A startup launched by Harvard-trained researchers is taking on the “silent” infections and reproductive disorders that can threaten women’s fertility over time.Without knowing it, many women live with conditions such as endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, ovarian cancer, uterine fibroids, or treatable infections such as chlamydia or gonorrhea. Left unaddressed, these problems can do significant damage to fertility, and some women who are hoping to conceive find that the window of opportunity has already closed.“It shouldn’t be like this,” said Ridhi Tariyal, M.B.A. ’09, co-founder of a new medical technology company with former Harvard researcher Stephen Gire. These two scientist-entrepreneurs, close friends since their time in an infectious-disease lab at Harvard, are on a mission to get actionable health information into women’s hands before it’s too late.Their vision? A smart tampon system that can detect the warning signs in menstrual blood.Together, Tariyal and Gire founded NextGen Jane, a startup based on diagnostic technology developed at Harvard that will enter a clinical trial this spring. The company’s name is intended to evoke both the iconic strength of G.I. Jane and the vulnerability of a Jane Doe, as well as the founders’ modern, “next-generation” sensibilities.Of course, they’re battling a taboo: Sexually transmitted infections, menstruation, and fertility problems are not entirely trendy topics. Quantified self-knowledge, on the other hand, certainly is. As Tariyal and Gire are quick to point out, curious technophiles want to review their genomes online, track steps taken and calories burned, post maps of their jogging routes to Facebook, or discuss their sleep cycles over a morning cup of coffee.“The amazing thing about the ‘quantified self’ is that it’s talked about,” said Gire. “If you can do that with reproductive health and get it to the point where people talk about it at work or over cocktails, then it reduces the stigma, allowing women to be more proactive.”Recently emboldened by closing a seed round of funding led by Patricia Benet, M.B.A. ’89, working with Access Industries, Tariyal and Gire are integrating user-friendly diagnostic technology into a routine that many women cannot avoid, leveraging a sample type that is often overlooked.“The intent,” Tariyal says, “is to help you manage your health, from menarche to menopause.”Health care in the fieldTariyal and Gire’s early experiences at Harvard set them up well to take on ambitious, impact-driven health care projects. They first met in the lab of Associate Professor Pardis Sabeti, who studies deadly infectious diseases such as Ebola, cholera, and malaria in Harvard’s Center for Systems Biology and at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.Gire had started out at MIT’s Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, studying monkeypox in the Congo, until his advisor there was suddenly accepted into NASA’s astronaut-training program. Sabeti had been a longtime collaborator, so Gire moved into her Harvard lab and remained there for seven years, heading up genomic initiatives in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Ghana.Tariyal’s background was in industrial engineering, biomedical enterprise, and business. When she joined the Sabeti lab in 2011, the research team was expanding its efforts to understand the virus that causes Lassa fever. They had a hypothesis that a single gene might confer immunity to certain West African populations.Pairing up, Tariyal and Gire designed a research study. For seven weeks, they backpacked through Sierra Leone, contacting patients who had survived Lassa fever and collecting venous blood samples. Camping outside while on the road, they traveled from village to village, trying to follow up with families who had moved, steering clear of outbreaks, and extracting themselves from scenes of political unrest (2012 was an election year). If they could carry the samples back to the lab quickly and safely, the blood could be sent to Cambridge for genomic analysis.“We went into it thinking we’ll either be best friends or we’ll hate each other after this experience,” said Gire.The project cemented their friendship.Following a visionIn 2013, when the Lassa fever project was moving into a more analytical stage, Tariyal found herself at a transition point. She was 33 at the time.“It’s hard to understand what to do if you don’t have kids, and you’re still pursuing a career,” she explained. “There aren’t actually really clear guideposts. How should you make a decision about having a child? How should you make a decision about freezing your eggs? When? What information can anyone tell me [about] whether I should drop everything and have a kid now or wait two more years?”She sought advice from her physician but was denied fertility testing, in part, she said, because insurance would not cover the cost unless she had tried and failed to conceive. “It was clear to me then that our health care system was a reactive paradigm. If you don’t have a clear-cut problem, doctors don’t really know what to do with you or what to tell you. I really thought women should have information that’s theirs — without going to a doctor and without having a random arbiter decide whether they were ready to have this data.”As that conviction grew, Tariyal departed the Sabeti lab and found her next opportunity, at Harvard’s Blavatnik Fellowship in Life Science Entrepreneurship.The Blavatnik Fellowship, led by Vicki Sato, professor of management practice at Harvard Business School (HBS), invites recent M.B.A. graduates back to campus to engage in the commercialization of Harvard technologies, particularly those receiving accelerator funding through Harvard’s Office of Technology Development (OTD).Tariyal had attempted to launch a startup once before, a genomics company targeted toward emerging markets. “It takes about two years to get over startup failure,” she said. “After a while, you brush yourself off.”The Blavatnik Fellowship, said Sato, is “designed to rally resources around these young entrepreneurs who have incredible business talent and potential, and great passion for science and technology. You can’t launch a company in isolation. We provide them mentoring, space, and immersion in labs at Harvard and elsewhere as they contribute their entrepreneurial business skills to research projects that could become new ventures.”Curtis Keith, chief scientific officer for the Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator, met with Tariyal at the Harvard Innovation Labs one Sunday afternoon to discuss her interests, as he does with each of the Blavatnik Fellows.“She was completely different,” Keith recalled. “She knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life. It wasn’t just the [women’s health] idea itself. I thought, ‘There’s something special about her.’ She was very confident.”Ambition and science convergeUnder the Blavatnik Fellowship program, Tariyal approached George Whitesides, Woodford L. and Ann A. Flowers University Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. Whitesides, who holds at least 130 patents, has many years’ experience developing point-of-care medical diagnostics, including a blood test for sickle-cell disease.In his lab, Tariyal worked with doctoral students and postdocs to investigate the presence of various hormones and biomarkers in bodily fluids. Saliva and urine were standard samples, but many of the key biomarkers could only be found in blood, and blood from a “finger stick” did not provide enough material to build a robust product.“We had to make it easy. We needed a way to collect lots of blood, and preferably at home,” Tariyal says.So they got creative.“I had this epiphany. If we need large amounts of blood from women on a regular basis — well, they bleed every month. It just didn’t occur to us initially, because it’s something women typically dread. You’re in pain, you feel bloated, so you don’t really think of it as an opportunity,” Tariyal explained. “But it’s such a rich biological matrix that you’re shedding every single month.”Harvard OTD helped Tariyal protect the intellectual property that arose from her work during the Blavatnik Fellowship, covering the costs of patent filing. Assisting in the launch of NextGen Jane, they introduced her to a wide network of entrepreneurs and potential investors.Tariyal also credits Sato’s mentorship for a host of lessons learned, ranging from understanding the business of science to becoming an effective female leader.“Her door was always open to me,” Tariyal said. “She sets a great example of how to motivate others, how to build a strong team, and when to trust your gut.”That support proved especially crucial when prospective investors expressed discomfort with the tampon concept. “She understood the nuance required to pitch a deck about stigmatized issues in health care,” said Tariyal, “and showed me how to move forward with grace and humor.”By the end of the fellowship, the idea had grown. It was no longer about aging out of fertility, but had evolved into a “sentinel” system for health issues that affect fertility. “It played out even better than I expected,” Tariyal said. “It ended up being a much more ambitious idea because of the resources that the fellowship provided me.”Gire, meanwhile, had remained in the Sabeti lab during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, collecting samples in Sierra Leone and performing genomic analyses. His genomic sequencing experience would prove invaluable in the next phase.Perfecting the technologyThe duo are now devoted to NextGen Jane full-time, and the company’s core technology — a system for extracting blood from a tampon, detecting key biomarkers, and expressing the results in digital form — is making rapid progress.In 2015, a grant from the sequencing company Illumina Inc. enabled Tariyal and Gire to delve deeper into the capabilities of blood-based diagnostics. Using Illumina’s resources, they examined RNA in blood samples to see how gene expression changes over time during the menstrual cycle. “We saw an explosion of differentially regulated genes that correlated to known hormonal shifts in the menstrual cycle,” said Gire. The research provided further validation that menstrual blood could be the sample of choice for tracking reproductive health conditions.They’re now focusing on detecting endometriosis, a painful condition affecting about one in 10 American women.In December, NextGen Jane was accepted into the selective Illumina Accelerator, a program that is providing the company with additional funding through Viking Global, as well as research support, lab space, and access to sequencing technologies. Moreover, at the end of February, NextGen Jane reached a major funding milestone with investments led by Access Industries, the privately held investment company owned by Len Blavatnik, M.B.A. ’89, for whom the Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator and the Blavatnik Fellowship are named.This spring, Tariyal and Gire are collaborating with a leading endometriosis clinic to conduct a clinical trial using donated samples. (They are seeking healthy female volunteers in the Bay Area for participation.) “You can be part of our trial, and it’s as simple as giving us a tampon,” Tariyal said. “Something that you would otherwise throw away can actually push science further.”“NextGen Jane is a strong example of what can happen when young entrepreneurs connect with science in a fertile environment,” said Sato. “The Blavatnik Fellowship program at HBS incubates both the leaders and the life-science enterprises of the future. Science-based businesses can be transformative, but they present some of the toughest business challenges. Ridhi’s drive, persistence, and vision exemplify what it takes.”As the company takes shape, Tariyal and Gire have become adept at navigating uncharted territory, with the same determination that carried them through their earliest travails together.“We wouldn’t be here without the vast support from Harvard and the mentors who pushed us forward despite the odds,” said Tariyal. “We’re looking to start a revolution in women’s health, and we’re betting on women being smart as hell, really savvy, and knowing how to manage this stuff.” read more
Related Multipurpose space will host exhibitions, films, dance, and more New research campus seeks a developer Dozens gathered at the Harvard Ed Portal in Allston recently for the 11th annual Harvard Allston Partnership Fund (HAPF) awards ceremony. Harvard President Larry Bacow helped honor the 16 local nonprofits that were selected to receive support for programs throughout the Allston-Brighton community.HAPF supports vital work that local nonprofits are doing in Allston-Brighton. The 16 organizations, which received a combined total of $100,000 during this most recent round, provide a variety of services, working with families, improving public spaces, providing youth enrichment programs, and more.“The Harvard Allston Partnership Fund is an important part of Harvard’s commitment to its neighbors in Allston-Brighton,” Bacow said. “Your efforts demonstrate what we can do if we all work together and leverage each other’s strengths. Harvard is honored to continue to be part of this program and is committed to strengthening the collaborations that work to help our neighbors throughout the community.”Since its creation in 2008, HAPF has provided $1.1 million in grants to 35 local organizations, supporting programs for thousands of residents.The program, established by Harvard University and the city of Boston, in collaboration with the Harvard-Allston Task Force and Allston community members, was created to support nonprofit organizations providing neighborhood-improvement projects, cultural enrichment, and educational programming for residents of North Allston-Brighton. The awards support everything from educational and enrichment programs to arts and engaging activities for families.State Rep. Kevin Honan, Boston City Councilor Althea Garrison, and Director Brian Golden of the Boston Planning and Development Agency were also on hand to honor the recipients.At the ceremony, John Woods, executive director of the Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation, described how his organization partners with Harvard to help bring affordable housing to the community.“This award will help us continue to work on meaningful programs that support the Allston Brighton community,” Woods said. “One of these programs that we’re very proud of is the All Bright Homeownership Program, which, thanks to the capital provided by Harvard University, allows us to be competitive, purchase properties on the open market, and then put a deed restriction on them to help ensure that they’ll be owner-occupied — meaning that people who live in our neighborhood will stay in our neighborhood. I’m incredibly happy to be part of this program.”Various other organizations are also on the front lines every day working to bring meaningful change to the lives of residents. The grants provided though the HAPF allow these groups to include musical performance opportunities for young performers and audiences, after-school programming at the Gardner Pilot Academy (GPA), and the creation of an intergenerational and culturally diverse sewing community. Other groups offer financial security training to low-income adults, citizenship preparation, and literacy skills.“We’ve been in this community doing the Literacy Connection for 31 years, and it’s an endeavor that we really feel is precious and treasured,” said the Literacy Connection’s assistant director, Sister Pat Andrews. “That’s why we’re here working with many of the immigrants that are coming in — immigrants who are very much a part of our neighborhood, the backbone. We’re working and trying to open up avenues for them in regard to language, opportunities, and citizenship. We’re neighbor connecting with neighbor. … Harvard has been very generous to us for a number of years, and we’re very grateful for that.”Still others offer bicycle workshops, hockey and learn-to-skate programs, and exciting improvements in the public realm.“Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) is extremely grateful to receive a grant from the Harvard Allston Partnership for making improvements to Herter Park,” said Pallavi Kalia Mande, Director of CWRA’s Blue Cities Initiative. “CRWA will be leading a volunteer event focused on managing the invasive species around the lagoon area and also conduct[ing] broader educational outreach on restoration opportunities for the park in the face of climate change.”Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh thanked Harvard for “these important investments in our neighborhoods, and in our city, which will have a lasting impact for years to come.“These grants support local institutions and organizations that are important pillars in the Allston/Brighton community,” he added, “and I am excited to see how we can continue fostering this spirit of partnership and collaboration to benefit the entire community.”,The recipients of the 11th round of HAPF grants are:Allston-Brighton CDC: $5,000 to support financial counseling and home-buying programs.Allston Brighton Youth Hockey Association: $10,000 to support youth hockey and Learn to Skate programs.Big Sister Association of Greater Boston: $5,000 to match local girls with mentors.Boston String Academy: $7,500 to provide high-quality musical instruction to local youth.Charles River Watershed Association: $5,000 to support improvements to Herter Park.CommonWheels: $9,000 to support to support its bike programs.Family Nurturing Center: $10,000 to maintain two existing playgroups serving families in North Allston/Brighton.The Fishing Academy: $5,000 for scholarships for area youth to benefit from fishing instruction.Friends of the Honan-Allston Branch Library: $4,000 to provide sewing instruction.Gardner Pilot Academy: $8,000 to support after school programs.Kithara Project: $5,000 to provide guitar instruction to local youth.The Literacy Connection: $7,500 to support literacy instruction and citizen preparation courses.Oak Square YMCA: $5,000 to support aquatic instruction.West End House Camp: $5,000 to support camp scholarships for boys.West End House Girls Camp: $5,000 for scholarships for five girls to attend overnight summer camp in Maine.Winship School Parent Council: $4,000 to support music instruction for youth working with the Handel and Haydn Society.A full list of recipients since 2008 can be found at www.community.harvard.edu.Funding decisions are made by a volunteer board of community members following careful review of all applications received. For more information please visit http://edportal.harvard.edu, or email hapfund@gmail.com. Harvard Allston Land Co. issues request for proposals for Enterprise Research Campus In Allston, the ArtLab rises read more
Three Saint Mary’s College professors and one student earned awards of distinction at the College’s annual Honors Convocation on May 6. Junior Carla Leal was presented with the St. Catherine Medal, an award celebrating the patron saint of scholars, namely female scholars. The College awards the honor each year to a sophomore or junior who has demonstrated a strong commitment to scholarship and personal excellence through contributions to Saint Mary’s, civic organizations and the community in the spirit of Christian leadership. Nominated by peers, professors and faculty from Saint Mary’s, Leal earned the medal for her 1,200 hours of service and volunteer work to the South Bend community, according to a press release from the College. Two awards honored three professors for their work in various departments and organizations on campus based on nominations from students, faculty and staff at Saint Mary’s. Susan Vance, professor of business law and accounting, and Joseph Incandela, associate dean of faculty and professor of religious studies, were both presented with the Spes Unica Award. Established to recognize a faculty member for exceptional service to Saint Mary’s, the Spes Unica Award acknowledges the contributions of honorees to the College in the areas of service, creative activities and scholarship and teaching. The College honored Vance for her more than 30 years of dedication to Saint Mary’s. Saint Mary’s also recognized Vance forrfounding the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI), a program designed by the college to mentor, prepare and assist community women in their business endeavors. Incandela also received the Spes Unica award for his work and dedication to his department including the development of the Sophia Program in Liberal Learning, a new general education program at Saint Mary’s that will begin this fall. William Svelmoe, professor and chair of the Department of History, received the Maria Pieta Award in recognition of his engaging lessons and memorable class discussions Established in 1976 in honor of a former Saint Mary’s teacher and administrator, The Maria Pieta Award is given to a professor who has demonstrated exemplary teaching ability in courses for first-year students and sophomores. read more
Jon Rua, Max Chernin, Kathryn Gallagher, Luca Padovan, Lesli Margherita & Jennifer Damiano(Photo: Caitlin McNaney) Jon RuaWhat show are you in and who do you play?I am playing Ruben in Bread and Roses, and I am the choreographer of the musical Freedom Riders.What’s the best way to spend summer in NYC?Creating and enjoying the walkable weather! Maybe with a nice beverage on a patio somewhere.What are your NYMF dressing room demands?Water, fruit, WiFi, bathroom!Tell us a secret about NYMF.I don’t know. You tell me. Jennifer DamianoWhat show are you in and who do you play?I am in A Lasting Impression, and I play Kali.If you were to be a street performer, what would you do and where would you do it?I would probably sing Next to Normal songs on Ninth Avenue outside of Juice Generation. But I’d disguise myself to confuse everyone.Tell us a secret about NYMF.My sister in A Lasting Impression is played by Meghann Fahy, who is my best friend in the whole wide world. But that’s not really a secret.What’s the best way to spend summer in NYC?Doing a NYMF show—duh! Lesli Margherita Star Files Max CherninWhat show are you in and who do you play?I’m in a reading of Artemis in the Parking Lot and play the role of Brendan Moverman a.k.a. “U-Haul.”Tell us about your greatest street performance.Three Halloweens ago: my street walk from the train to a party as Anjelica Huston as Eileen Rand from Smash.Tell us a secret about NYMF.It’s the best place to take huge risks.What should someone say to you after seeing you in a new musical?If you genuinely liked the material, then talk about that; if not, hopefully, you can talk about my performance or all the performances…and if not, then compliment my outfit or something. Don’t say “It needs work.” We know. It’s new. The New York Musical Festival has become a theatrical summer staple, encouraging artists to create big on a small scale; hits like Next to Normal and [title of show] have their roots in NYMF productions. (Remember Feeling Electric? We do.) The thirteenth annual fest kicked off on July 11, and Broadway.com caught up with some Broadway faves who are performing at NYMF as they posed as street performers for our camera in Washington Square Park. View Comments Kathryn GallagherWhat show are you in and who do you play?I am in Dust Can’t Kill Me, and I play Lily, a headstrong, impulsive, imperfect, badass young woman who is doing her best and following her heart for better or worse in the worst of circumstances.What’s the best way to spend summer in NYC?Brunch. Park. Air-conditioned apartments. Food. Shows. Walking. Live music. Patios. Sweating. Puppies. Celebrating my birthday. With puppies.If you were a street performer, what would you do?I’m learning how to read tarot right now, so I would probably do that!! What are your NYMF dressing room demands?Do I get demands? Do I get a dressing room? Candy? If I say candy here, do I get candy there??? Lesli MargheritaWhat show are you in and who do you play?I’m in A Scythe of Time, which is based on two Edgar Allen Poe stories. I’m playing Señora Psyche Zenobia. She’s a bit…off. But aren’t we all?What’s the most surprising part of being in NYMF?What every department is able to accomplish with little to no money. The creative teams on these shows are unreal, and it’s so awesome to see them bring these new works to life. They are mini-Broadway shows. I wasn’t expecting that.What’s the best way to spend summer in NYC? Singing in an air-conditioned rehearsal room that has a supply of free Twizzlers. I’m not an outdoorsy girl. Bugs. Ew.Tell us about your greatest street performance.It was probably when my dog lunged for a skateboard; I went flying, as did my coffee which doused three people. The finale was me stepping in my dog’s poop as I got up to apologize to the coffee-covered people. It was quite a performance. I don’t think I’ll be performing it again, but who knows. There may be a demand for it. Kathryn Gallagher Luca PadovanWhat show are you in and who do you play?I am in Rob Rokicki’s Monstersongs, and I play Dave the Reluctant Dragon.What are your NYMF dressing room demands?WiFi and Starbucks!Tell us about your greatest street performance.A few years ago, a group of us boys went to the park while our parents were at dinner and practiced harmonizing the Bruno Mars’ song “Grenade.” Then we “performed” it for our parents on the street, but we actually drew a crowd.What should someone say to you after seeing you in a new musical?They should tell me exactly how they felt about it, good or bad, so I can improve my performance. read more
View Comments Danny Burstein in ‘Fiddler on the Roof'(Photo: Joan Marcus) How much more can we be joyful? The Tony-nominated revival of Fiddler on the Roof will launch a national tour in the fall of 2018. The Broadway production, which stars six-time Tony nominee Danny Burstein as Tevye, will end its run on December 31. Casting and exact cities and dates for the touring production will be announced at a later date.Based on the stories of Sholom Aleichem, Fiddler on the Roof takes place in Anatevka, a village in Tsarist Russia during the eve of the revolution. Tevye (Burstein) is a poor milkman who cares for his five daughters. While he and the rest of the elders in the village are deeply routed in tradition, his daughters’ forward thinking clashes with Tevye’s principles and causes a rift in the family. The musical features a book by Joseph Stein and a score by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick that features the songs “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “If I Were A Rich Man” and “Sunrise, Sunset.”Directed by Tony winner Bartlett Sher, the Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof opened at the Broadway Theatre on December 20, 2015. The production earned three Tony nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical. read more
CoreLogic research director Tim Lawless said on paper Brisbane’s market had everything going for it.“What we are seeing in Brisbane particularly, is the Brisbane core or local government area, have seen a stronger growth reading than some of the outlying areas like Ipswich, Moreton, Redland and Logan.“Those sort of areas do seem to be dragging the average down just a little bit, probably because they do have slightly softer economic conditions and higher unemployment.’’Mr Lawless said dwelling values in the Brisbane local government area had increased by five to six per cent in the past 12 months, while in the greater Brisbane values only went up by 2.2 per cent. Brisbane’s median house price has become more affordable in the past month.NEW dwelling values reveal Brisbane’s property market is more affordable than it was at the start of the year.The median dwelling price has dropped 0.4 per cent for the month of February to $485,000.Both house and unit values dropped during the month, according to the CoreLogic home value index.Across the combined capital city dwelling prices rose by 1.4 per cent in February.CoreLogic head of research Tim Lawless said Brisbane had underperformed despite the expectations many had for it.More from newsMould, age, not enough to stop 17 bidders fighting for this home2 hours agoBuyers ‘crazy’ not to take govt freebies, says 28-yr-old investor8 hours ago“Particularly my expectations,’’ he said.“On paper, Brisbane, it should be a stronger performer, it doesn’t have the affordability challenges of the larger cities, it has seen a turn around in interstate migration helping to improve housing demand.’’ read more
Norwegian shipping company DOF has been awarded contracts and extensions for four of its vessels.DOF said on Monday that it received new deals for the Skandi Olympia, Skandi Sotra, Skandi Gamma, and Skandi Foula vessels.The DP2 construction support vessel (CSV) Skandi Olympia won an extension with Fugro in the North Sea until the end of September 2018. The most recent Fugro contract extension for the vessel was for six months which began in March. The Skandi Olympia has been on charter with Fugro Subsea Services since 2009.The Skandi Sotra platform supply vessel (PSV) won a 75-day contract in Australia with Chevron. The contract also includes extension options and will start in the fourth quarter of 2017. According to the latest AIS data, the vessel is already located offshore Australia.Before this deal, the vessel was, according to VesselsValue, hired for two spot contracts with Apache in June and July. The PSV was previously hired by Saipem in Egypt on a 75-day deal back in February.The third deal was a three-month extension option from oil company Wintershall for the Skandi Gamma PSV. As a result, the contract is extended until mid-March 2018. According to info from VesselsValue, the PSV has been working with Wintershall since mid-March this year. The vessel is currently located offshore Norway.DOF also said that the Skandi Foula PSV was awarded a contract for two months plus options in the Black Sea. The Skandi Foula is currently near Burgas, Bulgaria.Offshore Energy Today Staff read more
Tweet Sharing is caring! Share Share LocalNews The search is on for Dominican talents by: – January 16, 2012 Share Photo credit: utptalentsearch.blogspot.comDominican youth are being given the opportunity to showcase their talents through a talent search dubbed “DRUM 2012: YOUTH Explosion and Talent Search”.The Dominica Youth Division, in collaboration with Omega/Mega Production has organized a talent search for singers, dancers and models and is opened to all youth.Models can be of all ages from 5 years and up, men, women and children. “We will have dancers and singers as well as bands to participate in this competition. There will be a completion in several different villages for six months, then the winners of each district will go on to perform with King Clico an International Reggae Artist and local Artists. There will be a final show in late August of this year, in down town Roseau. Afterwards the singers that win will get to do a recording in collaboration with King Clico on his album FREEDOM. The dancers and models will also be performing on a few videos with King Clico. This will give the local talent a platform to display their art and showmanship,” according to a press release.Meantime organizers say a large part of the proceeds will go to two foundations for Educational supplies and computers and also to local schools in Dominica. Interested persons are asked to contact Mr. Julian Pacquette mystapac@yahoo.com of the Youth Development Division in Grand Bay, Dominica. Dominica Vibes News 21 Views no discussions read more
Roger Shelton, 62 of Milan passed away Tuesday April 19 2016 at his residence. Roger was born Saturday August 29, 1953 at Lebanon, OH the son of Charles and Wilma (Wilder) Shelton. Roger was a Veteran of the US Air force. He retired from General Electric. Roger enjoyed fishing, camping, cooking, cars, watching sports and spending time with his family.He is survived by: former wife: Colleen Shelton of Milan, Son: Roger C. Shelton of Milan, Daughters: Yvonne (Brenda) Brown of Moores Hill, Charline M. Shelton of Milan, Jacqueline (Toby) Hughes of Rising Sun, and other family members. Brother: Mickael Shelton of Amelia, OH; sister: Rhonda Blair of Lebanon, OH. 14 Grandchildren, 4 Great-Grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents.Services will be at the convenience of the family. Memorials may be made to the family.Laws-Carr-Moore Funeral Home entrusted with arrangements. Go to www.lawscarrmorre.com to sign on line register book. read more
First Financial Bancorp Logo (PRNewsFoto/First Financial Bancorp)Batesville, In. — April 19, 2019, the Batesville, Indiana First Financial location will feature a Shred Event. Local residents are invited to bring personal paperwork they would like shredded in a secure and confidential manner. Iron Mountain, who specializes in secure document destruction, will shred and recycle the paperwork. Papers that might be destroyed include:Medical RecordsCancelled ChecksBank / Financial StatementsDocuments with SSN or Credit Card informationLegal Papers and moreStop by the Batesville banking center from 9 AM – 3 PM on April 19, 2019 to drop off the documents you would like securely and confidentially destroyed. Document shredding gives consumers peace of mind in knowing their information has been destroyed the correct way and provides a safe way to take care of trash. Visit the Batesville First Financial Bank location at 1053 State Road 229; Batesville, Indiana.For more information about First Financial Bank visit www.facebook.com/firstfinancialbank or www.bankatfirst.com. read more