Monthly Archives: February 2012

Book Launch Party Celebrates 'Brand Rituals'

Posted: February 17, 2012 at 10:03 pm

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire -02/17/12)- Hyper Marketing Inc.'s CEO Zain Raj played host to Chicago's illuminati last night (Feb. 16) at ZED451 to celebrate the launch of his book, Brand Rituals: How Successful Brands Bond with Customers for Life (Spyglass Publishing), available on Amazon.

In his book, Raj writes that building a brand is no longer about affecting consumer beliefs but about changing customer behavior, and he challenges long-standing marketing myths.

Building brand rituals involves four steps for marketers:
1. Offer a new value equation for your brand to get the initial transaction
2. Make digital the core channel for all brand communications
3. Build connections with relevant innovations in products, services and customer experiences
4. Create a bond that aligns with your target customer's core values

Raj became CEO in January 2012 of the newly formed Hyper Marketing Inc. Based in Chicago, HMI is the largest independent marketing-services network in North America with 1,300 employees in 24 offices in 19 cities.

A native of Mumbai, India, Raj has held executive-marketing positions at agencies including Euro RSCG, Wunderman, Grey, JWT, FCB and Bayer Bess Vanderwarker.

About Hyper Marketing Inc.
Hyper Marketing is the largest independent marketing-services network in North America. The newly formed company has 1,300 employees in 24 offices across the country, with expertise in digital, direct, data, promotion, shopper marketing, Hispanic, and media buying and planning. At Hyper Marketing, everything revolves around changing consumer behavior and driving transactions in a hyper connected world. The companies in Hyper Marketing's portfolio partner with CMOs of many of the world's most well-known brands including AT&T, Dell, eBay, Kellogg's, Office Depot, The Home Depot and Unilever to develop integrated programs that deliver profitable results.

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Lawsuit settled over political message on La Jolla High benches

Posted: at 10:01 pm

  A free speech lawsuit over benches at La Jolla High School painted with the words "Freedom For Iran" has been settled.

The litigation came after a senior painted the message in February 2011. Traditionally, seniors paint messages on the school benches in their final year.

The school's principal ordered workers to paint over the political message, but students repainted it a day later. That prompted another whitewashing, and a threat from the principal to remove the benches permanently.

Attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union sued, citing violations of free speech. One year later, the long-awaited settlement is now final, Fox5 in San Diego reported Friday.

"The whole point is schools are supposed to be our laboratories of democracy," said David Loy from the ACLU. "The schools are supposed to respect people's opinions and free speech."

As part of the settlement, the San Diego Unified School District is not admitting any wrongdoing, but it will rewrite its student speech policy.

Students also no longer have to get permission to put messages on the benches. School officials said they were pleased with the settlement, adding most of the changes have already been implemented.

ALSO:

Sleepwalking teen breaks arm after three-story fall

Couple steals baby python from pet store on Valentine’s Day

Immigration agent shootings involved 3 supervisors, sources say

-- John Langeler, Fox5 San Diego

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Freedom raises money for Red Stocking campaign

Posted: at 9:33 am

Freedom Valu Centers, with 65 stores located throughout the  Midwest, presented The Children’s Home Society President and CEO  Maureen Warren with a check for $37,563 on Feb. 7. 

The check is total proceeds raised during the 2011 Little Red Stocking campaign. 

Freedom stores supported the Little Red Stocking Campaign by selling red stockings in $1 and $5 amounts in their stores. Donors receive a personalized stocking to hang in the store where the donation was made.

The campaign ran Nov. 14 through Jan. 1. This is the  second consecutive year that Freedom Valu Centers supported the Red  Stocking campaign.
“We had some fun competition between the stores to see what store  teams could sell the most Red Stockings during the first three weeks of the campaign.” said Darren Forbes, senior vice president of Freedom Valu Centers. “Some stores had to get creative in where they pasted the stocking, because of overwhelming support from our customers  and the incredible number of stocking sold.”

“We sure are proud of the effort put forth by all of our associates for such a worthy cause.”

Children’s Home Little Red Stocking Campaign can be life changing. It works all year long to give kids in our community an opportunity to learn and grow, and lets them thrive in a safe and loving  family.

Since 1909, the Little Red Stocking campaign has been raising money to help our neighbors. It is an enduring symbol of  community giving, widely recognized and highly respected in the  Twin Cities and throughout Minnesota.

Based in St Paul, Children’s Home builds, strengthens and supports  families so that children can thrive. Through a wide range of  services including adoption, counseling and education, Children’s  Home works to ensure that every child has security, opportunity and a loving family.

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Liberty board overturns team’s suspension

Posted: at 9:33 am

LIBERTY — Liberty Town Council is experienced in hearing requests and making decisions on municipal matters such as zoning requests and water issues, but Wednesday night’s emergency called meeting left council members in a none too familiar place. The board struggled with finding a way to hold a group of parents accountable without punishing their children.

At issue: A Liberty Parks and Recreation basketball team was suspended from this coming weekend’s end-of-season tournament because team parents, even after being warned, refused to perform duties expected of parents of all Liberty Parks and Recreation basketball teams.

Liberty Mayor Terry Caviness told the packed house that the purpose of the meeting was to “find a solution to a problem, warning that it would not be possible to make everybody present happy.”

Shane Isley, council liaison to the Liberty Parks and Rec Advisory Board, said that an issue was brought before the Advisory Board at their January meeting that a team was not working concessions and handling gate duties at their home ballgames, which is required in Liberty Parks and Recreation as a way to offset costs so children can play sports without paying any fees.

Isley said that the recommendation was made from the Advisory Board to Parks and Rec Director Martin Rierson that the coach of the team be informed that if the team could not work their duties during their remaining two home games that they would not be allowed in tournament play. Isley said that no advisory board member spoke out against that recommendation.

Council members Gary Davis and Vickie Stevenson spoke out at Wednesday’s meeting, saying they were both in support of the kids and both questioned why such a decision was made with two games left in the season.

Caviness opened the floor for public comments, which lasted over one hour.

Germod Cheek, coach of the 11/12 year old boy’s team which was suspended, addressed the board, giving some background on his relationship with Liberty Parks and Rec. Cheek is a former president of the Parks and Rec Foundation, which was dissolved last year.

“I know when I was in the Foundation, I raised more money in a year then Martin Rierson has since he’s been here,” Cheek said.

Cheek then went on to explain to the council that he is a coach and cannot physically make parents of his players fulfill concessions and gate duties.

Cheek also pointed out that on the town’s form for registering children to participate in the program, there is an area for parents to sign acknowledging they agree to donate their time to work concessions and gate duties, but that there are no repercussions listed if that part of the contract is breeched. Cheek also said that he had players on his team whose parents did not sign that portion of the registration form.

Cheek’s father, Elworth Cheek of Ramseur, spoke on behalf of the children this decision would affect.

“It’s OK to penalize the parents, but don’t penalize the kids. These are the future leaders of your town,” he said. “What kind of message are you sending that you can’t do this and you can’t do that all because your parents goofed up?”

Cheek’s sister Tahesia Carter also spoke on her brother’s behalf, saying the action was a “personal vendetta” against her brother.

“When your head hits the pillow tonight, you better think about what you’re doing to our children,” she challenged council members.

Karen Scotton, advisory board member and basketball coach in the parks and rec program, told council members that everyone there loved the children.

“But the question is did this team do what they were supposed to do and the answer is no they didn’t,” she said. “When we have our coaches meeting, we are told that it is the coach’s responsibility to have concessions taken care of. We sign our name as a coach and we take on that responsibility.

“We (the advisory board) were told that there was a team not holding up their end of the bargain and they had a chance to right their wrong, and if that had been done, then we wouldn’t be here tonight.”

Council members questioned Scotton about the advisory board’s decision and asked if other teams had been in violation of the same penalty.

“We aren’t stopping this team mid-season. We are denying them the right to participate in the tournament,” she said. “And, yes, other teams had problems with people being late or only one person showing up to work instead of two, but nobody had nobody. This team was the only habitual one.”

Advisory board members Millie Sharpe and Dana Garrison also addressed the board, both saying they did not agree with the board’s decision. Neither Sharpe nor Garrison attended the January meeting.

The debate even brought out those with long-ago ties to the Parks and Rec department, dating back 20 and 30 years.

Jake Pence addressed the board, introducing himself as someone who was involved with the program from its founding days, and offered his advice.

“It’s a difficult thing to manage a group of volunteers, but it’s very important for these kids to have the opportunity to be part of something positive,” he said. “We can’t hold the children responsible for the sins of the adults. If you have punitive action to take against the coach or adults or employees, don’t do it at the expense of the kids.”

After the last person wishing to speak had an opportunity, Caviness closed the public comments section and began council debate.

Councilman Tyson Nixon made a motion to reverse the advisory board’s decision.

Councilman Isley stated that he stood firmly by the advisory board’s decision.

“This advisory board was appointed by the town council and the way I see it, it doesn’t matter if we agree with their decision, the advisory board made the decision, not the parks and rec director, and we should stand by it,” Isley said.

Rierson advised the board that Cheek’s team would have been playing in the tournament being held in Coleridge and that Coleridge had already scheduled the tournament games, leaving Cheek’s team out as advised. Rierson stated that he could not guarantee Coleridge officials would re-arrange the schedule.

Council member Stevenson, whom had stated earlier in the meeting the importance of focusing on the children and taking action best for the children, suggested that if Coleridge would not re-schedule the tournament to fit Cheek’s team, that no Liberty team should play.

Some members in the audience applauded that suggestion while others verbally questioned how that suggestion would benefit the children playing on teams that did not default on their responsibilities.

Council voted 3-1 to reverse the advisory board’s decision, with Isley the only council member to stand by the advisory board’s decision.

However, the vote to overturn the decisionn did not guarantee the team would be included in the tournament due to scheduling.

According to Town Manager Roger Davis, as of 5 p.m. Thursday, Coleridge tournament officials denied the team to be added to the tournament, as it would affect all of the other teams already scheduled in the tournament, which begins today.

“I hate it for everybody involved to have gone through all of this,” Davis said. “Hopefully, it will be a time to move ahead with improvements.”

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Sugar Land's Sanders turns into triple threat at Liberty

Posted: at 9:32 am

Those who know Liberty University point guard Jesse Sanders have a common denominator in their description of him: hard-working.

Perhaps hard work played a major role in Sanders' triple-double against High Point University earlier this season, making him the only player in NCAA Division I history to record one in each of his four seasons.

Shaquille O'Neal (LSU), Adonal Foyle (Colgate) and Shawn James (Northeastern, Duquesne) had triple-doubles in each of three seasons before deciding to play professionally.

"It's an attitude," said Sanders, a senior. "I want my teammates to know I'm going to be fighting on every play."

Homeschoolers ruled

That attitude stems from Sanders' days as a home school student in Sugar Land, where he played for the Homeschool Christian Youth Association Warriors. Their schedule regularly included public and prep schools around the area.

"We started five kids that didn't look like your typical inner-city Houston basketball player," Sanders said. "A lot of teams would look at us and think, 'We can punk these guys.'?"

The Warriors did most of the punking with a 41-3 record in Sanders' final year. He also was named Home School National Player of the Year in his final two seasons.

Tom Sanders, Jesse's father, was the head coach of the HCYA Warriors during those years. He didn't play as much basketball as his kids did growing up, and a lot of what he had learned about the game was through trial and error.

"I was a much better coach at the end than I was at the beginning," Tom Sanders said.

The success of the program helped Jesse Sanders' visibility during the recruitment process. After coach Willis Wilson was let go by Rice, Sanders rescinded his commitment with the Owls and committed to Liberty, which had recruited him immediately afterward.

Sanders, who is 6-3 and weighs 200 pounds, averages 12.7 points, 8.0 assists and 7.9 rebounds a game for the Flames. Liberty coach Dale Layer attributes that production to his work ethic in practice.

"He's like clockwork," Layer said. "He never takes a play or a day off, and I think that's the heart of his productivity."

That kind of production - especially in Division I - requires a certain level of conditioning. A lot of it was done away from a gym. During his years in home school, Sanders worked in a landscaping business he and his brothers started with the help of their parents, mowing lawns, trimming trees and power washing.

"We would get in a full day of work, hit the shower and head to the gym for a game," Sanders said. "We learned to play through it."

An athletic family

Older brothers Thomas and Ethan both played at the college level. Thomas currently plays professionally in Israel. Younger brother John Caleb is a teammate at Liberty who averages 11.6 points per game. And older sisters Caroline and Amy played basketball and volleyball, respectively, in home school.

Like his brother, Sanders hopes to play professionally wherever he receives an opportunity. However, his focus remains on finishing his final season with Liberty on a high note, despite a 12-16 record this season.

"I'm just trying to write this chapter the best way possible," Sanders said.

love.patel@chron.com

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Liberty Wharf has completed office leasing

Posted: at 9:32 am

By Casey Ross, Globe Staff

The developer of Liberty Wharf in Boston’s Seaport District has completed office leasing for the complex, signing new deals this week with the software firm RStudio and the law firm Hayes Bostock and Cronin.

The leases cap a sweeping transformation of the Northern Avenue property, which was formerly occupied by the restaurant Jimmy’s Harborside. It is now home to a sleek glass building with offices and four new restaurants, including Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse and the three-story Legal’s Harborside.

In addition to RStudio and Hayes Bostock and Cronin, the public relations firm Fama PR signed a deal this to expand its offices in the complex. The firm now occupies about 14,000 square feet at Liberty Wharf. Leasing was handled by the real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle.

“Liberty Wharf has grown to become one of the most popular destinations in Boston,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who has re-named the Seaport Boston’s Innovation District. “The new tenants join more than 100 companies and 3,000 jobs that have moved to the area since 2010.”

Cresset completed construction of Liberty Wharf last year. Designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects of Boston, the complex includes three buildings with 73,000 square feet of office and retail space. The new restaurants also include Temazcal Tequila Cantina and Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grill. It has yet to lure a fifth restaurant to fill a small glass kiosk along Northern Avenue.

Casey Ross can be reached at cross@globe.com.

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Let It Rip: The Issue of Free Speech

Posted: at 9:31 am

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WJBK) -- This week on "Let It Rip", we tackle the issue of free speech. An Oakland University student is suspended after writing about his attraction to his female professor.

"I'll never learn a thing -- tall, blonde, stacked, skirt, heels, fingernails, smart, articulate, smile," Joseph Corlett said in his writings.

Was he just being creative or did he take his assignment too far?

Plus, Michigan has become a political battleground in the GOP presidential race. We explore why Rick Santorum is surging to the lead in Mitt Romney's home state.

Joining Huel Perkins and Charlie Langton on our panels to discuss these topics are Corlett, Free Press columnist Laura Berman and author Elizabeth Atkins, as well as Glenn Clark, president of the Michigan Faith and Freedom Coalition, attorney Tracey Henry and state Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer.

Click on the video player to watch this week's conversations, and then tell us what you think by posting your comments below.

 

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Freedom Fight set for April return

Posted: February 16, 2012 at 4:24 pm

Select a Publication:   N E W S P A P E R S ---------------------------------------------- ---Alberta--- Airdrie - Airdrie Echo Banff - Banff Crag and Canyon Beaumont - Beaumont News Calgary - The Calgary Sun Camrose - Camrose Canadian Canmore - Canmore Leader Central Alberta - County Market Cochrane - Cochrane Times Cold Lake - Cold Lake Sun Crowsnest Pass - Crowsnest Pass Promoter Devon - Dispatch News Drayton - Drayton Valley Western Review Edmonton - Edmonton Examiner Edmonton - The Edmonton Sun Edson - Edson Leader Fairview - Fairview Post Fort McMurray - Fort McMurray Today Fort Saskatchewan - Fort Saskatchewan Record Grande Prairie - Daily Herald Tribune Hanna - Hanna Herald High River - High River Times Hinton - Hinton Parklander Lacombe - Lacombe Globe Leduc - Leduc Representative Lloydminster - Meridian Booster Mayerthorpe - Mayerthorpe Freelancer Nanton - Nanton News Peace Country - Peace Country Sun Peace River - Peace River Record Gazette Pincher Creek - Pincher Creek Echo Sherwood Park - Sherwood Park News Spruce Grove - Spruce Grove Examiner Stony Plain - Stony Plain Reporter Strathmore - Strathmore Standard Vermilion - Vermilion Standard Vulcan - Vulcan Advocate Wetaskiwin - Wetaskiwin Times Whitecourt - Whitecourt Star   ---Manitoba--- Altona - Alton Red River Valley Echo Beausejour - Beausejour Review Carman - Carman Valley Leader Gimli - Interlake Spectator Lac Du Bonnet - Lac Du Bonnet Leader Morden - Morden Times Portage la Prairie - Portage Daily Graphic Selkirk - Selkirk Journal Stonewall - Stonewall Argus and Teulon Times Winkler - Winkler Times Winnipeg - The Winnipeg Sun   ---Ontario--- Amherstburg - Amherstburg Echo Bancroft - Bancroft this Week Barrie - Barrie Examiner Barry's Bay - Barry's Bay this Week Belleville - Intelligencer Bradford - Bradford Times Brantford - Expositor Brockville - The Recorder & Times Chatham - Chatham Daily News Chatham - Chatham This Week Chatham - Today's Farmer Clinton - Clinton News-Record Cobourg - Northumberland Today Cochrane - Cochrane Times Post Collingwood - Enterprise Bulletin Cornwall - Standard Freeholder Delhi - Delhi News-Record Dresden - Leader Spirit Dunnville - Dunnville Chronicle Elliot Lake - Standard Espanola - Mid-North Monitor Fort Erie - Times Gananoque - Gananoque Reporter Goderich - Goderich Signal-Star Grand Bend - Lakeshore Advance Haliburton - Haliburton Echo Hanover - The Post Ingersoll - Ingersoll Times Innisfil - Innisfil Examiner Kapuskasing - Kapuskasing Northern Times Kenora - Kenora Daily Miner and News Kenora - Lake of the Woods Enterprise Kincardine - Kincardine News Kingston - Frontenac This Week Kingston - Kingston This Week Kingston - Kingston Whig Standard Kirkland Lake - Northern News Leamington - Leamington Post Lindsay - The Lindsay Post London - The London Free Press London - The Londoner Lucknow - Lucknow Sentinel Midland - Free Press Minden - Minden Times Mitchell - Mitchell Advocate Napanee - Napanee Guide Niagara-on-the-Lake - Niagara Advance Niagara Falls - Review Niagara Falls - Niagara Shopping News Niagara Falls - W. Niagara Community Newspapers North Bay - North Bay Nugget Northumberland - Northumberland Today Norwich - Norwich Gazette Orillia - Packet and Times Ottawa - The Ottawa Sun Owen Sound - Sun Times Oxford - Oxford Review Paris - Paris Star Online Pelham - Pelham News Pembroke - Daily Observer Peterborough - Peterborough Examiner Petrolia - Petrolia Topic Picton - County Weekly News Port Colborne - Inport News Port Hope - Northumberland Today Port Elgin - Shoreline Beacon Sarnia - Observer Sarnia - Sarnia This Week Sault Ste Marie - Sault Star Sault Ste Marie - Sault This Week Seaforth - Seaforth Huron Expositor Simcoe - Simcoe Reformer St. Catharines - St. Catharines Shopping News St. Catharines - Standard St. Thomas - St. Thomas Times-Journal Stirling - Community Press Stratford - The Beacon Herald Strathroy - Strathroy Age Dispatch Sudbury - Sudbury Star Thorold - Thorold News Tillsonburg - Tillsonburg News Timmins - Daily Press Timmins - Timmins Times Toronto - The Toronto Sun Trenton - Trentonian Wallaceburg - Wallaceburg Courier Press Welland - Tribune Welland - Welland News West Lorne - The Chronicle Wiarton - Wiarton Echo Woodstock - Sentinel Review   ---Saskatchewan--- Meadow Lake - Meadow Lake Progress Melfort - Melfort Journal Nipawin - Nipawin Journal   MAGAZINES & SPECIALTY PUBLICATIONS --------- Biz Magazine Business London Cottage Home and Property Showcase Food and Wine Show Georgian Web Hamilton Halton Weddings Hamilton Magazine InterVin International Wine Awards Kingston Life London Citylife Muskoka Magazine Muskoka Trails Niagara Food and Wine Expo Niagara Magazine Ontario Farmer Ontario Golf Sault Bride Guide Sault Dining Sault Good Life Simcoe Life
Sudbury Bride Guide The Home Show Vines Magazine What's Up Muskoka

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World’s Largest Methanol Producer Installs Viscount’s Freedom® System

Posted: at 4:24 pm

BURNABY, BC--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Viscount Systems Inc. (OTCMARKETS:VSYS.PK) a leading edge high technology supplier of security systems and software today announced that its Freedom IT-based access control technology has been successfully installed at a large industrial facility in Medicine Hat, Alberta owned by Methanex, the world’s largest supplier of methanol. Viscount’s system will enhance the Methanex’s Plant’s Responsible Care® safety and security programs and provide a platform for Business Continuity to improve the plant’s resilience and reliability. This was achieved with significant cost savings due to the use of existing cabinets and card reader wiring. In addition, due to the nature of the Freedom® advanced IP-based architecture, the installation utilized Methanex’s existing IT backbone, further improving the security of in-plant communication.

The Methanex deployment included an array of Freedom® technology, including bridges and redundant servers. In addition, Methanex has deployed other new Viscount software systems including Facility Friend, the AMS alarm management system, and ABC DataVault, a contingency planning and emergency preparedness system.

The Viscount system was installed by IRISS Inc., a high-end Systems Integrator that focuses on Business Continuity and Security Solutions. “Being ready at all times is an important element of Safety, Security and Business Continuity -- we do not just install systems, we provide integrated solutions. We also ensure a quality technical solution through systematic Factory (FAT) and Site Acceptance (SAT) Tests,” commented IRISS’ CEO and Oil and Gas Veteran, Joe Smolinski.

Richard Dworschak, Methanex Project Lead, commented, “The inherent IP architecture is one of the key reasons for choosing IRISS and the Freedom® solution. Expansion of an effective safety and security system is always a consideration with a plant of this size. With the old access control panel based system along with its proprietary communication, flexibility was not there to easily modify the system. Now we have the freedom to utilize the advantages of the mustering and access control system as the need arises; future safety and security measures can be implemented at minimal cost”.

“This is one of the most comprehensive deployments of Freedom technology so far,” noted Stephen Pineau, President and CEO of Viscount Systems. “ Large industrial facilities have specific compliance requirements that are not well suited to traditional access control systems. We worked closely with IRISS and Methanex to design a robust, multi-functional system. Through this we designed a number of special applications including emergency mustering that allows Freedom to be used not only as a security system but an integral part of the overall life safety system. With Freedom the client hardened the systems in ways not possible with a traditional security system and we expect this installation to be a benchmark for future projects in the critical infrastructure market. ”

About IRISS

IRISS (Intelligent Remote Industrial Security Solutions); is an organization formulated to deliver the integration of best-in-class Business Continuity Services and Security Technologies. We provide solutions to the dynamic Canadian energy sector, encompassing Oil and Gas, Electrical Utilities and Chemical Plants.

Our DNA is in security technology and integrated contingency and business continuity management. This endeavour is supported by best-in-class engineering, installation and maintenance resources, which assures the customer of reliable 24/7 sustainability of their entire operation; from remote locations, to processing, to client delivery. For more information visit http://www.iriss.ca.

About Viscount Systems

Viscount Systems Inc., designs unified software platforms for building security and emergency planning. Recent awards include SIA Convergence Solution of the Year 2011 and Platinum Award for Emergency Response and Gold Award for Access Control at GOVSEC 2011. Additional information on Viscount's products may be obtained on-line at http://www.viscount.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy any securities of Viscount Systems Inc., nor shall there be any sale of any such security in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.

Forward looking statements: This press release and other statements by Viscount Systems Inc. may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act with respect to the outlook for earnings and revenues, other future financial or business performance, strategies and expectations. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words or phrases such as "believe," "expect," "estimate," "position," "assume," "potential," "outlook," "continue," "remain," "maintain," and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "could," or similar expressions.

Financial statements are available from the company's registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission which may be viewed at http://www.sec.gov or the company's web site http://www.viscount.com under the heading "Investor Relations". For further information, or to be placed on email NEWS ALERT please e-mail investors@viscount.com or call toll free 1-917-670-9541. 888-516-7415.

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National Underground Railroad Freedom Center plans to merge

Posted: at 4:24 pm

CINCINNATI (Reuters) - The struggling Freedom Center, which tells the history of black slaves escaping from the U.S. south, announced plans on Wednesday to merge with another Cincinnati museum to ensure its survival.

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center said it would merge administrative, programming and some personnel costs, as well as expand community partnerships and fundraising opportunities with the Cincinnati Museum Center.

The Freedom Center, which opened its doors in 2004, was facing possible closure at the end of this year if it did not fill a $1.5 million funding gap,

Details are still being hammered out, but the initial overview of the merger's financial aspects look positive, according to Elizabeth Pierce, the Museum Center's vice president of marketing and communications.

"We are entering a phase of due diligence," she said. "We have some initial analysis that allows us to think it was the right thing to do. We are now going to validate those assumptions."

That process will take about four to six months to complete, she said.

Now that word of the likely merger is out, the two organizations can begin the process of working with national, regional and local partners to help raise money and support, Pierce said.

The Freedom Center has had trouble in recent years garnering support from some donors because of the perception it might not remain open.

"We are not doing to do this alone," said Douglass McDonald, president and CEO of the Museum Center. "Part of this process is going to be going to people in the community and establishing partnerships."

Almost immediately after opening in 2004, the Freedom Center began to struggle financially, eventually laying off several staff members and taking other measures to cut costs.

The museum is directly across the Ohio River from the slave state of Kentucky, and Cincinnati was a major stop on the "underground railroad" that helped slaves go north to Canada.

The museum also has an exhibit examining contemporary slavery, which includes such practices as forced child labor and sex trafficking.

Since its inception, museum leaders, including former Procter & Gamble Co. CEO John Pepper, who is co-chair of its board of directors, hoped to make the facility a national museum.

If that had happened, the federal government would take over the building and its accompanying $3 million operating expense -- although if the planned merger goes ahead, it would not now be necessary.

"This is an unprecedented opportunity for our two iconic institutions and for the men, women and children we serve," Pepper said.

"Having examined the case for joining together, I am convinced that this combination of talent and efficiencies will dramatically expand the impact of the Freedom Center's mission, locally and nationwide. Our two institutions will do things together neither of us could do alone."

Cincinnati City Councilman Christopher Smitherman, who is also president of the Cincinnati Chapter of the NAACP, had criticized the Freedom Center for "not living up to its potential."

He said the museum backed off its original intention to tell the story of African-American slavery for a "smorgasbord of conversation around freedom," welcomed the news. "I view the merger as a very positive step for the region," he said.

(Editing By Tim Gaynor)

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