November 30, 2016, El Dorado Hills, CA -- Kidz Gear http://www.GearForKidz.com, the award-winning Grown-up Performance, Built for Kids! brand, announced today that the Kidz Gear Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Headphones for Kids has won the prestigious 2016 Mom’s Choice Award® for excellence in family friendly products, services and media.
Having been rigorously evaluated by a panel of Mom’s Choice Award (MCA) evaluators, the Kidz Gear Wireless Bluetooth Headphones for Kids was deemed to be among the best products for families, and was honored with the silver award. The MCA evaluation process scores entries on a number of elements, including production quality, design, educational value, entertainment value, originality, appeal, and cost.
“We are honored to earn the Mom’s Choice Award Excellence Seal of Approval for Kidz Gear Wireless Bluetooth Headphones for Kids,” said Jack Peterson, VP Sales and Marketing, Kidz Gear. “The MCA does great things connecting consumers, educators, and caregivers with the best products and services available for families.”
The Kidz Gear Bluetooth Headphones is the parent’s choice for safe headphones without the worry of children getting tangled in wires. Designed specifically for children, Kidz Gear is essential audio gear for kids, delivering a high-quality adult-like audio experience when used with all audio devices, including iPhones, iPads, Kindles, Nooks, Android smartphones, tablets, and computers.
“Our aim to introduce families and educators to best-in-class products and services,” said Dawn Matheson, Executive Director of the Mom’s Choice Awards. “We have a passion to help families grow emotionally, physically and spiritually. Parents and educators know that products and services bearing our seal of approval are high-quality and also a great value. The MCA evaluation program is designed to incorporate the expertise of scientists, physicians and other specialists; but we also engage parents, children, educators, and caregivers because they are experts in knowing what is best for their families.” With the evaluation now complete, the Kidz Gear testing samples will be donated by MCA to schools, libraries, hospitals and nonprofit organizations.
The Kidz Gear Bluetooth Headphones are available immediately, value priced at only $19.99 at http://www.gearforkidz.com/wireless4.html. Kidz Gear also offers wired headphones, including the Kidz Gear Wired Headphones and Kidz Gear Boom Headphones, priced at $19.99 and 17.99 respectively. All Kidz Gear products are available directly from Kidz Gear at http://www.GearForKidz.comand select retailers and online sites. Kidz Gear also offers a Gear Up For Education! discount available for schools and libraries. For more information on Kidz Gear, see the website: http://www.gearforkidz.com, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GearForKidz, and Twitter: @GearForKidz.
About the Mom’s Choice Awards
The Mom’s Choice Awards® (MCA) evaluates products and services created for children, families and educators. The program is globally recognized for establishing the benchmark of excellence in family-friendly products, services, and media. MCA evaluators are bound by a strict code of ethics, not only to ensure objectivity, but also to ensure that the evaluation is free from manufacturer influence. Based in the United States, MCA has reviewed thousands of entries from more than 55 countries. Parents, educators, retailers and members of the media look for the MCA mother-and-child Honoring Excellence seal of approval when selecting quality products and services for children and families. Learn more about the Mom’s Choice Awards by visiting their website: http://www.MomsChoiceAwards.com.
About Kidz Gear
Incorporated in 2001, San Ramon, California Supply and Beyond, LLC is the exclusive manufacturer of the Kidz Gear brand of products and accessories. The Kidz Gear brand was created by founder and mother Laurie Peterson with the purpose of developing a line of products and accessories with adult features, performance and quality but with ergonomic and economic sizes, styles and prices for children. The Kidz Gear product line has received rave reviews and awards from various Mother’s Group Organizations and industry publications. The company is continually focused on bringing more products to market that support the company’s mission – Grown-Up Performance, Built for Kids!
For more information visit http://www.GearForKidz.com, email: sales@gearforkidz.com or phone: (877) Kidz-Gear.
Photos:
Mom’s Choice Awards Logo: http://www.thomas-pr.com/136/photos/kidzgearmomschoiceaward2016.html
Kidz Gear Bluetooth Headphones:
Blue Box: http://www.thomas-pr.com/136/photos/kidzgearbluetoothheadphonesbox.html
Blue:http://www.thomas-pr.com/136/photos/kidzgearbluetoothheadphones.html
Pink Box: http://www.thomas-pr.com/136/photos/kidzgearbluetoothheadphonespinkbox.html
Pink: http://www.thomas-pr.com/136/photos/kidzgearbluetoothheadphonespink.html
Kidz Gear Bluetooth Headphones - Lifestyle Shot: http://www.thomas-pr.com/136/photos/kidzgearbluetoothheadphoneslifestyle.html
Removable Mic: http://www.thomas-pr.com/136/photos/kidzgearbluetoothheadphonesmic.html
Kidz Gear Logo: http://www.thomas-pr.com/136/photos/kidzgearlogo.html
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Farm Service Agency Extends Voting Deadline for County Committee Elections
Utah Producers Now Have Until Dec. 13 to Submit Ballots
(SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH) Nov. 29, 2016 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Utah Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director, Mark Gibbons, today announced that the deadline to submit ballots for the 2016 County Committee Elections has been extended to ensure farmers and ranchers have sufficient time to vote. Eligible voters now have until Dec. 13, 2016 to return ballots to their local FSA offices. Producers who have not received their ballot should pick one up at their local FSA office.
“We’re extending the voting deadline to Dec. 13 to give farmers and ranchers a few additional days to get their ballots in,” said Gibbons. “I urge all eligible producers, especially minorities and women, to get involved and make a real difference in their communities by voting in this year’s elections. This is your opportunity to have a say in how federal programs are delivered in your county.”
FSA has modified the ballot, making it easily identifiable and less likely to be overlooked. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than Dec. 13, 2016. Newly elected committee members will take office Jan. 1, 2017.
Nearly 7,700 FSA County Committee members serve FSA offices nationwide. Each committee has three to 11 elected members who serve three-year terms of office. One-third of County Committee seats are up for election each year. County Committee members apply their knowledge and judgment to help FSA make important decisions on its commodity support, conservation, indemnity, disaster and emergency programs.
Producers must participate or cooperate in an FSA program to be eligible to vote in the County Committee election. Approximately 1.5 million producers are currently eligible to vote. Farmers and ranchers who supervise and conduct the farming operations of an entire farm, but are not of legal voting age, also may be eligible to vote.
For more information, visit the FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections. You may also contact your local USDA service center or FSA office. Visit http://offices.usda.gov to find an FSA office near you.
USDA works to strengthen and support American agriculture, an industry that supports one in 11 American jobs, provides American consumers with more than 80 percent of the food we consume, ensures that Americans spend less of their paychecks at the grocery store than most people in other countries and supports markets for homegrown renewable energy and materials. Since 2009, USDA has provided $5.6 billion in disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; expanded risk management tools with products like Whole Farm Revenue Protection; and helped farm businesses grow with $36 billion in farm credit. The Department has engaged its resources to support a strong next generation of farmers and ranchers by improving access to land and capital; building new markets and market opportunities; and extending new conservation opportunities. USDA has developed new markets for rural-made products, including more than 2,700 bio-based products through USDA's Bio-Preferred program; and invested $64 billion in infrastructure and community facilities to help improve the quality of life in rural America. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/results.
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Chimani Partners With National Park Concessionaire Ortega National Parks, LLC To Improve Visitor Experience
Portland, Maine – Chimani, Inc., a Maine-based developer of mobile app travel guides for national parks, has partnered with Ortega National Parks, LLC (ONP), a national park concessionaire. Ortega National Parks, LLC is a family-run company located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with over 20 years of national park concessionaire experience.
The partnership will allow the two organizations to work together to improve the experience for visitors to national parks in which ONP operates, including Acadia National Park, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Death Valley National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hot Springs National Park, Petrified Forest National Park, Muir Woods National Monument, White Sands National Monument, and Gateway National Recreation Area.
The partnership comes during an important milestone for the national parks as the National Park Service celebrates its Centennial year. With increased interest in the national parks, park visitors are turning to their mobile devices to navigate and learn about the parks. By working together, Ortega National Parks, LLC is able to assist in ensuring that park facility information in the national park apps is up-to-date, as well as able to provide visitors with a free, paperless resource to explore the park using their smartphones or tablets. Chimani will benefit from the direct exposure to park visitors that enter any of the parks’ visitor centers, hotels, dining areas, and gift shop facilities.
“We’re extremely fortunate to be working with the team at Ortega National Parks,” said Kerry Gallivan, CEO and Founder of Chimani. “The family-run company has strong values that hold true to the national park experience, including a commitment to historic preservation and environmental responsibility. With Chimani’s technological resources, we’re eager to help Ortega National Parks provide high quality resources to its visitors, while also helping to reduce waste.”
Regarding the partnership with Chimani, James Hernandez, COO of Ortega National Parks says "To find a partner and more importantly, a team of individuals at Chimani that care so deeply about promoting and sharing the experiences provided by these national treasures has been amazing. Kerry and his team bring the highest level of technological knowledge that is only surpassed by their love for and knowledge of the parks, as well as, their ability to develop user friendly apps for all to use."
All 59 national park mobile apps by Chimani, including Acadia National Park, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Death Valley National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hot Springs National Park, and Petrified Forest National Park are available for free in the Apple App Store and Google Play. The app is equipped with GPS-enabled offline maps, making it possible to navigate the park without the need for a cellular connection.
“We have enjoyed supporting Chimani developed apps for National Parks” said Tom Williamson, co-owner of Ortega National Parks. “The apps really help visitors explore and tour each park and gives them a better experience and appreciation for the park.”
About Chimani, Inc.
Chimani, Inc. (www.chimani.com) creates free apps for national parks and the outdoors. Chimani’s growing suite of apps includes guides to all 59 U.S. National Parks as well as Lake District National Park in the UK. The apps are available for download in the App Store and Google Play.
About Ortega Parks, LLC
Ortega National Parks, LLC is a family-run company with over 20 years of operating experience as a National Park Service (NPS) concessioner. ONP currently manages national park facilities in Acadia, Carlsbad Caverns, Death Valley, Great Smoky Mountains, Hawaii Volcanoes, Hot Springs, and Petrified Forest National Parks, as well as Muir Woods and White Sands National Monuments, and Gateway National Recreation Area. Learn more at http://ortegaparks.com/
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Utah Business Leaders Launch Our Schools Now Campaign to
Improve Student Performance
SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 29, 2016 – Prominent business and community leaders committed to improving education in Utah, launched a ballot initiative campaign today at Washington Elementary in Salt Lake City, Utah. The initiative, Our Schools Now, provides a framework to improve outcomes in education and the mechanism to fund these improvements. Our Schools Now is urgently needed because budget decisions over the last twenty years are now leaving public education with $1.6 billion less every year. This investment crisis has created teacher shortages and the lowest per-pupil spending in the country, hurting student learning and academic performance.
“When we invest in education we are assuring that Utah can compete in a global marketplace,” said Scott Anderson, president and CEO of Zions Bank. “That means future generations can obtain well-paying, high-skill jobs and raise their families in a growing Utah economy.”
The initiative calls for a seven-eighths of one percent increase in the Utah Personal Income Tax to strengthen education funding and fund improved student outcomes. By adjusting the personal income tax rate from five to 5.875 percent, Utah would inject roughly $750 million into education, or about $1,000 more per student per year. The funds raised would go to each school in the state, including public schools, charter schools, applied technology colleges and higher education institutions, based on student enrollment.
The Our Schools Now initiative allows individual schools, with local district approval, to determine their needs and appropriate funds for specific educational purposes. Schools will develop a performance improvement plan that will direct the new funds to targeted student outcome improvement strategies.
This bottom-up approach has proven to be successful. For example, three years ago, Roy High School and its feeder schools partnered with parents and community leaders to improve outcomes. As a result, the community dramatically decreased truancies, increased student learning and raised the high school graduation rate from 72 to 95 percent in just two years.
“This approach, which emphasizes local decision making, is the ‘Utah way,’ and will resonate with parents, communities and businesses,” said Ron Jibson, retired chairman of Questar Corporation. “We will get enough signatures of support in 2017 to get the initiative on the ballot in 2018. A most recent poll shows that 67 percent of Utahns favor a seven-eighths of one percent increase in the income tax to fund education. And, when communities see how much money they will receive, and how they can personally guide how that money will be spent, we believe they will vote in favor of Our Schools Now.”
For example, through Our Schools Now, West High School in the Salt Lake City School District would receive approximately $2,064,000 annually, and its feeder schools, Washington Elementary School and Bryant Middle School, would receive close to $300,000 and $340,000, respectively.
“Our Schools Now is a win-win for all Utahns,” said Gail Miller, owner of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies. “Education is the number one economic development issue our state faces. Companies today, and in the future, need and want an educated work force. An investment in our schools now is truly an investment in Utah’s economic stability and individual opportunity.”
Over the next five months, advocates for the Our Schools Now campaign will solicit input throughout the state to explain this undertaking and gather local feedback to draft the initiative. The campaign will begin to obtain signatures next summer to put the initiative on the ballot during the 2018 general election. For more information about Our Schools Now, and a funding estimate for each school in the state, visit www.ourschoolsnow.com.
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About Our Schools Now
Our Schools Now is a ballot initiative born out of concerns for our children’s quality of education in an ever-increasing competitive world. Now more than ever, a high-quality education is necessary for individual opportunity and statewide prosperity. Our Schools Now is supported by numerous prominent business, civic, and education leaders who understand that additional investment in education will prepare our people and our state for the future. For more information, visit www.ourschoolsnow.com.
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