Bain Forecasts GAFO Sales Growth of 3% for the Holidays

With cautious optimism, Bain is forecasting GAFO sales growth of 3% for the holidays.1
It’s going to be a good season . . . at least compared to the last few Although signals are mixed, we are heading into the season with relatively strong momentum versus last year. Among the positive signs: Retailers are stocking slightly more inventory and are planning to increase holiday hiring over last year, some consumers are excited about shopping (or at least about jumping on bargains), and the economy is on a gradual albeit bumpy road to recovery. Underlying our forecast, which is at the high end of publicized estimates, are results that will vary widely by GAFO segment and consumer tier. The purpose of this newsletter is to highlight holiday sales trends and to clarify conflicting signals. We plan to distribute updates every two to three weeks throughout the holiday season to keep you informed as new data emerge.

For the full text of the article click on the following link.

http://www.bain.com/bainweb/PDFs/cms/Public/Bain_2010_Retail_Holiday_Newsletter_1.pdf

Here is what Alexa.com says about the City County Observer:

“City-countyobserver.com has a three-month global Alexa traffic rank of 730,224. The time spent in a typical visit to the site is about 34 minutes, with 56 seconds spent on each pageview. The site has attained a traffic rank of 45,317 among users in the US, where almost all its audience is located. Visitors to this site view 12.0 unique pages each day on average. About 35% of visits to City-countyobserver.com are referred by search engines.”

Having observed the rapid rise of the City County Observer on Alexa and having received an unsolicited syndication offer from a Manhattan publisher we became curious with regard to how we stack up against other local media outlets for internet traffic. To the best of our ability here is a list of the top internet media traffic sites in the Greater Evansville region.

1. Courier and Press #7,774
2. WFIE Channel 14 #29,334
3. City County Observer #45,317
4. Tri-State Media #86,441
5. WEHT Channel 25 #86,669
6. City of Evansville #125,263
7. WTVW Fox 7 #145,283
8. Owensboro Messenger #245,547
9. News4U no ranking
9. Henderson Gleaner no ranking
9. Vincennes Sun no ranking

We also track our performance using Google Analytics. Our latest Google Analytics performance numbers for the past two weeks are as follows:

11,687 Visits
33,194 Page Views
41.6% Bounce Rate
Visits from 45 states and 35 countries

Top Cities:
Evansville, IN
New York City
Newburgh, IN
Houston, TX
Indianapolis
Chicago
Atlanta
Washington DC
Los Angeles
Denver

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EVSC Receives $2.5 Million Grant to Fund Full Service Community School Opportunities

The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation has received a $2.5 million grant ($500,000 over five years) that will be used to coordinate education, health, social services and community programs district-wide, so that children and families can succeed in school and in our community, said Superintendent Vince Bertram during a news conference today (11-16-10). The U.S. Department of Education grant will help EVSC expand its Full-Service Community Schools initiatives. The EVSC was among 11 school districts selected nationally from more than 250 applicants from around the nation.

“Through this program, the EVSC plans to transform high poverty and persistently low achieving schools into Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS). Elements will include early childhood learning centers, after school and summer programs, a college access network, access to health services, social and emotional supports and alternatives to suspensions and expulsions,” Bertram said.

A full-service community school is a public elementary or secondary school that works with its local educational agency (LEA) and community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and other public or private entities to provide a coordinated and integrated set of comprehensive academic, social, and health services that respond to the needs of students, students’ family members, and community members. In addition, a full-service community school promotes family engagement by bringing together partnering organizations in order to offer a range of supports and opportunities for students, students’ family members, and community members.

In 2000, the EVSC spearheaded the development of a district-wide community school initiative called the School-Community Council. To date, more than 70 community organizations, businesses, and faith-based partners are collaborating to support schools. Components of the FSCS program are already in place at some EVSC schools. Schools that will be targeted with this grant funding include the Academy for Innovative Studies (6-12), Cedar Hall Community School (preK-8), Culver Family Learning Center (ages 3-5); Lincoln School (K-8); and McGary Middle School (6-8).

“We have a committed community and they have been working alongside us to address the diverse needs of our families and children,” said Cathlin Gray, associate superintendent for family, school, and community partnerships. “This grant will allow us to strengthen and grow that work. The grant will also be used to align our work to the School District’s Expectations for Excellence –

We believe that ‘Achieving our mission of Equity and Excellence for ALL children is a shared responsibility among EVSC faculty and staff, families and students, and our community.’ ”

On hand for the announcement today, was Martin Blank, president of the Institute for Educational Leadership in Washington, D.C., and director of the Coalition for Community Schools. Patricia Weinzapfel, project director for the Full-Service Community Schools grant, explained that Blank has been to the EVSC four times to help assist the community as the school district and area organizations worked to form these partnerships to aid students. Weinzapfel noted that Blank actually was a large catalyst in funding being available for the grant program. “He was a pioneer in helping secure dollars at the federal level to support the Full Service Community School Grants – the very grant we are announcing here today.”

The EVSC’s Full-Service Community School (FSCS) initiative will enhance existing resources and integrate services into a comprehensive network of programs. The FSCS mission in the EVSC is to establish school sites as places of community to enhance youth and family development. According to the Department of Education website on the grant program, the FSCS grants come from the Fund for the Improvement of Education (FIE), which is authorized by section 5411 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). It supports nationally significant programs to improve the quality of elementary and secondary education at the state and local levels and help all children meet challenging academic content and academic achievement standards. The FSCS program, which is funded under FIE, encourages coordination of academic, social, and health services through partnerships among(1) public elementary and secondary schools; (2) the schools’ local educational agencies (LEAs); and (3) community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and other public or private entities.

EVANSVILLE, IN – Nov. 16, 2010 – The Evansville-Vanderburgh Airport Authority District is pleased to announce that current Interim Manager and Treasurer-Finance Manager, Douglas Joest has been promoted to Airport Manager. In his new role, Mr. Joest will be responsible for overseeing all operations at Evansville Regional Airport as well as strengthening strategic relationships with the community, airlines, and governmental entities. Mr. Joest stated, “I look forward to working with our board, staff and community in continuing to improve Evansville Regional Airport for the tri-state area”

An Evansville native, Joest has served the airport for almost four years as Treasurer and Finance Manager and as Interim Manager since July 2010 as well as serving on the EVAAD board for 5 years. In addition to his 13 years management experience in aviation services, his many accomplishments include: BS Degree in Accounting from University of Southern Indiana, certified public accountant, instrument rated pilot, member of American Association of Airport Executives, member of American Institute of CPA’s, board member of Tri-State World Trade Network.

The search for a new manager began last July upon the retirement of long time airport manager Bob Working. A search committee of Board members and community leaders was formed to evaluate the leadership needs of the Evansville Regional Airport. “The search process revealed that Mr. Joest possesses the qualifications and experience that is necessary to effectively lead the airport. His knowledge of this community and the operations of the airport position him well to make a successful transition,” said Board President Derrick Stewart.

The Evansville-Vanderburgh Airport Authority District is located at 7801 Bussing Drive, Evansville, IN 47725-6799. For more information, please call 812-480-1471.

IS IT TRUE: November 16, 2010

IS IT TRUE that the recent settlement reached between the City of Evansville, the US Department of Justice, and the EPA to suspend further fines and penalties for a period of two years is a great opportunity for the City to get busy with an achievable efficient solution to our Combined Sewer Overflow problem?….that pursuing recompense from the previous operator Environmental Management Corp. that was under contract to the City of Evansville may just result in a settlement in the City’s favor?….that Environmental Management Corp.’s contract with the City of Evansville was renewed on several occasions during which CSO’s occurred routinely?…that the sewer system that the City of Evansville contracted Environmental Management Corp. to manage was spewing waste before they were hired, during the term of their contract, and after the City took back the management?….that it will be quite interesting to learn whether or not Environmental Management Corp. simply did what they were hired to do by the City of Evansville for many years?

IS IT TRUE that one of the basic services that is expected of a municipality is to have a working sewer?….that Evansville does not have and acceptable sewer system for its citizens?…that the EPA came down on the City of Evansville for a problem that has been going on unabated for more than 40 years?….that being allowed to defer maintenance on a sewer system that fowls the air and causes unsanitary conditions is an opportunity to correct the past?….that just because a 20 year waiver is granted that it does not mean that 20 years have to be taken to fix such a nasty problem?….that this is the kind of unresolved problem that is repulsive to potential employers and residents?…that being in proximity to a CSO discharge devalues properties and depresses the City’s tax base?….that it took good leadership on the part of Mayor Weinzapfel to be granted this extension without penalties or fines?….that it will take a true leader to get the citizens of Evansville on board to fix this problem as quick as possible without regard to the cost?…..that with interest rates at an all time low and jobs in immediate demand that there may never be a better time to fix our sewers than right now….that whomever the next Mayor of Evansville is has a golden opportunity to make a lasting difference in the quality of life here by getting on about the business of fixing these sewers?….that this problem should have been fixed at least 30 years ago?

IS IT TRUE that charity and investment both begin at home?….that Evansville is the only city in America with a population over 100,000 that does not have an active Angel Investment Group or a Venture Capital Firm?….that it is difficult for outsiders to justify investing here when local money does not invest here either?….that investment in Evansville is not sufficiently attractive to outside firms to have outside money lining up to put money into the Downtown or anywhere else?….that the Downtown Convention Hotel will be run better, will be more likely to attract outside money, and have better long term prospects IF Evansville based private funds and Evansville based management are the lead investors and managers in the Hotel project?…. that is true for in other projects that come along?……that Evansville people care more about Evansville than they do about that last half of a percent of return on investment?

Published: November 15, 2010

The nation’s leading voice on study abroad has again named the University of Evansville among America’s elite programs.
 


The Institute of International Education released its annual Open Doors report today, ranking the top study abroad programs in the nation. For the second consecutive year, UE ranks 9th in the country in study abroad participation among Master’s Degree-granting institutions, with 48.8 percent of graduates having studied abroad during their time on campus.



In all, 250 of the 512 Class of 2009 graduates at UE had studied abroad at some point during their college career, with most spending at least a semester abroad.
 


“The opportunity to study abroad is one of the hallmarks of the University of Evansville experience, and our sustained excellence in that area is a source of great pride,” said UE President Thomas A. Kazee. “The experiences our students gain from traveling and studying abroad – whether it is at our British campus, Harlaxton College, or anywhere else in the world – give our students a cultural awareness and well-rounded education that can’t be replicated in a traditional classroom.
 


“So we are very excited by this additional recognition, and by what it signifies to the University of Evansville and our students.”
 


While the IIE report quantifies the tremendous Study Abroad opportunities UE offers its students, it does not recognize the opportunities UE offers students at other universities through its British campus, Harlaxton College.
 
Currently, UE has signed partnerships with 20 other colleges across America who sent nearly 200 additional students to Harlaxton in the year covered by today’s report.



“The University of Evansville truly does offers students – both at UE and at our partner institutions – the opportunity to get a truly global education, as our ranking in the IIE Open Doors report illustrates,” said Earl Kirk, director of UE’s Study Abroad program. “But, while the recognition is nice, the most important thing we learn from these distinctions is that our students truly are receiving the kind of life-transforming educational experiences that our Study Abroad program is designed to offer.
 


“These experiences are part of our mission to prepare students to engage the world as informed, ethical, and productive citizens.”