miniddy的部落格

□本報記者 陳瑩瑩就在各行各業前赴後繼湧向互聯網金融“藍海”之時，迷你倉庫較早涉足銀行系電商的興業銀行卻宣佈將要關閉其信用卡網上分期商城，引發了業界討論。分析人士指出，興業銀行關閉信用卡商城可能出于其自身發展戰略的調整，未來商業銀行進軍電子商務的步伐必然提速。更為重要的是，目前各大互聯網電商相繼涉足金融供應鏈，開始滲透到包括融資、銀行、保險、擔保、基金等多個金融領域，預計未來互聯網金融領域的搏殺將更為激烈。銀行系電商受質疑根據興業銀行的公告，該行將于8月31日正式關閉興業信用卡網上分期商城，對於已訂購商品但尚未收到的客戶，該行表示將正常處理。對此，興業銀行回應稱，隨著信用卡產業的發展和互聯網金融的崛起，銀行傳統的業務模式受到了挑戰。“傳統的信用卡網上分期商城，雖依托銀行千萬級的客戶數據，但由於其經營模式受到商城規模有限、特色不鮮明等因素影響，效果未必達到預期。”銀行業內人士指出，興業銀行是國內較早涉足電商的銀行，關閉信用卡商城可能出于其自身發展戰略的調整，未來銀行進軍電子商務的步伐不僅不會放緩，反而會加速。中國證券報記者瞭解到，實際上大多數商業銀行很早就開展了類似信用卡網上分期商城業務，此類業務多為銀行和供應商合作。然而，這種模式因為商品少、價格高、存在分期手續費等原因，一直都被視作銀行信用卡業務的“附屬品”。今年6月，被譽為“中國最佳商業模式”的信用卡購物平台億佰購物突然宣佈破產，大量信用卡用戶通過銀行已支付了貨款卻無法收貨，傳統銀行系電商飽受詬病。專家表示，在互聯網金儲存競爭中，互聯網企業對交付渠道和交易模式的絕對掌控已經成為商業銀行的最大威脅，因此各家銀行必須搭建自己的平台。目前來看，銀行主要是採取兩種模式，一種為自建電子商務平台，比如交通銀行的交博匯，以及建設銀行的善融商務等；另一種則是銀行與各大電子商務平台合作，並且與後者的交易系統實現對接，借此獲得交易雙方真實而有效的數據。電商搶佔銀行地盤而就在商業銀行忙於“搭建平台”時，互聯網企業則著眼于供應鏈金融領域。生意寶8日發佈《關於投資成立融資擔保公司獲得經營許可的公告》稱，生意寶獲得了浙江省經濟和信息化委員會頒發的《中華人民共和國融資性擔保機構經營許可證》，同意公司浙江網盛融資擔保有限公司開展融資性擔保業務。這意味著生意寶已將“擔保牌照”收入囊中。生意寶董事長孫德良表示，網盛融資希望通過金融創新的方式有效緩解中小企業融資難問題。中國證券報記者瞭解到，目前，包生意寶、蘇寧雲商、京東商城、阿里巴巴、敦煌網、亞馬遜等電商相繼涉足金融供應鏈，電商開始滲透到包括融資、銀行、保險、擔保、基金等金融領域。市場人士多看好供應鏈金融未來的前景。申銀萬國相關人士指出，“銀監會副主席閻慶民表示從降低融資成本上解決小微企業融資難問題，供應鏈金融IT投資可解決小微企業融資問題。”但也有專家表示，目前我國的供應鏈金融電子化程度低，還存在國內銀行局限于國內供應鏈、國際貿易延伸和整合不足等問題，相關的法律法規、風險管理問題也需要進一步探討。因此，雖然未來我國的供應鏈金融有巨大發展空間，但是仍需我們不斷規範和壯大。新蒲崗迷你倉

　　聯儲局官員相繼發出退市言論，迷你倉價錢美股上周五調整，但港股在美國的預託證券在�豐控股（005）帶領下依然企穩。至於本周焦點，則放在本周公布中期業績的藍籌股，當中以中移動（941）及騰訊控股（700）最受關注。市場人士認為，�指本周將窄幅上落，但投資者「炒股不炒市」，個別行業或股份將大幅波動。�控美市報85.7元　　美國杜指上周五回吐72點，收市報15425點，跌幅約0.5%；標普500指數跌0.4%，收市報1691點。杜指上周累積下跌1.5%，從周�圖上看，杜指在創出6連升之後，終於掉頭回落。標普500指數未來12個月的平均預測市盈率達14.6倍，超越過去10年平均的14.2倍，創2009年9月來最高，亦令投資者疑慮股價的吸引力下降。本周美股將聚焦大型零售商季度業績，以及周二出爐的零售銷售數字，能否帶動美股恢復上升動力。　　港股預託證券上周五企穩，以主要藍籌股預託證券走勢推算，�生迷你倉庫數今天將會高開逾60點，升至約21870點水平。�控預託證券造好，收市報85.7元，較香港收市價高出1.1%。騰訊中移動業績惹關注　　本港重磅股陸續公布業績，包括騰訊在周三（14日）、中移動在周四（15日）的成績表最受投資者關注。其他即將公布業績的藍籌，還包括周二的利豐（494）、周三的中信泰富（267）、港交所（388）及國泰航空（293）等。至於周四則有太古（019）及聯想（992），周五則有金沙中國（1928）。　　�生指數上周五升152點，收報21808點。耀才證券研究部副經理植耀輝指出，大市觀望氣氛濃厚，預計�指短期只會在21500點至22000點之間上落，但個別業績股將較為波動。友達資產管理董事熊麗萍亦認為，大市缺乏方向，預計短期內在21600點至21900點之間徘徊，內房、水泥、基建等行業將較受追捧。另外，若中移動在4G網絡發展方面有新消息，電訊設備股或會借機炒上。儲存

當坊間所傳的和解傾向成為泡影，迷你倉日漸升級的重慶銀星和豫商集團股權之爭不斷攪動著東方銀星的股價。8月7日，當豫商集團公佈權益變動報告書時，重慶銀星即與天祥商貿、賽尼置業結成一致行動人，至此掌控了東方銀星29.40%的股權。記者追蹤重慶銀星一致行動人背景發現，天祥商貿、賽尼置業早在東方銀星還是“ST冰熊”時已經產生關係。同時，隨著豫商集團老底被揭開，有投資者認為，豫商集團表現平平的實力不足以完成對東方銀星的收購，屢次舉牌可能是“集團作戰”，豫商只是作為“前鋒部隊”。“一致行動”早已達成?8月7日，重銀星通過與天祥商貿、重慶賽尼置業分別結成一致行動人，增持28 0萬股和150萬股，加上此前與華寶信托成為一致行動人，重慶銀星共持有東方銀星3763萬股，占總股本的29.40%。根據東方財富股吧投資者留言的線索，記者調查發現，上述兩家公司在此前已經和重慶銀星有牽扯不清的關係。據記者發現的一份《(2009)渝五中法民初字第25 號》的民事調解書顯示，天祥商貿曾與凌文軍產生民間借貸糾紛，連帶責任擔保人就是重慶銀星。當時，天祥商貿向凌文軍借款人民幣500萬元，借款利息為月息1.5 %，由於逾期未還，重慶銀星被判決將子公司重慶銀星經濟技術發展股份有限公司位於重慶市江北區石門的物業進行抵償。賽尼置業與重慶銀星的關係則可追溯到東方銀星前身ST冰熊。根據2006年《河南冰熊保鮮設備股份有限公司股東持股變動報告書》，由於牽涉欠款糾紛案，1350 萬股ST冰熊國有法人股被公開拍賣，賽尼置業以每股0.78元人民幣、共計1055萬元的低廉價格獲得，坊間認為此次股份拍賣的操盤手即是重慶銀星。記者進一步調查獲知，當時一共有3850股國有股被重慶銀星分兩次拍賣，2003 年拍賣2500萬股，競得人為天祥商貿。曾有市場人士認為，公開拍賣是重慶銀星將3850萬股國有資產變成私有的關鍵步驟。值得注意的一個細節是，現任東方銀星董事會秘書溫泉在2004年1月-2007年4月任重慶賽尼置業發展有限公司經理和實際控制人。此外，本報記者在東方銀星《重慶天仙湖“萊茵半島”項目建設總體設計》中看到，吳尚績作為編委成員出現本項目設計資料中。早前重慶銀星與華寶信托成為一致行動人增持東方銀星5%的股份時，吳尚績就是該行動計劃中受委托的自然人。根據公告，6月26日，吳尚績通過華寶信托管理的“時節·好雨”資本市場5號集合資金信托計劃購買了東方銀星，7月16日，華寶信托、重慶銀星智業(文件倉團)有限公司及吳尚績簽署一致行動人協議，此後在股東大會行使提案權和表決權時保持一致行動。然而，豫商集團方面對上述三家公司變成一致行動人並不感到驚訝，“對於上述三者結盟，我們早就考慮到了。吳尚績、天祥、塞尼一直以來都有關聯。”豫商集團方面表示。綜合看來，天祥商貿、重慶賽尼與重慶銀星的一致行動關係早在二者入股ST冰熊時就已形成，重慶銀星的勢力當時或已存在。豫商集團後繼乏力?隨著雙方交戰越來越激烈，豫商集團的家底也被擺到了台面上。公告顯示，豫商集團持有人為韓宏偉，註冊資本3億，主要從事股權投資和基金管理業務。旗下全資或控股的子公司一共6家，以投資管理為主。其中僅有豫商集團鄭州置業有限公司、豫商集團尉氏置業有限公司、新鄉市豫商置業有限責任公司3家是從事房地產等實業開發，但註冊資金僅為2000萬、1000萬、1000萬。在財務方面，雖然豫商集團2012年總資產較2011年的6204萬有大幅度提升，達到1.86億，但是淨資產收益率僅為0.0045%，負債率達到46.19%。值得注意的一個細節是，雖然豫商集團旗下擁有6家上市公司，但管理結構並不完善。本報記者此前聯繫豫商集團瞭解相關情況時發現，其對外聯絡人實為投資部經理樂梅洲，“公司在對外宣傳上，暫時還缺乏有能力和有經驗的人，所以我只能暫代這個位置。”資產平平的集團如何入主東方銀星，並置入優質資產?有投資者認為，“這次是集團軍作戰，豫商第一波，後面還有擁有資金項目‘資源’的大佬，借用東方銀星這個平台施展拳腳。”梳理豫商集團進入東方銀星的路徑可知，豫商集團主要通過簡單直接的“舉牌”方式。通過此前4次舉牌，豫商集團以2.7億的價格直接持有東方銀星股份2560股，占東方銀星總股本的比例為20%。豫商集團方面表示，不排除未來12個月內繼續 增持。樂梅洲的說法是，東方銀星目前的董事會架構並未能代表股東的權益，因此希望改革董事會管理，隱約透露出豫商集團希望進入董事會。有財經人士評述道，“如果要尋找同類的話，宋曉明控制的長城國匯並購基金入主天目藥業，倒頗為相似。不過隨著長城國匯內部股東分歧，宋最終帶著微利匆匆撤離了天目藥業。”通過舉牌方式進入董事會並非易事。2011年漢商集團通過舉牌持有中百11.37% 股份，但在2013年6月改選董事提案被否，進入董事會再次夢碎。漢商集團此後四次舉牌，持股20%為第二大股東，但仍然入主無望。豫商集團目前是單一資金作戰，如果雙方繼續增持，將觸發30%要約收購。存倉

由金管局、證監會及保監處聯手制定的銷售投資相連壽險計畫新指引一出，迷你倉沙田即趕絕銀保的投連險業務，即使�豐、渣打香港兩大行都要向指引「跪低」，令銀行銷售投連險近乎絕�。�豐表面上雖繼續有售投連險，但早前已下令前�銷售人員不用銷售此產品，渣打則於6月底停售。保險界人士估計，指引生效首月，整個市場的投連險新做保費或勁跌一半。　　在多家銀行停售投連險後，現連在銀保渠道銷售投連險稱霸的�豐亦失守，新指引已令銀保的投連險銷售業務走向絕�。市場消息透露，雖然�豐表面上仍將投連險產品上架，但早前內部已通知前�銷售人員，7月起不用銷售投連險，除非客戶主動要求購買該產品，所以技術上已是停售。該市場人士稱，投連險銷售佔了�豐整體保險銷售一定比例，該行不主動銷售投連險，可能會對其整體保險銷售業務帶來影響，並拖累市場排名。生效首月新做保費或減半　　本報記者 曾以顧客身分，到一家�豐分行查問有否投險連銷售，分行職員回應指，該行不再售投連險，但可為客戶作風險評估，看有甚麼產品適合客戶。另有分行指，已於7月停售投連險，又有�豐前�銷售員透露，7月初分行高層曾開會表示，以後如要銷售投連險，須經分行經理批准，若最後被金管局發現銷售上出現問題，分行經理須就此負責，變相妨礙投連險的銷售。　　�豐發言人回覆本報查詢時稱，該行在新指引下，正檢討如何有效繼續銷售投連險；與此同時，該行正集中尋找其他產品的方案，以迎合客戶的有關需要。她強調，該行的貨架上仍有投連險產品售賣，並會依足新指引進行銷售。其他銀行包括迷你倉價錢打、東亞（023）、信銀國際也跟隨同業分別於6月底或7月起暫時停售投連險。　　根據新指引，中介機構必須強制披露銷售投連險的佣金，並落實資料聲明書其他多項規定。早在指引諮詢階段已惹來市場很大反響，故在指引醞釀期間，中銀香港（2388）等個別銀行已先打退堂鼓，及後金管局在今年4月正式發出指引，並要求銀行最遲6月底執行新指引，其後有星展、花旗、富邦等銀行已表態暫停銷售投連險。具體影響視第三季數據　　有保險界人士指，不少主流保險公司亦受新指引影響，在銷售投連險時失去銀保渠道，保險代理又需時適應，估計7月份投連險新做保單保費可能減半。　　香港保險業聯會壽險總會主席李少川表示，新指引對業界的具體影響有待第三季數據出台才能定斷，暫未見保險代理因而收入大跌或離職，但同意業界需時適應新指引，並有保險公司轉而銷售其他保險產品。記者 曾秀雲銀行對於投連險銷售新指引的回應�豐 7月起不主動銷售投連險，但產品繼續上架，及正檢討如何有效銷售有關產品。渣打香港 已於6月底暫停銷售投連險，正檢討有關銷售程序和產品特點，以符新規。東亞 7月起停售投連險，現正檢討銷售該產品的適合性。信銀國際 於6月底停售投連險。中銀香港 於今年較早前已沒銷售投連險產品。星展香港 已於第2季暫停向客戶銷售投連險產品。花旗香港 7月起暫時停售投連險。富邦香港 7月開始暫停銷售投連險。交銀香港 去年末季起，暫停代理銷售投連險；若將來有新的投連險產品推出，必按監管要求進行銷售。�生 由2008年起沒有銷售投連險產品。迷你倉庫

東亞銀行（023）月初公布的中期業績有驚喜，迷你倉可惜股價卻未有大升，皆因大行大多認為東亞各項盈利指標下半年有下行風險。東亞自上月開始就進入上升軌，現時仍在超買區，有證券商認為，該股相對同業並不特別便宜，短期料在28至31元之間上落，只宜炒波幅 。東亞銀行截至今年6月底止半年，純利33.76億元，增加12.99%，未有出現市場預期的盈利下跌。不過，由於去年底東亞配售集資，每股盈利遭攤薄，只有1.43元，增長5.9%，中期息維持43仙，派息率由32%降至30%。　　東亞期內的淨利息收入增加22.6%，至56.64億元，東亞指出，主要受惠客戶墊款增加，以及淨息差擴闊。淨息差為1.83%，擴闊20個點子，按半年則擴闊13個點子。東亞內地業務淨息差亦較去年底擴闊8個點子，至2.11%。期內客戶墊款總額升9.3%，至3832.4億元，客戶存款總額則跌0.1%，至4980.26億元，貸存比率由去年底66.7%急升至71.4%；貸款減值損失大升45.6%，至1.82億元，減值貸款比率由0.32%，升至0.38%。淨息差料受壓　　東亞指，下半年將專注發展跨境銀行業務。期內東亞內地業務減值貸款比率，由去年底0.27%增至0.43%，顯示資產質素轉差。管理層表示，該比率遠低於整體市場的0.96%，減值貸款主要來自浙江和福建，現已全數撥備。截至期末文件倉東亞在巴塞爾協定III下的一級資本充足比率，由去年底10.7%升至11.2%。　　巴克萊報告指，東亞上半年業績強勁，但淨息差、貸款增長和資產質素有下行風險，重申該股「減持」評級，目標價由27元微升至28元。該行指，東亞上半年淨息差擴闊，主因貸款增長快於存款增長，預料未來淨息差會受壓，因內地資金若仍然緊張，會令銀行存款競爭激烈；加上內地經濟放緩，東亞審批貸款會漸趨謹慎。巴克萊續指，雖然上半年東亞內地減值貸款比率升幅溫和，但隨�經濟放緩，該比率會繼續惡化，管理層指最壞情況下會升至1%。花旗目標價33元　　花旗則給予東亞「中性」評級，目標價33元。該行指，東亞上半年業績佳，主要是因為淨利息收入強勁，跨境業務令淨息差擴闊；而其貸款主要由中港跨境貸款帶動，6月內地拆息抽高時，貿易融資急升，東亞受惠程度高於該行預期，同業業務增長，抵銷了去年人民銀行對貸款定價的影響。專家評介東亞中期盈利勝預期，股價造好，不過由於貸款增長可能放慢，同時本地銀行競爭激烈，將令淨息差受壓。基於現價與同業比較並不特別便宜，估計在28至31元之間上落機會較大，投資建議偏向中性，可在波動區間高沽低買。東亞上半年息差擴闊，盈利表現較預期佳，貸款增長快，惟要留意貸款質素有轉壞情況，信貸成本於未來或會較高。技術走勢短�有走強�象，可小注吸納，目標32元，止蝕設於28元。存倉

本報記者 汪敏華工資一張卡，自存倉獎金一張卡，交通補貼一張卡，通訊費一張卡……有數據顯示：全國人均銀行卡達2.64張，上海比例更高，人均超過3張銀行卡。與其將手頭的資金分散在各個銀行，不如選擇一家銀行集中存放，榮升為這家銀行的貴賓客戶。一張白金借記卡甚而是鑽石借記卡，可是會給你省錢的哦。節省的小錢並不少楊女士的工資卡是浦發銀行的，但她辦公樓下的大廳里卻安裝著另一家銀行的ATM。上個月為了裝修房子需要取現10萬元，天太熱懶得跑，她便在樓下的ATM上取款，這家銀行的ATM每次取款最多3000元，一天最多取款2萬元。她連續5天總共操作了30多次。銀行對賬單寄來後，她不由得吃了一驚：跨行取款手續費一次2元，10萬元取款花了60多元手續費。這讓楊女士一陣肉痛：夠買幾塊瓷磚的啊。楊女士把過往的對賬單都找了出來，發現每個月她都要被銀行扣掉一些手續費：每月通過網上銀行跨行給外地的媽媽銀行卡里匯1000元，手續費 2元；每月給正在讀大學的兒子的招商銀行卡匯2000元，手續費2元；每3個月給房東的光大銀行卡匯租金1.5萬元，手續費10元。她還喜歡把老公銀行卡里的錢跨行劃到自己的卡上以便統籌理財，每月至少也要付2元手續費。平均每個月光跨行匯款手續費就要 10來元。自從買房裝修後，由於隔三岔五要把材料費通過網上銀行或ATM匯款給材料商、裝修隊，手續費大大增加，上個月超過了100元。裝修過新房的人都有體會，恨不得一塊錢掰成五塊花，100元馬上就會幻化成各種建材：近1個多平方的瓷磚或一卷牆紙或半個平方地板……楊女士心疼得肝顫。有沒有辦法省下微不足道但積少成多的手續費？辦法很簡單：楊女士自己有3張不同的銀行卡，老公也有3張不同的銀行卡，每張卡上的資金少則幾萬，多則二三十萬，這點數額的銀行卡享受不到銀行的費率優惠，但如果她把6張銀行卡上的零散資金匯集到她最常用的一張銀行卡上，比如浦發銀行卡，只要各類資產如基金、理財產品、第三方存管資金等每月日均達到30萬元人民幣，就可以成為浦發銀行白金卡客戶，跨行匯款手續費就打對折。如果各類資產如基金、理財產品、第三方存管資金等每月日均達到100萬元，就可以享受鑽石貴賓待遇，跨行匯款手續費全免。辦一張會省錢的銀行卡，門檻有高有低，光大銀行最低的賬戶金額只要10萬元，被稱做潛力客戶，在ATM上跨行存取款免收手續費；資產達50萬元被稱為優質客戶，ATM跨行/異地存取款免費、網銀跨行匯款也免費。資產達100萬元以上被稱做鑽石客戶，銀行服務的基本費用可以全免。額外的服務也貼心方先生開車至位於奉賢的大學校區接女兒，抵達校區後，發現車輛出現故障而無法�動。當時已是晚上十點多，就近的車輛維修點已結束營業，只能叫拖車把車拉到汽車維修廠，按照一般行情，費用得數百元。方先生忽然想起自己申辦過一張上海銀行的慧通白金借記卡，於是撥打了上海銀行VIP服務熱線。在簡短的詢問後，服務人員請方先生耐心等待，將有道路救援專業人員抵達現場給予幫助。約40分鐘後，技術人員到達現場，立刻對方先生的車輛展開檢測工作，發現在現場暫無法排除故障,於是專業人員用拖車將故障車輛送至方先生指定的汽車維修廠，並隨行將方先生和其女兒送回了上海市區。方先生特別留意到，整個過程中不僅檢測、拖車等費用免費，途經高速公路產生的收費也沒有向他收取。擁有一張會省錢的銀行借記卡，能享受到不少銀行提供的增值服務。比如上海銀行提供的全程出行貴賓禮遇包括周全的出行保障,提供24小時全國範圍迷你倉新蒲崗的道路救援服務（包括諸如規定公里數內無限次緊急拖車、無限次現場維修和緊急送油等救援服務）;提供酒後代駕和商務代駕服務滿足貴賓客戶商務應酬的需求;提供代辦車輛年檢、優惠租車等全程服務。上海銀行白金借記卡客戶還能在上海浦東和虹橋兩大機場享受全程貴賓登機服務,有專人協助辦理登機手續、引導快速通過安檢、免費享受貴賓休息室、登機提醒等貴賓禮遇等。光大銀行鑽石客戶憑銀行贈送的積分，可享用機場貴賓專用休息室候機服務。還有包括健康咨詢、專家預約、健康體檢、中醫調理在內的一攬子健康關愛服務，在全國近40個城市的300多家三級甲等醫院提供專家預約服務，有專業的客服人員幫助客戶確定最合適的醫院和醫生，並提醒診前注意事項，同時提供專業的全程陪同就醫，協助客戶在醫院就診順利，並在診後為客戶作醫後隨訪。親情服務則包括寄送對賬單、贈送生日賀卡、節日祝福、 根據網點具體情況向黃金、白金VIP客戶提供車位預留服務等；還接受貴賓客戶委托，代理或幫助客戶處理與個人財務有關的特殊服務，如存單、產權證書等貴重單證的代保管；提供國債發行、基金髮行、國債兌付、存款到期、貸款到期、利率調整、匯款到賬、信用卡到期換卡等提醒服務、新業務新服務的開辦通知等。浦發銀行的卓信貴賓“鑽石卡”持卡人可以享受國內汽車道路救援服務、緊急醫療救援服務，包括無限次免費百公里拖車和路邊快修、自駕游線路和信息查詢、緊急醫療援助和咨詢；也可享用國際旅行援助服務，包括出境遊行程安排和信息查詢、行李護照遺失援助、電話翻譯。通過銀行客服可預訂全國60多家高爾夫練習場和高爾夫球場的免費擊球服務。鏈接信用卡也有省錢招最受歡迎的信用卡省錢表現在2個方面，一是購物打折。在樂購、世紀聯華等大型超市，持交通銀行信用卡單筆消費一定數額後，即可享受該筆交易5%刷卡金獎勵。二是加油打折，一些銀行規定，每周五到指定加油站刷卡加油，單筆滿200元即可享受5％的返現，一個月最多可返現100元。信用卡省錢招應時應景，浦發銀行近日推出“旅行愛升級”活動，為浦發信用卡持卡人提供100多家指定酒店房型免費升級服務。這些酒店大多是四、五星級高檔酒店，遍佈于北京、上海、廣州、西安、青島、三亞、九寨溝等20多個城市和景區。信用卡最新的省錢招是為境外遊客戶節省貨幣兌換費。傳統的雙幣信用卡在境外刷卡時會碰到刷卡貨幣和賬戶貨幣不一致的情況，因此在不同貨幣間轉換就會產生一定的貨幣兌換費。中國銀行聯合國際卡組織Visa公司共同發佈了長城 “全幣種”國際芯片卡，即可免除貨幣轉換費，並能處理所有幣種的交易需求。對於沒有美元等外匯的客戶來說，開通此卡特設的全球交易單一人民幣還款功能後，無論在何地消費，回國後均可直接用人民幣還款，免除購匯手續。除中行外，工行和農行也紛紛參與競爭，工行推出的多幣種信用卡可以滿足持卡人刷卡支付10個幣種的需求，具體包括人民幣、美元、歐元、港元、英鎊、日元、新加坡元、加拿大元、澳大利亞元、瑞士法郎和新西蘭元。持卡人在境外消費時，透支金額會以當地貨幣直接計入對應賬戶，因此沒有任何貨幣轉換的過程。而農行推出的金穗悠遊世界信用卡雖然只有人民幣和歐元兩個賬戶，但持卡人在境外刷卡使用銀聯通道時，透支金額會直接轉換為人民幣計入賬戶；而使用萬事達通道時，透支金額會由當地貨幣轉換為歐元計入賬戶，但是農行方面規定該卡對持卡人實行免收貨幣轉換費的政策，因此該卡也相當於是全幣種信用卡。網銀匯款手續費(詳情參見版面)ATM手續費(詳情參見版面)迷你倉出租

國泰世華銀行財富管理屢獲肯定，自存倉除了勇奪2013年今周刊財富管理銀行客戶滿意度調查「理財專員滿意度」調查第一名外，更榮獲今周刊第七屆財富管理評鑑「最佳風控」及「最佳商品」等十多項大獎。國泰世華銀行由客戶最關心的角度出發，以重視客戶資產與服務為目標，所以每年的客戶數與管理總資產皆呈二位數成長，獲得廣大客群與專業機構的肯定。獲得「財富管理銀行滿意度」調查第一名及「財富管理評鑑」十多項大獎的國泰世華銀行，為了提供財管客戶全方位的理財服務，成立「投資研究團隊」，以客觀、迷你倉新蒲崗業的角度，提供金融市場研究與分析。針對客戶的投資行為，則加強風險控管。國泰世華銀行創業界先例，由理財業務主管針對特定金額以上的交易於事後進行客戶電訪。建構從上游「投研團隊分析預測」、中段「系統自動化管理」，至下游「理專針對各客戶提供調整建議」，形成一道嚴謹且有效率的風控作業流程，為客戶做好資產管理。國泰今年更正式成立「國泰財富管理金融學院」，提供理專全方位的進修需求，國泰世華銀行榮獲「理財專員滿意度」調查第一名，證明其優秀的財富管理團隊，深獲財管客戶的信賴與支持。迷你倉出租

The best annual reports go beyond ticking the mandatory boxes, reports TEH SHI NINGSHAREHOLDERS are now curious about more than the financial results and ratios of the company they invest in.自存倉 They want to know about the company's leaders - and how they are paid. They want a candid assessment of long-term plans and prospects. And increasingly, they want to know about the environmental and social aspects of the company's operations.Prizing the annual report as an important means of putting such information into investors' hands is a common reason why the listed companies with the best annual reports in Singapore choose to go beyond ticking the mandatory boxes."We view it as a strategic document, not merely as a statutory requirement. We recognise that this is a document for our shareholders and as shareholders, they have the right to know and understand our business," says Sidney Chew, executive chairman and managing director of specialty chemicals firm MegaChem Ltd, one of the smaller-cap winners of this year's Best Annual Report award at the Singapore Corporate Awards.This means including details which the company is not obliged to disclose but which are of interest to shareholders. For instance, ST Engineering now publishes its productivity savings and customer satisfaction rates in its annual report.Other large companies such as Sembcorp Marine and Keppel Corporation have led the way in sustainability reporting in particular. Both report on various social, economic and environmental indicators in line with the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines. In fact, Keppel Corporation produces a standalone GRI-compliant sustainability report too.Such sustainability reporting allows Sembcorp Marine shareholders, for instance, to learn how the company manages energy, water, air qu迷你倉新蒲崗lity and materials usage.If the annual report is meant to serve its readers, being reader-friendly is key. Hence, while a "letter to the shareholders" or an overview is common in many annual reports, some companies - from Keppel to the much smaller OKP Holdings - have adopted a more accessible question-and-answer format for an interview with their respective CEOs.Design and layout can make readers' search for information easier too. "The strategic use of illustrations, graphics and charts helps to present complex data in a more easily understood and compelling way. When used sparingly, these not only help to grab readers' attention but also help focus them on key information," says Wang Look Fung, director of group corporate affairs, Keppel Corporation. Keppel Telecommunications and Transportation and Keppel Reit picked up awards for their annual reports as well.Companies are also responding to the growing number of investors who prefer to access annual reports electronically. Keppel added more intuitive flash menus to the CDs it distributes to shareholders, while Mega-Chem uses a flip-book format for easier navigation of its digital version. It also plans to make its digital annual report more interactive, by adding videos.The annual report can also serve as a form of branding and marketing. "As the annual report is usually one of the first impressions a potential investor gets, a good quality report speaks highly of the company behind it," says Del Monte Pacific chief financial officer Ignacio Sison.But meeting the rising demand for more disclosure can be a deft tightrope walk. "We try to maintain a balance between additional voluntary disclosure that lends insight to our business and the need for business confidentiality in a highly competitive environment," says Mr Chew.迷你倉出租

Source: Albuquerque Journal, N.迷你倉沙田M.Aug. 11--Cricket employee Pete Cordova said AT&T's planned acquisition of Cricket parent firm Leap Wireless International could help the low-cost carrier expand its services.AT&T announced its intention in mid-July to buy Leap Wireless in a $4 billion deal that would transfer all Cricket's assets and its estimated 5 million subscribers to the telecom giant. AT&T says the acquisition will allow it to "jump start" expansion into the prepaid wireless market that Cricket has helped pioneer since launching in the late 1990s.Cricket, based in San Diego, has carved a niche for itself in 35 states -- including New Mexico -- by offering an affordable, flat-rate wireless alternative for customers who pay upfront for unlimited anytime voice minutes and other mobile services.The trade-off is limited wireless access outside of urban areas like Albuquerque and fewer technology choices, said Cordova, a longtime Cricket subscriber who recently became a customer service representative at Cricket's Uptown corporate store near the Coronado Mall."I like it," Cordova said of the AT&T acquisition. "Hopefully, it will help with our coverage around the metro area and expand our coverage nationwide."That's one of the central selling points touted by AT&T as it seeks public support for the deal, which must be approved by the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice.AT&T spokesman Brad Burns said the combined company will have the scale and resources needed to better compete against other major national providers for consumers seeking low-cost, prepaid wireless plans."The result will be increased competition, better device choices, improved customer care and a significantly enhanced mobile Internet experience for consumers," Burns said in an email to the Journal .But industry analysts say it's just the latest in a steady stream of moves by large companies to acquire smaller competitors as they battle for control of the U.S. wireless market. Rather than increase competition, they say, such moves are further consolidating wireless services in the hands of just four companies -- AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and Sprint.The big four"This trend has been going on for several years, but now it's absolutely apparent that the U.S. market is consolidating into four major players and that everyone else will be snapped up by them at some point," said Jan Dawson, chief telecoms analyst at the international research firm Ovum."That means fewer options to choose from than previously, because until recently there were many smaller, regional carriers, some of which offered value and services that the big companies didn't."The four giants already control about 90 percent of the market, with the two top firms --Verizon Wireless and AT&T -- holding about 70 percent. Together, Verizon and AT&T have a little more than 200 million retail subscribers, although Verizon is slightly ahead of AT&T. Sprint trails in third place with 55 million subscribers, and T-Mobile in fourth with 43 million.Now, however, the 10 percent market share held by smaller regional carriers like Cricket is shrinking. That's because the big guys are buying them up to capture more subscribers in market segments that they ignored before, such as the prepaid arena, while in the process acquiring more spectrum -- the radio airwaves that connect mobile devices -- to add bandwidth for expansion and service improvement.Earlier this year, T-Mobile acquired Texas-based MetroPCS Communications for $1.5 billion. And in July, Sprint bought out Clearwire Corp. for $3.迷你倉價錢 billion.Dawson said the large companies are targeting the prepaid market now because it's the fastest-growing consumer segment. That's because the higher-end consumer base is fairly saturated, locking the giants into a competitive scramble to pull subscribers away from each other.But there's still room for expansion among lower-income groups and among consumers who prefer the flexibility of nocontract prepaid plans."The prepaid market used to be seen as the 'poor alternative' for people who couldn't get credit," Dawson said. "But now many consumers see it as a choice, because it offers the ability to change carriers or phones more quickly while providing greater spending flexibility up or down depending on monthly budgets. Some just see more value in it."Market growingThe prepaid segment grew from about 10 percent of the market a few years ago to 22 percent in 2012, and Ovum projects it will reach 29 percent by the end of 2017, Dawson said.But as the big players jockey for prepaid market share, the smaller companies don't have the resources to compete."The regional carriers grew by targeting that space when the larger players were not, but now with the industry consolidation that we're seeing, the major carriers are taking over both the pre- and postpaid segments of the market," Dawson said. "For regional carriers like Cricket, it's harder and harder to compete as large carriers invade their turf."Indeed, Cricket spokesman Greg Lund said the merger made sense for his company given AT&T's financial might.AT&T has said it will retain the Cricket brand name, continue to operate through Cricket's existing distribution channels and expand Cricket's presence to additional U.S. cities."This gives Cricket its best long-term opportunity for success," Lund said.On the other hand, market consolidation eventually could eclipse consumer benefits, since low-cost, prepaid services are less profitable for the big carriers than traditional contracts, said Toni Toikka, president of the Finnish mobile diagnostics firm Alekstra Inc.Over time, that could lead to upward pressure on prices and renewed efforts to push customers into contracts."I believe that could happen and customers will suffer," Toikka said.For now, robust competition among the four big players is still driving them to offer better devices with more flexible service plans and prices."It's still a very competitive market," said Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Jenny Weaver. "Customers still have a lot of choices and options, and we have to earn their business every day."But in good part, those dynamics are driven by competitive challenges from T-Mobile and Sprint, which are aggressively fighting for market share, something they may not be able to sustain in the long-term."Those companies are not as strong as AT&T and Verizon Wireless, and I don't believe they can keep pushing prices down," Toikka said. "Eventually, I believe we'll see (the big carriers) move to more brandbased marketing that will be based less on competitive pricing and more on simply demonstrating distinctions in what they offer."In the meantime, however, the battle for market share is still raging among the big four."The smaller regional players like Cricket are steadily disappearing," Toikka said. "That's the trend, and it's an unfortunate development. But it's still a very competitive time in the wireless industry, and the market is benefitting."Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) Visit the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) at .abqjournal.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉庫

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By Ed Zhang ( China Daily) When the Politburo makes a pledge, no one can have any doubt that it means business.儲存倉 Capital markets have reacted positively since the Politburo meeting at the end of last month, chaired by President Xi Jinping, said China would maintain its economic growth over the second half of the year to achieve its annual target of 7.5 percent from last year.The bottom line is clear: The 7.5 percent target must be met, even though a slowdown from the previous double-digit growth is accepted, and to some extent welcomed in squeezing out overcapacity in some industries. To hold up the bottom line, some micro-incentives are on offer, most noticeably the central government's investment packages on reducing air pollution and modernizing railways in central and West China.This being the case, investors must be clear that China's growth in the second half of this year will not match earlier growth. Nationally, that will happen in just a few industries. At the provincial level, other than in industries encouraged by national policies, growth will come mainly from services.This is not all dictated by policies formulated in Beijing, but first and foremost by supply and demand in the marketplace. The kind of growth led by large manufacturing has run into hurdles in many ways. However, it seems that not all provinces have realized the inevitability of change or are learning to adapt.Some may still be nursing the hope that once a recovery begins, demand for essentially the same products will start to rise again.Soon enough, investors will see two types of economy in all provinces and provincial level entities: those driven by services and those shackled to old industries.Until next year and, in all likelihood, over the next few years, the service provinces are goin迷你倉沙田 to develop much more quickly and be the beneficiaries of many more central government incentives than the old-industry provinces. The service provinces are also likely to produce more interesting listed companies and initial public offerings.Looking at growth in the first half of this year, a trend can already be discerned. In Shanghai, where gross domestic product grew 7.7 percent year-on-year, its service industries grew 9.6 percent, even though the city's foreign trade declined 3.7 percent.Services accounted for 61.7 percent of Shanghai's economy in the first half. Municipal officials appeared particularly proud when they reported that although growth in the overall retail sector was meager, turnover in online retail grew 57.4 percent.In Beijing, thanks to its many government offices and research institutions, services accounted for 76.4 percent of the economy in the first half of this year.Reports from other provincial-level divisions are not so clear-cut. In Guangdong province, services accounted for 46.6 percent of GDP in the first half of this year, compared with 46.2 percent last year and 43.3 percent in 2007.In Zhejiang, services were to the fore in its sector-by-sector breakdown in fixed-asset investment. Manufacturing grew 18.3 percent, falling 1.2 percentage points compared with a year ago, while the tertiary industry grew 22.6 percent, 0.6 of a percentage point up compared with a year ago. This is where services will eventually catch up.By contrast, in Hebei, a province that reportedly produces more steel than the entire United States, industry accounts for 55 percent of GDP and services just 34.6 percent. This is a typical of a place dominated by old industries.The author is editor-at-large of China Daily. Contact the writer at edzhang@chinadaily.com.cn.迷你倉價錢

DEALING with investors in an age when activism and information channels are increasing can be a challenge for even the best companies.迷你倉出租Four winners in the 2013 Singapore Corporate Awards "Best Investor Relations" category shared with The Business Times how they help investors to understand their companies better.BT: How does your company help investors to understand your business better beyond minimum reporting requirements?Chow Kam Wing: When preparing announcements, we look at it from the perspective of shareholders, analysts and investors so that we can identify their information needs and enhance the value of our disclosure... From an internal viewpoint, a high level of transparency is critical as it enables our people at all levels to make better business decisions that will lead to the group's long-term growth and profitability.Pang Hee Hon: The company's senior management holds face-to-face meetings and conference calls for the investing community to better communicate Keppel T&T's business strategy, outlook and performance... Keppel T&T has been publishing its own Sustainability Report in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework since 2011. The report discloses our sustainability strategy as well as our economic, environmental and social performance.Daniel Cerf: We value face-to-face meetings and appreciate that these encounters with management greatly assist investors in gaining knowledge about the Reit and the people behind it. Investors can directly contact the IR manager by telephone, through email at the company's address or via the Cache web portal. Cache adheres to strict internal policies to do with maximum response speed to investor queries.Jeannie Ong: Approachability is the badge of StarHub's IR team. We are proactive in communicating our position on a number of key concerns and issues, and ensuring that an accurate portrayal of the company's performance is consistently and constantly provided.We are particularly proud of our StarHub Investors Technology Day. We partnered with Goldman Sachs & JP Morgan on separate occasions, inviting their clients to our premises to check out the latest technologies that the company is using to maintain our market leadership.BT: Given the trend in increasing shareholder activism in Singapore, what challenges does that present for a company's investor relations strategy, and how are those challenges met?Daniel: Investors are now better informed about the companies they invest in. This stimulates interesting dialogue and means that the Reit Manager needs to be well-prepared to deal with challenging questions... Few can disagree that by understanding shareholder concerns, increasing engagement and professionally presenting proposals in advance, one can better the chance of success of an approval at a shareho儲存倉der meeting.Jeannie: To help us better understand our interactions with these analysts and fund managers, and also their opinions, views and sentiments, we engage a third-party research firm to conduct extensive qualitative and quantitative interviews with targeted and critical fund managers and analysts. The research firm's approach is to elicit open and honest sharing with regard to respondents' views, comments, insights and criticism of the company. With these we can streamline and improve our overall IR approach.Kam Wing: We believe that an increasing level of shareholder activism is healthy for the market as it shows that investors are taking a greater interest to understand the companies that they invest into... In fact, we actively encourage our shareholders to attend our annual general meetings and interact with our directors and management. Hence, we select venues for our AGMs that are convenient and accessible in a central area and close to MRT stations.BT: With the proliferation of online forums, how can companies keep track and exert some influence over the message that investors get about their business?Daniel: Cache regularly visits online forums and investing websites such as Singapore Reits and A Young Investor's Diary to gain a sense of what the investment community is saying about the Reit and other Reits. If the message being delivered has inaccuracies, the Reit manager will contact the forum moderator or website owner to clarify and seek to have the correct information disseminated accordingly.Hee Hon: While we cannot comment on rumours, we provide easy access for shareholders to verify information directly with us through platforms such as the AGM, investor meetings, phone calls and emails. We also make it a point to ensure that our disclosure at meetings and across our established communications channels is kept in line with public information.Kam Wing: From the forums, companies could possibly track investors' areas of concerns or interest, and then address these more adequately in their disclosures to the public. However, if there are significant factual errors that could lead to market misperceptions or speculation on the shares, companies may have to consider addressing the respective forum posting through a filing on the SGX's website to avoid a perpetuation of the errors and ensure fairness of information access.Jeannie: When it comes to social media, there is no beating it or running from it. As with all other avenues of engagement, StarHub chooses to embrace social media by creating our own official platforms to facilitate healthy discussions for investors. To help guide discussions on more positive threads and also to disseminate relevant information in a timely manner, StarHub has employed FaceBook and Twitter; we have even created a community page.迷你倉沙田

Source: The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash.儲存Aug. 11--Jennie Kennedy cannot wait to hug you. You'd better just submit.Some people do wish she'd cool it a little, but that's not going to happen. Others, such as the parishioners at St. Mary of Guadalupe church north of Ridgefield, where Kennedy serves as irrepressible greeter, feel neglected if they don't get some Jennie love on a regular basis. "I haven't got my hug today," they'll cheerfully complain."I see how Jennie touches other people's lives all the time, in a way I never could," said her mother, Sue. "There isn't anybody who isn't her new best friend."A long-standing best friend of the Kennedys, and thousands of others who struggle with disabilities and disadvantages of all sorts, is Innovative Services NW. The nonprofit agency, which began as a grass-roots support group for parents and grew into one of Clark County's most multifaceted human service providers, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.As the venerated Arc of Southwest Washington has dwindled in recent years, losing public funding and increasingly relying on peer and parent support and clothing resale revenues, Innovative Services has expanded into the niche of providing professional services to children and others in need. It has the county's largest pediatric therapy clinic and contracts with all public school districts and Clark County to provide early intervention for children who exhibit developmental delays, disabilities and other diagnosed conditions, from autism to traumatic brain injury.There's no cost for these services if you qualify. The agency also takes private insurance, Medicaid and fees for services. At age 3, many children transition to public special education services -- but some prefer to stick with Innovative.There's also an on-site childcare center that's open to all children, birth to age 12, whether or not they're developing typically. Capacity is 91 children; 20 percent have special needs, and 72 percent are low income.Innovative's services are potentially lifelong. It is deeply involved in local foster care, recruiting foster families and providing help for foster children who need intensive case management, supervising visits between noncustodial parents and children, and providing support for young adults who are aging out of the foster care system.And, for adults, Innovative runs both day care and a supported-employment program -- providing training and on-the-job supervision for eager people who need help to pull down a paycheck. Innovative's janitorial services program dispatches working clients to as many as 32 customers in 74 buildings throughout Clark County.They include Jennie Kennedy, who is 42 years old but has the mind of a 3-year old, according to her mom, and who works a handful of hours per week as a janitor for the county and for Innovative itself. She's known as a master of the cheerful broom at work -- and the effusive, slightly intrusive greeting at church and everywhere else she goes."People are so generous withher, and allowing her to invade their space," tittered Sue. "At church, people see God in her."Parent powerJennie's life could easily have taken a turn for the anonymously tragic.Jennie was born in 1970 and was "too good a baby," Sue recalled. Too placid, too compliant. The label for such children at that time was "retarded," and it was generally assumed that they would wind up institutionalized. It's better that way, parents were assured -- by their very own doctors. Just don't get too connected."You have all kinds of emotions when you learn that your child isn't normal," said Sue Kennedy. "For one thing, you know you're not qualified to give the child everything she needs." The combination of physical and mental challenge and sheer tedium can be too much for any parent, she said.But a couple of doctors proved more enlightened than the times; they advised Sue to get help rather than lock Jennie away. And other parents assured Sue that raising such a child would be "a deviation from your dreams, but it doesn't mean life can't be good."So, when Jennie was 2, Sue enrolled her in the Clark Care and Development Center, which had started in 1963 as a parents' club."It was a new field then," said Sue, and there wasn't much research pointing the way toward treatment and training for people like Jennie.The teachers practically made it up as then went along, she said; what they lacked in resources, they more than made up for in love and dedication."You don't go into this field for the pay and benefits," she said.Sue drove Jennie down to the site on Fourth Plain Boulevard every day in a "big green van" that became her signature and her way of life; along the way, she picked up other kids headed for what they called Clark Care. She'd return at the end of the day to proud smiles from Jennie and her teachers alike: "Look what Jennie can do now!"Sue wound up spending 25 years on the board of what became Innovative Services NW; she also helped build special education programs in Vancouver Public Schools."It was very empowering," she said. "Wh新蒲崗迷你倉n you volunteer as a parent, you're not just helping your own child. You're helping this whole community."Getting involved with Innovative Services "did as much for me as it did for Jennie," she said.Creatively custodialJennie stayed in special education classes at Vancouver Public Schools through her early 20s, Sue said; then she went back to spending her days with Clark Care and its "sheltered" workshop, which kept developmentally delayed clients occupied with busywork. But attitudes were changing, and laws eventually followed; it was decided that "these folks needed to be out in the community," Sue said. The sheltered workshop shut down, and Innovative lived up to its new name by "getting creative," Sue said: it launched a supported job-placement and custodial service.Jennie now works for pay in the early evenings three days a week. Her skills will always be rudimentary, Sue said: she sweeps and empties wastebaskets while monitored by a job coach. Nine Innovative clients currently do this work. The agency bids for contracts like any other company, according to development and marketing director Kathy Deschner."Sometimes that leaves a very small margin for us," she said."But you'll never find a happier group of workers," added spokeswoman Susan Veneruso.Employers who are willing to take a risk on this crew are amply rewarded, she said, with enthusiasm from people who are thrilled to have somewhere to go, something to do and some money to make. Innovative employees are paid market wages for their work.So are higher-functioning Innovative clients who work for employers such as Burgerville, C-Tran, New Seasons Market and the Pythian Home retirement community. Those folks are individually placed and also supervised by a job coach. Deschner said Innovative is always looking for employers willing to try the arrangement. For people who aren't ready for paid employment, Veneruso added, their are similarly supervised volunteer gigs.Sue said Jennie uses some of her pay to do things she likes to do -- such as go on bowling outings to Big Al's and work out at the Marshall Center. In June, Jennie went with a local group to a conference on supported employment in Ellensburg and "had a wonderful time," Sue said. "The things she is able to do in her life, now, are just amazing."Taught to teachInnovative's mission, Veneruso pointed out, is making sure people reach their fullest potential. Plenty of parents "walk through the door with no hope and no idea" what's wrong with their children, she said. Early therapy and training can make a world of difference.For example, there's little Mason Nelson. He's another "failure to thrive" baby whose parents discovered Innovative when he was 6 months old. His mom, Kristen, said Innovative's therapist "taught us how to teach him" -- that is, how to build his muscles and stimulate his senses -- and helped select the right toys and foods for the delayed little boy, whose body doesn't produce any saliva. That makes eating and swallowing a challenge.Mason progressed slowly -- learning to crawl, to sit up, to feed himself -- thanks to weekly in-home occupational therapy visits; at one year the Nelsons started taking Mason to Innovative's building near Westfield Vancouver mall for physical therapy, too. He did so well that his parents decided to stick with Innovative even as Mason also made the regular transition to public preschool at age 3.But there was never any diagnosis for Mason's situation until he was nearly 31/2 years old: Angelman syndrome. That's a rare genetic neurological disorder that results in severe developmental delay and seizures -- and, oddly, a happy, laughing demeanor. It resembles and is often misdiagnosed as cerebral palsy, Kristen said.When The Columbian visited the Nelson home in Brush Prairie, Mason beamed as he hung onto furniture and grappled his way around the room. He doesn't speak but can understand what's said; at age 4, he "plays like a 1 to 2 year old," Kristen said. His younger brother, 2-year-old Matt, is an excellent peer influence and challenger for him, she said, spurring him to more ambitious play and imitation.The diagnosis was a tremendous relief, because "everything finally lined up," she said -- but it also means that Mason will always need therapy and basic care. Angelman is so rare -- estimated at one in 15,000 births -- there's no local support group specifically for it, Kristen said. (There is an Angelman Syndrome Foundation, based in Aurora, Ill., at .angelman.org).But there is the community that's grown up around Innovative, she added. "We have met so many people I never would have met," she said. "I know Mason has touched them and we've been touched by them. Everybody knows everybody and it's just a warm place to be. Innovative is really a part of our family now."Scott Hewitt: 360-735-4525; scott.hewitt@columbian.com; facebook.com/reporterhewitt; twitter.com/col_nonprofits.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Columbian (Vancouver, Wash.) Visit The Columbian (Vancouver, Wash.) at .columbian.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesmini storage

Source: Tulsa World, Okla.self storageAug. 11--ISSUE WATCHThe issue: Talking taxesWhat a fun week it was to watch the city of Tulsa and Tulsa County push forward on their proposed capital improvements packages.The city is in the midst of selling its $919.9 million package, and County Commissioner Karen Keith and Sheriff Stanley Glanz are behind a voter initiative that would place a 0.167 percent criminal justice sales tax on the Nov. 12 ballot.That's the same day city voters are expected to go to the polls to vote on the city's proposal, which includes its own 0.167 percent sales tax.So Mayor Dewey Bartlett has initiated informal meetings with county commissioners, the sheriff and city councilors to keep the potential of competing tax packages from turning into a city/county donnybrook.Last week, Glanz, Bartlett, Keith and Councilors G.T. Bynum and David Patrick sat down to talk. Oh, and Ron Peters was there, too. Peters, a former state legislator, is running for the vacant Tulsa County District 3 seat. The election is not until Tuesday.So what was he doing there?"Commissioner Keith invited me," he said.It turns out there's another nonelected official with an interest in the talks -- former Mayoral Chief of Staff Terry Simonson.Simonson, who worked for Bartlett, said he offered to help facilitate the talks because he's also worked at the county.And then there is Susan Savage. Former Mayor Susan Savage.She's not part of the city/county talks, but she has expressed concern about the county's ballot initiative in the form of an Aug. 7 email to county commissioners. Bartlett, Glanz and councilors were copied on the email.It reads, in part: "The manner in which this initiative petition has been presented for public support falls below any standard for comprehensive community planning, citizen engagement, and good public policy. What is the rush to achieve a vote? Where is the analysis for a permanent sales tax as a necessary and effective revenue source? What opportunities are being missed with this race to the ballot to potentially leverage state and federal assistance for programs related to mental health, diversion, and local alternatives to incarceration?"Thank you for your time and consideration."No, thank you, politicos.- KEVIN CANFIELD, World Staff WriterQUOTABLE"Tate Brady did not save our nation from tyranny or write the Declaration of Independence."- City Councilor G.T. Bynum, countering the argument that removing Tate Brady's name from Brady Street would lead to other name changes, during Thursday's council meeting"The Brady District is not going to die if we take the name off the street."- City Councilor Jack Henderson, discussing a proposal to rename Brady Street, during Thursday's council meetingFROM TWITTERTweets from city officials and World staff writers Kevin Canfield (@KevinCanfieldTW) and Zack Stoycoff (@ZackStoycoffTW)"Tulsans, no matter what side of the issue you're on, tonight's Council meeting is an incredible discussion on our racial past #renamebrady."- City Councilor Blake Ewing @Blake_Ewing"It's going to be a long drive back from the Rockies for @phlakin."- City Councilor G.T. Bynum @gtbynum"This (Brady Street discussion) is the most emotional council debate I've seen. Incredible."- City Hall Reporter Zack Stoycoff @ZackStoycoffTW"Speaker at City Council Brady Street hearing: "I don't want my city to honor one of my oppressors."- City Hall Reporter Kevin Canfield @KevinCanfieldTWLOOKING BACKBrady Street: City councilors voted Thursday to postpone for one week a vote to rename Brady Street to Burlington Street to allow Councilor Phil Lakin to return from vacation and cast the deciding vote.Councilor Jack Henderson asked for the continuance after it became clear that the council was deadlocked on the issue. Under council rules, a tie vote would hav迷你倉 been counted as a "no" vote.After hearing from dozens of residents, Councilors Henderson, Skip Steele, G.T. Bynum and Blake Ewing expressed their support for the name change. Councilors Jeannie Cue, Karen Gilbert, David Patrick and Arianna Moore said they intended to vote against it.The council's action marks the culmination of nearly three months of public debate over whether a city street should be named for someone who was once a Ku Klux Klan member.Brady Street is named after Wyatt "Tate" Brady, an early Tulsa businessman and one of the signers of Tulsa's papers of incorporation. Brady acknowledged his membership in the Klan in 1923. By that time, he had left the organization over political differences.Green waste: The city has hauled residential yard waste exclusively to its trash incinerator almost since the beginning of the new trash system but still charges customers for separate green waste service, officials confirmed Tuesday.Trash officials said they decided in January to take all yard waste to the Covanta Energy incinerator plant like regular garbage because the city's mulching plant could not remove the plastic bags in which residents are asked to place the material.The city has continued requiring residents to affix those bags with a 50-cent "green waste" sticker and charges every trash customer a $1.09 monthly green waste fee, saying it still provides the service of collecting an unwanted material.Mayor Dewey Bartlett says he will ask the city's trash board to repurpose or sell its curbside green waste collection trucks in favor of allowing regular trash crews simply to continue taking the material to the burn plant but without the city's cost.NeWSolutions, an independent hauler, collects garbage and recyclables, but the city has been using its own crews for green waste.- KEVIN CANFIELD & ZACK STOYCOFF World Staff WritersLOOKING AHEAD6 p.m. Tuesday: Town hall meeting on proposed capital improvement package, Carbondale Assembly of God, 2135 W. 51st St.10 a.m. Thursday: Capital Improvements Program Task Force, fourth floor of City Hall, Second Street and Cincinnati Avenue.6 p.m. Thursday: City Council meeting, vote on renaming Brady Street, City Council chambers of City Hall, Second Street and Cincinnati Avenue.FROM THE BLOGSRead the City Hall blog at tulsaworld.com/cityhall. Anything but Vision2.That tends to be the only preference among city officials in naming the coming $919.9 million funding package.Then again, I've heard one specific suggestion: "Vision3. Just kidding." The reality, of course, is that officials want to distance the proposal from the countywide funding initiative that failed last year.This one is about needs -- not wants, they say.A representative of the Tulsa Regional Chamber told the City Council recently that the group may recommend a marketing name within two or three weeks, pending the outcome of possible polling and focus groups.City councilors have suggested putting that name -- or any other they settle on -- on the ballot when the proposal goes to voters Nov. 12, saying they want to make sure voters understand that what they are considering is the same proposal they have seen in the news media for months.And it's also important, as City Councilor G.T. Bynum has argued, to distinguish the city's proposal from a competing plan from Tulsa County to raise a permanent tax to expand the jail and build a juvenile justice center.Read more online at tulsaworld.com/cityhall- ZACK STOYCOFF, World Staff WriterFollow us on TwitterFollow Tulsa World City Hall reporters Kevin Canfield (@KevinCanfieldTW) and Zack Stoycoff (@ZackStoycoffTW) for the latest news on the City of Tulsa.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) Visit Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) at .tulsaworld.com Distributed by MCT Information Services文件倉

Colleges and universities are beginning to see the benefits of cultural exchange.迷你倉沙田 But there is still a way to go, writes Linda YeungTowards the end of the Sino Japan Youth Conference last month, youngsters from Hong Kong, the mainland and Japan put themselves in the shoes of negotiators from their countries in a “diplomacy simulation session” which exposed them to sensitive issues from different perspectives.The participants discussed significant historical events like the first Sino-Japanese war and the Nanking massacre, as well as the more recent regional disputes over the Diaoyu Islands. They also spoke out on topics like the objectivity of school history textbooks.These are weighty and difficult topics in the grown-up world of global diplomacy, and are difficult issues even for university students. But the 35 participants at the annual conference were all secondary school students.The objective was to give them exposure to different world issues through face-to-face interaction. One of the key organisers was Glenda Chan, who has just graduated from Li Po Chun United World College.Chan took part in the event last year, and the experience shaped her decision to remain in Hong Kong, where she will study international business and Chinese enterprise at Chinese University.“Hong Kong is a major financial centre, and China and Japan are major economies in the Asia-Pacific. Their relations will affect the future economy of the region,” Chan says. Her view echoes the mission of Li Po Chun, part of a global network of 12 United World Colleges, to “make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future”.In her time at the college, Chan mingled with students of 80 nationalities, living with them on campus. About 55 per cent of the students of the Ma On Shan school come from outside the city, and the whole population resides on campus.The experience Chan gained in her two years at the college could be equivalent to many more years of studying abroad.“It is only when you learn together, and make friends with foreign students, that you understand what is happening in other countries. I have gained a lot of knowledge about different cultures, and the skills to communicate with people from different backgrounds,” she says.As the only boarding college in Hong Kong to have a two-year curriculum – the International Baccalaureate Diploma programme – its emphasis on cultural understanding has paid off. Six of its graduates have been admitted to Britain’s Oxford University this year.College principal Arnett Edwards says that the residential experience proves to be a big advantage for students applying to universities. “It makes them very different to other students. The students gain interpersonal skills [from the environment],” Edwards says.“As the world becomes smaller, the students need a cross-cultural awareness to get ahead. Here they are able to work with students from very different backgrounds: from Africa, from a Muslim background or from South America. An understanding of different cultures is crucial, and overseas universities value that.”For Chan, an attraction of the Chinese University’s business programme is its guaranteed exchange programmes and overseas study tri迷你倉價錢s to countries such as Singapore and India.Local universities are increasingly making efforts to boost students’ exposure to different cultures in order to broaden their horizons. Last month, Chinese University vice-chancellor Joseph Sung Jao-yiu announced that the university would begin to offer halal food on campus.The decision was made in response to a request from a Muslim student from Beijing. It showed respect for cultural differences, Sung wrote on his blog: “By interacting with people from different backgrounds and ways of life, we may discover good things in other cultures from their differences, and we may even find good companions.”Sung cites his friendship with an Indian boy with whom he regularly played badminton when he was in school, and a Swiss colleague who shared the laboratory with him while he was pursuing postgraduate studies.He adds: “More importantly, when we treat people who are different [in colour, religion, or even sexual orientation] with respect, love and fairness, we will see that they do exactly the same to us. We will even see them change.”Local universities have a long way to go before they become properly multicultural. They only admit a limited number of foreign undergraduates. Chinese University has admitted, on average, only 400 non-local students, the majority of which are from the mainland, every year for the past five years.The University of Hong Kong has accepted only 302 students from outside the city and the mainland for the coming year. It is nevertheless the biggest melting pot, with 6,814 overseas undergraduate, postgraduate and exchange students last year – 20 times higher than that of 10 years ago. This summer, hundreds of HKU students headed to more than 30 countries to work on social service projects.Law student Joanne Yan, who last year assisted in health education and helped build playgrounds for refugee children in the Thailand-Myanmar border town of Mae Sot, came to appreciate the small things in life that people in affluent countries take for granted.“Reflecting on Myanmese refugees’ hopeful and grateful attitudes towards life, we found that we had overlooked the most fundamental building block of life – happiness – while being wrapped up in our hectic lives in one of the world’s busiest cities,” she says.HKU has involved students in summer service projects in schools for migrants and refugee camps in the Thailand-Myanmar border area since 2008, under its faculty of social sciences’ Migrant Outreach Education Initiative. The students have been instrumental in promoting awareness of Myanmese culture on campus.In 2011, a non-profit students’ initiative, Connecting Myanmar, was formed to provide medical, educational and other services to refugees.Professor Ian Holliday, creator of the initiative, and the former dean of social sciences at HKU, says it helps students to become global citizens, as it makes them more aware of, and sensitive to, other cultures.“Cultural awareness is very important. The students are likely to work with people from different cultures throughout their careers, so it is essential that they see the world from different perspectives. University life is an ideal opportunity for them to do that,” Holliday says.linda.yeung@scmp.com迷你倉庫

Source: St.儲存倉 Louis Post-DispatchAug. 09--Rams coach Jeff Fisher is right. Rational human beings don't get too excited or too distressed about Game 1 in the preseason.NFL teams are still early in their preparation cycle for the real games. The scheming and play-calling trend toward vanilla. Rosters are still cluttered with wannabes and never-will-bes.But in Brandon Weeden's case, it was OK to relish Thursday night's demolition of the Rams defense. The second-year Cleveland Browns quarterback completed 10 of 13 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown. His passer rating was 127.7.Weeden had every reason to celebrate with an extra scoop of ice cream last night. The not-so-young man is on the clock with the new Browns management team.A year ago, Weeden posted a 19.0 passer rating in his preseason debut. Then-coach Pat Shurmur insisted on staging a quarterback competition during preseason play, so Weeden wasn't adequately prepared for the regular season.Weeden won the competition but lost the war. Unlike Sam Bradford -- who adapted to Shurmur's dink-and-dunk offense as a rookie -- Brandon seldom looked comfortable during his first NFL tour.His dismal rookie season left folks wondering if his selection at 22nd overall in last year's NFL Draft was a terrible mistake.Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Bud Shaw summed up the scenario:For lack of a better alternative, the Browns' front office is deferring to head coach Rob Chudzinski and offensive coordinator Norv Turner to see if Weeden's big arm can translate to big plays. General manager Mike Lombardi's opinion on Weeden is out there, at least the thoughts shared in his role with NFL Network. Joe Banner's thoughts have been voiced more privately. Let's just say no way he would've drafted a relatively raw quarterback of an already advanced age. So nobody would believe it now if Lombardi and Banner suddenly claimed a happy-ever-after belief in Weeden. Who would they be trying to kid? Their opinions on Weeden only matter if he stumbles. This entire season, beginning with tonight's exhibition opener, is a two-minute drill for Weeden. His future will play itself out in a season in which he turns 30. Beyond saying they are willing to see what he does in an offense better suited to him, why would they commit? If he were 23, different story.So Weeden must make every opportunity count to earn the confidence of his new bosses. He got a good start on that against the Rams, who helped out by charitably blowing some pass coverages.Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto offered this assessment:OK, it's the preseason, so none of this counts. But if you're a fan, your heart had to beat a little quicker watching the first team offense . . . Brandon Weeden showed so much more poise than almost any time a year ago. He had a very good idea of what he was supposed to do nearly every time he was asked to throw the ball. That may sound rather elementary, but there were times when it seemed Weeden was stuck in pre-school trying to understand last year's West Coast offense. But the schemes designed by offensive coordinator Norv Turner and head coach Rob Chudzinski placed Weeden in a comfort zone. One of the changes was placing Weeden in the shotgun, where he threw nearly all of his passes at Oklahoma State. Last season, Weeden was only in the shotgun for 43 percent of his passes, ranking 39th out of 40 quarterbacks who threw at least 100 passes. With the new coaching staff, 10 of 13 passes came from the shotgun formation. That matches the approach taken by Chudzinski and Turner, who had their quarterbacks in the shotgun about 75 percent of the time last season. That also may be the reason that Weeden seemed more composed; the offense made sense to him.So while some Rams fans may be feeling fretful today, long-suffering Browns fans are feeling slightly better about their lives. Perhaps drafting Weeden wasn't such a big mistake after all.MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSEQuestions to ponder while the Rams medical staff assesses Rodger Saffold's shoulder:Would Harry Caray and Bill Murray have been baseball's best play-by-play team ever? [wapc.mlb.com/play?content_id=29532793]Is it really a good idea to store candy in your sock during a NFL game? [.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/wp/2013/08/08/redskins-rookie-keeps-a-starburst-in-his-sock-during-games/]How does your house compare to Rory McIlroy's place? [network.yardbarker.com/golf/article_external/rory_mcilroy_gives_modest_tour_of_incredible_home_before_pga_championship_video/14247101?linksrc=home_x_vv_head_14247101]QUIPS 'R USHere is what some of America's leading sports pundits have been writing:Gene Wojciechowski, ESPN.com: "Jim Furyk was in his PGA Championship post-round happy place -- thank you, 5-under-par 65 -- when someone mentioned the O-word. O, as in Olympic Club. As in the 2012 U.S. Open. As in: 'Oh, no.' Remember? Furyk was in perfect position to win last year's Open, and then his final round cartwheeled over a cliff and burst into flames. Since then, he's gone black ops and disappeared in the majors: two missed cuts this year and no finish higher than a tie for 25th in the past five. So you can understand why Furyk had to engage the Debbie Downer deflector shields when asked about his majors struggles. 'I'm o迷你倉沙田 a nice little high, but y'all are trying to bring me down,' Furyk said. 'Damn.' You'd be on a nice little high, too, if you shot your best opening round in a PGA Championship and co-led with reigning Masters champion Adam Scott after Day 1. Or if you came within one shot of tying the Oak Hill Country Club competitive course record and one shot from tying your lowest score in a major. But it is hard to ignore what's happened to the 43-year-old Furyk since the meltdown last June. The former U.S. Open champion blew a Sunday lead at the 2012 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, was part of Team USA's Ryder Cup collapse and this year has had a hate-hate relationship with his driver and putter."Alan Shipnuck, SI.com: "The Greater Rochester Open (formerly known as the PGA Championship) found a perfect first-round co-leader in plodding Jim Furyk, who fired a pizzazz-free 65 at Oak Kill Country Club, a fine but unmemorable test of golf that was softened by overnight rains. Furyk's life-sucking monotone is the perfect soundtrack to a tournament struggling for an identity with a leaderboard crowded with randoms. (Raise your hand if you had Kiradech Aphibarnrat in the office pool.)"Jeff Passan, Yahoo! Sports: "Quietly -- or as quietly as a 6-foot-3, 240-pound, heavy-lumber-swinging ox of a human being can -- Chris Davis passed the 40-home run mark this week. He's at 41, actually, the last one as Chris Davis a shot as there can be, towering and resplendent and a reminder of the majesty that still exists with home runs, especially ones he hits. Baseball spent a lot of time this week in introspective mode. From the dissection of Alex Rodriguez's 647 home runs to the lesson in hypocrisy of how hyper-vigilant baseball once rode steroids to its homer-fueled resurgence, one does not come up in conversation without the other, even if most performance-enhancing drug users partake of their particular drug more to speed up injury recovery than whack balls over fences. Home runs are still the casualty anyway. That might be the saddest piece of damage done by PEDs: not the obliteration of records as much as turning such a vital piece of the game into a curse. Home runs are still exciting as hell. They just come with a caveat, especially when they come in bunches, as they have off the bat of Davis all season. There is a stigma on home run hitters. The guy who owns the all-time and single-season records looked like Bane. There were as many 40-home run hitters in 1996 alone as there were over the last five seasons. The home run was bastardized, so much that this is the twisted reality of today: Because Davis has hit so many, the suspicion shifts toward him, no matter how unwarranted it may be. Such is the result of Alex Rodriguez serially doping for three years and beating every test."Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com: "Consider this a formal apology, Terrelle Pryor. You too, Devier Posey and Boom Herron. All the Buckeye Five. You have been wronged. You also have been lapped. Johnny Hancock, er, Football has taken care of that lately. In light of recent events, those were misdemeanors committed by those Ohio State players a few years back. They sold their jerseys, helmets, even those venerated gold pants. I get that they needed the money. Better them than the NCAA. What I don't get is that Johnny Cursive -- if he reportedly accepted $7,500 in return for his signature -- didn't need the cash. That's really where this debate takes its latest turn. Perspective, scandal and a rich, Heisman-winning quarterback did it for me. Both the Buckeye Five and Johnny Uniball conceivably violated NCAA rules. Only one of them deserves to be damned to the eternal fires of talk show critics."Jonathan Bernhardt, Sports on Earth: "The Braves have their foot on the National League's throat and don't look to be letting up any time soon. They're not the league's flashiest success story -- that's the Pittsburgh Pirates -- nor do they have anything approaching the in-season narrative of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who at one point a couple months ago were seriously considering firing manager Don Mattingly before the team got healthy and started winning games. What the Braves have done, however, is grab first place in a division that was supposed to belong to the Washington Nationals and not let go. They've spent exactly one day in second place this year, April 4, and have had sole possession of the division lead since April 7. Save for a brief scare in mid-May, no one's been within four games of them in months, and their lead is so impressive that the talk about the Nationals perhaps needing to get a Wild Card spot instead of win the division started at the All-Star Break."MEGAPHONE"The round realistically could have been under par easily. I played really well today. One loose 9-iron shot. I made a few par putts out there as well. As I say, I feel like I played well enough and made some nice key putts, and the key is I left it in good spots too. I'm still right there. I mean ... as of right now, I'm only six back and we have a long way to go."Tiger Woods, after fading in the first round of the PGA.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Visit the St. Louis Post-Dispatch at .stltoday.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉價錢

Source: The Bakersfield CalifornianAug.迷你倉出租 10--Some people who are buying a southwest Bakersfield home next week are going to find a small bit of graffiti on an inside wall of their garage, but they might want to think a little bit before painting over it.The message, "Garage door by Kevin McCarthy" commemorates the day the majority whip of the U.S. House of Representatives installed a garage door opener.McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, met with about 25 small business owners for a roundtable discussion at Bakersfield-based Kern Door Co. Inc. Friday morning before heading to the home of a constituent to install the opener.The National Federation of Independent Business, or NFIB, has invited members of Congress to walk in the shoes of a small business owner for a day as part of its "Small Business Challenge" campaign to raise awareness of issues it says are holding back economic growth. McCarthy's stint as an installer was the second of 12 such events the business group is doing across the country.Aericka Westerfield, who is selling to upgrade to a larger home, is closing escrow on her house on Hawksmoor Street next week, but asked the congressman to sign his name to his work as a gift to the new owners.She beamed as she watched McCarthy work alongside Vidal Rodriguez, a professional installer from Kern Door."This is so exciting," she said. "The anticipation waiting for them to get here. Oh my gosh!"Kern Door President Ray Ice watched, too, nodding with approval with his arms folded."You know, he does better than a lot of my trainees," he mused.Rodriguez, who coached McCarthy through the job, had no complaints."At least he knows how to use power tools," he said. "A lot of people don't know how to use them."Prior to getting to work, McCarthy joked that his wife was excited about his career change for the day because she's hoping he'll learn skills that will come in handy around the house.Probably he'll keep his day job, though, the congressman added."I just did a front door at my house and the door knob turns the wrong way," he said.Westerfield was embarrassed by how she came to be in the market for a new garage door opener on a three-year-old house."Weeeell," she said sheepishly, "I lock the latch at nighttime. I forgot I had locked it and hit the button, an儲存倉 I heard this grrrrrrr sound. I knew it wasn't good."The celebrity installer was a nice consolation prize, said the mother of two. She and her husband are both Republicans.Westerfield works as an assistant to a real estate agent who was the listing agent on her house. Darrel Mills of RE/MAX Golden Empire stopped by Friday to watch the congressman work."If I had known Kevin McCarthy was going to do the garage door, I would have asked for more money," he quipped.Thursday's invitation to visit a small business wasn't all fun and games, however.At the roundtable, McCarthy heard business owners express frustration about a host of challenges, including the regulatory climate, tax burdens, the rising cost of health care and the mandates of the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.California business owners have higher health care and tax costs than owners in most other states, said John Kabateck, executive director of NFIB California. That affects everyone because small businesses are the nation's largest source of jobs, he said.Emerging from the meeting Friday, McCarthy reiterated his longstanding opposition to the health care law and called for its repeal, saying it discourages hiring and doesn't address the troubles of the uninsured."Obamacare is not solving the problem," he said. "After 10 years, there still will be 30 million uninsured."Congress is working to spur economic development by removing hurdles to small business success, McCarthy said. He pointed to the Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2013, which the House passed last week hoping to require Congress to approve all new major federal regulations. The bill next moves to the Senate for consideration.McCarthy also cited ongoing efforts to reform the tax code to "make it fair and make it simpler."Kern Door's Ice said he is eager to see such proposals become law, noting that he's up to 15 full-time employees after three recent new hires, but he's still nervous."We've had to add a few others to keep up with the workload, but we'll see how the economy goes," he said.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Bakersfield Californian (Bakersfield, Calif.) Visit The Bakersfield Californian (Bakersfield, Calif.) at .bakersfield.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉沙田

Source: The Knoxville News-Sentinel, Tenn.迷你倉價錢Aug. 10--The East Tennessee History Fair, held this year on Aug. 17, is about making regional history come alive. The event in its sixth year includes a living history timeline, tours of historic sites, re-enactors and heritage crafts. But this year the East Tennessee Historical Society also celebrates some of its own past.This year's 10 a.m.-5 p.m. event marks the 20th anniversary of the Museum of East Tennessee History located on the first floor of the East Tennessee History Center at 601 S. Gay St. It also commemorates the fifth year of the museum's state-of-the-art "Voices of the Land: The People of East Tennessee" exhibit. To mark that anniversary, the history fair will emphasizes the stories around some of the exhibit's artifacts. Descendants of families whose stories are told by items in the exhibit will share stories of those objects and their ancestors. Museum admission is free for the day.Hearing those stories is coming face-to-face with history, said ETHS Executive Director Cherel Henderson. "People always love it when they can meet descendants who can share their stories," she said. "It's real history when they can do that."Featured exhibit items include frontiersman Davy Crockett's rifle "Old Betsy." The rifle has been owned by the Swann family for nearly 200 years. Joe Swann will be at the event to talk about the gun. Visitors can hold and be photographed with an exact replica of "Old Betsy."Also at the museum will be Alex Brandau, a descendant of War of 1812's Col. John Williams. Brandau's family owns the exhibit's handmade flag of Williams' 39th U.S. Regiment. Greeneville resident Wilhemina Williams will discuss a pistol Gen. John Sevier gave her ancestor Felix Earnest after the Revolutionary War's Battle of King's Mountain. Bud Albers, a grandson of A.J. Albers who began his wholesale drug business during the Civil War, will share stories near the museum's corner drugstore exhibit. Musicians David West and Russ and Becky Jeffers will talk about Knoxville's country music heritage near the display about area music.Activities for the free fair will be held at the center, in nearby Krutch Park and at various downtown Knoxville locations. At Krutch Park, history comes alive with a "History Hound" canine costume contest and re-enactors dressed like Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. "History Hound" registration is at 9:30 a.m.; judging for "Most East Tennessee Spirit" and "Best Historic Costume" at 10:15. The Lincolns will stroll Krutch Park; other period-dressed historians will create a living history timeline that begins with the Cherokees and continues to the 20th century.Artists will demonstrate historic crafts and skills that include blacksmithing, firing raku pottery, spinning, woodworking and cornhusk doll making. Representatives from historical, genealogical and preservation groups from 35 East Tennessee counties will answer questions and share information.Children can play old-fashioned games and make crafts that include dolls and bead necklaces. "Davy Crockett" will attend and celebrate with a 2:45 p.m. serving of birthday cake to mark the frontiersman's 227th birthday. Musician Sean McCullough performs music for ch迷你倉庫ldren at 3:15 p.m. Other music will be performed from the WDVX and Clayton County Music Stage in Krutch Park. Musicians include David West and the Cider Mountain Boys, Russ and Becky Jeffers, the Good Times Celidh Band and dulcimer player Sarah Morgan.Bus tours run from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Civil War-themed tours leave from the history center at the start of each hour. Local Civil War experts serve as on-bus guides to see various Knoxville locations. A historic homes bus tour leaves from the corner of Gay Street and Clinch Avenue. That tour goes to Blount Mansion and the Civil War Gateway Center, James White's Fort, Mabry-Hazen House and the Bethel Cemetery and Museum. The historic houses bus also stops at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay St., so visitors can see an "Underground Knoxville" street. Today's 100 Block street is one story above the original level because the street was raised by 1919 construction.The event includes walking and on-location tours of downtown Knoxville spots. New are tours of the Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay St. Tours of the First Presbyterian Church's historic graveyard and the 620 State St. church's stained glass windows are 1-4 p.m. Walking tours focusing on downtown's African-American heritage leave at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. from the history center. Laura Still of Knoxville Walking Tours leads the 30- to 45-minute tours.An Art Market Gallery, 422 S. Gay St., exhibit of work by the late Patricia Sprouls will be open. Entitled "Painted Glimpses of Olde Knoxville," the exhibit continues through Sept. 2. Book signings are at the Mast General Store on Gay Street. Maryville resident Gail Palmer will sign "When Mama Was a Doctor: Medicine Women of the Smokies" 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Adam Alfrey will sign "Vintage Postcards of the Smokies" 1-3 p.m.East Tennessee History FairWhat: Focus on East Tennessee history with museum exhibits, re-enactors, tours, children's activities, musicWhen: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 17; some events have limited timesWhere: East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay St., and Krutch Park and various downtown Knoxville spotsAdmission: FreeEvents-- History Hound Dog Contest, 9:30 a.m. registration, 10:45 a.m. judging, Krutch Park-- Davy Crockett storytelling, 1:45 p.m., birthday cake 2:45 p.m., Krutch Park-- Children's music by Sean McCullough, 3:15 p.m., Krutch Park-- Civil War bus tours, hourly 11 a.m.-3 p.m., leave from history center-- Historic homes bus tours, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., leave from Gay Street at Clinch Avenue-- African-American themed walking tour, 10:30 a.m. & 1 p.m., leave from history center-- Tours of First Presbyterian Church graveyard & church stained glass, 620 State St.,1-4 p.m.-- See "Underground Knoxville" street, Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay St., 11 a.m.-3 p.m.-- WDVX and Clayton Country Music Stage, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. , Krutch Park-- Book signing, Mast General Store, XX Gay St., 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Gail Palmer; 1-3 p.m. Adam Alfrey-- Historic Craft Demonstrations, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.-- Decorate/fire raku pot with potter Peter Rose, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., $10 costCopyright: ___ (c)2013 the Knoxville News-Sentinel (Knoxville, Tenn.) Visit the Knoxville News-Sentinel (Knoxville, Tenn.) at .knoxnews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services儲存

Source: Middletown Journal, OhioAug.存倉 10--MIDDLETOWN DIVISION OF POLICEAug. 5About $200 worth of fishing poles were stolen off a porch of a residence in the 1800 block of Eldora Drive.Christina Gillespie, 25, of Minnesota Street, was charged with petty theft after she allegedly tried to steal $28.85 worth of school supplies from Walmart, 2900 Towne Blvd. She had two small children with her at the time of the alleged theft.Aug. 6A man with a Kentucky driver's license attempted to cash a check for $3,875 at Lebanon Citizens National Bank, 4441 Marie Drive. When told by the clerk that the check was fraudulent, the man asked for the check back. He was told the bank would keep the check. He then left the area on foot. The bank had been warned earlier that a man was trying to cash checks at other bank branches in the area.The walls of an in-ground swimming pool in the 200 block of Lylburn Road were damaged by vandals who cut several holes in the liner.Socks, underwear, bra and tank tops, with an unknown value, were stolen from Dollar General, 671 N. University Blvd. Two suspects were seen on the store's surveillance camera.A lap top computer and a Vizio 50-inch flat screen TV were stolen from a resid自存倉nce in the 3600 block of Roosevelt Boulevard. Police were unable to find any latent prints on the door.A pearl necklace and earrings, valued at $700, was stolen from an apartment in the 700 block of Kensington Court. The man who lives there said he was moving out, and he had left some belongings behind. When he returned, he noticed the necklace was missing.A box of 90 to 100 DVDs, valued at $500, was stolen from a residence in the 2900 block of Wilbraham Road.Aug. 7Someone cut out a catalytic converter out of a car that was parked in the 3500 block of Towne Boulevard.Austin Miller, 18, of Germantown Road, was charged with petty theft after he allegedly stole a pack of Sprees candy, valued at $1.09, in his underwear at Midd-Town Drive-Thru, 2000 Central Ave.Mail was reported missing from a residence in the 4100 block of Bonita Drive.Someone entered a residence in the 1400 block of Fairmount Avenue and damaged the drywall, heating/cooling ducts and broke a gas line that the Middletown Fire Department shut off.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Middletown Journal (Middletown, Ohio) Visit the Middletown Journal (Middletown, Ohio) at .middletownjournal.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉新蒲崗

屯門瓏門2 期、元朗溱柏兩大新界西北新盤蠢蠢欲動準備登場前，迷你倉出租元朗「半新盤」尚悅昨開售新一批260 伙，全日售出約50 伙（消息指52 伙）；銷情雖較上月首度重推沽101 伙明顯放緩，但已屬昨日成交量最多一手盤。同時，市�持續淡靜下，將軍澳日出康城首都錄本月首宗蝕讓成交，估計業主損手逾15 萬元離場，港島太古城、九龍站擎天半島等大型屋苑均錄低市價成交。明報記者林可為尚悅今次以即供平均實用呎價9548 元新推260 伙，並以入場費低至315 萬餘元作招徠。業界認為，尚悅去年10 月迄今累售逾1750 伙（251 伙於7 月13 日至昨天售出），對買家已沒大新鮮感，在淡市下仍售約50伙（ 市場消息指52 伙， 昨上載50 宗成交），已算「交到功課」，當中9 座11 樓C 室（實用443 方呎）由內地客購入，以定價439萬元計，需付15％買家印花稅（BSD）約65萬元。其他新盤如油塘Ocean One、洪水橋溱林等，均僅各沽約1 伙。內地客付65 萬BSD 入市尚悅另新世界（0017）擬短期重推的馬鐵車公廟站現樓溱岸8 號，對新版樓書作4 項條訂，內容包括增加單位平面圖的描述、修改部分樓盤資料的中英文描述差異等。溱岸8 號同時錄得二手成交，為5 座中層向園景D 室，實用面積729 方呎（建築968 方呎），以925 萬元易手，實用呎價12,689 元（建呎9556 元）；原業主去年中以740 萬元購入單位， 帳面賺逾184 萬元， 物業升值25％，即使扣除5％額外印花稅逾46 儲存倉元及其他開支，估計仍淨袋約120 萬元。首都累減50 萬易手料損手15 萬不過，有業主因睇淡後市而蝕讓求去貨。美聯物業助理聯席董事馬立成指出，將軍澳首都3 座右翼中層A 室，雖屬實用面積716方呎（建築957 方呎）、並擁小海景的較優質單位，但業主見市�牛皮，6 月放盤開價600 萬，踏入8 月後劈價至560 萬仍沒人問津，近日再多減10 萬至550 萬元，才將單位售予一名外區客， 單位累劈50 萬元或8.3％；折合實用呎價7682 元（建呎5747元），比同類戶型市價低3％，亦屬屋苑本月首宗蝕讓。據悉，原業主2008 年以559 萬元一手購入單位，帳面連各項使費料損手逾15 萬元。太古城劈32 萬沽仍勁賺20 倍中原地產副區域營業經理張光耀指出，太古城新錄景天閣高層望園景A 室成交，實用面積592 方呎（建築708 方呎），原業主本開價900 萬元，最終劈價32 萬元後以868 萬元沽出單位，實用14,662 元（建築12,260元），做價比市價低3％，估計業主有見市�淡靜，寧願減價去貨。儘管如此，原業主早於1989 年以40 萬元購入單位，故帳面勁賺828 萬元，物業升值逾20 倍。另九龍站擎天半島6 座極高層C 室，實用面積780 方呎（建築1032 方呎），區內代理指以約1688 萬元易手，實用呎價2.16 萬元（建呎1.63 萬元），較市價低約8％；而原業主是在減價50 萬元才將單位售出，但相對2010 年購入價1288 萬元，帳面仍賺400萬元，物業升值三成。迷你倉沙田