Secoya

Fountain Hills, Arizona (PRWEB) September 12, 2009 — Coach Gary Zauner will coordinate special teams for the newly formed United Football League's (UFL) California Redwoods.

Zauner, a former 13 year NFL Special Teams Coordinator who coached special teams for the Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals, is considered by many to be one of the best kicking coaches in the country. The list of NFL kicking specialists he has worked with is unprecedented and includes having coached or worked with 19 Pro Bowlers.

"Dennis Green asked me if I would help him launch his new UFL team," said Zauner. "Of course I said yes."

Zauner and Green have a long standing coaching relationship. Zauner previously worked with Dennis Green when he was with both the Vikings and the Cardinals.

"I hired Gary two times in my head coaching career," says Green. "Gary is one of the top special teams coaches in the country. He has a thorough understanding of how to help a player become better."

Green adds Zauner's NFL experience will be extremely valuable in developing his special teams players, "Gary has developed and coached some of the top kickers in the history of the NFL, yet some of his best work is when he is teaching young kickers who are eager to learn."

One young player who agrees with Green is Seattle Seahawks Jon Ryan. Upon becoming a NFL Free Agent in 2008, Ryan looked to Coach Zauner for help getting his kicking game back on track.

After working with Zauner for a few sessions Ryan said, Zauner not only helped him get his game back, he also helped refine his technique, "Coach has probably taught me more in the last two days than I've learned from any other coach in two or three years."

Ryan is not the only young player that praises Zauner's ability to improve a kicking specialist's technique. Another specialist Coach Zauner has recently worked with is Garrett Hartley.

Hartley, who is the place kicker for the New Orleans Saints, attended the University of Oklahoma and was a finalist in 2006 for the prestigious Lou Groza Award. This is an award given to the best college place kicker in the country.

After college, Hartley signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos. During the 2008 NFL season he was signed by the New Orleans Saints. In eight games he finished the season perfect on field goals going 13 for 13. He credits Coach Zauner with some of this success.

"Coach has been really good at refining my technique without changing it," says Hartley. "He's been helping and guiding me and I feel a lot more confident after a few sessions. I really recommend Coach Zauner to any kicker. He's the real deal!"

Since leaving the NFL in 2007, Zauner has created a very successful consulting business coaching kicking specialists who are eager to improve their game. He also conducted one of the most successful Free Agent Specialists Combine which was held during April 2009 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Zauner says his coaching for the UFL's 'Premier' Season will only be a 'break' from his consulting business. He plans to resume in December with a kicking specialists camp held in Australia. This camp will focus on 'evaluating' Australian kickers for his next Free Agent Specialists Combine currently scheduled for early 2010. While in Australia, Zauner will also be offering 'One on One' lessons for those Australians interested in playing professional football in the United States.

"I have a full agenda planned for coaching and consulting in 2010," says Zauner. Adding he is not closing the door to a future coaching position on a professional team should the right occasion arise. "I love coaching," says Zauner, "whether for a professional team, through a kicking camp or conducting 'One on One' lessons with a kicking specialist."

"So we'll just have to wait and see what the future brings," he adds, "but one thing is certain, I will be coaching someone, somewhere!"

Zauner has also recently launched 'Kicking For The Gold', an online project dedicated to making 'kicking a ball' an Olympic sport.

You can learn about 'Kicking For The Gold' at: www.kickingforthegold.com

You can learn more about Coach Zauner at: www.coachzauner.com

For Further Information Contact:

Coach Zauner

612.239.9529

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) June 28, 2009 — California eHealth Collaborative announced today that five community-based health information exchange (HIE) projects in California successfully tested the exchange of clinical health information to improve patient care. Taking advantage of recently released Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) Connect software, Kaiser Permanente, Long Beach Network for Health, ER Connect- Orange County, Redwood MedNet and Santa Cruz HIE verified the ability to share patient clinical information among regional networks across the state. The public test demonstrated how clinicians might treat a patient within an emergency room care or other clinical settings by obtaining critical clinical information from the patient's medical record in another location.

"We are pleased to demonstrate that local provider organizations have the ability to securely share health care information with each other and to access information from previously established NHIN gateways," states Jamie Ferguson, Executive Director of Health Information Technology Strategy and Policy for Kaiser Permanente and a member of the HHS HIT Standards Committee.

This technical demonstration shows that any community-based (HIE) or provider network that conforms to the NHIN standards can securely exchange clinically-relevant data for treatment purposes. Providing local physicians and safety net providers with low cost access to data exchange technology is a key component of the Obama Administration's goal of meaningful use of electronic health records (EHR) by 2014.

"Our NHIN Gateway is a federally-funded asset and we can now use this resource to rapidly expand the ability to improve patient care by connecting with other health information exchanges in the state simply by using national standards," states Laura Landry, Executive Director of Long Beach Network for Health. "California needs the ability to share patient data across regions to the point of care, and we have just demonstrated how to do that using the Internet as the backbone and the NHIN standards as the on-ramp. Now that the technical challenge is solved, we are looking forward to the NHIN governance evolving in order to solve the policy challenges and share real patient data for patient care."

The ARRA 2009 stimulus legislation, signed into law in February, provides incentives for the adoption of certified EHR technology, with grants and loans offered to participants to improve care to patients. Once this technology becomes more widespread, it will be easier for doctors and other members of care teams to have a more complete picture of a patient's health status regardless of where each member is located.

"We have signed the necessary agreements and set up policies in order to expand beyond our current exchange and to offer the community the ability to securely link directly to the NHIN through our product," comments Keith Matsutsuyu, CEO of ELM Technologies, the operator of ER Connect -Orange County, the current health information exchange in Orange County.

"The demonstration illustrated the power and importance of standards," said Bill Beighe, Chief Information Officer for Physicians Medical Group of Santa Cruz. "We showed that a mixture of commercial and open source NHIN Gateways running on different hardware and EHR software platforms could seamlessly exchange clinical data."

"This demonstration of the Federal Health Architecture gateway is a breakthrough for the many regions in California which are already exchanging or are planning to exchange clinical data," notes Will Ross, Project Manager for Redwood MedNet, a health information exchange in Mendocino which delivers more than 5,000 laboratory results a month from safety net hospitals to small physician practices. "The NHIN Connect gateway, released just two months ago, is a game changer. With this new software published by the federal government at no cost, local HIEs do not have to wait for a large vendor to build a costly, monolithic statewide utility service because local HIEs can network health data now using a secure public framework."

"Interoperability requires policies, standards, and architecture. The NHIN Connect software provides a standards-based transport mechanism that connects organizations in support of meaningful use," said John Halamka, MD, Co-Chair of the National Health IT Standards Committee, upon learning of the California eHealth NHIN Gateway demonstration. "The California eHealth Collaborative participants have been early adopters of NHIN Connect and I applaud their efforts."

A key feature of the California eHealth Collaborative demonstration included the appropriate privacy and security measures necessary in any health information exchange. While the demonstration used test data rather than live patient data, the participants signed a test Data Use and Reciprocal Support Agreement (DURSA), which was modeled after the DURSA developed for the federal NHIN demonstration in December 2008.

The HIEs participating in the California eHealth demonstration were Kaiser Permanente, Long Beach Network for Health, ER Connect- Orange County, Redwood MedNet and Santa Cruz HIE. The participants exchanged electronic a clinical summary of each patient's care, sending the type of referral document that might be faxed between a referring primary care physician and a specialist. Multiple records were exchanged to show that the process is general and not a special case.

Each data exchange was observed by an audience including members of the California Office of Health Information Integrity and other stakeholders in health care delivery in California. The exchanges were recorded in an online webinar and are available on the California eHealth Collaborative website at www.caehc.org. The patient care scenario behind the data exchange demonstration is also available on the Collaborative website.

About California eHealth Collaborative:

California eHealth Collaborative (http://www.caehealth.org) was formed in February 2009 to accelerate statewide collaboration in the development and deployment of secure and practical health information exchange. The mission of the California eHealth Collaborative (CAeHC) is to provide a unified voice for health information exchange participants promoting secure access to clinically relevant information at the point of care throughout California.

About ER Connect- Orange County

ER Connect was founded in 2008 to provide a fully-functioning Health Information Exchange (HIE) and suite of supporting web-based solutions under a single, fully-integrated umbrella for those public/private organizations serving the "forgotten population" in Orange County, Calif. — the underinsured and uninsured. SafetyNet Connect has accomplished this through its 5 offerings, AuthMed, eCEDA, ER Connect, Clinic Connect and Community Connect, all which assist in enrolling and tracking patients and their data throughout the healthcare community. The company's name reflects its connecting role among the Orange County Safety Net, a collaboration of health-based programs serving the uninsured and underinsured in the region. SafetyNet Connect is a company created from the partnership between Internet and software solutions provider NetChemistry, Inc. and ELM Technologies – both which have a rich history of providing software that enables collaboration between hospitals, insurance companies, managed care organizations, third-party administrators, physician groups and public sector health plans. For more information please visit www.safetynetconnect.com.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 8.6 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, contact ravi.x.poorsina(at)kp.org.

About Long Beach Network for Health

Long Beach Network for Health (http://www.lbnh.org) is a non-profit organization created in 2003 as a health information exchange (HIE) in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As a public private collaboration of physicians, hospitals, health care organizations, and patient advocates, LBNH is committed to improving the quality and continuity of healthcare for area residents through the improved access and use of relevant clinical data. LBNH technology is provided by MedPlus through its Centergy health information exchange solution and Initiate Systems' Identity Hub for master patient index. For further information, please contact Laura Landry at 562-436-2923 or llandry(at)lbnh.org.

About Redwood MedNet

Redwood MedNet is a nonprofit organization established in Ukiah, California in 2005. The founding members of Redwood MedNet are physicians and information technologists working in private practice, community clinics, emergency departments and public health. The goal of Redwood MedNet is to help our region become a center of excellence in improved patient health outcomes through the adoption of appropriate information technology. For information, please contact Tanya Laino, 707.462.6369, tlaino(at)redwoodmednet.org.

About Santa Cruz Health Information Exchange

The Santa Cruz Health Information Exchange is one of the oldest and most advanced in the country. The clinical network connects more than 600 healthcare doctors and staff including a large IPA, two local hospitals, the County Health Clinics, two national and two local reference labs, two imaging centers and several FQHC safety net clinics. More than one million web transactions occur each month on the Exchange as well as tens of thousands of new electronic prescriptions, electronic refill requests, pre-treatment authorizations, referrals and transcribed documents.

Melville, NY (PRWEB) July 14, 2009 — Software Test and Performance Collaborative (http://www.stpcollaborative.com) today announced a new membership community for the software testing and quality assurance profession. STP Collaborative members will gain access to a rich new resource for news, education, and professional networking.

Member benefits will include Software Test & Performance magazine and its online complement, e-newsletter archives, access to whitepapers, case studies, special industry reports, conference proceedings, online education offerings, searchable content, reader commentary, member profiles and an online resource directory with vendor profiles, online demos, trial versions, downloads and special discounts for members on conference participation.

The new STP Collaborative Strategic Advisory Board includes the industry's most knowledgeable and highly respected experts: James Bach, CEO, Satisfice; Scott Barber, chief technologist, PerfTestPlus and director, AST; Kent Beck, founder and director, Three Rivers Institute; Vladimir Belorusets, SQA Manager, Xerox; Rex Black, founder and president, RBCS; Michael Bolton, founder, DevelopSense; Ross Collard, founder, Collard & Co.; Jan Fish, QA manager; Phillips Lifeline; Robert Galen, principal consultant, RGalen Consulting Group; Matt Heusser, software developer, tester and trainer, Socialtext, and contributing editor, Software Test & Performance magazine; David Holcombe, co-founder, president and CEO, eLearning Guild; Andrew Muns, president and CEO, Redwood Collaborative Media; Ron Muns, chairman, Redwood Collaborative Media; Bj Rollison, test architect, Microsoft; technology expert and editor David Strom, former editor-in-chief, Network Computing magazine, Tom's Hardware, current editor-in-chief for DigitalLanding.com.

"Our goal is to provide a rich, interactive resource for news and information and enable community-building, education, training, and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, which are so vital to professional development," said Andrew Muns, president Redwood Collaborative Media and publisher, Software Test & Performance. "We're excited about our new programs, and we look forward to working with our members to build upon our community base of more than 50,000 knowledge workers from around the globe in the software test and QA profession."

About STP Collaborative:

Software Test & Performance Collaborative serves the global software testing and performance community, providing more than 50,000 software professionals with information, education, training, and professional networking opportunities. Software Test & Performance Collaborative is a Redwood Collaborative Media community. For more information, visit http://www.stpcollaborative.com.

About Redwood Collaborative Media:

Redwood Collaborative Media creates highly interactive, integrated, and dynamic platforms for sharing knowledge, insights, and resources, and is dedicated to building deep relationships for professional communities. The company's mission is to empower these communities through high quality information, education and training, and targeted online and face-to-face networking opportunities. For more information, visit http://www.redwoodcollaborative.com

Media Contacts:

Teresa Cantwell

(631) 393-6051 x200

Klamath, CA (PRWEB) September 9, 2009 — After 22 years accommodating travelers from around the world, the Redwood National Park Hostel will close its doors indefinitely on January 18, 2010, due to a lack of available funding for necessary repairs to the historic former pioneer homestead.

The hostel is in need of extensive reconstruction, including seismic retrofitting as well as renovations to bring the building into ADA compliance. Preliminary assessments estimate the cost of these repairs at more than $1.5 million.

The closure is the result of a joint decision by the National Park Service at Redwood National and State Parks, which oversees the building and the site, and the Golden Gate Council of Hostelling International USA, which operates the hostel. HI-USA Golden Gate Council, a nonprofit organization, hopes to raise the necessary funds to complete the renovations and reopen the hostel in the future.

The Redwood Hostel has hosted more than 75,000 travelers since it first opened in 1987. Over the past three years, overnight stays have increased by 40%, and the hostel has become one of the highest-rated in the world. The Lonely Planet travel guide U.S. and Canada on a Shoestring lists it as one of the "Five Best Hostels" across the two countries, and in 2008 the hostel tied for first place (with the Shin-Osaka Hostel in Japan) for highest customer satisfaction ratings worldwide, according to the International Youth Hostel Federation.

"As word of the hostel's potential closure spread, our guests, as well as members of the local community, expressed an overwhelming disappointment," said hostel manager Kaci Elder. "It's heartbreaking. Yet they have encouraged us not to give up, and to remain optimistic that funding will come through to retrofit the hostel for another generation of travelers."

Steve Chaney, Superintendent of Redwood National and State Parks, said that "in light of all the positive results coming from Hostelling International's management of the hostel, the just completed award of a seven-year concession contract to HI, and the simply remarkable character of this hostel, it was devastating to learn about the building's serious structural deficiencies. While these problems are forcing us to discontinue use of the existing building, we are hopeful that HI, with assistance from the NPS and other regional interests, will find a way to continue to offer a hostel experience to park visitors."

The site where the Redwood Hostel stands today was established as a pioneer homestead in 1877, when Swiss-born Peter Louis DeMartin and his family built a log home and began raising crops and livestock. Even during these early years, the home was open to travelers, who were offered a bed for 25 cents per night. In 1889 the DeMartins built a new home and hostelry, with more space for travelers.

After Louis DeMartin passed away in 1907, his children undertook a complete reconstruction of the house, including the addition of a second story. The house remained in the hands of the DeMartin family until 1944, when it was sold.

By 1985, the house was vacant and boarded up, and locals questioned whether it should be torn down. HI-USA Golden Gate Council undertook major renovations in partnership the National Park Service, the Coastal Conservancy, and the California Conservation Corps, and the Redwood National Park Hostel opened its doors to travelers in June 1987.

ABOUT US

The Redwood National Park Hostel is operated by the Golden Gate Council of Hostelling International USA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting intercultural understanding, environmental stewardship, and world peace through travel. The hostel is an authorized Concessioner of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PUBLICATION

HI-Redwood National Park

14480 Highway 101, Klamath, CA 95548

(707) 482-8265

www.redwoodhostel.org

IMAGES

Download full-resolution images at http://norcalhostels.org/press-room/.

Petaluma, CA (Vocus) November 30, 2009 — Heritage Salvage completes crafting twenty reclaimed redwood table tops, counter front, and entry door panels for Gather restaurant opening December 15th in Berkeley. This marks final destination of wood repurposed from a 75-year old 100,000-gallon redwood water tank deconstructed in San Rafael, California.

It began Summer 2008, when Marin Municipal Water District in San Rafael requested proposals for removal of wooden water tank. The 30-foot diameter, 20-foot tall tank held a million pounds of water. Senior Engineer reported all proposals too high and they could not afford to proceed. At that time, seeing the value and beauty of the redwood, Michael “Bug” Deakin, founder Heritage Salvage offers to take down the tank for one dollar.

One dollar and 16 months later, Heritage Salvage has re-enlisted old growth redwood and materials reclaimed from the tank in over twenty green projects, with it taking on new life as interior paneling, shelving, entertainment centers, bars, tables, trellises, and more.

The water tanks major appearances include: Windsor Firehouse #2 as exterior siding and arched door encasements; Martin’s West Gastro Pub in Redwood City as 26 foot curved bar complete with metal bands and siding, foot rails and curtain rods as well as wall shelving; Rickhouse on Kearny Street in San Francisco, complete interior done in whiskey barrel faux using all tank staves skins with band marks, and now her swan song at Gather Restaurant in Berkeley.

“There was no question for us, to use recycled materials in the crafting of our restaurant. We are located in the David Brower Center, the greenest building in the East Bay, and wanted to do it all sustainably. Ever since Julia Butterfly Hill introduced us, I have been looking forward to working with Bug at Heritage Salvage. We specifically chose wood that came from our local forests and represent the environment of the Bay Area, redwood and douglas fir. Our customers can now enjoy their seasonal local food on local wood that held waters of life, what could be better?” Ari Derfel, co-owner of Gather.

“Green has made the scene! Heritage Salvage is increasingly the sustainable choice for Bay Area upscale restaurants and homes," said Michael "Bug" Deakin, founder. "It warms 'me' heart to be promoting the beauty of old wood and through talking stories, salvaging our heritage along the way."

About Gather Restaurant

Gather is a restaurant, café and organic bar with an outdoor patio in

Downtown Berkeley. We serve seasonal farm food, sourced carefully and prepared thoughtfully, with a fairly priced menu for vegetarians and omnivores. Located in the David Brower Center, the greenest building in the East Bay, Gather is designed to inspire community and educate people about food.

About Heritage Salvage, practicing sustainable enthusiasm

Heritage Salvage, Petaluma’s green building source, specializes in reclaiming, repurposing, and reusing wood and building materials from windfalls and existing structures. We offer recycled building materials and custom furniture hand-crafted by our artists, as well as custom design-build to client’s needs for home, garden and commercial projects. Heritage Salvage revitalizes heritage and participates in community with a passion for beauty, a design for life, and positive input for the spirit.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) June 30, 2009 — Nine hostels around Northern California are hosting free, public celebrations August 22-30, 2009, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the worldwide hostelling movement, and the 75th anniversary of Hostelling International USA (formerly American Youth Hostels).

Festivities range from a seaside barbecue at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse (Aug. 30) to an old-fashioned ice cream social in Sacramento (Aug. 25), as well as a day-long progressive event at three San Francisco hostels, ending with an outdoor party in Fort Mason (Aug. 29). In addition to celebrating hostelling's centennial, the series offers the uninitiated the chance to tour a local hostel and find out what this unique mode of travel is all about.

All events are free and open to the public. Further event details will be announced on or before August 1. For more information about the events and about the history of hostelling, both worldwide and in Northern California, visit www.norcalhostels.org/100years.

Saturday, August 22, 12:00 – 3:00 p.m.

POINT MONTARA LIGHTHOUSE HOSTEL

16th Street & Highway 1, Montara, CA 94037

www.montarahostel.org

A seaside party at the Point Montara Light Station State Historic Park, featuring live music, kids' crafts, hostel tours, door prizes, and a lighthouse art show.

Sunday, August 23, 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

POINT REYES HOSTEL

1390 Limantour Spit Road, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA 94956

www.pointreyeshostel.org

A bring-your-own picnic with live performances by local bands, in the heart of Point Reyes National Seashore. Beer and lemonade provided; fully equipped kitchen and barbecue grills available for use.

Sunday, August 23, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

REDWOOD NATIONAL PARK HOSTEL

14480 Highway 101, Klamath, CA 95548

www.redwoodhostel.org

A party and open house in Redwood National Park, with live music, travel-themed games, hostel tours, refreshments, and door prizes, plus the chance to contribute your personal stories to Hostelling International's anniversary video archive.

Tuesday, August 25, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

SACRAMENTO HOSTEL

925 H Street, Sacramento, CA 95814

www.sacramentohostel.org

An old-fashioned ice cream social at the historic Sacramento Hostel, formerly the Llewellyn Williams Mansion, near the state Capitol in downtown Sacramento. Ice cream from Leatherby's Family Creamery, live jazz music, prize giveaways, and a special dedication ceremony honoring former mayor Heather Fargo, who was instrumental in the hostel's founding.

Friday, August 28, 2:00 – 8:00 p.m.

MARIN HEADLANDS HOSTEL

Fort Barry Building 941, Marin Headlands, CA 94965

www.marinhostel.org

A family-friendly celebration with music, hostel tours, refreshments, prizes, and a "Community Walls" painting project for kids, followed by a night hike in the Marin Headlands, led by a National Park docent at 7 p.m.

Saturday, August 29, 11:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

SAN FRANCISCO HOSTELS

A progressive event and scavenger hunt spanning all three hostel locations in San Francisco (see below).

11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

SAN FRANCISCO DOWNTOWN HOSTEL

312 Mason Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

www.sfhostels.com/downtown/

A pancake and mimosa brunch at the Downtown Hostel, one block from Union Square, with tours of the newly renovated facilities.

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

SAN FRANCISCO CITY CENTER HOSTEL

685 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

www.sfhostels.com/city-center/

A midday reception in the City Center Hostel's cafe, "Ivy's Place," with music, prize giveaways, hostel tours, and displays highlighting the mission and history of this beautiful 1920s boutique hotel turned hostel.

2:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

SAN FRANCISCO FISHERMAN'S WHARF HOSTEL

Fort Mason Building 240, San Francisco, CA 94123

www.sfhostels.com/fishermans-wharf/

A bayside barbecue in Fort Mason, a waterfront National Park with views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. Food and microbrews from local businesses, live music and entertainment, family friendly activities, hostel tours, and prize giveaways.

Sunday, August 30, 12:00 – 3:00 p.m.

PIGEON POINT LIGHTHOUSE HOSTEL

210 Pigeon Point Road, Pescadero, CA 94060

www.pigeonpointhostel.org

A seaside barbecue featuring live music, puppet shows, prize giveaways, and historic tours of the lighthouse grounds led by State Park docents. Grilled sausages and tofu dogs, plus strawberry shortcake and strawberry lemonade from Swanton Berry Farms.

100 YEARS OF HOSTELLING

Hostelling International was co-founded by Richard Schirmann, a German schoolteacher who first conceived of the idea of hostels in 1909, and succeeded in opening the world's first hostel in Altena, Germany, in 1912. The centennial is being observed in a variety of ways by the 4,000 hostels in 60 countries that are part of the nonprofit Hostelling International network.

In the U.S., the official Open Hostel series kicks off August 23, 2009, with the dedication of a historical marker in Northfield, Massachusetts, on the site where the first American hostel opened in 1934. Celebrations continue throughout the week at hostels around the country. For more information, visit www.hiusa.org.

Download high-resolution photos at www.norcalhostels.org/press-room/.

The Marin Headlands Hostel, Point Reyes Hostel, Redwood National Park Hostel, and San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf Hostel are authorized Concessioners of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

(PRWEB) June 9, 2010 — Eighteen amazing women will spend a weekend in the glorious California wine country, among the magnificent redwood trees from November 17-21, 2010. They will laugh, cry, work and play together. They will be inspired and charged to bring their dreams out of their heads and into reality. When they leave, they will have the body of skills needed to bring their dream businesses to life. Patty Sadallah is the Dream Partner Catalyst and President & Founder of the Redwood Sisterhood, an international organization that supports solopreneurs and small business owners in the marketing and growing of their businesses. Leadership Anatomy is Patty Sadallah’s model of using the body as a powerful metaphor for dream fulfillment.

Patty Sadallah and Sarah Spengler, of Grace Partners, will combine forces to facilitate this uniquely powerful 5 day intervention for business dreamers. “Both Sarah and I have 20 plus years of experience as organization development consultants and coaches. I bring the model and the marketing sense to the table, and Sarah brings her expertise in accelerated learning. Together, we will deliver a dynamite and efficient process that will allow participants to make more planning progress in a long weekend than they could make in a year” explains Sadallah.

“The learning curves are so steep for new business start ups, and yet, women owned businesses are growing at rate double that of the national average. This retreat is ideal for the woman who has a dream business in mind and just doesn’t know what to do to get it going.” Sadallah says. Retreat participants will leave with more clarity; direction and an action plan to kick start their dream businesses.

Each woman will bring her own dream business challenge to the retreat and through carefully designed exercises, she’ll leave with much more clarity of purpose, market niche, branding, planning and time management skills. Through the lenses of the body parts, the women will be working on:

Heart: Connecting with your passion, mission and purpose…how your God given gifts can be used to help people in your unique way.

Eyes: Can you see your ideal future? What does it really look like to have your dream business? What impact is awaiting your customers? How are you making a difference?

Brain: How can you adopt a CEO mindset? What would it take to imagine yourself adding a zero to your present income? “Every new level of income demands a different you.”- Mike Litman. Challenge yourself to tap into that new level of you!

Face: “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Dr. Seuss. We’ll work to clarify YOUR unique brand.

Hands: Your hands represent your service. What should be your ideal service or product offerings? How can you parlay them into integrated multiple streams of income?

Mouth: Find your voice through effective copy writing and messaging. Learn about the secrets of effective communication and work through strategies for helping your ideal customers find you.

Ears: It’s 3 times more costly to get new customers than to keep old ones, and 68% change brands because of a lack of appreciation. We’ll work on strategies and techniques to insure that you know how to listen to your customers.

Legs: If you aren’t sure how to work your business into your life, you appreciate learning the success activities and time management strategies to get it all done and still have time to enjoy yourself.

Stomach: Taking the leap of faith to have your dream business takes courage. We will work on tapping the guts you need to be successful. Find the power that will help you succeed no matter what the obstacles.

There will be plenty of time for reflection, fun and relaxation built into the retreat experience. The Alexander Valley Lodge in Geyserville, CA , nestled on a hilltop in the Sonoma wine valley will be the Bed and Breakfast host of the event. “It would be irresponsible of us not to visit the local vineyards, partake in the fruits of their labor and enjoy the magnificent redwood trees while we are there. “ Spengler says. The Redwood Sisterhood was named for the majestic redwoods. They are the tallest, oldest and strongest trees on the planet. But, they are shallow rooted and get their strength from intertwining their roots and are virtually indestructible. The Redwood Sisterhood offers that kind of wrap-around support for solopreneurs and small business owners.

“Bring your dream business challenge to the retreat and I guarantee that you will know exactly what to do when you get home.” Sadallah promises. For more information about the Leadership Anatomy Woman’s Retreat: The Body of Skills you need to Bring your Dream to Life that will be held November, 17-21, 2010 please click here:http://bit.ly/IY8Cp (http://bit.ly/IY8Cp)

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) November 10, 2008 — Sweaters shrink. Gadgets become outdated. A redwood tree lives for centuries. This holiday season, Save the Redwoods League (http://www.savetheredwoods.org) and California State Parks (http://parks.ca.gov) make it possible for shoppers to give a gift that gives back (http://www.savetheredwoods.org/give) to the environment for years to come.

For a donation of $50 to Save the Redwoods League, gift-givers can have a redwood seedling (https://secure3.convio.net/srl/site/Donation2?1303.donation=form1&df_id=1303) planted in honor of a loved one in a California state park. Save the Redwoods League delivers a commemorative card featuring a photograph of an ancient redwood forest to the recipient to showcase the gift. All dedicated trees support forest restoration efforts in California State Parks.

"With many shoppers looking to spend their dollars in a way that makes a positive impact, dedicating a redwood seedling is a meaningful way to support the environment this holiday season and beyond," said Ruskin Hartley, executive director, Save the Redwoods League. "In addition, this partnership will allow us to restore and rejuvenate our forestlands that were once overharvested."

In 1850, there were nearly 2 million acres of ancient coast redwood forests in California. Today, less than 5 percent remains. Save the Redwoods League and California State Parks are leading a new movement to restore the complexity, diversity and ecological values of the remaining young redwood forest stands throughout their natural range so that one day they can begin to resemble an ancient redwood forest.

"Once these fragile saplings are planted in a state park, they will always be protected so that they can grow strong and be still standing hundreds of years from now," said Director Ruth Coleman of California State Parks. "In addition to providing shade and habitat, they reduce atmospheric carbon that contributes to global warming. New this year, we're proud to expand the seedling program to include planting of other tree species, as needed, to best support healthy and diverse ecosystems within our parks."

Steve Horvitz, superintendent of North Coast Redwoods District at California State Parks, will ensure that genetically similar trees are planted together so that the delicate redwood forest can be restored as naturally as possible. While redwood seedlings are the first to be planted through the program, other trees species such as western hemlock, Sitka spruce, red alder, Douglas-fir and big leaf maple will be planted if no additional redwood seedlings are needed in an area. California State Parks staff will determine where trees will be planted to effectively promote the health and diversity of state park forests.

To ensure that the seedling gift arrives in time for the holidays, all orders must be received by December 12, 2008 at 5 p.m. To place an order, please visit the League online at savetheredwoods.org/give (http://savetheredwoods.org/give) or send an e-mail to membership@savetheredwoods.org. For more information please call 1-888-836-0005. The opportunity to have a seedling planted in honor of a loved one or organization exists year round.

Editors, please note: For more information or to request images, contact Heather Platisha, Landis Communications Inc. at 415-359-2306 or heather@landispr.com.

About Save the Redwoods League

Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2008, Save the Redwoods League is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting ancient forests so that all generations can experience the inspiration and majesty of these towering giants. In 1850, there were nearly 2 million acres of ancient coast redwood forests in California. Today, less than 5 percent remains. Since its founding in 1918, the League has completed the purchase of more than 181,000 acres of land. For more information, visit savetheredwoods.org (http://www.savetheredwoods.org).

About California State Parks

California State Parks manages more than 5 million acres that make up California's 278 state parks. These include beaches, museums, recreation areas, state vehicular recreation areas, state reserves and historic parks. The department's mission is to provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state's extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation.

Contact:    Heather Platisha

Landis Communications, Inc.

For Save the Redwoods League

415-359-2315

heather@landispr.com

www.landispr.com

Roy Stearns

California State Parks

(916) 654-7538

rstea@parks.ca.gov

East Windsor, NJ (Vocus) June 22, 2010 — ExpertPlan (www.expertplan.com) announced today that as of Tuesday, June 4, 2010, Redwood Administrators, Inc. became a wholly owned subsidiary of ExpertPlan, Inc., based in East Windsor, NJ. For ExpertPlan, a leading private label retirement plan recordkeeper, this is the fourth acquisition in twenty four months. Redwood Administrators, Inc. currently provides retirement plan services and administration to over 570 plans. As employees of ExpertPlan, Anthony Scialabba, Esq., Kelton Collopy, and their staff of 17 people, will continue to provide a full range of retirement plan services based in their Moorestown, NJ location.

This is an exciting chapter in ExpertPlan’s evolution as the company continues to widen its product base by forming key partnerships with respected industry experts, while maintaining a disciplined focus on providing high quality recordkeeping. In addition to its defined contribution, defined benefit, and insurance-based products, as well as trust and benefit services software solutions, ExpertPlan is expanding its product base offering to include a complete range of consulting, research, and administrative services throughout the entire field of tax-qualified plans. Key staff of Redwood Administrators, Inc. and Actuarial Enterprises, Inc., another wholly owned subsidiary of ExpertPlan, will be combined with certain other experienced retirement plan industry service professionals in order to allow ExpertPlan to offer these expanded retirement plan services.

Notes ExpertPlan CEO Julian Onorato, “We are looking forward to having Redwood’s dedicated and knowledgeable retirement experts offer value-added services to our clients. To forge ahead, ExpertPlan has decided to manage Redwood Administrators, Inc. as a new ExpertPlan business unit, with Anthony Scialabba continuing to provide the senior leadership.”

“We are excited to join ExpertPlan and look forward to the opportunities presented by the acquisition. In particular, the unique consulting services that we provide coupled with the large number of plans that ExpertPlan manages provide a great synergistic opportunity. Thus, we cannot imagine uniting with a better organization than ExpertPlan for continuing the success we have had at Redwood Administrators, “said Anthony Scialabba.

ExpertPlan now offers a complete range of consulting services such as assisting plan sponsors to correct compliance problems, design plan documents from prototype to volume submitter, to individually designed plan documents for defined contribution and defined benefit plans. Document services will include transactional goals such as a plan termination, merger or spin-off, loan, and QDRO policies. Other consulting areas will include services associated with fiduciary liability and fiduciary protection.

ExpertPlan is hosting its partner conference at the Phoenician Hotel in Scottsdale, AZ June 23-25, 2010 with more than 250 clients attending.

About ExpertPlan, Inc. (www.expertplan.com)

ExpertPlan Inc., headquartered outside of Princeton, NJ, is the premier provider of private-labeled recordkeeping solutions to asset management firms, TPAs, RIAs, broker dealers, insurance companies, CPAs, payroll companies and banks that serve 401(k) and other defined contribution plans. The firm's scalable recordkeeping solution can be customized to fully integrate with a client's business and distribution models. ExpertPlan has earned many awards and accolades as a service provider in the retirement plan industry and has for three consecutive years been on the Inc. 5000 list as one of the top 100 fastest growing privately held companies in the U.S.

Redwood decks are beautiful and durable as long as they are properly cared for. A decade ago, we could buy Redwood for a song, but now it’s rather expensive so if you have Redwood decks, you might want to take good care of them.

The idea about any outside decking material is to protect it from the elements so the wood doesn’t sustain damage. If water gets beneath the surface of decking material, it can cause cracks. These cracks are a part of the natural breakdown process of wood, but it’s not a good thing. Cracks cause rot, and rot causes replacements and aching pocketbooks.

There are many good quality stains that act as sealants to prevent moisture from breaking down wood fibers. Local climates determine how long your decks can go before the next sealant application. I live in severe cold and snow. The summers are quite gentle so the wood surfaces don’t sustain much damage from heat or sun, but the rain and snow really wreak havoc on softwood materials.

I try to clean and apply sealant to my decks every other year. I know of some sealants that claim to last up to five years, but I wouldn’t let any decks go longer than three years without another application.

The first part of the process is to clean the old stain off the decks. You will also want to spot treat anything like oil or paint spots. You can spot clean them with deck stain remover or deck cleaner in its concentrated form.

Once the spot treatment is done you will want to get the deck wet with a garden hose to let the surface become porous and more receptive to the cleaner. You can use just about any deck cleaner mixed with dish soap or mild detergent. Pour a good amount of cleaner onto the deck and sweep it vigorously with a stiff brush to clean away the top layer of deteriorated wood.

Be sure to wash away the cleaner frequently. It’s better to apply the deck cleaner in small areas so you can scrub it, clean it, and then wash away the cleaner. Once the deck has been cleaned, try to keep the dirt and dust off it until you stain it. You should let the deck dry completely before applying the stain. This will usually take about three days.

There are a lot of people that hear about deck stains and deck sealants and they get confused between the two. Most of the quality deck stains available are both stain and sealant in one, so you don’t need to worry about which one to use. I prefer a deck stain from Sherwin Williams called ?DeckScapes?. It is about the best quality I have seen, but it costs a little more than some of the others. I also like Cabot, but I won’t use Behr.

You will want to apply the deck stain in the morning when the sun isn’t hot. The deck needs to be cool and the temperature needs to stay above fifty degrees until the stain completely dries to make a good seal. Apply a generous amount of stain because it is two-fold in purpose. It is making the deck look nice and it is protecting it from the weather. I mention this because I have received letters from homeowners that apply only enough stain to their decks to look nice, but they have to apply it every year.

You most likely won’t be able to stain the underside of the deck, but it doesn’t matter. If you can’t see it, the sun probably can’t get to it either. When the deck is wet from the stain, it will be very susceptible to dust and footprints so try to keep the kids off of it for at least two days if this is possible.

I used to use power washers on my Redwood decks, but I was young and dumb back then. Now, I just use the cleaner and a stiff deck brush or broom. Some power washers can damage and splinter softwoods like Redwood, Cedar, Pine, and Fir. If you’re in a super hurry then go ahead and use a power washer, but if you love your decks like I do, then be gentle and give them the TLC they need.

If you want to experiment with different shades of stain, then you’ll have many options to choose from. The most important part of the stain is to slow down the deterioration process of the wood, so regardless of color, be sure that is a good sealant stain.

That’s all there is to maintaining your Redwood decks. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of new decking materials. I hope you enjoy your decks as much as I do.

Larry Angell is the author of “Sweat Equity, building a house at half cost”. He runs an information website that teaches how to build homes that are strong financial tools, not financial burdens. www.make-my-own-house.com