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One of the great things about SeniorNet is appreciating the talent, expertise, and dedication of our volunteers. The intent of this contest was to recognize the creativity, hard work, and dedication of individual SeniorNet Learning Centers in writing curriculum and courses for their local communities, and to share their work with the entire SeniorNet community.

Thirty-four curriculum submissions made their way to the winners circle.

And then the judging became even harder. It was extremely difficult to select (4) centers as winners.

When you see the effort and creativity that went into the production of the curriculum, I am sure that you will agree.

The judges agreed to acknowledge all of the thirty-four curriculum submissions.

This means there will be (4) Winners and (3) Runners Up.

These centers have made a significant contribution to ALL of SeniorNet.

Not only did they create to meet the needs of their local community, but they are sharing with the entire SeniorNet family.

Aiken, Huntington, Manhattan, and Oklahoma City

Each of the Winning Centers will be awarded:

• (96) Plain & Simple Windows 8 for Tablets books (retail value $24.99 each), with 50% off coupon for Microsoft Press eBook included.
• (250) Microsoft coupons (coupon value $49 – expiration June 30th 2014)
• $150 cash
• A new SeniorNet banner
• Acknowledgement on the SeniorNet website

The (3) Runner Up Centers “alphabetically” are:

Hot Springs, Little Rock, and San Jose Willows 

Each of the Runner Up Centers will be awarded:

• (96) Plain & Simple Windows 8 for Tablets books (retail value $24.99 each), with 50% off coupon for Microsoft Press eBook included
• (100) Microsoft coupons (coupon value $49 – expiration June 30th 2014)
• $75 cash
• Acknowledgement on the SeniorNet website

Center leaders (Winners and Runners Up) have been notified and are scheduling a “Windows 8/8.1 Open House” for their community.

These contest results will be posted on our website to ensure sponsor, partner, and press awareness.

Submitted curriculum will be posted in a special section on Leadership Exchange in April. This curriculum will clearly add classes to centers around the country and support ongoing growth. 

Please click here to see a list of winning curriculum.

Join me in congratulation this outstanding team! 

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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.

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Save 50% on books for Grandparents Day  

SeniorNet Members, Volunteers, and Supporters,

This Sunday, September 8th, marks the 25th annual celebration of Grandparents Day, a day intended to honor grandparents and seniors and recognize their contributions to our community. Celebrate Grandparents Day with SeniorNet with a 50% off discount on computer and technology-related books from Que Publishing.

Find books on a wide variety of technology-related subjects. Topics include:

• Operating systems: Windows 7, Windows 8, Mac OSX
• Software: Office 2010 and 2013, Adobe software, and much more
• Smartphones and tablets: iPads, iPhones, Windows Phone, Android, etc.
• Websites: Facebook, LinkedIn, eBay, etc.

Click on the image below to visit the Que website and choose your books.

Happy Grandparents Day from SeniorNet!

Sincerely,

Leslie M. Smith

Chairman

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Chief Technology Officer, Village Green Technology
Dr. Peter Bishop is the Chief Technology Officer www.villagegreentechcenter.com and the Co-Inventor of their technology.  Dr. Peter Bishop has been a computer professional for over thirty years.  After getting his Ph.D. at M.I.T. in 1977 in object-oriented computer systems, he met the founder of Remedy while they were together at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center.  He left PARC in 1980 to work on operating systems and compilers for the National Semiconductor 16032. He then started working for a series of startups.  He helped found Forethought, the first publisher of FileMaker, which went on to create PowerPoint. Three startups later, Dr. Bishop, developed the key technology for Aeroprise, Inc., a partner with BMC Remedy, providing their mobile solution.

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