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New Features from Blackboard Connect Boost Student
Jul 16th
Blackboard Inc. (Nasdaq: BBBB) announced today a range of product enhancements to the Blackboard Connect(TM) platform that extend its leadership in mass notification and alerts for colleges and universities. The new features include the first point of integration between the Blackboard Connect and Blackboard Learn(TM) platforms, and allow higher education institutions to enhance student engagement by delivering communications in the modes that students and faculty prefer most.
The integration for Blackboard Learn is accomplished with the Connect Integration Toolkit for Learn(TM) (CITL),tiffany pendants, a feature that helps facilitate communication and collaboration between instructors and students. As students rely more upon mobile devices and services, CITL helps institutions better engage them with automated notifications from Blackboard Learn and customized messages from instructors. With the integration, faculty members can easily inform students of assignments and deadlines, schedule changes and grade announcements, all delivered to mobile devices in voice, text or email messages directly from Blackboard Learn.
"Blackboard constantly strives to meet our students’ evolving communication needs, and we always try to offer them the most advanced technology available," said Terry Patterson,tiffany bangles, Director, South Arkansas Community College, one of the first institutions to implement CITL. "Putting the power of Blackboard Connect in the hands of our instructors will help us provide the best learning environment possible."
In addition, Blackboard has added significant new features to its core mass notification platform, Blackboard Connect, including rich-text HTML e-mail support that allows clients to create and send messages with formatted text, embedded images and hyperlinks to make notifications more compelling and effective. Additional enhancements include:
Secure document links that let clients share documents through email notifications without the capacity and cost constraints associated with traditional file attachments.
Enhanced accessibility of Blackboard Connect messages, including automatically detecting teletypewriter (TTY) devices for the hearing and speech-impaired.
Automated weather alerts during severe weather events, based on data from the National Weather Service/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
"Mass notification service is rapidly becoming a critical component of the technology infrastructure for more higher education institutions," said Ed Miller, President of Blackboard Connect. "These new enhancements help colleges and universities better engage with digital natives and keep them connected with the teaching and learning experience no matter where they are."
Blackboard Connect is also introducing Behind the Blackboard(TM), a no charge knowledge base for all of its current clients that offers around the clock access to on demand help information, campus communication best practices, community discussion boards and other benefits.
For more information about Blackboard’s mass notification solutions, visit http://www.blackboard.com/Alert-Notification/Resources/Landing-Page.aspx
About Blackboard Inc.
Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB) is a global leader in enterprise technology and innovative solutions that improve the experience of millions of students and learners around the world every day. Blackboard’s solutions allow thousands of higher education, K-12, professional, corporate, and government organizations to extend teaching and learning online, facilitate campus commerce and security, and communicate more effectively with their communities. Founded in 1997, Blackboard is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in North America, Europe,tiffany bracelets, Asia and Australia.
Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for Blackboard and other statements containing the words "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "will," and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including the factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of our Form 10-Q filed on May 7,tiffany key rings, 2010 with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company’s views as of July 15, 2010. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause the Company’s views to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any date subsequent to July 15, 2010.
ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT POLICE OFFICERS IN
Jul 16th
The Hon Robert McClelland,tiffany bangles, Attorney-General of Australia issued the following press release:
The Australian and Northern Territory Governments today announced that the Commonwealth will provide $3.4 million for additional community engagement police officers in remote Northern Territory Indigenous communities.
The eight additional police officers will focus on community engagement to build trust and confidence in the justice system in order to strengthen local safety and security.
The sworn officers will audit and map criminal activity in local communities,tiffany cuff Links, identify factors for offending including through discussion with families and community members, identify responses needed to address identified criminal activity and liaise with relevant agencies to follow up on the provision of services.
An increased police presence in remote communities will also allow officers to spend more time with locals to encourage the early reporting of issues such as violence and substance abuse.
This reflects a further step towards building greater respect between Indigenous communities and the police to develop a shared understanding of priority justice and safety issues.
Funding for the additional community engagement officers is part of the Government’s ‘Closing the Gap’ strategy on reducing Indigenous disadvantage and builds on the work of the Australian Crime Commission’s National Indigenous Violence and Child Abuse Intelligence Taskforce.
The announcement reflects the commitment by Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers at the November 2009 Indigenous Justice Roundtable to improve policing,discount tiffany, strengthen the co-ordination of service delivery and better support Indigenous victims of crime.
An increase in community policing was also recommended by the Commonwealth Coordinator-General for Remote Indigenous Services in his first report on the Remote Service Delivery National Partnership.
The Australian and Northern Territory Governments will consult with relevant communities to determine priority areas for the deployment of the additional police officers. For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar,tiffany necklaces, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.
Bringing beauty to the Welsh dairy industry
Jul 12th
A young Pembrokeshire dairy farmer has swapped wellies for eveningwear to earn a place in the grand final of Miss Wales 2010.
Katie Withington,tiffany bangles, 24, manages 250 acres and 180 cows on her parents’ farm in Mathry, Pembrokeshire. But when she’s not in the dairy she’s busily preparing for the final heat of next month’s Miss Wales beauty competition.
Katie,tiffany necklaces, who is also secretary of Brawdy YFC,tiffany bracelets, entered her photo into the competition as a bit of fun, aware that she was about to hit the competition’s upper age limit of 24. The following year she got a letter from the organisers to say she had qualified for the event.
"It’s a really nice change to get out of the wellies and get into a dress and a pair of heels," says Katie, who will have to impress judges in a series of rounds including evening wear, traditional Welsh dress and interview.
"I think I bring something new into the competition being a farmer, and I’m hoping to make Pembrokeshire proud,tiffany pendants," she adds.
All competitors are tasked with raising money for Miss Wales’ chosen charity – The Joshua Foundation. Katie was die top fundraiser in the Miss Pembrokeshire heat of the competition, which helped secure her place in the final.
More than 1000 women register for Miss Wales every year. The winner takes home £1000, a package of prizes and is automatically guaranteed a place at Miss World.
* The Miss Wales final takes place at Cardiff’s St David’s Hall on 25 June. You can vote for Katie and earn her valuable extra points by visiting www.misswales.co.uk/finalists2010/finali8ts2010.html
Rachel Jones
FEEDING SUMMER HUMMINGBIRDS PROVIDES ENTERTAINMENT
Jul 12th
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources issued the following press release:
Hummingbirds, which artist John J. Audubon called "glittering fragments of the rainbow," are once again darting around flowers and feeders in South Carolina, say state natural resources officials.
"Hummingbirds are as fascinating to study as they are beautiful to watch," said Laurel Barnhill, bird conservation coordinator with the S.
C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in Columbia. Barnhill encourages South Carolina residents to landscape with flowers, hang out a feeder and invite hummingbirds to lunch: "In return, they’ll entertain you with their antics and add a little color to your life."
Thousands of South Carolina residents enrich their summers by feeding hummingbirds. Male ruby-throated hummingbirds, which feature the characteristic metallic blood-red throat bib, began showing up in South Carolina in late March, with their white-throated mates arriving from the tropics about a week later. Most hummingbird activity around feeders, however, does not really pick up until midsummer. Do not despair if you had hummers at your feeder early during the migration period and now there are none. Some of those birds continued flying north and others stayed here but are busy raising young and taking advantage of plentiful natural food sources.
Under natural conditions, hummingbirds obtain sugar by eating the nectar of flowers and the sap of trees. Homeowners can duplicate this part of a hummer’s diet by placing a sugar solution in a hummingbird feeder,tiffany necklaces, with the added attraction of getting to witness the antics of one of nature’s most delightful and colorful birds. "Hummingbirds consume 50 percent of their body weight daily in sugar, which makes it one of the most important food items in a hummer’s diet," Barnhill said.
A wide variety of hummingbird feeders are now available on the market. If you have used the feeders in previous seasons, Barnhill said, be sure to wash the hummingbird feeder with hot water and vinegar or hot water and bleach to destroy all mildew and mold left over from last year, then rinse thoroughly with clean water. This is the most important thing to do to make these birds’ stay in the Palmetto State more enjoyable.
The sugar-water mixture for the feeders should be a ratio of four parts water to one part sugar; an easy-to-remember mixture is one cup of sugar per quart of water. This solution closely approximates the sugar content of nectar. Red dye is unnecessary-the red coloring on the feeder will suffice. Honey should not be used as a sweetener because honey-water solutions often harbor a fungus that can be harmful to the hummer.
When making the sugar-water mixture, Barnhill advises boiling the sugar and water solution for about three minutes-this will help retard fermentation. Store all unused solution in the refrigerator, and keep the feeder mold-free by keeping fresh nectar in it at all times. As soon as the solution becomes cloudy,tiffany key rings, discard it.
"If you are putting a feeder up for the first time, don’t be discouraged if hummingbirds don’t come right away," Barnhill said. "It may take a while for them to find it and establish a visitation routine." Be sure to keep the solution fresh especially as the days get warmer, because birds will not be attracted to a fermented solution.
Hummingbirds are attracted to tubular red flowers like red salvia, bee balm, trumpet creeper, cypress vine, crossvine, firecracker vine, red buckeye,tiffany rings, native azaleas (Oconee, flame and plumleaf) and woodbine, and they will readily seek out others such as hibiscus,tiffany pendants, hollyhock, petunia and impatiens. Hummingbirds also feed on small insects.
Feeders can be left up well into the fall season, and this will not cause the hummers to delay their migration. Migratory birds base their departure date primarily on the changing day length, not on the availability of food. Actually, leaving feeders up into the fall will help the late migrants that stop for a rest on their way back to Mexico and Central America as their natural food sources will be limited at that time.
Dirty Pretty Things Jewelry to Host ‘A Night of Da
Jul 11th
Dirty Pretty Things Jewelry (DPT) is hosting an exclusive fashion event introducing the dangerous designs of the Medea Maple/Marie Neville collections. The event will be held at Suite Sixx Nightclub in Cleveland on June 24 from 7:00 pm to 11:00pm. The evening will entail a night of high fashion and cutting-edge jewelry. This jewelry has been nationally photographed with Beyonce and Kim Kardashian and featured on the TLC Network.
"We have celebrities wearing and loving our jewelry and have had great success in other cities,tiffany cuff Links, but we have not yet made a formal introduction into the Cleveland market. This event will remedy that glaring omission," said Annemarie LoConti,tiffany bangles, CFO of Dirty Pretty Things Jewelry,tiffany bracelets, LLC.
Hair salons will be a primary channel of sales for the jewelry so DPT is making a huge push to invite salon owners from across Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. Co-sponsor Restore Hair Salon is displaying their hairstyles on the walking models along with the Dirty Pretty Things jewelry line. The event will showcase and incorporate the power of the DPT collection and how these exquisite pieces can help grow a salon’s business. Grey Goose Vodka is an event sponsor and will have drink specials all night.
"What better way for their clientele to show off their new hairstyle and highlights than by purchasing a pair of unique earrings or necklace? This is an opportunity for the individual salon owner to grow their day to day sales and attract more customers by having artisan crafted jewelry in their salon,tiffany money clips," said Ms. LoConti.
Please call 216-347-6729 or email johnk@matriximpact.com with any questions about the event, to obtain press credentials or about the company.
About Dirty Pretty Things Jewelry, LLC
Dirty Pretty Things Jewelry (http://www.dptjewelry.com) has created a unique line of jewelry that is all about a woman’s strength and compassion, their heart and their mind. DPT jewelry is a blend of straight forward in your face fashion statement with bold attitude and feminine detail. It is not for the faint of heart but for those whose strength is their heart.
Please connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
SOURCE Dirty Pretty Things Jewelry
Cubic Zirconia Jewelry Offers the Beauty
Jul 11th
Every year when summer rolls around, people’s thoughts turn to travel – and to security. While security from acts of terrorism is widely discussed in the media, there is one aspect of security that’s not talked about much, even though it is on many people’s minds. That is security of one’s valuables – jewelry in particular – while traveling.
For the fashion-minded who want the elegance of diamond jewelry without worry of loss or theft, cubic zirconia jewelry is a sensible alternative, said Rebecca Daniel, senior designer and sales director at Birkatelyon.com. "It’s also durable enough to withstand the rigors of travel," she said.
With the recent release of "Sex and the City II," cubic zirconia jewelry has been all the rage. In the movie, Carrie Bradshaw and friends travel to the Middle East without their significant others – but not without their gorgeous baubles.
"Cubic zirconia jewelry has never been more popular," said Daniel. At Birkat Elyon, the most popular travel jewelry pieces are 14K white gold CZ rings,tiffany rings, followed by CZ earrings, necklaces and bracelets.
"Women love the brilliance of our best CZ rings and earrings," said Daniel. "They look exactly like diamonds. However, the thousands of dollars saved by buying top-quality cubic zirconia can practically pay for a vacation." Cubic zirconia rings or earrings are perfect for wearing to a resort, on a cruise ship, or at locations like restaurants, shows, pools, bars and vacation spots.
"I like to think of CZ jewelry as a different kind of ‘traveler’s insurance,’" said Daniel. Since the appraised value of CZ jewelry is much less than diamond jewelry,tiffany bracelets, the insurance cost is either minimal or not required at all for CZ jewelry. With expensive jewelry,tiffany key rings, some insurance policies will not always cover 100 percent of valuable jewelry in the event of theft.
Daniel said that many customers also choose CZs over diamonds for humanitarian and environmental reasons. Some diamonds, known as "blood diamonds," are mined and sold to finance war and terrorism. The mining of diamonds is often done without regard for the environment or the people who work the mines.
To see the jeweler’s full line of CZ jewelry, visit http://www.BirkatElyon.com.
About Birkat Elyon
With more than 20 years of experience in the jewelry industry, specifically with cubic zirconia jewelry, Birkat Elyon designs high-quality CZ engagement rings, earrings, bracelets and other CZ jewelry. Its specialties include luxury cubic zirconia designs set in 14K, 18K white gold and platinum. Free consultations are available for the selection of ready-made CZ designs as well as for custom-made CZ jewelry. Its retail store is on New York City’s Park Avenue, and its online store is at http://www.BirkatElyon.com.
Contact:
Rebecca Daniel,tiffany money clips, Senior Designer/Sales ManagerBirkat Elyon410 Park Avenue, Suite 1530New York NY 10022877-777-8352josh@birkatelyon.comhttp://www.birkatelyon.com
This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.
Orlando teams perform well at showcase
Jul 10th
Lake Mary’s Morgan Jones continued to shine at the AAU girls basketball Junior Showcase on Friday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney.
Her Orlando D.E.B.O. (Defensive Energy Becomes Offense) Elite team lost two of its three games Friday during pool play in the top junior division, but finished 2-2 to advance to the upper division of bracket play.
Jones had 15 points in a 79-49 victory against POC (N.C.) Gold Select,discount tiffany, and she produced 10 and 15 points, respectively, in losses to Minnesota North Tartan (65-47) and Georgia Elite (58-51).
In the Sophomore Showcase, the Orlando Comets had the best performances of the day,tiffany earrings, winning its pool with a 3-0 record. University’s January Miller had 16 points in a win over Rockledge’s Cape Coast Titans.
Quarterfinal and semifinal rounds in both showcases are set for Saturday morning, with championship games tipping in the evening.
Eye on talent
After only a smattering of college coaches were visible for the start of the 14-and-under nationals tournament, that list is more than three dozen with the showcase events in full swing.
Representatives from UCF, Florida International, Marquette, Michigan, Northwestern, DePaul and Penn State, among others,tiffany necklaces, have been spotted courtside at games involving area teams. Coaches can watch, but NCAA rules prohibit them from talking to any players this week.
Lake Mary’s Jones (No. 1 on the Sentinel 2011 list) said she is focused on playing "somewhere in the Midwest" and this summer has made informal visits to Michigan,tiffany cuff Links, Marquette and Notre Dame. She previously has gone on unofficial visits to Florida State and Northwestern.
D.E.B.O. teammate Meghan Keough (Tampa Catholic) orally committed to UCF in June.
Kyle Hightower
Of the Sentinel staff
Credit: The Orlando Sentinel, Fla.
Girls on lookout for heartthrob
Jul 10th
It’s a teenage girl’s fantasy — she meets a handsome movie star,discount tiffany, and they fall in love.
For teens in Mt. Lebanon, that dream has never seemed so tantalizingly within reach.
Over the next three months, Taylor Lautner, 18, made famous by his role as Jacob Black, a werewolf in the "Twilight" film series, and made even more famous by his washboard abs, will be filming a movie in Mt. Lebanon and other locations in and around Pittsburgh.
Young girls, some in cars, most on foot,tiffany necklaces, have become a common sight around Mt. Lebanon’s Virginia Manor neighborhood, hoping to catch a glimpse of the reportedly unattached teen heartthrob.
"They are all hoping he will look out the window and fall in love," said Rachel Schuchman, who works at The Coffee Tree Roasters on Beverly Road.
Ms. Schuchman, at 24, is a few years older than the bulk of Mr. Lautner’s fan base. Instead of pining for him, she serves cold coffee drinks to young girls on their way to or from the filming location.
"It’s just craziness. Little girls everywhere," she said.
Mr. Lautner’s new movie, "Abduction," directed by John Singleton, is a thriller about a young man who discovers the people who raised him are not his real parents.
Seated around tables in The Coffee Tree Roasters on a recent afternoon,tiffany pendants, five teenage girls discussed Mr. Lautner’s physique as the teenage boys sitting with them listened in, looking uncomfortable or even intimidated.
The girls said they had already driven or walked by the film locations without seeing Mr. Lautner. But it’s summer, school is out and one of their age group’s biggest celebrities is in their town. They plan to go back.
And besides, Chickie Brandy, 15, said she had heard a story about Mr. Lautner coming outside and speaking to a friend of hers after she sat across from his house for two hours. That could happen to them, they theorize.
Pittsburgh has played host to movie stars before — Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Viggo Mortensen and Michael Douglas. But few, if any, have inspired this degree of fan frenzy.
The Pittsburgh Film Office says it has received more calls — many from older women,tiffany rings, likely phoning on behalf of their daughters — than for any other star who’s come here on location. The inquiries started "as soon as it was announced that he would be in town," said Dawn Keezer, director of the film office.
The young actor’s rise to fame has been quick, due to the extreme popularity of Stephenie Meyer’s "Twilight" book series and the movie adaptations.
"He’s the heartthrob right now," said Marissa Lutz, 15, who lives in the same neighborhood as the film shoot.
She and her mother, Anne Lutz Zacharias, have known for a few months that Mr. Lautner would be filming in their neighborhood — some family friends turned down an offer to have scenes shot at their house. At least two other neighbors, however, agreed to let the film crews in.
Marissa knows one person who believes she spotted the actor as he walked from a cab into a house, and she knows many more who are going to somewhat extreme measures to try to catch a glimpse of him.
At one point, a rumor started that Mr. Lautner jogs in the neighborhood at 4:30 a.m. Marissa said some of her friends have gotten out of bed before dawn in hopes of spotting him, but to no avail.
"We don’t even know if it’s true, but he has to work out at some point," she said.
She’s not planning on waking up before dawn to look for him, but Marissa does want to see him while he’s in her neighborhood. She went to an extras casting call at Carnegie Mellon University last week, along with 2,000 other people.
She hasn’t gotten a call back yet, but she’s hoping to be included in a rumored pool party scene.
"I think it’s fun," Mrs. Zacharias said. "It will make for good stories."
The frenzy could move to the northern suburbs next week, when filming shifts to Hampton High School.
Barbara Vancheri contributed. Kaitlynn Riely: kriely@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1707.
BEAUTY AND THE BODY
Jul 8th
ALESSANDRA AMBROSIO offers sound bites that are surprising coming from a Victoria’s Secret spokesmodel. Sentences such as "French fries are amazing." Or "If I’m in New York, I wouldn’t say no to a pizza slice." And "Something that is really fun about life is eating; it’s a pleasure." Admittedly, her words aren’t that extraordinary. What is remarkable is that she eats fries and pizza, then struts her stuff wearing angel wings and itsy-bitsy underthings foimillions to see on CBS, YouTube and beyond.
Armed with healthy doses of self-tanner (specifically Victoria’s Secret Beach Sexy Sun Kissed Bronze) and self-confidence, Ambrosio is riding Itigli. She’s been a contracted Victoria’s Secret Angel for more than five years, she’s one of Faites’ TopEarning Models of 2009, she’s a gushing new mom to 18-month-old Anja, and most recently,tiffany rings, she made headlines bridging the gap between commercial and high-fashion models, walking major designer runways during the Fall ’10 collections.
Cast at Louis Vuitton,tiffany pendants, Prada and Giles, the supe’s catwalk appearances (along with fellow Victoria’s Secret Angels Doutzen Kroes, Miranda Kerr and Adriana Lima) represented a seismic shift in an industry that has favoured lithe young girls over seasoned, buxom beauties for more than a decade. "I think it’s great that the fashion world wants the curvier girls on the runway," says the 29-year-old star.
Her own curves, however, have stirred up debate (ABC News recently compared her figure to that of a "prepubescent boy"), but Ambrosio remains unscathed by her critics. "I just try to be as healthy as I can. That’s what’s pretty and that’s what you see in pictures," she says. "When I don’t eat for an hour, I get really angry. Imagine I took a picture [feeling] like that? That won’t sell. You have to be happy and healthy to take a nice picture." Happy and healthy is exactly how this glamazon appears in a recent video spot in which she says she loves her hands the most, while her enviaftle abs and shapely legs are on worldwide display.
Love her or envy her, her self-confidence is well deserved. She works overtime to appear catwalk- and camera-ready at all times, even after having her baby. While most women are able to recuperate in a postnatal, ice cream-laden haze, Ambrosio was working out, two hours a day, prepping for a Victoria’s Secret show scheduled just two months after her labour, a C-section.
Her secret weapon? Leandro Carvalho, a celebrity trainer and creator of a phenomenon called the Brazilian Butt Lift (because in Brazil, where Carvalho and Ambrosio both hail from, "the culture is all about the butt. If you don’t have a nice butt, it’s like you don’t have an arm," laughs the trainer). Carvalho developed the routine, a best-selling cardio-sculpting workout and ballet-capoeira hybrid, especially for Ambrosio to help her win the iconic long, lean and sexy Victoria’s Secret physique.
About Ambrosio, Carvalho says, "She’s very disciplined. She’s the only client – and I have a lot of clients – who has never cancelled." Really? Since you started working with her eight years ago? "Eight years. She’s called me from Bali, from the Caribbean, from Canada, and she’s like, ‘Leandro, I’m at the airport. I arrive at 6 a.m. Let’s work out at 8 a.m.’ " Leading up to a Victoria’s Secret show, the pair work out every day for up to two months straight, and when her daily schedule is packed, it’s not unusual for them to work out at midnight.
When she’s not getting tight and toned for a swim shoot or high-profile show, Ambrosio’s signed up for yoga and Pilates,tiffany money clips, totaling three sessions a week. And if it wasn’t for her hectic schedule (this supermodel’s day fills up fast), she would love to exercise five times a week like fellow Angel Marisa Miller, who she’s unapologetically in awe of: "She works out every day [ofthe year]. That’s what you get when you work out every day,tiffany bangles, you know, a perfect body."
World traveler puts photographs on display in Stoc
Jul 8th
A year-in-the-life photo collection, for the average person, might mean family get-togethers on holidays, a vacation to Disneyland and maybe a graduation or milestone birthday.
For Drew Meyers, a retired San Joaquin County public works fiscal manager, it means images from Alaska, French Polynesia, Guatemala, Hawaii, Portugal and Tanzania.
The longtime Stocktonian will display the photos from his travels over the past year throughout July at the San Joaquin Law Library, 20 N. Sutter St. in Stockton. The show opens Wednesday and an artist’s reception with music is next Friday during the Downtown Stockton Art Walk.
"I retired almost three years ago, and I travel quite a bit," Meyers said. "In January, we were in Tanzania for two weeks. Then we were on a clipper ship … to Portugal. We went to the French Polynesian islands and to Alaska.
There’s just one photo from Alaska and one or two from Kauai. They represent a year of travel."
Meyers’ travel photographs, which he displays in San Joaquin Delta College’s "Armchair Traveler" program, tend toward animals, nautical scenes, land- scapes, architecture and, most recently, birds.
"In the last 10 years I’ve developed an interest in birdwatching, and they kind of go hand in hand, taking a picture and seeing what kind of bird it is," Meyers said. "It’s a challenge to take a good bird picture."
The challenge of photography doesn’t seem to have flustered Meyers, who got his first camera — a Kodak with built-in flash — as a college student in Southern California in the mid-1960s.
He never lost interest in photography, but as he began to travel more over the past five years, he starting taking more photos. He’s entered — and won top prizes in — several art shows, including the San Joaquin County Fair and the Delicato Photo Contest, in which he won the Visitors’ Choice award.
This show marks a return engagement at the Law Library. Meyers was invited back by director Barbara Zaruba.
"People like (his work)," Zaruba said.
"People buy his pictures. It’s the kind of thing you can put in your home. He’s traveled so far around the world, and he gives you an idea of things you haven’t seen yet or what you might want to see."
Meyers’ wanderlust was satisfied by two years in the Navy and 23 more in the Navy Reserve. He and his wife, Holly, who plans the trips, began to travel more after the second of their two children graduated from college, and there’s been no keeping them home since his retirement in December 2007.
He’s visited every continent but Antarctica and has the photographs to prove it.
"I don’t take too many people pictures," Meyers said. "Some people don’t like to have their pictures taken. It’s kind of intrusive."
It’s ironic, because meeting people and seeing them in their homelands is one of the aspects of travel he enjoys.
"When you travel around the world, you see people the way they are," Meyers said. "It’s the basic things that make people who they are, and when you travel, you appreciate that more."
He’s noticed a commonality among people in developing countries, including the construction of their homes, the way they scavenge for wood and carry objects on their heads.
Still, he generally doesn’t photograph them.
He made an exception in Guatemala earlier this year. He and his wife were doing mission work for their church, Lincoln Presbyterian, and met some of the underprivileged children the church sponsors. He did photograph those youngsters to share with parishioners.
The photo of Guatemala he chose for the show, though, is a picture of Lake Atitlan.
"I think it’s pretty good," Meyers said. "It’s a morning scene with fog over the lake and some of the boats they have in the background."
The image is one of his favorites in the show, along with one taken in Tahiti. That one, looking toward Bora Bora, shows the ocean and islands in the distance. The photos from Tanzania are of animals and birds, taken on a safari, when Meyers’ only shooting was done with a Nikon D80.
About 40 images make up this show.
"I like to watch and see how people react to it," Meyers said.
"It’s kind of positive reinforcement."
The library is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Information: (209) 468-3920.
Galleries
Lodi First Friday Art hop
The pastel and charcoal face drawings of students of Studio 20 owner Ronald Houck will be on display at the studio (20 W. Elm) during next Friday’s Art Hop.
Heritage Oaks Winery owner Tom Hoffman will play the piano at the studio, and his wine will be poured. Other stops on the hop, which runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m., are Hutchins Street Square ( 125 S. Hutchins St.), Lodi Community Art Center (Lakewood Mall), Lodi Public Library (201 W.
Locust St.), Scooters (121 W. Elm St.), Java Stop (321 S. Hutchins), McKinelys Frame Shop (11 W. Pine St.),tiffany earrings, The Dancing Fox Winery & Bakery & Eatery (203 S. School St.), Mon Petit Chic (330 W. Lodi Ave.) and Vision Flooring and Interiors (906 W. Lodi Ave.).
Lodi community Art center, Lakewood Mall
Deborah Morgan, who recently became president of the Lodi Community Art Center, is the featured artist of the month.
Her watercolors, oils, pastels and charcoal drawings as well as mixed media creations will be on display during the Art Hop and the rest of July.
The art center is at 1373 Lakewood Mall, North Ham Lane and W. Locust St.
Information: (209) 333-3855.
Tidewater Art center and Gallery, 223 e. Weber Ave., Stockton
Fine, handcrafted pottery, including functional and decorative ceramic art creations designed in clay as well as decorative glassware created by the San Joaquin Potters’ Guild make up the sixth annual Potters Show. It opens Tuesday with a meet-the-artists reception from 5 to 8 p.m. during the Downtown Art Walk.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Monday through Friday.
Information: (209) 463-4033.
elsie May Goodwin Gallery, 1902 Pacific Ave., Stockton
Fresno artist Bria Marie Valdez, whose works were displayed at the San Joaquin Law Library last year, returns to Stockton as the featured artist of the Stockton Art League. A reception will be from 4 to 7 p.m. July 10.
Plein-Air oil painter Chella, who works painting agricultural subjects that are part of the vanishing landscape, will demonstrate her craft from 7 to 9 p.m.
T hu rsday.
The gallery is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Information: (209) 466-6604.
Knowlton Gallery, 115 S. School St., Lodi.
The gallery celebrates "Down to the Sea," a collection of paintings of the coast that is inviting in the summer to Californians of all locales. Stockton’s Gil Dellinger is among 14 artists whose works make up the show that runs through Aug. 21.
An opening reception, including a Dellinger demonstration, is 1 to 4 p.m. July 10.
The gallery is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Information: (209) 368-5123.
The haggin Museum, 1201 N. Pershing Ave., Stockton
In celebration of "America’s Other Illustrator," the museum presents Leyendecker Speakeasy at 7 p.m. July 15. Guests are encouraged to dress as the Arrow Collar Man in honor of J.C. Leyendecker.
Also this month, "California Impressionism," 59 works on loan from the Irvine Museum, and "Bustles & Balustrades," which explores the relationship between Victorian clothing and architecture,tiffany bangles, continue.
The museum is open 1:30 to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, and admission is free the first Saturday of the month.
Information: (209) 940-6300.
Mexican heritage center, 30 e.
Acacia St., Stockton
"Guacamole for the Soul," the center’s monthly speaker/ informational program, takes on new meaning this month with "The Whole Enchilada."
Members will share recipes and offer samples of Aztec salsa, cactus salad, guacamole, ceviche, Chicana a la Reyna, flautas and more, at 7 p.m.
next Friday. Admission is $10 for members and students, $15 for everyone else. Doors open at 6 p.m., and space is limited.
Also, the annual photography exhibit by amateur and professional photographers, dedicated to the late John Nagle, remains on display.
The gallery is open from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
Information: (209) 547-0792.
Gallery 10, 15 eureka St., Sutter creek
The jewelry and photography of Marie Martz-Mort will fill the gallery this month. Martz-Mort, who studied at Lincoln High School, Sierra College and California State University, Stanislaus, found her real love in a silver and enameling class and turned her focus to jewelry. She began photography in the past few years, and her works include flora and fauna of Amador County, as well as cats.
An artist’s reception is 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Gallery 10 is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday.
Information: (209) 267-0203.
Grand Theatre center for the Arts, 715 central Ave., Tracy.
The final show of the 2009-10 season,discount tiffany, "Waiting for the Light — A Photographic Retrospective by Dave Olmstead," continues through July 24. Olmstead, a 42-year resident of Tracy whose show chronicles his travels throughout the Western United States and Mexico over a 40-year period, features candid, commercial and landscape images.
The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 6p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Information: (209) 831-6278.
delicato Vineyards Photography Show, 12001 S. highway 99, Manteca
More than 275 entries were submitted for the 14th annual show, and while winners in a number of categories have been judged, visitors to the Delicato tasting room, where the photos are displayed, are invited to vote for the Visitor’s Choice Award.
An artists’ reception and awards ceremony is 2 to 4 p.m.
July 24 in the tasting room.
The tasting room, closed July Fourth, is open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily.
Information: (209) 824-3505.
Studio 20 Art Gallery, 20 W. elm St., Lodi
Works by owner Ronald Houck are on display throughout the month. The gallery is open Thursday through Saturday.
Information: (209) 334-2510.
Gallery calaveras, 22 Main St., San Andreas
"The Traveler — Places I’ve Been," featuring paintings, ceramics and photography, runs for three weeks.
The gallery is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Saturdays.
Information: (209) 754-1774.
Stockton downtown Art Walk
The second art walk of the summer is next Friday with art on display from 5 to 8 p.m., a beer garden from 5 to 9 p.m. in Janet Leigh Plaza,tiffany necklaces, and late-night farmers market at the waterfront.
Among the locations open for the first event are the Tidewater Gallery (223 E. Weber Ave.), the San Joaquin County Administration Building (44 N. San Joaquin St.), the Hotel Stockton (145 E. Weber Ave.), Paragary’s (110 N. Hunter St.), Bagel Express (231 E. Weber Ave.), and Janet Leigh Plaza and Misaki, both at 222 N. El Dorado St.
Full art walk guides are available at www.downtownstockton. org.
Information: (209) 464-5246.
Galerie cooper, Town hall Arts, copperopolis Town Square
Murphys artist Judie Cain and Valley Springs photographer Ellie Stone are the artists of the month and will conduct a series of classes.
Cain’s intermediate oil class is open to those with some experience painting in oils. The fourclass series will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday and July 12, 19, and 26. Cost is $125.
Stone’s three classes in digital single lens reflex photography are 3 to 5 p.m. next Friday and July 16, and 5 to 7 p.m. July 23. Cost is $50 for the series.
To sign up for either class series, contact Town Hall Arts at (209) 785-2050 or townhallarts @caltel.com.
Also, local artists are invited to "Paint the Town" on Sunday afternoons at Copper Town Square.
San Joaquin Potters Guild ceramic Show
Entries for the second guild show, "Hands in Clay 2010," will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 31 and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug.
1 at the Mistlin Gallery, 1015 J St. in Modesto. Each artist may submit up to three pieces, with a $15 per piece entry fee. Ceramic artist Tony Natsoulas will judge.
For show prospectus, entry form, information and registration for a Sept. 4 workshop by Natsoulas and ceramic artists, Rick Uebner and Don Hall, visit www.san joaquinpottersguild.org.
Railtown 1897 State historic Park, Jackson
Patrick Michael Karnahan, the most prolific painter of the Sierra Railroad, will display his works Saturday through Monday in conjunction with the unveiling of Sierra Locomotive No. 3, the movie star train that will be under steam for the first time in 15 yeas.
Karnahan’s paintings of trains have been used for calendars, including the Sierra Railroad company calendar and Orchard Supply Hardware’s 2008 Railroad Calendar. He’s been commissioned to paint 12 images for OSH’s 2012 calendar.
The paintings will be on display in the park store during regular hours, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday and 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday.
Admission to the park and parking are free.
Information: (209) 984-3953 or www.parks.ca.gov/CapitalD istrict.