Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

On New Years Day 2014, the New York City mayor, Bill de Blasio, entered office promising to end the tale of two cities with a progressive agenda that he said would address the economic and social inequalities that threaten to unravel the city we love.

But seven years and a global pandemic later, campaigning to decide the Democrats successor is heating up, and the next mayor looks set to inherit a city where experts say those disparities are not only on the rise, but are in a state of crisis.

In the wake of coronavirus, which to date has killed more than 25,000 people in the city, New York faces an unemployment rate of 12.1% almost double that of the US overall the threat of mass evictions, surging gun violence and burglary, a multibillion-dollar funding gap and an exodus of more than 300,000 residents.

This is undoubtedly the toughest situation any mayor has had to face, said Kathryn Wylde, the president and CEO of business group the Partnership for New York City. 9/11 was difficult, but it was contained to one geographic area of the city.

While she said the health implications of Covid-19 were becoming better understood, the economic impact is only just unfolding. So nobody really knows the consequences there, thats still a moving target and an increasing number.

And yet despite the unprecedented challenges, there is no shortage of people vying to become the next mayor. So far, 32 candidates have filed paperwork to participate in the 2021 race, according to the citys Campaign Finance Board (CFB).

It is a diverse field that includes several former members of the De Blasio administration, a member of Barack Obamas White House cabinet and a former New York police officer. The former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang has filed paperwork and is reportedly preparing to launch a run in early or mid-January.

De Blasios term does not officially end until 31 December 2021. But with less than six months to go until the Democratic primaries on 22 June which, due to the left-leaning politics of the city, will probably decide the winner of Novembers election candidates will not have long to make their case.

With industries including retail, tourism, restaurants, culture and entertainment suffering, and a third of the citys 240,000 small businesses predicted not to reopen, the citys economic recovery is likely to take centre stage.

Jonathan Bowles, the executive director of the Center for an Urban Future said the city was on the verge of a potential fiscal catastrophe if it did not get the help it needs from the federal government, which could lead to major cuts in subways, sanitation and parks.

Although the $900bn stimulus bill passed by Congress in December included some funding for public transport, it did not include aid for state and local governments, and New Yorks Metropolitan Transportation Authority still faces an $8bn deficit.

Even as the city is losing all sorts of revenue, tax revenue, the needs for the safety net are growing. People are going hungry, theyre standing in line for soup kitchens, there are more people becoming homeless, so these are massive issues that are facing the city, said Bowles.

At the same time, the way that the pandemic has changed the economy, with people working from home, it creates all sorts of risks that some people will move out of New York or people that have moved temporarily may not come back.

The next mayor needs to prioritise building back more inclusively, he said, because too few New Yorkers got ahead during the boom times of the last decade and a lot of those disparities, those racial and ethnic disparities, have been accelerated in this pandemic.

Other issues likely to be on the incoming mayors immediate priorities are education, social and racial justice and crime.

The first thing is jobs, schools, crime. Thats it. You get any one of those working, youll be better than the current mayor, said Mitchell Moss, an NYU professor of urban policy and planning. De Blasio, he said, had clearly checked out and lost the trust of teachers, police, parents and his own staff.

While his successes include implementing free prekindergarten for all, the mayor has faced criticism of his leadership including his handling of the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests following the police killing of George Floyd and his failed 2020 presidential run. He has also been known to publicly bicker with the New York governor, Andrew Cuomo.

Bill Neidhardt, a spokesman for the mayor, said: Mayor de Blasio just made the single largest move in decades to integrate public schools on the same day as committing to over 20 new NYPD reforms If someone doesnt believe that work is important or urgent, then Im not sure what to tell them.

At the moment, Moss said, it is a wide open race. As well as campaigning during a pandemic, candidates will also be faced with educating voters on a new ranked-choice voting system, which critics argue has not been sufficiently explained to voters.

They will also need to convince New Yorkers to come out to vote. In 2013, De Blasio won the Democratic mayoral primary in which only registered Democrats can vote with the votes of only about 3% of all New Yorkers.

Among the frontrunners so far are the city comptroller, Scott Stringer; the Brooklyn borough president, Eric Adams; the lawyer and civil rights activist Maya Wiley; Obamas housing secretary and the budget director Shaun Donovan; the ex-sanitation commissioner Kathryn Garcia; the former non-profit executive Dianne Morales and the former Citigroup vice-chairman Ray McGuire, who launched his campaign with a video narrated by Spike Lee.

Adams, 60, was a New York City police department (NYPD) officer for 22 years and in 2013 was elected Brooklyns first Black borough president. He decided to join NYPD after he was beaten by police when he was 15 because he wanted to change it from within.

I know New York City, Ive had some challenging times, Ive overcome them and now we need a mayor that can overcome and help people overcome the challenging times that theyre facing, he said.

He does not believe in defunding the police, but says police spending could be improved to move from being reactionary to crime and become proactive.

He wants to improve relations between New Yorkers and its police force by hiring more officers from the city and would also have a zero tolerance approach to abusive police officers.

He called for ranked choice voting to be postponed because he said the city has failed to educate voters on the new system which in effect will disenfranchise voters.

Stringer, 60, who has been city comptroller since 2013, said if he became mayor he would turn the page on the last eight years.

His first order of business, he said, would be to close our budget gap and get to work on kickstarting the economy in a just and equitable way.

Donovan, 54, said his experience with crises, budget handling and relationships with the Biden administration from his time at the White House would serve him well as mayor. He added: Building back has to begin with repairing our civic fabric and repairing our quality of life.

He plans to focus on equity and to appoint the citys first chief equity officer and make New York the leading equity city in the world.

If Wiley, 55, who was a top counsel to De Blasio and has worked as a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, becomes mayor she would be the first woman and only the second Black person in the role.

She said New York needs to learn from the citys previous crises where the city recovered but did not fix its underlying problems.

For every single time we have had crises in this city, we have recovered we just havent recovered everyone.

Instead, she said, the city should invest its budget fairly and justly and in ways that preserve its diversity.

She said coronavirus has created a historic humanitarian crisis in the city and the subsequent loss of life has caused unspeakable trauma.

We are traumatised as a city, we are afraid, we have lost. And thats why we need a leadership that actually calls us together to pull on our strengths, to pull us together.

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The race to replace Bill de Blasio: Who will be New York City's next mayor? - The Guardian

The Telegraph

Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, who hasnt been seen in public for several weeks after criticising Chinas financial regulatory system, has now disappeared as a judge on a TV talent show that he created. Mr Ma was absent from the final of The Apprentice-style Africas Business Heroes, a show that offers budding African entrepreneurs the chance to compete for a share of US$1.5 million (1.1 million) in prize money. Mr Ma was originally due to be part of the panel that judged contestants business ideas. But he was replaced as a judge by an executive from Alibaba, the ecommerce company that he founded, in the November final. His photograph has also been taken down from the judging webpage and he was left out of a promotional video, according to the Financial Times, which also reported that broadcast of the final has been delayed until the spring. The paper cited a spokesperson for Alibaba as saying that Mr Ma could no longer be part of the judging panel due to a schedule conflict. One of Chinas most successful entrepreneurs, Mr Ma appears to have fallen foul of its leaders after he criticised the countrys regulators and its state-owned banks in late October. In a speech in Shanghai, he called for reform of the regulatory system, which he said was stifling innovation. About a week later, the Shanghai Stock Exchange ordered a US$37 billion initial public offering of Ant Group, a financial technology firm co-founded by Mr Ma, to be suspended. Mr Ma reportedly hasnt been seen in public since then. In late December, Chinese authorities announced an investigation into Alibaba for suspected monopolistic behaviour, and ordered Ant Group to restructure its operations to meet regulatory guidelines. Chinese authorities are trying to tighten oversight of the countrys financial sector, but are also seen as wanting to rein in the huge influence of private tech giants. Mr Ma is a popular figure in China, and one of the countrys best-known businesspeople abroad. Formerly an English teacher, he founded Alibaba in 1999, which became Chinas biggest online ecommerce company. He stepped down as the companys chairman in 2019, but is still one of its largest shareholders.

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Remembering the lives lost to COVID-19 in 2020 - Yahoo News

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has admitted that he is nervous about revellers kissing lots of people at potential New Years Eve celebrations.

The Cabinet is expected to meet this Wednesday afternoon to discuss implementing a full Level 5 lockdown.

Pubs and restaurants were forced to shut their doors on December 24 as the Government confirmed Level 5 restrictions with some modifications.

Household visits fell to just one other household from December 26 but will cease completely from January 1.

The Cabinet is expected to discuss closing non-essential retail and gyms at their emergency meeting this afternoon. It has also been suggested that 5km travel restrictions may be reimplemented.

Speaking to Newstalks The Hard Shoulder, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly admitted that the Government is worried about the climbing number of COVID-19 cases.

The Fianna Fail TD for Wicklow said that, in particular, he is worried about people becoming overly amorous at potential New Years Eve celebrations.

He told Newstalk that there was no question that increased socialisation over the last number of weeks has led to increased COVID-19 case figures.

Minister Donnelly went onto say there should be no kissing lots of people on New Years Eve.

He noted that the emergency Cabinet meeting was called to discuss both the increasing case figures and the concerning number of hospitalisations over the last week.

He explained: It is in response to two things. One is the very serious and ongoing rise in cases.

The second is linked to a very big increase in hospitalisations.

We will be meeting to consider new measures. Its an unscheduled Cabinet meeting and we are meeting specifically in the context of the NPHET advice which is to move to full Level 5 and indeed the rise in cases and hospitalisations.

But suffice to say the purpose of the meeting is to look at the measures and see are there more changes required given the situation were facing.

Stephen Donnellys comments come as Ireland recorded its highest ever COVID-19 case count.

The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) confirmed an additional 1,546 COVID-19 cases. There were also another nine deaths linked to the virus.

There were 409 people in hospital with the virus on Tuesday evening.

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Stephen Donnelly says kissing lots of people on New Years Eve is not allowed - Extra.ie

Kitchen Cabinet Services Market 2020-2025 report offers a comprehensive valuation of the marketplace. The report examines factors influencing growth of the market along with detailing of the key trends, drivers, restraints, regional trends, and opportunities. Moreover, Reports Intellect provides a competitive landscape to the companies and their strategic developments. Each segment is examined carefully by articulating in sales, revenue and market size in order to understand the potential of growth and scope.

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Research Report and Overview on Kitchen Cabinet Services Market, 2020-2025 - The Monitor

A "toxic and unprecedented level of scenarios" have emerged as a result of the increase in COVID-19 cases, according to the CEO of the HSE.

Positivity rates for tests on some days are reaching as high as 20%, including on tests carried out yesterday.

It comes as the Cabinet is gathering to consider reintroducing level five restrictions, which would close non-essential retail and gyms.

The unscheduled meeting is taking place this afternoon due to the soaring rates of coronavirus in Ireland.

1,546 new caseswere confirmed yesterday while 454 patients are currently in hospital today with the virus following 59 further hospitalisations in the last 24 hours.

The head of the HSE Paul Reid says the scale of which the virus is transmitting is worrying.

He told a HSE briefing this afternoon that most of his worst concerns about the capacity of the health system which had been outlined before Christmas "have certainly been realised".

Mr Reid said: "There's what I describe as an unprecedented and toxic combination of potential scenarios [which] have literally been realised and have emerged.

"That's a combination of a massively high level and rapidly growing daily cases."

Added to this is high levels of positivity which "we haven't seen in such a long time" and "extreme" numbers of close contacts.

Speaking at the same briefing, Dr Colm Henry, the Chief Clinical Officer at the HSE saidthe R-number of COVID-19 transmission in Ireland is now at 1.8.

Mr Reid said the HSE were extremely concerned about the number of hospitalisations, particularly in the past 48 to 72 hours.

He made an "urgent and serious call to the public" over the "alarming and high-risk situation" with the virus at the moment.

Transmission levels in the community are very worrying, he added, and so he called on "everybody to take immediate actions" over withdrawing from any planned activities involving meeting people in the coming days.

The average positively rate over the past seven days has been at around 10%, but on some days, including yesterday, that hit 20%.

Demand for community testing has also increased by 100% in the last few weeks, he said.

On the roll-out of the vaccination programme, which began yesterday, Mr Reid said the "immediate focus" in the coming days would be on healthcare workers.

Additional reporting by Andrew Lowth

Link:
HSE's worst concerns over COVID-19 have been realised, chief says - Newstalk

CBC

Three Nova Scotians who have the same extremely rare condition say their shared experience has brought them closer together as a family.Brad, Bradley and Amanda Bright have Camurati-Engelmann disease, a skeletal condition that causes increased bone density, primarily in the legs, arms and skull. It can cause pain, muscle weakness and difficulty walking.The Brights are believed to be the only people in Canada with the disease.Patriarch Brad Bright saidwhen he was a teenager, a teacher noticed one day at school he had a "swagger" while he was walking down a hallway."I never noticed it," he said in an interview. "It was the way I always walked."It wasn't until years later, when his daughter, Amanda, was diagnosed, that he found out the way he walked was because of the disease."When my daughter was getting ready for school, she had to do some tests, and one of her tests was for her to jump, and she couldn't jump very well," said Brad."We got it looked at and we found that the bones were really hard."As it turned out, three of four members of the Weymouth, N.S., family had the rare condition.It's a story that Brad's son, Bradley, told through Normal,a short film he made for CBC's Being Black in Halifax, a compilation of four short documentaries streaming on CBC Gem.Bradley, a 33-year-old filmmaker and animator, said that when he and his older sister were kids, they would spend a lot of time at the IWK Children's Hospital doing tests. He said most of those tests would be done on Amanda first."It helped that me and my sister were close. She sort of, I guess, took the brunt of it because they would do it a lot on her," he said."I really looked up to my sister for that. She sort of protected me from all that."But Amanda suggested it was part of her job as the big sister."I was always really protective of him growing up I mean, I probably still am now, though we're adults but I think it has kind of brought us together," said the 36-year-old teacher.Although her mother, Trina, doesn't have the condition, Amanda said she was by their side during their manyhospital visits.According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, the prevalence of Camurati-Engelmann disease is unknown. It estimates about 300 people are affected worldwide.'Nobody really understands'Being one of the only people in Canada known to have this disease has been a challenge, said Brad.For many conditions, there are support groups and forums, people with shared experiences. That isn't the case for Brad."Ever since I've been sick, I haven't yet woke up without pain," he said. "As the years go by, it just takes everything out of youbecause you can't say nothing to nobody, because nobody really understands, and you just try to cope with it yourself each day and each day gets harder."Tasks that people may take for granted, such as making a piece of toast for breakfast, can be difficult for Brad."For me to stand by the sideboard and wait for that toast, the pain that goes through you, it's just out of this world," he said.Durhane Wong-Rieger, the president of the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders, said there are many challenges that come with living with a rare disease.She said patients may not get a timely diagnosis, and there could be some difficulties in getting access to specialists or treatment.On top of that, there are few people in their situation."If you are dealing with a condition which you don't know anyone else that necessarily has that condition, it can be an awfully scary and isolating experience," she said.But in a case where family members share a disease, they can find support through each other, said Wong-Rieger."It's comforting to know that you're not absolutely alone," she said.Wong-Rieger added that while a condition may be rare, they are often part of a family of disorders, so people can find others with similar conditions.She noted that rare diseases affect many Canadians, though people might not recognize that."Even though each rare disease might only affect a few people, collectively, because there's 6,000-7,000 rare diseases, there are close to three million people in Canada who directly have a rare disease," said Wong-Rieger.Raising awarenessBradley hopes his film will help shed light onCamurati-Engelmann diseaseand help him find other people who may be living with it."It would be neat if someone [saw] the movie, and then be like, 'I know someone who has had stuff like that,'" he said. "That would be really interesting for me."His father, Brad, agreed."Because it's not known in Canada much and I think by people looking at it, listening to it, knowing that it's here, it's a real sickness," he said.Amanda said she believes it may shine a light onsimilar diseases."I know there are conditions like ours that are similar, so maybe it might bring awareness to those conditions as well," she said.MORE TOP STORIES

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Ottawans share their best moments of 2020 - Yahoo News Canada

The prototype apartment sits in a mostly empty parking lot in Chelsea, but when you walk out the front door, theres quite a view: boats docked at a marina, and a small estuary that connects to the Mystic River.

Kevin Saba owns the marina, and he is a cofounder of BeQuall, a startup company that aims to make city living more affordable and energy-efficient and compact. He refers to the prototype dwelling as a BePod, and it has about 330 square feet of interior space. The companys objective is to sell these modern-looking manufactured units to real estate developers in pricey parts of the country for use as rental units.

Cofounder Scott Bailey says they would likely be rented fully furnished for about 75 to 85 percent of the price of a comparably sized unfurnished apartment. (Most of the BePods furniture is integrated into the unit.) In Bostons Seaport neighborhood, at current prices for a small studio that would be roughly $1,350 to $1,575 a month.

The demographic were focused on is a segment of the market that hasnt seen a lot of love, says Bailey, who previously helped run the nonprofit MassChallenge entrepreneurship program. Its people who live with roommates in cities, people who want privacy.

Saba chimes in: I think itll be interesting, post-COVID. Expectations are going to change, as college students come out of school having lived in singles for the last year or two. Many of these younger renters may want leases shorter than a year, he adds, and they may prefer a furnished, ready-to-occupy apartment.

Saba says the company is talking with real estate developers about potential sites and getting regulatory approvals to ship manufactured housing to California, a key first market. Well do Massachusetts, as well, Saba says, though the state has historically been less friendly to any kind of prefab housing.

BeQuall has five early buyers lined up in California all for individual units initially. So far, Saba has provided most of Bequalls capital, but the company hopes to raise a round of funding sometime this year.

Saba contends that lots of folks are over-housed, living in homes or apartments that are too large. He predicts that smaller living spaces are going to be like electric cars on the verge of an inflection point in acceptance.

Scott Kirsner can be reached at kirsner@pobox.com. Follow him on Twitter @ScottKirsner.

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Could you live in this 330-square-foot pod apartment? - BetaBoston

Its 2021, and thanks to the Traverse City Business News, heres a glimpse of what were watching in and around Traverse City as the New Year begins.

Weed In The City2020 was a year of upheaval in Traverse Citys burgeoning marijuana industry.On one hand, a dozen medical marijuana establishments officially opened their doors. On the other, critics have accused the Traverse City Board of Commissioners of dragging their feet on bringing recreational marijuana into the city.

With four lawsuits pending against the City of Traverse City regarding its handling of marijuana licenses, City Clerk Benjamin Marentette warns that recreational cannabis sales arent likely to commence in the city any time soon.

Michigan voters legalized adult-use marijuana in November 2018 and recreational sales have officially been allowed in the state since Dec. 1, 2019. The City of Traverse City has thus far opted out of allowing recreational marijuana businesses within city limits, with the reasoning that delaying licensing would allow city commissioners time to determine how to regulate these types of businesses.

In August, the city commission approved new rules that would have opened the door for recreational marijuana dispensaries in Traverse City. The rules ignited an uproar and led to the filing of three lawsuits (to date) against the City of Traverse City. A fourth cannabis lawsuit facing the city pertains to medical marijuana.

Marentette says that recreational cannabis is indefinitely stalled. His office has received two applications so far for non-dispensary businesses: one for a grower, one for a safety compliance facility. But per a ruling from the 13th Circuit Court, the city cannot accept applications for recreational marijuana dispensaries or microbusinesses until further notice.

Because of the lawsuits the city is facing, Judge (Thomas G.) Power ordered that my office not begin accepting applications until further order of the court, Marentette said. There's a lot of complexity to the lawsuits filed against the city that may or may not shape (the citys timeline on licensing or store openings).

TVC's Independent Airport AuthorityTraverse Citys Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) has been cleared locally to operate more independently than ever before.

Grand Traverse and Leelanau county commissioners voted in December to create an independent airport authority, such as what Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids and the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport are governed by. Currently, TVC is owned jointly by Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties and is governed by the Northwest Regional Airport Commission (NRAC).

As an independent authority, the two counties would still appoint board members, but the airport would have greater independence and autonomy to buy and sell property, control its own zoning, set standards for board members and remove board members that dont meet standards or fail in their duties.

As part of the post-approval process, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will need to sign off on changing the airports operating certificate. The review process is likely to take about nine months.

East Bay Township DevelopmentCould 2021 finally be the year that long-gestating development projects in East Bay Township come to fruition?

One area of interest is the stretch of U.S. 31 from Five Mile Road to Eighth Street, once referred to by locals as restaurant row. Many of the restaurants along that corridor have shuttered; those spaces all remain vacant heading in 2021, but at least one of them should be seeing some action in the New Year.

Nick Spallone is the designer for a new luxury car wash called Green Mitt, set to take over the 1840 U.S. 31 site previously occupied by Hooters.

Mark Hagan of Coldwell Banker, who represents the Ruby Tuesday property, says hes had a lot of larger chains that have expressed interest, kind of from all over the country, but that nothing has come together yet.

Old restaurant buildings arent the only commercial properties along U.S. 31 sitting vacant. Two hotel developments along that corridor one between Four Mile and Five Mile roads, adjacent to Hopscotch Brick Oven and Tap Room; the other between Hampton Inn and the Traverse City State Park appear to be stalled.

Away from restaurant row, East Bay Township could see some other development activity in 2021. An upscale manufactured home community called Alta Vista is planned for the 80 acres of vacant land east of Grand Traverse Academy, between Hammond and Vanderlip roads. Developers say construction will begin soon on the 165-unit community, with a three-phase buildout set to begin in February.

Hot HousingWith real estate demand in Traverse City holding strong, developers are boosting the areas apartment housing stock. Here are just a few of the projects on the horizon:

Breakwater:Breakwater on Garland Street is a new 77-unit mixed-use development that is just a stones throw from the Open Space. Steve Poole, the real estate agent representing the three commercial units on the ground floor, says to his knowledge the apartments are nearly 100% rented.

Ruth Park:Ruth Park is a planned 58-unit apartment complex on Wellington Street, across the street from Safe Harbor. It was approved in October for $1.2 million in funding from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), which will help fund the $14.1 million project.

DDA projects:The DDA is assisting with multiple projects. One is a mixed-use development planned for the spot currently occupied by parking lot G next to Mode's Bum Steer. The DDA is also collaborating with Great Lakes Capital, a real estate private equity firm, on bringing two projects to downtown TC. One is planned for 309 W. Front St. next to the new 4Front headquarters. The second, another four-story mixed-use project, would take up residence in the long-vacant site next to J&S Hamburg, with approximately 80 new apartment units included.

Mosser apartment complex:A potential 168-unit apartment complex on the south side of Hartman Road is in the preliminary stages in Garfield Township but is facing potential hurdles due to the parcel's proximity to Miller Creek Nature Preserve. The complex would include three seven-story apartment buildings, as well as a clubhouse and pool area.

U.S. 31 South apartment complex:A 60-unit apartment complex has been proposed for a 1.6-acre parcel off U.S. 31 South, between Hartman and South Airport roads. The proposed site which Garfield Township Planning Director John Sych says is a "nice fit" falls in the middle of several commercial structures near Grand Traverse Mall.

Also on the way are several luxury condo developments, including long-gestating projects like Peninsula Place on State Street, 539 Bay Street and newer ones like Fresh Water Flats on Gillis Street.

Racial Reckoning2020s racial unrest sparked the birth of Traverse Connects Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee. The committee, which consists of members from across the business community, has a goal to lead the community in becoming a region that is attractive and enabling to people of all diversities racial, cultural, social economic and ability.The group will host a DEI summit on March 11, with the aim of educating local businesses about the value of diversity and providing resources that can help businesses embrace DEI.

Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) will also likely take a closer look at DEI in the New Year. A former TCAPS student started a petition last summer urging the school district to incorporate BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) history and anti-racism education into educational curricula.

Relocating To Traverse CityThe Traverse City real estate market has rarely been hotter. According to the Traverse Area Association of Realtors (TAAR), November sales for the five-county region hit a record high of 350 homes totaling $136.64 million.

According to Warren Call, president and CEO of Traverse Connect, the real estate trends dovetail with other metrics to prove that more people are moving to Traverse City.

Spurred by a range of factors higher COVID-19 case numbers and more stringent pandemic restrictions in densely populated areas, more companies allowing their employees to work remotely on an indefinite basis city dwellers spent 2020 relocating in droves.According to the United States Postal Service, nearly 16 million American filed change-of-address requests between February and July, up more than 600,000 from the same period in 2019. Based on TAARs November real estate numbers, at least some of them are moving to Traverse City.

According to Call, a company called EMSI releases an annual talent attraction scorecard that ranks every county in the country. The 2020 version scores Grand Traverse County 81 out of over 2,200, small- and mid-sized counties in the country.

"So the timing has been fortuitous, because as the crisis struck we were already getting all these people that probably already had some inclination of moving here," Call says.NMC Student SurgeAt Northwestern Michigan College (NMC), the New Year is ringing in an out-of-the-ordinary surge in students.

Theyre coming from one possibly two fronts: The states new Futures for Frontliners program that offers free in-district community college tuition to essential workers who dont have a college degree; and another new statewide program called Michigan Reconnect, aimed at filling the states skills gap by helping adults over age 25 earn a degree or certificate.

Potential student numbers from Michigan Reconnect wont emerge until its application period opens in February, but Futures for Frontliners began adding NMC enrollment with this months start of spring semester.

As of early December, 1,465 students had applied for the Frontliners scholarship. Students through the Michigan Reconnect program will likely enroll starting in the fall.

Both programs could boost NMCs profile as an education and skills provider, which in turn could help the college with a continuing goal: attracting and offering aid to some of the approximately 19,000 people in NMCs six-county area who have some type of college experience but no degree.

Read the rest of the What To Watch list in the January TCBN, including:

- BATAs New HQ- Relief for Downtown Businesses- Downtown Property Tax Woes- Jody Trietch and Taste the Local Difference- Short's Growth Spurt- Continued COVID Innovations- Commercial Real Estate Questions- Frankforts Garden Theater Re-Do

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What To Watch In Traverse City In 2021 - Traverse City Ticker

Mark Hughes Cobb|The Tuscaloosa News

One disaster 2020 hasn't dumped onthe Tuscaloosa area is severe weather, but as the calendar year closes,residents should be alert for possible high winds, heavy rainfall and a chance of tornadoes Thursday evening, rollinginto Friday.

After a freezing yule in which neighboring counties saw White Christmas flurries, temperatures may shoot ashigh as 70for New Year's Eve, said Jason Holmes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Birmingham. Combine that with a strong cold front moving in from the west, currently threatening to bring snow and heavy rain to muchof Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana,and threats grow.

Typically this area suffers its heaviest severe-weather threatsin spring, and again in fall moving intowinter, he said.

"So this is like our secondary severe weather system, and it's been very quiet thankfully," Holmes said. "But it was very cold last week, and it's starting to warm up. We expect to have highs in the mid-60s in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday, and closer to 70 on Thursday.

"That just provides the energy, if you will, for those storms. Conditions will be rather humid with Gulf moisture streaming up ahead."

Staying aware of threats is a key to preparation, Holmessaid, noting that the NWS' forecasts will grow more detailed as the front moves in.

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"We could have damaging winds up to 60 miles per hour, and a few tornadoes will be possible," he said. "This is a very moist air mass we're dealing with, so expect heavy rainfall, with potential for localized flooding, especially in areas with poorly functioning drainage systems."

Most smartphones now have free weather apps that will broadcast the local emergency alerts, so residents should check tosee if their phones have one of those installed, Holmes said. Media such as The Tuscaloosa News will also be updating their sites as information comes in, and further informationcan be found through the NWS' site at http://www.weather.gov/bmx, or atthe service's social media presences onFacebook and Twitter.

"Don't rely on the outdoor sirens. Awareness is key," Holmes said."Looking back just 10 or 20 years, it's amazing how much more technology we have now.

"Itgives you time to respond. Before, if you didn't have your TV or radio on, you'd be surprised."

The Tuscaloosa County Emergency Management Agency site, at http://www.tuscaloosacountyema.org, features useful advice including preparation and safety training, and an interactive map showing about two dozen storm shelter locations scattered throughout the county. If and when they open, the site map will indicate that, said Nick Lolley, Tuscaloosa County EMA director.

He also recommends signing up for the TuscALERT service, which provides weather and other warnings directly to your cellphone or email address. A link can be found on the site.

"It's free, and you can put up to five locations on it; it's location-specific," Lolley said.

In advance, understand the risks, and have a plan, Holmes said. Stock emergency supplies are always good to keeparound:flashlights and batteries, portable radios, bottled water, non-perishable food, first-aid kits, and the like.

In the event of a warning, find the safest possible shelter, whether at home, or in a business or school.

"You should always havea designated location to go to when there's bad weather, toward the center part of the building, in the interior, away from windows," he said.

"For thosein mobile homes, manufactured homes, they're just not that robust of a structure. Werecommend those peopleeither evacuate to a storm structure, or to a neighbor with a well-built home. In high winds, mobile homescan come apart fairly easily."

This week, keeping alert is crucial, as the worst of the storms may come late at night, Lolley said.

"Keep your phone charged," he said. "If you've got a weather radio, make sure you've got extra batteries."

Some people try to "outrun" storms in their vehicle. One word of advice about that from the NWS: Don't. Instead, stay alert to evolvingforecasts, and be prepared to leave the car to find shelter in a solid structure. If there's nothing available in an emergency, lie down in a gully, ditch or other low spot on the ground; flying debris is responsible for most deaths and injuries during tornadoes.

"With the trees and hills in (this area), we don't have a long visibility. It's not like out on the plains. In some places in the state you can barely see a storm before it's on top of you. Sobe ready to take action when a warning is issued," Holmes said.

But on those occasions where you do see severe weather, tornadoes or other dangers, forming, Holmes encourages submitting a storm report at the http://www.weather.gov/bmx site, or through messages on Facebook or Twitter. Or call the office directly at 205-664-3010.

"We always appreciate reports," Holmes said.

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Severe weather possible New Year's Eve in Tuscaloosa area - Tuscaloosa Magazine

Rob Savage's Host has a formula that cannot be copied by other COVID-19 inspired horror movies in 2021; here's why it can't to be replaced by others.

Rob Savage'sHostcame out at the most opportune time for COVID-19 pandemic inspired horror movies. While there are likely many more to come in the aftermath of the first wave, it is virtually impossible for its formula to be copied or manufactured a second time. The Zoom based horror movie may only be 56 minutes long, but its impeccable timing and innovative take on the found footage sub-genre has made it an immensely important movie that cannot be replicated.

Written bySavage, Gemma Hurley, and Jed Shepherd,Hostfollows a group of friends who have set up a Zoom video call to enjoy a night of fun and the supernatural. After participating in a sance lead by a seasoned psychic, each of the women start to experience bizarre events taking place in their homes. As the clock ticks on their Zoom call and social isolation confines them to their homes, they're all forced to watch in horror as their friends die one by one without the ability to safe them due to the fear of catching COVID-19. The movie released on Shudder in July, only three months after the official lockdown order was set in place. It was one of the first to capture the horrors that 2020 was presenting in real-life while including fictionalized paranormal events.

Related:Why Halloween: Resurrection Works Better As A Found Footage Movie

Hosthas been considered the best horror movie of 2020 due to its ability to capture the real fears, concerns, loneliness, isolation, and means of communication that have become prevalent in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was largely successful because of its timing, as the first wave left so much uncertainty for the future. SinceHosts'release, several movies have attempted to capitalize off of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the virus itself, but have been largely unsuccessful.

Hostdidn't create the webcam found footage movie, but it did present it in an all new form with the addition of COVID-19. Approximately five months after its release,Social Distancepremiered with a plot that attempted to draw inspiration from Savage's movie. Ultimately, it failed because it implemented government conspiracies alongside the pandemic,making it too disconnected from reality, which was part of the appeal ofHost.If another found footage horror movie takes on its structure, it would need to utilize a different kind of technology to communicate, such as Facetime. In doing so, it would add a level of personal depth to the relationships the characters share, which is very apparent between Emma, Caroline, Haley, Jemma, Radina, and Teddy.

It seems likely that there will be countless horror movies about the COVID-19 pandemic in the near future. The most important part about howHostused it was that it didn't make it the forefront of the movie. Instead, it was merely a backdrop that added a level of forced isolation that all of the characters - and viewers at home - felt in the midst of the paranormal activity. Friends can Zoom anytime, even before the pandemic. Savage's choice to use Zoom didn't have to come from COVID-19, but it did benefit from it because viewers could relate to using it as a tool to communicate with friends, family, and colleagues.

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Host's Formula Can't Be Copied By Other Coronavirus Horror Movies In 2021 - Screen Rant