June 1, 2011

THE MELODY, Is The First Residential Building In The South Bronx Using The LEED Green Buildings Innovation Credit For Physical Activity

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Bronx, NY – NYC Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner (HPD) Mathew M. Wambua; NYC Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Marc Jahr; Les Bluestone, Principal of the Blue Sea Development Company; and Habitat-NYC Executive Director Josh Lockwood joined today to celebrate the ribbon-cutting for The Melody, a new affordable co-op located at 853 Macy Place in the Longwood section of the Bronx. Sixty-three low- and moderate-income families in the South Bronx will get a double dose of healthy living and an opportunity to become homeowners in a building that is both green and promotes an active lifestyle. Habitat-NYC families will occupy fourteen of the homes. These future homeowners, working with Habitat volunteers, helped to construct the interiors of their units.
Other key partners who were in attendance included Ruben Diaz Jr., Bronx Borough President; Francis J. Murray Jr., President and CEO, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA); Darryl C. Towns, Commissioner/CEO of NYS Homes and Community Renewal (RCR); David J. Burney, FAIA, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC); and Mark Naison, Chair of African American Studies, Fordham University.
The Melody was named in honor of the neighborhood’s musical legacy, which nurtured jazz, mambo, doo wop, rhythm and blues, salsa, Latin soul and hip hop. Through the years, local clubs provided venues for many famous artists, ranging from Machito to Dizzie Gillespie, Miles Davis, the Chantels, Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri and Nancy Wilson to Grandmaster Flash. The building’s public spaces are decorated with artwork by Beatrice Coron celebrating the area’s music history.

Announcing JP Selects: Exclusive online marketplace showcasing socially conscious goods

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JOHN PAUL DEJORIA INVITES PUBLIC TO JOIN JP SELECTS
ONLINE MARKETPLACE SHOWCASES SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS CONSUMER PRODUCTS
Los Angeles, CA – June 1, 2011. John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of global enterprises such as Paul Mitchell Systems and Patrón Spirits, has announced that JP Selects(www.jpselects.com), an e-commerce platform for socially aware and eco-friendly brands and products, is now offering free membership registration.
Started by John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of Paul Mitchell Systems and Patrón Spirits, and with the motto ‘the best for you, better for the world,’ the products available at JP Selects are aimed at helping shoppers live a more socially and ecologically responsible lifestyle, from fashion-forward clothing, to unique jewelry, luxe beauty products, artisan-produced foods, and premier home décor. With brands offering exclusive prices, limited-edition merchandise, and a portion of profits benefiting select causes, JP Selects will be an amazing tool helping savvy shoppers find products they love AND feel great supporting.

Donna Distefano Tapped for Recognition by Jewelers That Care

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On Saturday June 4th, Jewelers That Care will honor four jewelers who have proven themselves as leaders in the industry for giving back to the global and local communities. New York expert jeweler and goldsmith Donna Distefano will be among them. The event will take place at 7:00PM PST at JCK Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Resort located at 3950 Las Vegas Blvd., Lagoon EFKL on Level 2.
Donna Distefano’s commitment to ethical sourcing began in 1994 when she first introduced recycled precious metal into her eponymous jewelry line. Described by National Jeweler as “the Manhattan-based jewelry design company known for its commitment to environmentally sensitive sourcing,” Donna Distefano was named “Best of New York” by New York Magazine for 2010. Since 2008, she has expanded her use of fair trade gemstones and published full disclosure protocols about gemstone sourcing on her website.
Mission
The mission of Donna Distefano Ltd. is to create beautiful treasures that mark the events of a lifetime while respecting the earth and its population. Donna Distefano combines beautiful sustainable precious metals with fair trade gemstones and conflict free diamonds to create an unforgettable, inherently glamorous story told by the hands of a true goldsmith. We also work with customers to makeover jewelry from pieces they already own. Attention to detail, excellent craftsmanship, and a consistent high level of personalized service are the foundations of the company.

Industrial scene with a nuclear power plant cooling tower and electrical transmission lines under cloudy skies, overlaid with text urging an end to taxpayer-funded energy subsidies.

Taxpayer Groups Challenge Outdated Energy Support

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With Congress poised to move forward on more taxpayer-backed loan guarantees for nuclear, wind, solar, “clean coal” and other energy sources, leading U.S. taxpayer and conservative groups cautioned today that America can ill afford such subsidies in the face of a $1.65 trillion deficit and a $14 trillion national debt.
President Obama has requested a $36 billion increase for the Title XVII Loan Guarantee program. Appropriators will soon decide whether to increase its funding. The Senate is considering the establishment of a new financing entity, known as the Clean Energy Deployment Administration (CEDA) that would subsume Title XVII and expand energy loan guarantees.
Ryan Alexander, president, Taxpayers for Common Sense, said: “Facing a $1.65 trillion deficit, taxpayers cannot afford to jeopardize billions on high-risk, capital intensive projects — projects that private markets steered clear of even at the height of the credit bubble.

Modern two-story hospital with solar panels on the roof, large windows, and a landscaped entrance, reflecting sustainable healthcare design.

Hospital Design Competition for Innovative Healthcare

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Oakland, Calif. (June 1, 2011) – Transparent roofs that produce energy and collect rainwater; interactive walls patients could use to Skype with family or physicians; and a pneumatic pharmacy distribution system that delivers medications to patients’ rooms, were just a few of the ideas presented by architecture and engineering firms competing last week in Kaiser Permanente’s Small Hospital, Big Idea competition.
Kaiser Permanente announced three finalists in its hospital design competition Tuesday. They are: Aditazz, Inc.; Gresham, Smith and Partners; and Mazzetti Nash Lipsey Burch.
Each firm will receive compensation of up to $750,000 to flesh out their winning concepts over the next several months. Final designs are due later this year.
The three finalists were selected after presenting to a design jury May 25 – 26 in San Diego.