he was delivering a pitch, his arm snapped.
Don't wallow in self-pity. Ask the right question.
Jesus often had Pharisees and scribes attempt to trap Him in His words. They were intentionally trying to prove Him wrong. But, some people may attempt to do that with Christians simply because they do not understand the faith.
For example, during a television interview, David Frost once asked former president George H. W. Bush how he could square his belief in a loving and all-powerful God with the miseries and injustices of life. Frost reminded Bush of the time he shed tears at the sight of starving children and of his grief when his own daughter had died.
President Bush said, "It never occurred to me to blame God for that." He insisted that the Lord has provided enough food for everyone, but that starvation occurs because of human greed and ineptitude. The President said that his daughter's illness had drawn the family closer to one another and to God. He was comforted because he knew that she had been caught up in the arms of her loving heavenly Father.
Are you prepared to respond to criticism of your faith?
One of the best read Christian books is In His Steps by Charles M. Sheldon. Written in 1896, it may have earned less money for the author than any other bestseller in history. The book was first published by a Christian weekly magazine. The magazine's publisher failed to meet copyright regulations, so Sheldon lost legal ownership of the book. Scores of publishers then sold millions of copies, and the author couldn't claim any roalties.
We must see failure through God's eyes. Perhaps He has something in sight that we do not. It may be that a closed door for you is an open door for something or someone else. We need to stop belly-aching over the failure and get back in the game.


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Haiti.pdf
With Love, from Haiti
In November of 2014, David Bernard sat with his wife, Manoucheca Ketan, in the modern Mirebalais University Hospital (Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais), which is situated on a patch of flatland in rural, central Haiti.
After carrying triplets for 36 weeks, Ketan was recovering from the C-section needed to deliver her three daughters. Tamar was born healthy and separate. Michelle and Marian were conjoined and "omphalopagus," connected at the abdomen, facing each other.
When the ultrasound showed three babies, the mother was stressed. When diagnosed with conjoined fetuses, she kept asking herself, "How will I deal with it?"
Some Haitian folklore casts conjoined siblings as cursed. A prevailing myth is that the births are punishment from the gods; the stigma can cause parents to struggle to accept the children. Often, they are left to die.
For two weeks, Ketan refused to see or hold her conjoined daughters. She was hesitant to bond with them and not sure she ever could.
"Disabled people are not valorized in Haiti," she said recently from her hilltop home in Pétionville, a suburb of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince.
If her babies could not be separated, she wondered, "How could they go to school, and how would they make it day by day?"
"If I'm their mother, and I am having these doubts," she kept asking herself, "what about society? How will society not [see] them as being monsters?"
Not long after their birth, Henri Ford (Fel '89, '93), the vice president and surgeon in chief at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, was called to come see the family. To connect on a more personal level, he spoke with them in Haitian Creole, the lyrical dialect that mixes French, African, and indigenous speech. He told the parents the babies were precious and that he was confident the girls could be separated.
He assured the family that even though the rare and complex operation to separate the girls would take place in a nation severely strained by inadequate medical infrastructure, their little bodies could still become two. They could lead independent lives.
Ford is a son of Haiti. Though he is now the newly appointed dean of the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, he grew up in Port-au-Prince, near Carrefour Feuilles, a district of French colonial homes and a hub for the intellectual class. From his childhood home, he could walk to the national seminary, the national stadium, and the medical school of Haiti.
Every morning, the young Ford listened to the radio. It's where he learned the fundamentals of diseases such as malaria and smallpox. He liked science, and the radio programming was his introduction to public health and medicine.
Ford's father, an activist minister, spoke out against the policies of Haitian dictator François "Papa Doc" Duvalier. In 1972, the family fled to the United States for safety. They settled in Brooklyn, N.Y. Ford was 13.
At first, Ford felt like an outsider in America; he struggled with English, and his schoolmates ostracized him for being different. He eventually excelled. He was accepted into Princeton and then Harvard Medical School. He came to the University of Pittsburgh, where he completed a research fellowship in immunology (1987–89) in the Department of Surgery and a clinical fellowship (1991–93) in pediatric surgery at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. For several years, he stayed on at Pitt, eventually becoming chief of pediatric surgery. He left Pittsburgh when he felt called to tend to a population with a greater need in East L.A.
He was working in California when the 2010 earthquake struck Haiti, killing an estimated 300,000 people. Wracked by images he saw on television of children homeless and desperate amid the rubble, Ford raced to Haiti the second day after the airport opened. He cared for people in hospitals set up in fields. In the years since he left Haiti, he'd only returned three times. He now travels there four to five times a year.
"I do this out of a sense of duty and to try to make a difference in strengthening the health care infrastructure."
He is now convinced that if 10 percent of the Haitian diaspora—especially the engineers, computer scientists, biologists, and other professionals who are scattered around the world—would commit to doing something for Haiti, conditions in the country would be vastly different.
"Haitians are tenacious," he says. "We can't just come over once and be done. We have to come back and build sustainability."
Ford works closely with the teaching hospital in Mirebalais and with the 50-bed Bernard Mevs Hospital. They are two of the top hospitals in Haiti and regularly provide pediatric surgical care. Bernard Mevs, in Port-au-Prince, even has pediatric and neonatal care units and a residency program; it offers trauma care, critical care, and rehabilitation.
A few months after the 2010 earthquake, Ford met the Bitar brothers. The Bitars are identical twins and surgeons at Bernard Mevs, and their drive to advance medicine in Haiti is as intertwined as their DNA. They perform surgeries together. They share an e-mail account. They often don't distinguish themselves by using their first names. "Please," they say, "we are simply the Docteurs Bitar."
They call Ford their brother and get emotional describing the imprint that he has made on Bernard Mevs and the larger Haitian medical universe. During a week at Bernard Mevs or another hospital, Ford will perform surgery and teach. He often brings a team with him; those physicians, nurses, and anesthesiologists are focused on advancing care for infants and children.
Before Ford's regular consultations at Bernard Mevs, the staff was overwhelmed by some pneumonia cases in infants. Ford taught the doctors procedures to clear the lungs; then the babies started going home after a few days.
To whom much is given, much is required, Ford tells the staff. Keep learning, he says, because it's a way to rise above mediocrity, frustrations regarding the lack of equipment, and other obstacles.
"God brings him back so that we can go far, far, far," say the Docteurs Bitar. "He is like oxygen for us."
Sure, Ford brings compassion. He once came on 24-hour notice for a case. He once postponed an important meeting in California to stay in Haiti and assist with a procedure on a sick baby.
But he also brings the international training to build competency, infrastructure, and critical skills. He invites residents from other Haitian hospitals to observe and practice.
"Partnership is important," says Ford. "We're not itinerant," he says of his team. "We don't do surgical tourism. We come to Haiti to improve health care outcomes and build surgical capacity."
Before Ford, the Docteurs Bitar and the staff at Bernard Mevs tended to take on less complex pediatric surgeries: hernia, lipoma, hydrocele, gastrostomy. And when they tried more complicated procedures to correct newborn surgical emergencies such as intestinal atresia, abdominal wall defects, or Hirschsprung's disease, the children often died because the hospital didn't have the equipment to resuscitate or the wherewithal for proper aftercare.
Routinely now, seven years after Ford began bringing in equipment and specialists to provide training and protocols to Bernard Mevs, the Docteurs Bitar and other surgeons there have been able to manage difficult pediatric operations such as reconnecting intestinal perforations, removing obstructions in the gastrointestinal tract, and repairing congenital anomalies in the lower intestines.
In 2014, Haitian physicians performed 1,475 complicated procedures at Bernard Mevs; 595 of them were on patients younger than 18 years old. The majority of these procedures have been
successful. Before and in the aftermath of the
earthquake, such feats would have been impossible.
Marian and Michelle were 6 months old when Ford began leading preparations for surgical separation.
Little is ordinary about their case. Conjoined newborns occur once in every 200,000 live births worldwide. (More than half of all conjoined siblings are stillborn.) Omphalopagus twins represent 30 percent of those births. Rarer still, conjoined siblings within a triplet pregnancy occur in fewer than one in a million deliveries. More generally, mothers in Haiti are 12 times more likely to die giving birth than mothers in the United States. So, just by surviving their birth, Marian and Michelle beat the odds.
Still, they were attached by their livers and a fused xiphoid process, the breastbone in the lower portion of the sternum. The girls did not share a pelvic attachment, which meant the surgery required for separation was not as complicated as it would have been for some conjoined siblings. Nevertheless, the procedure, considered a massive undertaking at any hospital, had never been attempted in Haiti.
Ford assembled a crew that included the Docteurs Bitar and 16 other U.S. and Haitian surgeons, nurses, respiratory therapists, intensivists, anesthesiologists, and ob/gyn specialists. Each week, teams in Haiti monitored the girls' progress and teleconferenced with their U.S. colleagues to discuss equipment, procedures, and logistics. The yellow team looked after Michelle, and the red team attended to Marian. On May 22, 2015, shortly after 1 p.m., Maclee Jean-Louis, Mirebalais University Hospital's chief of surgery, made the first incision toward separation.
Early on, the teams encountered episodes of cross circulation: When the surgeons gave Marian blood, medication, or another fluid, she quickly passed it through her liver, sending the benefits to her sister.
The teams remedied that issue by quickly separating the liver and hydrating the girls individually. As the procedure went along, the girls needed to be resuscitated, an ovarian cyst was removed in Michelle, and both girls' abdominal walls were reconstructed. The teams built them belly buttons.
After seven hours, Ford had successfully led the first separation of conjoined siblings in Haiti.
That night Michelle and Marian slept in separate cribs. Twenty-four hours later, their parents held them. In three days, the girls were eating. Nine days after that, they were discharged.
The news was widely reported. The first lady of Haiti and the nation's minister of health visited the family. Once, a mother feared her society would reject her babies; now her daughters are symbols of national pride.
The girls are seen as miracles. Michelle and Marian needed rehab to strengthen their spines and stand straight. But they walked before their sister, Tamar.
Ford has kept in touch with the family. He gave the sisters vaccinations. He speaks with them on the phone. This past Christmas, the Bernards videotaped the triplets singing a message to the doctor in front of a decorated tree. (Catch them caroling here.)
Their development and growth are emblematic of the progress that Ford believes teamwork and increased medical infrastructure can bring to Haiti.
This January, the Bernard family celebrates the father's birthday in their sunny dining room in Pétionville. His three little girls enter in red shirts and blue pants, their pint-sized Afros sitting like crowns upon their heads.
A little later, their mother will join them from the kitchen and hug each girl warmly. She'll sit down and place Tamar and Michelle on her knees while Marian, the most introverted of the three, slides behind her back.
But first, Tamar, Michelle, and Marian, now 3 years old—healthy, happy—one by one walk up to their father and kiss him in celebration. Gifts from Dr. Henri Ford and friends.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Home Geopolitics As Ukrainians Suffer, Tens of Thousands Attend Pro-War Rally in Moscow Stadium...
As Ukrainians Suffer, Tens of Thousands Attend Pro-War Rally in Moscow Stadium – Julia Conley
As the Russian military continued its bombardment of Ukrainian cities Friday, President Vladimir Putin's government reportedly bussed state employees to a pro-Kremlin rally in Moscow marking the eighth anniversary of the country's internationally-condemned annexation of Crimea and supporting the war that began nearly a month ago.
Moscow authorities claimed 200,000 people gathered "in and around" Luzhniki Stadium, with Reuters reporting that government employees were told they would be fired if they didn't attend the rally. The Kyiv Independent reported that at least 81,000 people were in attendance.
"I can think of many different videos to show this crowd. Images from Mariupol or Kharkiv or Sumy or Volnovakha."
Putin made a rare public appearance, addressing the crowd for several minutes about what he called the country's "special operation" in Ukraine—the invasion which began February 24 and has killed thousands of civilians, according to Ukrainian authorities, as well as forcing about three million people to flee the country.
The Russian president pushed claims that the country is waging war to save people in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine from "genocide" and to "denazify" the former Soviet state.
"We know what we should do now and how we should do it and we will implement all our plans," Putin told the crowd, claiming that Kyiv has hit the Donbas with "punitive military operations" since 2014, when Ukraine's Russian-aligned regime was replaced with a Western-facing government.
International observers have dismissed Putin's claims of genocide as baseless, while historians from across the globe signed a statement last month condemning Putin's distortion of the presence of right-wing factions in Ukraine as a problem demanding "denazification" via war.
At the rally, attendees displayed signs with the letter "Z," a symbol of support for the military, and banners reading, "For a world without Nazism" while organizers displayed a video showing Ukrainian flags being thrown on the ground.
Moscow's Luzhniki stadium, which hosted the World Cup final in 2018, is packed out for a pro-war rally on the anniversary of Russia's Crimea annexation.
Lots of reports of state employees being bussed in. They're watching a video with Ukrainian flags being thrown to the ground pic.twitter.com/fIKEzD5WnV
— max seddon (@maxseddon) March 18, 2022
According to a survey conducted by several independent research organizations earlier this month, 58% of Russians support Putin's invasion, while 23% are opposed—indicating "relatively modest support… compared with typical levels in the early stages of past incursions."
Anti-war Russians have been internationally praised for attending protests in recent weeks, with thousands of people detained.
According to Washington Post reporter Mary Ilyushina, symbols "representing Ukraine and the West" were banned at Friday's rally.
Huge crowd gathered at Luzhniki stadium in Moscow to attend "Crimean Spring" event where Putin is expected to speak today. Multiple reports of students and workers of state enterprises bussed in. Baza reported that any symbols "representing Ukraine and the West" are banned. pic.twitter.com/H2HnCL51qH
— Mary Ilyushina (@maryilyushina) March 18, 2022
As Putin spoke and pro-Russia songs were performed at the rally, hundreds of people were unaccounted for at a theater in the besieged port city of Mariupol, where city officials say they have identified 2,400 civilians killed in the attacks.
An early morning missile attack in the western city of Lviv, less than 50 miles from the Polish border, was also reported, sparking concerns that Russia's attacks could spread westward.
According to the World Health Organization, Russian forces have attacked at least 43 hospitals and health facilities, including a maternity hospital, killing at least 12 people and injuring 34.
"I can think of many different videos to show this crowd," tweeted BBC correspondent Sarah Rainsford, who was expelled from Moscow last year after being labeled a national security threat, of the rally-goers gathered at Luzhniki Stadium. "Images from Mariupol or Kharkiv or Sumy or Volnovakha… I just don't think many in Luzhniki would even believe their eyes anymore."
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The United Autoworkers Union, aka UAW, is denouncing the passage earlier this week by the U.S. House of a Fast Track bill that will allow in its view another job destroying trade pact, specifically the so-called TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership) that lame-duck President Obama is supporting with little cooperation from Democrats and, significantly, some Republicans who are up for reelection this fall in industrial states. The fight now moves to the U.S. Senate.
No trade agreement adopted under "Fast Track" has ever been defeated. It is the UAW's contention – supported by much data gathered after the jobs destroying NAFTA agreement, that the American auto industry, which leads the country in manufactured exports today, will be hurt.
"Fast Track puts the auto industry U.S. manufacturing at risk now and in the future as our trade negotiators work to complete the trade agreement. We are up against countries with closed markets and horrendous records on human rights," said Williams.
As stated the battle now goes back to the U.S. Senate where fast track was defeated because of procedural moves by Democrats.
The causes of the fierce fighting here goes back to NAFTA, which proved disastrous for American workers but was a boon to multinational companies, including automakers as high paying jobs were transferred to low-wage Mexico, a process ongoing in the latest plant expansions.
NAFTA was made possible from fast track authority given to President George H.W. Bush in 1991. However, only 34% of House Democrats joined the majority granting fast track authority to Bush in 1991, not enough to get NAFTA passed. President Bill Clinton subsequently bought the needed votes in Congress by bribing (this was called earmarks in those days) thereby picking up enough Democratic votes in the House.
This entry was posted in economy, labor issues, manufacturing and tagged autoinformed, autoinformed.com, Ken Zino, nafta, tpp. Bookmark the permalink.
"Labor, environmental activists, aboriginals, seniors, none of these people were in the room when the TPP was negotiated," said Ramsey. "These groups never had a chance to see how wide-sweeping the impact would be.


Why does the A.I. cheat in Combat Arena?
Thunderstorm KIN leadership ability stunning my units consecutively without even doing critical damage. Also, units that don't have repeat attack chance can attack twice in a row. Why?


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The 122nd Canton Fair Kicks Off in China
Number of Attendance Expected to Increase as Global Markets Recover
GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 17, 2017 /CNW/ -- The 122nd Canton Fair ("the Fair"), the largest trade fair in China, kicked off on Oct.15, with 60,466 exhibitors covering an area of 1,185,000 square meters (12.8 million square feet), displaying 160,000 products from 34 countries and regions.
Xu Bing, spokesman of Canton Fair, noted that the global economy has been on an upward trajectory this year and the deflation of major economies since the Great Recession has stabilized at opening press conference of the 122nd Canton Fair.
The figure reflects the continued steady recovery of the global economy, and the continued vitality and growing importance of the Chinese market as both a source for goods and consumption. 341 exhibitors at the Fair are from countries that are participating in China's "Belt and Road" Initiative (B&R), and will account for 55 percent of exhibitors in the International Pavilion.
The schedule for this year's Canton Fair is as follows:
Electronics & household electrical appliances, lighting
equipment, vehicles & spare parts, machinery, building
materials, chemical products, energy resources
Consumer goods, gifts, and home furnishings
Oct. 31 -
Nov.4
Textiles & garments, shoes, office supplies, cases &
bags, recreation products, medical devices & health
products, food
Xu Bing, spokesman of Canton Fair, said the global economy has been on an upward trajectory this year and deflation of major economies since the Great Recession has stabilized and, in almost all cases, reversed to sustained, steady growth. As a result, the 122nd Canton Fair will see an increase in the amount of buyers attending as global trade continues to recover.
"The Canton Fair has been a consistent force promoting the development of an open world economy," remarked Xu. "By introducing new products and exhibitor groups to buyers, as well as showcasing exhibitors driving growth within countries that are participating in the B&R, we will continuously enhance our contributions to the sustainable development of global trade."
About Canton Fair
The China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, has been held biannually in Guangzhou since 1957. It is the largest exhibition with the widest array of products, most diverse selection of buyers and highest business turnover in China. http://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en/index.aspx
SOURCE Canton Fair
For further information: Ms. Chloe Cai, +86-20-8913 8622, [email protected]onfair.org.cn, http://http://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en/index.aspx
http://http://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en/index.aspx
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