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He didnt known where to get dinner… Abhishek Bachchan recalls Amitabh Bachchans

Posted on Monday, July 14 @ 00:00:32 PDT (12 reads)

‘he didn’t known where to get dinner…’ abhishek bachchan recalls amitabh bachchan’s darkest days, sacrificed college to clear his rs 90 crore debt in mid-1990s, amitabh bachchan launched his own company, amitabh bachchan corporation limited (abcl). It didnt run successfully and left him in mounting debts that crossed rs 90 crore. amitabh bachchan is thought of as among the very best superstars that indian cinema has ever produced. Is named the ‘shahenshah’ of bollywood, his hump to stardom has been corpulent of highs, lows and crushing moments that examined his energy. Whereas he conquered the realm of cinema, the most toughest difficulty came no longer on-screen, but in his non-public life, when he began his hang company and went bankrupt, leaving him with debts of on the field of 90 crore. on the starting up, big b’s profession didn’t originate on a a hit bid. His first few motion images failed to impressed hundreds and critics. But in 1973, zanjeer changed his destiny and he examined exact success after that. From there, he rose to superstardom and gave indian cinema some of his most iconic performances. when did amitabh bachchan shift his focal level from appearing to industrial? on the other hand in mid-nineties, amitabh bachchan determined to mission into industrial by starting up his hang company, amitabh bachchan corporation runt (abcl). Unfortunately, his leisure institution failed to scuttle efficiently, and grew to change into a nightmare. Abcl’s monetary mismanagement led him into massive debts of on the field of rs 90 crore. within the meantime, abhishek bachchan, who went to boston university for extra studies, rushed wait on after he heard his father’s monetary struggles. He made a intrepid decision to quit college halfway and give a enhance to big b. whereas talking to ranveer allahbadia on his podcast, abhishek had recalled, “my father used to be going by this in actuality rough time. He had began this industrial known as abcl… i talked about, i will’t be here in boston when my father doesn’t know the blueprint he’s going to score dinner. And that’s how bad it used to be.” what did abhishek bachchan bid amitabh during his lowest part? abhishek talked about that it used to be his ‘appropriate’ accountability to face by his father’s facet. He then described how he steered his father about quitting collage. Amitabh known as him to his stare leisurely evening and reportedly steered him, “movies aren’t figuring out, the industrial isn’t figuring out, nothing is figuring out.” but by all of it, amitabh bachchan determined to battle wait on and never gave up. With the unwavering give a enhance to of his family, amitabh slowly constructed his profession from the scratch. He went wait on to motion images, and took on some roles and did shows care for kaun banega crorepati to sure all his loans. this day, at the age of 82, amitabh bachchan continues to work, inspiring generation of actors during with his bright work, dedication and perseverance. whats your reaction?

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Business Monday: Spotlight on Tonys Berkshire Boats-providing expertise and serv

Posted on Monday, July 14 @ 00:00:32 PDT (5 reads)

“i highly recommend tony’s berkshire boats. My dad bought his 15-foot marquis fiberglass boat with a 70hp johnson motor from tony crea in 1977. My dad did business with tony because he was an upstanding individual who cared about people and knew about boats. Tony’s son, anthony (who goes by a.J.), Is the same way. When it looked like our 1977 motor was broken and beyond repair, anthony took the time to diagnose the problem, find the parts, and repair it. The legacy and the relationship continue to the next generation. What started between tony and my dad has continued with the sons. Anthony truly cares about people and has an incredible knowledge of boats to match his heart. I would recommend tony’s berkshire boats to anyone and everyone.” — john papirio there is a long list of reviews attesting to the care and problem-solving prowess customers have come to expect from tony’s berkshire boats. To understand the legacy beyond the 67 years—and the ups and downs the business has endured during that time—you need to talk to a.J. Crea, second generation [and current] owner/operator. “I grew up in this business, starting when i was five years old,” he shares. “When it came time for college (in 1989), the business was in its heyday, and my dad needed me out front in sales. We worked well together and did a record $6.1 million in sales that year. Then came the 1990s, and the bottom fell out.” a serendipitous start “this business had a very strange beginning,” a.J. Acknowledges. “It started on the property where we now live, which used to be thompson boathouse. The woman who ran it was a young widow who inherited and ran the business after her husband died—mooring boats, renting cabins, and running a bait and tackle store.” as the story goes, a.J.’S father (also anthony joseph crea, who went by tony) was a police officer in pittsfield at the time, and his beat included that boathouse. Back in the 1950s, kids would break into the moorings at night and try to take boats out for a joy ride. The widow would call the police, and tony would respond. He finally camped out one night and caught the teens. In addition to the boathouse, the widow worked a second job cleaning the bus station in pittsfield. Tony saw how hard she worked and started helping her when he wasn’t on patrol duty. She, in turn, introduced tony to boating, letting him use one of her rental boats to take his colleagues out on his days off. “he was dating my mom (brenda) at the time. Since she was used to driving machinery on the family farm, she would drive the boat. He fell in love with brenda—and with boating,” a.J. Says. “The following year, he purchased a boat from phil sero and put it on the mooring at thompson boathouse. Whenever the boat had a problem, the police chief would let him borrow the paddy wagon to haul the boat back to phil sero to get fixed.” tony crea working as a patrolman in pittsfield (left); brenda and tony enjoying their boating passion (right). Photos courtesy tony’s berkshire boats filling a void at one point in that first midsummer of business, the boat broke down. Tony took it up to phil, who was too backed up to fix it. The only other place that did repairs was albany marine, so he brought it there. They fixed it, but it died again after a couple of weeks. Phil, who was servicing the entire area at the time, still couldn’t fit tony’s boat into his overloaded schedule. “my dad realized there was a dire need—everyone that rented slips had the same problem when their boat stopped running,” a.J. Notes, adding that tony was able to borrow $2,000 from his parents, who were both ge employees. Tony then added his own savings, rented a property on tyler street in 1959, and started frank’s berkshire boats [named for his father out of gratitude for the loan]. Then he applied for a johnson outboard franchise. “The mfc (molded fiberglass corporation) was a new thing at the time, replacing wooden boats, and everyone wanted one, so my dad sold boats during the day and my mother kept the books at night,” a.J. States. tony crea, holding his first boat show in the early days of fiberglass at the sears parking lot in pittsfield. Photo courtesy tbb a boston blizzard—and a good return tony and brenda took on another franchise a few years later that changed their business and their lives. “Back in those days [with few showrooms and no internet], everyone went to boat shows to see and touch the boats for themselves. In february of 1960, my parents drove their station wagon east to go to the boston boat ride. Mfc and thompson were entry-level boats, but my dad was getting lots of requests for an elite boat. He met c. Ray (connie), the owner of sea ray, and his wife, and was stunned by the luxury and workmanship of the line. It was the toyota of its day—he couldn’t get it out of his head.” (In particular, sea ray was known for using the finest fiberglass and high-tech composite materials available, along with the “nation’s no. 1” johnson motor.) the two couples sat down for dinner that night and discussed the possibility of tony becoming a sea ray dealer. The creas drove home on the turnpike in a blizzard, hauling a sea ray behind the station wagon. It was the fourth hull and the first sea ray to be sold east of detroit. “The sea ray became the brand of choice, propelling my dad’s business into a new stratosphere,” a.J. Notes, adding that the family bought the boat back from the original owner in the 80s and gave it to tony for his 80th birthday. frank’s berkshire marine (later renamed tony’s berkshire boats) at 724 tyler street (left), and the iconic first-generation sea ray that put them on the map (right). Photo courtesy tbb full throttle, big wake tony continued to grow the business when ge was flourishing and second-home owners wanted to purchase boats. “We were the only dealer other than in albany or springfield, and because my dad had low overhead, he was able to offer his boats at a good price. Soon, people from all around were driving to pittsfield to save anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000. There was even a slogan, ‘drive a little, save a lot!’” a.J.’S graduation from high school in 1989 came in the wake of tony entering the million dollar club in 1988. “I was planning to go to college, but he needed me working sales instead,” a.J. Recalls. the high-speed sales hit their peak in 1988, when tony entered the million dollar club. Photo courtesy tbb here, the story changes, along with a.J.’S tone. “My father wasn’t prepared for that level of success. He was an italian immigrant and wwii veteran who ran his business the old-school way. As bigger, heavier boats took over, both his business and his showroom exploded—literally,” he explains. “Sea ray forced him to take more and more boats and sell them, which limited his ability to service everyone who bought from him.” by now, connie and tony were close friends, but connie wanted out of the industry and he ended up selling the sea ray company to the brunswick corporation in december 1986. At the first board meeting with the new owners, the ceo said, “mr. Ray, you don’t own this company anymore.” Connie knocked the ceo to the ground, and things were never the same,” a.J. Relays. “My father, in turn, lost his close friend—and business ally.” running aground the boat dealerships in lake george and springfield had had enough with the “little deal in pittsfield” that was killing their business. At the next sea ray meeting (in 1991), they joined forces, pressuring tony to move and expand. “My father bought an old car dealership on routes 7 and 20 for $2 million, put another million into it, and borrowed $700,000 for repairs,” a.J. Continues. “He wanted to put our old fence up around the property to save money while protecting the sales and storage facility, but the city wouldn’t let him because it was old and rusty.” Then tragedy struck. one night in the fall of 1991, two teenagers snuck in and boarded a cabin cruiser in the sales/storage facility. During their escapade, it caught on fire, and both boys perished. “We were very compassionate, and the victims’ families filed no lawsuits, but the event changed the business—and our family members’ lives—dramatically. The city demanded that we put a new fence up, and the insurance company required that we hire two full-time police officers to be on duty seven nights a week, year-round. It put a huge financial strain on my dad. When the economy took a sluggish turn in 1992 and ’93, and sea ray started making cheaper boats (forcing him to sell more), it felt like a plane in a nosedive.” at 71, it wore tony out. A.J., Only 20 at the time, was thrust into the disaster. “My dad was trying to stay the course, and i was trying to change things,” he states. The family decided it was time to get out. They had lined up a deal to sell their property to brooks pharmacy and mcdonald’s, but (as a.J. Puts it) “a sideways move left us with a terrible deal.” In 1994, with no sales business or property, tony closed up shop, leaving with nothing except a small base of customers storing their boats. Tony had mortgaged his house, had no money, and didn’t even own a car because he had used everything as collateral to secure the loan. repairing the engine, with miraculous help at that point, a.J. Jumped into action. “I rented back the building from the bank for one summer to store 60 boats, rented an office trailer, recruited my sister (rosie phelps) to help me, and fired up the business again as tony’s berkshire boats (under crea enterprise), since sea ray owned the frank’s berkshire marine name. I knew from experience that the local business was the most important priority.” then four miracles happened. First, a long-time customer called and said, “come see us.” He was stuck with a building he couldn’t use and told a.J., “If you want it, you can take over the note.” It was a junkyard on route 20 (west housatonic street) with some potential. A.J. Had no cash or credit, so he accepted the offer, continuing his side hustle of snow plowing during the winter to make ends meet. next, two brothers who owned the johnson ford dealership asked if they could rent half of the building for their used car lot, which just covered the mortgage. Around the same time, the owner of another plowing business decided to move to florida and approached a.J. With an offer. “He said, ‘if you buy my truck for $2,500, i’ll throw in all the accounts for free.’ There were seven big commercial accounts, so it was very lucrative, and it completely turned us around.” “third, i learned that mrs. Murphy’s restaurant was going up for auction. I had heard that quirks marine was planning to buy it, so i went to the auction mainly to increase the sale, but it turned out the auction was never advertised, so no one was there. We bought the property [which was on the lake and route 7] for $5,000. Before we even took ownership, dunkin’ donuts offered us $250,000, so we sold it to them. My father took half of that money and invested in a new stock—aol—and ended up with $400,000. Just enough to pay his house off and get a car.” and the fourth miracle? “Our second son arrived on the same birthday that my dad (tony) and i share,” a.J. Says with a smile, noting that the odds of that happening are 480,000 to one. “We named him anthony joseph, and he just graduated from college. He’s a natural entrepreneur who started his own business doing state emissions inspections and running an ice cream truck on our property.” three generations of birthday boys—a.J., Anthony (middle), and tony; a.J., Dylan (a.J.’S first son), and brenda (who’s been involved since the very beginning) holding a picture of tony receiving the million dollar club award from connie. Photos courtesy tbb back on course, at steady speed “i’ve taken every profit i’ve ever made and put it back into the business,” a.J. Emphasizes. “I built back the local customer base, took on the larson line, and started selling pontoon boats. My wife (diana) stepped in to fill the void after my dad died in 2018, keeping the front end of the business going, and my son dylan got involved when he graduated from high school in 2019 as the new ‘boat person’, interfacing with clients. We work the long, crazy summer hours together (including three holiday weekends) to keep our clients happy.” like many berkshire business owners, a.J. Crea has learned to be content, to appreciate sustainability. “I’m happy with where the business is now. I never want to get big again,” he admits, adding, “i’d rather groom it than grow it.” He’s found his rhythm (with plentiful support from his family) and enjoys the reward of keeping the engines running for his appreciative customers. “This business is a carnival without the rides. You go from nothing to full throttle, then pack it all away. There are never enough hours in the day, but it’s a life.” “we have a 50,000 square-foot warehouse—it used to be a linen factory, so it has wood floors that act like a natural dehumidifier to keep it dry. There are no windows, so it’s very secure,” a.J. Says. He’s reinvested his earnings in better equipment and better inventory to make the job easier, but he’s mainly investing in personal relationships. “I try to stay in touch with all of my clients, so i know their preferences,” he shares. That also helps him with organizing the winter storage—“ice off” clients are stored toward the front, “once school’s out” clients in the middle, and “summer stragglers” in the back. He also tags each boat by owner and lake (stockbridge bowl, lake garfield, lake buel) and groups all of the boats from each lake together. “i get a lot of referrals, so i don’t advertise. I only want to keep our current customers happy, knowing now that achieving the next level of success is a double-edged sword,” a.J. Adds. “We’re comfortable and have plenty of work. My goal is to be strong and teach my kids that money doesn’t grow on trees—you have to work for it. Dylan loves continuing his grandfather’s legacy and loves the customers, so getting involved with the business is a natural.” one piece of advice: “if you’re thinking of buying a boat, make it an outboard,” he says. (He’s only servicing the two remaining inboard-outboards on lake buel out of loyalty—which goes a long way with a.J.)

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A Tale of Two Human Needs

Posted on Monday, July 14 @ 00:00:32 PDT (5 reads)

Tony robbins says the #1 human need is certainty, but do you know what the second need is? It’s uncertainty. This tug of war between the competing needs of safety and risk are at the heart of so many dilemmas we face in life and for most folks the goal isn’t to eliminate risk – rather it’s to understand this core human need. In our view, the best way to understand or learn is through stories and so we’ve asked some very talented entrepreneurs and creatives to tell us the stories behind some of the risks they’ve taken. anna love in my 30s, i was a full time me kindergarten teacher, passionate, creative, and outwardly successful, but inside, i was struggling. I was living in a fog, deeply disconnected from my true self, and silently battling cycles of self-sabotage. Alcohol and other vices helped me escape the nagging feeling that i wasn’t fully aligned with who i was meant to be. I was showing up for my students every day, but i hadn’t yet learned how to show up for myself. Read more>> betsy anderson as someone who has been in the personal training/wellness coaching field for the last 15 years, i knew that i was meant to do more for myself than punch a time card, submit pto when needed and stress over business performance metrics set by someone other than myself. I enjoyed helping people change their perception of health and wellness and i enjoyed seeing their personal growth, which always translates nicely into their fitness goals. But big, box gyms were not it for me. Read more>> zuri lioness “chottomatte onegaishimasu” one rainy evening, i was walking through the streets of japan with my 4-year-old son. The rain began to fall without warning, the streets glistened, footsteps moved quickly, echoing around us. I had no umbrella, completely unprepared, but we kept on walking. Read more>> anna(bug) jarvis my dad always told me: “find a way to get paid for doing something you love.” That advice stuck with me, even during the times i wasn’t sure what that “something” was. i met megan at the tattoo shop she was working at and asked if she’d take me on as an apprentice. She couldn’t say yes at the time, but that didn’t stop me. I kept asking—every time i saw her—for almost two years. Eventually, when she opened her own shop, she brought me on board. Read more>> valeriia telemaniuk one of the biggest and most life-changing risks i’ve ever taken was moving to the united states from ukraine, leaving behind everything i had built — my home, my career, and my comfort zone. I had been a successful nail artist in ukraine for many years, with a strong reputation and a loyal client base. But when the war started, i made the difficult decision to relocate to a new country with a new language, new culture, and no guarantees. Read more>> sam greer i think the biggest risk i’ve taken is not following the typical path after high school. It was the summer of 2007. I was 18 years old, and my friends were going off to college. I was so close to signing on the dotted line, taking out student loans, and heading off to college like the rest of them. Instead, i made a last minute decision not to go. Read more>> gene clerkin looking back, my biggest transformations came from moments of uncertainty. Chiropractic school. It was a huge financial and time investment with no guarantees—but it changed my life. later, struggling with my health, i discovered a year-long functional nutrition program. It cost $26,000, and i didn’t have the money. But i knew i had to do it. I literally used credit card checks to pay for it. It was terrifying—but it helped me heal and gave me the tools to help thousands of others. Read more>> dr. Deanna daniels for years, i worked as a full-time speech-language pathologist in a structured setting with predictable hours, steady income, a clear career path. On paper, it was everything i was supposed to want. I was grateful, of course. I was helping people. But there was always a quiet pull beneath the surface, a whisper that maybe there was more, that i could do more, if i had the freedom to build something of my own. Read more>> erza zylfijaj one of the most defining decisions i made was building a career in an unfamiliar industry, and doing so in a country far from home, without a technical degree, local network, or safety net. i wasn’t a software engineer, and i didn’t grow up around tech. But i was deeply curious about developer tools and how they shape the digital world. I saw a gap in how these tools were communicated and marketed, and believed i could help bridge it. I joined a fast-growing startup in the reliability space, immersed myself in the product, the audience, and the culture, and quickly took the lead on major initiatives. Read more>> irene nelson as an abstract painter i create impressions constructed from the thin line between memory and imagination. Each painting involves risk. I face the blank canvas without a sketch or preconceived idea. My gestural marks are organic and free from formula and conscious constraint. Whether painting, drawing or working with monotypes, my process is guided by a mix of intuition and tenacious experimentation. Read more>> demetrius thigpen one of the biggest risks i’ve ever taken was creating content around mental health while still actively serving in the united states marine corps. now, mental health is a big topic, sure – but it rarely captures the voice of the service member still in uniform. There’s various niches within the mental health space, but nobody was really speaking to us, the ones still in the trenches. So i took a leap of faith and decided to be that voice. Read more>> taurus graham starting my own photography business and spending all the money on equipment in such a saturated field was a risk in itself. Coming from florida where everybody is a photographer, this was a challenging task i took on. To make it even riskier, i began promoting myself by offering my services for free (as in, 100% free, not even tips) and ran the risk of being known as the free photographer and never being able to break out of this bubble i’ve created for myself. Read more>> marie nguyen one life changing risk i’ve taken is starting my own personal training business! I had been training for 7 years at a commercial gym, and i was doing really well, but i felt there was no more room for growth. In addition, i wanted more creativity and freedom within my personal training business. I was also going through a difficult time in my personal life. Towards the end of 2022, my sister was in a moped accident, and my grandfather passed away a few months after. Read more>> c.S. Mcintire after earning a ba in advertising from san josé state university, i started my first career as a graphic designer. I slowly worked my way up to art director for a small design firm in san francisco. Long days and the ever-demanding corporate clients lead to quick burnout and i quickly realized that i needed to make a change. I decided i needed to leave the corporate world with hopes of landing a position in a non-profit job. After months of searching, i finally found an assistant position at an adult day program for individuals with dementia. Read more>> alejandra tucker i was raised by 2 loving panamaian parents who worked hard. I was raised to get a job that provided stability: one with benefits, a 401k, and security. I pursued the medical field, enrolled in school, and worked a retail job to help support myself. But when i received a paycheck for just $40 after two weeks of work, something in me shifted. I knew i needed more — not just financially, but emotionally. I wanted to feel fulfilled. Read more>> christopher alan maloney five years ago, i sat motionless in a second-hand rocking chair beside my bed. I looked down at my feet, firmly planted in a new reality. I had just, for the first time, accepted something about my life that i never thought i would have to accept: i don’t get to do what i wanted to do. I don’t get to be who i wanted to be. Read more>> cate tinker after eight years in nonprofit leadership, i faced a choice: stay comfortable or take on the challenge of rebuilding a distressed children’s museum. The above and beyond children’s museum in sheboygan had been hit hard – closed for a year during the pandemic, damaged by flooding, and in need of fresh direction. I saw the potential to create something meaningful for my community, but it meant leaving behind a job i loved and knew well. Read more>> dipa halder about a year and a half ago, i quit my stable, well-paying job as a software engineer to pursue art full-time. taking my art seriously as a career was never something i thought was possible for me until recently. Like so many others, i had absorbed the pervasive message that art isn’t a “real” career path, so i let inertia carry me toward computer science, which opened doors to a career that offered an intellectual challenge, financial security, and social validation. Yet despite how perfect my professional life appeared on paper, i couldn’t shake the feeling that i wasn’t in the right place—as if i had been swept along by a current i never consciously chose to enter. Read more>> laura kestenbaum to answer this i would have to take you back to 2023 when i was 6 months pregnant with my now 2 year old daughter. I was working for a big tech company at the time, that i had been at for nearly 10 years and getting ready to take maternity leave, closing out projects etc., When the company announced they would be doing lay offs. Not even 1 hour later i was one of 3,000+ employees that had lost their jobs. Read more>> sara stafford i was raised in a penetecostal church and started singing in the church choir and in the choir at school. I had so much fun singing. I always had envied the people in church that played instruments but was mostly a male dominated area. Around the time i was a senior in high school, i made a group of new friends that sat around a fire and shared songs on an old guitar. Some would bring other instruments to the table too depending on the night like harmonica, tambourine or a cajon. Read more>> melanie robinson for many years, i had a fear of aging due to the messages i received from my mother and grandmother. My mom cried on her 30th birthday, and our family never knew my grandmother’s age until she passed away. Adding to these attitudes, i was keenly aware as a performer that getting older typically meant fewer roles for women. I spent a significant portion of my adult life fearing that i would not be considered relevant after the age of 50. Read more>> ruben st.Vilus as a first-generation haitian-american, i was raised with a deep respect for hard work, education, and the kind of career that promised stability. For years, i was on the fast track to becoming an ob/gyn — fully committed to a future in medicine. But even while immersed in my pre-med studies, something in me kept being drawn to the stage. Performing wasn’t just a hobby; it was where i felt most alive. Read more>> makhosi nejeser one of the most significant risks i’ve taken in my business is making the leap from selling $297 a month group coaching offers to establishing myself in the luxury category, where my private work started at $100k. For a few years, i struggled to gain significant traction because whenever i scaled more mainstream, scalable offers, i found that i had to do a lot of convincing to secure clients. Read more>> al davey if you had asked 14-year-old me how i thought my life would turn out, i probably would’ve said something noble and wildly impractical like, “i’m going to be a vet!”—Because i assumed the job was 90% cuddling puppies and 10% getting every senior cat adopted. Fast forward to adulthood, and—surprise—veterinary work actually requires science. Like, a lotof it. Also, math. And blood. And student loans. Read more>> wendy medley the biggest risk i took was when i left my steady job to pursue a full-time career as an artist. I was a recent divorcee with 2 small children and a new mortgage. I recently switched professions from childcare director to property manager. I was creating art and doing residential and commercial painting part-time beginning in march of 2017. After a year of creating, i noticed that i had to turn down a lot of commissions because of my current job as a property manager. Read more>> sara nevius after graduating with my bfa in 2022, i was hit with the uncertainty that often follows: what’s next? I debated whether to start applying for mfa programs, go solo traveling, look for a steady job back in texas, or take the risk of trying to launch an artistic career. One evening at the dinner table in the early summer, i shared these thoughts with my parents. My dad, after listening quietly, said something that stuck with me: “it only takes one.” One yes. One opportunity. One door opening. That’s all it takes to get started. Read more>> cathie beck in 2008, i was a bitter book author. I’d written a memoir and even as i’d had many the short story published, had been a working (award-winning) journalist and was, at that time, a rocky mountain news books reviewer – i couldn’t get an agent, let alone a sale. so, as a paid books reviewer, i had to read mediocre books and give them ratings and my editor at the time thought i was too hard on book authors and that every “c level” book deserved to be an a – or at least a b. My background is in literature, including russian literature, so i’d a read a thing or two. I had a clue what beautiful writing is and how the best of the best sustains. Read more>> z! Haukeness two risks in my life mirror each other. 1 – deciding to switch my major to black literature and art during my undergrad at the university of wisconsin-madison, and 2 – deciding to leave my long-term job at showing up for racial justice (surj) in order to launch my spiritual healing business. Read more>> cari alam one of the biggest and most transformative risks i’ve ever taken was leaving my corporate job after nearly 20 years to fully embrace life as a creative entrepreneur. I had spent the majority of my adult life climbing the corporate ladder but i knew i was being called to something more aligned with my soul: a life of creativity, artistry, sensuality, and freedom. Read more>> eloise harpas risk is a powerful thing. It can change a persons life in an instant. Taking a risk for me means growth and growth means knowledge and knowledge is power. I believe you learn from taking a risk to only become the best version of yourself for life. in my career as a professional performer i’ve taken many risks one of which was moving across country to pursue a dream, but recently i took the biggest risk of my career so far. I decided to change course within the entertainment industry or should i say expand myself within the industry. Read more>> christen ball honestly, creative risk is something i deal with on a daily basis. I’m an alternative rock music artist in nashville, tn, a place that is celebrated for being country music capitol of the world. For the career path i’ve chosen, at this point in history and in this region of the world, it would be a lot less of a risk for me to lean into writing, performing, and recording country music. Read more>> coya paz in 2011, free street was at the point of closing after over 40 years of providing free theater and free theater training across chicago. A series of administrative shifts, staff turnover, and funding challenges left the company at the verge of collapse, and the board hired caroline o’boyle to essentially do the administrative work of shuttering free street. Instead, she saw possibility. Read more>> elizabeth corey risk story – reuniting with my birth mother after 25 years taking a risk doesn’t always look like launching a startup or jumping out of a plane. Sometimes, it looks like packing up your car and driving straight into the unknown — emotionally, mentally, spiritually. for years, i quietly carried a longing to reconnect with my biological mother — not out of nostalgia or sentiment, but from a deep need for personal clarity. I had questions no one else could answer. Why do i tie hairbands around my brushes? Read more>> fiona coakley leaving home and moving over 1,800 miles was the best decision i could have made for myself. For the first 22 years of my life, i lived in the northeast, living in nine different places, from a small farm town in new hampshire, to the city of boston, massachusetts. In each location, i gained new lessons, skills, and experiences. However, at a certain point, i felt like i had overstayed my welcome. Boston no longer felt the same; the art scene had diminished, and the city was rapidly becoming an expensive tech hub. Read more>> makayla renoos working in the wedding industry comes with a lot of expectations, both for vendors and couples that are navigating it. There’s this unwritten idea/script about what it’s all supposed to look and feel like, and oftentimes we can’t shake that weight off of ourselves. Read more>>

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Definition of aging…

Posted on Monday, July 14 @ 00:00:32 PDT (4 reads)

Art and the philosophy of life definition of aging… july 14, 2025 category: aging leave a comment tagged with: definition of aging key lime pie… leave a comment cancel reply ? search: go! archives july 2025 june 2025 may 2025 april 2025 march 2025 february 2025 january 2025 december 2024 november 2024 october 2024 september 2024 august 2024 july 2024 june 2024 may 2024 april 2024 march 2024 february 2024 january 2024 december 2023 november 2023 october 2023 september 2023 august 2023 july 2023 june 2023 may 2023 april 2023 march 2023 february 2023 january 2023 december 2022 november 2022 october 2022 september 2022 august 2022 july 2022 june 2022 may 2022 april 2022 march 2022 february 2022 january 2022 december 2021 november 2021 october 2021 september 2021 august 2021 july 2021 june 2021 may 2021 april 2021 march 2021 february 2021 january 2021 december 2020 november 2020 october 2020 september 2020 august 2020 july 2020 june 2020 may 2020 april 2020 march 2020 february 2020 january 2020 december 2019 november 2019 october 2019 september 2019 august 2019 july 2019 june 2019 may 2019 april 2019 march 2019 february 2019 january 2019 december 2018 november 2018 october 2018 september 2018 august 2018 july 2018 june 2018 may 2018 april 2018 march 2018 february 2018 january 2018 december 2017 november 2017 october 2017 september 2017 august 2017 july 2017 june 2017 may 2017 april 2017 march 2017 february 2017 january 2017 december 2016 november 2016 october 2016 september 2016 august 2016 july 2016 june 2016 may 2016 april 2016 march 2016 february 2016 january 2016 december 2015 november 2015 october 2015 september 2015 august 2015 july 2015 june 2015 may 2015 april 2015 march 2015 february 2015 january 2015 december 2014 november 2014 october 2014 september 2014 august 2014 july 2014 june 2014 may 2014 april 2014 march 2014 february 2014 january 2014 december 2013 november 2013 october 2013 september 2013 august 2013 july 2013 june 2013 may 2013 april 2013 march 2013 categories #me too 12 days of chickmas 2015 2017 2018 2021 new years day 903 a christmas bookstore tale a different conversation a little mystery a man a bookstore a moment in time a poem a pop in story a really long story about a lot of stuff and mrs. 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Declaring War on Universities: Why It Matters and Where It Leads

Posted on Monday, July 14 @ 00:00:32 PDT (5 reads)

Robert cropf, professor of political science at saint louis university, produced a two-part series about higher education and the trump administration. part one examines how universities evolved into national institutions, why they’re now under coordinated political attack, and what is at stake if this trend continues. to understand what’s happening to democracy in america, start by looking at what’s happening to its universities. i’ve spent my career in higher education. It’s been fulfilling—engaging, meaningful, often joyful. But if a young person asked me today whether they should follow the same path, i would hesitate. Not because i don’t believe in the mission of the university—i do—but because the institution is under mounting pressure: external political attacks and internal dysfunction. The work is harder, the future less certain. i’m not being nostalgic. Higher ed in the 1980s had its flaws—rigid hierarchies, gatekeeping, and inertia. But today’s crisis is far more existential. From the right, there are coordinated efforts to eliminate dei programs, punish dissenting institutions, and even dismantle the department of education. Internally, administrative bloat, waning confidence, and a widening disconnect from the values and concerns of everyday americans are steadily undermining the institution. why this fight matters beyond the campus gates when universities are politicized and delegitimized, the consequences ripple far beyond campus walls. It narrows the pipeline of public professionals, reduces upward mobility, and erodes one of the few institutions where facts and reason still hold sway. it also weakens civil society. Universities are civic anchors. They support local economies, educate public leaders, and host spaces for honest dialogue. As they erode, communities lose more than educational access—they lose one of the last common spaces where people come together to address shared problems. The hollowing out of universities is the hollowing out of our democratic commons. if campuses become echo chambers for those who hold power, critical thinking and civic dialogue—the very skills democracy needs—will vanish alongside them. This isn’t about wokeness. It’s about whether future generations will be equipped to question power, understand complexity, and build a society worth living in. before examining the assault on higher education, it’s essential to understand how universities became such vital institutions in the first place. the rise of the american university higher education has shaped american life since harvard’s founding in 1636, but it became a truly national institution only after world war ii, driven by federal investment. The gi bill opened the doors of college to millions of veterans. States expanded public universities. Federal dollars—from the national defense education act, the higher education act of 1965, pell grants, and student loans—fueled innovation and access. both republicans and democrats saw universities as engines of mobility, scientific progress, and workforce development. With bipartisan support, they became ladders of opportunity and a source of civic aspiration. that consensus has collapsed. Today, public investment is met with suspicion, particularly from the right. Universities, once seen as public goods, are now cast as ideological battlegrounds. And the federal role that helped build them is being weaponized to tear them down. from investment to inquisition this unraveling is no accident. Right-wing politicians, think tanks, and media have made universities a central front in the culture war. The heritage foundation’s *project 2025* lays out a sweeping agenda: eliminate the department of education, dismantle dei programs, politicize research funding, and tie accreditation to ideological conformity. this playbook is already in motion. Florida governor ron desantis has purged university boards and reshaped curricula. Trump allies are tying federal funding to partisan loyalty. Trump has already begun enacting changes aligned with *project 2025*. this isn’t reform. It’s control. The goal is to replace free inquiry with political enforcement. The irony is stark: many of these same actors built their careers within the institutions they now seek to dismantle—climbing ladders made possible by public investment, only to kick them away. this strategy would chill academic freedom, erode integrity, and drive away the talent that fuels american innovation—deepening the divide between higher ed and the society it’s meant to serve. there is another way—one rooted in cooperation between government and academia. But the trump approach rejects that. It replaces collaboration with confrontation, viewing universities not as national assets, but as ideological threats. That path leads only to a smaller, meaner vision of democracy—and of education itself. part two will be published tomorrow: the internal crisis—administrative bloat, rising costs, and the fraying civic compact. Future installments will explore how we can move beyond the destructive model embraced by trump and his allies toward a vision of higher education that genuinely serves both the nation and its students—one grounded in cooperation, accountability, and the shared pursuit of the public good.

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Former Wyoming Cop Forgives Bank Robber Who Shot And Left Him For Dead 43 Years

Posted on Monday, July 14 @ 00:00:32 PDT (4 reads)

For a minute, mark corbett thought he might get away with it. as he sped from the alpine federal savings and loan in craig, colorado, toward the wyoming border with around $10,000 stashed beside him, he felt a brief sense of relief when he heard on the radio that police were looking for a suspect in a red fiat with oregon plates. that wasn’t him. corbett, who has since legally adopted his biological father’s last name but back then went by mark farnham, was driving a tan dodge as he barreled down the highway. that brief fleeting feeling of hope, however, was immediately replaced by a sense of dread that this wasn’t going to end well. up until now, luck hadn’t exactly been on his side. In fact, a long laundry list of bad decisions and missteps got him here in the first place. at age 24, it was safe to say that corbett’s life had veered drastically off course, starting with a mounting pile of debt, fueled in part by a cocaine habit he’d picked up back home in college in minnesota. corbett came up with a plan to leave school, kick his drug habit and move to wyoming, where he’d read there was big money to be made in the oil fields.

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Graduate loan caps in big, beautiful law spark debate: Accountability or barrier

Posted on Monday, July 14 @ 00:00:32 PDT (5 reads)

Spending act restricts federal loans for grad students the “big, beautiful bill” that president donald trump signed into law on july 4 caps how much money grad students can borrow from the federal government. federal loans are now capped at $100,000 for graduate students and $200,000 for students seeking a doctoral, medical or professional degree. what’s more, the new law also phases out the grad plus loan program, which had offered unlimited unsubsidized loans to graduate students. Beginning in july 2026, students can no longer apply for the loans, but current borrowers are grandfathered in. critics contend the changes mean higher payments and fewer choices for students, but the trump administration bills it as a way to stop soaring tuition costs and increase accountability. since the grad plus program has been implemented, the number of americans receiving postgraduate degrees has doubled, according to an article on inside higher ed. the implementation of the grad plus program led to universities expanding their graduate programs and creating new programs, robert kelchen, a professor of educational leadership and policy studies at the university of tennessee, told inside higher ed. “republican lawmakers who support restricting federal graduate loans argue that their availability has incentivized colleges to hike graduate tuition rates and overenroll programs with poor earnings outcomes for students,” the outlet reported. beth akers, a senior fellow at the right-leaning american enterprise institute, said limiting federal grad loans is a good idea, that they are “horribly expensive for taxpayers.” what’s more, “i’m very concerned we are subsidizing debt to people who will not be able to afford to repay it,” she said, adding often grad loans are not “a sound investment.” “we have the data to back that up,” akers said in a meeting with reporters in washington d.C. Prior to the bill’s passage. in contrast, akers said private loans, which are a viable option, offer a “correction” the nation needs to take. She said the private sector will be more careful in delving out loans to those who can most likely pay them back. sandy baum, a nonresident senior fellow at urban institute, told inside higher ed there “are lots of master’s degrees programs that just don’t pay off very well. If we narrow access to some of those programs, that’s not so terrible.” Having unlimited borrowing is “not optimal” if it urges students to go into debt to get a master’s degree in a field like gender studies, she said. but others point out getting an advanced degree isn’t cheap. “medical school may be impossible for these students at a time when we need more doctors,” jon fansmith, a senior official at the american council on education, told the new york times. the national association of graduate-professional students and council for graduate students did not respond to the college fix’s requests for comment. more: universities brace for endowment tax hike as gop’s ‘big beautiful bill’ heads to senate image caption & credit: a piggy bank in front of a pile of books and paper / canva image read more

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Graduate loan caps in big, beautiful law spark debate: Accountability or barrier

Posted on Monday, July 14 @ 00:00:32 PDT (5 reads)

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Business Monday: Spotlight on Tonys Berkshire Boats-providing expertise and serv

Posted on Monday, July 14 @ 00:00:32 PDT (4 reads)

“i highly recommend tony’s berkshire boats. My dad bought his 15-foot marquis fiberglass boat with a 70hp johnson motor from tony crea in 1977. My dad did business with tony because he was an upstanding individual who cared about people and knew about boats. Tony’s son, anthony (who goes by a.J.), Is the same way. When it looked like our 1977 motor was broken and beyond repair, anthony took the time to diagnose the problem, find the parts, and repair it. The legacy and the relationship continue to the next generation. What started between tony and my dad has continued with the sons. Anthony truly cares about people and has an incredible knowledge of boats to match his heart. I would recommend tony’s berkshire boats to anyone and everyone.” — john papirio there is a long list of reviews attesting to the care and problem-solving prowess customers have come to expect from tony’s berkshire boats. To understand the legacy beyond the 67 years—and the ups and downs the business has endured during that time—you need to talk to a.J. Crea, second generation [and current] owner/operator. “I grew up in this business, starting when i was five years old,” he shares. “When it came time for college (in 1989), the business was in its heyday, and my dad needed me out front in sales. We worked well together and did a record $6.1 million in sales that year. Then came the 1990s, and the bottom fell out.” a serendipitous start “this business had a very strange beginning,” a.J. Acknowledges. “It started on the property where we now live, which used to be thompson boathouse. The woman who ran it was a young widow who inherited and ran the business after her husband died—mooring boats, renting cabins, and running a bait and tackle store.” as the story goes, a.J.’S father (also anthony joseph crea, who went by tony) was a police officer in pittsfield at the time, and his beat included that boathouse. Back in the 1950s, kids would break into the moorings at night and try to take boats out for a joy ride. The widow would call the police, and tony would respond. He finally camped out one night and caught the teens. In addition to the boathouse, the widow worked a second job cleaning the bus station in pittsfield. Tony saw how hard she worked and started helping her when he wasn’t on patrol duty. She, in turn, introduced tony to boating, letting him use one of her rental boats to take his colleagues out on his days off. “he was dating my mom (brenda) at the time. Since she was used to driving machinery on the family farm, she would drive the boat. He fell in love with brenda—and with boating,” a.J. Says. “The following year, he purchased a boat from phil sero and put it on the mooring at thompson boathouse. Whenever the boat had a problem, the police chief would let him borrow the paddy wagon to haul the boat back to phil sero to get fixed.” filling a void at one point in that first midsummer of business, the boat broke down. Tony took it up to phil, who was too backed up to fix it. The only other place that did repairs was albany marine, so he brought it there. They fixed it, but it died again after a couple of weeks. Phil, who was servicing the entire area at the time, still couldn’t fit tony’s boat into his overloaded schedule. “my dad realized there was a dire need—everyone that rented slips had the same problem when their boat stopped running,” a.J. Notes, adding that tony was able to borrow $2,000 from his parents, who were both ge employees. Tony then added his own savings, rented a property on tyler street in 1959, and started frank’s berkshire boats [named for his father out of gratitude for the loan]. Then he applied for a johnson outboard franchise. “The mfc (molded fiberglass corporation) was a new thing at the time, replacing wooden boats, and everyone wanted one, so my dad sold boats during the day and my mother kept the books at night,” a.J. States. a boston blizzard—and a good return tony and brenda took on another franchise a few years later that changed their business and their lives. “Back in those days [with few showrooms and no internet], everyone went to boat shows to see and touch the boats for themselves. In february of 1960, my parents drove their station wagon east to go to the boston boat ride. Mfc and thompson were entry-level boats, but my dad was getting lots of requests for an elite boat. He met c. Ray (connie), the owner of sea ray, and his wife, and was stunned by the luxury and workmanship of the line. It was the toyota of its day—he couldn’t get it out of his head.” (In particular, sea ray was known for using the finest fiberglass and high-tech composite materials available, along with the “nation’s no. 1” johnson motor.) the two couples sat down for dinner that night and discussed the possibility of tony becoming a sea ray dealer. The creas drove home on the turnpike in a blizzard, hauling a sea ray behind the station wagon. It was the fourth hull and the first sea ray to be sold east of detroit. “The sea ray became the brand of choice, propelling my dad’s business into a new stratosphere,” a.J. Notes, adding that the family bought the boat back from the original owner in the 80s and gave it to tony for his 80th birthday. full throttle, big wake tony continued to grow the business when ge was flourishing and second-home owners wanted to purchase boats. “We were the only dealer other than in albany or springfield, and because my dad had low overhead, he was able to offer his boats at a good price. Soon, people from all around were driving to pittsfield to save anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000. There was even a slogan, ‘drive a little, save a lot!’” a.J.’S graduation from high school in 1989 came in the wake of tony entering the million dollar club in 1988. “I was planning to go to college, but he needed me working sales instead,” a.J. Recalls. here, the story changes, along with a.J.’S tone. “My father wasn’t prepared for that level of success. He was an italian immigrant and wwii veteran who ran his business the old-school way. As bigger, heavier boats took over, both his business and his showroom exploded—literally,” he explains. “Sea ray forced him to take more and more boats and sell them, which limited his ability to service everyone who bought from him.” by now, connie and tony were close friends, but connie wanted out of the industry and he ended up selling the sea ray company to the brunswick corporation in december 1986. At the first board meeting with the new owners, the ceo said, “mr. Ray, you don’t own this company anymore.” Connie knocked the ceo to the ground, and things were never the same,” a.J. Relays. “My father, in turn, lost his close friend—and business ally.” running aground the boat dealerships in lake george and springfield had had enough with the “little deal in pittsfield” that was killing their business. At the next sea ray meeting (in 1991), they joined forces, pressuring tony to move and expand. “My father bought an old car dealership on routes 7 and 20 for $2 million, put another million into it, and borrowed $700,000 for repairs,” a.J. Continues. “He wanted to put our old fence up around the property to save money while protecting the sales and storage facility, but the city wouldn’t let him because it was old and rusty.” Then tragedy struck. one night in the fall of 1991, two teenagers snuck in and boarded a cabin cruiser in the sales/storage facility. During their escapade, it caught on fire, and both boys perished. “We were very compassionate, and the victims’ families filed no lawsuits, but the event changed the business—and our family members’ lives—dramatically. The city demanded that we put a new fence up, and the insurance company required that we hire two full-time police officers to be on duty seven nights a week, year-round. It put a huge financial strain on my dad. When the economy took a sluggish turn in 1992 and ’93, and sea ray started making cheaper boats (forcing him to sell more), it felt like a plane in a nosedive.” at 71, it wore tony out. A.J., Only 20 at the time, was thrust into the disaster. “My dad was trying to stay the course, and i was trying to change things,” he states. The family decided it was time to get out. They had lined up a deal to sell their property to brooks pharmacy and mcdonald’s, but (as a.J. Puts it) “a sideways move left us with a terrible deal.” In 1994, with no sales business or property, tony closed up shop, leaving with nothing except a small base of customers storing their boats. Tony had mortgaged his house, had no money, and didn’t even own a car because he had used everything as collateral to secure the loan. repairing the engine, with miraculous help at that point, a.J. Jumped into action. “I rented back the building from the bank for one summer to store 60 boats, rented an office trailer, recruited my sister (rosie phelps) to help me, and fired up the business again as tony’s berkshire boats (under crea enterprise), since sea ray owned the frank’s berkshire marine name. I knew from experience that the local business was the most important priority.” then four miracles happened. First, a long-time customer called and said, “come see us.” He was stuck with a building he couldn’t use and told a.J., “If you want it, you can take over the note.” It was a junkyard on route 20 (west housatonic street) with some potential. A.J. Had no cash or credit, so he accepted the offer, continuing his side hustle of snow plowing during the winter to make ends meet. next, two brothers who owned the johnson ford dealership asked if they could rent half of the building for their used car lot, which just covered the mortgage. Around the same time, the owner of another plowing business decided to move to florida and approached a.J. With an offer. “He said, ‘if you buy my truck for $2,500, i’ll throw in all the accounts for free.’ There were seven big commercial accounts, so it was very lucrative, and it completely turned us around.” “third, i learned that mrs. Murphy’s restaurant was going up for auction. I had heard that quirks marine was planning to buy it, so i went to the auction mainly to increase the sale, but it turned out the auction was never advertised, so no one was there. We bought the property [which was on the lake and route 7] for $5,000. Before we even took ownership, dunkin’ donuts offered us $250,000, so we sold it to them. My father took half of that money and invested in a new stock—aol—and ended up with $400,000. Just enough to pay his house off and get a car.” and the fourth miracle? “Our second son arrived on the same birthday that my dad (tony) and i share,” a.J. Says with a smile, noting that the odds of that happening are 480,000 to one. “We named him anthony joseph, and he just graduated from college. He’s a natural entrepreneur who started his own business doing state emissions inspections and running an ice cream truck on our property.” back on course, at steady speed “i’ve taken every profit i’ve ever made and put it back into the business,” a.J. Emphasizes. “I built back the local customer base, took on the larson line, and started selling pontoon boats. My wife (diana) stepped in to fill the void after my dad died in 2018, keeping the front end of the business going, and my son dylan got involved when he graduated from high school in 2019 as the new ‘boat person’, interfacing with clients. We work the long, crazy summer hours together (including three holiday weekends) to keep our clients happy.” like many berkshire business owners, a.J. Crea has learned to be content, to appreciate sustainability. “I’m happy with where the business is now. I never want to get big again,” he admits, adding, “i’d rather groom it than grow it.” He’s found his rhythm (with plentiful support from his family) and enjoys the reward of keeping the engines running for his appreciative customers. “This business is a carnival without the rides. You go from nothing to full throttle, then pack it all away. There are never enough hours in the day, but it’s a life.” “we have a 50,000 square-foot warehouse—it used to be a linen factory, so it has wood floors that act like a natural dehumidifier to keep it dry. There are no windows, so it’s very secure,” a.J. Says. He’s reinvested his earnings in better equipment and better inventory to make the job easier, but he’s mainly investing in personal relationships. “I try to stay in touch with all of my clients, so i know their preferences,” he shares. That also helps him with organizing the winter storage—“ice off” clients are stored toward the front, “once school’s out” clients in the middle, and “summer stragglers” in the back. He also tags each boat by owner and lake (stockbridge bowl, lake garfield, lake buel) and groups all of the boats from each lake together. “i get a lot of referrals, so i don’t advertise. I only want to keep our current customers happy, knowing now that achieving the next level of success is a double-edged sword,” a.J. Adds. “We’re comfortable and have plenty of work. My goal is to be strong and teach my kids that money doesn’t grow on trees—you have to work for it. Dylan loves continuing his grandfather’s legacy and loves the customers, so getting involved with the business is a natural.” one piece of advice: “if you’re thinking of buying a boat, make it an outboard,” he says. (He’s only servicing the two remaining inboard-outboards on lake buel out of loyalty—which goes a long way with a.J.)

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Daily Calendar for Monday, July 14, 2025

Posted on Monday, July 14 @ 00:00:32 PDT (4 reads)

Classes offered chair volleyball: everett senior center offers chair volleyball at 10 a.M. Every friday and also on the first, third and fifth wednesdays. Cost is free. It’s played indoors, players sit in chairs and the ball is a beach ball. The center is located at 702 burchfield st., Maryville. chair yoga: everett senior center offers chair yoga from noon to 1 p.M. On tuesdays at the center, located at 702 burchfield st., Maryville. Free to attend. Chair yoga helps with flexibility, balance, coordination and mobility. street kung fu classes: are offered on tuesdays and thursdays from 7:30 to 9:30 p.M. At clear’s silat, street kung fu & tai chi, 113 e. Broadway ave., Maryville. For more information, call 865-379-9997 or visit www.Streetkungfu.Com. clubs, organizations nami maryville steering committee: meets the second monday of each month at their office at maryville housing authority, 311 atlantic ave., Maryville. This is the local affiliate of the national alliance on mental illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization. Nami exists to educate, support, encourage and advocate for those with mental illnesses and their families at no cost. For more information, go to www.Namimaryville.Org. blount county habitat for humanity: is now accepting applications for new loan packaging and homebuyer education programs. Application assistance is available. Call 865-233-9110 or go to the website www.Blounthabitat.Org. networking today international: meets from 9 to 10:30 a.M. On tuesdays at tn bank, 1311 w. Lamar alexander parkway, maryville. No categorical exclusivity, no attendance policy. Focus is on relationships. For more information, visit networking today maryville on facebook, networkingtodayintl.Com or contact lana samples at 865-681-9444. friendsville citizens for community improvement: meets at 6 p.M. The first tuesday of month (march through december) at friendsville united methodist church fellowship hall, 204 e. College ave., Friendsville. The club is open to new members. For more information, call 865-661-0292 for more information. maryville kiwanis club: meets at noon on the first and third tuesdays of each month at green meadow country club, 1700 louisville road. For more information, visit www.Maryvilletnkiwanis.Org. rotary club of maryville: meet noon wednesdays at airport hilton. networking with a purpose: meets from 8:45-10 a.M. Wednesdays at vienna coffeehouse, 212 college st.Maryville. For more information, call angel scott at 865-661-2015 or michelle bingham at 865-567-7691. maryville business network international: a business referral organization whose primary purpose is to increase a small business customer base, meets 7 a.M. Wednesdays at green meadow country club. maryville lions club: meets 11:30 a.M. On the first and third tuesday of month at shannondale community center, 1507 new providence road, maryville. Visitors welcome. For information visit maryvillelions@gmail.Com or call 865-233-2820. maryville business share: maryville’s free small-business referral group meets 8 a.M. The second thursday of month at 2724 e. Broadway, maryville. For more information, contact petula at pcroyallady@iglide.Net. self-help, support groups editor’s note: for a listing of alcoholics anonymous, al-anon and al-ateen meetings, please see this section every wednesday. tops no. Tn 0390, east alcoa: meets tuesdays at east alcoa baptist church. Weigh-in at 8:30 a.M. Program at 9:30 a.M. For information, call 865-249-8063 or 865-660-4927. tops no. Tn 0404 nickel point: meets at 9 a.M. On mondays at chilhowee view community center. For information, call susan wadman at 813-892-8145. tops no. Tn 0334, maryville: meets thursdays at monte vista baptist church. Weigh-in at 5:30 p.M. Program at 6:30 p.M. For more information, call 216-0285 or 209-5803.

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