Legg Mason Continues To Grow

Legg Mason employee speaking with student at University of Baltimore career fair.

Baltimore is the headquarters of the well-known asset management company, LEGG MASON. The company has assets of $657 billion dollars, as measured on February 29, 2016. Besides its location in Baltimore, the company has investment centers located in various sites around the world.

On March 22, Legg Mason announced that it had completed the public part of the financing to acquire CLARION PARTNERS, an asset management company with a focus on real estate investments, and EN TRUST CAPITAL, a company with a focus on high end investments. Legg Mason is using Senior Notes and Junior Notes, along with $500 million from its revolving credit facility as financing for the purchase price. The funds were also used for replenishing cash on the company's balance and a RARE transaction in October 2015. From this point, the acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017.



Chairman and Chief Executive of Legg Mason, Joseph A. Sullivan, stated, "We are pleased by the strong execution of these transactions in the market, with support from both new and existing bondholders, who are critical partners for us as we build an enduring asset management business. We are grateful for their confidence in Legg Mason. We remain committed to executing on our straightforward and focused strategy: providing our global clients with an increasing number of choices for investment strategies, products, vehicles, and assets."

At the same time Legg Mason announced the reinstatement of its buyback program starting March 22 and retroactive to February 1. That means the company will continue the $90 million buyback pace quarterly in the first quarter of 2017. It is scheduled to buyback $60 million of stock from the fourth quarter of this year, depending on business conditions and priorities.

Legg Mason's Women's Leadership Network meets in London.

Meanwhile, CEO Joseph A. Sullivan spoke at the Sloan Investment Conference, held by MIT on the subject of the asset management field. Specifically, he addressed the company's focus on building strong and supportive teams and communities. As he stated, "There are many ways in life to do well, and do good."

CEO Joseph A. Sullivan at MIT's Sloan Investment Conference.

Thanks for information from this news release by Legg Mason: http://ir.leggmason.com/Cache/1500082805.PDF?Y=&O=PDF&D=&FID=1500082805&T=&IID=102761; and the above links.

Click here to view more details for Texas list

Click here: INSIDER SECRETS TO SUCCESSFUL FREIGHT BROKERING

Japan Closes A Rail Link

The railway station at Kyu-shirataki.

Here's something that you don't see very often. A series of three railway stations was kept open to allow one girl to complete her education. No, it didn't happen here in the US. We can't even update our train service to the same level as other developed countries, much less grasp the concept of making sure that one student completes her education. This actually happened in Japan.

The three stations, Kami-shirataki, Kyu-shirataki, and Shimo-shirataki, are end of the line stations of which most riders had little awareness, except for the student who used them to get to school. However, on March 25, these stations became an international phenomenon when they were finally taken off-line due to the student's graduation.



As far as train stations are concerned, the Kyu-shiratiaki station was just the bare minimum, a shack beside the tracks, with a bench inside, attached to the wall. This was the very station from which the female student had departed every day. The station was so small that the many visitors who came to witness the last train's voyage down the tracks had to be accommodated with tents set up next to the station. They were serving free milk and sweet potatoes to those who stopped by.

Inside the bare shed with a bench, there was a bouquet of flowers and a timetable that announced the four times a day that the train came through. The very last train was due at 4:53 and it was on time as it pulled into the station. It had a number of passengers, who were taking this ride for the very last time. The locals had deeply thoughtful facial expressions, since beyond this day, railroad travel in this area would just be a memory.

Then it was on to Kami-shirataki. Here the station was a bit bigger, so many miles away from the nearest station. There were banners inside and outside, congratulating the station on its long years of service.

Finally, the train stopped at Shimo-shirataki for the last time. This station had been in operation for 87 years and is known for being one of the most remote in Japan. There are cattle ranches and buildings scattered among the landscape, not really very plentiful in number.

Then the train reached Shirataki station, a busier station on the route that will remain open. The distinction is that this station has more modern amenities, and instead of being completely wooden, had the benefit of aluminum siding. The timetable on the wall attests to more frequent stops, eleven in all each day.

Inside the food tent at Kyu-shirataki.

Similar to what happens in other countries, the Japanese people are on the move. Younger people seek out opportunities in more populated areas, the places where jobs are available for those fortunate enough to have more education. They leave behind their elders, who eke out a living in remoter corners of the country, sometimes with the sweat of their own physical labor. As their numbers dwindle, we witness the demise of their connection with the booming areas of the country, that connection becoming a memory.

Kami-shirataki, also going offline.

Thanks to information from this article on Rocket News 24 by Master Blaster: http://en.rocketnews24.com/2016/03/27/the-train-station-that-stayed-open-for-lone-school-girl-finally-closes-down/

Click here to view more details

Click here: EPS EMAIL PROCESSING

History Ignored, But Now Explored

Some old and new members of Making HERstory.

One of the things that I learned when I was a young adult was how much of history was left out of the texts and school-presented history courses (this was before reaching college). There was an entire additional history that had been missed in basic history education, like women's contributions, what black history and culture contributed, the Japanese-American detention camps during World War II. College history did include much of this missed history, opening my eyes to what had been missing.

Lena Khader, an educator in Oklahoma City, started MAKING HERSTORY, a program designed for young adults to learn about this history that had been avoided in the classroom. The reason for developing this program, according to Ms. Khader, is that history is "a male-dominated term, [and her] students will be Making HERstory, with meaning both figuratively and physically."



Twenty high school students were hosted at a local library. They utilized readings, music, personal narratives, documentaries, and interactive lectures to become more informed. It was, and is, education within the community, exploring feminism, ethnic studies, and their own personal accounts of the history that has occurred during their lifetimes, to become more empowered and civically engaged.

The other thing that Ms. Khader wanted to do was to publish their discussions and discoveries as a curriculum that can be utilized by teachers and community educators. She has posted some of the topics in the form of a blog and also used her online space as a way to announce upcoming activities. In some ways, the sessions even become a social occasion, including potluck dinners as the background for discussion and learning.

Whiteboard notes from a session.

Some of the topics have included recent issues with dramatic impact throughout this country, such as police brutality, disability rights, US foreign policy regarding ISIS, environmental issues, LGBTQ engagement, and socioeconomic privilege. There is a beginners' track, for those just starting sessions, and the intermediate track, for those who have already been in the program with the previous group of students.

Some of the participants in a "Community Frustration" activity.

Thanks for information from this article on Pollination Project: http://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/lena-khader-making-herstory/; and the above link.

Click here to view more details

Click here: CELESTE BENNETT'S CLEAN EATING PLAYBOOK

A Last Moment Of Dignity For Dead, Unidentified Children

Garden Of Innocence, Fresno

If ever you think about a funeral and burial, you would at least picture it with friends and family gathered around, a presentable casket or urn, and at the least, your name on the marker. But there are some children who have died here in this country, without any of that.

Elissa Davey, founder of GARDEN OF INNOCENCE, offers abandoned and unidentified children the solace of a dignified burial. She said, "I wanted to start a place for children to find the rest, love, and dignity they deserve. At Garden Of Innocence, we have the opportunity to come into their lives and be their family - to show them love even if we never knew them in life."



I doubt whether anyone has taken a census of how many children have died and been placed in unmarked or mass graves. Ms. Davey works with volunteers around the US to identify these children, age eight and under, who are unidentified and unclaimed. Working with cemeteries, she then provides these children with a dignified funeral and burial.

Throughout the past 18 years, Ms. Davey and her organization have provided funeral services to 307 children. There are 160 children in the first Garden. Each child receives a new name, along with a funeral service, and an original poem specifically for that child. Various groups make the casket or urn in which that child is buried, generally a boy scout working on becoming an eagle scout or a local woodworker. Each child is accompanied by a handmade blanket and a Beanie Baby. For burial, each child has an escort of members of the Knights Of Columbus, local law enforcement and Boy Scouts.

Since the organization was first founded, it has grown to a total of eleven Gardens in different parts of the country. Each of these has a group of at least 16 committed volunteers to provide the burials for children in a specific area. Each Garden has room for fifty burial plots. All of the Gardens come from space that is donated by the cemetery that contains it.

Garden Of Innocence general manager and owner of Reade & Son Funeral Home in Fresno, Enrique Reade, said, "With Elissa, everything is about those babies. She's like an army tank - nothing can get in her way or stop her. She's like an angel - one of God's disciples. She goes out of her way to talk to someone about the gardens because she feels that once she does, they're going to want to help. She travels at the drop of a hat to talk about the gardens, and she does so much of this work herself. No one stops her. That's why I give all my time to her."

Most of the Gardens are located in California, but that doesn't mean that other locations can't be started. There are plenty of ways to contact this organization, to donate money, and to volunteer. The volunteer section has information about starting a Garden in your own area.

Some of the urns and blankets that are used in laying a child to rest.

Not only are the Gardens a way of burying a child without a name, but they are also locations where family members, who have lost children, but have no idea where they are or what happened to them, to grieve and have some amount of closure. And these Gardens add dignity, compassion, and concern to the communities in which they are maintained.

Children remember at Orange County's Garden Of Innocence.

Thanks for information from this article on Points Of Light blog: http://www.pointsoflight.org/blog/2016/03/24/garden-innocence-she-provides-dignified-burials-abandoned-and-unidentified-children; and the above link.

Click here: CHOLESTEROL NEVER AGAIN

Reviving The Cherokee Language

A trunkload of mulberry wood to be used in papermaking classes.

As there is more and more of a global focus in most developed countries, some of the languages spoken by smaller groups of indigenous peoples are being lost. Many historic languages survived by word of mouth, being passed from one person to another, without the benefit of a written tradition.

So, when Frank Bannon, who is a professional book artist and educator, founded the SPEAKEASY PRESS in Dillsboro, North Carolina, its purpose of supporting the printing of the Cherokee language became important to a Native American people and university scholars. This press became a way of breathing new life into the language.



Not only was the site of this book arts studio a way of preserving this native language, but it was also a classroom, a real studio, where interested students could learn about papermaking, letterpress printing, and bookbinding. This site also provides a venue where workshops, apprenticeships, and collaborative work among different artists can take place.

Most people may not realize that printing was an important skill within the Cherokee tradition. In the early nineteenth century, the Cherokee Phoenix, a native newspaper, was published by the Cherokee Nation before the occurrence of the Trail of Tears. The language used a system of 85 characters, developed by Sequoyah, to express the sounds of the language.

Mr. Brannon wanted to "honor Cherokee printing history, and support language revitalization by printing in the manner the Phoenix had been printed." He added, "The ability of any culture to print in its own language is a simple matter of social justice." SpeakEasy Press also hand-prints small books and posters that support WEST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY CHEROKEE STUDIES PROGRAM.

Some of the tools of printmaking.

Speakeasy Press also offers its studios as a venue for rental during the winter and spring to qualified visiting artists. That way interested students can learn techniques from instructors who are not on the SpeakEasy Press staff, as Mr. Bannon takes his classes on the road. This year he is scheduled to visit University of Alabama for a presentation to MFA book arts students; Oxbow, Indiana for an intensive papermaking workshop; and Penland School of Crafts in NC for a program in papermaking.

The Turtle And The Hare by Howard Wahneta in Cherokee.

Thanks for information from this article by Pollination Project: http://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/frank-brannon-speakeasy-press/; and the above links.

Click here to view more details

Click here: UKRAINIAN WOMEN UNZIPPED EBOOK

A Home Mortgage Company With A Heart

An employee-volunteer collected old wreaths in clean-up detail.

For most people, purchasing a house is not something that can be done without borrowing money. The home loan can come from a bank, credit union, or mortgage company.

Located in Fulton, MD, NEWDAY USA focuses on providing these loans to veterans, in the form of VA guaranteed home loans. Whether a veteran is seeking a loan to buy a new home, refinancing for a better rate, or borrowing against the value of a home already owned, this mortgage company is ready to help.



According to NewDay's business philosophy, there is a striving to make the company the best in its niche by providing caring and professional services to its veteran clients. As sailors think first about their ship, then their shipmates, and only then about themselves, NewDay puts their customers first.

Not only does NewDay provide mortgages and home loans to veterans and their families, but they also provide community service, much of it with a serving veterans theme. On a cold mid-February Saturday, employees gave up part of their relaxing weekend to provide cleanup for the graves of deceased military members. This came after families and members of the public had been visiting the cemetery during the December holidays and laid fresh wreaths at the grave sites. Cleanup involved removing the wilting wreaths and sprucing up the area by helping WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA. In Colonel John Fenzel's opinion, the activity represented a great way to honor those who had served in the military.

As might be imagined, NewDay USA includes a substantial number of military veterans among its personnel. The company actually has an internal VetNet group, composed of active military and military veteran employees. While providing support for each other, this group of employees educate those who haven't served about their experiences with the military. They meet for lunch at least once per month.

Employee-members of the VetNet group.

On another occasion, a team of employees got together and provided a special dinner for the men from BALTIMORE STATION, which provides a transitional residential program for veterans and others, who have fallen into a cycle of poverty, homelessness, and addiction. The venue was the Firehouse Eatery by Alewife. The employee team took on the role of formal waiters and waitresses, the men got dressed up, and the meal was four-star.

An employee-volunteer serves a client-resident of Baltimore Station.

Thanks to information from the company website and facebook page.

Click here to visit Endurance Nation.

Selling High Quality Carpets And Doing Good

Local children are supported in attending school, not working for the company.

Are you a fan of area rugs that are handmade, employ quality materials, and have designs that can stand the test of time? Combine that with high-standard humanitarian practices among their suppliers and you have come up with TUFENKIAN ARTISAN CARPETS.

Carpet designs are based on traditional Tibetan and Armenian designs, allowing carpets to keep their beauty and vibrancy across several generations. A Tufenkian Artisan carpet is meant to last. The commitment to beauty and quality have attracted numerous designers to partner with Tufenkian.



However, what is even more notable about Tufenkian is its humanitarian practices. When James Tufenkian founded the company back in 1987, he also created the mandate by which the company lives today, to "leave the places we touch a little better than we found them." From the start, this company refused to utilize child labor, meaning that they would employ no one younger than 18 years old. Also, by employing traditional manufacturing processes, the company embarked on earth-friendly practices.

The company set up the Nepalese Worker Welfare Program and the Tufenkian Foundation, into which it has invested a million dollars each year, since they started in 1999. Through these programs, the company has provided its employees with housing, food, a medical care complex, eye and dental clinics, clean drinking water, and schooling. And they haven't left out inspiring surroundings.

Extensive gardens planted around the Tufenkian complex serve as protection from erosion during monsoon season. The company installed water purification equipment that removes the dye from the water, leaving it pristine. Heating oil is used, instead of wood, for heating dye baths, allowing preservation of forest lands. Even more, though, Tufenkian has planted trees that will provide new growth and restore areas that have become deforested.

One of the designs in the Tradition Deconstructed line.

So when you see the latest carpet design, you know that you are receiving quality and also supporting the traditional craftspeople, who labor to produce it. In fact, just recently, Tufenkian has introduced a new design line, Tradition Deconstructed. Part of this production process involves washing each piece several times, aging, weathering, and then hand shearing. This allows the handspun yarns and hand knotting to create infinite variations, giving each piece a unique look. Keep this company in mind if you're planning to add area rugs to your home or office decor.

Part of the process of wool washing.

Thanks to information from this article that appears on the company website: https://www.tufenkiancarpets.com/t-Carpets-doing-well-by-doing-good.aspx, along with the above link.

Click here to view more details

Click here: THE BEST BABY SHOWER GAMES

Vegan Athletes On Video

Featured athlete Mike Arnstein on good times vs bad times.

Here's a web series of videos about which many may not have heard. Filmmaker Sasha Perry and nutritionist Matt Ruscigno got together to create STRONGEST HEARTS. This is a documentary series about both amateur and professional athletes, who also engage in the vegan lifestyle.

Each video documents a week that this team spends with an athlete. It includes information on each athlete's training routine, nutrition plan, and general lifestyle. Matt is the host, and as a registered dietitian and also endurance athlete himself, he can bring his knowledge into the discussion with the featured athlete, while also preparing meals and training with him/her.



And not just any athlete is the subject of the videos; the focus is on top-tier competitors. Many of these athletes have participated in the grueling athletics involved in marathon and iron-man types of competition. As Sasha is quick to state, "If these athletes can succeed while eating plants, anyone can."

One of their videos filmed last year was about Stic of Dead Prez and Afya Ibomu, who is a nutritionist and cookbook writer. Matt included discussions about Hip Hop, veganism, and health within the video. In addition, Stic contributed a blog post and shared a book project in which he was engaged, along with Scott Shetier.

Videos are frequently accompanied by blog posts, detailing further some of the conversation with the athletes and guests, or even, as occurred with Stic, providing a guest blog post. Sometimes there are extra videos and posts, such as the ones about places that offer vegan foods and even one about the mascot for the Bakersfield Blaze baseball team. There is some logic in profiling a sports team mascot, since wearing a heavy fur-covered costume and performing for the crowd involves some athletics beyond the sports field.

Dr. Heather Shenkman, who went from treating patients to ironman triathlete.

One thing to remember is that this video team is not a profit-making enterprise. It is all volunteer, which means that it needs to receive money and support from the public to keep going. So, check out this site; if you like what you see, and want more of the same, you could end up with the inspiration to give a contribution, as well.

A fundraising table at an event to support the video team.

Thanks for information provided in this article on Pollination Project: http://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/sasha-perry-strongest-hearts/; and the above link.

Click here to view more details

Collaboration Fosters ALS Research

Female research scientists at ALSTDI: (l to r) Cindy Gill, Monica Wang, Beth Levine, and Val Tassinari.

There are some different types of illnesses that develop in human beings, that lead to increased debilitation as time goes by. With some of these illnesses, scientists don't yet know how or why they develop, much less how to cure them, or even restore a measure of functioning. One of these is AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS (ALS), which is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder.

The ALS THERAPY DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE (ALSTDI), along with its scientists, have been working actively to develop treatments, or even cures, for ALS. This institute is also known for its collaborative efforts with other nonprofits and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. So, it was quite natural for them to join up with COLLABORATION FOR A CURE, a consortium of ALS-related organizations, which shares research information and national fundraising efforts.


The CEO/CSO of ALSTDI, Dr. Steve Perrin, is serving as a member of the steering committee of Collaboration For A Cure, the only scientist with a seat. His voice will assure that research and development remain top priorities of the Collaboration. Since their first meeting in 2015, the committee has had several in-person and conference call meetings.

The steering committee has produced a Declaration Of Collaboration, which is being signed by member organizations, including ALSTDI. The Declaration encourages members to "work together in the pursuit of improving and saving the lives of people with ALS by promoting the advancement of treatments and cures in the manner set forth herein." On Tuesday, March 22, the Collaboration will hold a major meeting in Washington, DC.

Dr. Perrin stated, "As we have said from the start of our involvement in Collaboration For A Cure, we need to have people with ALS and their families play a central role with our organizations to advance our efforts to improve and save the lives of those battling this disease. While talking about collaboration is a start, we need true partnership to deliver on what we all want to see happen; an end to ALS once and for all....I hope to bring a greater sense of urgency to what can be done now to advance the most exciting potential treatments for ALS."

A group of Young Faces Of ALS ambassadors at an informal gathering.

The members of ALSTDI are hoping to foster greater transparency and milestone-driven partnerships with other organizations through its involvement in the Collaboration. One of the hoped-for effects would be to develop greater recognition of the scientists working on this valuable research and the data that is compiled. Research results that are given a louder voice and wider spread foster future fundraising efforts and allow more involvement of the public in a commitment to helping those with this debilitating illness.

Dr. Theo Hatzipetros focuses on animal models of ALS.

Thanks for information from this article by Robert Goldstein on ALS.net: http://www.als.net/news/what-is-our-role-in-the-collaboration-for-a-cure-effort/; and the above links.

Click here to visit Endurance Nation.

Click here: THE FLEXIBLE PERIODIZATION METHOD

A Changed Retirement Vision

Seon and Marty got married on a yacht.

It isn't your usual retirement vision; and it wasn't Marty Burbank's vision, at first. An avid sailor and attorney, Marty had been dreaming of getting a 40-foot sloop for him and his wife to sail off into their sunset years.

But it wasn't to be. There was a fateful Sunday when he was listening to a sermon about giving and generosity - and that changed everything.

Marty and his wife, Seon Chun-Burbank, have been volunteering and contributing at Rio Vista Elementary in Anaheim. There, he met kindergarten teacher, Tessa Ashton, who happens to attend the same church that he and his family do.



On that Sunday before Christmas, that sermon got him thinking, "Sailing has been a big part of my life. [But] the boat seemed like a real selfish thing at that point. This is something significant that I think is going to impact a lot more people than just me."

So, what was this plan that could impact other lives? It was all made public in an announcement that he made before a class of 26 students in Ms. Ashton's kindergarten class. That's when he announced to the class that he would pay for every student's college tuition. None of them would have to worry about how they could afford college, when they have completed the necessary education. The only thing on which they needed to focus was learning.

According to Ms. Ashton, "He cried and I cried. And the kids got really concerned because they've never seen me cry....You don't walk into moments like that very often so it was kind of a magical thing." Ever resourceful, she was then able to launch into a lesson about happy tears.

Why did Mr. Burbank pick this class? He said, "They don't come from families where anybody has had an opportunity to go to college. And college is not something that the parents talk to the kids about." Every single child in this kindergarten class, if they all take advantage of this wonderful opportunity, will be the first in their family to attend and graduate from college.

Six-year-old Jessyca Resendiz explained what this gift meant to her, "College is a big place and there is a fountain. It has a big cafeteria that has coffee and bread." Now she can go there to become what she dreams - a doctor.

One of the mothers, Silvia Escobar, whose son Roniel Garcia is in the class, had only completed second grade in her native Guatemala. She said in Spanish, "May God bless him always for helping people who truly need his help. There are no words."

Marty and Seon talk to one of the students.

In exchange for financing the education of these kindergarten students, Marty only asked that the parents keep him informed of their child's progress in school and the children write or draw a picture of what a college education means to them. In addition, Marty feels he received the best part of the deal, "I'd rather not have a boat and get these kids through school. Maybe one day they'll buy me a boat."

Marty and Seon with their sponsored kindergarten students.

Thanks to information from this article and video on Godvine: http://www.godvine.com/Man-Donates-Retirement-To-Kids-After-Church-Service-8816.html?utm_content=buffera72c3&utm_medium=fbpage&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=gvupdate; and this article by Denisse Salazar at The Orange County Register: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/college-702701-burbank-school.html.

Click here to visit Endurance Nation.