| Save cash as you save the planet
For London commuters, the savings can be enormous. Drivers entering the city centre do not have to pay the congestion charge (now £8 a day), will often get free parking and - the best bit of all - the cost of recharging the car each night will add just £50 to a typical household's annual electricity bill. The annual saving in petrol alone could be £1,000, depending on your journey lengths and your car's fuel consumption. Those driving daily into the soon to be expanded congestion charge zone could save twice that amount. What it's worth to you: £2,000 a year 2. Mortgages For homeowners and first-time buyers who want a "green" mortgage the choice is limited - Norwich & Peterborough building society, the Co-operative Bank and Ecology building society are the three main lenders.
Businesses Unharmed in California Wilfires
RAMONA, CAWhile most manufacturers and shop owners escaped unscathed from the recent wildfires that swept through Southern California, most reported some form of business disruption. Ellsworth was forced to evacuate its headquarters in Ramona, setting up a temporary administrative center in Oceanside. The companys inventory and manufacturing are still intact. Ellsworth has continued filling standing orders, and orders taken from Interbike. The bad news is that the organic avocado grove that the company worked to restore on their administrative premises was burned in the fire, said George Patten, who handles public relations for Ellsworth. The grove houses the administrative, design and warehouse buildings at the Ellsworth headquarters. Oakley, located in Orange Countys Foothill Ranch, got an up close and personal look at the Santiago fire.
Otto Digital's Mendez Launches Optimization, Marketing Firm
There's limited inventory in search and display, but the amount of advertising spend is going to double in the next two to three years. Optimization and improving conversion rates is going to become essential." Problem is, Mendez said: "There's not that many people who understand how to execute on that technology, what to be done, what to test, how to test, and when to test. Traditional agencies don't really have that knowledge in house to deliver that to clients." Pointing out that optimization technology vendors, such as Offermatica, Kefta, and Optimost, have been acquired by other companies, Mendez hopes to offer optimization services as a pure play or standalone company. Ramp will work with brands, advertisers, and agencies to establish benchmarks around brands to optimize key metrics such as time spent per visitor, then determine the appropriate actions based on testing, and develop a strategy.
Pedal power: Yuma woman shares Tour de France past
Some people walk into the pages of history. Betsy King chose to pedal. Today this spunky Yuma gal works far from the spotlight, doing her best to make folks feel better as a family nurse practitioner. But just a few years ago, King was earning thunderous applause and making headlines around the globe. That's when King racked up more than 10,000 miles a year on her bicycle, making her living by leaving everyone in the dust. That's back when King made history by competing in the world's most famous bike race of them all: the Tour de France. "All the crowds cheering and the people throwing water on you," she said, describing the thrill of crossing the finishing line. "It's amazing. It gives me chills just thinking about it." King competed in the Tour de France not just once, but five of the six years that a women's race was offered in the 1980s.
Chronicle's Goodfellows raises record amount
The Houston Chronicle's Goodfellows program had a record year in 2007, raising more than $1.19 million from 5,066 donors. The 2007 season collected $1,190,619.40, an increase of more than $165,000 from the 2006 season. In that year, the program which provides holiday toys to Houston-area families, collected $1,024,245.73. The funds were anchored by several significant donations $200,000 each from Les Alexander and the Rockets' Clutch City Foundation and John Eddie and Sheridan Williams, and $60,000 from the Fred and Mabel R. Parks Foundation. But the bulk of the donations came from smaller checks, many ranging from $5 to $25. "Our legacy program, Goodfellows, 95 years strong, continues to serve a growing base of needy Houston families," said Chronicle Publisher Jack Sweeney.
He did laps at 110 km/h to prove turban held tight
BRAMPTON, Ont. A devout Sikh all his life, Baljinder Badesha never imagined that his religious devotion would compel him to race a motorcycle around an Ontario speedway to test whether turbans unravel at high speeds. The bizarre image of Mr. Badesha's experiment last year - conducted under the auspices of the Ontario Human Rights Commission - was evoked during a constitutional challenge to a law that forces motorcycle riders to wear a helmet. .
U.Mass students and state officials react to violence
A front-page Boston Globe article on Thursday, Feb. 21 highlighted the "grim police blotter" over the past three weeks, bringing national attention to the issue. However, some students don't feel that the recent string of violent incidents paints an accurate picture of the University climate. "From my personal experience, I've never felt scared. I've walked around campus at midnight before," said Dhara Marek, a senior and a resident assistant in Southwest. "I would say UMass is a safe campus and that security and police do a good job of making students feel comfortable." Still, incidents like this make her "a little nervous." "These incidents happening together in a very close time is definitely scary," she said. Freshman Yair Schatz, who lives in Van Meter dorm in Central residential area, said he's not worried.
Neighbors thwart 5 home intruders
A woman was playing cards with some of her family in a home on Fort Wayne's south side Wednesday night when she heard what she thought was a gunshot coming from the first floor. The woman told police she went downstairs just after 9 p.m. to investigate the noise and saw five men standing inside the home, a police report said. The men ordered the woman to give them money, police said. The woman told officers that people had started to leave the neighboring home and that when the would-be robbers saw them, the men fled the house and got into a waiting vehicle, the police report said. The woman told officers that she had never seen the men before. Struck bicyclist ID'd, still critical Police have identified the man who was struck by a car while riding his bicycle Tuesday night as 53-year-old William E.
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