Category: Spotlight

Local companies highlighted in Newton, MA.

Most Popular Baby Names of 2014

Emerson Hospital’s Most Popular Baby Names of 2014
Mason and Emma Most Popular, Brooklyn and Emerson Receive Honorary Mentions

In 2014, nearly 1,200 babies were born at Emerson Hospital in Concord, and their parents chose some very special names. According to BabyCenter, the country’s top parenting and pregnancy digital resource, the most popular baby names in 2014 were Jackson for a boy and Sophia for a girl. This year, the most popular names chosen by parents who delivered their babies at Emerson were Mason for a boy and Emma for a girl. Mason sits high at #6 on BabyCenter’s list, and Emma is #2 on the list.

An honorary mention for baby girl name goes to Brooklyn. Five Emerson parents chose the English name meaning “a small stream.” Brooklyn was also popular throughout the U.S., coming in at #33 on BabyCenter’s list.

While the top names at Emerson Hospital in 2014 reflect the most popular names across the country, Emerson parents have also proven to be very creative when it comes to names.

In 2014, Emerson saw a number of creative names for boys. Gehrig was one star-inspired name after Lou Gehrig, the famous baseball player. Other unique choices included Torin, from the Irish Gaelic meaning “chief”; Hobbes, from the German meaning “bright fame”; and Lewyn from the English meaning “beloved friend.”

Many girls born at Emerson in 2014 also received unique names. Aletheia and Leokadia, two of the most original girl names at Emerson in 2014, are of Greek origin. Aletheia means “truth,” and Leokadia means “bright and clear.” One baby girl was named Jurnee, a creative spelling of the name Journey. Another unique name was Clodagh, an Irish name for a local female deity of the river Clody in Ireland.

In exciting news for staff and in keeping with the hospital’s history over the years, there were two baby “Emersons” born at Emerson in 2014: One boy and one girl. Originating as a boy’s name meaning “son of Emery,” Emerson has become a more common name for both boys and girls. The name Emerson took the #230 spot on BabyCenter’s 2014 list for boys and #159 on the list for girls. “In keeping with tradition, there will likely be at least a few babies named Emerson born at the hospital in 2015 — we’ll have to wait and see,” said Loretta Weaver.

# # #

Photo caption: A few of the babies born recently at Emerson Hospital, each with special names.

Emerson Hospital is a multi-site health system headquartered in Concord, Mass., with additional facilities in Sudbury, Groton and Westford. The 179-bed hospital provides advanced medical services to more than 300,000 individuals in 25 towns. To learn more, visit www.emersonhospital.org.

February 4, 2015

2015’s Cities with the Most & Least Efficient Spending on Education

Boston is #66 on list for least efficient spending on education

Cities with the Most Efficient Spending on Education		Cities with the Least Efficient Spending on Education
1	Miami, FL	81	St. Paul, MN
2	Grand Rapids, MI	82	Syracuse, NY
3	Richmond, VA	83	Riverside, CA
4	Mobile, AL	84	Worcester, MA
5	Tucson, AZ	85	Bakersfield, CA
6	Detroit, MI	86	New York, NY
7	Fort Lauderdale, FL	87	Buffalo, NY
8	Austin, TX	88	Springfield, MA
9	Philadelphia, PA	89	Yonkers, NY
10	Birmingham, AL	90	Rochester, NY

Key Stats

Education spending per capita is four times higher in Buffalo, N.Y., than in San Francisco.
The poverty rate is six times higher in Detroit than in Fremont, Calif.
The median household income is four times higher in Fremont, Calif., than in Cleveland.
The percentage of children in single-parent families is five times higher in Cleveland than in Fremont, Calif.
The percentage of households that do not speak English as their first language is 28 times higher in Santa Ana, Calif., than in Jackson, Miss.
The average standardized test scores are four times better in Corpus Christi, Texas, than in Rochester, N.Y.

February 3, 2015

Money and Earnings

The Great Recession was hard on all American families. But even as the economic recovery has begun to mend asset prices, not all households have benefited alike, and wealth inequality has widened along racial and ethnic lines.

The median wealth of white households was 13 times the wealth of black households and 10 times that of Hispanic households in 2013, compared with eight and nine times the wealth in 2010, respectively.

Racial, Ethnic Wealth Gaps Since Great Recession (Median HH Net Worth in $xThousands; 2013$)
*Group*	*1983*	*2007*	*2013*
White	$100.0	$192.5	$141.9
Black	10.0	19.2	11.0
Hispanic	10.0	23.6	13.7
Source: PEW Research Center, January 2015

The earnings gap between young adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher and those without has never been greater in the modern era, despite soaring student debt and high youth unemployment.

In 1979, when the first wave of Baby Boomers were the same age that Millennials are today, the typical high school graduate earned about three-quarters (77%) of what a college graduate made.

Today, Millennials with only a high school diploma earn 62% of what the typical college graduate earns.

Median Annual Earnings Among Full Time Workers Age 25 to 32 ($ in Thousands; 2012 Dollars)
	*Annual Earnings*
*Age Cohort*	*Measured In*	*Bachelor’s Degree*	*2 Year Degree College*	*High School Grad*
Silents	1965	$38.8	$33.7	28.0
Early Boomers	1979	42.0	36.5	32.3
Late Boomers	1986	44.8	34.6	30.5
Gen Xers	1995	43.7	32.2	27.9
Millennials	2013	45.5	30.0	28.0
Source: PEW Research Center, January 2015

January 22, 2015

YogaBox Everywhere?! Win FREE Class!

What can boxing do for you? The Fitness Magazine link below was ultimate stress reliever for Caroline McDavid-Seidner and helped her lose 115 pounds.

What can yoga do for you? TEDxTalk yoga teacher used yoga to help criminals reconnect with themselves to find their way back to living with society.

What about boxing and yoga as a combination? We think you can use the boxing for stress relief (aka getting your agression out), cardio workout, self-empowerment and muscle strengthening … BOX IN.

And the yoga for core strengthening, flexibility, lengthening, focus on the moment, and stress relief … YOGA OUT.

BOX in … YOGA out for a full mind, body and life workout in just 75 minutes!

We hope that you can join us on Tuesdays for YogaBox™ starting at 9:00 am and ending at 10:15 am. It’s a New Year and NOW is a great time to make the time for yourself to reach your fitness goals!

Nonantum Boxing Club
75 Adams St
Newton, MA 02458

Will Boxing Help Me Lose Weight?

Here’s an article from Fitness Magazine: Boxing Helped Me Shed 115 Pounds

Fitness Magazine
Pummeling a punching bag is the ultimate stress reliever for Caroline McDavid-Seidner, 25 and helped her lose weight.

Can Yoga Help with Addiction Issues?

Can yoga help people break away from a life of crime or drug addiction? As a long time Yoga-teacher Alexander helped heavy criminals and people with addictions master their lives, and cope. Here’s an interesting TEDxTalk:

Win FREE YogaBox Class!

Can you spot this? Dawn has been finding boxing images everywhere in Newton! Do you know where she found this pair of boxing gloves? Hint: It’s a place that might really like YogaBox! Leave your answer in the comments below. First person to get it right wins a free YogaBox class!

January 21, 2015
Words That Mean Something Else in MA

22 Words that mean something totally different in Massachusetts than they do anywhere else from Movoto.

Do you know what they mean?

My personal favorite:

#20 Packie

Source: wikimedia user Fletcher6

What it means everywhere else: Something you do when your going on a trip.
What it means in Massachusetts: Where you buy your booze (The Package Store).

#1 Sox

#2 Yankees

#3 Wicked

#4 Regular

#5 Vineyard

#6 Ma

#7 Patriots

#8 Dunks

#9 Lobster

#10 Bubbler

#11 The Cape

#12 Frappe

#13 Chowder

#14 Fah Daze

#15 Green Monster

#16 Beanpot

#17 Curse

#18 St. Patrick’s Day

#19 Bowling

#21 Tonic

#22 Barrel

December 30, 2014
Shear Madness Holiday Schedule

Shear Madness Regular Schedule at the Charles Playhouse.

Shear Madness is one of the most popular entertainments in the world, delighting audiences night after night with its unique blend of madcap improvisation and spine-tickling mystery.

This unique comedy-whodunit takes place today in the “Shear Madness” hairstyling salon and is chock full of up-to-the-minute spontaneous humor. During the course of the action, a murder is committed and the audience gets to spot the clues, question the suspects, and solve the funniest mystery in the annals of crime.The outcome is never the same, which is why many audience members return again and again to the scene of the mayhem.

Over 11 million people worldwide have joined in the fun, and while no one
has actually died laughing, some are still rolling in the aisles.

Shear Madness is listed in the Guiness Book of World Records as the longest running play in the history of the USA.

If you want to make Shear Madness an family holiday event, it’s perfect for kids ages 12 and up!

Tuesday-Fridays at 8pm

Saturdays at 6 and 9pm

Sundays at 3 and 7pm

Christmas and New Year’s:

Tues, 12/23: 8pm

Wed, 12/24: 2pm

Thurs, 12/25: 5pm

Fri, 12/26: 8pm

Sat, 12/27: 6 & 9pm

Sun, 12/28: 3 & 7pm

(8 shows)

Mon, 12/29: 8pm

Tues, 12/30: 8pm

Wed, 12/31: 2 & 8pm

Thurs, 1/1: 5pm

Fri, 1/2: 8pm

Sat, 1/3: 6 & 9pm

Sun, 1/4: Dark

(8 shows)

Box office: 617-426-5225

December 24, 2014
Ice Skating at Boston Common Frog Pond

Ice Skating at Frog Pond!

Where: Frog Pond
When: 10:00 AM ending time varies by day
Who: The whole family
How: Just come, ticket sales end 30 minutes before closing
Cost: Varies by height: 58 inches and Over: $5, under 58 inches free. Adult skate rental: $10, kid skate rentals $5

Open daily: Monday 10am-4pm, Tues-Thurs: 10am-9pm, Fri-Sat: 10am-10pm, Sun 10am-9pm

December 17, 2014
What’$ Your Rate? How to get a mortgage book GIVEAWAY

I met Mark Maiocca at boxing. My gym is co-owned by a group of cousins who grew up Nonantum. He’s not a cousin but also grew up with this crew, hence he grew up boxing too.

Mark Maiocca looks tough here but he’s really a nice guy!

He’s usually in the gym training on the heavy bag when I am training and he’s always been very friendly and supportive so I usually chat with him for a few minutes every time I see him.

Have you assembled a “Core 7” team of advisors? Mark shows you how. Boxing training is not part of the Core 7 but also helpful!

Recently, I figured out that he was in mortgage but I had no idea that he wrote a book! What’$ Your Rate? is perfect for first time home buyers.

What’$ Your Rate? by Mark Maoicca

I asked him about it and this is what he said:

WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT?

What’$ Your Rate? offers a unique perspective into the process of buying a home. It also helps you to formulate a financial plan and put together your financial team. Don’t neglect to consider your insurance needs, investment strategies, college funding, estate planning or passing on the legacy. These critical factors are often overlooked while transacting what is, for most people, the single largest purchase they will ever make — their home.

This definitive guide is unique in that all of the home buying and financial planning information is related through a compelling narrative centered on the young family, a family probably a lot like yours. They have grown out of their apartment and they are expecting a third child. After a discouraging beginning into the home buying process, they follow the advice of a trusted friend, and an all-encompassing plan soon emerges.

Learn how to assemble your team of trusted advisors and put together a comprehensive plan for the future. This is a must read for anyone considering buying a home and for the “Core 7” business professional looking to create a system to help in that endeavor.

WHY I WAS INSPIRED TO WRITE THE BOOK?

After looking at 10,000 loans in my career, while covering an affluent market, I can only count on one hand the number of clients who had a full “Core 7” financial team in place. The “Core 7” professionals are: the real estate agent, the mortgage originator, the real estate attorney, the financial advisor, the accountant, the property and casualty insurance agent, and the estate planning attorney.

This shows me that even though there is more financial information on the internet then there ever was, people are no better off.

MY PREDICION FOR THE MARKET?

I feel that mortgage rates will stay in a competitive range for the foreseeable future. The Federal Reserve has stopped purchasing mortgage backed securities, so we could see a small jump in interest rates going into next year. However I don’t interest rates going up significantly, as a sudden rate increase like that would damage the economy. I see interest rates staying in a .250-.375 range until Spring. Opportunities to refinance and purchase at great rates will continue to benefit homeowners.

THE OPPORTUNITY THAT MOST PEOPLE MISS:

The No Points No Closing Cost Refinance. This is truly a no cost loan as the lender is paying all of the fees associated with the loan for you. The savings is FREE MONEY!!!

It is such a great opportunity to capitalize on this. I tell my clients that they are “taking profits off the table.” The best opportunity is to immediately have this savings contributed on a monthly basis which is called dollar cost averaging towards another important financial investment. For this example let’s assume the savings would be contributed to a retirement fund.

Example:

$300,000 loan at 4.5%

Monthly Payment= $1,514

Refinance to 4.25%

Monthly Payment= $1,470

Savings=$44

Invested into a retirement fund @ 8% over 30 years =$66,013

BUT there’s more…..let’s say you can contributed to your 401k or 403b before tax Let’s say you are in the 25 percent tax bracket you could invest $58 a month.

$58 invested into a retirement fund @ 8% over 30 years =$87,017.

Is it worth it?

These are the types of exercises and situations that I want my readers to think about when considering buying a home. I want them to look at their entire financial picture in order to make an informed decision.

I hope that you find this intro to my book useful. I am giving away three signed copies. Please fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter.

Win a Copy of What’$ Your Rate?: 3 Winners!

Please fill out the Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

December 8, 2014
High School Finalists in Math/Science Competition
SIEMENS FOUNDATION AND DISCOVERY EDUCATION CONVENE TOP INNOVATORS AND NEXT GENERATION OF STEM LEADERS FOR EXCLUSIVE WEBCAST EVENT

— ‘Innovators Lounge,’ Hosted by CNN Anchor Fredricka Whitfield, Will Bring Together Student Scholars and Top Executives from Kiva.org, StreetLight Data, RISE and 3D Robotics for Live, Interactive Mentoring Event —

WHAT:

On Monday, December 8, the Siemens Foundation and Discovery Education will host an exclusive live event convening a select group of today’s top innovators with scholar high school students that have advanced as National Finalists in the 2014 Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology, the nation’s premier research competition for high school students. The event will be live streamed to students and educators around the country.

Host and CNN Anchor Fredricka Whitfield will lead a lively, virtual conversation between the student finalists and top executives from companies on the cutting edge of changing the way we live, work and play, including:
- Chris Anderson, co-founder and CEO of 3D Robotics
- Suneel Gupta, co-founder and CEO of RISE
- Jessica Jackley, co-founder and former CMO of Kiva.org
- Laura Schewel, founder and CEO of StreetLight Data
These movers and shakers, whose innovations have changed the way we live and made the world a better place, will share their insights and personal stories of success. The guest speakers will answer questions from the student finalists and engage a nationwide virtual audience with their unique perspectives on business, entrepreneurship and the future needs of today’s world. Attendees will get an inside look at what motivates 21st century innovators and hear their invaluable advice to our next generation of scholars.

WHO:

Chris Anderson, co-founder and CEO of 3D Robotics

Suneel Gupta, co-founder and CEO of RISE

Jessica Jackley, founder of Kiva

Laura Schewel, founder and CEO of StreetLight Data

Fredricka Whitfield, CNN news anchor

WHEN: Monday, December 8 at 6:30 p.m. ET

WHERE: L2 Lounge
3315 Cady’s Alley NW
Washington, D.C. 20007

OR

Join virtually here.

The Siemens Competition

This year marks the 15^th Anniversary of the Siemens Competition, the nation’s premier research competition for high school students. A record 2,263 students submitted a total of 1,784 projects for consideration – 408 students were named semifinalists and 97 were named regional finalists. Entries are judged at the regional level by esteemed scientists from six leading research universities which host the regional competitions: California Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Notre Dame and The University of Texas at Austin. The twenty regional winners will now compete at the national level, representing six individual and six team research projects.

For news and announcements about the Regional Competitions and the National Finals, follow us on Twitter @SFoundation (#SiemensComp) and like us on Facebook at SiemensFoundation.

About the Siemens Foundation

The Siemens Foundation supports educational initiatives in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the United States. Its signature programs include the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology and Siemens Science Day. The Foundation’s mission is based on the culture of innovation, research and educational support that is the hallmark of Siemens’ U.S. companies. For further information, visitwww.siemens-foundation.org or follow @sfoundation.

About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content and professional development for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content that supports the implementation of Common Core, professional development, assessment tools, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Available in over half of all U.S. schools and primary schools in England, community colleges and in 50 countries around the world, Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that accelerate academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.
December 7, 2014
How Do Artists Create? Make Do
If you are interested in artists’ process, here is a short documentary film (about 30 min.) by a young filmmaker, Brian Frank, who set out across the country to interview artists in different media about the idea of “Make do” in their work and processes.

My friend, Lisa Rosowsky, is one of the people he interviewed, and you can see her working in her studio a bit. Enjoy!

Lisa Rosowsky has been on the faculty at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design since 1996, where she teaches graphic design, typography, and book design. She earned her AB from Harvard College and an MFA in Graphic Design from Yale University. She produces mixed-media work in her studio in a converted factory building near Boston, Massachusetts.
November 29, 2014

Category: Spotlight

Will Boxing Help Me Lose Weight?

Can Yoga Help with Addiction Issues?

Win FREE YogaBox Class!