Northgate housing plan just what county needs I read Kurt Rossetti’s Marin Voice commentary (“San Rafael approval of Northgate plan a gift to owner,” Jan. 10) with interest. Rossetti repeats many of the arguments being made against Merlone Geier Partners and its plan to convert the moribund Northgate mall into a mixed-use housing development —…
When browsing through celebrity autobiographies, most readers may not realize that the famous name on the cover isn’t always the one behind the words inside. While some may suspect a ghostwriter’s involvement, few understand the extent of the collaboration and how complex the relationship can be.According to professional ghostwriter, Mark McCrum, in the ideal scenario, a ghostwriter sits down with the celebrity to conduct a series of in-depth interviews, often lasting days or weeks. The ghostwriter then takes the material from these sessions and weaves it into a complete book, often requiring multiple follow-ups for clarification.Did Prince Harry work closely with his ghostwriter?However, sometimes the process is even more removed, as McCrum recalled when he worked with Prince Harry on his 2011 bestseller ‘Walking with the Wounded’.”When I ghostwrote Walking with the Wounded for Prince Harry, I never met him in person. Instead, I was sent a video of him on a North Pole trek, in which he recorded some brief thoughts on the landscape and his companions,” McCrum wrote in a Daily Mail editorial.”Despite being part of the project, I never knew if he read the final result, as the material I developed had to go through Clarence House for approval.”What concerns McCrum? The lack of acknowledgment for the skill and experience that ghostwriters bring to the table remains an ongoing issue. As Teena Lyons from The Ghostwriters Agency is credited with pointing out, “If a ghostwriter remains nameless and faceless, it’s much harder to negotiate for better pay and conditions.”Although ghostwriters are meant to remain invisible, McCrum maintains their contributions are far from insignificant. They are the ones who help transform raw ideas into compelling stories, often putting in months of effort without ever receiving the recognition they deserve. Their work continues to shape some of the best-selling books in the industry, even though their names are rarely mentioned in the credits.
LaGrange resident and Springwood School 10th-grade student Caroline Van Schoor recently created and published an educational coloring book to raise money for local early learning initiatives, specifically the Jungle Bus.
Van Schoor worked with Jungle Bus representatives Gail Gordon, aka Reading Ranger, and Nicole Kennedy, aka Jungle Jama, to create the interactive coloring book entitled, “Learning the ABCs with My Jungle Friends: Baby’s First Educational Coloring Book.” The coloring book helps children learn the ABCs by coloring in images of animals associated with the letters A through Z. The pages also provide educational tips for adults to help the child best learn how to read.“I enjoyed volunteering with the Jungle Bus so much that I wanted to come up with a creative way to raise money for them,” said Van Schoor. “I enjoyed designing the coloring pages with the animals’ images and providing reading tips at the bottom of each page. Mrs. Gail (Gordon) and Mrs. Nicole (Kennedy) helped me come up with these tips so that parents and adults can learn how to encourage reading with their children, too.”
The Jungle Bus is a jungle-themed bookmobile that visits schools, neighborhoods, early learning centers, and community events in Troup County. Its mission is to promote a love of reading and ensure that children are prepared to learn when they start school and share the love of reading by putting free books in the hands of children.
“We are beyond excited about this coloring book and Caroline’s generosity in using it to benefit THE JUNGLE BUS. It is a two-generational coloring book!” said Success By 6 Coordinator Gail Lee Gordon. “Children can enjoy coloring with an adult, and the adult can benefit from helpful reading tips on each page.”
“Coloring together with your child is a great way for family members to not only spend quality time with their child but for both generations to strengthen hand-eye coordination, improve fine motor skills, build creativity, and relieve stress,” said Troup County Schools Community Coordinator Nicole Kennedy. “We would love to see families with this coloring book at restaurants, at doctors’ offices, in the car, EVERYWHERE! Put the screens down and pick up a jungle-themed coloring book today!”
The coloring book’s proceeds will go to the Jungle Bus and early learning initiatives in Troup County. It is available on Amazon for $6.99 at this link: https://a.co/d/1a44GSZ.
Media Contact: Caroline Van Schoor, [email protected] or (706) 415-6263.
Epic events like the Southern California wildfires do not have a singular cause.While we don’t yet know the official causes of the fires, we do know that the weather and climate conditions when they started made for a perfect storm for the rapid spread of the flames.The first problem is that Los Angeles has been very dry. The city has only seen 0.16 inches of rain since May 6, so the region’s rainy season is off to an unusually dry start. This created a lot of fuel for potential fires. But a lack of rain alone didn’t lead to the devastating fires we saw this week.It was the wind that spread the fires so rapidly once they were ignited. An exceptionally strong mountain wave wind event, with northerly 80 to 100 mile per hour gusts, spread the fires faster than anyone could stop them.And we knew the weather conditions were coming. Thirty-six hours before the fires started, the National Weather Service in Los Angeles warned of “life threatening and destructive winds, extreme fire behavior and likely the strongest north winds in southern California since 2011.”That event on Dec. 1, 2011, also brought powerful and destructive wind gusts to much of Southern California, including the Los Angeles metro area.Firefighters work from a deck as the Palisades Fire burns a beachfront property, on Jan. 8, 2025, in Malibu, Calif.Etienne Laurent/APWind gusts up to 97 mph were recorded in the mountains of northwestern Los Angeles County, according to the National Weather Service. But unlike last week, no large wildfires broke out like they did in 2011. A more normal rainfall amount from October to December of that year may have helped avoid the same disaster.Santa Ana events typically are associated with northeast to east-northeast winds in Los Angeles County and usually result in very little wind in the San Gabriel Valley and eastern San Fernando Valley areas, which are home to many high-populated sections of the LA metro area.The atmospheric setup during this recent event oriented winds in a more northerly to north-north easterly direction. This sent the high winds right over the region’s San Gabriel Mountains in a trajectory that not only helped amplify their strength, but made the air even drier as it came rushing down the other side. This brought powerful wind gusts to areas that don’t typically experience winds at such an intensity.What made this a devastating Santa Ana event is that conditions higher up in the atmosphere helped to further enhance winds at the surface.In this case, an area of low pressure in the upper atmosphere was moving over Baja California. The cold, dense air associated with this system was positioned at a favorable north-northeast to northeast trajectory over the region. The particular setup allowed for the colder air located higher up in the atmosphere to come rushing down towards the surface and enhance the winds already blowing. This brought surges of powerful winds across the Los Angeles and Ventura County Mountains, crashing into the foothills and some coastal communities.The wind direction and topography played a major role as well. The San Gabriel Mountains and the wind orientation interacted to produce a damaging wind event that doesn’t occur often. The mountains can also make the winds more erratic because additional whirls of wind, known as wind eddies, can form as the air moves across the peaks and through the canyons.So while both the 2011 and 2025 events brought powerful, destructive winds, one big difference is how dry it is right now in the LA area.A firefighter monitors the spread of the Auto Fire in Oxnard, northwest of Los Angeles, on Jan. 13, 2025.Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty ImagesAs far as climate change, we won’t know the direct impact until climate attribution studies are done. While climate change likely amplified some of the conditions that contributed to the massive, destructive nature of the wildfires, it is just one part of a long list which also includes more direct human impacts like rapid urbanization and land management.But we do know that wildfires in the West have become larger, more intense and more destructive and that human-amplified climate change is one of the key reasons.And new research explains how climate change is making hydroclimate whiplash more common. Those are rapid swings between intensely wet and dangerously dry weather.As Daniel Swain, the lead author of the research and a climate scientists with UCLA explains, “This whiplash sequence in California has increased fire risk twofold: first, by greatly increasing the growth of flammable grass and brush in the months leading up to fire season, and then by drying it out to exceptionally high levels with the extreme dryness and warmth that followed.”Less than a year ago, Los Angeles had historic flooding and is now facing severe drought conditions. That literally adds fuel to the fire.Finally, it’s important to reiterate that California has and will always be particularly vulnerable to wildfires simply due to its natural climate. The state historically experiences highly variable weather and climate conditions, typically shifting from periods of very dry to very wet weather.Across the continental U.S., California has the most year-to-year variability between wet and dry conditions. As you move down into Southern California, that variability increases even more, according to Julie Kalansky, a climate scientist and deputy director of operations at the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at the University of California, San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.ABC News chief meteorologist and chief climate correspondent Ginger Zee, ABC News meteorologist Dan Peck, ABC News Climate Unit’s Matthew Glasser and ABC News meteorologist Dan Manzo contributed to this report.
Jim Murphy had lived three lives when he moved to the desert. He wasn’t sure what he wanted, but he knew he wanted to be alone.He had already been a minor-league outfielder for the Cubs, a graduate student with big ideas, a minor-league coach for the Texas Rangers, but then, in 2003, he gave away half his things and headed for Tucson, Ariz., where he began what he terms “a life of solitude.”AdvertisementIt was quiet, sparse and isolating. His first year, he did not realize it was New Year’s Eve until he heard a loud noise, walked outside and saw fireworks.“I was a career minor-league baseball player and grad student,” Murphy says. “Those are like the two poorest people.”The days were long and lonely. They were also clarifying. Haunted by a baseball career that never launched and a life put on hold, Murphy, then 36, became consumed with a question: How can a baseball player stand at the plate in Game 7 of the World Series and find, as Murphy terms it, “peace and confidence”?Murphy called one sports psychologist. And then another. He soon fell down a rabbit hole that lasted five years and, between his living expenses and the travel for interviews, left him $90,000 in debt. “I’ve never had a nervous breakdown,” he says. “But I assume it was pretty close.” The result was “Inner Excellence,” published in 2009, a 300-page tome about training your mind for extraordinary performance.For many years, the book was a modest success, a hit with golf instructors and life coaches, a text on which Murphy could build a career as a mental skills guru for golfers like Henrik Stenson and Hunter Mahan. But that changed on Sunday night, when Eagles receiver A.J. Brown was spotted reading the book on the sidelines during his team’s playoff victory over the Green Bay Packers.
AJ Brown is reading a book on the sideline? 📚😂
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/jQGv8smD9N
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 13, 2025Brown told reporters the book gives him “a sense of peace.” It’s believed he came across it thanks to Eagles defensive tackle Moro Ojomo, who received it from a chaplain at the University of Texas, who happened to know Murphy. But the story of how “Inner Excellence” became a viral sensation in Philly is less interesting than how it became a book in the first place.Advertisement“Jim has an amazing story,” said Carson Foster, a professional swimmer who trains at the University of Texas and works with Murphy. “It’s really his own story that was the basis for ‘Inner Excellence.’”“It has legs for the people who read it,” added Mahan, who reached No. 4 in the world in 2012. “Maybe you don’t get it right away because you’re too trapped in yourself, but down the road, man, I feel like all those lessons and all those things in the book are really powerful when you really let them in.”One day in the early 2000s, Bucky Jacobsen, a minor-league baseball player with the Seattle Mariners, met a man at a baseball training facility in Tucson. In Jacobsen’s memory, it wasn’t clear if the man worked at the facility, or if he worked anywhere at all. But his name was Jim Murphy, and as they began to talk, his story felt familiar.Born in the Pacific Northwest, Murphy had played baseball at Portland State and spent three seasons as an outfielder in the Cubs system. He had hit just .236 in 879 career at-bats, and a vision issue helped end his career. He had then returned to graduate school with the goal of being a high school baseball coach. But what he really wanted was to help young players who were struggling.“He was kind of on a quest,” Jacobsen says now.In practical terms, Jacobsen became Murphy’s first client. In reality, they didn’t use that term. It didn’t feel like a doctor-patient relationship. It wasn’t formal. Instead, they just started talking.“Being a professional athlete, you know that you’re good, but you’re constantly scared of not being good enough,” Jacobsen says. “And I think that inner turmoil stops 99 percent of athletes. And he kind of opened up my eyes.”At that point, Jacobsen was a 27-year-old who had played seven seasons in the minors, never reaching the major leagues. He was in his third organization. Murphy asked Jacobsen to start writing down scripts and affirmations. You’re one of the best power hitters in the world. You’re one of the best power hitters in the world. Advertisement“There were multiple things he said that ended up being little tipping points,” Jacobsen says. “Little light bulbs.”Little did Jacobsen know at the time, but he was giving Murphy something, too: proof of concept. The next season, in 2004, Jacobsen reached the majors and hit nine homers in 42 games, becoming a momentary folk hero in Seattle. Murphy wondered if he was onto something.
Bucky Jacobsen worked with Jim Murphy and became a fan favorite for a summer in Seattle. (Otto Greule Jr. / Getty Images)What Murphy and Jacobsen discussed became the first stages of “Inner Excellence.” The book would eventually come to include four daily goals:1. Do the best with what you have each day2. Be present3. Be grateful4. Be focused on routines and what you can controlBut the core of the text, according to Murphy, stems from two realizations he had during his sojourn in the desert. The first is Murphy’s belief that self-centeredness is the biggest challenge in performance.“It leads to fear because your subconscious is running your life and it knows all your mistakes and all your weaknesses,” Murphy said. “And the more you think about yourself, the more you’re going to be reminded. So you try to feel better about yourself by getting more achievements or by telling people you’re great, and that only puts more pressure on yourself.“Because most of life is out of your control.”The second part comes from Murphy’s best attempt to explain the concept of mental toughness. To Murphy, the concept is ill-defined. Because in five years of writing and research, he came to believe something simple:“Your heart is the key to your life,” he says.Murphy knows it may sound counterintuitive. When people think of sports psychology, they think of the mind. But Murphy wants the athletes he works with to think of the process differently.“When I say heart, I mean your spirit and your will,” Murphy says. “It’s the deepest part of you, your heart and subconscious, working together to run your life.Advertisement“And when you squeeze, what’s in your heart comes out. So what we want is when you squeeze, or when you’re under pressure, what comes out is inner peace and inner strength. Mental toughness.”It was the kind of epiphany that might cause some to roll their eyes. The mental skills industry is full of books giving athletes a roadmap to success. But Murphy was steadfast. He believed he could help. He wanted to help. So he finished the book and found a publisher, an imprint that focused on educational texts.The only question was if anyone would read it.When “Inner Excellence” hit bookshelves in 2009, Murphy had one problem. In an industry that thrives on self-promotion, he didn’t like marketing. He almost never posts about clients on social media. His business is largely done by word of mouth.One of Murphy’s first big breaks came when a golf caddie from Dublin, Ireland, called. He wondered if Murphy would work with his boss, Henrik Stenson, the Swedish golfer and future winner of the Open Championship. Murphy made more inroads in the golf world. Swing instructor Sean Foley introduced the book to his client, Hunter Mahan. Matt Killen, a putting coach who has worked with Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods, told The Athletic that he keeps “a stack of ‘Inner Excellence’ books in my office that I hand out to students.”When Mahan started working with Murphy, it took some time to adjust. The world of golf is ruthlessly competitive. Murphy was calm, soothing and positive. It felt a little …different.“It would be sometimes annoying,” Mahan said. “Like sometimes you wanted to be mad. I think he just saw the world in such a beautiful way, and I don’t think I fully appreciated it at the time because I wanted so many things.”
Hunter Mahan credits “Inner Excellence” with helping him win the World Golf Championships Match Play in 2012. (Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)For Mahan, the proof of “Inner Excellence” came at the World Golf Championships Match Play in 2012, when he made a run to the final match, where he faced Rory McIlroy. Mahan had won on the PGA Tour before, but his career was still on the rise. McIlroy was one of the best players in the world. Before the final match, Murphy and Mahan spoke. Murphy told him to be present and engaged in his routine, to forget about McIlroy and focus on the course and himself.AdvertisementIt may sound simple, Mahan says, but it put him in the right headspace. He won the match.“Man, he creates an energy that if you let it, it is very nourishing,” Mahan said. “Because he’s not this competitive person that you think you need in your life. He’s the person that you really, really need in life … that you don’t know you do. There’s such a calming effect to talking to him and understanding what you’re doing.”For most of the last decade, Murphy has worked in the shadows. He’s continued to work with golfers. His stable also includes NHL players, swimmers and others who remain unnamed. A revised edition of “Inner Excellence” came out in 2020. That’s the version Brown was reading.Murphy has never worked with Brown. But he sees value in the practice of reading during a game, if for no other reason than to provide a mental reset. He had another client — NHL player Kevin Connauton — who would attempt a mental rewind after each shift, visualizing the moments that did not go well.The viral nature of Sunday’s NFL playoff game sent “Inner Excellence” skyrocketing up the Amazon sales charts and thrust its author into the spotlight. Brown’s copy is dog-eared and highlighted.More than two decades after Murphy’s only athletic career washed out and he came up with a rough idea for a book, “Inner Excellence” was doing what he had always hoped: In a pressure moment, it was helping an athlete.“My life never would have been as extraordinary as it has been,” Murphy said, “had I been a major-league superstar.”(Top photo: Emilee Chinn / Getty Images)
An ancient Spanish city founded over 3,000 years ago has suffered mass tourism chaos as cruise ship passenger numbers have hit a staggering new high.Cadiz, the oldest city in Western Europe, recorded a whopping 695,171 cruise ship passengers last year, a 2% increase compared to the previous year, with 333 cruise calls compared to 347 in 2023.The eye-watering numbers mean that Cádiz remains the leading Andalusian port in cruise traffic. The average size of ships arriving at the docks of Cádiz also increased by 2% compared to 2023.With stunning architecture, including the Cadiz Cathedral and Roman Theatre, alongside stretches of beautiful white sandy beaches, the Spanish city is becoming increasingly popular, attracting swarms of tourists who want to immerse themselves among the white-washed buildings.The ancient port is just a five-minute walk from Cadiz’s historic centre, making it extremely convenient for holidaymakers keen to explore the ancient city.Forecasters believe that Cadiz is on track for another record-breaking cruise ship passenger year in 2025. Already, the Port of the Bay of Cádiz has 351 cruise calls scheduled for this year, and it is believed this number could climb to 396, 63 more than in 2024.Last summer, Spain declared a crisis in Cadiz after 13000 tourists from massive cruise ships descended on the city—equal to almost half the population —throwing locals into turmoil.This prompted activists from Cadiz Resiste to be up in arms, arguing that the overwhelming influx of tourists is wreaking havoc on their beloved city.Cadiz Resiste released a fiery statement: “They (tourists) are stealing our city, our neighbourhoods and businesses, the very possibility of making a life in Cadiz.”Cadiz is not the only Spanish city struggling with the influx of cruise ship passengers. In 2023, Ibiza welcomed nearly 550,000 passengers. The tiny Balearic island is home to just 50,000 residents.According to The Ibiza Preservation Sustainability Observatory, the number of cruise passengers who visited the island “exceeded the resident population by 3.45 times.”
The winners of the Nero Book Awards 2024 have been announced – and the Fiction novel crowned the favourite is a thrilling take on ‘modern folklore horror’ that our Books Editor was left hypnotised by. With the winners of the Nero Book Awards having been chosen, four books have been crowned as the Best Fiction, Best Non-Fiction, Best Debut Fiction and Best Children’s Fiction books of the year from the UK and Ireland.The awards exclusively honour authors based in the UK and Ireland, celebrating outstanding writing and high quality literature, with a range of exceptional books offering something for readers of all tastes making the shortlist.Out of hundreds of books reviewed and read by a panel of expert judges and authors, the Best Fiction title is one that woman&home Books Editor, Zoe West, was surprised by – and she thinks it’s well worth a read whether you’re a Kindle reader or a classic paperback fan.Lost In The Garden by Adam S. Leslie is a folk horror novel that’s been applauded for its ‘disturbing, dreamlike and unsettling’ plot, revolving around Heather, Antonia and Rachel on their journey to Almanby – a place of old wives tales that was famously avoided and for good reason.
Best Fiction Winner
Lost in the Garden by Adam S. Leslie: Winner of the Nero Book Awards 2024
An eerie, gripping and unsettling novel that’s an epic take on modern folklore is horror writing at its finest.
Best Debut Fiction Winner
Wild Houses by Colin Barrett
Wild Houses is renowned short story writer Colin Barrett’s debut novel that has been described as ‘thrillingly moreish’ by The Sunday Times.
Best Non-Fiction Winner
Maurice and Maralyn: An Extraordinary True Story of Shipwreck, Survival and Love by Sophie Elmhirst
A remarkable true story of a marriage tested by a couple’s decision to leave suburban living for a new existence at sea.
Zoe, who was on the judging panel for the awards, alongside the likes of award-winning author Bill Bryson, admitted that while Lost In The Garden wouldn’t be her usual book shop pick – she was sucked in by the thrilling tale.”From coming-of age books set in the 70s to rural Ireland in the 90s and a multigenerational novel set in Italy and London, the shortlisted books were all so distinct and wonderful in their own way, but Lost In The Garden, our overall winner, really surprised me,” Zoe said.Sign up to our free daily email for the latest royal and entertainment news, interesting opinion, expert advice on styling and beauty trends, and no-nonsense guides to the health and wellness questions you want answered.”Hailed as a modern folklore horror, it’s not a go-to genre for me, but that’s what I loved about it. The hypnotic writing drew me in and took me on a wild, dream-like adventure with these three friends that I couldn’t get enough of. Unsettling and humorous, it was a real find.”(Image credit: Nero Book Awards)”It was a great privilege to be asked to judge the Cafe Nero Fiction Award. I read a lot for my job anyway, but it was great to look at such a variety of books from hidden gems to bestsellers. I am thrilled with the winning novel and wish its author every success,” Zoe continued.The Best Non-Fiction award was given to Maurice and Maralyn: An Extraordinary True Story of Shipwreck, Survival and Love by Sophie Elmhirst, the true story of a couple in the 1970s who uprooted their suburban life to build a boat and set sail for New Zealand.Wild Houses by Colin Barrett, a standout hilarious tale set in Ireland’s County Mayo, was crowned Best Debut Fiction – while magical novel The Twelve by Liz Hyder was hailed the Best Children’s Fiction winner.
Book vending machines are boosting literacy by making reading fun and accessible for children across the globe.Across the United States, a unique and exciting trend is emerging in the fight against illiteracy: the rise of book vending machines. These innovative devices are popping up in schools, libraries, community centers and even airports, offering a novel and engaging way to get books into the hands of children and adults alike.For instance, in Pine Level Elementary School in North Carolina, a book vending machine was installed as a key component of their Accelerated Reader program.”This has been such a great tool to help get books into the hands of students, excited about reading,” a school official told WSFA 12. This initiative not only promotes literacy but also fosters a sense of accomplishment and ownership within the student body.Expanding access: Bringing book vending to unexpected placesFurthermore, beyond the classroom, public libraries are also embracing this innovative approach. The Little Elm Public Library in Texas, for example, has increased book access with the addition of a convenient kiosk, making reading materials readily available to patrons 24/7. This 24/7 accessibility significantly expands the library’s reach, ensuring that books are available to community members at their convenience, regardless of library hours.”There are 340 titles on display, and you can use your library card to check out materials from there. It…rotates around like a carousel. It displays everything nicely, so it’s a fun kiosk,” Diana Slavinsky, Little Elm Library’s managing director of library services, told Kiowa County Press.Moving beyond traditional school and library settings, the impact of these machines is evident in unexpected locations. At New Haven Airport in Connecticut, R.J. Julia Booksellers installed a vending machine, introducing travelers of all ages to the joy of reading while waiting for their flights. This initiative not only promotes literacy among travelers but also showcases the versatility of these machines in reaching diverse audiences and transforming otherwise idle time into a valuable reading experience.Engaging readers: Making reading fun and rewardingMoreover, the benefits of these machines extend beyond simply providing access to books. The element of surprise, the anticipation of choosing a book and the sense of ownership that comes with “purchasing” a book with earned tokens or library card credentials all contribute to a more engaging and rewarding reading experience for both children and adults. This gamified approach to book acquisition can transform reading from a passive activity into an exciting and engaging pursuit.These machines cater to diverse interests and reading levels. For example, in the Amphi Unified School District in Arizona, officials aim to equip each elementary school with a birthday book via their book vending machine, allowing students to choose a book as a birthday gift.”Reading has become a really strong event for our kids and having the vending machine will make it that much stronger and allow them to have a book at home,” Coronado K-8 School Principal JJ Letts told KGUN 9.This personalized approach ensures that children can explore a wide range of genres and find books that truly captivate their imaginations, fostering a lifelong love of reading.Technology, innovation and the future of readingLooking ahead, the potential for these machines to transform how children and adults engage with books is vast. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative approaches to using book vending machines to promote literacy. From personalized recommendations based on reading history to interactive features that enhance the reading experience, the possibilities are vast.For instance, imagine a future where book vending machines offer personalized recommendations based on a child’s reading history, suggesting books that align with their interests and reading level. Or perhaps machines could incorporate interactive features, such as short audio clips or video trailers, to further pique a child’s interest in a particular book. These technological advancements have the potential to revolutionize the way children discover and engage with literature.Ultimately, book vending machines are more than just a novel way to dispense books; they represent a powerful tool for fostering a love of reading and cultivating a more literate future for generations to come. By making books more accessible, rewarding positive behavior and creating a fun and engaging reading experience, these innovative devices are inspiring a new generation of book lovers across the nation.
El Paso Matters Book Club kicked off the new year Saturday with a Full Moon Bash, drawing readers to Margin Notes Bookbar for an afternoon of literature, community and creativity. The event featured local vendors and tarot readings to celebrate themes of the first book the club will collectively read this year. “The Witches of El Paso” by Luis Jaramillo is the latest selection of the El Paso Matters Book Club. Check out our photo gallery to relive the event’s highlights – or see what you missed!To read along, join the El Paso Matters Club. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. You’ll get the first look at the books we’ll be reading together. You’ll also get Q&As with El Paso authors, book reviews and more.El Paso Matters Book Club Full Moon Bash, Jan. 11, 2025. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)El Paso Matters Book Club Full Moon Bash, Jan. 11, 2025. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)El Paso Matters Book Club Full Moon Bash, Jan. 11, 2025. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)El Paso Matters Book Club Full Moon Bash, Jan. 11, 2025. (Luis Torres/El Paso Matters)El Paso Matters Book Club Full Moon Bash, Jan. 11, 2025. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)El Paso Matters Book Club Full Moon Bash, Jan. 11, 2025. (Luis Torres/El Paso Matters)El Paso Matters Book Club Full Moon Bash, Jan. 11, 2025. (Luis Torres/El Paso Matters)El Paso Matters Book Club Full Moon Bash, Jan. 11, 2025. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)El Paso Matters Book Club Full Moon Bash, Jan. 11, 2025. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)El Paso Matters Book Club Full Moon Bash, Jan. 11, 2025. (Luis Torres/El Paso Matters)El Paso Matters Book Club Full Moon Bash, Jan. 11, 2025. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
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ArmInfo. The signing ceremony of the Charter on Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Armenia and the United States of America took place in Washington. The document is signed by Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.In his welcoming speech, Blinken informed that a special group on border security issues will leave for Armenia next week to work together to strengthen border security. “We will strengthen the relevant work in this direction,” the US Secretary of State said. “We are creating a strategic partnership commission, which implies expanding cooperation in the fields of economy, security, defense, democracy, including interpersonal relations,” the Secretary of State said, adding that the United States is working with Armenia to strengthen efforts to protect the country’s sovereignty and sovereign territory.
At the same time, the American official expressed his conviction that in recent years Yerevan and Washington have managed to establish effective joint work, especially in the field of economic relations and cooperation. “We have expanded cooperation between our economies, especially in the energy sector, and now we are ready to start a new cooperation. I think this is a really important milestone. At the moment, we are negotiating in the fields of peaceful nuclear safety and nuclear energy. Let me emphasize that the Armenian Government has implemented reforms that clearly demonstrate a real commitment to creating an even more just and democratic society. We are becoming even stronger partners. I am sure that this will benefit our two countries, as well as the entire region and beyond. I believe that this Charter of Strategic Partnership, which we are signing, will contribute to the creation of a more sustainable, peaceful, secure and independent society,” he said.
In turn, the Armenian Foreign Minister thanked Washington for its efforts to support the integrity of the sovereign territory and independence of the Republic of Armenia. Mirzoyan stressed Yerevan’s commitment to the peace agenda in close contact with the United States.
“The Charter of Strategic Partnership of Armenia, which we are signing today, forms a solid foundation and makes our cooperation more ambitious. It includes many areas, including strengthening economic and energy ties, deepening cooperation in defense and security, promoting justice and the rule of law, developing innovation and high technology, and expanding people-to-people contacts,” he said.
Agreeing with his American counterpart that bilateral relations based on common values and mutual interests have experienced significant progress in recent years, Mirzoyan expressed confidence that they have reached a level where the creation of a strategic partnership is not only consistent with current realities, but also largely works in difficult geopolitical conditions.
“We highly appreciate the United States’ continued support for Armenia’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Equally important is the support of the United States in strengthening Armenia’s democratic institutions and economic sustainability. We deeply appreciate the United States’ involvement in promoting stable and long-term peace in the South Caucasus. We believe that a stable and prosperous South Caucasus reflects the interests of all regional actors and the broader international community,” he said. The Minister added that Armenia is committed to continuing close cooperation with the United States, and in the spirit of a shared commitment to global security, the Republic intends to join the global coalition against the Islamic State, thereby demonstrating its commitment to combating international terrorism.
“We believe that joint actions are necessary to address this threat. We are also starting negotiations on a nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States, which is known as the 123rd Agreement. It will define the framework for cooperation in the field of nuclear energy use and mark our commitment to the peaceful development of nuclear energy according to the highest standards of safety and non-proliferation. Looking to the future, we want to continue working with the new U.S. administration to achieve the ambitious goals mentioned in our strategic partnership. May this charter serve as proof of the deepening of strategic relations between Armenia and the United States, as well as a roadmap full of future joint achievements,” Mirzoyan concluded.