Sapporo City has deployed Nutanix Cloud Clusters on Amazon Web Services and selected Nutanix Flow Network Security to create the first hybrid cloud environment used by a local government in Japan.
Sapporo is the largest city in Hokkaido with a population of 1.96 million people.
It combines the functions of an urban city including buildings and residences with those of a natural city in the suburbs.
The Sapporo ICT Utilisation Strategy was developed to help it to solve the issues it faces, promoting the elimination of labour shortages, productivity improvement, and sustainable urban development through ICT.
The city first used a hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) solution from Nutanix to modernise and improve the efficiency of its on-premises data centre.
Later, the need to renew its infrastructure while keeping costs down, as well as disaster preparedness and other considerations, made rapid procurement of flexible IT resources a challenge.
By selecting NC2 on AWS, it led to the creation of a hybrid cloud environment, including its modern data centre, that will enable it to scale-up its IT, as needed, without significant expenditure.
NC2 on AWS has reduced Sapporo City’s IT complexity and operational burdens because it enables applications to be managed on-premises and in the cloud, on Amazon EC2 bare metal infrastructure, using a single interface.
This also resulted in Sapporo City’s smooth deployment without the impact that could have been caused by delivery delays if additional network equipment, servers, and switches were needed due to the recent global shortage of semiconductors.
Currently, security-related workloads are being run in the cloud, and Sapporo City’s plan is to migrate its internal IT systems, portal, and external websites to the cloud in the future.
“With the support of Nutanix and iret, the NC2 on AWS environment was up and running in a short period of time, allowing for smooth operations throughout the entire project. We will continue to work closely with Nutanix and iret to provide better services to Sapporo City in the future,” said Otsuka Sapporo LA sales section Satoru Isobe.
“iret worked closely with Nutanix and Sapporo City to implement NC2 on AWS, which enables seamless connectivity between on-premises and cloud environments,” said iret deputy general manager cloud integration Hiroki Tachibana.
“We also procured the necessary on-premises equipment, created a virtual private cloud (VPC) environment, provided the circuits that connect to the VPC, and procured various software licenses to smoothly construct a new environment with a hybrid cloud configuration.”
“HCI is a solution that helps modernise data centres, giving them cloud-like agility for workloads that need to remain on-premises. Not only does the Nutanix hybrid multicloud platform take cloud environments to the next level, but by leveraging NC2, we help customers build on their on-premises private clouds and gain the agility and flexibility needed to build hybrid multicloud environments, including public clouds,” said Nutanix senior vice president and general manager for Asia Pacific Japan Matt Young.
This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 29 July 2022.
There is still time for disabled voters to ask candidates about their most pressing disability concerns. But time is running out, and it can be hard to know just what to ask.
It’s getting closer to the thick of the Midterm Election season. Many disabled voters and activists’ first instinct at times like this is look to Congressional races, and focus attention on major threats, opportunities and issues facing people with disabilities nationwide. But it’s also important to challenge people running for state and local office. An article here in June suggested five disability issues especially relevant to state and local election candidates, including:
pedestrian access and safety
accessibility in local businesses
home care and other community-based services
ending sub-minimum wage
voting accessibility
Of course, this isn’t all. Here are five more questions disabled voters might want to ask the state and local candidates who are looking for their votes:
1. How would you address the way police practices affect people with disabilities?
Precise official data is hard to find, and studies vary somewhat. But there is fairly broad agreement that “between one-third and one-half of total police killings” are people who have some kind of disability. The statistics are especially high for Black people with disabilities. Put another way, having a disability of some kind seems to make encounters with police riskier for disabled people than they are for non-disabled people. Put yet another way, contrary to what some people might naturally think, police do not seem to be extra careful, understanding, or gentle in their dealings with disabled people.
The most frequent offered solution is better training for police. Disability awareness training usually attempts to teach officers to recognize some behaviors as products of disabilities, rather than disobedience or threats. It also focuses on communication practices that take into account people who are deaf or hard of hearing, blind or visually impaired, autistic, intellectually disabled, or mentally ill. This all has a certain surface-level logic to it. Surely training like this can help prevent tragic misunderstandings. And maybe they do. But while disability awareness training for police is probably necessary, it’s not sufficient.
It’s easy for candidates to endorse “more training” for police. But disabled voters may want to press for something deeper that includes more fundamental changes in police use of coercion and force, and real challenges to the implicit biases of racism and ableism that put disabled people’s lives at risk in the first place.
This is even more important now, with the new 988 mental health emergency line coming into service. That’s because the first response to a reported mental health crisis is often dispatching of police. And unfortunately, that still can set the wrong tone and escalate danger rather than prevent it. Candidates should at the very least have an understanding of this issue that goes beyond simplistic assumptions about police and disabled people, and beyond simplistic solutions.
2. Will you commit to making local government buildings and facilities fully accessible?
This isn’t a new issue, but it’s still relevant in thousands of cities, towns, and villages all over the U.S. Accessibility in at least some government buildings has been required since well before the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed in 1990. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act was prompting government building access improvements as early as the late 1970s. And the Architectural Barriers Act first laid out mandated accessibility standards for federal buildings in 1968.
Despite impressive progress over the decades, many if not most municipalities still have barriers to remove in city halls, town offices, civic centers, schools, libraries, and parks and recreation facilities. And while funding for these improvements may come from a variety of sources, they are almost always the direct responsibility of local elected officials.
Accessibility improvements need to be a higher priority, which includes committing funds to them. It also requires vigilance, to make sure everyday maintenance and infrastructure work includes accessibility as an essential goal, not an afterthought. On the plus side for politicians, accessibility of local public facilities is one of the few tangible improvements for disabled people that local officials have the power to really deliver on. It’s the kind of promise they can actually keep.
3. What is your vision for public education of students with disabilities?
Both the ADA and older educational equity laws like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act mandate a “free and appropriate public education” in “the most integrated setting.”
School board candidates especially must be asked about their perspective on education of students with disabilities. Do they tend to support inclusion, or defend continuation of separate programs, classrooms, and facilities for disabled students? Do they support funding of truly effective accommodations? Or, do they frequently question the value and necessity of helping individual disabled students — maybe while at the same time approving generous funds for football teams and athletic facilities?
Unfortunately, it can be fairly easy for candidates to hide or disguise more regressive or skeptical attitudes about the value of investing in disabled students, or the “appropriateness” of truly integrating them into school communities. That’s why it may actually help to ask less specific questions about candidates’ general philosophy of education and disability. Ask, “Will you support disabled students?” and nearly every candidate will answer “Yes,” Asking candidates to explain their overall philosophy of educating disabled students can produce far more interesting and informative answers.
4. How would you include accessibility in major local development projects?
Town, city, county, and regional governments do a lot of everyday maintenance and service work. But they also usually engage in more long-term “economic development” planning. These grand plans do more than renovate one street or building. They aim to transform entire communities. That makes them a unique opportunity to include disabled disabled voters and better accessibility in every facet of a community’s future ambitions.
Accessibility and disability justice needs to be core aspects of economic development plans from the beginning. And it needs to be about far more than mere compliance with disability rights laws. Economic development and infrastructure plans should strive to make communities truly usable, friendly, and fair to people with all types of disabilities. That means maximum access, freedom of movement, equal benefit, and affordability. It includes buildings, streets and sidewalks, transit services and facilities, and proximity to both essential services and to an area’s unique historical, leasure, and cultural institutions.
None of this is “special attention” to a tiny minority. This becomes obvious when considering both “the disabled” and the aging population, which experiences high rates of disability and a greater need for well-thought-out accessibility. Candidates who run on grand visions for the future should be asked, and asked again, how exactly they would ensure that the future of their communities is accessible.
5. What measures would you support to protect high risk people from Covid-19?
While state and local governments have done much to help get their citizens through the Covid-19 pandemic — and gotten a lot of flack for their efforts too — they were also often the sectors of government most anxious and quick to drop safety measures. By and large, people with disabilities and chronic illnesses are at higher risk from Covid, and remain so even today. Each individual faces their own unique risk, and has their own take on what it means and what their governments should do about it. But disabled voters may still want to know whether local officials are aware of their ongoing higher risk, and what they would be willing to do to alleviate it.
What will aspiring city council members or county legislators do if Covid settles into a recurring but relatively minor problem, like seasonal flu? And what would they be willing to do if, (and probably when), there are more dangerous Covid variants and surges.
High risk disabled and chronically ill voters should not hesitate or feel too isolated to ask candidates if and when they would support mandates or voluntary recommendations — such as for masks or vaccines — to make communities safer for high risk residents, especially during surges. And candidates who prioritize petty freedoms or economic activity over certain citizens’ health should be required to explain themselves further, beyond the usual politically appealing slogans we have all come to recognize around Covid.
Finally, candidates for local office should not just be able to answer disability policy questions. They should also develop their own specific disability policy positions and proposals, relevant to the offices they seek. Above all, candidates should be able to answer the core question on disabled voters’ minds: “Why should disabled voters vote for you?”
FILE PHOTO- Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti looks on during a news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, Germany May 4, 2022. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke
MITROVICA, Kosovo, July 31 (Reuters) - Kosovo police said they closed two border crossings in the volatile north after local Serbs blocked roads and fired shots at police in protest at an order to switch Serb car license plates to Kosovan ones within two months.
Fourteen years after Kosovo declared independence from Serbia, some 50,000 Serbs living in the north use license plates and documents issued by Serbian authorities, refusing to recognize institutions under the capital, Pristina. Kosovo has been recognised as an independent state by more than 100 countries but not by Serbia or Russia.
The government of Prime Minister Albin Kurti said it would give Serbs a transitional period of 60 days starting Aug 1 to get Kosovo license plates, a year after giving up trying to impose them due to similar protests.
The government also decided that as of Aug 1, all citizens from Serbia visiting Kosovo would have to get an extra document at the border to grant them permission to enter.
A similar rule is applied by Belgrade authorities to Kosovars who visit Serbia.
The protesters parked trucks filled with gravel and other heavy machinery on roads leading to the two border crossings, Jarinje and Bernjak, in a territory where Serbs form a majority.
As a consequence, Kosovo police said they had to close the border crossings. “We call on all citizens to use other border crossings,” the police said on their Facebook page.
Police said there were shots fired "in the direction of police units but fortunately no one was wounded".
It also said angry protesters beat up several Albanians passing on the roads that had been blocked and that some cars had been attacked.
Air raid sirens were heard for more than three hours in the small town of North Mitrovica inhabited mainly by Serbs. A year ago, after local Serbs blocked the same roads over license plates, Kosovo’s government deployed special police forces and Belgrade flew fighter jets close to the border.
Tensions between the two countries are now at their highest in years and Kosovo’s fragile peace is maintained by a NATO mission which has 3,770 troops on the ground. Italian peacekeepers were visible in and around Mitrovica on Sunday.
The two countries committed in 2013 to a dialogue sponsored by the European Union to try to resolve outstanding issues but little progress has been made.
Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; editing by Philippa Fletcher
For six years, councils have been explaining the immense pressures they are facing, and the risks that poses for local communities. Urgent funding increases to train staff, deliver hazard reduction works and build the resilience of local infrastructure is needed, yet it largely remains unfunded.
By Ruth Randall-George, an international artist whose first love is painting in oils.
INTERNATIONALLY acclaimed painter, Ruth Randall-George a resident of Nambucca Heads and Monica Rundle, who lives in Valla, have collaborated with artist friends they met at Sawtell Art Gallery – Jane Hutchins from Coffs Harbour and Jill Hankinson, Mullaway resident – during their first exhibition together.
Serendipity exhibition at the Bellingen’s Nexus Gallery, at the Old Butter Factory, celebrates its opening on Sunday 14 August at 3pm.
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The exhibition will open each day from 10am-4pm until 9 September.
Monica, Jane and Jill met during oil painting classes and various workshops at Sawtell Art Gallery in 2009.
In 2017 the three artist friends decided to upgrade and improve their oil painting skills with international artist, Ruth Randall-George.
The four soon became very close friends with the three girls’ individual painting styles evolving under Ruth’s expert tuition.
A few years later, during what had become social painting sessions with four friends, they decided to take their individual painting styles one step further resulting in this exhibition “Serendipity” with something for everyone.
Ruth Randall-George has been drawing and painting most of her life.
She has travelled extensively, living in Malaysia for two years painting and studying the Malaysian culture.
After four years in Houston, Texas, continuing her art studies, she travelled to England and Canada.
Ruth enjoys painting in different mediums, her first and favourite being oils.
Her work hangs in many private collections throughout Australia, the United States, England and Malaysia.
Ruth now resides in Nambucca Heads close to beautiful rainforest where she gains her inspiration for her artwork.
Monica has always enjoyed drawing, and art was her favourite subject at school.
The students were given no formal tuition but given a selection of poster paints and left to their own devices.
However, she spent many happy hours in the art room.
Oil paints are her favourite medium and she enjoys using a limited palette and mixing her own colours.
Monica loves the challenge of painting a variety of subjects, becoming fascinated when a painting starts “talking” to her and a 3D image emerges from a flat surface.
Jane’s love for art began as a young girl when she saw landscape paintings by Albert Namatjira.
When she enrolled in oil painting classes in Central Queensland with a noted artist, Coral Morris, her love for painting in oils rapidly blossomed.
In 2009 Jane joined the Sawtell Art group and attended various workshops and classes where she met up with Monica and Jill.
Jane loves a challenge, to push the boundaries with colour and to capture the character of birds, animals and landscapes.
Jill’s passion for art took hold in the 1980s when she took classes in acrylics and enjoyed working with this medium for many years.
In 2006, having moved to Coffs, she joined Sawtell Art group where she took classes and workshops using oil paints.
Jill developed a love for the vibrancy and elasticity of this medium.
This is where she met up with fellow artists Jane and Monica.
Jill describes herself as a traditional artist trying to be more impressionistic.
Her favourite subjects involve nature – people, animals, birds and plant life.
By Andrea FERRARI
By Jill Hankinson, whose favourite subjects are to do with nature – people, animals, birds and plant life.
By Monica Rundle who loves the challenge of painting a variety of subjects, becoming fascinated when a painting starts “talking” to her and a 3D image emerges from a flat surface.
By Jane Hutchins who loves a challenge to push the boundaries with colour and to capture the character of birds, animals and landscapes.
THIS week we chat with soundscape artist, musician, animator, filmmaker and fabric and jewellery designer Paul Fletcher.
What initially motivated you to become an artist?
I’ve always loved imagination and play and felt that this was actually important for everyone and is something that just seemed to particularly suit me. I have been very lucky to be able to pursue this interest. I have subsidised this work using organic horticulture, gardening and teaching work as well as some commissions, grants and exciting collaborations with other artists and organisations. I’ve always seen art as a way to bring many interests and disciplines together and it is basically a stubborn fascination that will not go away!
Are there any particular recurring themes you like to feature in your work?
Definitely our place in nature, the importance of imagination, dreams, play, experimentation and the intrinsic interconnection of all living things.
Which other artists inspire you and why?
Inspirations come from everywhere. Particular light on a fungi, other peoples’ comments, conversations, behaviour of other animals or pets, others’ artworks from around the world and ages, a good or bad mood, a scientific theory.
To name just a few local artists who inspire me, Jacques Soddell’s steadfast experimentation in sound and video and huge contribution to fostering the artistic community in Bendigo, Ray Pearce for amazing skills, resourcefulness, play, imagination and uniqueness, as well as the craft and imagination of sculptor Anton Hassell.
What are some highlights or fond memories you have from your career so far?
I have spent many years teaching or facilitating the works of many other young and older artists in university and informal community contexts, and these are some of my happiest memories.
I also have a fond spot for the eight years of Hidden Creatures exhibitions that I originated and led as multi-artform installations in Rosalind Park Fernery and Town Hall basement as part of Bendigo’s Easter Fair. It was great to see hundreds of people, from toddlers, teenagers to elderly literally entering into the playfulness and serious appreciation of our part in nature.
How has your practice been affected by COVID? Has there been little change or has it had a substantial effect?
COVID lockdowns and disruptions seem to have produced an almost universal time of reflection, some enforced time for just quietly practicing and honing skills or learning new skills and assessing priorities to value and appreciate every minute and opportunity.
Where can people go to check out your work and, most importantly, purchase it?
My main website paulfletcherartwork.com/shop has a lot of links to my various online shop experiments from timber jewellery and mobiles to video, music, fabric designs and t-shirts. On this website there are also many freely available listening and watching audio-visual offerings.
Currently you can see some of my video and sound work in Helen Kelly’s wonderful Beneath our Feet. This exhibition is open 12pm to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday until 30 July. Lot 19, 19 McShanag Drive, Castlemaine.
What would you say to young regional aspiring artists who are thinking of making a go of the artistic life?
I would say to patiently, but boldly make your life artistic, whatever you find yourself doing. Stay open to all sorts of opportunities and twists and turns of challenges and rewards big and small. Explore, experiment, play, practice and share your distinct care and contribution to the world around you.
The TASTE festival is back and within hours if not minutes many of the ticketed events sold out.
Whilst its great to see community members eagerly await these events which celebrate local produce, culinary chefs, and masterclasses unfortunately there’s only one percent of tickets available for the Bundaberg population hence they sell out so quickly.
I myself only managed to get tickets to two events however I look forward to seeing lots of people attending the un-ticketed events like the Farmer’s Market which is being held Saturday 6 August 7am-2pm at the Bundaberg Recreational Precinct.
BFVG are calling for all producers to have a stall at the event which is a BFVG and Bundaberg Regional Council co-branded event.
We will provide everything to make the day as simple as possible including a 3x3m marquee, cold room on site and set up support the day before including access to a forklift and driver.
If growers cannot be present on the day BFVG is also offering to sell your produce on your behalf.
For the community members you can expect to see beautiful local produce for purchase and all-day cooking demonstrations by top chefs Kirsten Tibballs, Dan and Steph and Colin Fassnidge.
The cooking demos will be hosted by myself and Joey Carauana from the Windmill who will be sharing local stories and produce information throughout the day.
We recognise the cost of fruits and vegetables have risen substantially due to weather impacts and produce shortages across the Nation but consider how lucky we are to live in a region that grows produce year-round, at this year’s event you can expect to pick up anything from sweet potatoes to strawberries to cherries to zucchinis.
But don’t expect to get this produce dirt cheap, this is premium produce, and the cost of production has soared to new unsustainable levels for producers. What you can be assured though is the price you pay is going directly to our local farming families who give back to our community through employment opportunities, direct sponsorship of many community events and support services in the region.
The first session which went ahead last week, called the 'Alley Oop session', was a 90-minute sit down with all the participating dad's which briefed them for the weeks ahead as well as showcasing to them the barriers their daughters face along with the positive influence they can have in breaking those barriers down.
Globally, local governments have significant responsibilities for delivering agriculture, education, and health services, and they increasingly are forging their own strategies fortackling climate change,supporting sustainable food systems, andpromoting gender equality. In fact, over the last three decades, most regions of the world have experiencedprogressively greater decentralization, a trend sometimes christened the “silent revolution.” Despite this broader trend, decentralization faces various challenges that hinder its intended effectiveness. For example, high turnover and low retention of skilled civil servants at the local government level undermine continuity in service provision, reduce public sector accountability to communities for project implementation, and often necessitate additional outlays in scarce resources for training new staff.
In ournew journal article,we examine the factors affecting bureaucrats’ continued commitment to local government service in Zambia, which has a long tradition of pursuing greater decentralization. At the advent of multiparty democracy in 1991, the Local Government Act was introduced and stipulated the transfer of 63 functions to the country’s district councils. Successive government administrations, spanning the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), Patriotic Front (PF), and now the United Party for National Development (UPND), have prioritized enhanced decentralization in the country’s various national development strategies. In fact, theEighth National Development Planadopted by the National Assembly in April 2022 focuses on devolving responsibility for even more services to local authorities. Nonetheless, the country’s 116 district councils thus far have been unable to effectively fulfill all of their service delivery mandates, especially in poorly resourced rural areas. Among other factors, bureaucratic retention remains a binding constraint for improving local authorities’ capacity to deliver their assigned functions.
To understand factors affecting bureaucratic retention, we conductedone-on-one surveys with more than 150 bureaucrats across 16 district councils in Zambia’s Central, Copperbelt, Lusaka, and Southern Provinces. The sample included councils with both high levels of poverty as well as relative affluence, urban and rural locales, and those with mayors from the two main political parties, UPND and PF. The respondents included professionals across three levels of seniority—director, midlevel, and general workers. In addition, the respondents represented six main departments within the sampled councils: town clerk’s office, finance department, human resources and administration, public health, housing and social services, and development planning. The table below provides a snapshot of the sample.
Notes: N= 153 respondents. *Ethnic majority in council (%) means that the respondent’s ethno-linguistic background corresponds to the majority ethno-linguistic group in the council where s/he served at the time of the survey.
Organizational commitment was measured by asking respondents, “What career position do you aspire to have within five years?” All those who expressed interest in continuing in their current position, staying in local government but shifting to another area of expertise, or moving to a senior position in local government within their current area of expertise, were categorized as possessing more commitment to local government. Only 40 percent of the sample expressed such attitudes, while the remainder preferred to obtain jobs with the central government, the private sector, donor organizations, nongovernment organizations, or academia.
We found that one of the most substantively important factors driving civil servants’ commitment to local government was mission alignment, which refers to the congruence between an employee’s values and those of the organization that they serve. Those who noted that the most enjoyable part of their position is contributing to local government and working with community members possessed greater mission alignment. In turn, those with this attitude were more than twice as likely to express interest in staying in local government for the next five years than their colleagues who expressed alternative reasons for working in local government, such as job security, prestige, salary, managing staff, or using their expertise to design programs. On the other hand, those who are better educated are four times as likely to want to leave local government service within the next five years. This dynamic is particularly worrying since it implies that local government is likely to lose those who hold the greatest qualifications even as the councils increasingly require high-skilled workers to deliver quality services. Notably, while salary arrears, non-payment of pensions, unpredictable transfer decisions, and interference by local politicians in everyday tasks areknown problemsfor Zambia’s councils, these factors were not significantly associated with organizational commitment.
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The findings hold several policy implications. First, local government training programs need to not only focus on concrete tasks related to everyday job functions but also inculcate a sense of belonging to the local public sector. Programs that socialize new employees to the culture and mission of the organization have been successful elsewhere, such as inEgypt. Second, regular visits to the communities that bureaucrats are intended to serve could also reinforce for staff the primary purpose of their jobs. In Zambia, such visits are particularly important for better-educated civil servants who otherwise focus on office work and meetings with their superiors. Third, commitment to local public service can be enhancedthrough active recruitmentof graduate students in the public administration, who often have a higher degree of intrinsic interest in the goals of public sector service.
Much of the research on bureaucracy emerges from high-income countries where public servants encounter vastly different resource constraints, office settings, institutional challenges, and organizational cultures than their counterparts in low-income contexts. Far too little attention is given to the aspirations, morale, and commitment of public sector bureaucrats in developing countries, and this gap is even greater at the subnational level despite the growing trend of decentralization. Our work aims to spur additional insights on this constituency who are fundamental for implementing policies and services aimed at improving the lives of poor and vulnerable communities.
Stephanie Bellairs is Mandurah's latest Local Legend. PIC: City of Mandurah
Local award-winning hairdresser and business owner Stephanie Bellairs has been recognised this week as Mandurah’s latest Local Legend.
Stephanie, the salon owner and creative director at Cabello by Stephanie Bellairs, was named 2022 WA/Northern Territory Hairdresser of the Year at the Australian Hairdressing Industry Awards (Creative) held last month in Sydney.
With more than 27 years’ experience in the hairdressing industry, Stephanie established her salon in Mandurah in 2003 and now employs 14 staff including four apprentices.
Her salon also offers the Cabello-Education program which is an independent education platform open to all stylists in WA to expand their knowledge and skills through a series of workshops.
After making it as an awards finalist in previous years, Stephanie’s submission of six styled images depicting ‘broken ballerinas’ wowed the judges and saw her take out the major award.
The submission also included a written component which outlined her achievements and future career aspirations.
Stephanie spent six weeks preparing for the submission, including a day-long photography shoot with models and a makeup artist.
Mayor Rhys Williams congratulated Stephanie on the award win and her hard work and dedication to her profession over the years.
“It’s wonderful to see one of our local business owners being recognised on a national scale for her creative talents, dedication to her craft and vision for her business,” he said.
“Stephanie is a great example of one of our local small businesses doing amazing things, and the whole Mandurah community should be proud of her efforts.”
This season, Arsenal will play in pink for the first time with the launch of their brand new third kit for the 2022-23 campaign.
While pink has been chosen for both goalkeeper strips and as decorative trim before, the Gunners have never used the rosy hue as a main colour for an outfield jersey until now.
The zesty shade of pink is embedded with a subtle "ermine" pattern that is an echo of the repeating motif used on the shield of the Arsenal club crest, circa 1949-2002. Ermine is a heraldic image often used in coats of arms and is said to represent the fur of a stoat, from which it takes its name.
Along with the westward facing cannon and the Latin motto "Victoria Concordia Crescit" (Victory grows out of harmony), the ermine pattern was originally revealed as part of the Gunners' new badge when it debuted in the first matchday programme of 1949-50 season. It was then discarded in 2002 when the club presented their new, streamlined crest -- that is still found on their shirts to this day.
As well as the handsome pink shirt, the 2022-23 third kit is completed by contrasting navy trim, plus navy shorts and matching pink socks.
As with this season's home and away kits, Arsenal are continuing to celebrate their local community through the launch of the third strip. The pink and navy ensemble serves as a visual salute to the passionate support base they have in north west London and in particular the more creative members of the district.
From musicians to DJs and producers, to skaters and even aspirating young urban gardeners, Arsenal are celebrating the passions of their supporters.
The 2022-23 home kit was launched as part of a project that saw £5 from every club shop sale donated straight to the Arsenal Foundation (which supports a plethora of local community-focused initiatives.)
Meanwhile, the corresponding away kit, which was launched while the Gunners were on tour in the U.S. in July, featured a film starring fan Aston Mack, who founded the Orlando Freedom Fighters organisation after first coming to prominence while wearing an Arsenal replica shirt during a Black Lives Matter protest in Orlando in the summer of 2020.
The announcement is part of a $400 million American Rescue Plan program to improve food security and strengthen agricultural supply chains
WASHINGTON, July 27, 2022 — Today, during a visit to the Yolo County Food Bank in Woodland, Calif., Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has signed a cooperative agreement with California under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA). The LFPA is a program authorized through the President’s American Rescue Plan, which invested $400 million to make food more affordable for more Americans and help stabilize agricultural supply chains. Through LFPA, the California Department of Social Services seeks to purchase and distribute locally grown, produced, and processed food from underserved producers. The announcement is part of the Biden Administration’s priority to produce more high quality, affordable food, and help lower costs for more Americans.
“Providing access to new markets for more producers and helping more Americans experiencing food insecurity is going to take new partnerships, new innovations, and new ways of thinking – and the best solutions can often be local,” said Secretary Vilsack. “This program provides tribes, states, and U.S. territories the ability to work in new and creative ways with their local partners, establishing connections between their producers and underserved communities. The food purchases made through LFPA will provide consistent access to locally and regionally sourced food, helping provide economic stability for farmers, producers, and families, and improve health outcomes through nutrition and increased food security.”
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) will partner with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), California Department of Public Health (CDPH), California Association of Food Banks (CAFB) and California Food Banks to purchase food from local and underserved farmers throughout the state serving approximately 250,000 families and provide outreach and education to the farms.
“Through this innovative program, California will be able to support local and underserved farmers while expanding access to farm-fresh foods for families in need,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “We look forward to working with federal, state and local partners to strengthen the state’s food systems and support communities across California.”
“This new cooperative agreement will strengthen the resiliency of the local food supply chain to support thousands of California families and farmers facing the challenges of supply chain disruptions and the increasing effects of climate change,” U.S. Senator Alex Padilla said. “I look forward to continuing to work with the USDA to build a climate-resilient food system that supports California’s local agricultural industry and communities.”
The LFPA program is authorized by the American Rescue Plan to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency. Through this program, USDA will award up to $400 million through non-competitive cooperative agreements with state and tribal governments to support local, regional, and underserved producers through the purchase of food produced within the state or within 400 miles of delivery destination.
AMS looks forward to continuing to sign agreements under this innovative program that allows state and tribal governments to procure and distribute local and regional foods and beverages that are healthy, nutritious, and unique to their geographic area.
Plumbers and other tradespeople are essential in modern society, yet they face one huge barrier to entering new markets: Peeling away customers from the competition.
Many homeowners have established relationships with plumbers and contractors, making breaking into certain markets difficult.
Thankfully, plumbers have ways to excel in a new market, particularly when capturing new homeowners or performing emergency services where other plumbers are unavailable.
The best sources for seizing these opportunities are Google Search, and you can improve your visibility there using local SEO.
In this guide, you’ll find tips and tactics to help plumbers, electricians, contractors, and other tradespeople and businesses break into a new market, build a customer base, and expand your brand.
Off-Site SEO Essentials
One of the biggest traffic sources for all businesses comes from ‘near me’ searches, particularly on mobile phones.
By optimizing your Google Business Profile listing and third-party directory listings, you can build your business’s exposure and increase the number of incoming calls to your business.
Google Business Profile Optimization
Your Google Business Profile shows in local search pack results and is displayed in Google Maps searches.
As a result, optimizing your Google Business Profile listing enables customers to call your business, drive to its location, or visit its website with just one click.
Screenshot from Google, July 2022
To optimize your Google Business Profile listing correctly, follow these tips and dive deeper with this guide.
Ensure consistent NAP information (i.e., name, address, and phone number).
Verify your business on Google Maps.
Respond to customer reviews on your profile with helpful advice or kind responses.
Write a description of your business and its services.
Use high-resolution and relevant photos to showcase your brand and company.
Local Directories
Next, you’ll want to optimize your brand’s business profile on other third-party sites that customers frequently use to find plumbers, including:
The Better Business Bureau.
Yellow Pages.
Angie’s List.
Yelp.
Houzz.
Home Advisor.
LinkedIn.
Iambuilders.com.
Blue Book.
While some sites like Yelp have waned over the years, these directory sites are still important business referral sources.
Some sites provide ranked lists of different businesses based on customer reviews, which can furnish social proof and trust for your business (if you get enough positive reviews).
Moz offers tools for local citation building, or you can manually claim each business yourself, following the tips above to optimize your social media presence.
Build A Social Media Presence
While engaging with customers on social media is not critical for many contractors or trades, sources like Facebook can be valuable for customers looking for special announcements, business hours, and reviews.
Build a social media page for Facebook and LinkedIn, providing high-resolution photos and clear NAP info for easy contact.
Managing Reviews
Finally, you’ll need to manage reviews on external third-party websites to build customer trust.
Generally, you should analyze each third-party site at least once a month, if not more, to see what people are saying about your business and how you can improve.
Think of reviews like personal referrals – which are already a massive source of revenue for your business.
According to one survey, 84% of customers of service businesses and tradespersons said reviews are ‘important’ or ‘very important’ in their decision-making process.
Follow these tips to manage online reviews for your plumbing business:
Encourage customers to leave a reviewafter a positive service or engagement.
Encourage customers to leave reviews on your website and all marketing materials.
Respond to positive reviews.
Respond to negative reviews with solutions or an apology.
Don’t worry too much about negative reviews, as most customers will be equally dismayed by overtly harsh reviews.
However, responding to negative reviews with a positive service engagement could build more customer trust over time.
It also helps you show off your customer service skills.
On-Page SEO Essentials
Now that you’ve optimized your business listing on strategic third-party websites, it’s time to optimize your website for local SEO results.
Local Keyword Research
To begin, you’ll need to conduct local keyword research to see which terms drive the most qualified traffic to your website.
Open up a free Google Ads account and use the Keyword Planner tool to search for keywords in your area.
For example, if you operate in Houston, you could use “plumbers houston” as your seed keyword and filter your search for Houston, Texas, to uncover further ideas:
Screenshot from Google Ads, July 2022
Based on this list, “plumber houston tx” and “houston plumbing services” have less competition and can be easily won in local search results.
You can also filter this list by “top of page bid” and look at the highest bids for the most commercially relevant keywords.
You can also take a competitor from your initial keyword list and plug in their URL to see which keywords they rank for.
You can add a semantic filter to adjust your results for strictly plumbing-related keywords.
Now that we have our list of seed keywords, we need to apply them to our web pages.
The first area will be your homepage, where you can customize the title tag to include your brand name and a seed keyword, such as “Matt’s Plumbing Company | Plumbers Houston.”
You will need to optimize the metadata on each page with relevant keyword data to make pages more likely to rank for search results.
This metadata will include:
Title Tag/H1: The primary keyword related to a page and the page’s topic. Title tags must be between 50-60 characters, or titles will be truncated in SERPs (search engine results page).
Meta Description: A brief description of your webpage, which includes your seed keyword and a call-to-action to read or find out more. Meta descriptions are ideally between 145–160 characters.
Header Tags: The subtopics or dividing headers across each page. Each header should include a relevant long-tail keyword.
URLs: URLs should retain a simple structure with your site name followed by the name of the title of the webpage.
Keyword Usage: Seed keywords should be used in the webpage’s introduction and 1–5% throughout the text document.
Local Schema
While local keyword research will certainly help Google or Bing index your website for local search results, nothing is guaranteed.
To help search engines index your website properly, use schema markup on web pages to properly label and index them.
While schema markup can be complicated, Google’s Structured Data Tool simplifies the task.
Insert your URL and add the appropriate schema markup to ensure each page on your website is properly indexed by Google.
Some common schema markup data that will apply to your plumbing business include:
As a final tip for this section, it’s crucial to ensure that all contact information (name, address, phone number = NAP) and branding are consistent across all your pages.
For example, inserting a click-to-call button and your address in the top corner of each page (or the footer) will ensure customers can contact you whenever they’re ready.
Content Essentials
With your website in place and ready to rock, it’s time to build landing pages for your most important services and service regions.
Service Pages
Ideally, your UX should retain very simple navigation, with your target keyword (such as “Plumbers Houston”) and all auxiliary services as secondary or service pages.
These pages could include services, such as:
Emergency Plumbing.
Toilet Repairs.
Pipe Leaks.
Garbage Disposal Repair.
Water Heater Services.
Sewage.
Drain Cleaning.
Gas Piping.
These should all be located under a general Plumbing Services top-navigation page where users can explore different services, find out pricing, repair specifics, etc.
Regional Pages
Another important consideration for plumbers and contractors is whether your business serves a large metro area or different locations.
For example, if you provide plumbing services to most of New York City, you could create regional pages for Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens with a list of various services.
Furthermore, if there is enough keyword volume to warrant those pages, you could create regional pages for neighborhoods in New York, such as the Upper East Side, Upper West Side, and SoHo.
These pages may also rank for ‘near me’ searches in those neighborhoods.
Creating A Blog
Finally, you could also consider starting a blog if you feel it will give you a leg up on the competition.
Blogs provide several benefits for local businesses, including plumbers, such as:
Providing customers with easy DIY tips and repairs.
Separating your brand from other plumbers as a local authority.
Providing you with engaging content to share on your social channels.
Ranking for long-tail keywords relevant to your business to drive traffic.
You can also consider sharing DIY and tutorial videos on platforms like YouTube, which link back to your website.
Video content is highly shareable and easy to consume, giving your business much-needed exposure.
Link Building Strategies
While we discussed ways to drive traffic from third-party websites, link building can be an exceptionally useful tool in your arsenal to give your business a leg-up on the competition.
Link building – whether it’s using rel=follow or nofollow links – directs qualified traffic to your site and customers to your business.
If you don’t have the money to spend on a tool like Ahrefs, here are some free local link building tips to help you drive traffic to your website:
Reach out to newspapers in your town that list local contractors and ask for a link to your site.
Reach out to local bloggers who have interviewed local businesses in your area to contribute a quote or interview.
Write guest posts on websites with local influencers to contribute some DIY repair tips and other related content.
Sponsor a local team, volunteer, or host an event that forces journalists and bloggers to write about your business.
These tips will help give your brand exposure, which, in turn, will drive more customers to your business over time.
Digital Advertising
Online advertising can also be very effective if you want to drive quick exposure and calls to your business.
For example, advertising on Google Ads allows you to bid on the keywords you’re trying to rank for, so your website shows up above the local search pack.
Screenshot from Google Ads, July 2022
While I suggest enlisting help or taking a course to begin advertising on Google, here are a few helpful tips to help you promote your plumbing business on Google:
Use geotargeting to narrow your audience to a specific region.
Leverage location-specific keywords to compete with ‘“near me” and organic results.
Enable ad extensionsthat provide easy call options and list your business address.
Create landing page copy that’s relevant to your ad and includes relevant keywords, high-quality images, and an easy way to contact your business.
A/B test ads to see which ad copy generates the best performance.
Use longer tail keywords with less competition or change your bid strategy to limit CPC (cost per click).
In addition, Facebook provides sophisticated audience research tools that allow you to advertise to customers based on demographic information, such as whether they’re a homeowner, over a certain age, or own residential/commercial real estate.
Email Marketing
Finally, I want to mention email marketing, as it can be a powerful tool for local businesses.
Plumbers can benefit from email marketing by sending re-engagement emails that remind previous customers of your business, especially if you work with residential and commercial residents.
You can send emails to advertise local promotions in your area, such as discounted inspections or preventative maintenance.
However, email marketing can be expensive, especially for a trade that relies heavily on emergency repairs.
For this reason, email marketing is not truly necessary for plumbers unless you actively create content, engage with the community, or run promotions.
Conclusion
SEO for tradespeople and their businesses involves many of the same strategies as with other local businesses.
However, tradespeople require special consideration for their unique business model.
Some forms of marketing, such as social media and email marketing, may not be as effective as advertising or reputation management.
Hopefully, by following these tips, you can establish a positive web presence for your business and start getting more phone calls.
A new campaign from The Core Agency highlights how shopping with IGA can help Australian causes and charities within local communities.
Since 2010, IGA retailers have supported more than 13,700 charities and not for profit organisations across 1,400 communities around Australia through the sale of products marked with a Community Chest ticket or those branded Community Co. Each year a portion of these sales goes to each store’s Community Chest, which retailers then allocate for the benefit of local causes in their area.
Featuring five IGA retailers across the country, the campaign explains how shopping at IGA can help directly fund causes in your local area such as equipment for schools or funding excursions, helping sporting clubs and supporting Riding for the Disabled, Clown Doctors and Men’s Sheds.
The campaign includes a 45-second and a 30-second TV commercial, digital and social media.
Christian Finucane, founder and creative partner at The Core Agency said: “Local IGA stores are the heart of their communities and each year these independent retailers support more than 1,200 beneficiaries through the Community Chest program. Using real retailers we tell the inspirational stories of how shopping at IGA has made a meaningful impact to causes that are close to home.”
Tracy Wilson, GM marketing at Metcash added: “Independent IGA retailers often help smaller and less well known charities and organisations that sometimes don’t get the same attention or resources as the big national not-for-profits. IGA shoppers see the benefits they bring to their communities right on their doorstep and this campaign recognises how shopping at IGA makes a real difference to the lives of people locally.”
Credits: Client: Metcash
Brand: IGA
General Manager Marketing: Tracy Wilson
Head of Marketing: Brand: Helen Kealy
Community Marketing Manager: Michelle Lee
Senior Brand Manager: Stephanie Amann
National PR and Content Manager: Heather Howell
Agency: The Core Agency
Founder & Creative Partner: Christian Finucane
Founder & Creative Partner: Jon Skinner
Senior Copywriter: Kevin MacNamara
Strategy Director: Clare La Palombara
Business Director: Rebecca Turner
Senior Account Director: Sid De
Account Manager: Justin Westlake
Senior Agency Producer: Monique Pardavi
Production Company: Photoplay
Director: Jasmin Tarasin
Executive Producer: Emma Thompson
Producer: Tom Slater
Editor: Gabriella Muir
Post Production: Vandal
Post Producer: Sophie Knott
Music & Sound Design: Rumble
Locally made film The Crossing Project has had its official launch in front of a home crowd at Roxy Gallery in Kyogle.
The film features creative responses from local writers to the many waterways and the old wooden bridges criss-crossing Bundjalung Country.
The Crossing Project, a local film, was launched in Kyogle this week. Image: Paul Shields
The screening event began with a Welcome to Country by Gullibal Traditional Owner Aunty Marcia Brooks, and a one-minute silence for all those ancestors who have now passed on around the regions.
Andrew Johnston, Carlie Daley, Christabel Strehle, Dusk Dundler, Jarrah Dundler, Jenny Fraser, Paul Shields, and Vince Stead are the eight writers who responded to place in the film, each with different spoken and written word approaches and each focusing on a specific site.
Highlights included Christabel Strehle’s ‘I am Water’ filmed at Bailey’s bridge, Carlie Daley’s strong woman response to the Richmond River, Gullibul elder Uncle Andrew Johnston’s musical work ‘Crossing Over’ and Jenny Fraser, from neighbouring Migunberri Yugambeh Country’s work, which was filmed at Little Round Mountain and Tamrookum, drawing on direct descendant knowledge of a massacre story delivered in spoken word.
‘They were like ghosts being dragged around by a set of tall boots,’ Ms Strehle said.
‘It was scary. Government scary.’
The Crossing Project was directed by Paul Shields who was also responsible for the original concept, with spectacular cinematography and editing by Paul Daley from A Lush Forest Media, and professional audio treatment by Chris Wesley.
A trailer of the project is available on the Kyogle Writers Festival website.
More local screenings of the completed 25 minute film are also planned for upcoming events later in 2022 and 2023, along with a tour on the film festival circuit internationally.
City of Newcastle is encouraging local green thumbs to spruce up their neighbourhood by entering the new 'Green Our City' competition.
Green Our City will be running until December and encourages residents to take part in the Street Gardens program by offering the opportunity to plan and install street gardens.
City of Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the focus of the competition is on enabling and encouraging residents to be sustainable, show pride in their street and make a difference in their neighbourhood.
"Green Our City offers residents the chance to be part of an important environmental program, while at the same time improving and greening our streetscape," Councillor Nelmes said.
"As well as being able to lay claim to having the best new street garden in Newcastle, the winner of Green Our City will also receive $500 to spend at a local nursery of their choice."
The Street Gardens initiative provides step by step support and ultimately fast tracks the process of installing a street garden at your home. It includes guidelines that need to be met, information around optimal plant species, and the Street Garden Postcard can also be downloaded, which allows you to share your plans with neighbours.
Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen said greening Newcastle's streets has never been more important and the Street Gardens program empowers residents to make a difference in their part of the world.
"We want to work with residents to design, install and maintain street gardens because we know the benefits they provide," Councillor Clausen said.
“Apart from simply looking great, street gardens also cool our streets, support pollinators, offer habitat, and filter and limit stormwater runoff into our creeks and waterways. There are also social benefits as it gives residents a way to meet other people and foster a sense of community."
To be a part of Green Our City, residents will need to complete the Street Garden registration form by Monday 23 August to allow time for City of Newcastle to review. Once approved, eligible participants will be notified and will have until December to nurture and grow their street garden, before a panel of judges decides the winner.
Eased camping regulations, the management of shopping trolleys and the banning of circus animals are among a raft of new local laws changes coming to Mitchell Shire from September 1, 2022.
Following two rounds of community consultation, Mitchell Shire Council endorsed the Community and Environment Local Law 2022 at its meeting last week.
The Community and Environment Local Law 2022 replaces the Local Law No 1 Community and Environment Local Law 2013. Under Victorian legislation the Local Law are required to be reviewed at least every 10 years.
Some of the changes include:
Camping: is now allowed on residential land or land under .4 of a hectare without a permit for up to 28 days
Shopping trolleys: if a business has more than 25 shopping trolleys, the trolleys will need to be fitted with a functioning coin deposit and release mechanism or other satisfactory locking mechanism
Circus animals: a person is not permitted to operate a circus that includes animals.
Mitchell Shire Mayor Bill Chisholm said the Local Law helped address issues to support community safety and wellbeing and to protect public spaces for everyone to enjoy.
“The Local Law affects every resident in one way or another, from behaviour in public places to impacts on our environment from unlawful behaviour,” he said.
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