American Water Donates Laptops to Camden City Based LUCY Outreach

December 12, 2019

CAMDEN CITY, N.J.–(

BUSINESS WIRE

)–American Water (NYSE: AWK), the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company, recently donated more than 15 laptops to support educational development and increase access to technology at LUCY Outreach. Over 400 youth are supported by LUCY Outreach, a Camden-based non-profit whose mission is to empower youth to form healthy relationships, make good choices and develop into

compassionate and socially responsible adults who make a positive difference in their community.

“Through volunteer efforts and donations, American Water exemplifies the company’s commitment to Camden and its families. By providing youth with access to technology and mentoring support, we all work together to improve educational outcomes for children in Camden.”

“We truly appreciate the continued collaboration with American Water. Their support has been invaluable over the past year,” said Kristin Prinn Rose, Executive Director and Founder of LUCY Outreach. “Through this donation, our youth can enhance their technology skills and engage with online-educational opportunities.”

The donation was spearheaded by the company’s Technology and Innovation team that provides tutoring support to LUCY’s youth every Thursday. In addition to tutoring support, representatives from American Water facilitate career exploratory discussions on various types of careers within the utility sector on a bi-weekly basis to interested children.

“Our partnership with LUCY Outreach exemplifies American Water’s philosophy of supporting the communities that we serve,” stated Ruben Rodriguez, Senior Director of External Communications. “Through volunteer efforts and donations, American Water exemplifies the company’s commitment to Camden and its families. By providing youth with access to technology and mentoring support, we all work together to improve educational outcomes for children in Camden.”

American Water’s in-kind support for LUCY Outreach is not unique. In September 2019 alone, more than 360 Camden-based employees volunteered over 900 hours at nine events to support Camden-based non-profits and organizations.

About LUCY Outreach

LUCY (Lifting Up Camden’s Youth) Outreach was established in 2008 to address particular challenges and setbacks – teen delinquency, gang and drug recruitment and involvement, substance abuse in the home, teen pregnancy, a struggling public-school system – faced by urban youth. LUCY Outreach offers multi-lingual, culturally sensitive services to low-income Camden County teens and young adults ages 12-25, and their families. In recognizing the critical role that each system – homes, families, schools, neighborhoods and friends – plays in a youth’s world, LUCY Outreach seeks to enhance youth’s quality of life by filling the void of positive programming, by encouraging participants to work within their community and by providing community services, resources and support.

About American Water

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 7,100 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to more than 14 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit

amwater.com

and follow American Water on

Twitter

Facebook

and

Tips to Make the Most of Your Small House

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(Dec. 14, 2019)–Not everyone is lucky to have a huge and spacious house. Considering the cost of real estate these days, you\’re already lucky even to own a house. Despite having a small place, you can still make it look great. After decorating your

place, you will be proud to call it home.

Invest in multi-purpose furniture

You can find furniture that you can use for a variety of purposes. For instance, furniture that\’s useful as a sofa in the morning, but a bed at night. You can also have a mirror which converts to a flat-screen television when reversed. The good thing is that you can have everything you need despite having limited space.

Opt for a minimalistic approach

You can change the way you view home decoration. Instead of buying as many items as you can, you could reduce them. A minimalist approach allows your space to look more spacious and creates an illusion of comfort.

Use blinds instead of curtains

When using blinds, you can create a seamless connection between your house and the outdoor space. It feels like the world is your home. Curtains are restricting and will make your room look even smaller. Apart from using blinds, you also have to invest in a large mirror. It tricks you into thinking that there\’s more depth in your home when it\’s only the reflection of one side.

Always keep it

organized

You can\’t afford to have a messy home when it\’s already small, to begin with. The place will look even more cramped. Each time you take something out, you need to return it properly. For instance, if you read a book, you have to return it to the shelf once you finish.

Invest in built-in furniture

Sometimes, it’s difficult to find furniture that fits your needs. The available choices don’t always fit. You might end up choosing the best option, but it’s not perfect. The best alternative is built-in furniture like a

fitted wardrobe UK

specialists design and install. If you have one, you will find it easy to customize the design to match your space, preference and budget. You can also determine the specific area where the furniture will be suitable. You might have to spend a bit more for fitted furniture, but it looks amazing. It’s also practical.

Keep it simple

You might feel inspired to follow the design ideas you see in magazines. The problem is that you don\’t have the luxury of such space. You have to settle for the small area you have. Despite that, you can still make your home amazing. You just need to be smart in determining the perfect design. Keep it simple but stunning.

Start by listing everything you want to see in your house and what you need to have. From there, you can decide what else you need to purchase. If you can afford to move to a bigger house in the future or opt for remodelling, it would also be an excellent idea.

Image:

https://unsplash.com/photos/EMWgB-BTyh0

IT’SUGAR TO OPEN WORLD’S FIRST CANDY DEPARTMENT STORE

AT AMERICAN DREAM IN EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14

NEW JERSEY (December 12, 2019)

–

IT’SUGAR

, known for its over-the-top sweets, giant candy, and absurdly wonderful sugar creations, is excited to announce that it will open on Saturday, December 14 in American Dream located in East

Rutherford, New Jersey. At three stories and over 22,000-square-feet, IT’SUGAR American Dream will be the world’s first department store of candy.

The one-of-a-kind IT’SUGAR store will greet visitors with a 3-story tall Statue of Liberty replica covered in over 1.5 million Jelly Belly beans, symbolizing the freedom to treat yourself. Once inside, customers can explore the first floor’s centerpiece, an immersive lollipop garden filled with nearly ten-thousand lollipops. Surrounding the garden is over 5,000 square feet of candy bins housing an endless variety of your favorite sweets. The second floor is home to dozens of branded shops like Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish, Nerds, Starburst, Reese’s, Kellogg’s, and more. Coming Spring 2020 to IT’SUGAR’s third floor will be a new Oreo café concept called Oreo TWISTiD. Overlooking American Dream’s entertainment atrium, Oreo TWISTiD will provide guests with a view of the DreamWorks Water Park and NickelodeonUniverse Theme Park.

American Dream will include over 450 retail, food and specialty shops. These are complemented by over 15 entertainment offerings including fully-enclosed DreamWorks Water Park and Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park; a 16-story Big Snow Indoor Ski & Snow Park; Kidzania; a live Performing Arts Theater; a 300-foot tall Observation Wheel; a Sea Life Aquarium, Legoland Discovery Center; The Rink (NHL-sized ice rink); and The Dining Terrace with over fifteen full service restaurants and the world’s only Munchie’s Food Hall. American Dream will be the second largest retail and entertainment center in the United States covering approximately 3 million square feet with a superb location 20 minutes outside NYC.

“Creating a candy department store has been a long-time dream of mine,” said Jeff Rubin, Founder and CEO of IT’SUGAR. “I’ve been thinking about this concept for over 25 years and our IT’SUGAR team is thrilled to partner with American Dream to make it a reality. There is nowhere else like American Dream and we look forward to immersing the property’s millions of guests into the world of IT’SUGAR.”

IT’SUGAR is located in American Dream, at 1 American Dream Way, Space G134. For more information, please visit

www.itsugar.com

IT’SUGAR is a member of BBX Capital Corporation’s family of companies and a subsidiary of BBX Sweet Holdings.

###

About IT’SUGAR:

Founded by candy veteran Jeff Rubin in 2006, this sweet experiential retail environment has become the largest specialty candy retailer in the world. The IT’SUGAR portfolio consists of over 100 retail locations in U.S. hotspots such as New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Dallas, Houston, and Chicago. Known for their absurdly wonderful sugar innovations that celebrate lighthearted rebellion, IT’SUGAR aspires to a future where everyone has access to the pure joy that comes from indulging in a world with fewer rules and more sugar. For additional information, please visit

www.itsugar.com

About BBX Capital Corporation:

BBX Capital Corporation is a Florida-based diversified holding company whose activities include its 90 percent ownership interest in Bluegreen Vacations as well as its real estate and middle market divisions which includes its ownership interest of IT’SUGAR. For additional information, please visit www.BBXCapital.com.

About American Dream:

American Dream, developed by Triple Five Group, will provide customers with an entirely unique experience. The property offers a curated mix of unparalleled entertainment, retail and dining options – all in one location. American Dream is approximately 3 million square feet and projects 40 million visitors annually. When complete, the destination will include over 450 retail, food and specialty shops, complemented by over 15 entertainment offerings including: fully-enclosed DreamWorks Water Park and Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park; Big SNOW American Dream; Kidzania; live Performing Arts Theater; 300-foot tall Observation Wheel; Merlin Entertainments’ Sea Life Aquarium and Legoland Discovery Center; The Rink – an NHL-regulation sized ice rink; and The Dining Terrace with over fifteen full service restaurants and the world’s only Munchie’s Food Hall. For more information visit

www.americandream.com

or follow us on Instagram @

americandream

Learning Image Search on Google

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(Dec. 13, 2019)–In simple words, searching via a photograph or an image. Just like we use words to initiate searches about topics and themes, in reverse image search one uses photos to do the same.

Why is Reverse Image Search Important?

As our world and content creation has become more and more photo-oriented, the need for finding origins of an image are gaining importance. Thousands of images get uploaded on the web every minute. It is impossible to keep track of this huge data in today\’s world.

There are many uses of reverse image search. The most common use is to track the origins of an image, infographic, or digital artwork. This tool is used to investigate or resolve copyright infringement and plagiarism issues. It helps find a high-quality version of the concerned image too.

search by image

also enables researchers to find out additional details about an image such as when was it clicked/uploaded or which equipment was used in making it. Most recently, people and agencies are also using reverse image search to tackle fake news. One cannot navigate the world of internet and big data without being well-versed in image search. This feature is today being used by teachers, researchers, students, and laymen alike.

Some of the best reverse image search engines

Today most of the popular search engines have supported reverse image search feature to keep up with the demands of the increasingly photographic and visual world. Many of these web crawlers cater to a niche audience while many of them like Google cater to a large pool of common audiences. These engines are mostly picked depending on the purpose of the user. Some of them are free to use while others are based on a subscription model.

Google

TinEye

Yandex

Yahoo

reverseimagesearch.us

Getty Image

IQDB

Bing

Picsearch

Flickr

Shutter Stock

How to search by image on Google?

While Google itself introduced the facility of searching by an image in 2011, the issues of privacy invasion and surveillance have made many people susceptible to its use. As an alternative to Google, people are using other independent tools and search engines available online. These alternatives offer privacy that mainstream platforms do not.

Searching by an image on Google is very user-friendly and one does not have to be tech-savvy to perform it. There are two ways in which one can initiate the search; these ways are:

Through URL address: One simply has to copy and paste the URL address of a concerned image on the search tab and wait for the results to emerge.

By directly uploading the image: This method is used when the person lacks the URL address. It is important to make sure the image being uploaded is in the right format and size.

Advanced digital platforms such as Google offer an array of filters to streamline the search by categorizing searches. The filters can categorize by color scheme, formats such as cartoons, and dimensions. Often when one uses a tool that is not a mainstream search engine, they are given a choice to pick a web directory that they would like to go through as part of their search.

image courtesy of unsplash.com

Clifton apparel firm apologizes; Lord Ganesh underwear removed after Hindu protest

Clifton (New Jersey) headquartered apparel label Customon has apologized and withdrawn thong and panty carrying image of Hindu deity Ganesh after Hindu protest; which called it “highly inappropriate”.

Sarah D. from Customon, in an email to Hindu statesman Rajan Zed (who spearheaded the protest), wrote: “We do apologize for such an inconvenience and thank you for your notification that allowed us to take action”… “the subject design belongs to a third party designer…the designer is going to get a warning”. The objectionable products were not found on the Customon website when searched today.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, thanked Customon and Sarah D. for understanding the concerns of Hindu community which thought images of Lord Ganesh on such products were highly insensitive.

Rajan Zed suggested that Customon and other companies should send their senior executives for training in religious and cultural sensitivity so that they had an understanding of the feelings of customers and communities when introducing new products or launching advertising campaigns.

Zed had said that Lord Ganesh was highly revered in Hinduism and was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to adorn one’s crotch. Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts or symbols for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees.

Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.1 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken frivolously. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Rajan Zed had noted.

Zed had stated that such trivialization of Hindu deities was disturbing for the Hindus. Hindus were for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the followers, Zed added.

In Hinduism, Lord Ganesh is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking.

Objectionable Ganesh Thong and Ganesh Pantie for women were both priced at $18.64 each. Ganesh Thong’s “Product Info” stated that “you can be sexy with this well-formed under garments”. Customon, which claims to be “one of the leading custom t-shirt digital printing and embroidery services in the industry”, has another office in Eatontown (New Jersey). Its products include t-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, sweatshirts, hats/caps, underwear, phone-cases, mugs, etc.

The Best Online Roulette

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(Dec. 13, 2019)–Today it can feel as if there are not enough hours in the day to finish what we set out to do and because of this many of us look online to buy goods and services quickly. Convenience is the name of the game and anything that makes our lives that little bit easier it welcomed.

But it’s not only those things that help our lives run smoothly that we find online, increasing numbers of us are turning to the internet to find our favorite casino games, so much so, that bricks and mortar venues are now second to playing a few games online.

Interestingly, the choice of games which are popular in a bricks and mortar casino are also pretty popular online – the move has not deterred players from enjoying all of the classic games – but now those games can be played from anywhere and at anytime, fitting in with busy schedules.

One of the most popular games both in a bricks and mortar venue and online is roulette and below is a quick guide on how to enjoy the game of online roulette, and win.

Where to Play

Always choose a reputable site such as Fruity King.

Fruity King Roulette

is a perfect example of what can be found online today, and this quality site does not disappoint.

Aside from slots, online roulette is still the most popular of all the casino games, and whether your preference is European, American or French roulette, the potential for a large win on many variations of the game can be found at Fruity King.

Tips Before you Play

Get to know the rules of the game, different variations of roulette have different rules so make sure you are up to date with them all before you risk any of your own hard-earned cash

Remember that your odds are better when you bet on more than one number at a time. Try some combinations of colours and odd/even numbers to begin with

Consider reading up on some roulette strategies and then try them out for yourself

Always play for fun and not for the win – winning is fantastic but you should not play only to win or chase your losses

Once you do get into the game you could also consider saving some of your bankroll to try the Live Dealer roulette games which bring all the action of a real bricks and mortar casino onto your smaller screen. Played in real time with a real live human croupier, players are able to interact with the croupier and their fellow players in-between games.

Fun, fast and highly entertaining its well worth waiting a few minutes to get a seat at one of the live games, and you never know, it might just be your lucky day.

image courtesy of unsplash.com

Aircraft Maintenance: The Small Parts That Make Your Aircraft Safer

Gloucestercitynews.net(December 13, 2019)–Aircraft safety is of vital importance, and establishing a maintenance checklist is a critical pre-flight aspect of this. Whether you’re a fleet manager whose aircrafts\’ maintenance schedule is based on the inspection standards set in

Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations

or the owner of a high-usage aircraft, we’ve spotlighted a few points of aircraft maintenance that deserve extra attention to guarantee a safe and comfortable flight.

Grommets

Grommets are often used to protect

wires, tubing and control cables from continuous grating against any sharp edges within the plane. They are vital for preventing against potential smoke and fire hazards within an aircraft’s many electrical connections. Ill-fitting grommets have been the culprits behind cabin fires, lavatory leaks and more threats to crew and passenger well-being, which is why inspection is so essential for in-flight reliability and safety. When properly installed, grommets help ensure an aircraft’s electrical wiring interconnect system (EWIS) is properly bundles to meet airworthiness standards and avoid long-term maintenance issues.

Grommets can also be used as a reinforcement tool around a hole in fabric; usually this means being added onto a plane\’s flaps for extra secureness. Flaps or lift devices, are usually mounted on the wing trailing edges of a fixed-wing aircraft. Flaps are used when additional lift is needed on takeoff.

If during a maintenance inspection any instances of wire chafing, arcing, degradation or other wiring safety concerns appear, any EWIS modifications should be compatible with safety requirements and the existing set standards.

Seals and O-Rings

There’s no arguing when it comes to aircraft maintenance and safety that seals play a vital role in almost every part of your plane.

The forces of attrition are basically the whole story for why your seals and o-rings need regular check-ups.

Attrition is the basic wear and tear on an aircraft during the time it\’s in service for. The five main factors that contribute most heavily to this depreciation include weather, friction, heat, overload and vibration.

Weather and its effects on aircraft can vary widely depending on the local climate (rainy, humid, snowfall, etc.) and each of these conditions will create a different outcome for each aircraft and its parts. Things such as decay, oxidation, moisture, rusting and corrosion are all possibilities and will require cleaning, examination and possible replacement for the continuation of aircraft operation.

Friction is another element of concern for aircraft safety. Friction can’t necessarily be completely avoided since like any machine, an aircraft has hundreds of moving parts that will come into contact with one another from time to time. However, this is where the need for effective sealing and lubrication plays an essential role in reducing the wear on each part. By using lubricated o-rings, higher pressure, temperatures and movement can be attained without compromising metal to metal parts such as in the engine.

We won’t go into detail on the rest of the forces of attrition as you can find out more

in-depth information in this government guide

, but as part of the inspection you should ultimately be aware of the possible effects each of those listed could have on the aircraft.

The Smallest Seal Matters

It’s important to keep in mind, whether you’re preparing for your annual inspection or progressive, that every piece of your aircraft down to the smallest fuel seal and grommet gasket plays a vital part in giving you the best flight performance and longest lifespan from your aircraft.

4 Tips on How to Use Social Media to Improve Your Small Business

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(Dec. 12, 2019)–Did you know that

77.6% of small businesses

use social media to promote their businesses?

Facebook is the most popular platform for small businesses to use, followed by LinkedIn, Twitter, Google, their own blog, Pinterest, and Instagram.

So if you’re a small business who is looking to improve your business with social media, then you need to discover our top tips on how you can use social media to boost your business.

Be Discoverable

One of the most important things to do to improve your social media efforts is to make sure your business is discoverable. Whether your business is on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, you need to make sure you are using the right keywords so people can find your business.

Place your keywords in category tags, description boxes, and photos, to ensure your business has maximum coverage. But remember not to keyword stuff, ensure that your phrasing is natural.

Use Statistics and Analyse Your Results

Understanding Facebook statistics

can greatly impact the success of your social media efforts. For example, if you know who your audience is, where you can find them online, and what time or days they use Facebook then you should be able to target your key audience using carefully thought out campaigns. This works with other platforms too, so make sure you research who is most prominent on each channel and what time they use it most.

You can also use your own Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn statistics to figure out what type of content creates the most engagement and what your audience wants to see. Once you’ve worked out what works best make sure you create more content like it.

Create Relevant Content

So many businesses and brands make the mistake of creating content that their audience doesn’t care about. When it comes to social media you need to make sure that you create relevant content for your audience. For example, create useful how-to blogs about your products, create exciting videos about your business, and post images that your followers want to see.

The best way to find out what is relevant is by testing the waters and seeing what your audience responds and interacts with most. If you get the most engagement from posting photos and videos, then focus your content in this format.

Don’t Promote Yourself Too Much

Businesses that always post about their products or services often lose followers and don’t gain much engagement, that’s because your audience doesn’t always want to be sold your business, they also want fun content. The social media rule of thumb is to post 80% of your content so that it can inform, educate, or entertain your audience. The other 20% of your content can be directly promoting your business.

If you enjoyed reading this insightful article, then make sure you check out some of our other

CBN Business News articles

image source

https://pixabay.com

NJBIA VP Mike Wallace Selected as 2020 Lead NJ Fellow

NJBIA Vice President Michael Wallace has been chosen as a 2020 Lead New Jersey Fellow, joining a select group of business, government and nonprofit leaders who will spend the next 12 months exploring major public policy issues facing New Jersey and identifying solutions.

Lead New Jersey

Fellows, who are already leaders in their companies and communities, hone their leadership skills by studying the issues that have the greatest impact on New Jersey residents\’ lives and then work with other talented leaders to shape improvements.

\”NJBIA is proud to have Mike selected to be part of Lead New Jersey\’s Class of 2020,\” said NJBIA President & CEO Michele Siekerka, Esq. \”Mike\’s experience leading NJBIA\’s advocacy efforts on labor, workforce development, manufacturing, apprenticeships and job training policies makes him an ideal candidate for Lead New Jersey\’s program.\”

A resident of Sewell in Gloucester County, Wallace joined NJBIA in 2015, after having worked as a legislative aide to state Senator Fred Madden (D-4). A graduate of the University of Delaware, Wallace also previously worked as an aide to former Camden Mayor Dana Redd and Gov. Jon Corzine.

Upon completion of the program, Wallace will be part of a distinguished alumni comprised of more than 1,600 Lead New Jersey fellows who have graduated over the past 34 years, including NJBIA\’s Chief Government Affairs Officer Chrissy Buteas (2008) and Chief Business Relations Officer Wayne Staub, a member of the Class of 2019 honored on Dec. 5 at the Princeton Marriott at Forrestal.

Lead New Jersey educates, empowers and engages talented leaders to create systemic change around New Jersey\’s most challenging issues. Going into its 34th year, LNJ boasts an alumni base of more than 1,600 Fellows, including corporate and nonprofit executives and elected and appointed government officials. For more information, go to

www.leadnj.org

Pepco Holdings Taps Derrick Dickens to Lead New Customer Operations Role

Dickens to lead customer-focused initiatives across the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey

WASHINGTON, D.C.

(December 10, 2019) – Pepco Holdings has named Derrick Dickens, senior vice president of Customer Operations and Chief Customer Officer, filling a new position developed to bring greater focus to the programs and initiatives that will transform the future of energy service and drive a premier experience for Atlantic City Electric, Delmarva Power and Pepco customers.

Dickens is currently vice president of Technical Services at BGE, Pepco Holdings’ sister Exelon company, where he oversees the investment strategy, vegetation management, project management, and electric distribution engineering functions. In this role, he has delivered innovative solutions to projects, developed new approaches to operational challenges, and utilized new technologies to advance the company’s reliability performance.

“Derrick brings the leadership, passion and the focus on innovation that will help us bring creative new programs and initiatives to market for our customers,” said Dave Velazquez, president and CEO of Pepco Holdings, which includes Atlantic City Electric, Delmarva Power and Pepco. “We are constantly dedicated to providing the safe, reliable, affordable and sustainable energy service our customers have come to expect. I know Derrick will help us elevate our level of service and set a new bar for the level of service we provide.”

Before joining BGE in 2016, Dickens was director of Advanced Meter Infrastructure at PECO in Philadelphia, where he was responsible for implementing the company’s Smart Future Greater Philadelphia project, which included the installation of smart grid and smart meter technology. He joined the Exelon family of companies in 2004 as PECO’s program manager of Distribution Reliability and Maintenance and has held roles in reliability and maintenance planning, public relocations, regional engineering, technical services, training and field operations. Prior to his work at PECO, Dickens worked for about 18 years in the telecommunication and software industries.

Dickens is actively involved in the Maryland nonprofit community, including serving on the boards of the B&O Railroad Museum and Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore.

He will assume his new position effective January 1, 2020.

# # #

Pepco Holdings, a unit of Exelon Corporation (Nasdaq: EXC), the nation’s leading energy provider, oversees the operation of Atlantic City Electric, Delmarva Power and Pepco. The companies provide safe and reliable energy service to approximately 2.1 million customers in Maryland, the District of Columbia, Delaware and New Jersey.