Saturday, June 30, 2012

Maine Kyokushin Karate

Teens & Adults | Maine Kyokushin Karate

Kids 8-12 | Maine Kyokushin Karate

children's karate

Maria Getting Promoted!

The Samurai Program is a Kyokushin-kan (the name of MKK’s style of Karate) black belt program.  A student must be 10 years of age in order to take their black belt test.  Students coming into the Samurai Program at the age of 8 will need approximately five years to obtain their black belt.  As black belts all students at MKK are certified from Japan and regardless of age, are treated the same and given the same recognition as an adult.

The Samurai Program is taught twice per week and classes run for one hour.  Students continue to learn new kata’s and reinforce their kihon.  A complete curriculum is going to be done and available on dvd by the end of the year.  This dvd will cover all requirements for promotion to the next belt level.  There is 10 degrees of belts in both black belts and under black belts.  Black belts are referred to as dans. Under black belts are kyu’s.  In the Samurai Program new belts are given at promotions for each belt level the Samurai students test for.

While discipline is the core of the class the students will also play karate themed games that will test their skills while the student is having fun participating in the games.  In the Samurai Program students will also learn how to deal with life situations including how to deal with a bully.  Self-defense goes hand in hand with all that is taught at MKK.  The goal at MKK is to have well rounded students not only in the Dojo (training hall), but in society as well.

Summer Karate Classes at West Paris Explorers! | Maine Kyokushin Karate

Starting July 11th, Sensei Liesha will be teaching a skills & drills class at the West Paris Explorers summer program. There will be two 30 min. sessions, with the classes broken down by age group.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes: Their most memorable moments - Yahoo! omg!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Sunburned Kids at School: Who's to Blame? | Parenting - Yahoo! Shine

Violet and Zoe Michener came home from school sporting these severe sunburns. (Photo: Jesse Michener/lifephoto …It was raining when her children left for school on Tuesday, so Jesse Michener did not slather them in sunscreen, even though she knew they'd be outdoors for field day later that afternoon. But the sun came out around noon and, when the kids came home, two of them were so severely sunburned that they had to go to the hospital.

"We've never done a field day at the school before," Michener told Yahoo! Shine in an interview on Thursday. "They were outside for over five hours."

A freelance photographer, she posted pictures and described her daughter's sunburns on her blog. "Two of my three children experienced significant sunburns. Like, hurts-to-look-at burns," Michener wrote. "Violet is starting to blister on her face." Both Violet, 11, and her sister, Zoe, 9, "have headaches, chills and pain" and had to stay home from school the next day. (Her youngest daughter, 7-year-old Eleanor, was also sunburned, but not badly.) The girls did not stay overnight at the hospital, and Michener said they are being treated at home with cool baths and over-the-counter pain medications.

Related: CDC says half of young adults get sunburned

To make matters worse, Zoe, has a form of Albinism -- and teachers and staff at Point Defiance Elementary School were aware of her extreme sensitivity to the sun. She even has a written agreement -- a 504 plan -- with the school because of it. And yet, teachers refused to send the girls indoors or allow them to apply sunscreen themselves, according to her mom.

"My children indicated that several adults commented on their burns at school, including staff and other parents," Michener wrote on her blog. "One of my children remarked that their teacher used sunscreen in her presence and that it was 'just for her.' So, is this an issue of passive, inactive supervision? Where is the collective awareness for student safety?"

Tacoma Public School district spokesman Dan Voelpel told Yahoo! Shine that the school district's sunscreen policy -- which forbids teachers from applying sunscreen to students, and only allows students to apply it to their own bodies if they have a doctor's note authorizing it -- is based on a statewide law.

"Our policy follows the state law which allows district to establish the rules for how medications, both over-the-counter and prescription medication, is handled in the school," he said. "Our policy is that any of that medication requires a doctor's order for kids to take it at school. This is really to protect other students who could be exposed to various medications that they could be allergic to." The federal Food and Drug Administration considers sunscreen to be an over-the-counter medication.

While Michener says that she takes full responsibility for not making them put on sunscreen before bringing them to school that day -- none of her kids have ever come home from school with sunburns before, she notes. She also points out that teachers had other options besides breaking the law: They could have sent the girls indoors when they noticed the burns getting bad, or called Michener and asked her to come to school and put sunscreen on them herself. (The FDA suggests that sunscreen be reapplied every two hours.)

"Something as simple as a sun hat might seem to bypass the prescription issue to some extent," she wrote. "Alas, hats are not allowed at school, even on field day."

"It was an exceptional day, with exceptional inability to serve these kids," she told Yahoo! Shine.

Michener is asking the school district to consider crafting a more "parent-friendly" policy on sunscreens, one that would allow parents to sign a waiver giving teachers permission to apply sunscreen while at school, or one that would allow teachers to act in their students' best interests. Voelpel told Yahoo! Shine that there currently is not a procedure in place for parents who have trouble getting a doctor's note, but "We periodically review our policies as situations change," he said. "I can't say whether this one will be revised based on this case."

Michener says that her daughters' sunburns are really part of a larger problem.

"My biggest beef is that teachers are not able to make good decisions about kids safety," she said. "Fear of litigation is preventing us from living our lives and taking care of our kids."

Copyright © 2012 Yahoo Inc.


Also on Shine:

6 natural summer sunscreens made without toxic ingredients
Sun damage and ethnic skin: What you need to know
Choosing the best sunscreens -- and avoiding the worst

2 Hot 2 Handle | Photo Gallery - Yahoo! omg!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Effective Marketing - Finding a Profitable Niche by Liesha Petrovich

Media_httpimages2udem_qgaqq

Dog Grooming Gardiner

Jack Osbourne on his multiple sclerosis diagnosis: Being angry and upset will only make it worse! - Yahoo! TV

http://global.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=15io3i560/M=999999.999999.999999.999999/D=tv/...*http://snapple.com&subLoadSwf=Snapple_White_Tea_300x250_Bnr_060512_r01_fh.swf&ACid_1=bf7ddf3e-f0a7-4fe8-8055-7906e97b04da&ACid_2=0fa3c877-dc34-4029-b0b4-0d982e9ea815&clickTag2=http://clk.pointroll.com/bc/?a=1628023%26c=9002%26i=D2C20400-B448-0242-020A-F9D000070100%26clickurl=http://clicks.beap.bc.yahoo.com/yc/YnY9MS4wLjAmYnM9KDE0bXF0Z24wayhnaWQkNG81YUptS0xQbkM4M3BQd1Q4ZmhRZ0NSU2s1TDhFX2diaVFBQ3BpTixzdCQxMzQwMTA4MzI0ODA4Mjk2LHNpJDQ0NTgwNTEsdiQxLjAsYWlkJFZKOGdqa3dOUGJvLSxjdCQyNSx5YngkX19BeVMzMjJMaDJRdDZyTnZQMXpDdyxyJDAscmQkMTZpdWZ0NWo0KSk/1/*http://global.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=15io3i560/M=999999.999999.999999.999999/D=tv/...*http://snapple.com" />http://global.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=15io3i560/M=999999.999999.999999.999999/D=tv/...*http://snapple.com&subLoadSwf=Snapple_White_Tea_300x250_Bnr_060512_r01_fh.swf&ACid_1=bf7ddf3e-f0a7-4fe8-8055-7906e97b04da&ACid_2=0fa3c877-dc34-4029-b0b4-0d982e9ea815&clickTag2=http://clk.pointroll.com/bc/?a=1628023%26c=9002%26i=D2C20400-B448-0242-020A-F9D000070100%26clickurl=http://clicks.beap.bc.yahoo.com/yc/YnY9MS4wLjAmYnM9KDE0bXF0Z24wayhnaWQkNG81YUptS0xQbkM4M3BQd1Q4ZmhRZ0NSU2s1TDhFX2diaVFBQ3BpTixzdCQxMzQwMTA4MzI0ODA4Mjk2LHNpJDQ0NTgwNTEsdiQxLjAsYWlkJFZKOGdqa3dOUGJvLSxjdCQyNSx5YngkX19BeVMzMjJMaDJRdDZyTnZQMXpDdyxyJDAscmQkMTZpdWZ0NWo0KSk/1/*http://global.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=15io3i560/M=999999.999999.999999.999999/D=tv/...*http://snapple.com" quality="high" style="height: 250px;" width="300" />

Thursday, June 14, 2012

The Five Worst Healthy Fast Food Meals for Kids | Parenting - Yahoo! Shine

Which five healthy fast food kids meals aren't really that healthy?Calling them contributors to the childhood obesity epidemic, a non-profit advocacy group made up of nutritionists and physicians has named the five worst "healthy" fast-food meals for kids -- and some longtime favorites are on the list.

For the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) study, dietitians took a look at the calories, fat, sodium, sugar, and cholesterol content using data from the fast-food restaurants' websites. They focused on many of the 53 large and small chain restaurants that participate in Kids Live Well, a program aimed at increasing the "healthful" options on their menus. (McDonald's ubiquitous Happy Meal was also included in the study, even though the chain isn't part of the Live Well campaign.)

Related: McDonald's top chef says he "doesn't see anything unhealthy" on his menu

"Frankly, passing off these meals as 'healthy' ought to be a crime at a time when 16.9 million American children and adolescents are obese," PCRM president Dr. Neal Barnard wrote in a blog post this week. "The focus on junk food targeted to kids is important, given how miserably the fast-food industry has failed to live up to its promise of self-regulation."

"Fast-food chains usually do little more than throw a few apple slices into kids meals in order to label them as 'healthy'," he added.

  • Number one on their worst-for-kids list is a "healthier" option from Chick-Fil-A: The Grilled Nuggets Kids' Meal, which comes with six chunks of grilled chicken, waffle potato fries, and low-fat chocolate milk. When you include fat content from the fries and the milk, the entire meal has 570 calories, 19 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 75 milligrams of cholesterol, 1,150 milligrams of sodium, and 23 grams of sugar.
  • In second place: McDonald's Cheeseburger Happy Meal. The combination of cheeseburger, fries, apple slices, and low-fat white milk (plus a toy) contains 520 calories, 20 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 920 milligrams of sodium, and 22 grams of sugar.
  • Sonic's Kids' Jr. Burger Meal, with a burger, apple juice, and apple slices with fat-free caramel dipping sauce came in third with 550 calories, 17 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 715 milligrams of sodium, and a whopping 42 grams of sugar, thanks to that caramel sauce. "This meal contains more sugar than two Twinkies," the report points out.
  • Burger King's Hamburger Kids Meal, with fat-free milk and apple slices, has 380 calories, 10 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 615 milligrams of sodium, and 24 grams of sugar, making it one of the best of the bunch. Still, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, the PCRM points out, is equal to 6 slices of fatty pork bacon.
  • Even family-style restaurants caught criticism for their so-called healthy options. Denny's Build Your Own Jr. Grand Slam -- egg whites, two slices of turkey bacon, hash browns, and orange juice -- has 332 calories, 11 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 570 milligrams of sodium, and 30 grams of sugar, and the PCRM takes issue with the fact that turkey bacon, while lower in fat than traditional bacon, is a processed food.

The recommended daily allowances for a child age 4 or older is 2,000 calories, 65 grams of fat, 20 grams of saturated fat, 300 milligrams of cholesterol, 2,400 milligrams of sodium (sugar is not a daily nutritional requirement). All five of these meals fall well within that range, though it's easy to see how eating several fast-food meals each week could really add up.

Related: Why I let my kids eat fast food

PCRM is a non-profit advocacy group dedicated to good nutrition, preventive medicine, and higher ethical standards in research. But it also has a long-held pro-vegetarian/vegan mission and has argued that eating meat is a major reason why so many people are obese in the United States. (PCRM's director of nutrition education, Susan Levin, told the Washington Post in 2010 that when it comes to added fat, salt, and sugar in non-vegetarian foods, "You might as well just put heroin in it.") And the PCRM report seems to indicate that one reason they consider these particular kids' meals unhealthy is because all of them contain meat and dairy products.

"Kids are still getting cholesterol-laden chicken, artery-clogging cheeseburgers, and cancer-promoting processed meats," the report says. "Reduced-fat and fat-free plain or chocolate milk is often offered as a 'healthier' beverage option, but it still contributes to a meal's overall cholesterol and sugar counts."

Switching from fried to grilled doesn't make the meal healthier, either, as far as PCRM is concerned. Chick-fil-A's four-piece Kids Grilled Chicken Nuggets may have less fat (1 gram, per its website's meal calculator) than the six-piece fried version (9 grams), but "Grilled chicken is the largest source of PhIP, a potent carcinogen that may play a role in the development of breast, prostate, and other cancers," the report points out.

Related: 6 best- and worst-for-you fast foods

"PCRM does single out cholesterol on two occasions -- and I think that's a stretch," Dr. David Katz, the director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University, told The Huffington Post. "Dietary cholesterol is not a significant factor in cardiovascular health. So that's the one instance where their general opposition to animal foods shows through."

Copyright © 2012 Yahoo Inc.


Also on Shine:

McDonald's new Happy Meal ads: Healthy or misleading?
7 foods a nutritionist would never eat
Disney vows to end some junk-food ads on kids' shows by 2015

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Dress Made of Wine | Fashion - Yahoo! Shine

Dr. Trellany Thomas-Evans | LinkedIn

View all contacts

Email & Phone:

Tags:

    or Cancel

    Tags must be less then 100 characters and may only contain characters a-z and 0-9.
    You cannot tag more than 1000 members.

    Notes:

    • {0} character(s).' ); LI.i18n.register( 'CheckTextarea-empty', 'You may add up to {0} characters.' ); LI.i18n.register( 'CheckTextarea-full', 'You may not add more characters.' ); LI.i18n.register( 'CheckTextarea-countdown', 'You may add up to {0} more characters.' ); LI.i18n.register( 'CheckTextarea-countdown-file-sharing', '{1} character(s).' ); LI.i18n.register( 'CheckTextarea-twitter-under', 'Count: {1}' ); LI.i18n.register( 'CheckTextarea-twitter-over', 'Count: {1} (Only 140 characters will show on Twitter)' ); LI.i18n.register( 'CheckTextarea-twitter-over-file-sharing', '{1} character(s): Only the first 140 characters will be shown on Twitter.' ); LI.Controls.addControl('control-16', 'CheckTextarea', { maxLength: 1000 });

    • Loading or Cancel

    View/Edit Contact Info | See all contacts »

    View/edit contact info

    Thursday, June 7, 2012

    Michael Sauro | Western Maine Art Group

    Michael Sauro

    Business Name: MerMan Metal Sculpture

    Town: South Paris

    Genre: Sculpture

    Artwork: Sculpture, welded and assembled metal

    Artist Biography:

    Michael Sauro is a self-taught sculptor working in metal, using the organic shapes and aged patina of antique and discarded objects to create unique assemblages. He and his wife, painter and art teacher Brenda Ellis-Sauro, own the Painted Mermaid Gallery in South Paris, Maine.

     

    Edit

    Irina Kahn | Western Maine Art Group

    Irina Kahn

    Town: Norway, Maine

    Genre: Painting, Drawing, Multi-Media

    Artwork: Painting, Drawing, Multi-Media

    Artist Biography:

    Irina is a practicing artist and instructor. She graduated in l995 East Carolina School of Art, M.A. Art Education, Greenville, N.C. Graduated majoring in painting, thesis research in drawing education styles of the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. East Carolina University School of Art, Phi Kappa Phi, Golden Key, Art Student of the Academic Award 1992, B.A. in Ed. Courses included design, sculpture, metals, printing, Art History, painting, ceramics. She also holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in Russian language, psychology and business.

    Currently she is teaching private lessons in painting, watercolors, acrylics and oils at the Lajos Matolcsy Arts Center – with experience as a college professor of art appreciation and figure drawing at Chowan University, Chowan Community College and as a teacher k-12 in public and private schools.

    As a practicing artist, Irina enjoys nature, Maine, and the ever-changing moods of the Maine environment. Her favorite media is oil painting followed by acrylics and then watercolors. She loves photography and computer graphics.

    Her work has been exhibited at the McLaughlin Gardens and Stephens Memorial Hospital in Maine and in galleries in Greenville, N.C. and art auctions for the last several years. Her murals have been displayed at the Raleigh Durham airport and some are in private residences. She likes celebrating the nuances of life and nature, dancing colors, dancing lines.

    kahnig@yahoo.com

    Edit

    Gail Rein | Western Maine Art Group

    Gail Rein

    For complete information and gallery, please visit Gail Rein

    Artist Biography:

    I’ve always loved to draw and paint. And I’ve always loved horses. So its no surprise I started out drawing and painting horses, and ended up having horses and drawing and painting. Its been a doorway to a wonderful life. I majored in art at Emmanuel College in Boston, during which time I spent many many hours at the wonderful Boston Museum of Art, a short walk from school. I was, and still am, enthralled by the incredible work of what we call the old masters. The year following graduation I visited the European museums, followed by graduate work at the Museum School in Boston. What I found enthralling about seeing in real life the works of art that I had studied in art appreciation classes, was that when I was actually standing in front of one of these famous pieces, I could feel what I call a life energy. Its as if the painting had breath. Because of this, I was motivated to try to capture the inner life or essence of my subject, and convey this through detailed realism.

    My art, like my life, has been through many twists and turns. After having been away from art for sometime, I find myself back with a greater energy and enthusiasm. I am now drawn to a more “painterly” form of expression and am allowing myself the luxury of exploration. I wish to pay more attention to my own particular way of seeing. I am having fun, and this is the criteria for my new art.
    Maybe you would like “the facts”. Here they are. My first competitive exhibition was at Boston City Hall, at which I won first prize, resulting in my work being published in Yankee Magazine. I have been represented by Portraits Inc. in NY and by Portraits North in Boston. My work hangs in the Circuit Court building across from the White House, in colleges and universities, and most importantly, in the homes of friends.

    Edit

    Ellie Fellers | Western Maine Art Group

    Town: New Gloucester

    Genre: Fiber Arts

    Artwork: Fine Quilting

    Artist Biography:

    I have lived in Maine for more than 45 years, mostly in New Gloucester.

    After a long career as a physical therapist and journalist, a diagnosis of breast cancer in 1999 led me to discover quilt making during my recovery when I felt lost and couldn’t find my way. I have knit all my life and have created quilts during the past eight years. In addition, I am a professional photographer and journalist freelancing for the Lewiston Sun Journal covering New Gloucester.

    The world of color surrounding me inspires all my activities daily. I consider the quilts to be beloved objects that can help heal the soul and provide purpose to life.

    Early on I made quilts as gifts to all my family members, children, grand-children, aunts, sisters and best friends during this journey of discovery. And, I have made comfort quilts for friends who are struggling and facing difficulties.

    I find that the fabric and thread I weave makes a spiritual connection to a life force today and hopefully for many years to come. I have amassed enormous amounts of fabric. And, I’m now prepared to meet the wider demand for my work.

    I am especially enthralled with ethnic fabrics, and the distinct designs and fabric form through batik making.

    I have embellished authentic African pictorial batik panels into a series of hangings using African fabrics. And, I enjoy the artistry and fabric from Asia.

    Last summer the Western Maine Art Group in Norway accepted one of my quilts to display in a juried show at the Lajos Matolcsy Arts Center. Later, I exhibited seven quilts in a fiber show there. Fiddlehead Center for the Arts is currently exhibiting several of my quilts. I hung quilts from December through early February in the Vestry of the First Congregational Church of New Gloucester.

    And in March, my work will be exhibited at the Operations Center for the Norway Savings Bank in Norway, Maine. I am a member of the Pine Tree Quilt Guild, and currently study with Suzanne Biddle of Auburn, Maine.

    Please feel free to contact me (efeller1@maine.rr.com) for additional information about my collections.

    P.O. Box 107, New Gloucester, ME 04260

    1-207-926-4776

    Edit

    Ellen Rawding | Western Maine Art Group

    Town: South Paris

    Genre: Photography & Paintings

    Artwork: Watercolor, Hand Painted Photography and Photography.

    Artist biography:

    Education:

    Gordon College in Wenham, Mass. and USM in Gorham, Me. I hold a B.A. in Music. I studied Piano, and music composition and have had two music books published. One is a String Quartet in a minor, and the other is a series of piano works called, “Songs for Piano 1″.

    I have been a piano and voice instructor for over 30 years, including teaching at Gould Academy, Hebron Academy, Carroll’s School of Music and also in my home studio. I also play piano for the Bethel Inn. I have always loved music but also art, and in the last few years I have found myself finding more time to work in painting and photography. The more I do the more excited I become and hopefully will improve too. I owned and operated the Maine St. Center for the Arts in Norway for 4 years.

    I now show in various art shows such as the Norway art festival, Founders day on Paris Hill, The Moore park show and the Portland art show. I have shown work in E. Rawding Studios, and the Lajos Matolcsy Arts Center in Norway.

    ellen.rawding@yahoo.com

    207-743-8557

    Edit

    Ellen O'Neill | Western Maine Art Group

    Town: Bridgton, Maine – Lexington, Massachusetts

    Genre: Painting

    Artwork: Oils and Pastels, landscapes, waterscapes and still life

    Artist Statement:

    I enjoy painting as it offers to me an opportunity to share with others the beauty and drama of life, as I see it. Now retired, I am able to devote more time to painting in oil or pastel, en plein air or from a studio. Having spent summer and winter vacations in Maine most of my life, I have been inspired by its beauty in all seasons.

    Maine and all of New England are my principal areas of interest whether it is the inland lakes and mountains, farmlands, the coast, or its people. It is the play of light dramatically affecting the color, atmosphere and mood of a scene that draws my attention to it. My challenge is then to convey to others, through my painting, what I felt, the story it may tell, and my inspiration.

    Art Study:

    Studio art courses in drawing, gilding, portraiture, printmaking, as well as acrylic, watercolor, pastel, and oil painting at:

    • Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, MA
    • Eliot Street School, Jamaica Plain, MA

    Studied under artists:

    • Diane Levine, Lexington Arts and Crafts Society, Lexington, MA
    • Murad Sayen, South Paris, Maine
    • Barbara Traficonte, Waterford, ME
    • Catherine Zimmerman, Brookline, MA

    Art Awards

    “Chickens”, oil on panel, 12×18″
    2010 First Place, Art in the Park, Bridgton, Maine

    2010 Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce Director’s Choice Award, Norway Sidewalk Art Show, Norway, Maine
    “Jesatoma Farm,” oil on panel 18×24″

    2009 Second Place, Art in the Park, Bridgton Art Guild, Bridgton, ME
    “Fleeting Light,” oil on panel, 12×18″

    2008 Best of Show, Norway Sidewalk Art Show, Norway, Maine

    2008 Second Place, Art in the Park, Bridgton, Maine
    “Fryeburg “Farmer,” oil on panel, 12×18″

    2008 Honorable Mention, Wester Maine Art Group Juried Show, Norway, ME
    “Bartletts,” oil on canvas, 9×12″

    2008 Honorable Mention, Western Maine Art Group Juried Show, Norway, ME

    Exhibits and Shows:

    • Bridgeton Art Guild-Gallery 302, Bridgton, Maine
    • Bridgeton Art Guild’s “Art in the Park,” Bridgton, Maine
    • Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library’s Arts and Artsan Fair, Lovell, Maine
    • McLaughlin Garden’s, So. Paris, Maine
    • Norway Public Library, Norway, Maine
    • Norway Savings Bank Operations Center, Norway, Maine
    • Norway Sidewalk Art Show, Norway, Maine
    • Stevens Memorial Hospital, Norway, Maine
    • Western Maine Art Group-Matolcsy Art Center, Norway, Maine

    For original paintings still available, or a signed giclee print of a limited edition presented as matted and sleeved, or matted and framed contact:

    emoneill@aol.com. or westernmaineartgroup@gmail.com.

    Additional paintings may be viewed at www.gallery302.org and www.westernmaineartgroup.org

     

    Edit

    Beth Francis | Western Maine Art Group

    Beth Francis

    Town: Hebron, Maine

    Genre: Landscapes

    Artwork: Photography

    Edit

    Barbara R. Traficonte | Western Maine Art Group

    Barbara R. Traficonte

    Business Name: 100 Aker Wood Frame Shop

    Town: Norway

    Genre: Painting, DrawingArtwork: Oil, Pastel

    Artist Biography:

    Education: Douglass College-Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJBFA 1963

    Continuing Education:

    • Albert Handell Workshops: Pastel and Oil, Oct. 2001, Apr. 2000
    • Mentoring in Pastel 2000-2002
    • Maine College of Art, 1994- 1999
    • Oil painting, Pastel, Watercolor
    • Book Illustration
    • University of Maine, 1989
    • Watercolor

    Galleries:

    • Camden Falls Gallery, Camden, ME
    • 100 Aker Wood, Norway, ME
    • WMAG- Matolcsy Art Center, Norway ME
    • Little Sebago Gallery, Windham, ME

    Recent Exhibits:

    • Lewiston/Auburn Annual Arts Auction 1999-2007
    • Lewiston/Auburn Regional Juried Show 2001-2009
    • Lewiston/Auburn Invitational 5 person show 1998
    • Hupper Gallery,Hebron ME 2 person show: 2 Women, 2 Views

    Teaching Experience:

    • Private classes: Pastel- 1993-2008
    • Oil- 1996-1998, 2005-2006
    • Watercolor- 1999-2002
    • Public school art education K- 8: 1963- 1965

    Judging Experience:

    • Lewiston/Auburn Regional Juried Show 2003 and 1997
    • Washington Valley Juried Show 1998

    Awards and Prizes:

    Many awards throughout the state, from Best in Show to less prestigious ones. Designed and painted the 1997 Maine Public Television Poster Contact:

    Contact: Barbara R. Traficonte

    41 Saunders Drive Waterford, ME 04088 207-583-2864

    btraficonte@gmail.com

     

    Edit

    Exhibiting Members | Western Maine Art Group

    Leslie Baumghartel
    Chris Bilodeau
    Angie Blevins
    Cynthia Burmeister
    Karen Chapman
    Stan Cornwall
    Veronica Cross
    Tom Curtis
    Deb Deshon
    Ellie Fellers
    Francoise Fetchko
    Beth Francis
    Ron Hamilton
    Ulla Hansen
    Suzanne Hardy
    Reggie Jack
    Irina Kahn
    Kathy Kennedy
    Jeanne LaBounty
    Judy Mayberry
    Grace McKivergan
    Sheridan McLaughlin
    Nikki Millonzi
    Pam Morra
    Gwen Nagel
    Ellen O’Neill
    Tere Porter
    Ellen Rawding
    Gail Rein
    Michael Sauro
    Susan Sweetser
    Barbara Traficonte
    Steve Traficonte
    Richard Varney
    Lois Witham

    Edit

    Friday, June 1, 2012

    Waitress Gets Half-Million Dollar Tax Refund - Yahoo!

    Virginia Hopkins is a great waitress and she's used to getting great tips. But the one she got from her Uncle Sam on Tuesday nearly knocked her to the floor.

    Virginia is owed a tax refund of $754, for which she has been waiting eagerly. But the check she opened was for more. A lot more: $434,712.

    "I think I would have to work most of my life to earn that much money," she says. "Even with undeclared tips," she adds with a laugh.

    Virginia's tips aside, she is clearly one of the most honest waitresses in the country. She didn't consider keeping the money even for a moment.

    The problem is she didn't quite know how to go about returning half a million dollars to the U.S. government.

    Virginia was on her way to work anyway, so she took the check with her. Virginia has been waiting tables at Johnny's Downtown Restaurant, a Cleveland institution, since it opened 19 years ago.

    "I tell people I used to be a tall, slim brunette," she jokes. "Now I stand four-feet-eight with white hair. This is what happens after 20 years of waitressing."

    She may not be tall or brunette any more, but she hasn't lost any of the personality that makes her one of the restaurant's favorite employees.

    "She was laughing" when she brought the check in, says fellow employee Mary Lou Adams, who's been a bookkeeper at Johnny's for as long as Virginia has been a waitress. "She said, you'll never believe what I got in the mail."

    Both workers and diners at the restaurant joined in the discussion of what Virginia should do.

    "You have a million new best friends," Virginia says. "My grandchildren especially. They're teenagers." Her grandchildren thought half a million dollars just might get them into the sold-out Cleveland concert of the boy band One Direction.

    It was not to be.

    It was decided the best plan was for Virginia to hand carry the check into Cleveland's IRS office the next day.

    "Would you believe I had to give them a photo id to prove it was me before I could give it back?" she says. "Otherwise they wouldn't even talk to me."

    Once she'd convinced them she wasn't trying to scam the U.S. government by bringing in a large check, she says the IRS people were very polite. They took the check and promised to thoroughly investigate the error.

    But Virginia will never learn why she was rich for a day. For privacy reasons, she says, the IRS will not reveal the results of their investigation.

    Today is Virginia's day off. She says she's spending it "readjusting."

    "It's not easy being poor after you've been rich," she jokes. But she did get something out of the experience.

    A local television reporter happened to be eating at the restaurant when she came in with her riches, so now Virginia is a Cleveland celebrity.

    Is she getting better tips?

    "Last night was a good night," she admits. "Please tell me fortune goes with fame."

    Virginia is still waiting for her $754 refund.

    Also Read