He sold his plant centre in his thirties, went travelling for a year and returned to take up a job with Crocus at its inception, originally as the products buyer and then switching to plants buyer. When Tom Stuart-Smith asked if Crocus could supply a full plant list for a job, Mark found himself looking at a spreadsheet that was 1,000 lines long (the garden was Broughton Grange in Oxfordshire). “To source all the plants on a list like this is hugely time consuming, very stressful and you’ll get let down with every excuse you can think of,” says Mark in his famously direct way.
“But the good thing is that once you start doing it on a reasonable scale, nursery people start taking notice of you.” Requests for supplying Chelsea gardens followed. “Our ethos, which I quickly learnt by doing Chelsea shows, is that there’s no such thing as 'no can do’, so when I heard, 'Oh, I can’t, mate,’ or, 'Oh no, mate, it’s five minutes past five,’ I immediately got rid of them and surrounded myself with people who can do.”
He admits to doing a fair bit of shouting and swearing when suppliers don’t deliver – a trait that Jinny Blom, who’s a close friend, recognises but says, in his defence, “He only uses his appalling temper to get a better result.” With his reputation for seeking out only the very best specimens, he soon built up a little black book of top-notch nurseries such as Orchard Dene, Phoenix Perennials, Howard Nurseries, Woottens, Fromefield and Chichester Trees and Shrubs from the UK; Jan Spruyt, Laurica and Solitair from Belgium; Lorenz von Ehren from Germany; and Lepage from France.
Finding the plants and keeping an eagle eye on their progress – with the plants that need to overwinter in southern Europe, this means frequent trips to the nurseries – is half the job. The other half, he says, is “managing expectations” – shorthand, I detect, for managing the designers themselves.
Some, such as Stuart-Smith and Jinny Blom, have a very clear idea of exactly which species they want; others (naming no names) will say, “I need big, white, towery stuff for a shady spot.” Even with experienced designers, he has to scrutinise their lists carefully. “When I discovered that Ulf was expecting his Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna’ to be three feet high – the height they reach at his home close to the Arctic Circle – I immediately let him know that we could not get them to that size here.” Designers add to his stress by not coming to the nursery to see their plants or at least phoning to check on progress. And then in the run-up to Chelsea, he says, they all panic. “They get to see drawings of all the others and they all think 'mine’s rubbish’. And in the week before the show opens, it’s the Tuesday that’s particularly manic as the plants that the designers have usually sent back the day before have to be loaded on to the lorries again, because they’ve changed their minds.” Mark doesn’t get annoyed with these last-minute substitutions – it’s part of the job – but it is a logistical nightmare. And of course every year there are plants that have either gone over or haven’t come far enough on, and the ones that crash off the trolleys or are demolished by reversing lorries. That’s partly why Mark grows four times as many plants as will actually be used.
Why does he do Chelsea, apart from the obvious financial gain? “I have no idea why. It’s certainly fun at the beginning, sourcing the plants, but by the time showtime arrives I can’t stand the idea of going up there.” But then he admits, “It’s really important for me that the gardens get a gold. Your whole heart and soul’s gone into it and you become friends with the designers because you’ve been through hell and back with them.” This year he’s excited by the burnt orange Verbascum 'Petra’ with a velvet shimmer grown for Joe Swift. Two grasses have also caught his eye: Molinia caerulea 'Dark Defender’, a mid-green grass with elegant leaves and black flower stems that stay on for a full year, raised by Marina Christopher and being grown for Andy Sturgeon’s garden; and Deschampsia flexuosa, an “absolutely stunning dark green grass” chosen by Sarah Price for
The Telegraph Garden.
It’s Sarah he picks out as standing a very good chance of winning Best in Show. “She’s moved away from the obvious Chelsea garden shapes and structure and is using lots of lovely water plants. It’s all coming together beautifully,” he says.
The same could be said for Hortus Loci, which is destined to become a one-stop shop for top landscape architects and designers.
Hortus Loci, Hound Green, Hook, Hants (01189 326 495; hortusloci.co.uk)
Lisbon shopping guide: hide and chic - Daily Telegraph
On Rua do Loreto, I step inside the wood-panelled Casa das Velas do Loreto (in the same family since 1789) and find tall, honey-scented ecclesiastical candles for £15. At A Vida Portuguesa, on Rua Anchieta, my heart quickens at the fine Portuguese soaps and beautifully-packaged tinned sardines. Junk stalls in the Estrela park yield some irresistibly touching, framed black-and-white family photographs from the 1930s, costing a few euros each. Exploring the new waterfront design area, Santos, provides a satisfying few hours.
Back on Rossio, at the the 120-year-old Chapelaria Azevedo Rua, I finger a handmade man's fedora for £57 – the double of one I swear I saw on Jermyn Street at £120. I postpone checking out handmade riding boots at Vitorino de Sousa on Rua dos Correeiros. And it is just as well that, before I hit the antique shops of Rua de São Bento, I meet the art-restorer owner of the new Palacete Chafariz del Rei boutique hotel, a 1906 mansion he renovated. "Lisbon has great antique stores," he says, "but so does Oporto – and 50 per cent cheaper." So it's advisable to take a large suitcase there? "A van!" he says with a grin, and points to a beautiful 1920s leather sofa and chair bought for £170.
How to do it
When to go
Any time, but May is best: it's not too hot, the purple jacaranda is in blossom, and you can take a 30-minute train ride to the beaches at Cascais – home now to the Casa das Histórias, showing the surrealist work of Portugal's brilliant Paula Rego. Bear in mind that Sunday is quiet; only museums open.
Where to stay
On the outskirts, the Lapa Palace and Pestana Palace hotels are very grand, but all the chic new spots are central: LX Boutique, Inspira Santa Marta and, just off Rossio, the Altis Avenida (00 351 29 172 4307, portugal-live.net; rooms from £115), with young staff, black-carpeted rooms, a spa, and a seventh-floor roof terrace brasserie. For more information, see visitlisboa.com and flytap.com
What to do
Pack flat shoes: you will walk a lot. On arrival, get the Convida Lisboa shopping guides, free at all hotels, and a three-day Lisboa Card (£28) for the trams, Metro and buses. In bustling Baixa, see the new Mude design museum (mude.pt); in Chiado, old shops; in Principe Real, new design stores, cool cafés such as Orpheu, and boutiques such as Kolovrat (lidijakolovrat.org) at Rua Dom Pedro V 79, for witty printed silk scarves and spider-web silver necklaces costing £330. Go to Bairro Alto at night, for the bars, and medieval Alfama for almost hilariously mournful fado. Hottest area: waterfront, ex-industrial Santos, buzzing with lifestyle stores, bars and restaurants; see LX Factory (lxfactory.com) and Ler (lerdevagar.com).
Where to eat and drink
Have cocktails at new, glass-walled Le Chat (00 351 91 779 7155) at Jardim 9 de Abril. Have dinner at rough-chic 560 (00 351 21 346 8317, restaurante560.com) at Rua das Gáveas 78: wild mushrooms in Azores cheese, swordfish with banana, then pineapple carpaccio with coriander sauce. Finish at the new Sol e Pesca bar (00 351 21 346 7203) at Rua Nova do Carvalho 44.
Fitch Affirms Central Weber SID, UT's Revs at 'AA'; Outlook Stable - Business Wire
SAN FRANCISCO--()--Fitch Ratings affirms its 'AA' rating on the following Central Weber Sewer Improvement District, UT bonds:
--$158 million of sewer revenue bonds.
The Rating Outlook is Stable.
SECURITY
The bonds are secured by net sewer revenues after payment of operations and maintenance expenses.
KEY RATING DRIVERS
REGIONAL WHOLESALE PROVIDER: The district is the wholesale provider of wastewater treatment services to a sizable suburban service area of 185,000 people on Utah's Wasatch Front.
STRONG RESERVE POSITION: The district has consistently maintained strong financial liquidity as it invested heavily in the modernization and expansion of its treatment plant. Unrestricted cash and investments are expected to decline over the next few years but should remain strong at over 800 days operating cash.
STABLE REVENUES, RATE FLEXIBILITY: The utility's revenues are very stable with wholesale sewer fees and property taxes as the primary revenue streams. Rates remain affordable even after a series of very large rate increases.
COVERAGE TO NARROW: The district's debt service coverage ratio was healthy at 1.6 times (x) in 2011, but Fitch expects coverage to fall to very slim levels (between 1.2x and 1.3x) as the district's full debt service comes on line in the current fiscal year. This concern is somewhat offset by the wholesaler's ample reserves, limited capital needs, limited revenue risks, and good rate flexibility.
WELL POSITIONED FOR GROWTH: The district completed construction of a major expansion of its treatment plant in 2011, improving the quality of its discharges and providing capacity for expected growth through the next two decades. Future capital needs are limited, and management plans no further borrowing.
HIGH DEBT LEVELS: The district's debt burden is about twice the median for 'AA' rated water and sewer utilities at $901 per capita. High debt levels reflect significant recent investments in the system and are expected to decline gradually over the next decade.
WHAT COULD TRIGGER A RATING ACTION
LACK OF COVERAGE CUSHION: The rating is likely to come under pressure if the utility fails to impose rate increases that would provide a reasonable cushion above its 1.15x rate covenant.
CREDIT PROFILE
The district is located approximately 40 miles northwest of downtown Salt Lake City and covers about 73 square miles primarily in the central portion of Weber County. The district provides wholesale wastewater treatment to a population of roughly 185,000 approximately, through 16 municipal customers. The district also provides retail sewer treatment services to small areas that account for less than 1% of the district's annual revenues. The district's sewer system consists of one wastewater treatment plant with a 75 million gallon per day (MGD) capacity that was recently expanded to accommodate growth through 2035.
SOLID FINANCIAL PROFILE
The district's liquidity has been very strong with over 2,000 days cash on hand since 2009. The district completed the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2011 with $28.7 million of unrestricted cash and investments. The days cash measure will decline both because the district expects to spend reserves down to about $17 million for capital spending over the next two to three years and because operating expenses have increased with the new plant. Fitch expects the $17 million level will continue to provide strong liquidity levels in relation to $7 million in operating expenditures, at over 800 days operations, but a more moderate cushion in relation to the district's $12.3 million annual debt service obligation.
Senior debt service coverage has been solid-to-very strong, averaging 2.5x over the past three fiscal years, but coverage is likely to decline to about 1.2x in 2012, primarily due to a sharp increase in debt service related to the recent expansion of the wastewater treatment plant. To a lesser degree, the decline in coverage reflects weakness in economically sensitive impact fee revenues and slower growth in property tax revenues. Fitch believes the utility's extremely stable revenues - fixed sewer fees and property taxes provide about 90% of revenues - strong liquidity position, limited capital spending needs and good rate flexibility allow it to run narrow coverage for a time without concern.
However, the narrow coverage projected for 2012 is not sustainable over the long term because it would require the utility to spend down reserves to cover capital spending needs, any unexpected cost overruns, or impact fee revenue shortfalls. Fitch expects the utility to begin to rebuild coverage to at least 1.3x by fiscal 2013 and to stabilize its reserves at a high level over the current five-year forecast horizon. The rating is likely to be downgraded if the utility hesitates to implement necessary rate increases to rebuild a solid coverage cushion above the 1.15x rate covenant or draws reserves down beyond the current projected levels.
GOOD RATE DISCIPLINE
Fitch's affirmation of the current rating is due in part to the utility's good rate flexibility and solid history of rate discipline. The utility nearly tripled its rates over the past four years to prepare to service the debt on its expanded treatment plant. Even with the increase, rates remain reasonable at local retail sewer providers and the wholesale utility has not seen meaningful opposition to needed rate hikes.
The scale of rate increases necessary to build a solid coverage cushion are quite modest and would leave rates quite affordable. Management plans to implement 3% to 5% rate increases over the next five years but has discussed the possibility of delaying rate increases for a year or two if the cost of operating its expanded plant come in below budget, which they have in the first several months of operation. While the utility can afford to give some rate relief, it cannot rebuild its coverage cushion if it maintains rates at their current level unless property tax or impact fee revenues begin resume historic growth patterns, which is not likely in the near term.
HEALTHY INVESTMENTS IN SYSTEM
The wholesaler's main capital asset is its treatment plant. Current high debt levels reflect recent expansion of the plant. With the completion of the recent plant upgrade, the utility is well positioned to meet the service area's treatment needs over the coming decades and can sustain significant growth without major capital spending. These investments in capital assets are credit strengths, and debt at the current level is not a major credit concern so long as the utility sets rates to maintain solid debt service coverage. The district's five-year capital plan is quite manageable at $23 million and will be funded entirely from cash, allowing debt levels to decline with gradual amortization. About a third of the utility's debt will be repaid in the next 10 years and 80% in the next 20 years.
SOLID SERVICE AREA
The district serves an economically solid suburban service area on the northern edge of the dynamic Salt Lake City metropolitan area. Large employers in the area include Hill Air Force Base, Davis County and Weber County School Districts, Department of Treasury IRS and McKay-Dee Hospital Center. Unemployment trends below the national average with Weber County at 7.2% and the Ogden-Clearfield metropolitan statistical area at 6.4% in March, compared to the nation's 8.4% non-seasonally adjusted jobless rate. Median household income for the county is healthy at 104% of the national median and 96% of the state level.
Additional information is available at www.fitchratings.com. The ratings above were solicited by, or on behalf of, the issuer, and therefore, Fitch has been compensated for the provision of the ratings.
In addition to the sources of information identified in the Revenue-Supported Rating Criteria, this action was informed by information from CreditScope and IHS Global Insights.
Applicable Criteria and Related Research:
--'Revenue-Supported Rating Criteria', dated June 20, 2011;
--'U.S. Water and Sewer Revenue Bond Rating Criteria', dated Aug. 10, 2011;
--'2012 Water and Sewer Medians', dated Dec. 8, 2011;
--'2012 Outlook: Water and Sewer Sector', dated Dec. 8, 2011.
Applicable Criteria and Related Research:
Revenue-Supported Rating Criteria
http://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=637130
U.S. Water and Sewer Revenue Bond Rating Criteria
http://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=647331
2012 Water and Sewer Medians
http://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=657111
2012 Outlook: Water and Sewer Sector
http://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=657110
ALL FITCH CREDIT RATINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS. PLEASE READ THESE LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK: HTTP://FITCHRATINGS.COM/UNDERSTANDINGCREDITRATINGS. IN ADDITION, RATING DEFINITIONS AND THE TERMS OF USE OF SUCH RATINGS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE AGENCY'S PUBLIC WEBSITE WWW.FITCHRATINGS.COM. PUBLISHED RATINGS, CRITERIA AND METHODOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THIS SITE AT ALL TIMES. FITCH'S CODE OF CONDUCT, CONFIDENTIALITY, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, AFFILIATE FIREWALL, COMPLIANCE AND OTHER RELEVANT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE 'CODE OF CONDUCT' SECTION OF THIS SITE.
Calais: there's still life left in the booze cruise - Daily Telegraph
But, the truth is that cross-Channel shopping can still be financially worthwhile. For my trip, I devised a list of 13 well-known brands (Gordon's, Jacob's Creek Chardonnay, Moët & Chandon brut and Martini Bianco among them). If I had bought them all online in Britain from Sainsbury's, they would have cost £194.12.
At Sainsbury's Calais branch, the same brands, in the same quantities, cost £163.06. That's a saving of £30, or about 16 per cent. Trawling round Calais looking for the cheapest-possible version of each brand reduced the total further, to £146.94, saving 24 per cent.
And, of course, my test underestimates the possible savings. By picking well-known brands, it ignores 99 per cent of what's available, often at more substantial savings. Offers of 50 per cent and 60 per cent off British prices weren't rare. The test also ignored special deals ("Buy six and get one free", etc), which are widespread – and the fact that some shops operate a better than £1:€1.11 exchange rate. Majestic's Wine & Beer World and Oddbins offer a rate of £1:€1.30, as long as you pay in sterling with cash or by cheque, and Sainsbury's is currently offering £1:€1.33 for sterling cash.
So yes, a trip can be justified, especially if you live in the South-East. And, at almost all shops, you may order by internet before you travel, for collection on arrival.
To make it financially worthwhile you must:
(a) buy at least £250-£300 worth of goods
(b) concentrate on wines and spirits, where the savings are greater
(c) get the best cross-Channel deals – or use those Calais outlets, such as Oddbins and Majestic, that will fund your ferry crossing if you order enough (see below).
Before you do anything, check that the exchange rate hasn't got much worse.
Where to shop
There are three key buying zones, all on the fringes of Calais. Please note that prices of individual wines may vary according to promotions and exchange rates available in each shop.
Marcel Doret commercial estate
Come off the A26 motorway at Junction 3 – the first after the ferry – and follow signs for "ZA Marcel Doret". You won't miss EastEnders (0033 321 345333, www.eastenders-calais.com) It announces itself like an ageing fairground.
It's probably best known for its bottom-end own-brand wines, which, despite some tasteless labelling, are of reasonable quality. The place has cut back on beer, but still stocks high-standard wines from across the globe, and then some classier ones that you are surprised to find in a vast, cold shed.
A Château Beauséjour 2002, from Montagne St Emilion, at £11 and Lynch-Bages 2000 at £78 catch the eye. EastEnders is open 24/7, and it's tight on prices. Of our 13 brands, it was cheapest on three, and competitive on most.
Almost next door, Wine & Beer World (0033 321 976300, www.majesticinfrance.co.uk) is the Calais arm of the British merchant Majestic. Though still big and cold, it's more what you expect from a retail experience – there's paint on the walls.
Beers, spirits and world wines are well represented and it also passes my test for a plonk shop: that there be an interesting range from southern France. With a Château Flaugergues 2006 at £5.98 and a Château Pennautier Cabardès at £4.50 (£3.49 if you buy six), I couldn't complain.
Order for £300 on the website or on 01923 298297, and use the reference number given to you to book a SeaFrance day return, and the shop will reimburse you for your Channel crossing (terms and conditions are on the website).
Just off the nearby roundabout, there's no doubting the serious Frenchness of La Grande Boutique Du Vin (00330321 972122, www.vinscph.com) The salesmen wear sommelier's aprons, there's a temperature-controlled cave for fine wines and one of Calais's two best ranges of French produce.
A belting champers selection (the company is based in Champagne) runs from Louis Chesnel at £11.46 to Bollinger Special Cuvée at £25.25 and beyond. And the place easily passes the southern French test with, among many others, a Provençal Château Réal Martin white at £6.38 and Domaine d'Aupilhac for £9.54.
Cité Europe
Off the A16 at exit 41 or 43, and hard by the tunnel terminal, the keystone of this mega-shopping centre is the Carrefour hypermarket (0033 321 467646, www.carrefour-calais.com), which offers the advantage of booze, food and toy shopping in one place. The food shelves are especially well-stacked, and the wine section is strong on cheap and mid-range French stuff at good prices.
Good on spirits, too – and just along the mall is Tesco Vin Plus (0033 321 460270, www.tesco-france.com) Those familiar with their British outlets won't be disappointed, especially not at the frequent "50 per cent off UK Prices!" notices.
La Française commercial estate
Along the road from the Cité Europe, same motorway exits, follow signs for Auchan (0033 321 978339, www.auchancalais.com), a consumers' temple quite as abundant as Carrefour above. Across the car park, the main range at Sainsbury's (0033 321 823848, www.sainsburyscalais.co.uk) is as you would expect – sharply priced own brands, spirits and New World and European plonk.
Alongside, though, they have wheeled in some of Bordeaux's better wines, complete with a sommelier. If you look serious enough, he will let you taste a 2005 Château Pape Clément grand cru Graves, which sells for £115 a bottle.
They are also focusing on half a dozen smaller-scale French producers from unfashionable spots such the Corbières and Côteaux-du-Layon.
Nearby, Oddbins (0033 321 190019, www.oddbins-calais.com), an independently owned outpost of the British business, has a well-priced standard range (cheapest on two of our 13 brands) but its real strength is in good and diverting wines from pretty much everywhere. Including the South of France. I'll go for the Copa Santo from Domaine Clavel, at £12.99.
Oddbins also has a lot more wines under £2. You may taste them at the counter and, believe me, the Altana di Vico Italian red at £1.49 (£3.50 off British prices) was a lot better than the house poison in a Calais brasserie that night. If you order goods worth more than £200, Oddbins says, it will provide a booking reference that entitles you to a free day return with P&O.
And finally...
Away from these three centres, by exit 44 off the A16, Calais Vins (0033 321 364040, www.calais-vins.com) is overseen by Jérôme Bont, who entices you to his tasting counter – the best in town – at the slightest glimmer of interest.
The basics are well and economically handled but real enthusiasm is reserved for a spectacular range of spirits, and the second of the two finest French wine selections in Calais. If you're interested in wine, you'll be browsing through to closing time. "My pleasure is not to have a big car," said Pont. "It is having a vertical of Lafite in my cellar."
Eating out
If you have time to enjoy a meal after your shopping, you will dine well near the town seafront at the Sole Meunière (1 blvd de la Résistance, 0033 321 344301, www.solemeunière.com; menus from £15) or next door at Le Channel (0033 321 344230, www.restaurant-lechannel.com; menus from £16.50). At the other end of town, Au Calice (55 blvd Jacquard, 0033 321 345178, www.opalenews.com/lecalice, menus from £14) is a bustling, good-hearted brasserie and open late.
Getting there
Seafrance (0871 2222500, www.seafrance.com) sails Dover-Calais 15 times a day, with online day-return fares from £25 – for car and up to five passengers.
P&O (08716 646464, www.poferries.com) day returns start at £29, for car and up to nine passengers. Eurotunnel (08705 353535, www.eurotunnel.com) services are currently restricted to one every 90 minutes (two at weekends) because of the fire damage to the tunnel. Day and overnight returns start at £44, but you will need to book early, and off-peak, to get these prices.
Norfolkline (0844 847 5042, www.norfolkline.com) offers a Dover Dunkirk service.
Probe into wholesale electricity prices in SI - Stuff
PAUL GORMAN
The Electricity Authority is investigating why South Island wholesale power prices are apparently being inflated against the national interest in a move that could lead to higher household prices.
State-owned power companies Meridian Energy and Genesis Energy, which run the Waitaki River hydro scheme that generates a quarter of the country's electricity, refused to comment yesterday on the investigation and their recent management of South Island reserve power prices.
Spot prices have rocketed to more than $500 a megawatt hour at times in recent days, more than five times those in the North Island.
Southern hydro lakes are under pressure as a result of low inflows from the driest four-month period in southern hydro catchments in 80 years.
The authority yesterday announced its probe into the increasing South Island reserve prices since May 10.
Its concern is the inter-island link bringing power south has been constrained "not due to any transmission limit, but due to the prices at which reserves were offered by some South Island reserve providers".
"The reduced ... south transfer increased the need for South Island generation, which is undesirable, given the current low South Island storage situation," it said.
"The authority is looking at the reasons for the increased South Island reserve offer prices."
Auckland power consultant Bryan Leyland said he could not fathom the move.
"What is the logic for doing it, given that it depletes the storage and massively jacks up the spot prices? As these high prices will eventually finish up affecting retail prices, the cost to the country is large," he said.
"What I cannot understand is why, when the South Island is short of water, any rational organisation would want to constrain the inter-island link. But that is what they are doing.
"It is, most definitely, not in the national interest.
"It may well be in the commercial interest of one of them.
"I do not blame the generators for this. What they are doing is entirely within the rules of the electricity market.
"The problem is that we have an electricity market that is seriously flawed and we are, once again, seeing how it fails to consider the interests of the consumers."
Asked if Meridian was raising reserve prices for any reason, spokeswoman Claire Shaw said it would be "inappropriate" to comment before the authority reported its findings.
Genesis spokesman Richard Gordon had the same comment.
- © Fairfax NZ News
Library in shopping complex concept for other districts - theborneopost.com
Posted on May 23, 2012, Wednesday
KOTA KINABALU: A library within the shopping complex concept will be expanded to other districts soon.
Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun in disclosing this, said it was another way to reach out to the people to embrace reading as a habit rather than waiting for them to step into the library.
“This may be a new concept but it is gaining popularity amongst the people. You can actually see people coming into the library to read or borrow books in between their shopping time,” she said when visiting the library at the Suria Sabah shopping mall yesterday.
Azizah disclosed that since the Suria Sabah library was set up in February, the number of visitors had increased each month, with an average of 20,000 people monthly.
“We will expand it to other districts soon, but it has to be a place where there are a lot of people and available premises,” she said.
The library within the shopping complex was started in Bandar Indah, Tawau, before it was expanded to the state capital.
She also disclosed that the library would be maintained, even after the completion of the proposed Sabah Regional Library in Tanjung Aru next year.
On Sabah Progressive Party’s statement that the setting up of the library within the shopping complex was costly, Azizah replied: “This is for the people. We are doing this for the people in line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s call of ‘People First, Performance Now’. Nothing is expensive for the people.”
On comments that there were not enough books at the Suria Sabah Library, she said the state library would find ways to meet the people’s demand.
“At the same time, we would also welcome and encourage people to come in and donate their books,” said Azizah.
Meanwhile, Sabah State Library director Wong Vui Yin said they were lacking in books in the national language.
“If you go to our libraries, you will notice that most of the shelves for books in Bahasa Malaysia (BM) are always empty. It is not just happening in Sabah, but is faced by most public libraries nationwide.
“Our education system is such where the medium of instruction is in BM and the younger generation and in fact everybody can read and understand the language. So that is why there are not enough books on our shelves,” he said.
MyReviewsNow.net Adds Online Backup Software Utilities Company Carbonite to its Online Shopping Mall - PRWeb
Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) May 22, 2012
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For more information or media inquiries, contact Lina Andrade at info(at)myreviewsnow(dot)net. Press release issued by SEOChampion.com.
About MyReviewsNow.net
A virtual shopping mall of services, products and publications available online, MyReviewsNow.net is a business directory that sets itself apart from similar sites by offering both professional reviews and customer testimonials on the Internet’s hottest offerings in a fun, simple format that is easy for visitors to shop and enjoy.
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NYC man gets prison in shopping site scheme - myfoxny.com
NEW YORK (AP) - A would-be e-commerce entrepreneur is headed to a New York prison for at least 18 months. He rooked investors of hundreds of thousands of dollars for a supposed high-end online shopping business.
Andrew Albert could spend up to 4½ years behind bars after Tuesday's sentencing. He's also been ordered to pay about $350,000 in restitution. The 49-year-old pleaded guilty earlier to grand larceny.
The Manhattan district attorney's office says Albert courted backers for a site allowing shoppers' avatars to try on designer clothes.
Prosecutors say he spent investors' dollars on dog grooming, gourmet groceries and renovations to his apartment.
Defense lawyer George Farkas says Albert went into the venture "with high hopes and good intentions" and spent investors' money before realizing it was a bust.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Vitacost.com Upgrades Mobile Shopping Experience - Yahoo Finance
BOCA RATON, Fla., May 21, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vitacost.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:VITC - News), a leading online retailer of health and wellness products, announced today the inclusion of new features for its Apple iPhone and Android mobile apps, designed to encourage comparison shopping and improve the user experience. These apps now include a bar code scanner allowing for easy price comparisons, as well as shopping lists and offer the functionality to set a "vitamin alarm" to ensure compliance with health regimes.
The bar code scanner allows customers to scan any product from any retailer to check whether the items are available at Vitacost.com. If the product is among the thousands of items sold at a discount on Vitacost.com, the customer can purchase it through their Vitacost mobile app rather than paying full-price at the store. If the item is not in Vitacost.com's inventory, other product recommendations will be offered. Another improvement to the Vitacost mobile apps is shopping list functionality--so customers can create and save a list of their favorite products and have the option to purchase every item with just the click of a button. In addition, with the "vitamin alarm" feature, customers can set daily alarms reminding them to take a vitamin or pill, drink water, exercise--or any other healthy habit. The customer does not need to be browsing on their Vitacost mobile app to receive the alarm, as this technology notifies the consumer automatically.
Vitacost.com began transforming its mobile site in October of 2011 in response to customer feedback, requesting an improved experience. Additional enhancements in March of 2012, including recommended products and the ability to checkout with PayPal or Bill Me Later, were designed to make the sales cycle--from research to checkout--easier and faster.
Customers can shop from their iPhone, Android, Blackberry or on the Web at www.vitacost.com, to see Vitacost's extensive array of more than 35,000 health and wellness products, priced up to 50% off retail prices, with orders over $49 shipped free. Exclusive coupons for mobile customers--offered during weekend promotions provide additional savings to the Vitacost mobile customer.
"We are excited to add the ability for easy comparison shopping to the Vitacost mobile apps, making it easier for customers to find the products they want at more affordable prices while they are conducting their everyday grocery and vitamin shopping," said David Zucker, Ph.D., Chief Marketing Officer of Vitacost.com. "The addition of list functionality makes shopping with Vitacost's mobile apps easier than ever, and the vitamin reminder will help customers comply with their health regimens more easily. We are proud to offer a free mobile shopping experience that is good for customers' health--and their wallets."
About Vitacost.com, Inc.
Vitacost.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:VITC - News) is a leading online retailer of health and wellness products, including dietary supplements such as vitamins, minerals, herbs and other botanicals, amino acids and metabolites, as well as cosmetics, organic body and personal care products, pet products, sports nutrition and health foods. Vitacost.com, Inc. sells these products directly to consumers through its website, www.vitacost.com. Vitacost.com, Inc. strives to offer its customers the broadest selection of healthy living products, while providing superior customer service and timely and accurate delivery.
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