Elmo. Miss Piggy. Kermit the Frog. Big Bird. Cookie Monster. Oscar the Grouch. These are some of them most lovable characters to ever come across a television screen. How did the first – and all-time best – educational television show mange to make learning fun? Through decades of social change, how did Sesame Street navigate multiple generations to better understand serious issues and learn educational skills, from bullying, love, racism, and charity to knowing numbers, mastering letters, speaking, and telling time?

A new book, The Inside Secrets of Sesame Street, 3rd Edition, penned by a children’s media educational consultant of 30 years who conducted research for a decade for Sesame Street, reveals a behind-the-scenes look at what made Sesame Street the most-watched, best-beloved, award-winning program for children during a golden era of programming.
“Sesame Street not only entertains millions of children, it educates them,” says author Dr. Lucille Burbank. “Back in 1969 when the show launched this was an amazing feat – and the formula for success has lasted for more than a half-century. My book takes a nostalgic look at the show that raised several generations of America – and the world – revealing the secrets of television pioneers and visionaries that helped young children learn about the world from the security of their living room couch.”
Her book takes us back to another era and time, both for American families and television, bringing us into the creative corners of the memorable characters and individuals who birthed the greatest educational show in the history of television. She features in-depth and insightful interviews with many of the show’s creative forces, some of whom are now deceased, including:
 Joan Clooney, the show’s creator
 Caroll Spinney, puppeteer for Big Bird
 Actor Bob McGrath
 Producer Jon Stone, called the “Soul of Sesame Street”
 Jane Hanson, wife and creative partner of muppet master Jim Henson
 Jeff Ross, known for his popular song, “Rubber Duckie”
Many of these interviews took place when she was getting her doctorate from Temple University. She also had studied and interviewed the leaders of other hit children’s television shows, Captain Kangaroo and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
Dr. Burbank, whose book is a Mom’s Choice Awards winner, reveals the following:
• What made Sesame Street a wildly successful show – and why it is still needed today.
• The challenges the show – in its early days – had to overcome.
• Why we need shows like Sesame Street, to entertain and educate us.
• How Sesame Street confronts huge issues like gender identity, bullying, war, and racism.
• What parents and educators can do to inspire a healthier and smarter generation
• Why we need a show like Sesame Street, which caters to preschoolers, to address the needs and challenges of 8-12year-olds.
• What parents need to know about digital media – and what they should be teaching their kids in order to safely navigate the Internet.
“My purpose in writing a book is to disseminate the knowledge and wisdom given to me by the creators – the pioneers – of Sesame Street,” says Dr. Burbank. “Each interviewee spent a lot of time carefully answering my questions, and to each, I am eternally grateful.”
No other children’s show has won the number of Emmy’s, garnered the hundreds of millions of viewers, or received the critical acclaim that Sesame Street has. Why did Sesame Street outlast and outdo all other children’s series? The Inside Secrets of Sesame Street, 3rd Edition answers that question while allowing for parents and educators to fondly look back at a legendary show that continues to make history.

Dr. Lucille Burbank
Biography
Dr. Lucille Burbank is a successful educational media consultant and author. Based on her behind-the-scenes work in the research division of Sesame Street, where she met with the show’s head writer to make important script changes, she wasted the definitive 50-year celebration of the historic children’s program, The Inside Secrets of Sesame Street, 3rd Edition.
The recipient of a doctoral degree from Temple University, Dr. Burbank has worked n educational media and technology towards the advancement of education and special education for several decades. Receiving a scholarship while earning her doctorate, allowed her to conduct a much larger dissertational study on three prominent children’s television shows: Captain Kangaroo, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and Sesame Street.
Burbank was recently honored as Author of the Decade and inducted into the hall of fame of The International Association of Top Professionals. She received the Albert Nelson Maquis Lifetime Achievement Award, was named Top female Executive by Worldwide Branding, and has served as a delegate for the International Women’s Leadership Association.
Her impressive repertoire of work experience included consulting for the Sesame Workshop, NASA, and the New Jersey Department of civil Service. Dr. Burbank taught media design and production courses at community colleges and was a media/technology coordinator for the Eastern Pennsylvania Regional Resource Center for special Education. She wrote numerous articles on educational media and technology.

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Good News speaks to Andrea Stark, Public Relations Coordinator for The Ritz-Carlton at Half Moon Bay a few years ago, and the Good News it is still breath taking:).  Set atop an ocean bluff, overlooking 50 miles of rugged California coastline, the AAA Five Diamond Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay is a magnificent 26l-room spa and golf resort.  The property opened in spring 2001 and is the first luxury resort to open along the Northern California coast in over a decade. The timeless oceanfront estate provides guests with a relaxed yet refined experience, whether for a romantic getaway, meeting or special event. The resort opened spring 2001 and has earned the prestigious AAA Five Diamond Award for the tenth consecutive year.

Located a mere 30 minutes from the San Francisco International Airport and less than one hour from Silicon Valley and downtown San Francisco, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay feels a world away. Featuring an exterior façade of natural cedar shingles, the design evokes memories of the grand seaside lodges of the 19th century with its signature Shingle Style architecture creating a regional “sense of place.”  Epitomizing the relaxed elegance and high-tech features of the new generation of Ritz-Carlton properties, the resort’s interior includes hardwood floors, large stone fireplaces and floor-to-ceiling windows highlighting the spectacular ocean vistas.

The majority of the guestrooms and suites at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay offer panoramic ocean views, and most include comfortable window seats, inviting fireplaces, or spacious terraces.  Appropriate for a hotel located between San Francisco and Silicon Valley, each room is equipped with high-tech features including wireless, high-speed Internet access and laptop accommodating safes.  Adjacent to the main building are three cottage houses, offering an intimate setting for business retreats, weekend getaways or small groups.  The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge creates the feel of a “hotel within a hotel” and offers a dedicated concierge, and five complimentary food and beverage presentations throughout the day.

With more than 17,000-square-feet of meeting and event space, including a 7,100 square-foot ballroom, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay is the perfect choice for everything from intimate gatherings of 10 to grand events for 400. Outdoor function areas offer spectacular views of the ocean and nearby Santa Cruz Mountains. Its convenient location makes the resort a most suitable choice.

Dining choices at the resort are exemplified at the nautically inspired Navio, which serves the finest coastal cuisine from a 1,000 square-foot display kitchen. The relaxed setting of The Conservatory Lounge offers a bistro menu throughout the day and The Wine Room contains over 5,000 bottles of international wines and includes sommelier-selected wine flights.

Situated between two Half Moon Bay Golf Links courses, the resort is tailor made for golfers. The Old Course’s 18^th hole has been ranked among the 100 best in America and The Ocean Course offers ocean views from every hole.  Resort guests enjoy full privileges at both courses.

A 16,000-square-foot Spa and Fitness Center offers a lavish setting to indulge in the co-ed Roman mineral bath and enjoy treatments such as the Pumpkin Body Peel, inspired by Half Moon Bay’s annual Pumpkin Festival.  Other recreational attractions at the resort include a scenic coastal walking path leading to secluded beaches and picnic places, a tennis center, basketball half-court and patio area with outdoor fireplace. Nearby activities include horseback riding, deep-sea fishing, whale watching, sea kayaking, hiking, biking and antiquing.

For additional information on The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, please contact Steven Holt, Market Director, Public Relations for Northern California at (415) 364- 3479, by email Steven.Holt@ritzcarlton.com or visit www.ritzcarlton.com/hmb.

Contact: Steven H. Holt                                                                                   600 Stockton at California

Market Director, Public Relations                                                                     San Francisco, CA 94108

Email: steven.holt@ritzcarlton.com                                                               Cell:   415-312-8264

The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay Launches New Pet-friendly Program at Coastal Resort

Resort’s New Pampered Pooch Program and Pet-Friendly Guesthouses welcome Guests with Pets

HALF MOON BAY, CALIF. – September 14, 2011 – As more and more hotel guests enjoy traveling with their best friends, their pets that is, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay has created two new programs to welcome pets as guests. Pet-friendly guesthouses and the resort’s signature Pampered Pooch program make the resort one of the most pet-friendly in The Ritz-Carlton family.  “Many of our guests live in and around the San Francisco Bay Area often driving to the resort, so it is easy for them to travel with their pets,” said Jay Heidenreich, Director of Sales & Marketing. “Now we’ve made pets as welcome at the resort as any of our guests.”

The resort has created newly-designated Guesthouses, which are specifically pet-friendly and located along the Coastal Trail.  The Guesthouses are larger to accommodate an extra pet-guest and have easy access to the green lawns right outside. When pets check into the Guesthouses, a special amenity including bowls for food and water, a dog bed, a chew toy and woof or meow door-hanger sign to alert the housekeepers. A one-time cleaning fee of $95 is charged for each Guesthouse occupied by a pet. Dog waste bags are also set in stations near the Guesthouses and recommendations on nearby walking areas are provided to guests upon check-in.

In addition to the accommodations, the resort has launched a Pampered Pooch program which is an activity program for dogs.  It’s not a babysitting, or a dog sitting service instead it is a time of activity and entertainment for dogs. Dog walking along the Coastal Trail, playing fetch with a tennis ball, as well as walking along the beach below the stunning coastal cliffs are activities dogs will enjoy. Body-brushing and grooming services are also all available.

For more information or to confirm your reservation, please contact your travel professional, visit www.ritzcarlton.com/hmb or call Ritz-Carlton worldwide reservations at (800) 241-3333. Visit www.experiencehalfmoonbay.com to learn more about the destination.

Situated 23 miles southwest of the San Francisco International Airport, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay is a 261-room destination spa and golf coastal hotel and the San Francisco Bay Area’s only oceanfront resort. Set atop a rugged bluff overlooking 50 miles of pristine California coastline, the timeless oceanfront estate provides guests with a relaxed yet refined experience, whether for a romantic getaway, meeting or special event.

The post The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay Experience Northern California Charm in the Most Spectacular Setting appeared first on Good News!.

Come and join the fun as we celebrate the International Day of Peace on the “Ship of Humanity” commandeered by the Arts Olympus, with the collaboration of Voices of Women Worldwide, Peace Islands Institute, World Peace Prayer Society, and the New York Rotary Club. The evening’s cruise begins with the beat of a Calypso steel band joyfully creating music for passengers as they board. With all on ship, we set sail to witness the dramatic views of the New York City skyline. We serenely pass under the Brooklyn Bridge and then on out to the spectacular bay with the Statue of Liberty so proudly standing. From there it’s on to the waters near the United Nations where a flag raising ceremony takes place in celebration of the International Day of Peace with Ambassadors, Delegates and many members of the UN in attendance. The World Peace Prayer Society’s representative to the UN, in a moment of prayer, will lead a candle lighting ceremony dedicated to the heart breaking loss of so many children caught in war all over the globe. The gifted young Tarumi Violinists, having played the world over including the Vatican, will do a special performance devoted to children that are suffering in so many parts of the world today. The profits from ticket sales go specifically to benefit the Syrian children living in refugee camps. The New York Rotary Club will send out a global appeal to other clubs worldwide to help match the contributions to help the Syrian children.

In these turbulent times it is all the more important that people everywhere come together in support of peaceful solutions to the world’s problems. We hope that you will join our efforts in this festive occasion and celebrate, in this unique way, the International Day of Peace on our “Ship of Humanity.” If you are not able to join us on ship but would like to join us in heart go to our website www.artsolympus.org and make a tax deductible donation today. We thank you.

Sincerely,

Robert Slaughter

Event coordinator

To buy tickets ($100.00 each) go to www.artsolympus.org website.

Scroll down to News and Events click “buy now” which goes to Pay Pal and type in credit card information.

Then you MUST email your name, guests names and a way to contact you to HUMANITYSHIP@gmail.com

These names will be recorded on our guest list and checked off when boarding the ship.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Thursday, October 10^th                      Name of Ship: Harbor Lights

Time: Boarding 6:00 PM                                Boarding Location: East 23^rd St. Docks (on the East River)

           Departure 7:00 PM                              Attire: Casually Elegant

           Return 9:00 PM                                    For more information: call (212) 353-8413  or email

                                                                                                                       HUMANITYSHIP@gmail.com 

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