*For a review copy of Noise or an interview with Joseph McCormack, please contact Dottie DeHart, DeHart & Company Public Relations, at (828) 325-4966 or simply reply to this email.
Say No to Noise and Yes to Knowledge; New Book Teaches Us How
Too much information and constant connectivity are changing our brains for the worse. With the release of his new book, NOISE, Joseph McCormack hopes to kick off a movement to control our attention and take back the focus we need to live intentional, productive lives.
Hoboken, NJ (December 2019)—At work e-mails ding constantly, disrupting our train of thought and with it our productivity. All day long, phones ring, buzz, vibrate. At night we can't sit down to dinner without fielding a text message from the boss or (possibly worse, since it's voluntary) checking our social media pages. And our kids are glued to digital devices when they should be doing homework, sleeping, or (Heaven forbid) spending time with us, their equally distracted parents.
Such are the unintended consequences of the Digital Revolution. But before you shrug off this (painfully familiar) scenario with a cynical "What can you do?" check out Joe McCormack's new book, NOISE: Living and Leading When Nobody Can Focus (Wiley, December 2019, ISBN: 978-1-119-55337-3, $25.00).
"We were always taught that more is better—the more information we have, the better, smarter, stronger, more successful we'll be," says McCormack. "It turns out the opposite is true. The onslaught of information and constant connectivity is changing the human brain for the worse: how we focus, how we think, and how we relate to the people in our lives."
What you may think of as "information" or "being connected," McCormack calls "noise." And if that word has a bad connotation, well, that's on purpose. The formula we've always accepted is "Data becomes information becomes knowledge becomes wisdom." But what he's talking about in his book does not follow that path.
"We've stopped discerning what we allow in," he says. "It's empty calories. Instead of nourishing us, it makes us mentally anemic."
McCormack wants to start a "Just Say No to Noise" movement. He wants us to stop accepting the status quo in every area—at work, at home, in our relationships, in our parenting—and act to break the cycle. And armed with the simple, practical tips and techniques in his book, we can. (NOTE: See tipsheet below.)
"Be an early adopter," he suggests. "When people see you thriving, they'll want to join in. It's time for all of us to say no to noise, and I think we all know that on some level. When you're 'first to market,' imagine the impact you'll have on those around you."
A Few Ways to Think About the Noise Problem
It's killing our quality of life. We've never been more focused on health and wellness than we are right now. We eat organic foods, we work out, maybe meditate. But what's really hurting us in every area of life is the onslaught of information that batters us 24/7.
"While we don't have to take our emotional temperature every five minutes, we do need to be aware of the negative impact of noise," says McCormack.
The damage isn't only about what we're doing. It's about what we're not doing. Noise teaches us to unfocus, says McCormack. That's a problem, because it's the ability to focus on what matters that empowers us to do deep work, solve big problems, be better listeners, nurture relationships—all the things that create quality of life.
We're masters at justifying our addiction to noise. We might say, "I work hard and need social media to unwind." Or, "I get on Facebook only at night." But think of it this way: If we eat right 60 percent of the time, and the other 40 percent of the time we eat crap, the end result is the same.
"We need to ask ourselves how we feel after a couple of hours of scrolling Facebook," says McCormack. "We also need to ask, What makes me feel productive, energized, and content? Those are the things we need to be doing instead."
So How Do We Break the Cycle?
Realize we have a human responsibility to manage noise. This is everyone's job, says McCormack. Parents need to prevent bad habits from taking hold in their kids so they won't struggle to "fix" the problem later. Business owners need to require responsible communication practices so people are not perpetually distracted by an onslaught of data. (Deep work is where real value happens.) We all need to be accountable for the quality of our relationships.
Don't think you have to ban technology. This is not about disconnecting, but discerning. We need to take charge of what we allow in. We need to take a step back and ask, How can I use technology to improve my life, not worsen it? (Levi's got it right with its "connected, not distracted" marketing message.)
"We're taking an incredible, high-end, intricate tool and using it to bludgeon our minds and lives," says McCormack. "We can choose, consciously and intentionally, to stop misusing it."
Get super-focused on protecting your most valuable asset: your attention. You need to be really intentional about this. (No app can do it for you!) But McCormack says there are lots of small, practical changes you can make to start managing noise instead of letting it manage you. Turn these into habits and you can rewire your brain to better adapt to a busy, noisy world.
"It's ironic that we go to great lengths to protect our money and property and other resources, yet we don't think twice about squandering our most expendable, scare resource," muses McCormack. "We have limited time, so what we pay attention to really matters."
That's the good news that shines through in NOISE: We are not powerless against the onslaught.
"You don't have to change the whole world to drastically improve your quality of life," says McCormack. "Reducing noise is doable, and worth doing. It will help you become a better person, employee, parent, and friend."
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26 Habits to Help You Silence Noise and Reclaim Your Focus
Excerpted from NOISE: Living and Leading When Nobody Can Focus
(Wiley, December 2019, ISBN: 978-1-119-55337-3, $25.00) by Joe McCormack
Yes, we live in a world of constant "noise"—a tsunami of work e-mails, social media updates, never-ending news coverage, and other relentless forms of digital distraction. That's not going to change. But you don't have to let it overwhelm you, erode your concentration, fog your thinking and focus, and tune out the things that really matter.
Joe McCormack says there are some simple changes you can make that will empower you to start managing the noise and taking control of your most precious resource: your attention. These easy, practical, doable tips will help you begin to form the right habits to silence noise and reclaim your long-lost focus and peace.
Daily Life and Relationship Habits
Decide what's essential. Prioritize it. Noise distracts and leaves you unproductive and without direction. And when people are ruled by noise, they live by default. Therefore, you need to get intentional about prioritizing what matters most to you. Write your defining "go-to" goals in a few words on a small Post-It note. This forces you to keep your goals simple and helps you simplify your life. (For instance: "write next book" or "listen more.")
Tell people about your plan to simplify your life. When you know exactly what you want to focus on, make a public pact. Create a short list of people you can confide in and share your plan with them. They will help keep you accountable and support you.
Master impulse management by saying "no." When your mind latches onto things that don't matter, just say "no" to the impulse to get distracted. Cell phone binging with texts or updates? Just say no. Get distracted by a new thought on your way to grab a pair of scissors? Just say no and focus on grabbing the scissors. Practice this skill every day.
Get relentless about clearing the clutter. Whether it's crowding your home or your digital world, clutter is just another form of noise. Routinely find items you don't need and throw them away. Delete an app on your phone that you no longer use. Uncluttering your world encourages more minimalism.
Carve out quiet time during the day. Our brains are high-performance machines, but they crave quiet to rest and reset. Find time for moments of quiet throughout the day: Unplug during your commute, sit quietly for a few minutes after work, or meditate for a few minutes first thing in the morning or just before bed.
Use the 7-to-7 rule to curb your smartphone addiction. After 7:00 p.m., put away your phone for the night. Don't pick it up again until 7:00 a.m. the next day. This habit reduces screen time and allows for other regenerative activities like reading, conversations, meditation, and exercise.
Let yourself feel little feelings. Without realizing it, we can miss small, yet important parts of our day. Think of three or four simple things you do unconsciously every day. Maybe it's taking a shower, drinking a glass of water, or sitting in a comfortable chair. While you do these things, feel what it feels like and truly experience it. This gets us started tuning into and appreciating small moments that can turn into something much more meaningful and rewarding.
Keep conversations civil and judgment-free. Heated debates, social media feuds, and angry words are becoming more common today. Tuning out is an immediate response when you don't share an opponent's opinion or perspective. When someone tells you something you disagree with, practice listening without judgment and resist the urge to shut down.
Practice present listening. Present listening means both that you are in the moment—not racing ahead or looking back, but in the here and now—and giving your listening as a gift while expecting nothing in return. Be interested, ask questions, and remember that it's not about you. Resist the urge to follow momentary emotions and thoughts. This lowers the noise around you so that you both get the most out of the exchange.
Leadership and Work Habits
Shut off the firehose of information. For transparency, leaders may foster a steady stream of e-mail blasts, town hall meetings, social media posts, video tutorials, and cascading messages. The confuses and frustrates employees and causes them to tune out. Inform your team but don't force them to consume so much information that they can't decipher the message.
Be brilliant, be brief, and be gone. In all of your communications—whether you're writing an e-mail, making a speech, or holding a conversation with an employee—say only what needs to be said. People want brevity. They get irritated when they must sift through long, complicated messages. Worse, they can't grasp the main point and fail to do what you need them to do.
Cut jargon and buzzwords from your vocabulary. Call a moratorium on phrases like "Strategically leverage platforms to scale growth" or "Turnkey solutions to optimize enterprise impact." These words are meaningless, and what's worse, they trigger the Elusive 600 in employees and cause their eyes to glaze over. Say what you mean as clearly as possible and leave out unnecessary corporate-speak.
Hold fewer and better meetings. Professionals spend 23 hours a week in meetings. If you're a leader, stop holding unnecessary meetings. When a meeting is justifiable, invite only those who are essential to attend. Set your objectives ahead of time, and state them at the beginning of the meeting. Get people involved and ask questions so you can get the feedback of the people in the room. Finally, use your time wisely so you won't lose people's attention.
Seek out silent spaces and find other ways to drown out the noise. Modern offices are designed to foster connection and collaboration, but open floor plans usually just breed distraction. Find (or request) a quiet place you can go to focus deeply and get work done. Or invest in a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones.
Take five to get things done. Block off realistic five-minute segments of time to completely focus on and tackle one particular task throughout the day, starting and stopping on time. If you need more time, add another five minutes.
Send fewer e-mails and encourage others to do the same. If the e-mail you're typing isn't necessary, don't send it. According to Templafy, a technology provider, the average office worker receives 121 e-mails per day and sends 40 business e-mails a day.1 These continual interruptions drain our brain.
Commit to work-free nights and weekends. Don't bring your work home with you. Working all the time leads to physical and emotional exhaustion. Use your weeknights and weekends to relax, recover, and recharge. This ensures that when you show up to work, you can do your best.
Parenting Habits
Talk to teens about technology in terms of "balance"... By the teen years, most kids have smartphones, tablets, and laptops of their own. That's not likely to change. Besides, there are benefits to technology, and kids will surely need to navigate it when they enter the adult world. But rather than just imposing strict limits, explain to them that while there's a place for screens, they should never displace time with family, friends, homework, and other responsibilities.
...and back up your words by keeping them busy. When kids know they have to do homework, go to band practice, get in volunteer hours, and do chores before they get to sit down at the computer, they'll get in the habit of prioritizing life over technology.
Set the right example, and narrate the choices you're making and why. When you spend hours watching TV or scrolling through Facebook after work, why would you not expect your kids to do the same? Spend your time in more productive, enriching, and rewarding ways. And talk about it. Say, "I'm really enjoying this pottery class. I like being creative." Or, "I love working at the soup kitchen. It makes me feel happy to help others."
Monitor your child's use of social media. Periodically check their phone. Browse their internet history. You need to be aware of what your child is doing online. Social media exposes your kids to a world of comparison, bullying, exclusion, FOMO, and isolation, and it's hurting them. Between 2010 and 2016, the number of adolescents who experienced at least one major depressive episode leapt by 60 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS).2 Fight against this by first having a discussion about cyberbullying, why it's wrong, and what to do if your child encounters it. Then set healthy limits on how much time (if any) your child is allowed on social media.
Make (tech-free) family time a priority. Schedule some fun family events on nights and weekends where you all unplug together and enjoy living in the moment. Some ideas include camping trips, going out to dinner, taking a road trip, or visiting an amusement park.
Encourage your teen to have "unplugged" hangouts with friends. Encourage your kids to build meaningful in-person friendships with their peers—not just via text or social media. Chaperone a group outing (minus phones and other devices) to the bowling alley, the beach, or a nearby park.
Have deviceless dinners. Dinner time can be a sacred time for families. Make a family pact to totally disconnect and enjoy each other's company while you share a meal together. Take turns talking about your day and really connect with each other.
Designate screen-free areas at home. The places your kids (and you) sleep, converse, and eat should generally be free of technology, especially screens. For example, replace the television in the living room with beautiful artwork or family photos. Replace the computer monitor in the living room with a cozy chair and some nice bookshelves to create a reading nook.
Enforce a reasonable bedtime—especially during the school week. Eighty-six percent of students take their phones with them to bed. Further, teenagers need to get more than nine hours of sleep a night, but they are lucky to get seven.3 Get your kids in the habit of getting plenty of sleep; their developing brains need time to recharge.
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1. "How Many Emails Are Sent Every Day? And Other Top Email Statistics Your Business Needs to Know," Templafy, September 1, 2017, www.templafy.com/blog/how-many-emails-are-sent-every-day-top-email-statistics-your-business-needs-to-know/.
2. Markham Heid, "We Need to Talk About Kids and Smartphones," Time, October 10, 2017, time.com/4974863/kids-smartphones-depression/.
3. "Sleep Disorder Statistics—Research and Treatments," American Sleep Association, 2019, www.sleepassociation.org/about-sleep/sleep-statistics/.
# # #
About the Author:
Joseph McCormack is the author of NOISE: Living and Leading When Nobody Can Focus. He is passionate about helping people gain clarity when there is so much com¬peting for our attention. He is a success¬ful marketer, entrepreneur, and author. His first book, BRIEF: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less (Wiley, 2014), sets the standard for concise communication.
Joe is the founder and managing director of The BRIEF Lab, an organization dedicated to teaching professionals, military leaders, and entrepreneurs how to think and communicate clearly. His clients include Boeing, Harley-Davidson, Microsoft, Mastercard, DuPont, and select military units and government agencies. He publishes a weekly podcast called "Just Saying" that helps people master the elusive skills of focus and brevity.
To learn more, visit www.thebrieflab.com/noise/.
About the Book:
NOISE: Living and Leading When Nobody Can Focus (Wiley, December 2019, ISBN: 978-1-119-55337-3, $25.00) is available at bookstores nationwide, from major online booksellers, and direct from the publisher by calling 800-225-5945. In Canada, call 800-567-4797. For more information, please visit the book's page on www.wiley.com.
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Press Release
USDA Invests $18.88 Million in Rural Broadband for Alaskan Families
CORDOVA, Alaska, Dec. 3, 2019 – Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Alaska State Director for Rural Development Jerry Ward announced USDA has invested $18.88 million in high-speed broadband infrastructure that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for nearly 270 rural households in Yakutat. This is one of many funding announcements in the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments.
“Geographic isolation should no longer be a barrier to economic prosperity, especially here in Alaska,” Ward said. “With ReConnect, we are bridging the so-called ‘digital divide’ and bringing modern communications to rural Alaskan communities like Yakutat. Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, USDA is committed to being a strong partner to rural communities in deploying this critical infrastructure, because we know when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
Nathan Moulton, Executive Director of Yakutat Tlingit Tribe, added “The Yakutat Tlingit Tribe and our members are excited to work with Cordova Telecom to bring high-speed broadband to Yakutat. The USDA grant investment in Yakutat will positively impact lives and opportunities for everyone in our community.”
The project, dubbed NICEY (New Internet Communications for Everyone in Yakutat), will deliver broadband internet service to all 662 year-round residents and businesses in Yakutat via fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) connections. Yakutat will be connected to Cordova’s submarine fiber optics via a new microwave middle-mile network spanning 230 miles between the two communities.
Background:
In March 2018, Congress provided $600 million to USDA to expand broadband infrastructure and services in rural America. On Dec. 13, 2018, Secretary Perdue announced the rules of the program, called “ReConnect,” including how the loans and grants will be awarded to help build broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA received 146 applications between May 31, 2019, and July 12, 2019, requesting $1.4 billion in funding across all three ReConnect Program funding products: 100 percent loan, 100 percent grant, and loan-grant combinations. USDA is reviewing applications and announcing approved projects on a rolling basis. Additional investments in all three categories will be made in the coming weeks.
These grants, loans and combination funds enable the federal government to partner with the private sector and rural communities to build modern broadband infrastructure in areas with insufficient internet service. Insufficient service is defined as connection speeds of less than 10 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 1 Mbps upload.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force. To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
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5 Ways For Healthcare Providers
To Build A Fortress Against Cyber Threats
The healthcare industry has yet to find a cure for cyberattacks. Housing personal health data, all kinds of providers are vulnerable targets of hackers and patient care can be put at great risk.
News of breaches in healthcare computer systems is a regular occurrence. Over 100,000 medical records were recently leaked as a result of a data breach at a Montana hospital. And research this year showed an upsurge in malware attacks on healthcare providers. Phishing messages, a means of malware delivery via email, have been found to come in the form of alerts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As cyberattacks become more sophisticated and widespread, the need for adequately securing computer networks at hospitals and all medical facilities has never been greater, says Alex Zlatin, CEO of Maxim Software Systems (alexzlatin.com).
“The costs of cyberattacks for healthcare providers can be enormous,” Zlatin says, “but how hackers can literally stop facilities from functioning and keep patients from getting care and medication should get everyone’s attention.
“It’s all about prevention, and for many providers, being secure as possible will involve a retooling and re-thinking of how they approach cybersecurity from the human and technological standpoints.”
Zlatin provides five tips for healthcare providers to better protect against cybersecurity threats:
Educate employees about phishing attacks. Many breaches start with human error. Employees make the mistake of responding to an email, link or website designed by hackers to access private information. “Email is a popular phishing technique,” Zlatin says. “The best ways to prevent them from doing damage are to educate your employees on what suspicious emails look like and to use strong email spam filters. Also, your software should automatically scan any links or attachments. This prevents new or unrecognizable URLs from sneaking past company safeguards.”
Beware of ransomware. Ransomware has been a big menace to the healthcare industry, holding data for ransom, paralyzing facilities and putting patients at risk. Zlatin says the first step in dealing with ransomware is backing up your system, ideally with a cloud backup to protect data. “Failure to do backup can cause irreparable damage,” he says. “And while hackers continually find ways to infiltrate, your security software should contain the most updated anti-malware and anti-ransomware protection. When a ransomware attack occurs, the first thing employees should do is contact their IT team — not try to resolve it themselves.”
Have a top-down security program. There can be a disconnect and gaps in cyber security procedures when a medical facility’s security staff and IT team don’t overlap. “Including cybersecurity duties at a managerial level, perhaps even as an executive position, can ensure that correct initiatives are created, launched, and enforced, and that funding for security initiatives is available,” Zlatin says. “This also helps enforce regular risk assessment, which should be part of any healthcare provider’s cybersecurity threat program.”
Make sure vendors have protection. The Healthcare Industry Cybersecurity Task Force, which was established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security, warned providers about areas of security vulnerability in the supply chain. “Vendors should take the proper steps to detect threats,” Zlatin says. “They include all healthcare business partners, such as insurance companies and infrastructure providers, all of whom should have good security records and be able to protect medical information. It’s especially important for organizations that outsource IT personnel from third-party vendors.”
Update passwords often. “Using the same passwords for most platforms is a big mistake,” Zlatin says. “It increases vulnerabilities. If a criminal discovers one password used for several accounts, it leads to a disastrous theft of data. So, have employees generate new passwords periodically and not get stuck on convenience.”
“Too often, many healthcare facilities aren’t vigilant enough about defending their medical records security,” Zlatin says. “Healthcare providers face a constant threat that requires constant vigilance because they and their patients have too much to lose.”
About Alex Zlatin
Alex Zlatin, author of the book Responsible Dental Ownership (alexzlatin.com), had more than 10 years of management experience before he accepted the position of CEO of dental practice management company Maxim Software Systems. He earned his MBA at Edinburgh Business School and a B.Sc. in Technology Management at HIT in Israel.
His company helps struggling dental professionals take control of their practices and reach the next level of success with responsible leadership strategies.
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Ways To Avoid Reckless Holiday Spending
That Could Wreck Your Retirement
While an enjoyable part of the holiday season is giving to others, those nearing retirement would be prudent to give something back to themselves as the year nears its end.
That’s the advice from some retirement planners: Reduce holiday spending to provide more money for one’s retirement savings. But it’s a well-known fact that much of America wakes up with a credit card hangover on New Year’s Day, and curtailing holiday expenses in favor of financial planning for one’s future requires more discipline and a stronger commitment.
“It’s easy to overspend during the holidays and make too many emotional purchase decisions,” says Jay Sharifi, an investment advisor at Legacy Wealth Management (www.lwealthmanagement.com) and author of Building a Better Legacy: Retirement Planning for Your Lifetime and Beyond. “That hurts your long-term financial goals.
“The holiday shopping list may seem to get longer as you get older, but at some point you need to draw a line and balance your urge to give with the must of retirement considerations. It doesn’t mean you leave people out, but rather, you don’t go overboard and leave a little more for yourself. It can make a big difference in the long run.”
Sharifi offers these tips on saving more for retirement during the holiday season:
Review your past expenses and plan for the big picture. The holidays are a good time to reflect on how you spent your earnings over the past year. Adjustments may be necessary to get your retirement savings on track. “All through the year, money gets away from people a little bit at a time,” Sharifi says. “That’s often because they don’t have a firm plan. Not dealing with your expenses correctly can be very costly to your retirement. The holidays are the right time to recalibrate for the future.”
Make a holiday list, check it twice. Sharifi says people should approach their holiday season spending in a way that can help them get on track toward retirement goals. That starts with a budget and sticking to it, but many people overspend during the holidays and end up paying for it well into the new year. “If you have a budget set for holiday shopping, you can prioritize and figure out how you will get it done within those boundaries,” Sharifi says. “Look for deals to stretch your dollars. Setting a budget will help you avoid spending sprees that leak onto your credit cards. The carryover there is you may need to dedicate funds in the coming year to reduce that debt, which makes it harder to save for retirement.”
Sock away gifts from the company. Getting extra money from your company is a reward that can be used wisely toward retirement. “If you receive a nice bonus, don’t spend it,” Sharifi says. “Put that extra cash in a 401(k). That lowers your taxable income and gives you a boost toward your savings goals. And if your company offers you a raise, set a healthy percentage of that raise aside for retirement savings in the coming year.”
Make extra money. Holiday seasonal jobs are an excellent opportunity to put extra money away for retirement. Online positions allow someone to work from home, and pet sitting is another popular part-time job with more people traveling during the holidays.
“It’s very tempting to spend this extra money, but if you have the big picture in mind, putting it in a long-term savings account is a great gift to yourself,” Sharifi says. “With many Americans sinking further into debt during the holidays, it might be the right time for them to rethink how they spend and how it affects retirement,” Sharifi says.
About Jay Sharifi
Jay Sharifi, author of Building a Better Legacy: Retirement Planning for Your Lifetime and Beyond, is founder and investment advisor with Legacy Wealth Management (www.lwealthmanagement.com). He has passed the Series 65 securities exam and holds a life and health insurance license in Virginia. He has an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management and a Certificate of Financial Planning from Georgetown University.
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POWDR ENTERS CANADIAN SKI MARKET WITH ACQUISITION OF
SILVERSTAR MOUNTAIN RESORT
As Okanagan's Top Family Ski and Bike Resort, SilverStar Complements POWDR’s
Adventure Lifestyle Portfolio of World Class, Locals Favorite Destinations
PARK CITY, Utah, Dec 3, 2019 – Today, POWDR, an adventure lifestyle company with destinations across North America, announced it has acquired SilverStar Mountain Resort. SilverStar is POWDR’s first mountain resort in Canada.
This acquisition brings together two family-owned companies, including POWDR, a proudly independent company focused on delivering quality local experiences, and Jane Cann, who has owned SilverStar since 2002 and served as president since she acquired 100 percent of SilverStar in 2012. POWDR and Cann share a common vision for the long-term success of SilverStar as a community-oriented favorite for year-round, authentic family adventure. POWDR is acquiring Silver Star Ski Resort LTD. and Silver Star Holidays LTD., which operate SilverStar Mountain Resort, from Cann, who will retain Schumann Resorts LTD., which holds 30-acres of SilverStar real estate development land.
“SilverStar is a world-class destination that fits well with who POWDR is, what our properties are—community favorites—and our commitment to protecting and enhancing the authentic year-round adventure experience for generations to come,” says Justin Sibley, POWDR co-president. “The resort team is impressive and they have an incredibly strong relationship with the community, which we hope to build upon. We are pleased to continue Jane and SilverStar’s more than six decades of fun, legacy and vision.”
SilverStar joins the POWDR portfolio of 10 mountain resorts in California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Vermont; the experiential action sports company Woodward; adventure experiences including heli-ski and river rafting outfitters; and the Company’s media and entertainment holdings. Across each of its destinations, POWDR honors the local community’s essence by curating and integrating the best of all things local. There are no changes to SilverStar 2019/20 season passes, current operations or reciprocal agreements with other resorts.
“I am thrilled to pass the torch to such a competent and qualified operator as POWDR, who shares the same mission and beliefs for the SilverStar resort community and is committed to delivering memorable experiences and enhancing people’s lives,” says Jane Cann. “POWDR is an enduring company focused on patiently making each of its destinations the best version of itself locally. I am confident that their scale and expertise will be beneficial in working toward the realization of SilverStar’s newly approved Master Plan.”
Award-winning SilverStar Mountain Resort is located in the heart of British Columbia’s Okanagan region a short 20-minute drive from the city of Vernon and less than a one-hour drive from Kelowna International Airport (YLW). SilverStar is one of BC's largest ski areas offering 3,282 acres of skiable terrain, a 760 meter (2493 feet) vertical drop, and annual snowfall of more than 700cm (23 feet) with amazing variety from its groomers on the front side to legendary steeps in Powder Gulch. Recognized as one of Canada’s best destination mountains, and a family favorite, SilverStar’s intimate, colorful, mid-mountain village provides ski-in, ski-out slope-side lodging. As a year-round mountain destination, SilverStar’s Bike Park is ranked by the International Mountain Bike Association as one of the premier downhill mountain bike facilities in North America.
To book your SilverStar adventure for the 2019/20 season, visit SkiSilverStar.com.
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Hi Jim,
I have a heartwarming feature story for you to consider for the holidays. From decorating to baking holiday treats, the Elders’ Elves from SYNERGY HomeCare are about to make the season brighter for some deserving local seniors. We would love for you to tag along with us when our squad of Elders' Elves invades their homes to surprise them with a happier holiday.
The holidays can be a challenging time for many people, but especially our seniors. Think about it. They can’t get around like they used to. Their families may not live close. In some cases, they may be spending their first holiday alone after the death of a spouse or longtime companion.
In case you’ve never heard of us, SYNERGY HomeCare is a non-medical in-home care provider. We care for seniors in their own homes year-round. However, over the years we’ve recognized the need for extra help around the holidays.
The Elders’ Elves from SYNERGY HomeCare will help lift the spirits of our selected seniors by getting them ready for the holidays. Some of the jolly jobs will include:
• Decorating the home
• Shopping for gifts in stores and online
• Wrapping gifts
• Baking holiday treats
• Writing and sending holiday cards
• And much more!
We hope to lead by example and inspire others in the community to become an Elders’ Elf to an elderly neighbor in need - even if it is just sharing a plate of holiday cookies.
Here are ways we can help you tell this story:
USDA Announces Details of the 2020 Agricultural Outlook Forum Program
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2019 – USDA announces details of the 96thAgricultural Outlook Forum program (PDF, 94 KB), which takes place February 20-21, 2020 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Virginia.
The 2020 Forum is themed The Innovation Imperative: Shaping the Future of Agriculture. The Forum’s plenary panel and several breakout sessions will focus on the central role science and innovation play in driving future growth and addressing challenges facing farmers.
Speakers will highlight some of the cutting edge technologies and emerging trends and their implications for the future of agriculture. Topics include scientific advances in corporate food safety strategies, and farming practices for extreme weather uncertainties.
The Forum’s program will begin with a presentation by USDA Chief Economist Robert Johansson on the Department’s outlook for U.S. commodity markets and trade for 2020 and the U.S. farm income situation.
In addition to science and innovation, the 2020 program will cover five key areas:
The USDA offers a pre-forum field trip for early arrivals. This year’s trip will include a visit to an urban commercial rooftop farming enterprise, and a trip to USDA’s Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland, to share USDA research on food genetics and pollinator health.
The Agricultural Outlook Forum brings together more than 1,500 participants each year from the U.S. and around the world, including producers, processors, policymakers, government officials, and nongovernmental organizations. The Forum’s program includes more than thirty sessions and one hundred expert speakers.
To register for the 2020 Agricultural Outlook Forum, visit www.usda.gov/oce/forum.
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Happy #GivingTuesday! With the U.S. ranked as the most generous country over the past 10 years by the World Giving Index, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2019’s Most Charitable States (with accompanying videos), in addition to its picks for 2020’s Best Charities and a Charity Calculator to help donors decide where and how to give.
To determine where the most generous Americans are inspiring others to be more selfless, WalletHub compared the 50 states based on 19 key indicators of charitable behavior. The data set ranges from volunteer rate to share of income donated to share of sheltered homeless.
Generosity in Utah (1=Most Charitable; 25=Avg.)
For the full report, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/most-and-least-charitable-states/8555/
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Press Release
USDA Provides $6 Million to Expand Broadband Infrastructure for Two Rural Oregon Counties
Nearly 650 residents and businesses in small, remote communities will gain high-speed internet access
JOHN DAY, Ore., Dec. 3, 2019 — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director John Huffman today announced that USDA is providing $6 million to expand high-speed broadband infrastructure that will provide e-Connectivity for nearly 650 new customers in rural Wheeler and Grant counties. This is one of many funding announcements nationwide in the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments.
“Internet access is no longer an amenity. It is an essential component of daily life and is as important to rural communities as gaining access to electricity was a century ago,” Huffman said. “Small, remote communities, however, face unique challenges in connecting homes, farms and businesses to this vital resource. We are proud to announce today significant funding to expand high-speed internet access in two frontier-designated Oregon counties.”
Oregon Telephone Corporation (OTC) will use a ReConnect Program grant to deploy 89 miles of fiber to serve some of the most remote areas of the continental United States. The new broadband infrastructure will provide network speeds ranging from 30 megabits per second (Mbps) to 1 gigabyte per second (Gbps). The network will allow Voice-Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and video services to be delivered to each customer.
Currently, many areas around the town of John Day lack internet service faster than 1.5 Mbps. In a public-private partnership with John Day in its capacity as the leader of the intergovernmental Grant County Digital Network Coalition, OTC is working to provide the fastest internet access to as many residents at the lowest price possible. Under the partnership, OTC will build a fiber network and deliver broadband service to residents and businesses while leasing infrastructure to John Day to provide service to public agencies.
The first new fiber route is northwest of John Day. It will connect the towns of Long Creek, Monument and Spray. The second route will start at the northern edge of the town of Seneca and continue to Canyon City, just south of John Day.
Overall, this expanded fiber optic network will extend broadband across a 242-square-mile area that includes 418 households, 22 businesses, 22 farms, three schools and two fire stations. Almost 650 new customers will be able to receive reliable access to high-speed internet services, improving the quality of life for those who live and work in these remote, rural communities.
Background:
In March 2018, Congress provided $600 million to USDA to expand broadband infrastructure and services in rural America. On Dec. 13, 2018, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the rules of the pilot program, called ReConnect, including how the loans and grants will be awarded to help build broadband infrastructure in rural America.
USDA received 146 applications between May 31, 2019, and July 12, 2019, requesting $1.4 billion in funding across all three ReConnect Program funding products: 100 percent loan, 100 percent grant, and loan-grant combinations. USDA is reviewing applications and announcing approved projects on a rolling basis. Additional investments in all three categories will be made in the coming weeks. Funding is contingent upon the recipients meeting the terms of the loan and grant agreements.
These grants, loans and combination funds enable the Federal government to partner with the private sector and rural communities to build modern broadband infrastructure in areas with insufficient internet service. Insufficient service is defined as connection speeds of less than 10 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. Learn more at www.rd.usda.gov/or.
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