Meriden school officials say they’re considering changing the dress code because many students are taking the hot trend of tight-fitting clothing too far.A board of education subcommittee voted Tuesday night in favor of a dress code amendment that would prevent middle and high school students from wearing clothing that’s too tight-fitting. The full board plans to take up the issue on March 20.Subcommittee members say they had to change an earlier version of the dress code change after realizing that it could have banned popular clothes including skinny jeans and “jeggings.” The proposed policy change would prohibit form-fitting clothing that’s too tight and reveals body parts or undergarments.
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The Company has seamlessly evolved from suiting and sportswear to encompass a wide array of product offerings that enrich every aspect of a man’s life, including accessories, luggage, footwear, eyewear and home furnishings. JA Apparel Corp(R) brand names include Joseph Abboud(R), JOE Joseph Abboud(R), Joseph Abboud BOYS(R) and Joseph Abboud Home(R). Joseph Abboud(R) branded products are available in fine department stores and specialty stores throughout the United States, and more than fifty countries worldwide.School board secretary Robert Kosienski Jr. said he’s concerned that the dress code change could be difficult to enforce.
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Tagged: tight clothing marzec 9, 2012
Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, a 47-year old luxury brand that manufactures wood flooring with luxurious finishes, hand sculpted designs and thoughtful personal touches, today announced the launch of the Carlisle Master Craftsman(CMC) training program designed to provide professional floor installers with access to comprehensive training resources on how to install wide plank flooring to satisfy the most discerning clientele.
This exclusive program will provide Carlisle installers with access to online training videos on a variety of topics including Carlisle’s philosophy, the key to greater profits and the delivery and installation processes. A full training platform will test installers’ knowledge on everything from Understanding Wood Grains and Homeowners Finish Choices to Delivery and Acclimation to Understanding Job Site Conditions.Carlisle Wide Plank Floors is a modern luxury brand offering wood flooring with luxurious finishes, sculpted designs and thoughtful personal touches, along with responsive and unrivaled customer service.
After completing the training, installers will have the opportunity to become one of Carlisle’s Certified Master Craftsman.”We are very excited about this partnership program,” said Chris Sy, National Sales Director at Carlisle Wide Plank Floors. “The CMC program will make it easier for our customers to find a truly outstanding craftsman for their floor, while providing our trusted installers with comprehensive training resources.”He adds, “The goal of the program is to provide the best service to homeowners and installers, making every project run smoother, and accomplishing the ultimate goal–a stunning work of art on their floor.”
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Tagged: Wide Plank Floors marzec 8, 2012
Compared with other municipal-bond funds, Franklin Insured Tax-Free Income offers average yield, average risk and solid if not spectacular returns over the past five years. But the $2.8 billion fund is more than just a run-of-the-mill muni fund.In fact, it is the last sizable fund of its kind: a fund that invests primarily in munis nationwide that carry insurance against default. And the sweeping changes in municipal-bond insurance that drove other funds out of this niche have left their mark on the Franklin fund.Insured bonds were once prevalent among munis. The insurance—provided by financial companies that were then rated triple-A, including MBIA Inc. and Ambac Financial Group Inc.—had the effect of making any bond, no matter the underlying rating, into a top-rated credit.
But the financial crisis hammered the insurance providers, which lost their top ratings, and the number of insured bonds coming to market dwindled. Just 5% of munis issued in 2011 carried insurance, down from 57% in 2005, according to municipal-bond research firm Municipal Market Advisors.With so few insured bonds being issued, many muni professionals are surprised that a sizable insured-bond fund still exists. “I would have thought they’d have retooled by now,” says Richard Ciccarone, chief research officer at McDonnell Investment Management LLC.Matthew Walsh, a Franklin Resources Inc. spokesman, says the firm continues to monitor the market for insured bonds but has no plans to change the fund, despite having merged several state-specific insured-bond funds into other funds.
(Several single-state funds still exist, with the $2.1 billion Franklin California Insured Tax-Free Income fund by far the largest.) “We are continuing to offer a national insured tax-free income fund,” he says. Fund manager John Pomeroy wasn’t available to comment.It isn’t hard to understand why other insured-bond funds have disappeared. Besides the mere trickle of new bond issues, the insurance means far less today than it did before the financial crisis.Back then, because the insurers were rated triple-A, the bonds they insured were viewed not only as safe bets but also as interchangeable. Fund managers and investors didn’t have to concern themselves with the credit-worthiness of the bond issuers as much as they do now.
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Tagged: Muni Dinosaur marzec 6, 2012
Donations of clothing, personal items and household goods are being sought for occupants of 16 apartments destroyed or heavily damaged in a fire Wednesday.”These families have nothing,” said Jeff Thompson, a spokesman for the Lake Saint Louis Police Officers Association, which is working on the effort with management of the Camden Cedar Lakes complex. “They’re starting over from scratch.”Donations can be dropped off at the complex’s welcome center at 36 Cedar Circle Drive from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday; from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday next week.
Items needed include all sizes of bed linens and blankets, pillows, bath towels and waschloths, adult men and women’s clothing, clothing for an 8-year-old boy and 12-year-old girl, shoes, socks, paper towels and other paper goods, dishes and silverware, cooking utensils, furniture, non-perishable food and personal hygiene products.No one was injured in the four-alarm fire. Eight of the 16 families were relocated to other units in the complex and the rest are staying with family members or friends elsewhere.
Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.”Ask any of those women and I’m sure they’ll say the donations they received were more than just gestures of good will, they were lifelines.It is our hope that now, more than ever, people will help us in our quest to turn second-hand suits into second chances.”All of the collected professional items will be given to the international non-profit organization, Dress for Success, which will then distribute the articles nationwide to women looking to gain a job or trying to re-enter the workforce.
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Tagged: Donations of clothing marzec 5, 2012
In a similar situation last month, on my way to an appointment, I explained to my husband that I had nothing else to wear. That following weekend, he sent me to the mall. No limits, no questions asked.I came back with some cute tops, a pair of shoes, a trendy sweater or two, and another pair of what has become part of the standard mom uniform of today: the one, the only, the loose-fitting yet snug in some areas, the black, the forgiving, the camouflaging —- so we think —- the yoga pants.I couldn’t help myself.These pants are the Mrs. Cleaver housedress of today. Looking around at my stroller-pushing peers, I know I am not alone.
Don’t believe me? Go to Costco at 3 p.m. on any given day.I know my husband is right. The pants are made for working out, you know, exercises, the elliptical machine, and downward dog. You won’t find them in any part of the store that doesn’t also sell sports bras.I seem to wear them everywhere: the park, to school to pick up the kids, to the zoo, and to restaurants for weekend brunch. Ditto every mom I know. If we see them on sale, we get a mass email: “Hurry, yoga pants, 50 percent off!”My husband thinks they tend to look a little too revealing,some are tight as cycling shorts and on the sloppy side. But they’re not pauper’s clothing: Some stores charge upwards of $100 for yoga pants.
That’s right, people, $100 for pants made for rolling on the floor like a ball.So why are these pants the preferred clothing of moms? Why, everywhere you look, at parent-teacher conference and in the aisles at Target, moms are drawn to yoga pants.Well, I can argue that our lives are much like an exercise class. I have compared getting my kids dressed and in the car for school with endurance athletic events. We are always reaching for something— a sippy cup that rolled on the floor under the back seats— chasing someone, carrying something, or cleaning something.We iron in them, we cook in them, we buy juice boxes and bread in them, we walk the dog in them, and sometimes, if it’s been a tough day, we sleep in them. They are the mom uniform.
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Tagged: jeans marzec 1, 2012
If doing good suits you, head over to a Dressbarn store March 1 to 4 for their annual SOS (Send One Suit) clothing drive to benefit disadvantaged women in need of professional attire for job interviews.”Last year we collected 51,000 items nationwide,”said Laura Matunas, manager of the Dressbarn at Bergen Town Center. “This year our company goal is 60,000.”Two Paramus locations are among 825 Dressbarn stores across the country that will serve as drop-off sites for new or gently used professional attire including suits, dress shirts, blazers, pants, skirts, dresses, shoes, and handbags. Any size or style is welcome, and the clothing does not have to be from Dressbarn.
Collected items will be given to the international non-profit organization, Dress for Success, which will then distribute the articles to women looking to gain a job or trying to re-enter the workforce. Donations generally go to charities and social services in the local area.Donors receive a tax form and coupon for a 15 percent discount off a Dressbarn purchase. Adding a special touch, they also receive a hang tag that reads “From My Closet to Yours”with space for the donor to add a personal message before attaching to the donated item.”This really makes it more meaningful,”said Matunas, who managed another Dressbarn location for three years before coming to Paramus. “Our regular customers love this drive and many of them plan their spring closet cleaning around SOS,”she said.
Customers also like knowing their donations will help women in the local area, said the manager. She explained Dress for Success coordinates with 250 agencies in Bergen County, including Family Success Center, Bergen One Stop and Catholic Charities.On a recent weekday afternoon, Matunas and sales associate Sha’quana Mack pulled out a garment rack already filling up with donated jackets, pants, and even designer suits. “Last year, one woman donated seven or eight bags of clothing, even pantyhose,”said Mack, who has worked at the mall location for three years. Matunas, who previously worked for a major worldwide charity, expressed unqualified enthusiasm for both the SOS drive and her employer. “I absolutely love it,”she said of Send One Suit.
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Tagged: Clothes luty 29, 2012
More than 55,000 drivers have received red-light running citations since Collier County installed red-light cameras in 2009.But the Arizona company that installed the cameras and manages Collier’s red-light camera program hasn’t been paid since August 2010 because some county officials contended its contract didn’t comply with a state law that went into effect that July.After months of negotiations, county officials and American Traffic Solutions, the camera vendor, have reached a settlement and agreement on a new contract scheduled to go before Collier commissioners for approval Tuesday.However, at least one commissioner who had previously supported the cameras now says he is leaning toward nixing them because he called the reduction of crashes from 125 in 2009 to 112 the next year “negligible.”
“Do you really want to maintain a program that can’t show a real positive benefit?” Commissioner Jim Coletta asked, adding that he was going to vote against it “unless someone can convince me.”In April 2009, the county and ATS began installing 19 cameras at a dozen Collier intersections, at no cost to the county. A year later, the Florida Legislature legalized the use of cameras on state roads, but prohibited municipalities from paying vendors on a per-citation basis — prompting Collier to amend its contract.Instead of the county paying ATS to operate the program, the new contract called for ATS to pay the county $8,250 monthly for the right to operate the program — just enough to cover the county’s administrative costs.
Under the contract, ATS and the state split the $158 fine and ATS received $75 per citation. But there still were problems.”We just couldn’t pay them, in our opinion, because the underlying structure of the contract was still at a per-citation amount, contrary to the act,” said Crystal Kinzel, director of finance and accounting for the Collier County Clerk of Courts.On Tuesday, commissioners are slated to consider a settlement and release agreement that will pay ATS $522,545 for money owed, while releasing the county from its amended contract. It also allows the county to move forward under a new 10-year agreement that complies with the law, paying ATS $28,500 monthly, based on traffic counts; it was the only vendor that submitted a proposal last year.
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Tagged: red-light camera luty 27, 2012
HypeLife Brands, the leading lifestyle branding and youth marketing agency to Generation Y and Millennials, is proud to announce the launch of a new client, streetwear brand Everyday Noble Clothing.Working closely together with Everyday Noble Clothing, HypeLife Brands produced the new clothing line’s brand strategy, brand identity, Spring 2012 collection as well as the line’s website, logo, tagline and social media presence for the Generation Y.
“Starting from a blank page without even a name, we’ve created a very powerful brand that’s connected to a solid ‘what’, but more importantly to a deep ‘why’ for our client,” said HypeLife Brands Principal and Lead Brand Navigator Curt Cuscino. “With a dedication to the use of quality materials in all their pieces (unlike much of what’s going on in streetwear right now), we’re extremely excited to see the Everyday Noble Clothing brand take flight.”
Everyday Noble Clothing believes that through the power of nobility, passion and determination, the lineage you leave starts with the mark you make – nobility isn’t something you inherit; it is a mindset and a series of choices one makes everyday.I want to inspire the audience by offering a product that maintains a higher standard from the quality of the materials, the content on the shirts, and the overall mindset of the brand,” said Josh Reed, co-founder of Everyday Noble Clothing. “I appreciate the professional guidance HypeLife Brands provided along the way, while allowing me creative freedom in taking this idea and turning it into a dream come true.
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Tagged: Streetwear Clothing Line luty 24, 2012
Ghanaian hip-hop sensation D-Black will soon unveil his clothing line called Black Avenue Clothing, targeting consumers in the age group of 10-40 years.The line created this year itself, was developed with an eye to present comfortable and reasonably priced premium street wears for the youngsters and fashion lovers who have adopted the rapper’s style of hip-hop/hip-life.Polo shirts, T-shirts, sports jackets, sweat shirts, vests and fitted caps will be included in the collection.
D-Black, the Ghana born musician, entertainer and entrepreneur, earned himself a recognition in 2010 with launch of his solo album ‘Music, Love & Life’, which gave him several awards and nominations.Following the successful journey of two years, he is now all set to commercially venture in the Ghanaian markets with launch of his new collection in June this year.The man who has a keen eye to spot talent and an innate sense of entrepreneurship, instituted his personalized record label Black Avenue Muzik in 2008 while he was in university, and since then has been a driving factor in Ghanaian hip-hop music.
In spite of being an urban clothing line in the Ghanaian market, the new collection would be quite reasonably priced for the real hip-hop and hip-life music fans, D-Black said.The new line would be quite trendy and the apparel pieces would be made from best quality fabric to afford the wearer with a sense of comfort and confidence, he added.Black Avenue Clothing’s first line ‘The Revelation’ would hit the markets in June this year, just before the release of D-Black’s sophomore album, ‘The Revelation’ in August/September.
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Tagged: launch clothing line luty 22, 2012
The male shopper, who pretty much was missing at the onset of the recession, is buying again. And to the delight of retailers, he is not just stocking up on suits and shirts, but doing something women have been doing for years: bingeing on accessories.Bracelets. Bags. Hats. Umbrellas. Even fur stoles.Men are buying so many accessories that some forecasters predict sales growth for men’s clothing and accessories during the first three months of this year will set a 20-year high.”That guy had been away for a while during the tougher times,” said David Witman, general merchandise manager of Nordstrom’s men’s division.
To get traditional women’s accessories to appeal to men, some designers are giving them manly names and styles. That’s not a bracelet; it’s wristwear. And that’s not a purse, it’s a holdall.”It doesn’t look like you borrowed it from your girlfriend,” Nicolas Travis, 24, a business school student who runs the blog Style Flavors, said of the manned-up styles he prefers. “A little bit more bling, and you run the risk of it looking a bit more feminine.”The return of the male shopper could have broad consequences for the economy. Retail sales plummeted during the recession, with men’s apparel sales dropping almost twice as fast as women’s in 2009, according to IBM Global Business Services.
Women started buying again, and that helped push the recovery along. But men held off on buying apparel and accessories until last year, when estimated men’s sales rose more than 8 percent, outpacing the growth in women’s sales.Spending on accessories is driving the men’s category: Those sales grew 14 percent in the last half of 2011, to about $6 billion, according to the market research firm NPD Group.”Men were the last to start spending coming out of the recession,” said Eric Jennings, fashion director for menswear at Saks Fifth Avenue. “If they learned one thing through the recession, it’s that looking schlumpy is not going to help you keep your job, get promoted, or get a new job. I think they’re taking their appearance more seriously.”
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luty 21, 2012
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