Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Sabine Marcelis wins Wallpaper* Designer of the Year 2020

Between fountains for Fendi, donut-shaped rugs, and a takeover of Mies van der Rohes Barcelona Pavilion, Dutch-Kiwi designer Sabine Marcelis has widened the spectrum of what light, glass and resin can do

It is fitting that Sabine Marcelis experimental focus is the diffusion of light: few other forms of energy translate into such a wide spectrum of colour, shape and unpredictable phenomena. And indeed, in the past year the work of the Netherlands-based New Zealand-born designer has widened the spectrum of what light, glass and resin alongside more unexpected materials can do.

Take, for example, the stretch between two projects produced in quick chronological order: there was the serene and flowing elegance of Fendis The Shapes of Water for 2018s Design Miami and then the childlike abandon of the Donuts rug conceived for Carpet Sign, presented during last years Milan Design Week. The former pushed the conceptual boundaries of what Marcelis does best: the 10 fountains devised for the Italian fashion house showed an intricate pas de deux between light and water, but used architectural references to transport the installations beyond the context of their glass and resin containers for instance, one of the fountains referenced the arches of the Palazzo della Civilt Italiana, Fendis Roman HQ. The latter was a 12x12 grid made up of ring-shaped confections, but created by robotic tufting machines with wool. It was as comically earnest as it was carefully constructed, and revealed a willingness to present complex manufacturing in straightforward packages. In fact, that approach extended to one of her more recent projects, the Xmas Donuts. The pieces, meant to be used as Christmas tree ornaments, were cast from leftover resin in her Rotterdam studio. As the designer joked on her Instagram account, twas indeed the year of the donut.

Sabine Marcelis amid materials and works in progress in her Rotterdam studio, as seen in the March 2017 issue of Wallpaper*.Photography: Marlene Sleeuwits

Or, more broadly: it was the year Marcelis expanded her field of material and conceptual experimentation with exciting results. Her Dawn lights and Candy Cubes now sit next to onyx tables and ghost mirrors; pixelated cubic tapestries that reveal stereoscopic layers; award trophies that snap like chocolate bars; and soap-like columns and furniture that trick the hand and the eye. And, of course, there are donuts.

Since opening her studio in 2011, her practice has mainly been based on capturing the wide-ranging effects of light hitting curiously diverse types of mass. Her pieces have thus become an intellectually hearty and chromatically thrilling condensation of large-scale natural happenstances, such as the moment sunlight converses with the mountains and the sea, into functional objects and compact installations brought down to their essence. We understand how challenging that process can be: weve attempted to condense the superb creative streak and the aesthetic impact shes had into a compact gesture: our Designer of the Year award for 2020.

Go here to see the original:
Sabine Marcelis wins Wallpaper* Designer of the Year 2020 - Wallpaper*

MutualArt spoke to Vernon Ah Kee as his exhibition Vernon Ah Kee: The Island opened at Campbelltown Arts Centre in Australia.

Vernon Ah Kee, survive the ocean, 2018, Installation view, Vernon Ah Kee The Island, Campbelltown Arts Centre, 2020, Gloss red vinyl 340cm x 200cm. Photo: Document Photograph

Vernon Ah Kee: The Island, opened at Campbelltown Art Centre on January 2, as Australia was (and still is) burning from over 10.7 million hectares of unprecedented bushfires. Globally, and at home, the consensus accepts the link between the scale of fires and human-made climate change. However, inaction from the government to target the unfolding ecological crisis reverberates throughout other divisions of Australian attitudes. One of the most frustrating aspects of the bush fires is the decision to ignore the traditional custodians practice of land management.

The way the government treats Aboriginal knowledge is underpinned, for Vernon Ah Kee, by the denial circuiting around the extremely racist context of Australia. In a conversation with the artist about his exhibition, Ah Kee likens the denial to a fire burning behind your back, but adds, you can turn your back on it, but someone's got to deal with that fire. Ah Kee cannot shy away from these attitudes, and in turn creates art that is jarring, confronting, and causes discomfort, because for himself, and many others in Australia, this is what they face every day.

(Left work) Vernon Ah Kee, Belief Suspension, 2007-2009 Installation view, Vernon Ah Kee The Island, Campbelltown Arts Centre, 2020 Single channel digital video, colour, stereo sound 04:47 minutes, Director and Editor Suzanne Howard, Sound David M Thomas Regards David M Thomas (Right work) Vernon Ah Kee, cantchant (series), 2009, Installation view, Vernon Ah Kee The Island, Campbelltown Arts Centre, 2020 Digital Print 120cm x 70cm each Photo: Document Photography

Vernon Ah Kee: The Island is the second exhibition Ah Kee has presented with Sydney Festival, the first being at the National Art School two years ago that presented his drawing works. In 2020, this exhibition returns to text-based works alongside installations that are all enhanced by the video works they left out of the first exhibition. The artist has known Sydney Festival Director, Wesley Enoch, since the early 90s in Brisbane; "when we were both just young blackfellas in Brisbane just starting out, he shares. Because we've known each other for so long I think there's a comfort there between us, a shorthand.

The artist has worked collectively throughout his career, which spans over two decades. He was one of the founding members of the proppaNOW collective, a Brisbane art collective that focused on urban Aboriginal art. Working in this way has helped shape the art industry in Australia as we know it, tackling confronting issues through the medium of contemporary art. As Ah Kee shares, "in the work that we make... it's okay to say these things, or it's okay if you don't want to say these things, if it's too hard for you we understand why it's too hard.

Vernon Ah Kee: The Island reflects this mentality in the largest survey of Ah Kee's video works. Campbelltown Arts Centre's walls have been painted black and black carpet fitted in a conducive space for the light and sound of the video, transforming the gallery into a black box, reverberating an intimate atmosphere. The exhibition features a mix of existing works and new commissions, such as Lullaby (2019) and, title work, The Island (2018). As well as older works like tall man (2010), which follows the Palm Island Riots, and Belief Suspension (2007-2009), which hones in of surfing culture in Australia.

Vernon Ah Kee, The Island, 2018, Installation view, Vernon Ah Kee The Island, Campbelltown Arts Centre, 2020, Three channel digital video, colour, stereo sound, 10:16 minutes, Commissioned by Griffith University Art Museum, 2018. Photo: Document Photograph

The Island is a three-channel work that reflects the brutality within the immigration system, drawing parallels between the treatment of Aboriginal people. I think things have gotten worse, Ah Kee shares on reflection of racism. The progression in Australia's immigration policy [has shifted] towards brutality, he continues, what we've seen are endless racist platforms [within] politicians campaigns. In the artwork, the artist recounted the experience of an Afghani couples journey to Australia; their subsequent treatment [after] fleeing quite dire circumstances from there in their homeland.

The artist's familiar motif of text feeds into the new exhibition, and for The Island, due to legal advice, they couldn't share the faces of the couple and instead used visual elements to tell their journey. The video work also lights up the text piece opposite the installation, creating a personal and touching retelling of the experience that is unique to the viewer. I've always been interested in font, and the way alphabets are designed, Ah Kee explains. [I realised] the way advertising uses fonts and text and that words have a weight and power to them.

Vernon Ah Kee, kick the dust, 2019, Installation view, Vernon Ah Kee The Island, Campbelltown Arts Centre, 2020, Rocks, acrylic riot shield fragments. Photo: Document Photograph

Text and language also play in Lullaby, the new commission by Campbelltown Arts Centre. I wanted to make something to commemorate 2019 being the year of indigenous languages, Ah Kee shares. Visually, it's simple, it's a mother playing with her child, and it's called Lullaby because she sings a lullaby to put [her son] to sleep. The artist decided to have the entire video in Farsi, the Iranian mothers language, and so for the none-Farsi speaking audience, the artwork becomes about the different types of communication that we employ. From the way we breathe, the tone we use, the vocalization, the pronunciation of certain words all these are informed by cultural background.

Ah Kee decided to use Farsi as he believes, it is probably the most loaded language in this country right now because of Australia's immigration policies and racism against the Muslim community. The treatment of refugees in Australia pulls on familiar strings for the artist when he began to draw on the parallels between the judgement and confinement in detention centers to the 1920s and 30s in Queensland, in places like Palm Island where the artists mother is from. For me, it's fairly obvious the parallel between Manus and Nauru and Palm Island, being island communities and places of hopeless confinement, Ah Kee continues. Plus, the cruel processing systems that they have in place.

Vernon Ah Kee, scratch the surface (riot shields), 2019, Installation view, Vernon Ah KeeThe Island, Campbelltown Arts Centre, 2020, Acrylic riot shields, charcoal, Dimensions vary. Photo: Document Photography

All of this comes together when the Kuku Yalandji, Waanji, Yidindji, Koko Berrin and Gugu Yimithirr artist reflects on his status in Australia. He was born in far north Queensland just before the 1967 referendum that allowed the Australian public to vote whether to include Aborigines as citizens of Australia. When I was born, I wasn't a citizen in any way as an Aborigine, Ah Kee shares. Blackfellas could be citizens, but you had to promise to be a white man, and by promising to be a white man, that meant not associating with Aborigines. Because of this, the artist believes that Aboriginal people should be speaking to and for refugees, we should be the chief advocates for refugees because we know what we're talking about.

In the artwork born in this skin, Ah Kee is displaying the historic Yuendumu Doors which feature traditional ochre ground painting, reflective of the Warlpiri peoples Dreaming symbols that rarely leave the South Australian Museum. In the installations, juxtaposing the beautiful hand-painted doors are another series of (now infamous) doors taken from Cockatoo Island on Sydney's harbor, from the dockworkers' toilets which are vulgar with racist slurs graffiti across them. However, hanging over the exhibition is the violence that continues today as the recent death of Yuendumu resident, 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker, in November 2019 at the hands of a police officer adds another layer of sensitivity to the Yuendumu doors. (In a rare event, the police officer has actually been charged with murder). As Ah Kee muses, "it's so easy to shine a light on things that it's almost too arbitrary, but you have to do it because that denial overrides everything over and over and over again.

Vernon Ah Kee: The IslandJanuary 2 - February 23, 2020Campbelltown Arts Centre

Following Campbelltown Arts Centre, Vernon Ah Kee: The Island will be touring around NSW by Museum and Galleries NSW.

For more onauctions, exhibitions, and current trends, visit ourMagazine Page

Continue reading here:
Vernon Ah Kee's The Island: "Someone's Got to Deal With That Fire - MutualArt.com

Tommy Joyce is no cinephile. The last movie he saw in a theater was the remake of True Grit nearly a decade ago. Id rather watch squirrels run in the woods than sit through most of what appears on the big screen, he said.

But theres a film that opened Dec. 5 at the Regal Cinemas at Grand Central Mall thats attracting a lot of attention in his community. Dark Waters a legal thriller starring Mark Ruffalo, with a script inspired by a 2016 New York Times article tells the epic story of the DuPont corporations failure to inform residents of the Mid-Ohio Valley of the considerable health risks of a perfluoroalkyl substance [PFAS] called perfluorooctanoic acid, or C8, for its chain of eight carbons.

The chemical was used in DuPonts production of Teflon and other household products at its Washington Works facility just outside Parkersburg, along the Ohio River. C8 is found in nonstick pans, waterproof clothing, stain-resistant carpets, microwave popcorn bags, fast-food wrappers and hundreds of other products. According to a 2007 study, C8 is in the blood of 99.7% of Americans. Its called a forever chemical because it never fully degrades.

DuPont had been aware since at least the 1960s that C8 was toxic in animals and since the 1970s that there were high concentrations of it in the blood of its factory workers. DuPont scientists were aware in the early 1990s of links to cancerous tumors from C8 exposure. But company executives failed to inform the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] or the public.

Weathered signage on the Point Park floodwall greets passersby in downtown Parkersburg, West Virginia. Photo: Lexi Browning/100 Days in Appalachia

Joyce graduated from Parkersburg High School in 1992, went off and earned three degrees and came home. He now serves as mayor of the city of Parkersburg population: 30,000.

Joyce said hes heard more about his communitys long struggle with corporate environmental malfeasance in the past few weeks than in his previous two and a half years in office. He attributes this to the release of Dark Waters.

Even David-and-Goliath tales often have complicated backstories, and Joyce knows well that such is the case with Parkersburg and DuPont. DuPont has been in the Ohio Valley for 70-plus years, and has been a tremendous employer, he said. Without question, DuPont was the place to work in the Mid-Ohio Valley for a lot of years. Many of his classmates grew up in DuPont families.Though Chemours, a spinoff company of DuPont, now operates the Washington Works plant, DuPont maintains a presence in the community. A DuPont spokesperson provided an overview of its financial and volunteer support initiatives and wrote that the company supports programs and organizations focused on revitalizing neighborhoods and enhancing quality of life; STEM-related initiatives in local schools; and initiatives that help protect the environment through clean-up or restoration efforts and allow for DuPont Washington Works to show we are a leader in minimizing our environmental footprint within the community.

A probable link between C8 and six conditions: testicular cancer, kidney cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, pregnancy-induced hypertension and high cholesterol.

Parkersburg, said Doug Higgs, is the kind of town where everybody knows everybody. Higgs graduated from Parkersburg High a year after Joyce, and Joyces mother, Barbara, taught him Sunday school.

Everybody knows everybodys business, Higgs said, but nobody talked about C8. It was a matter of not wanting to bite the hand that fed you.

Well-paying jobs, great benefits, Little League sponsorships, investments in the arts but at a cost. The hand that fed did clench.

Higgs, now an emergency room physician living in Richmond, Virginia, recalls returning from road trips with his family asleep in the back seat, awakened as they approached home by the familiar waft of chemicals.

Two of the Higgs most immediate neighbors died in their early 50s of renal cell cancer. Higgs father has ulcerative colitis, and his brother received treatment for polycystic kidney disease in high school.

We all have stories of friends and family, neighbors, dying too young or being diagnosed with various medical problems, Higgs said.

He knows, of course, the distinction between correlation and causation. But the high incidence of a range of diseases has staggered this community. Its unfair, Higgs said, that a community should have to perpetually ask what exactly it has been exposed to, and where and when the consequences will end.

An aerial view of Parkersburg, West Virginia, taken from Fort Boreman Park. Photo: Lexi Browning/100 Days in Appalachia

A vehicle slows down at the corner of Fourth and Market streets in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Photo: Lexi Browning/100 Days in Appalachia

DuPonts own documentation specified that C8 was not to be flushed into surface waters, but the company did so for decades. The chemical seeped into the water supplies of the communities of Lubeck and Little Hocking, immediately west of Parkersburg, and the city of Belpre, Ohio, just across the river; and three other water systems.

In 2004, DuPont paid $70 million in a class-action lawsuit and agreed to install filtration plants in the affected water districts. In 2005, it reached a $16.5 million settlement with the EPA for violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act.

Ohio River Communities are Still Coping with Teflons Toxic Legacy

A collective decision was made to use the money won in the class-action suit to conduct an epidemiological study in which nearly 70,000 of the 80,000 plaintiffs stopped into one of six clinics set up throughout the community, provided their medical histories and offered their blood. They were each paid $400.

A science panel, comprised of public health scientists appointed by DuPont and lawyers representing the community, was convened to examine the immense database. In 2012, after seven years of study, the panel released a report documenting a probable link between C8 and six conditions: testicular cancer, kidney cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, pregnancy-induced hypertension and high cholesterol.

In 2015, DuPont spun off its chemical division into a new company called Chemours, which now occupies the Washington Works facility on the Ohio. In 2017, DuPont and Chemours agreed to pay $671 million to settle some 3,500 pending lawsuits.

The Washington Works facility, formerly of DuPont, in Parkersburg, West Virginia, is seen from across the Ohio River. Photo by Lexi Browning/100 Days in Appalachia

You grew up with the fear of DuPont leaving town, said Ben Hawkins. Hawkins was student body president of the Parkersburg High class of 1993. He remembers DuPonts participation in his schools Partners in Education program and riding in parades on DuPont-sponsored floats.

Among Hawkins classmates who have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer was Mike Cox, a local dentist. Cox, Hawkins and Higgs were among a pack of guys who ran together in high school and stayed close after. Cox was a big Ozzy Osbourne fan, and after a grueling regimen of chemo, Hawkins helped arrange backstage passes to a concert, where Osbourne pulled Cox near and shared his own familys experience with cancer. Post-diagnosis, Cox had begun performing stand-up comedy routines that incorporated flute solos. He died Jan. 28, 2017, at the age of 41, a father of three.

Hawkins, who now lives in the Washington, D.C., area, views his Partners in Education experiences somewhat differently today: It wasnt a partnership; it was a page from a public relations playbook. It was the old hey-look-over-here! move to keep the Teflon dollars flowing into their bank account.

His classmate Beth Radmanesh has similar cynical recollections of DuPonts role in her childhood. Radmanesh grew up less than a mile from the Washington Works plant. Today, she has high cholesterol. Her dad suffers from discoid lupus, causing sores the size of 50-cent pieces on his forehead. Her brother has lupus and had colon cancer, and her sister-in-law has also been diagnosed with lupus.

But Radmanesh said her mom is a proponent of bringing another controversial industry to the valley: fracking for natural gas. I said to her, Weve already had our water contaminated once. Do you want your water [to be] flammable? Because thats what will happen. Her moms response was, Oh, Beth. Thats it. Oh, Beth.

Joe and Darlene Kiger live just a few miles from where Radmanesh grew up. Joe, a physical education teacher, is now quite well known in the community for having raised awareness of the dangers of C8 called the devils piss by some in local water supplies. He and his wife, Darlene, joined the class-action suit that was settled in 2004.

Darlene said that when she and Joe are out around town, there are a lot of whispers behind your back. They dont know what to say. The experience has taken a toll these people all looking at you as bringing this on them, Joe said but theyve never considered leaving. Why would you leave the fight? he said. What would it look like if we packed up?

Theres a lot, Joe said, that DuPont hasnt yet been held accountable for. Earlier this year, Chemours was cited by the EPA for the unregulated release of new chemical compounds from its West Virginia and North Carolina facilities. Im not done yet, Joe said.

Joe Kiger and his wife Darlene Kiger are photographed at their residence in Washington, West Virginia. The Kigers have spent the last two decades working to uncover the impacts and effects of C8 exposure in the region. Weve been through hell over the last 20 years, Joe Kiger said. Photo: Lexi Browning/100 Days in Appalachia

Attorney Harry Deitzler poses for a portrait in his office at Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee and Deitzler, PLLC, in Charleston, West Virginia. Deitzler was involved in settling the C8 groundwater contamination suit against DuPont in Parkersburg, WV. Photo: Lexi Browning/100 Days in Appalachia

Harry Deitzler served as a lead attorney, among others, in representing the Kigers and tens of thousands of others in the class-action suit. Deitzler was the architect of the decision to use the $70 million to conduct the study.

Parkersburg adopted me in 1975, Deitzler said of his arrival in town. Hed come for a summer internship in the prosecuting attorneys office. The position didnt pay enough to cover his room and board, so he took a job in a bar called Friar Tucks.

By the end of the summer, the community was my family, Deitzler said. I asked the prosecutor if hed hire me as an assistant the next year, and he said, Sure; youll get $6,000 a year. And I said, Thatll be great.

Most people thought I was a recovering alcoholic because I never drank a beer, because I couldnt afford to buy one. Three years later, at 27, he was appointed as prosecuting attorney. Such a wonderful, accepting community.

But, some three decades later, there was a price to pay for taking on DuPont.

There was a misperception that we were trying to put DuPont out of business, and, of course, that was created intentionally by the people in Wilmington, Deitzler said, referring to DuPonts Delaware headquarters. When you have a community of that size, and youve got several thousand people employed there, and multiply that by the families and their relatives its very upsetting. Some folks were unsure of what to make of Deitzler.

Longtime resident Nancy Roettger characterizes the communitys reaction to the revelation of what DuPont had done as a weird mix.

There were women that immediately went out and changed their frying pans, Roettger said. But a lot of those same people decided that Harry Deitzler is a horrible person for his role in exposing DuPont.

Its like, they dont want that frying pan anymore, she said, but they dont want anything negative, and theyre very resentful of the people that stirred up the trouble.

Candace Jones, a neighbor and longtime friend of Roettgers, said she hates the perception that the community has been divided between the DuPonters and everyone else.

Were a community and we all need each other, Jones said. I think its terrible, absolutely horrendous what happened because of decisions made for monetary gain. But I dont believe we can blame the everyday worker. Her father-in-law worked in the Teflon division. He just went to work every day; he provided for [his family].

Candace Jones, a native of Vienna, WV, is photographed downtown. Jones, who has lived in the area for most of her life, recalled DuPonts heavy involvement in the community, from sponsoring community activities and education to employing a great deal of the areas residents. (Photo by Lexi Browning/100 Days in Appalachia

Tracy Danzey grew up in Parkersburg, West Virginia, but now lives on the opposite side of the state in its Eastern Panhandle. Danzey was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer that led to the amputation of her leg. Doctors couldnt trace the cause of the cancer, but Danzey believes it was caused by exposure to industrial waste in the waters of Parkersburg that she drank and swam in. Photo courtesy of Seth Freeman Photography

Jones friend Janet Rays husband passed away 16 years ago from pancreatic cancer. He worked for BorgWarner, a manufacturing company on the river. There are about a dozen houses along Rays street in Vienna, a Parkersburg suburb, and I think just about every house during the time Ive lived on the street has been affected by cancer.

Ray said she sometimes feels guilty, thinking that perhaps the livelihood her family has enjoyed as a result of her husbands employment might have caused health problems for others. I certainly hope it didnt.

Tracy Danzey was raised in the quiet of Vienna, there with the Rays, the Joneses, the Higgs family. She now lives on the other side of the state, in West Virginias Eastern Panhandle. Danzey was a competitive swimmer growing up. When not competing, we were on the river we were playing in the creeks. I was always in the water.

Its hard to look back at that time now and see it as idyllic, Danzey said.

At age 20, her thyroid began malfunctioning. Five years later, the socket of her hip shattered while running with her husband. She was diagnosed with an atypical form of bone cancer in her right hip. Her hip and leg had to be amputated; she underwent 18 months of high-dose chemotherapy.

Six leading pathologists from across the country were unable to identify the specific type of cancer. They said its very pathologically unusual. Research has indicated to Danzey, whos a nurse, that pathologically unusual cancers are not uncommonly associated with industrial poisonings.

Danzeys stepfather is retired from DuPont and her stepbrother works on the Teflon line. Yes, it is complicated, her mother, Carolyn Tracewell, said. When her kids were growing up, when someone was hired at DuPont, therewas a celebration the good pay, the benefits, and they did treat their employees well.

But my heart hurts, Tracewell said, to think that her daughters illnesses might be a consequence of all that.

Danzey said her mom mostly just feels pain for me, worries about her stepson and is anxious about the future. Her stepfather wonders if one day his pension check will no longer arrive as a result of all the financial fallout.

None of them argue with Tracy about the source of her illnesses. They know what happened. They allow her to sit in this truth regardless of how it affects them. That means a lot.

Danzey is among those who believe that in regard to perceptions of DuPont in the Parkersburg community, theres a generational divide: Those in their 40s and younger tend to hold a less charitable view than baby boomers and their parents.

There likewise appears to be a generational divide in willingness to drink the water, despite the filtration installed as a result of the settlement.

On the September Saturday afternoon of the annual Parkersburg Paddlefest, kayaker Travis Hewitt, 31, stood ashore of the point where the Ohio meets the Little Kanawha and said that few people he knows truly believe the waters safe. Sure, he paddles in it, but I try not to get it on me and never swims in it. He has a filter installed in his kitchen.

Tommy Joyce, the mayor of Parkersburg, is bullish on West Virginia: Weve got enough coal to light the world, gas to heat the world and brains to run the world.

Fellow Parkersburg High grad Brian Flinn, an engineer, worked for DuPont for eight and a half years; he worked with the raw materials of Teflon. Hes seen both sides. Hes heard, If DuPont leaves, were done. This area will be like most other towns in West Virginia; itll collapse. Hes also aware of the inherent dangers in living within the shadow of the chemical industry. So the sentiment goes, he said, You take the good with the bad, right?

But Danzey is unwilling. I love West Virginia, she said. I really do. I love this state. I dont want to be anywhere else. But she wants better for West Virginians. Industries come into their communities, do well for a while, screw up the environment and then leave.

Its time for something new in West Virginia, she said. Its time for us to expect more.

Tracking the Health Impacts of C8 Exposure

Pondering that future keeps Ben Hawkins up at night. Whats next? Whats next for the community, and where does this end? Or does it? What sort of positivity can come to that community? They need it and they deserve it.

Hawkins asks this: Think about how loyal the people of the Parkersburg community have been to DuPont. What if they had the opportunity to extend that same loyalty to a company thats equally invested in the economic, physical and emotional health of the community?

Thats home and always will be home, Hawkins said of Parkersburg. We came from that community and that community did a lot to shape us. We all want the best for that community whatever form that can take.

##

Top photo: Tracy Danzey grew up in Parkersburg, West Virginia, but now lives on the opposite side of the state in its Eastern Panhandle. Danzey was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer that led to the amputation of her leg. Doctors couldnt trace the cause of the cancer, but Danzey believes it was caused by exposure to industrial waste in the waters of Parkersburg that she drank and swam in. Photo courtesy of Seth Freeman Photography

Good River: Stories of the Ohio is a series about the environment, economy and culture of the Ohio River watershed, produced by seven nonprofit newsrooms. To see more, please visit ohiowatershed.org.

Continued here:
A Lasting Legacy: DuPont, C8 Contamination and the Community Left to Grapple With the Consequences - alleghenyfront.org

There is a good reason why the word Roomba has become synonymous with robot vacuum cleaners. Although we continue to see that capable competitors come to market at ever lower prices, the Roomba line of iRobot remains the brand to be defeated.

We have reviewed dozens of Roomba models to find out which perform best: our current favorite is the Roomba S9 +, which is almost as perfect as perfect, but also pricey. If you are looking for something more affordable, we have included our favorite iRobot models in every price range. We have even added our favorite non-vacuum robots from iRobot!

The latest addition to the iRobot line-up, the Roomba S9 +, builds on the innovations introduced in the Roomba i7 + last year. The S9 + received an Editors Choice Award from Digital Trends. Just like the i7 +, the S9 series is available with or without iRobots cool Clean Base charging station and self-draining garbage can. There is also a new D-shaped housing and an improved brush design that promises better edge and corner cleaning, while the suction is increased 40 times compared to the Roomba 600 series. You also benefit from smart cards that allow you to select individual rooms for cleaning (as well as entire floors) and a unique anti-allergen system a scoop for robot vacuum cleaners, according to iRobot designed to collect dust and pollen.

The Roomba 960 model stands in the middle between the functions of Roomba and the prices of Roomba, so you can get an intelligent cleaning bone at medium prices (well, middle class for Roombas). The model includes iRobots three-stage suction and brush system, equipped with rubber brushes designed to clean both hard floors and low carpets. The brushes bend to ensure that they are always at ground level and the extraction system is five times more powerful than older Roomba models. In the meantime, the filter retains 99% dust and allergens (although it is smart to always have a number of replacement filters on hand if you use your Roomba regularly).

Although the Roomba includes many smart features to navigate, including automatic charging for the 75-minute battery, it also comes with a virtual wall barrier that you can set to partition specific spaces if there is somewhere where you dont want the bot to Go . The planning via the advanced Roomba app is excellent, but you can also choose to give your Roomba a voice command if you have an Echo device at home.

The Roomba i7 + of 2018 won an Editors Choice Award from Digital Trends and remains a wonderful choice, despite the introduction of this years Roomba S9 +. It was the first robotic vacuum cleaner with a self-draining dustbin in addition to smart space mapping, an advanced motor with improved suction, durable brushes and an improved processor. Choose the Clean Base charging station and you must add iRobots replaceable dust bags to your shopping list every few months. But the i7 + is a valuable investment for those who want to fully automate vacuuming.

If you like the idea that Roomba roams your house but doesnt like the price of the leading iRobot models, dont worry theres a robot vacuum cleaner for you! The Roomba 614 costs more than $ 300 and offers a solid suite of functions. Keep an eye on the deals and you might be able to collect it for less than $ 200. Of course there are some compromises. Two multi-surface brushes and sensor navigation help this cost-effective model to autonomously clean your home, but suction is considerably reduced, which means that this bone may not be the best choice for thicker carpets or rugs. The entry level vacuum also lacks app control and Alexa / Google Assistant integration.

The Roomba 980 is no longer available, but it is possible that you can still find the store in certain stores. It is a more advanced version of the 960 with improved functions. At the launch, the price was considerably higher, but has fallen since our assessment. The extra large battery in this model lasts up to 120 minutes, making it well suited for larger spaces, and the cleaning system has twice the power compared to the 960 ideal for cleaning up larger spilled liquids or messy pets. Otherwise, the model includes the first-line smart features that you can expect from a Roomba bot, including speech detection, detailed app control, and dirt detection technology that helps Roomba spend more time in high-traffic areas.

The Roomba e5 is a solid mid-range pick. It is particularly good at picking up pet hair, with a combination of powerful suction and double rubber brushes that can work equally well on carpet or hardwood floors. It is equipped with a selection of innovative Roomba functions, including automatic charging, a full set of sensors and compatibility with both Alexa and Google Assistant. This is all the more impressive when you consider that it is very reasonably priced for a Roomba model. The battery will last approximately 90 minutes on a hard surface. If you have pets and lots of hardwood that you want to keep clean and free of dust hair with animal hair this is a great and affordable model to use.

The Braava 380t and entry-level Braava Jet 240 were iRobots first trip to autonomous mop and were positive additions, despite the need for regular fillings with cleaning solution and a little extra work to set up the corresponding NorthStar navigation blocks.

The Braava Jet m6 solves a number of problems and inconveniences that stopped these first-generation lines. There is a new design, improved maps and navigation technology with individual room selection, plus improved edge and corner cleaning. The Braava Jet m6 also detects when the battery is empty, returns to the charger and then resumes mopping from the same point. App control and support for both Alexa and Google Assistant are also included in the update, and if you also have a Roomba i7 or S9, you can set your robot army to vacuum and mop in order. Although the new model supports both wet mopping and dry sweeping, you still need to invest regularly in iRobots disposable cleaning pads for the best performance.

Although this guide focuses primarily on floor cleaning robots, we found this iRobot robotic lawnmower worth mentioning. The Terra Mower is easy to install and operate, using wireless beacons and Imprint Smart Mapping to teach your garden and then mow your grass in an efficient back and forth pattern.

It can avoid obstacles and you can create a boundary system without cables. This means that you can tell the mower where to mow and where not, without digging up your yard to install wire or boundary line systems. The Terra Robot Mower was for sale in 2019 as part of a beta program in the US and Germany, but you should (hopefully) be able to buy the robotic lawnmower later this year.

Recommendations from the editors

Go here to read the rest:
The best Roomba Robovacs of 2020 - Mash Viral

It is a surreal experience to be writing a book on preaching about apocalyptic texts in the midst of what feels like a very apocalyptic time. Escalating military tensions with Iran. Australia burning with fires fueled by the climate crisis. Gun violence rampant in our homes and public spaces. Every day seems to bring another portent of the apocalypse reaching biblical proportions. Is the Rapture upon us?

As weve been plumbing the depths of scriptural passages that contain end-times imagery, were seeing a rise in apocalyptic language within the culture as well as from political and religious figures. We think mainline churches have allowed these passages to be highjacked by those who use them for fearmongering rather than to encourage and strengthen the church. Because preachers often struggle with how to understand and preach on these passages, our book intends to provide exegetical and homiletical guidance to enable ministers and others to preach from and teach about these texts.

As were completing this book, I have found two volumes to be helpful which I commend to preachers and lay readers alike. One is Barbara Rossings The Rapture Exposed: The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation (2004). The second is Ronald J. Allens I Will Tell You the Mystery: A Commentary for Preaching from the Book of Revelation (2019). In this essay, Ill discuss how these books can be helpful for clergy and congregations as were facing cataclysmic events and unprecedented challenges.

For clergy, preaching apocalyptic texts is fraught with unease about the real fears alluded to in the book of Revelation and passages such as Daniel 7, Mark 13, Matthew 24, 1 Corinthians 15, and 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5. Their warnings of impending cosmic upheaval ricochet sharply off contemporary headlines about war, natural disasters, and threats to the fabric of civilization. Add to this the disconcerting news about the effects of climate disruption and global environmental disasters, and the task of preaching good news in the face of seemingly immanent doom can feel overwhelming to pastor and congregation alike.

However, New Testament scholar Barbara Rossing notes that apocalyptic texts provide unique opportunities for preachers and are, in fact, essential because they empower radical witness. They give us a sacramental imagination, taking us on a journey into the heart of Gods vision for the world (141). The word apokalypsis in Greek literally means, pulling back the curtain. When biblical texts (and the sermons that utilize them) pull back this veil, it allows us to see a deeper reality that is not immediately visible. We receive a vision that reveals both the beauty of creation and also the pathologies of empire whether these empires originate in Assyria, Babylonia, Rome, or the United States of America.[2]

Equipped with this double vision, the preacher is able to name and critique the underlying oppressive assumptions of empire and how they manifest in society, the natural world, and the lived experiences of the hearers. But a third move is needed proclaiming the divine eschatological vision that has the power to transform our imaginations, renew hope, and empower collective action to live into this vision.

Eschatology comes from the Greek word eschaton, meaning end times. The visionary world of the apocalypses can help us see both the perils we face and the urgency of Gods promised future, says Rossing, turning the world for justice and healing, on Earth as in heaven. The preacher cultivates an apocalyptic imagination by helping people recognize Gods future breaking into the present, even in times of despair.

The problem with apocalyptic texts, says Rossing, is the way they have been used by Fundamentalist Christians to try to predict and manipulate world events. The story they tell is that the Bible predicts an event called The Rapture in which Christ comes to sweep up the faithful into heaven, leaving everyone else in a kind of hellish purgatory on earth. For millions of people, Christian apocalyptic books such as The Late, Great Planet Earth and the Left Behind series are akin to the Bible itself. An entire multimillion-dollar industry has been created around graphic Christian horror that grips the faithful in fear and fantasy.

Worse, Rapture-theology peddles a narrative that supports a political agenda of war-making in the Middle East, environmental degradation, patriarchal control over women and their bodies, and anti-Semitic and Islamophobic white nationalism. 80 million copies of the Left Behind books, along with numerous Rapture websites, movies, and spin-offs threaten to drown out the gospel of hope, renewal and love. The preacher on a Sunday morning has about 15-20 minutes to proclaim that Jesus return is about justice, transformation, and healing. So its important to make these sermons count for deconstructing harmful theology and reconstructing a theology of nonviolence and an ethic of care for those most vulnerable.

Understanding the recent history of the influence of Rapture theology on U.S. politics and civil discourse is important when preaching on Revelation or any apocalyptic text for that matter.

Today, the Trump administration is filled with evangelicals who attend weekly Bible studies led by Ralph Drollinger of the conservative right-wing Capitol Ministries. Trumps Vice President Mike Pence is a staunch conservative Christian, and his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has unashamedly confessed that his evangelical Christian beliefs influence his diplomacy. Evangelicals see Trump as the Chosen One a triumphantly apocalyptic figure who, though morally flawed, initiates the Second Coming. Even now, evangelicals are cheering for Trumps attack on Iran, believing that a war with the enemy of Israel is key to setting up the conditions wherein the Rapture will begin.

Rossings book provides the historical context to help preachers and parishioners better understand apocalyptic texts as they were heard by the original Christians who were being persecuted under oppressive empires. She carefully explains the symbolism and metaphors as the writers intended them to be a vision of Gods healing for the world. Preachers will find her book to be an important resource for countering the destructive reading of scripture by fundamentalists and proclaiming Gods beloved community of nonviolence and peace.

Like Rossing, Ron Allen provides helpful exegesis to understand the world and times of John of Patmos, author of Revelation. However, whereas Rossings chapters are divided into themes and address a panorama of apocalyptic thought in scripture, Allen goes in depth verse-by-verse with Revelation. He meticulously explains the word pictures used by John and addresses issues and questions that arise in light of contemporary theology. Allens commitment to process theology is evident throughout the book in the way he interprets Revelation as Gods invitation to co-create a better world rather than to destroy it.

There are times, however, when Johns words do not support the values of love, peace, justice, mutuality, and abundance. Images of violence, misogyny, judgement, and damnation within Revelation are problematic. Allen clearly states his disagreement with Johns writings at these points and invites preachers to name and critique them as well.

There are only six pericopes from five chapters that are covered, and only 7 Sundays when passages from Revelation are included in the readings. However, because the symbols and imagery from Revelation have found their way into popular culture and political discourse, preachers may want to consider preaching on Revelation as part of a sermon series on this enigmatic book. Allens book is a useful resource for pastors wanting to help their parishioners understand Revelations complex imagery and make sense of it for our world today.

Like Rossing, Allen highlights the fact that Revelation actually counters the premillennialist theory of a rapture. Allen notes how the downward movement of God through the New Jerusalem in Chapter 21 embodies grace itself: God takes the initiative to bring the holy city down from heaven (200). Thus, hope for the new creation is neither a spiritualized wishful thinking nor an escape from the reality of our crucified world. There is both transcendence and immanence in Christs return and the new creation. They are not mutually exclusive, but instead inform each other in a dialectic exchange in which one points to the other and back again. The challenge for preachers, says Allen, is to help the congregation look for signs of [the holy citys] appearance (200).

Allen urges preachers not to neglect speaking concretely about Gods promises even while critiquing contemporary empires. Many people are more motivated for long-term commitment by promise and possibility than by fear, threat, and anger. While the critique is important, preaching is often especially empowering when it aims towards a vision of the positively possible and toward helping people imagine how to get from there to here (198).

Key to this vision-casting is not looking to the skies to see souls raptured up to heaven, but to notice how Gods holy city is coming down to Earth. To this end, Allen does not provide sample sermons, but throughout each chapter offers questions, observations, and suggestions for preachers to attune their listeners to Gods actions here and now. In this way, Allen provides the exegetical and homiletical tools for preachers to create the time and space for the seeds of apocalyptic vision to grow into the fruits of community-building for the sake of Gods Realm. Led by Jesus, the Lamb of God, both preacher and congregation are strengthened to live faithfully towards the coming of the new heaven and new earth (198).

As your congregation grapples with finding purpose and meaning in this apocalyptic time, may you be blessed with insight, courage, compassion, and a vision for participating in this Realm of God.

Leah D. Schade is the Assistant Professor of Preaching and Worship atLexington Theological Seminaryin Kentucky. She is the author ofPreaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide(Rowman & Littlefield, 2019),Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis(Rowman & Littlefield, 2019), andCreation-Crisis Preaching: Ecology, Theology, and the Pulpit(Chalice Press, 2015).

Twitter:@LeahSchade

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/LeahDSchade/

Jesus, Apocalyptic Discourse, and the Climate Crisis: Ideas for Preaching Matthew 24:36-44

More here:
Rapture Me This: 2 Books for Progressive Preaching about the Apocalypse - Patheos

New York [Jan. 8, 2020] HGTV is set to take on an ambitious missionand it will be the most impressive and massive renovation evera takeover to makeover an ENTIRE town. Ever since Ben and Erin Napier of the hit series Home Town helped transform Laurel, Mississippi, fans from small towns across America have flooded HGTV with requests to take on the reno of their home town. Now they will get their shot at a life-changing, whole-town overhaul. Through Tuesday, Feb 4, anyone who loves their own home town can log on to HGTVHomeTownTakeover.com to show, tell sell the network on why their small town, with its historic architecture and classic main street, should be the one town featured in the upcoming event series Home Town Takeover. With Ben and Erin leading the charge, the selected town, with a population less than 40,000, will witness the rehab of multiple individual family homes and the revitalization of public spaces, such as parks, local diners and recreation centers. And, the town will be featured in Home Town Takeover (fka Home Town Rescue), a six-episode series slated to premiere on HGTV in 2021.

This is a big one, said Erin. HGTV has never, ever taken on a whole town renovation and restoration project and were so proud and excited to be leading the team that will get it done. Show us those photos and videos. Tell us what makes your town special and how youd like us to help make it better. You may see us in your town soon.

Visitors to HGTVHomeTownTakeover.com will find information on how to nominate their town for consideration. Submissions must include photos of the town, but video is preferred. Videos should spotlight a specific place that needs a makeover, such as a diner, coffee shop, home or playground. Submissions also should feature a tour of the town that highlights the places that need the most help as well as the people that love living there.

Renovating one house at a time is an awesome experience, but the chance to support an entire town, where we can help bring a community back to life and enhance the lives of the people who live and work there, is something weve always wanted to try, said Ben. You wont believe what a small town with a shared renovation vision and the power of HGTV, Erin and me behind them can do. Weve seen those changes in Laurel and we want to help another town do it too.

While they await the premiere of Home Town Takeover, fans of Ben and Erin can watch the duo in the 16-episode season of Home Town which will premiere on Monday, Jan. 20, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. They also can catch up on full episodes from previous seasons on HGTV GO. To learn more about the series, visit HGTV.com/HomeTown for exclusive content, including behind-the-scenes videos and photo galleries. Fans can interact on social media using #HGTVHomeTown.

ABOUT HGTV

HGTV delivers families with relatable stories, superstar real estate and renovation experts and amazing home transformations that inspire a passionate audience. For anyone seeking entertaining and aspirational home and lifestyle content, HGTV is the place to be. HGTV offers: a top 10 cable network that is distributed to more than 88 million U.S. households; a website, HGTV.com, that attracts an average of 9.7 million people each month; a social footprint of 16.8 million; HGTV Magazine, a monthly publication that reaches more than one million readers and exclusive collections of home-oriented products through the HGTV HOME consumer products line. Viewers can become fans of HGTV and interact with other home improvement enthusiasts through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. HGTV is owned by Discovery, Inc., a global leader in real life entertainment spanning 220 countries and territories, whose portfolio also includes Discovery Channel, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.

Original post:
HGTV Launches Massive Nationwide Call to Find, Takeover and Makeover and Entire Town - Multichannel News

Is this Russian Hill home, circa 1908, the restoration deal of the century? You'll need $5M to find out.

Is this Russian Hill home, circa 1908, the restoration deal of the century? You'll need $5M to find out.

Is this Russian Hill home, circa 1908, the restoration deal of the century? You'll need $5M to find out.

Is this Russian Hill home, circa 1908, the restoration deal of the century? You'll need $5M to find out.

Is this $5M fixer the restoration opportunity of a lifetime?

Photos of the interior of 1020 Broadway are hard to come by, but the listing information promises six bedrooms and three and 1/2 bathrooms in a 3,500 square foot home.

What we can see looks to be fairly well preserved, with evidence of the home's original early 1900s bones. There are dark wood floors and wainscotting, a fireplace and built-ins, as well as stunning Russian Hill views from a living room that faces toward the bay.

The history

Property records indicate the home went into pre-foreclosure on a loan valued at $4.6 million sometime early last year, with a delinquent amount of $4,885,002.

ALSO: The craziest overbids of the decade all have one thing in common

Also in 2019, before it sold to its current owner/seller, the assessed property value for the home was $409,735 which meant a property tax of $4,935 for that tax year.

Today

Now the home is listed at $4.990 million in a clear foreclosure flip.

Historically, homes sold as fixers fetch a pretty penny over-asking in San Francisco. In fact, all of the most outrageously over-bid properties of the recently passed decade were listed as fixers.

So is 1020 Broadway the fixer opportunity of this decade? If you bought it, what would you do? How much would it cost you? Or, with views and woodwork like this house has, you could just live in it as is.

See the full listing here.

AnnaMarie Erwert writes from both the renter and new buyer perspective, having (finally) achieved both statuses. She focuses on national real estate trends, specializing in the San Francisco Bay Area and Pacific Northwest.FollowAnnaonTwitter: @AnnaMarieErwert.

Read more:
Is this $5M fixer the restoration opportunity of a lifetime? - SFGate

DAYTON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Dayton Power and Light Company (DP&L), a subsidiary of The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES), was presented today with the Edison Electric Institutes (EEIs) Emergency Recovery Award for its outstanding power restoration efforts after a series of tornados hit Ohio in May.

The Emergency Recovery Award is given to select EEI member companies to recognize their extraordinary efforts to restore power to customers after service disruptions caused by severe weather conditions or other natural events. The winners are chosen by a panel of judges following an international nomination process. DP&L received the award during EEIs Winter Board and Chief Executives Meeting in Tucson, Arizona.

Beginning late in the evening on Memorial Day, a series of 15 confirmed tornados hit DP&Ls service territory resulting in 101,748 outages. Due to their tireless work, crews restored service to 100 percent of customers within 10 days after the storm, dedicating 80,000 man-hours to the recovery efforts.

On behalf of all of our DP&L people, we are extremely honored to be recognized with EEIs Emergency Recovery Award for our restoration efforts following the Memorial Day Tornados, which ranks as one of the top three storms for DP&L in recent history, said Lisa Krueger, AES US SBU President. We take great pride in serving our customers and thank the crews for their extraordinary dedication during an unprecedented weather event that people will remember for years to come. The extensive damage from the tornados presented challenging conditions with crews working round the clock to safely restore electric service to our customers and neighbors.

DP&Ls work to restore service safely and quickly to customers, often in dangerous conditions, makes them deserving of this award, said EEI President Tom Kuhn. Their efforts exemplify the high standards our industry seeks to uphold, and I applaud their commitment to their customers.

About The Dayton Power and Light Company, and The AES Corporation

The Dayton Power and Light Company is the principal subsidiary of DPL Inc. (DPL), a regional energy provider and an AES company. DPLs primary subsidiaries include The Dayton Power and Light Company, AES Ohio Generation, LLC (AES Ohio Gen), and Miami Valley Insurance Company (MVIC).The Dayton Power and Light Company, a regulated electric utility, provides service to over 525,000 customers in West Central Ohio; AES Ohio Gen co-owns a merchant generation facility; and MVIC, a captive insurance company, provides insurance services to DPL and its subsidiaries. For more information about the company, please visit http://www.dplinc.com. Connect with DP&L at http://www.twitter.com/dpltoday, http://www.linkedin.com/company/dayton-power-and-light, and at http://www.facebook.com/DPLToday.

The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) is a Fortune 200 global power company. We provide affordable, sustainable energy to 14 countries through our diverse portfolio of distribution businesses as well as thermal and renewable generation facilities. Our workforce is committed to operational excellence and meeting the worlds changing power needs. Our 2018 revenues were $11 billion and we own and manage $33 billion in total assets. To learn more, please visit http://www.aes.com. Follow AES on Twitter @TheAESCorp.

About EEI

EEI is the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Our members provide electricity for more than 220 million Americans, and operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. As a whole, the electric power industry supports more than 7 million jobs in communities across the United States. In addition to our U.S. members, EEI has more than 65 international electric companies, with operations in more than 90 countries, as International Members, and hundreds of industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate Members.

The rest is here:
Dayton Power & Light Earns EEI Emergency Recovery Award for Efforts to Restore Service in Ohio After a Tornado Outbreak - Business Wire

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The global 3D cardiac mapping systems market is poised to grow by USD 412.6 million during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of around 10% during the forecast period. Request free sample pages

Read the 120-page report with TOC on 3D Cardiac Mapping Systems Market Analysis Report by Product (Contact 3D cardiac mapping systems and Non-contact 3D cardiac mapping systems), Geography (Asia, Europe, North America, and ROW), and the Segment Forecasts, 2019-2023.

https://www.technavio.com/report/global-3d-cardiac-mapping-systems-market-industry-analysis

The market is driven by the increasing prevalence of cardiac arrhythmias and related risk factors. In addition, the emergence of non-invasive 3D cardiac mapping systems is anticipated to boost the growth of the 3D cardiac mapping systems market.

The prevalence of cardiac arrhythmias is growing across the world. This has increased the occurrence of other risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity, CVDs, and diabetes. The chances of developing cardiac arrhythmias increases with age. Improving life expectancies of people has significantly increased the geriatric population across the globe. These factors have increased the demand for early detection and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, thereby driving the demand for 3D cardiac mapping systems.

Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free.

View market snapshot before purchasing

Major Five 3D Cardiac Mapping Systems Market Companies:

Abbott

Abbott operates the business through various segments such as cardiovascular and neuromodulation, diagnostics, nutritionals, established pharmaceuticals, and other. EnSite Precision cardiac mapping system is the key offering of the company. It helps in the mapping of most complex arrhythmia cases through a high level of automation, flexibility, and precision.

Boston Scientific Corporation

Boston Scientific Corporation operates the business across various segments such as MedSurg, Rhythm management, and Cardiovascular. RHYTHMIA HDx Mapping System is the key offering of the company. It offers density, resolution, and automation required for true HD mapping with the combination of a high-resolution mapping catheter, advanced noise-filtering hardware, and intelligent software.

Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc.

Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. operates the business through various segments such as pharmaceutical, medical devices, and consumer. CARTO 3 System is the key offering of the company. It offers high-quality data points and integrates multiple data sets and images into one resource for highly detailed, real-time information.

Medtronic

Medtronic operates the business through various segments such as cardiac and vascular group, minimally invasive therapies group, restorative therapies group, and diabetes group. CardioInsight Noninvasive 3D Mapping System is the key offering of the company. It is a non-invasive mapping system that collects chest ECG signals and combines them with CT scan data to produce and display simultaneous, bi-atrial and biventricular, 3D cardiac maps.

MicroPort Scientific Corporation

MicroPort Scientific Corporation operates the business through various segments such as orthopedics devices business, cardiovascular devices business, endovascular devices business, electrophysiology devices business, neurovascular devices business, surgical devices business, and diabetes and endocrinal devices. Columbus 3D EP Navigation System is the key offering of the company. It features real-time electromagnetic device tracking with cardiac motion compensation, accurate geometric reconstruction of intracardiac chambers, automatic 3D image segmentation of cardiac chambers with a single click, and accurate preoperative CT image registration and integration.

Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports.

Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform

3D Cardiac Mapping Systems Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2019 - 2023)

3D Cardiac Mapping Systems Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2019 - 2023)

Technavios sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report, such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Request a free sample report

Related Reports on Healthcare include:

Global Cardiac Restoration Systems Market Global cardiac restoration systems market by product (mitral valve restoration systems and left ventricular restoration systems), end-users (hospitals, ASCs, and others), and geography (Asia, Europe, North America, and ROW).

Global Cardiac POC Testing Devices Market Global cardiac POC testing devices market by end-users (hospitals and laboratories, diagnostic centers, and ambulatory centers and physicians' clinics) and geography (Asia, Europe, North America, and ROW).

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavios report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavios comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com

Go here to see the original:
Global 3D Cardiac Mapping Systems Market 2019-2023 | Evolving Opportunities with Abbott and Boston Scientific Corporation | Technavio - Business Wire

The contracting firm is accused of cheating its own workers and NYCHA. Photo: Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY

Sign up for THE CITY Scoop, our daily newsletter where we send you stories like this first thing in the morning.

A Brooklyn contracting firm thats pleaded guilty to wage-cheating workers on NYCHA jobs has received more than $140,000 in no-bid contracts from the Housing Authority, records show.

SAC Restoration and its husband-and-wife owners entered guilty pleas Dec. 31 in Manhattan Supreme Court, admitting that for years theyd falsely certified they were paying employees the required prevailing wages on multiple NYCHA jobs.

A review of public housing contract data by THE CITY reveals that in 2018 alone, SAC received 29 separate no-bid contracts totaling more than $141,000. Each contract was just below $5,000, the figure that would require NYCHA to put the job out for competitive bids.

At the Patterson Houses in the Bronx, for example, SAC got 13 separate contracts for work between March 30 and June 26, 2018, each for just under $5,000, records show. The total came to more than $63,000, an amount that would normally require competitive bidding.

As THE CITY revealed in October, the city Department of Investigation has warned NYCHA three times in the last three years about allowing mid-level bureaucrats to pick a select group of contractors for repair jobs without bidding the work out.

In a 2016 memo, DOI found that one-third of the no-bid contracts had been handed to an elite group of just 17 vendors. DOI stated that the overuse of no-bid contracts left NYCHA vulnerable to the potential for corruption, with the possibility that NYCHA staffers were taking bribes to steer contracts to favored firms.

A 2017 DOI probe found evidence that one Queens-based contractor, Matrixx Construction, had billed the Housing Authority for work actually performed by NYCHA staff.

Facing pressure to whittle down a persistent backlog of repair requests, NYCHA has increasingly relied on no-bid work. Spending on those contracts rose from $38.8 million in 2017 to $61.1 million in 2018, according to records obtained by THE CITY. With $41.6 million spent on no-bid jobs through August, NYCHA was on pace to go even higher in 2019.

SACs transactions with NYCHA appear to date back to 2013, when the company was accused in federal court of labor violations for allegedly failing to pay overtime to workers on several painting jobs. The jobs referenced in the lawsuit included work on a NYCHA development, Harrison Avenue Rehab, in The Bronx.

Responding to the suit, SAC claimed that the plaintiff did not work for them but for a subcontractor. The suit was later dropped after that person disappeared, court records show.

During their plea on New Years Eve, SACs owners, Avtar and Sima Chand, admitted that the wage cheating on NYCHA jobs dated to 2014.

The company and the Chands, both 32, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges related to filing false documents, admitting theyd billed NYCHA for work at the prevailing rate of $41.75 per hour yet hired laborers at a much lower wage.

In some cases, the Chands certified they were doing this work personally while they were on vacation in the Bahamas and India. The plea was first reported by the Daily News.

Under the plea which followed a probe by the city Department of Investigation and was prosecuted by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. the firm and owners agreed to pay $154,000 in back wages. If the company meets all requirements under the agreement, the charges will be dismissed.

Mitchell Barnett, an attorney for SAC and the Chands, did not return calls seeking comment.

Want to republish this story? See ourrepublication guidelines.

You just finished reading another story from THE CITY.

We need your help to make THE CITY all it can be.

Please consider joining us as a member today.

DONATE TODAY!

Go here to read the rest:
Contractor Guilty of Wage Theft Was Also NYCHA No-Bid King - THE CITY