Author: Editor

Categories
Business Economics Lifestyle Regulations & Security

Chargeback triangle: There is hidden threat for merchants

In 2022, the loss to consumers due to fraud ticked up to $8.8 billion, an increase of 44% from 2021.

 

Chargebacks are a powerful tool for safeguarding consumers against credit card fraud, erroneous charges, or even poor-quality products and services. In chargeback disputes, the cardholder’s bank usually backs them up and refunds the charge amount from the merchant’s bank.

 

Banks and credit card companies have made it exceptionally simple for customers to dispute a charge, often to the point where it is quicker for them to contact their bank rather than the merchant. It has been observed that, following a chargeback, the purchasing behavior of consumers toward a merchant goes down by as much as 62%. However, it is important to note that more than 80% of chargebacks can be avoided if the customer first contacts the merchant.

 

“Banks are making it a lot easier for customers to dispute charges; they want to keep their customers happy, and with the growth of dispute inquiries, an increasingly competitive landscape, and the ever-evolving demands of their cardholders, banks have no choice but to make the process as easy as possible for their customers,” states Monica Eaton, CEO of Chargebacks911, the world’s first chargeback mitigation and prevention service provider.

 

Yet, “the Chargeback Triangle”, involving the consumer, merchant, and bank is a loophole that is often exploited by consumers.

 

Reports suggest that 86% of chargebacks are probable “friendly fraud” cases. Friendly fraud occurs when a buyer fraudulently tries to initiate a chargeback with their bank or card issuer by falsely claiming that the product was defective, not delivered, or unauthorized, instead of directly requesting a refund from the merchant.

 

In 2022, the average value of a chargeback was $192.53, with 23% of consumers admitting to committing friendly fraud. Merchants are now expected to pay over $100 billion in chargebacks in 2023.

 

Chargeback remediation can reverse the downward trend. Chargeback management solutions provide automated tools to reduce the time and resources required to respond to chargebacks, along with the help of agnostic solutions that assist merchants and financial institutions to standardize and automate otherwise manual processes every step of the way.

 

“Online retailers must make it easier for customers to reach out to their business by providing contact information that is easily visible to their customers. They must provide personal and exceptional customer service, and ensure that all return policies, shipping costs, fees, and sales tax are explained up-front and easily understood,” advises Eaton.

Monica Eaton, CEO of Chargebacks911 can speak on the following: 

  • What are the factors leading to an increase in friendly fraud and chargebacks?
  • How are banks contributing to the increase in friendly fraud?
  • How do chargebacks affect merchants?
  • How can chargeback management solutions help merchants and financial institutions?

About Chargebacks911 
Chargebacks911 is the global leader in chargeback prevention and remediation technology. As a provider or supplier to financial technology companies, Chargebacks911 helps safeguard more than 2.4 billion transactions per year on behalf of clients in 87 countries around the world. For details on Chargebacks911’s comprehensive chargeback management solutions, visit https://chargebacks911.com ​​​​​​​

Categories
Art & Life Business Foodies/Tastylicious Government Lifestyle

An FDA announcement claims that recently expired greens infiltrate some local markets

Lancaster Foods updates voluntary recall of various expired kale, spinach and collard green products

 

 

Summary:

Company Announcement Date: May 12, 2023
FDA Publish Date: May 12, 2023
Product Type: Food & Beverages, Produce, Foodborne Illness
Reason for Announcement: Potential for Listeria monocytogenes
Company Name: Lancaster Foods
Brand Name: Robinson Fresh, Lancaster, Giant
Product Description: Kale, Spinach, Collard Green products

 

Company Announcement:

Lancaster Foods has updated their May 5, 2023 Recall notice to add one product (Lancaster Brand Spinach item #41714, “Best If Used By” date April 29, 2023).

 

Lancaster Foods is voluntarily recalling a limited quantity of 3 brands of already-expired Robinson Fresh, Lancaster, and Giant brand Kale, Spinach and Collard Green products produced at the company’s Jessup, Maryland facility. This recall is due to a possible health risk from Listeria monocytogenes. No related illnesses have been reported to date. The recalled products are beyond their “Best If Used By Date”.

 

Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. Consumers with these symptoms should immediately consult their health care provider.

 

The recall was initiated after notification that a random sample of a single bag of Chopped Kale Greens product with a “BEST IF USED BY May 1 2023” date collected by the New York Agriculture and Markets Food Safety Division tested positive for the Listeria pathogen.

 

A listing of products subject to this recall are summarized at the end of this announcement. Products can be identified by using the UPC or Item Number codes and the Best if Used by Dates outlined in the table below.

 

These products were distributed through retailers and distributors in the states of Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Retailers and distributors have been instructed to ensure the recalled products are removed from all inventories. Consumers who might still have the recalled products in their refrigerators should discard the items and they should not be consumed.

 

No other products distributed by Lancaster Foods have been recalled. Lancaster Foods is working collaboratively with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on this recall.

 

The safety and integrity of products distributed by Lancaster Foods are a top priority and taken very seriously.  Lancaster Foods regrets any inconvenience and concern this recall may cause.

 

AFFECTED PRODUCT: 

Item Number  Brand  Pack/ Size  UPC Codes  Description  Best If Used By Date
00682 ROBINSON FRESH 8 /
16 OZ		 0-95829-60015-9 KALE GREENS May 01 2023
00619 ROBINSON FRESH 6 /
32 OZ		 0-95829-60016-6 KALE GREENS May 01 2023
55423 LANCASTER 20 / 4 OZ N/A CHOPPED KALE May 01 2023
78983 GIANT 12 / 8 OZ 6-88267-09813-0 CURLY LEAF SPINACH April 29 2023
00684 ROBINSON FRESH 8 /
16 OZ		 0-95829-60006-7 COLLARD GREENS May 01 2023
01907 GIANT 8 /
16 OZ		 6-88267-05311-5 COLLARD GREENS May 01 2023
41714 LANCASTER 12 / 10 OZ 8-13055-01145-3 SPINACH April 29 2023

 

 

Company Contact Information

Customers who have any questions about the recall may contact Lancaster Foods Customer Service at 877-844-3441 Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EDT.

Categories
Art & Life Education Lifestyle Science

NYC artist Landon Metz releases his first album, ‘Six Days at the Orange House’

Landon Metz,  is a transdisciplinary, conceptual artist living and working in New York City. His work investigates ontological questions of space, duration, and movement.
Throughout his career thus far, Metz has garnered critical attention for his painting-based practice, often implementing architectural interventions, produced in dye and canvas, advancing traditions of American abstraction. In Metz’s images, forms span multiple panels wrapping impossibly from one border of the canvas to the other – top to bottom, or left to right – hanging in adjoining sequences.
The arrangements trace the contours of architecture with occasional disregard for its surface, portals, or obstructions. They invite the viewer to reflect on how they process and inhabit space, both visually and bodily.
“My practice is largely about breaking down polarities, and I think that’s apparent in the way I present space. It’s about negotiating between setting and subject, public and private.”
In the wake of the birth of his son and the passing of his father, Metz returns to a powerful mode of communication he learned early in life – music.
 
Releasing on May 26th, Six Days At The Orange House is a deeply personal piece, a sonic catalog of a week Metz spent in Copenhagen during the autumn of 2022. Throughout the work, Metz explores similar themes in music as an extension of his painting and installation practice.
Six Days At The Orange House is a record – a personal narrative made transcendent, juxtaposing pain and longing with hope and gratitude. Like his paintings, each track is produced by hand with care, evidenced in its occasionally irregular metre and organic repetitions. The overall enveloping texture of its sound speaks to Metz’s ability to immerse the listener in a distinctly human, poetic narrative. The album is both immensely personal and universal – a rendering of place with story through tonal sequences, memories, echos, emotions.
Categories
Economics Education Government Lifestyle News Now! Politics Regulations & Security

Democrats recently seek to explain the debt ceiling crisis

The debt ceiling is the cap on the amount of money the U.S. government can borrow to pay its debts, explains Stefanie Conahan, an insider Democrat.

In a matter of weeks, the federal government will exceed this legal borrowing limit. And it’s not hyperbole to say that if Congress doesn’t raise the debt ceiling, it would be catastrophic for our economy and American families, she shared.

Historically, raising the debt ceiling is a bipartisan exercise in Congress. But on May 16, House Republicans were demanding draconian cuts to federal aid in exchange for voting to lift the debt ceiling. They’d rather tank the economy and throw millions of Americans into poverty than make good on our country’s financial obligations.

In the Off the Sidelines Spotlight, we’ll explore the debt ceiling, debunk the GOP talking points, and break down where we go from here.

If you remember one thing, it’s this: House Republicans are shirking their responsibilities—to American families, to our economy, to their oath of office—by refusing to vote to raise the debt ceiling.

So let’s cut through the noise. We’re breaking down what Republicans are saying about the debt ceiling—and then giving you the facts.

 

WHAT REPUBLICANS ARE SAYING: “House Republicans should not have to vote to raise the debt ceiling because WE don’t support new initiatives proposed by the Biden administration.”

THE TRUTH: Raising the debt limit has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with new spending. It is purely backward-looking. In fact, much of the debt in question was incurred BEFORE President Biden took office.

WHAT REPUBLICANS ARE SAYING: “We don’t want to raise the debt ceiling and authorize new spending.”

THE TRUTH: Once again, nope. That’s not how this works. Raising the debt ceiling enables the Treasury to borrow for spending already authorized by Congress.

WHAT HOUSE REPUBLICANS ARE SAYING: “We’ll only vote to lift the debt ceiling if we make massive cuts to federal spending.”

THE TRUTH: Well, that’s true. House Republicans passed legislation that would increase the debt ceiling in exchange for cuts to federal spending for critical programs. That includes kicking one million seniors off Meals on Wheels, eliminating 30,000 law enforcement jobs, and gutting veterans health care. Not to mention cuts to Head Start, cancer research, housing assistance for low-income families, and more.

WHAT REPUBLICANS ARE SAYING: “Not raising the debt ceiling would be a DISASTER for the U.S. economy.”

THE TRUTH: We’re 100% in agreement with Republicans there. Failure to raise the debt ceiling would be catastrophic. Defaulting on our nation’s debts could mean:

  • Seniors could miss social security checks. Without social security, almost 22 million Americans would fall into poverty.

  • Veterans benefits could be delayed, and military service members could stop receiving paychecks.

  • Our country’s credit could be downgraded, spiking interest rates. That could raise mortgage, car and credit card payments.

  • According to Moody’s Analytics, stock prices could fall by roughly 20 percent, wiping out $10 trillion in household wealth and devastating the 401k and retirement accounts of millions of Americans.

 

SPREAD THE WORD: We need to make it crystal clear that Republicans ALONE are responsible for the debt ceiling crisis. By REFUSING to vote on a bipartisan basis, they’re putting partisan games over American families and our economy.

 

Read link below for more:

New York Times Editorial Board: Are Republicans willing to raise the debt ceiling?

 

 

— Stefanie Conahan

(team@kirstengillibrand.com)

Categories
Culture Government Local News

Most County government offices to close for Memorial Day 2023

TRENTON, N.J. — Most Mercer County government offices will be closed Monday, May 29, 2023, in observance of Memorial Day.

All branches of the Mercer County Library System will be closed Saturday, May 27, through Monday, May 29.

In addition to being closed on Memorial Day, the County Connection office in Hamilton will be closed Saturday, May 27.

The following County offices and facilities will remain open: Trenton-Mercer Airport (except for administrative offices), Correction Center, Sheriff’s Office and the Emergency Services Communication Center.

The following Mercer County Park Commission facilities will be open on Memorial Day: Marina and Spray Park at Mercer County Park, noon to 6 p.m.; Tennis Center, 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and all five County golf courses, 6 a.m. (first tee time) to 7:30 p.m. Hopewell Valley Pool will be open Memorial Day weekend (Saturday-Monday), 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and then will be open weekends only through June 18. The Wildlife Center will accept patients by appointment only from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 27, through Monday, May 29. The outdoor education area will be open free of charge for self-guided tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Howell Living History Farm will be closed on Memorial Day but will be open Saturday, May 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for its Haying program. Mercer County Stables will be open for visitors from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Memorial Day; no horse activities scheduled. Tulpehaking Nature Center and Park Commission administrative offices will be closed on Memorial Day. For more information on Park Commission facilities, visit www.mercercounty.org/parks.

Categories
Culture Entertainment News International & World Lifestyle Programs & Events

The 2nd Annual Parade in New York City celebrates the friendship between New York and Japan

Building on the great success of last year’s inaugural Japan Parade, the 2nd annual Japan Parade in New York City was on Saturday, May 13, and began at 1 p.m.

 

Starting on Central Park West at West 81st Street and traveling south to West 67th Street, the purpose of the parade was to celebrate, express, and bring awareness to the friendship between NYC and Japan with a thank you from the Japanese community. Olympic Gold Medalist, Founder of Always Dream, and Author Kristi Yamaguchi was the Parade’s Grand Marshal.

 

This year’s Japan Parade featured a live performance by the cast of The 2.5-Dimensional show from Japan, “Live Spectacle ‘NARUTO’”. NARUTO is one of the most internationally recognized and popular manga series of all time. The franchise has sold over 250 million copies worldwide to date. Written and illustrated by creator Masashi Kishimoto, NARUTO was first published in Shueisha’s magazine Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999, where it was serialized and ran for 15 years. More performers will be announced in the coming weeks. The Japan Parade is affiliated with Japan Day @ Central Park, an annual event that has taken place in Central Park since 2007.

Concurrently with the Japan Parade, the Japan Street Fair was to be held on West 72nd Street, between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue. The Japan Street Fair is the spiritual successor of Japan Day @ Central Park.

The Japan Street Fair featured tents offering fun and educational cultural activities including calligraphy, water balloon yo-yo fishing, origami, photo opportunities, and a giveaway. In collaboration with JAPAN Fes, one of the largest organizers of Japanese food festivals in the world that hosts over 20 Japanese food fair events a year in New York City, the Street Fair should also feature about 20 tents serving authentic Japanese food. The latest information on Japan’s many tourist destinations was available at several other tents, and as with last year, there will also be a tent where visitors may donate to a charitable cause. The Japan Street Fair is your chance to experience a Japanese festival, or matsuri, unlike any other.

Kristi Yamaguchi served as the parade’s Grand Marshal, and Sandra Endo, news correspondent on KTVV Los Angeles, Fox 11 News, and a feature reporter for Good Day LA,  served as Emcee of the parade.

“I am truly honored to act as Grand Marshal for this year’s Japan Parade,” said Kristi Yamaguchi.

“My Japanese heritage is something I’m proud of and I’m happy to celebrate the goodwill of our relationship with Japan and the engagement and solidarity with the Japanese American community.”

Participating groups included Anime NYC (Anime Convention), COBU (Drum), Harlem Japanese Gospel Choir, International Karate Organization Kyokushinkaikan, The Japanese Folk Dance of NY, Katsura Sunshine (Rakugo Comedian), Midori & Friends (Music Education Group), Soh Daiko (Drum), TATE Hatoryu NY (Sword Fighting),Yosakoi Dance Project 10tecomai, Young People’s Chorus of NYC, and many more.

“The Japan Parade is a huge ‘Arigato!’ from the Japanese community to New York City,” said Honorary Chairman, Ambassador Mikio Mori, the Consul General of Japan in New York.

“It will be the second annual celebration of Japanese culture and the many vibrant connections between Japan and this great city. We plan to outdo the inaugural parade in terms of marchers, contents, and food tents all highlighting the uniqueness of Japan, while also solidifying with Asian communities during AAPI Heritage Month. We hope that these festivities bring the Japanese and all of New York City even closer together, adding to our friendship for generations to come.”

“After the huge success of last year’s inaugural Parade, we are very excited to be back in New York City for our second year, demonstrating the diversity and pride of the Japanese community,” said Japan ParadeExecutive Producer Kumiko Yoshii.

“Last year, we had a crowd of over 20,000 with approximately 2,400 participants, marching down Central Park West. We look forward to building on this success and showcasing more groups from New York and Japan. We especially want to thank our sponsors and supporters, without whom this event would not be possible.”

“The Japan Parade’s utmost goal is to be a foundation to forge new connections, and to be an inspiration to strengthen existing relations between Japan and the United States, as well as between the Japanese American community and the people of New York City,” said Japan Day Chairman of the Board of Directors, Daisuke Ugaeri, who represents the notable Japanese and Japanese American companies that make up the Japan Day Inc. Board of Directors.

“To that end, I am humbled and empowered by the invaluable support of our sponsors, the trust placed in us by our parade participants, and the tireless efforts of our staff and volunteers who all truly believe in the good our event is capable of achieving. It is my greatest hope that all who visit, experience, and immerse themselves in Japan Parade 2023 will not only enjoy themselves to the fullest, but also walk away with a newly cultivated or renewed appreciation of the unique wonder and beauty of Japanese culture.”

The very first Japan Parade and the Japan Street Fair were held in 2022. Actor, author, civil-rights activist, and influencer George Takei was the Grand Marshal for the inaugural parade. The parade’s participants included the cast of “Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon” The Super Live, as special guests from Japan, a children’s choir, taiko performers, bon-odori dance and kimono groups, Karate and other martial arts groups, and many more. Activists protesting against attacks targeting Asian citizens and anti-Asian rhetoric also marched in the parade.

The Diamond Sponsors of this year’s Japan Parade (as of 4/5) include ANA (All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd.), Hisamitsu America, Inc., Japan Airlines Co., Ltd., and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited. The Platinum Sponsors (as of 4/5) include ITOCHU International Inc., Marubeni America Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc., Nomura America Foundation, Sumitomo Corporation of Americas Foundation, and Tokio Marine America.

MORE ABOUT KRISTI YAMAGUCHI

Kristi Yamaguchi captured the gold medal in the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France in figure skating. She is also a 2-time World champion and U.S. National Champion. Kristi is a member of the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame, the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame, and the US Olympic Hall of Fame. She recently received the USOPC’s Jesse Owens Olympic Spirit Award for “serving as a powerful force for good in society” as well as the 2019 Heisman Humanitarian Award for the work of her Always Dream organization. Following a long and successful career in professional figure skating including 10 years of touring with Stars On Ice, Kristi took to the dance floor to win the mirror ball trophy with partner Mark Ballas in season 6 of the popular TV show “Dancing With The Stars.” In 1996, she founded Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream whose mission is to give children from low-income families access to high-quality books in the home environment. Aiming to close the opportunity gap and digital divide with an innovative, family engagement literacy program. www.alwaysdream.org. In 2012, Kristi added New York Times Best-Selling author to her list of achievements by introducing her first children’s picture book, “Dream Big, Little Pig!”, and then following up with “It’s A Big World, Little Pig!” and a third title “Cara’s Kindness”. Kristi resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, 2-time US Olympian and Stanley Cup Champion, Bret Hedican, and their daughters Keara and Emma.

MORE ABOUT SANDRA ENDO

Sandra Endo is a television news correspondent on KTTV Los Angeles, Fox 11 News. Endo covers breaking news in feature reports for a Good Day LA. She moved back to her hometown of Los Angeles after spending most of her career on the East Coast. Before making the move to LA, she worked for CNN based in Washington DC. Her stories have appeared on primetime shows such as AC 360 with Anderson Cooper. She also reported on the devastating tsunami and earthquake that struck Japan in 2011, as well as the international conflicts in Egypt and the US involvement in Libya. Prior to joining CNN, Endo was a political reporter, host, and anchor for NY1, covering a wide array of campaigns, the transit strike of 2005, and reporting around the clock after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. A California native, Sandra is a second-generation Japanese American whose grandfather was interned during WWII. She believes it is important to teach her two young children their cultural heritage to keep traditions alive and to learn from the past.

MORE ABOUT JAPAN DAY

Japan Day Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is the primary organizer of the Japan Day @ Central Park festivals since 2007, and of the Japan Parade and the Japan Street Fair since 2022. Japan Day Inc.’s activities are made possible by the support of the local leading Japanese American companies that compose Japan Day Inc.’s Board of Directors, the Consulate General of Japan in New York, and all the individuals, organizations, and companies that sponsor, donate, or volunteer and be a part of this great celebration.

Categories
Business Lifestyle Special/Sponsored Content

Nurse created, mom approved – Meet soap you can trust

This clean, eco-conscience wellness brand was created by a full-time registered nurse, mom, and business owner on a mission to rid her skincare routine of harmful ingredients.

 

What started at her kitchen counter has grown into a top-selling brand on Amazon, providing her with the opportunity to give back to environmental causes like the Eden Reforestation Project which works to restore healthy forests in developing countries.

 

Why Keika Naturals?

  • Crafted from nature-derived ingredients
  • Safe for sensitive or troubled skin
  • Gentle and soothing for the whole family
  • Triple-milled to last longer and lather better
  • Vegan
  • No artificial scents
  • No single use plastic packaging
  • Plants a tree for every bar sold with over 109K trees planted to date!
  • Product line includes:
    • Charcoal Bar
    • Oat & Shea Bar
    • Aleppo Olive and Laurel Oil Bar
    • VitC+ Facial Serum

Start gifting intentionally and introduce them to their next clean, green soap & skincare with Keika Naturals!

 

Products start at $9.99 – Learn more at www.keikanaturals.com

 

***Available on ShareASale (ID# 139120) & Skimlinks

Categories
Art & Life Culture Education Lifestyle Programs & Events

Greater New York high school students recognized for outstanding performance in theatre

NEW YORK — The Broadway Education Alliance is pleased to announce that Jaquel Spivey, Tony® and Grammy® Award-nominated artist for his role in A Strange Loop, will co-host the 2022-23 Roger Rees Awards for Excellence in Student Performance.

Broadway reopens for events

The ceremony will be held at the Professional Performing Arts School (328 West 48th Street) on Sunday, May 21, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. The event is sponsored by Disney Theatrical Group and the Tony® Award-nominated production, Kimberly Akimbo. It features two musical production numbers featuring the 54 Roger Rees Awards nominees and 12 solo performances by award finalists. Tickets are currently on sale at rogerreesawards.com.

To be eligible to participate in The Roger Rees Awards, a student must have performed a qualifying role in an officially licensed high school production of an eligible show during the 2022-2023 academic year. Students from 53 high schools located throughout the Greater New York area will compete for the title of Outstanding Performer In A Musical before a panel of Broadway judges that include Michael Arden (2023 Tony® Award-nominated Director, Parade), Kiara Brown Clark (Teaching Artist, Disney Theatrical Group), Greg Nobile (Tony Award-winning producer), Merri Sugarman (Tara Rubin Casting), Jeanine Tesori, (Tony Award-winning composer and 2023 nominee for Best Score of Kimberly Akimbo), and Cynthia Thole (Director/Choreographer and Fairleigh Dickinson University faculty).

Two students selected by this panel of Broadway experts will represent the Greater New York region at The Broadway League Foundation’s The Jimmy Awards® (also known as the National High School Musical Theatre Awards®) on June 26th at the Minskoff Theatre.

Broadway Education Alliance and Roger Rees Awards founder Susan Lee noted, “Encouraging and educating students about theatre is vital. These young artists are the next generation of performers and theatre audiences. We strive to inspire interest, nurture talent and to recognize excellence in these emerging theatre artists.”

Prior to the May 21 event, students will have participated in a day-long performance intensive taught by Broadway professionals with extensive performance and teaching credentials. This team will select 12 Roger Rees Awards finalists who will perform a solo from their high school musical at the Roger Rees Awards.

For the complete list of 54 Roger Rees Awards Nominees, click here.

Acting coaches include acclaimed Broadway performers Jason Gotay, Jarvis B. Manning, Shannon Mullen and Correy West. Music Directors are Isaac Harlan(Broadway Inspirational Voices), Sean Mayes (Hadestown), Julianne B. Merrill (Some Like It Hot), Christine Riley (Marymount Manhattan College). The Roger Rees Awards is directed and choreographed by Theo Lencicki with music direction by Christine Riley.

The Roger Rees Awards is pleased to announce the New Faces | 2023 roster of talented students selected by members of the Casting Society of America as emerging artists to watch.

For the Roger Rees Awards New Faces | 2023 Roster, click here.

Working in partnership with Harmony Helper®, The Roger Rees Awards will also recognize Farmingdale High School’s Daler A Cappella, a 15-member choral group under the direction of Jessica Mischke, with the Outstanding Choral Performance Award.

Theatrely.com with present The Roger Rees Awards online live pre-show special hosted by Tyler Joseph Ellis on Sunday, May 21 beginning at 3:00 pm. Go to Theatrely.com for details.

 

The Roger Rees Awards recognize the importance of theatre arts education and celebrate the exceptional life and career-long artistic excellence of Broadway’s beloved actor/director, Roger Rees. Playwright Rick Elice, Rees’ partner of over 30 years, and author of “Finding Roger,” said, “Rog would have liked this chance to educate and inspire young actors, to offer a guiding hand as so many were offered to him when he too was a kid with a dream.”

The Broadway Education Alliance is the fiscal sponsor for The Roger Rees Awards for Excellence in Student Performance, which is supported by Disney Theatrical Group, Broadway Plus, Broadway HD, Douglas Denoff, Rick Elice, Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Harmony Helper, Kimberly Akimbo on Broadway, Music Theatre International, National Foundation of Musical Theatre, Theatrical Rights Worldwide, Withum and many other industry leaders working in/around Broadway.

Tickets are currently on sale at rogerreesawards.com.

Categories
Environment Lifestyle Local News Programs & Events

D&R Greenway Land Trust hosts GSWS juried exhibition on migration

D&R Greenway Land Trust is now hosting the Garden State Watercolor Society (GSWS) for its 53rd Annual Open Juried Exhibition,“Migration: Movement for Survival.”

Photo: “New Jersey Shore Scene” by Richard Hoffman

 

 

GSWS artists created their art to contemplate migration and change – a growing phenomenon in today’s world. Whether figurative or abstract, realistic or fanciful, this thoughtful art will inspire and cause the viewer to think and reflect on the state of the world’s people, wildlife and climate.

 

 

This exhibition is on display May 3 through Sept. 24, 2023, as well as online at www.gswcs.org. The exhibition at D&R Greenway Land Trust’s Johnson Education Center is at One Preservation Place, Princeton NJ 08540.

 

GSWS will host two Zoom Happy Hours with D&R Greenway Land Trust and the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ which are open to the public with preregistration, on May 25 and June 22, 5-6 p.m. Each will be a mashup of art and science highlighting Migratory Bats and Birds as well as artists discussing their work. Data will be included on bats and birds observed during early data-gathering at D&R Greenway’s newest Hillside Farm Preserve in Hopewell.

Photo: Best in Show: “It’s Time for School” by Kristen Birdsey

 

The Juried Exhibition’s Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony will be held June 11, 2-4 pm. GSWS is grateful to the New Jersey Audubon Society for several new artist awards this year.

 

 

Juror for acceptance and awards is Michael Kowbuz. Discover more about him at https://tinyurl.com/4vv7xnvk.
The award winners are:

 

 

 

Award                                                                                       Artist                                 Painting Title

Best in Show – Dagmar Tribble Award                         Kristen Birdsey              It’s Time for School

Nummie Warga Award                                                      Gloria Wiernik                Shifting Sands

Cotswold Industries Award                                             Joanne Bodnar              For the Birds 2

Albert Hunker Memorial Award                                    Zina Umyn                      Voyagers

NJ Audubon – Northern Harrier Award                       Peter Zdenek                  Wildebeest Migration

NJ Audubon – Red Shouldered Hawk Award            Doris Ettlinger                Snow Geese

NJ Audubon – Piping Plover Award                               Joanne Amantea           Fueling Migration

NJ Audubon – Peregrine Falcon Award                        Catherine Gowen         Herbarium at the Little Colorado River

Golden Artist Colors Materials Award                         Medha Atre-Kulkarni  Pursuing Sweetness

GSWS Silver Memorial Award – Marthe McKinnon                                           Kathleen Wert   Storm

NJ Watercolor Society Award                                         Kara Coleman                Park Landscape

Holbein Artists Materials Award                                   Barbara March              And Just Like That, Winter Melts into Spring

 

People’s Choice Award – Jerry’s Artarama (Visitors votes will be tallied and award will be given Sept. 24).

Poetry workshops, led by renowned local poets in partnership with D&R Greenway, will result in a Poetry Reading on the theme of migration, and a Gallery Walk hosted by GSWS, on Sept. 21, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

 

An Artist Demo, by award-winning GSWS artist Ann Greene, will take place as a culmination of the exhibition, Sept. 24 from 2 to 4 p.m. New awards donated by the New Jersey Audubon Society will be added to the Awards Ceremony June 11. For most recent information, visit www.gswcs.org.

 

Artists researched and learned about the complex phenomenon of migration to create work that is meaningful to the exhibition theme. Migration is most often thought of as the seasonal movement of animals. Species in all major animal groups migrate. Some species travel astounding distances to reach environments that provide food and conditions for successful mating. Migration also relates to the movement of people. Currently and throughout history, people have left their homes voluntarily or involuntarily to seek safety and opportunity. Climate change is affecting the earth’s inhabitants globally and regionally at a quicker pace than anticipated. As glaciers melt and sea levels rise, weather patterns have become dangerous and unpredictable. As a result, whole communities of people, animals and even plants migrate in order to survive.

Photo: “La Esperanza, “Cuban Migrant Boat, Florida Keyes” by Sandy Mezinis, AWS

 

Linda Mead, President and CEO of D&R Greenway had this to say: “Among the most electrifying movements of our time is the migration of plants due to climate change and the effect on birds and wildlife that have evolved with these plants for their very survival. Likewise, human populations are migrating in great numbers. All of this has an impact, from what we see today on D&R Greenway preserves, to the survival of many species of the Earth. Remember, we are the top of the food chain and if we don’t do something to care for our natural and social climates, our own survival is at stake, too.”

 

A unique display upon entering the Johnson Education Center lobby will be GSWS’ 5th Annual Art Installation, “Going, Going, Gone…” “Fifty-three GSWS artists created 123 beautiful small works that call attention to New Jersey species identified by NJDEP as in greatest need of our conservation efforts. Artists submitted paintings of animals using a designated color scheme. GSWS is proud to partner with the D&R Greenway Land Trust to inform and inspire people into action.” said Tess Fields, President of GSWS. “This exhibit is another exciting intersection of science and art that will capture wide audience attention.”

 

Over its existence, GSWS has been a beacon for award-winning artists to inspire generations. The nonprofit organization’s goal is to encourage painting in water media, provide educational and exhibition opportunities for adult artists of NJ, PA, NY or DE. Please visit www.gswcs.org.

 

The public is invited to visit the art galleries, weekdays 10 am – 4 p.m. Open select weekends, hosted by GSWS artists, July 8-9 and Aug. 5-6 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Closed holidays. Visit www.drgeenway.org or call 609-924-4646 for more info.

 

BACKGROUND:

Garden State Watercolor Society has led a community of artists and inspired generations of art enthusiasts. The society’s founding goal is to encourage painting in watermedia and provide educational and exhibition opportunities for artists and residents of NJ, PA, NY or DE. GSWS holds three exhibitions a year including our largest endeavor, the Annual Open Juried Exhibition (hybrid); an online Members Exhibition; hybrid Small but Mighty Exhibition, and a live Art Sale via pop up gallery in Princeton. In May 2023, they will showcase a permanent exhibit of botanical-style watercolors inside of the Discovery Center at the former estate of Joseph Bonaparte at Point Breeze, Bordentown, NJ.

 

About D&R Greenway Land Trust: D&R Greenway Land Trust is an accredited nonprofit that has reached a new milestone of over 22,000 acres of land preserved throughout central New Jersey since 1989. By protecting land in perpetuity and creating public trails, it gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. The land trust’s preserved farms and community gardens provide local organic food for residents of the region—including those most in need. Through strategic land conservation and stewardship, D&R Greenway combats climate change, protects birds and wildlife, and ensures clean drinking water for future generations. D&R Greenway’s mission is centered on connecting land with people from all walks of life. www.drgreenway.org; info@drgreenway.org. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Categories
Farewell Services Healthcare Lifestyle

Member of Dryden family legacy and empire recently passed

The late Delaine Dryden, mid 50s, died recently of cancer. Dryden was a medical clerk, who enjoyed life,  family and friends. She battled her illness for years before succumbing. She was really very loved, and was surrounded by family and friends during her struggle.

 

She is survived by two brothers, Cliff Dryden and Steve Dryden; and her sister, Jascent Dryden. Her mother Norma Dryden is also a survivor. She leaves behind aunts, cousins, nieces, friends, and many others.

 

Funeral services were held at Gilmore Funeral Home in Queens, N.Y., on Friday, March 10. They were followed by a repast at Antun’s in Queens Village. The burial procession was on Saturday, March 11 at Pine Lawn Cemetery in Farmingdale, N.Y. Reception and gathering for church services were at Holy Trinity Church in Cambria Heights, N.Y.