tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85579528942088102522024-03-14T14:37:09.733-04:00Spotlight SublimeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557952894208810252.post-85658085545960796522015-11-11T09:39:00.000-05:002015-11-11T09:39:26.823-05:00Waging War on Waste<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Down in Arizona...</span></strong> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.firstwefeast.com/assets/2015/02/landfill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.firstwefeast.com/assets/2015/02/landfill.jpg" height="340" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Man in the Maze</td></tr>
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Tens of thousands of pounds of produce are being dumped into landfills on a regular basis.<br />
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The reasons are economic, but the results are humanly tragic as people in the surrounding towns suffer from a lack of good nutrition - or the ability to pay for nutritious food, or even get to the market to buy it.<br />
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Fortunately down in Arizona there are also people like Yolanda Soto and the good folks of the <a href="http://www.borderlandfoodbank.org/" target="_blank">Borderlands Food Bank</a> who salvage thirty to forty MILLION pounds of food every growing season, distributing it to the hungry, the needy, the undernourished.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Across the fiery desert...</span></strong><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQk1K2L-efPSgYSEhKPbF4GNVPtVOQs1rI8vxYLCoXMEPbYEdxd3K2Too1KaMBhg5uTVNLyqlYpoyo2Qrhmjozwqn3_BT4BmrVH3MTsM4EwpVuSYlFBKYL3gM1Cp_I5VMzIzjH7c1lzj4/s1600/Betsy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQk1K2L-efPSgYSEhKPbF4GNVPtVOQs1rI8vxYLCoXMEPbYEdxd3K2Too1KaMBhg5uTVNLyqlYpoyo2Qrhmjozwqn3_BT4BmrVH3MTsM4EwpVuSYlFBKYL3gM1Cp_I5VMzIzjH7c1lzj4/s1600/Betsy.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="_r3">Nurturing growth near Tucson - <em><a href="http://gardeningandthespanishway-rohrerbot.blogspot.jp/2012/05/native-seeds.html" target="_blank">Las Aventuras</a></em></span></td></tr>
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A group called <a href="http://www.nativeseeds.org/" target="_blank">Native Seeds / SEARCH</a> is doing something remarkable.<br />
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Remarkably important and remarkably simple.<br />
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They are growing a bank of seeds that will not only preserve the very existence of the endangered plants and crops these seeds give life to, but offer local farmers and ordinary citizens the opportunity to produce crops and grow their gardens in an area hit by the one-two punch of increasing impoverishment and rising temperatures.<br />
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Native Seeds also educates people in agriculture as they provide these seeds of food and life in an effort to reincarnate the thriving agricultural environment that began at least 500 years ago - by the ancestors of the same people who struggle there now.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">And on the big screen...</span></strong><br />
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<a href="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/54bee51ee4b042503524e618/t/54c65b55e4b02332cec0a74c/1422285656890/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/54bee51ee4b042503524e618/t/54c65b55e4b02332cec0a74c/1422285656890/" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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Phil Buccellato and Jesse Ash give us all a good look at the ongoing tragedy of food gone to waste - and the people who are working to change that - in 'Man in the Maze', winner in the 2015 <a href="http://www.sundance.org/projects/sundance-institute-short-film-challenge" target="_blank">Sundance Institute Short Film Challenge</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.onearth.org/earthwire/man-in-the-maze-food-insecurity-us-borderlands" target="_blank"><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><em>Watch their 8-minute eye-opener right here.</em></span></strong></a><br />
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And let's all be thankful, this Thanksgiving and always, for the food we have on our tables.<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557952894208810252.post-86333685063882607352015-05-07T20:59:00.000-04:002015-05-07T20:59:09.350-04:00A Parallel Heritage<h2>
Roberto Morales Connects to His Childhood...and to Other Children</h2>
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<a href="http://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/styles/flexslider_full/public/sierra/articles/big/2015-3-Bulletin-Roberto-Morales-San-Gabriel-Mountains-WB.jpg?itok=j0XSFSWY" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/styles/flexslider_full/public/sierra/articles/big/2015-3-Bulletin-Roberto-Morales-San-Gabriel-Mountains-WB.jpg?itok=j0XSFSWY" height="248" width="400" /></a></div>
Southern California's San Gabriel Mountains are now a Designated U.S. National Monument, thanks in part to the efforts of Nicaraguan-born Roberto Morales.<br />
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Mr. Morales, <a href="http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2015-2-march-april/grilled/sierra-club-activist-helps-protect-las-mountains?utm_source=insider&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter" target="_blank">in this Sierra Magazine interview</a>, gives us a look at where he came from, why he was drawn to the San Gabriels and why he feels what he is doing is worthwhile - not just for him but for the children he touches as a community activist and Outward Bound educator.<br />
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On working with inner city youth Mr. Morales clearly gets while he gives. "When a youth from South Central L.A. gets into the mountains and says, <em>'I didn't realize the world was so big,'</em> the moment stays with you," he explains. He also tells us that his kids, when asked what someone who loves the mountains loooks like, they typically respond with <em>'It's someone with a beard.'</em><br />
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Mr. Morales is not the only person working to introduce more children to the beauty of a world they don't even know exists, but as one of many his efforts are to be applauded...and emulated.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557952894208810252.post-15975138577192248192013-07-05T10:10:00.000-04:002013-07-05T10:10:42.835-04:00Cause Celeb (I Stole That)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYlDP80T1zSosdMw4RyRcEYzBYNdmhwpTHp4jId2TZVC2Ptl3Il_cZLgQ-jdQnbnjaujx2Y_EJ8UcoLFxO7S__xwzKpgoj3BLvIl9908LrRDAyJ6lkBtfhM7HLGU7jBO31mJJdoY4a/s1600/chris+odonnell.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYlDP80T1zSosdMw4RyRcEYzBYNdmhwpTHp4jId2TZVC2Ptl3Il_cZLgQ-jdQnbnjaujx2Y_EJ8UcoLFxO7S__xwzKpgoj3BLvIl9908LrRDAyJ6lkBtfhM7HLGU7jBO31mJJdoY4a/s320/chris+odonnell.jpeg" width="231" /></a></div>
I usually skip the blather, on-line or in print, of the stultifying details of the inconsequential matters of the lives of the celebrities we create. It was one instance of the garbage that gets tossed at us from all sides that was the catalyst for this blog. But as we all know there are good people out there, even among the mainstream spotlight.<br />
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Cheers to the folks at USA Weekend - or shall I say cheers to those involved - for <a href="http://www.usaweekend.com/article/20130628/ENTERTAINMENT02/306280010/Cause-Celeb-Chris-O-Donnell-for-ConAgra-Foods-Foundation">spotlighting some of the people</a> we see on screen who are doing even greater things off-camera.<br />
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Think you guys could devote a little more space to them?<br />
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*** Chris O'Donnell, featured in last week's issue, is helping feed America's less fortunate children. Check out and share his video <a href="http://www.childhungerendshere.com/takingaction.html">What If Your Child Was The One?</a> and <b>one meal will be donated to Feeding America.</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557952894208810252.post-63533970557406729642013-06-23T13:59:00.000-04:002013-06-23T13:59:26.771-04:00Making A Splash in Community Safety<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopUFwMESFqMwFJd080DzsQXmb7k0xahj3kJoScnALDef6-X9u16Ob2mGzz-S8tDymNU1wEpw_l6tyET7A3lzJhoSXrhvVePYRfmbOdxu3x9T-FYd1vfzxBoATKiOExtmqmP0qSTbh/s1600/long-island-swim-safety.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopUFwMESFqMwFJd080DzsQXmb7k0xahj3kJoScnALDef6-X9u16Ob2mGzz-S8tDymNU1wEpw_l6tyET7A3lzJhoSXrhvVePYRfmbOdxu3x9T-FYd1vfzxBoATKiOExtmqmP0qSTbh/s320/long-island-swim-safety.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Bobby Hazen of Shirley, Long Island didn't set out to set up a task force. He wasn't even planning on getting wet. But in 2001, in the course of his involvement with Long Island's Saf-T-Swim schools, he had to fill in as a swim instructor. So he jumped in, literally. And he discovered something even more important than a newfound hobby.<div>
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Every year, he explains in <a href="http://m.nymetroparents.com/article/long-island-dad-educates-children-on-swim-safety">this article</a>, the phone at the swim school would light up after another tragedy - one of a child drowning in a pool. This spawned the <a href="http://www.lidptf.org/">Long Island Drowning Prevention Task Force</a>, which has grown to encompass the involvement of an impressive list of participants and disseminates safety information to families and schools all over the area - on top of their efforts in the pool.</div>
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It is difficult if not impossible to gauge the success of Bobby Hazen's efforts in numbers. How can you count how many children have not drowned because of the efforts of his community? Instead we can think about all the people he has reached out to, all the parents he has informed and influenced, all the children he has helped understand there are things to be aware of before they go jumping off the deep end. And consider that maybe, in all those families, every single child has been able to go over to mom or dad after their swim to dry off and maybe get a giggle and a hug.</div>
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These happy endings to a day in the pool are his understated legacy.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557952894208810252.post-55006432051030886732012-12-19T21:42:00.000-05:002013-05-01T11:02:20.163-04:00Just Do It - for real.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxtnXmjHx1Pn3fCu9B-bTjA2mNZIiC5K9tD9RTPjCvsduzMLWIB_kofa8XCP_-bp0_gJf57aPeS8aXflp9wRhyphenhyphenDqVFdDIpmwQ52z6gR4Xc5SX8Wy0I0lmqhW_rbaKXclSI77n3h0O/s1600/TheresaRoden_Abby-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxtnXmjHx1Pn3fCu9B-bTjA2mNZIiC5K9tD9RTPjCvsduzMLWIB_kofa8XCP_-bp0_gJf57aPeS8aXflp9wRhyphenhyphenDqVFdDIpmwQ52z6gR4Xc5SX8Wy0I0lmqhW_rbaKXclSI77n3h0O/s200/TheresaRoden_Abby-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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As Theresa sat on the beach, she saw participants from the annual Block Island Triathlon run by.</div>
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“I said to myself, ‘I’m going to do this.’”</div>
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And from there Theresa has changed her life, her daughter's, and, so far, many other girls'.</div>
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All from one spontaneous decision: "I'm going to do this."</div>
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<a href="http://www.fortune52.com/2012/12/12/theresa-roden/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Read what she decided to do</span></a> - and what has come of it.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557952894208810252.post-8458750123984922352012-01-06T14:04:00.000-05:002012-01-06T14:04:13.320-05:00Much More Than a Meal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-l7xJ7VbVpDoliQ09KE5HBbSyQvSoyPw4DHzc3kagGfaOZer2sPahv2ApNsHwk0Ah4FG8cln8FAt4o8qZYBqxgKaAd8t0ZJDVAhL1QTVz4p_wMMzaBFxVZ2x3rcjpI5C9eF5hKyy/s1600/Meals-time-at-Soup-Kitchen3-150x150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-l7xJ7VbVpDoliQ09KE5HBbSyQvSoyPw4DHzc3kagGfaOZer2sPahv2ApNsHwk0Ah4FG8cln8FAt4o8qZYBqxgKaAd8t0ZJDVAhL1QTVz4p_wMMzaBFxVZ2x3rcjpI5C9eF5hKyy/s200/Meals-time-at-Soup-Kitchen3-150x150.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Christmas is, of course, the season of giving.<br />
For people like <a href="http://www.fios1news.com/longisland/node/9918">Georgianna Loney Wilson</a> at the <a href="http://stjamesssc.org/services/">St. James Soup Kitchen</a>, the season lasts all year, every year.<br />
She has to be tough at times, as we all do. Yet she makes it look so easy.<br />
She appears as though she was made for it. Perhaps she was.<br />
You can also hear her telling us, without saying so, that we can all do it.<br />
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Thanks Christie Duffy at Fios1 for bringing <a href="http://www.fios1news.com/longisland/node/9918">'Miss Georgianna'</a> to us. And for reminding us that none of us is immune to need.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557952894208810252.post-84425702505484805962011-09-19T14:52:00.001-04:002013-05-01T11:02:46.654-04:00Following a Higher Order<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDudJAbf0ylylQnJJ7UPlnm95F6Ay0WqvAC6PFP4-iZaHSOTy4SOSDVgG5vWU6TMHMEYyaE8g-6wQNpj6bGjtUC0HbAzVMaoLJwRvB0lDiI8oqT3eQa7tkktuMeW18c-GcKy8eVOzF/s1600/dakotameyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176px" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDudJAbf0ylylQnJJ7UPlnm95F6Ay0WqvAC6PFP4-iZaHSOTy4SOSDVgG5vWU6TMHMEYyaE8g-6wQNpj6bGjtUC0HbAzVMaoLJwRvB0lDiI8oqT3eQa7tkktuMeW18c-GcKy8eVOzF/s200/dakotameyer.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div>
The young men and women of America who decide they want to serve their country don't get to choose how, where and when. They are given their orders and sent away.<br />
Following their orders, some lose their lives.<br />
On September 8, 2009 Marine corporal Dakota Meyer didn't follow orders meant to keep him alive. Instead <a href="http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ssf/story/defying-orders-hero-marine-saved-other-troops/b83fb94093804ca0b55f015f6e3cf435">he put himself in mortal danger. Five times. And saved three dozen lives.</a><br />
If he had been lost before saving any of those thirty-six others, he would never be known. Like, perhaps, so many others, whether following their orders or their hearts.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557952894208810252.post-11534839974181398102011-07-24T09:00:00.001-04:002013-05-01T11:03:12.890-04:00Remembrance, Opportunity & Baseball<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAd42c0SFi5ft9VlXg6hfURFPHOeiwExZK65THuGU7Xxx7ynC_nNIIlBdFGMaUVGYMiAl5hx_rtsyo4ybsWT5JbOYeptjz5N_3Xsef5Biga6Mr2TV9szfFs2qGF6U8SmLfmToqQQ2/s1600/kwilliams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAd42c0SFi5ft9VlXg6hfURFPHOeiwExZK65THuGU7Xxx7ynC_nNIIlBdFGMaUVGYMiAl5hx_rtsyo4ybsWT5JbOYeptjz5N_3Xsef5Biga6Mr2TV9szfFs2qGF6U8SmLfmToqQQ2/s200/kwilliams.jpg" t="" true="" width="135px" /></a></div>
Thousands and thousands of people lost loved ones on September 11th, 2001. Mike and Pat Williams are two of them. Their son Kevin, only 24 when he went to work on the 104th floor that day, was among many things an avid and accomplished baseball player. It has been on this foundation that Mike and Pat Williams turned their own heartache into blessings for hundreds of other people's kids.<br />
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The following is a statement Mike and Pat offer on the <a href="http://www.kevinsfoundation.org/index.htm">Kevin Williams Memorial Foundation website</a>:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">“We know how positively sports have affected our children and wish the same experience for others regardless of financial situations. We would like to hope that through Kevin’s foundation many children will be given opportunities and experiences they might never have had. We cannot think of a better way for everyone to experience Kevin’s spirit and carry out his legacy. The unimaginable tragedy of 9/11 is so senseless - this is our way of trying to make it a better world, one child at a time.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">To date, over 500 kids have attended baseball camp thanks to Mike and Pat Williams. Recently one of them earned a full college scholarship.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Kevin's legacy and spirit do indeed live on.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557952894208810252.post-19815070639456021532011-05-16T03:17:00.001-04:002013-05-01T11:03:40.155-04:00In the Business of Betterment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuH05ekP3r3JG-PVybQMSJWKG9J3_3n27cAZoiWfMGt1MXUxJQTNZA78dgyECjKZAEPVhPdk3RNw0flBu-XS1qxtejlkFV6t6AXsAL-RC82rF7HkWGDk41GNra4m8ZQNr8cXbzCz6L/s1600/shantanuprakash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuH05ekP3r3JG-PVybQMSJWKG9J3_3n27cAZoiWfMGt1MXUxJQTNZA78dgyECjKZAEPVhPdk3RNw0flBu-XS1qxtejlkFV6t6AXsAL-RC82rF7HkWGDk41GNra4m8ZQNr8cXbzCz6L/s200/shantanuprakash.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Shantanu Prakash saw the value of breathing life into lessons.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">First it was bringing computers to the classroom and IT skills to the students. Then with multimedia learning materials he brought math and science to life. Soon his company was going from simply educational to fundamentally transformative.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13375770"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Take a glimpse</span></a> <span class="Apple-style-span">at how Mr. Prakash is changing education for the better - through business.</span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557952894208810252.post-40519276085400040102011-05-03T12:45:00.000-04:002011-05-03T12:45:33.640-04:00A Reason to Run<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5xcYw2ZiL2-IQLkGfXSZEeVQLN8KCXGlFRiN7w-CSIZrGW9n5cduMzbEHKb3UqzyE4rcW8Iu29ZXlw8_n8Y08iPFzjZHcYIiPK2Ui0885MW5kN4U-koBvfMJPCinwwiZzCUGOf9n/s1600/anton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5xcYw2ZiL2-IQLkGfXSZEeVQLN8KCXGlFRiN7w-CSIZrGW9n5cduMzbEHKb3UqzyE4rcW8Iu29ZXlw8_n8Y08iPFzjZHcYIiPK2Ui0885MW5kN4U-koBvfMJPCinwwiZzCUGOf9n/s200/anton.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Anton Frazile has been gearing up for his first marathon. He also wants to ride a motorcycle, and can't wait to drive a car. Not unusual for a 15-year-old.<br />
He's going at it all as if he doesn't even know he has cerebral palsy.<br />
Tony Espaillat ran his first marathon a few years ago and swore he'd never do it again. But the kids at the camp where he is a counselor have helped change that. Most recently, Anton gave Tony reason to overcome an appendectomy and a knee injury to run yet again.<br />
<a href="http://blog.nj.com/njv_barry_carter/2011/04/disabled_union_teen_to_be_push.html">These guys make a great team.</a><br />
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** Thanks to Kathy Aji for shining today's spotlight on Anton and Tony.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557952894208810252.post-55387370446766321272011-05-01T09:24:00.000-04:002013-05-01T11:03:58.300-04:00Giving...and giving...and giving.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBnqgzQ3A73p51OCfZpuycT8JAqaELFZyTtiWFXE8hHzCfi6Eih48EHntZAZ7LkXxm_LT3QbMCF56OQ-f5YtYn2HlyMipXuebmmY0An0ede8QLhyHZs_i8gkvcNln03WrlLv6D72kr/s1600/yearofgiving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132px" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBnqgzQ3A73p51OCfZpuycT8JAqaELFZyTtiWFXE8hHzCfi6Eih48EHntZAZ7LkXxm_LT3QbMCF56OQ-f5YtYn2HlyMipXuebmmY0An0ede8QLhyHZs_i8gkvcNln03WrlLv6D72kr/s200/yearofgiving.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div>
In December 2009 Reed Sandridge decided to start giving $10 to someone every day, for a full year. This after losing his job. 'The concept is simple,' he says. 'Do something kind for someone.'<br />
Yes, very simple. Not necessarily easy.<br />
After a year of handing out Hamiltons, getting to know the hundreds of people he came in contact with and amassing a treasure trove of experiences, Reed continued his altruistic ways as a 'Kindness Investor' and a weekly volunteer, elements of a lifestyle he shares with us on his <a href="http://yearofgiving.org/">Year of Giving</a> blog.<br />
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**Thank you Tina Allen Kolessar for introducing Reed to us here.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557952894208810252.post-47821381235415048332011-04-28T09:47:00.000-04:002013-05-01T11:04:10.360-04:00Making Peace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYZhTc0qAkoZLW2W3CYn95KXB4_6sFy_B0P99UoO2Q0gUmYp7bD2w4Nwkfw_ahZ_kbSkfNowi8aLKLAuV-nwXCYmS8_m3DbXmS3PpTR88E0-b7GLkXkgC2yG2QsYaoL8fhr9N4I3V/s1600/cesar-cruz-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYZhTc0qAkoZLW2W3CYn95KXB4_6sFy_B0P99UoO2Q0gUmYp7bD2w4Nwkfw_ahZ_kbSkfNowi8aLKLAuV-nwXCYmS8_m3DbXmS3PpTR88E0-b7GLkXkgC2yG2QsYaoL8fhr9N4I3V/s1600/cesar-cruz-1.jpg" /></a></div>
Cesar Cruz is making friends, though not in the usual sense.<br />
Through his work at Oakland's East Bay YMCA, Mr. Cruz is bringing together young men who might otherwise end up killing each other.<br />
Gang members themselves call him a hero - and all he needs is <a href="http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/04/06/jefferson-award-winner-paves-path-for-oakland-gang-harmony/">a kitchen, some food and a little bit of history</a>.<br />
That and some guts, perhaps.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557952894208810252.post-69314072206702919072011-04-26T08:32:00.000-04:002013-05-01T11:04:21.865-04:00Breaking Down Barriers in the Desert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzICSNa6m9KoyQE3O7iD4a_1t46-qAFslM-26cyhyydjY9lAVto4X4a-qqoiFK2zPBZxtYWgtZZimLPCSZ6fBZUOFzmhEy04FnVKRugsZ3TTap9Rj1mhtNQv0WfTvdzN5W9cpac-aK/s1600/RyanBennett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzICSNa6m9KoyQE3O7iD4a_1t46-qAFslM-26cyhyydjY9lAVto4X4a-qqoiFK2zPBZxtYWgtZZimLPCSZ6fBZUOFzmhEy04FnVKRugsZ3TTap9Rj1mhtNQv0WfTvdzN5W9cpac-aK/s200/RyanBennett.jpg" width="130px" /></a></div>
In 2007 Ryan Bennett ran his first marathon.<br />
Recently he ran six of them. In five days. In the Sahara Desert.<br />
He says it's all about "breaking down invisible barriers for yourself" - a sentiment we've all heard in one form or another, so often perhaps that it loses its meaning. That is, until we assume an endeavor, accept a challenge, that reminds us how tough we can be, no matter how harsh the environment.<br />
But don't take it from me; my endeavors pale in comparison to <a href="http://www.udel.edu/udmessenger/vol19no1/stories/alumni_bennett.html">what Ryan has done</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557952894208810252.post-14329457249670392092011-04-23T13:03:00.000-04:002013-05-01T11:04:43.856-04:00The Light of Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="http://www.cbn.com/images/vod/thumbnails/JG66_SM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="http://www.cbn.com/images/vod/thumbnails/JG66_SM.jpg" /></a>On Easter weekend, there is only one spotlight.</div>
One spotlight that shines all over the world.<br />
On Easter Sunday 2003, <a href="http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/mp4/JG66v4_WS">Natalie Elders and her family were extraordinarily blessed</a>.<br />
As are all who open themselves to His light.<br />
Happy Easter.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557952894208810252.post-56137826434320290632011-04-21T11:04:00.002-04:002011-04-21T11:39:03.876-04:00Recruiting Local Resources, Helping Children Worldwide <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpG-YAaZFt91aWmAZDyZ9ZR6AW-XEkWTYm6V0j15NIoIpeslJoQ5Fj5g4LLGWqWW3fNicoAK95XlR_e_xlMsCAnahfRRfIJosSSaoL4LDb0b2hv25fhPQs8UW5hdNhYp-P7HZlTGMp/s1600/montanti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpG-YAaZFt91aWmAZDyZ9ZR6AW-XEkWTYm6V0j15NIoIpeslJoQ5Fj5g4LLGWqWW3fNicoAK95XlR_e_xlMsCAnahfRRfIJosSSaoL4LDb0b2hv25fhPQs8UW5hdNhYp-P7HZlTGMp/s200/montanti.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With her first 'patient', Kenan Malkic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> A boy in Iraq was playing with his friends when he kicked a bottle lying in the street. Not really a bottle, but a bomb, created by hateful people. In a flash he lost a leg, an arm, an eye and, it seemed, his childhood. Elissa Montanti, a woman from New York, has given these things back to him - not because she is powerful or highly-educated or wealthy, but because she cares enough to find a way.<br />
Thanks to David Kostecki of Honolulu, Hawaii for sharing <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7360930n&tag=mncol;lst;3">the spotlight 60 Minutes recently shined on Ms. Montanti.</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557952894208810252.post-75292817948284116262011-04-19T15:26:00.000-04:002013-05-01T11:05:23.527-04:00A Lesson in Disaster Relief (from a second grader)<a href="http://media.nj.com/star-ledger/photo/9491729-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" i8="true" src="http://media.nj.com/star-ledger/photo/9491729-small.jpg" width="320" /></a>'Many kids have lost homes and some have lost a parent. Many parents told us that before we went and played with them, many kids have not smiled since the disaster.' - from a message from a friend working to help rebuild a kindergarten and a community in Soma, Fukushima.<br />
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To put a price tag on rebuilding a community is impossible. People need wood and hammer and nails, yes. Food, clothing and warmth. But there is another element to recovery.<br />
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Musashi Eto, a second grader from Robert Hunter Elementary School in Flemington, New Jersey, seemed to understand this. And now he's doing something about it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/04/flemington_second_grader_organ.html">Read how a 7-year-old is helping kids on the other side of the world smile again.</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557952894208810252.post-44604942688357933652011-04-19T09:41:00.000-04:002013-05-01T11:08:05.788-04:00Spotlighting better stars.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0Eqf8D9_UC2tUm6pZu-CirUqkUGHgpUzLELFKl2VpNtpqHCLqJJQQtOX29IYeNGFjk3AyaQkCQhJLC8juMIpLumweWnNbbRaGC_BOzvnF-RrlxU5GU1d1ndwY0kVqY1mvIBKsjUu/s1600/Spotlight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0Eqf8D9_UC2tUm6pZu-CirUqkUGHgpUzLELFKl2VpNtpqHCLqJJQQtOX29IYeNGFjk3AyaQkCQhJLC8juMIpLumweWnNbbRaGC_BOzvnF-RrlxU5GU1d1ndwY0kVqY1mvIBKsjUu/s200/Spotlight.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Spotlight Sublime comes to life inspired by <a href="http://kevinkatoendeavors.blogspot.com/2011/04/who-cares-who-matters.html">a post from another blog</a>. It would be easy enough to go on a rant about the stupidity of celebrity - an abstraction that takes form via the standards we ascribe to its attainment; the value we place on its achievement; the attention we devote to its excrement. But forget it, there's no time.<br />
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We live in a world teeming with amazing people. People with ideas. People who inspire. People turning their love, their hopes, their talents great and small into actions that are worth our attention, worth our admiration, worthy of our time and emulation.<br />
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We've only got twenty-four hours in a day for all we need to do - work, eat, play with the kids, keep up with our friends and, here and there, kick back with some ice-cream or a beer. But there are free moments too - or, for some, free hours. Let your mind go where it will. Or send it here for five minutes, meet someone to add to your day.<br />
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Because we are the ones who decide who the real celebrities are.<br />
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Coming up: A second-grader in Flemington creates a way for his classmates to connect with schoolchildren in tsunami-hit Ofunato, Japan.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0