Long Beach Ballet (LBB) successfully delivered its annual “The Nutcracker” extravaganza during five performances last weekend—complete with scores of performers, sumptuous sets, exciting pyrotechnics and, of course, beautiful ballet dancing. 

LBB Artistic Director David Wilcox’s conceptualization, direction and choreography shone brightly in this year’s production. A humble chimney sweep (Ken Datugan) seeking work at the home of young Clara (wonderfully performed by Maeve Callahan) and her family helps set the stage as they greet Christmas Eve party guests. 

In addition to the full orchestra playing Tchaikovsky’s melodic score (excellently conducted by Roger Hickman), one immediately notices the very detailed costumes by an array of designers (Adrian Clarke, Donna Dickens, Ann de Farra, Hilde Byrne and Cheryl Cartwright). The girls’ frocks and ladies’ dresses especially stood out, cut similarly but with uniquely charming patterns and textures, plus lots of bows. 

Floor-to-ceiling sets were similarly enchanting (designed by Elliott Hessayon, Rex Heuschkel and Scott Shaffer), with a wall full of portraits in Clara’s warm family home and an adorned Christmas tree and presents that very magically grew as her perspective changed to that of her beloved nutcracker doll (a robust Benjohn Magcalas) when he came to life to defend her against creepy mice led by a melodramatic mouse king (Craig Rexroad). 

Delzio Design’s pyrotechnics surprised during that fight as the nutcracker and his army fired cannons and muskets with loud booms and glowing sparks. And once the nutcracker transformed into a prince (Steven Morse), he and Clara alighted into the air in a sleigh at the end of the first act before floating angels opened the second act.

Despite all the enthralling staging, it was the music and ballet dancing that sustained the audience’s attention. Long Beach Terrace Theatre acoustics allowed the melodies to reverberate loud and clear while remaining sharp. And LBB’s many young students and their talented teachers graced the stage confidently in their various dances invoking snow and sweets.

A scene from Long Beach Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” to be performed Dec. 17-19 at the Terrace Theatre. (Photo by Katie Ging)

Megan Wilcox as the Sugarplum Fairy stood out for her poise and precision. Her grand pas de deux with our handsome nutcracker prince Morse (from the San Francisco Ballet) was both technically and aesthetically exquisite. Aurora Gray’s technique as the Dewdrop Fairy also captivated.

Beyond grace, athletically exuberant performances by the three Russian Dance performers (Alfredo Garcia, Hector Garcia and Magcalas) stole the show, as did two jolly jesters (Aaron Augustin and young acrobatic Emily Medillin). 

If you weren’t able to attend LBB’s “The Nutcracker” this year, mark your calendars for December 2022, when LBB will most likely return for its annual performance. In the meantime, a video recording of this year’s performance is available to rent for $25 or purchase for $50 through LBB’s website’s “Gallery” page.  

You can also look forward to LBB’s production of “Don Quixote” this summer, which it describes as “the romantic, mad-cap adventures of history’s favorite knight!” Based on Miguel de Cervantes’s novel Don Quixote de la Mancha, the ballet was originally choreographed in 1869 to the music of Ludwig Minkus by Marius Petipa—who also created “The Nutcracker” ballet.

Like “The Nutcracker,” the ballet “Don Quixote” includes a dreamlike adventure, sword-fighting, fairies and even puppetry. And as with “The Nutcracker,” LBB will likely fill the stage with dozens of engaging and graceful performers, lovely costumes and fun set designs, all animated by a live orchestra.

“Don Quixote” is scheduled to be performed on June 4th and 5th at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center at 6200 E. Atherton St. on the CSULB campus. Tickets will be available for purchase “soon” through LBB’s website, Longbeachballet.com.

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SARASOTA, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Wrench Group, a national leader in home services, has expanded into Oklahoma City, Okla., as it continues its successful “greenfield” growth strategy of launching new businesses from the ground up in top markets across the country.

The company added its 27th market nationwide as Comfort Wave Home Services, an HVAC, plumbing and electrical service provider, announced it had opened its first location in Oklahoma City this month. Although the company is a new name on the local scene, its team has more than 125 years of combined experience serving homeowners in the Oklahoma City region and the company already has established roots with area community events and organizations.

“Oklahoma City is known for its friendly people and close-knit community and that is exactly why we are launching a new company built by experienced area technicians and home services professionals,” said Ken Haines, CEO of Wrench Group. “Comfort Wave will make use of the most technologically advanced operations systems and solutions to help our team grow the business and provide an excellent customer service experience.”

Comfort Wave plans to bring 100 new jobs to Oklahoma City in the first 15 months of operations in the area with a service area that encompasses all of central Oklahoma.

“Oklahoma City quickly stood out as a place full of talented people looking for the right opportunity to be in a thriving, dynamic, and growing work environment. With Oklahoma City’s friendly business climate and rapid growth, it seemed like the perfect fit in our greenfield initiative,” said Andy Piercefield, Vice President of Business Development and Retail Operations at Wrench Group.

This is the seventh market where Wrench has employed a “greenfield” strategy. The company previously opened greenfield locations in Austin, Texas; Orlando, Fla.; Tucson, Ariz.; Birmingham, Ala; Nashville, Tenn.; and Memphis, Tenn. over the past three years. All six locations have quickly built a strong and loyal customer base and developed numerous community connections and partnerships.

About Wrench Group

Wrench Group, LLC is a national leader operating in 27 markets across 15 states. The locations provide home repair, replacement and maintenance services specializing in heating, ventilation and air conditioning, plumbing, water, electrical and related services. The company collectively serves more than 2 million customers annually with more than 7,100 team members in the Atlanta, Austin, Birmingham, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Fort Myers-Naples, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville-St. Augustine, Los Angeles, Louisville, Memphis, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Palm Springs, Phoenix, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Francisco Bay Area, Sarasota, southern Maryland, Tampa Bay, and Tucson metropolitan areas.

The locations have developed strong reputations with brands that date back to the 1940s. For more information, please visit us at www.wrenchgroup.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231127912624/en/

Meghann McNally

404-803-8164

[email protected]

Shawn Malayter

872-267-2636

[email protected]

Source: Wrench Group, LLC

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WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday significantly weakened a landmark water pollution law by ruling that an Idaho couple’s property does not include wetlands that are subject to federal oversight by law.

The ruling, in which all judges agreed on the outcome but differed on the legal reasoning, concluded that Mike and Chantell Sackett’s land does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act of 1972 and therefore they do not qualify for federal approval need to build property on it.

The decision ends a year-long battle between the Sacketts and the federal government and is a victory for conservative groups and business interests opposed to full application of the Water Pollution Act.

President Joe Biden criticized the decision, saying it “turns on its head the legal framework that has protected American waters for decades.” The ruling “contradicts the science that affirms the critical role of wetlands in protecting our nation’s streams, rivers and lakes from chemicals and pollutants,” he said in a statement.

Damien Schiff, the Sacketts’ attorney, said the decision “resets the scope of the Clean Water Act to its original and reasonable limits.” The decision represents a “profound victory for property rights and the constitutional separation of powers,” he added.

The ruling is another example of the court’s conservative judges pushing ahead with a ruling that limits the sweeping powers of federal agencies, a common theme in recent years.

Coming to its broader legal conclusion, the court ruled 5-4 in an opinion by conservative Justice Samuel Alito that the Clean Water Act’s jurisdiction extended only to wetlands that were “indistinguishable” from larger bodies of water because they would have a “continuous surface” connection.”

The wetlands on the Sacketts’ property are “distinguishable from any potentially covered body of water,” he wrote.

The ruling will ease some burdens on landowners, including big business interests, Alito said, as the law “can be sweeping to criminalize everyday activities like earth moving.”

The impact will be felt across the country, as environmental groups say millions of acres of wetlands will no longer fall under federal jurisdiction. Unless states tighten their own environmental laws, property owners will have considerable freedom to fill in wetlands without having to go through the previously required state permitting process.

Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the court’s three Liberal Justices in rejecting the new majority test.

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“By limiting the scope of the Wetlands Act to only contiguous wetlands, the Court’s new review means that some long-regulated contiguous wetlands are no longer covered by the Clean Water Act, with significant implications for water quality and flood control across the country United States will have,” he wrote.

The court’s new approach could jeopardize both the ability to regulate the Mississippi levee system and effectively monitor the Chesapeake Bay, Kavanaugh said. Levees separating wetlands from the Mississippi mean those wetlands could be outside of federal oversight and wetlands vital to the Chesapeake Bay could be filled in without state permits, he said.

In a separate statement, Liberal Justice Elena Kagan targeted the majority to rewrite a law passed by Congress. She compared the ruling to the court’s decision last year to limit the scope of the Clean Air Act as part of efforts to tackle climate change.

“The vice is the same in both cases: the appointment of the court as the national decision-maker in environmental policy,” she said.

In this case, the Sacketts returned to the Supreme Court for the second time after the judges ruled in their favor in a previous case in 2012. Both cases involve the same underlying dispute: their desire to build a property on their property in Priest Lake, Idaho, portions of which have been designated a protected wetland area by the EPA, meaning the land is subject to federal jurisdiction and A permit is required to build on it.

Chantell and Mike Sackett.Lawrence Hurley/E&E News

The litigation focused on whether the Sacketts could challenge an EPA compliance order in court after they filled the affected area with gravel and sand without a permit. The dispute, which began in 2007, continued over whether the land was even a wetland.

The Sacketts returned to the Supreme Court after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in San Francisco, ruled in favor of the federal government in August 2021 that the area was in fact a wetland.

The law defining a wetland – which is crucial for property developers and other business interests – has long been unclear and was not resolved when the Supreme Court ruled a previous case on the issue. In 2006, four judges said the Clean Water Act covers wetlands with a “continuous surface connection” to a waterway, but there was no clear majority. Judge Anthony Kennedy, who cast the fifth vote in that 5-4 ruling, presented his own test, saying the statute provides jurisdiction over wetlands with a “significant connection” to a waterway.

Successive presidential administrations have attempted to bring clarity to the law, with Democrats generally favoring greater federal power and Republicans, supported by business interests, saying the Clean Water Act’s jurisdiction should be limited.

In Thursday’s ruling, the court rejected the significance nexus test and appeared to adopt the approach of the four-judge block in the 2006 case.

Sam Sankar, a lawyer for environmental group Earthjustice, said up to 90 million hectares of formerly protected wetlands could now be at risk.

Because liberal-leaning states are likely to enact new laws to protect wetlands, “the impacts on the ground will be most severe in states that are most polluter-friendly and least concerned about environmental protection,” he added.

While environmental activists were depressed, the business community rejoiced at a decision that will be a boon to companies across multiple industries, including energy and construction.

“The Supreme Court has given long-overdue relief to businesses and landowners across our country,” said Marty Durbin, a senior official at the US Chamber of Commerce.

The Biden administration finalized its own rule in December, largely reverting to the interpretation that existed prior to the actions of the Obama and Trump administrations, although the new rule already faced its own legal challenges. Because of the Supreme Court ruling, the EPA must now go back to the drawing board.

Lawrence Hurley reports on the Supreme Court for NBC News Digital.

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Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem continues to send a powerful message long after it was first performed in 1961. The modernist masterpiece presents enormous challenges of scale, challenges embraced and conveyed by the San Francisco Symphony with guest conductor Philippe Jordan, the Silicon Valley-based Ragazzi Boys Chorus, soprano Jennifer Holloway, tenor Ian Bostridge and baritone Brian Mulligan, a Last minute replacement for Iain Paterson who was kept away due to visa issues.

The Requiem was commissioned to mark the rebuilding of Coventry Cathedral in England, which was destroyed along with the rest of the city in a bombing raid in 1940. Britten’s music, performed in the new cathedral next to the ruins of the old church, was then as now a bitter cry about what the text calls “the pity of war” – the terrible effects of aggression on human lives.

The Requiem sets the Latin text of the Catholic funeral mass to music, using a large orchestra with a correspondingly large choir and a soprano soloist. Far from the stage, a children’s choir echoes from the Latin Mass (in this case, from the corridor behind the second floor of Davies Hall). In Britten’s hands, the liturgy offers some moments of comfort, such as at a funeral, but moments of peace are often drowned out in horrifying apocalyptic scenarios.

Benjamin Britten rehearses his War Requiem in the rebuilt Coventry Cathedral

Britten’s masterpiece in crafting a requiem for the war-torn 20th century was to contrast the liturgical with a more personal, secular perspective. He drew on the poems of Wilfred Owen, who died in World War I just a week before the armistice. Britten, a master at setting English poetry to music, brings out the painful range of emotions of a soldier in the trenches – fear, sadness, longing and tenderness. Owen’s lyrics are performed by a smaller chamber orchestra playing in intimate counterpoint with the tenor and baritone soloists.

The Requiem was the only piece on the program that was performed without an intermission. Jordan directed these many forces with alert precision and control, keeping steady beat where needed, as in the wild fugue Britten wrote for the Latin text “Quam olim Abrahae promisti” (Which thou [God] once promised to Abraham). The orchestra was full of lively percussion – bells, drums and all sorts of clacks and gongs. The brass made a tremendous contribution with bugle calls and ominous trumpets. As the choir sang Judgment Day, the orchestra murmured and swayed in powerful counterpoint to the terrified voices. The chorus skillfully handled Britten’s extraordinarily wide dynamic range – from the softest whisper to the loudest screech. Guest choir director Joshua Habermann prepared the symphony choir.

Britten counterpoints God’s promise of protection at the hour of death and on the day of judgment with Owen’s poem about Abraham and Isaac, sung by the baritone and tenor soloists. Abraham is commanded to sacrifice his son Isaac, and he dutifully prepares. In the biblical account, the command is revoked by an angel who offers a ram in place of the boy. In a tender duet, the two soloists expressed the angel’s intervention in a moving way. But Owen writes: “The old man would not do that, but killed his son. . .” and the music follows with a relentless reiteration of the gruesome consequences: “. . . and half the seed of Europe, one at a time.”

Ian Bostridge | Photo credit: Kalpesh Lathigra

Brian Mulligan’s confident, full baritone accentuated Owen’s tone of hopelessness and regret, particularly in the work’s moving final episode, in which a dead German soldier meets his English enemy and greets him as ‘my friend’. By contrast, Ian Bostridge tended to emphasize the irony of war, his notes devoid of sentimentality and seeming suffused with pain, swaying up and down the scale with manic glissandi. I will not soon forget Bostridge’s powerful rendition of ‘Move him into the sun’, Owen’s Pietà for a Dead Friend. The chamber orchestra contributed lively soundscapes of trench warfare – the howling of shells and the anxious drama of life in the trenches.

The powerful clarity of soprano Jennifer Mulligan brought a soulful tension to the Latin liturgy – there is no superficial religiosity here! Her proclamation of Sanctus – “Holy” – pierced the din of drums and bells like a beam of light across a dark battlefield.

The guys from the Ragazzi Chorus were excellently prepared by their artistic director Kent Jue and sang beautifully, spatially and musically far removed from the dark imaginations and struggles of the people in the war.

On opening night, when I heard the Requiem, there were a few glitches in the early sections – the orchestra was not as rhythmically tight as it could have been, the choir trembled at the Kyrie’s very difficult intonations. It took some time for Mulligan to find his consonants and for Bostridge to stop singing into his score. But as soon as the play really got going, the insecurities of the first evening disappeared.

The rest was magnificent, a complex and deeply human indictment of aggression and military force that is still—or perhaps increasingly—needed in these times.

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ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Whenever Shohei Ohtani is on the mound, the Los Angeles Angels feel confident they can pull off a win.

Ohtani hit nine in six innings and Mickey Moniak hit his second big hit of the series with a two-run double in the seventh as the Angels beat the Minnesota Twins 4-2 on Sunday.

Alex Kirilloff hit a home run and Carlos Correa hit an RBI double for the Twins, who lost four balls out of six on their road trip through Southern California.

Ohtani didn’t come to a decision despite conceding just one run and two hits. It was the fourth time in ten starts this season that the two-way superstar had nine or more strikeouts.

“It was really good today,” said Angels manager Phil Nevin. “He’s had five wins and held us in every game. He gave up some runs when we took the lead but he seems to have gotten us to the finish line with that lead. He knows exactly when to call back.”

The Angels improved to 8-2 when Ohtani started and scored a three-game streak for the first time since early May. Ohtani leads the majors with a .142 opponent batting average and is third in strikeouts with 80.

Ohtani threw 99 shots against the Twins. Of his 62 hits, 22 were weak hits, which made up his best of the season.

“Getting the swings and misses is tremendous and better than getting fouled. So I’m doing my pitches and that’s a good sign,” Ohtani said through an interpreter.

Moniak, who netted a triple on Friday night, delivered a two-run double in the seventh to give the Angels a 3-1 lead. Pinch-hitter Matt Thaiss hit a leadoff walk to chase starter Pablo López (2-3) and Zach Neto followed with a double to Jorge López’s right to set up Moniak.

Moniak almost stole a home run from Kirilloff in the eighth round. He attempted to make a jump catch into the left stand after Kirilloff’s solo shot across the line, but the ball bounced out of his glove.

“I’ll take the game-winning goal all day,” said Moniak. “It’s good to get a series win in a day game.”

Chris Devenski (2-0) took the win and Carlos Estévez saved for the 12th time.

Correa scored the Twins’ first hit in the third inning. His right center double came from Joey Gallo, who came on board with a two-out walk.

The Angels equalized in the fourth game. Hunter Renfroe and Jared Walsh opened the inning with base hits before Gio Urshela’s sacrifice flight put Renfroe home.

AL Central leaders Minnesota was competitive in every game on the trip against the Dodgers and Angels but lost all in the late innings.

“When you lose a handful of tight ball games where you were either in the lead or you had clear chances – several clear chances – and you don’t capitalize on it, that’s hard to stomach,” said Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. “We’re close to playing full baseball games, but we’re not there yet.”

BACK TO FORM?

Sunday’s performance was more in line with what Ohtani showed earlier in the season when he conceded just two earned runs and eight hits in his first five starts.

The right-hander was 2-1 in his last four appearances but had given up 17 runs and 18 hits, including eight home runs.

“I was trying to control the home runs and not make them feel good on the plate. I was trying to make sure they weren’t making good swings,” Ohtani said of Sunday’s outing.

The only thing Ohtani wasn’t happy about was his three walks and also a hit batter.

TRAINING ROOM

Twins: DH Byron Buxton was given the day off after retiring from Saturday’s game with a strain in his right leg.

Angels: LHP Aaron Loup has been ruled out of injury list after missing 15 games with a left hamstring strain.

NEXT

Gemini: RHP Bailey Ober (3-0, 1.78 ERA) makes his third straight start against an interleague opponent in the opener of a three-game streak at home against San Francisco.

Angels: RHP Jaime Barria (1-1, 1.96 ERA) got his first start of the season in the opener of a three-game set against the Boston Red Sox. Barria has made 10 appearances outside of the bullpen.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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It’s been a tough few days for Spartans around the world, and that includes Tom Izzo, Michigan State’s men’s basketball head coach.

Izzo was one of many affected and injured by Monday night’s mass shooting on campus that killed three students. These three students were honored Wednesday night during a candlelight vigil at The Rock on the Michigan State campus. The vigil was followed by speeches from a variety of figures, from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to student leaders to Izzo.

Check out Izzo’s full speech from Wednesday night’s vigil – courtesy of Barstool Spartans:

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Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter and like our page Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of news, notes and opinions from across the state of Michigan. You can also follow Robert Bondy on Twitter @RobertBondy5.

More basketball!

Jaren Jackson Jr. is ranked #2 in the latest NBA Defensive Player of the Year rankings

WATCH: Duke University Chapel pays tribute to MSU by playing fight song after campus shooting

CBB analyst Andy Katz has Spartans safe in NCAA tournament in latest bracket prediction

Story originally appeared on Spartans Wire

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SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco announced that, in partnership with participating member financial institutions, more than $2.2 million has been donated to HUD-approved housing counseling agencies through the Bank’s Empowering Black Homeownership matching grant program. This funding has been distributed to 22 HUD-approved housing counseling agencies so that they can better serve homebuyers and homeowners in communities of color.

“The Empowering Black Homeownership matching grant program is a key component of FHLBank San Francisco’s commitment to working to narrow the Black homeownership gap and reduce racial wealth disparities,” said Teresa Bryce Bazemore, president and CEO of FHLBank San Francisco. “We are grateful for the member financial institutions that have partnered with us to advance racial equity by providing financial support for housing counseling agencies directly serving populations that have been historically disadvantaged when it comes to building wealth through homeownership.”

The Empowering Black Homeownership grant program, which launched in March 2022, made $1 million available for the Bank’s member financial institutions to request dollar-for-dollar matching grants of up to $125,000. FHLBank San Francisco is grateful to each of the following Bank members for delivering generous donations along with our matching grant funds to 22 local housing counseling agencies for HUD-eligible activities, which include capacity building, operations, and pre-and post-purchase homeownership counseling .

• Bank of the West
• Citizens Business Bank
• City National Bank
• Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach
• First Republic Bank
• Luther Burbank Savings
• Mechanics Bank

• MUFG Union Bank
• Pacific Premier Bank
• Pacific Western Bank
• Silicon Valley Bank
• Toyota Financial Savings Bank
• Tri Counties Bank
• Western Alliance Bank

Several FHLBank San Francisco member institutions shared their thoughts on the impact that FHLBank San Francisco’s Empowering Black Homeownership matching grant program will have on homebuyers and homeowners of color in communities where they do business:

“Thank you to our partners at FHLBank San Francisco for making this important grant matching program available via its member banks,” said Cheryl Ryman, Farmers & Merchants Bank vice president, community reinvestment act officer. “We applaud Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles, NeighborWorks OC, and Affordable Housing Clearinghouse for the valuable work they do in our community, and we are grateful for the opportunity to assist in achieving their mission.”

“City National Bank is proud to support Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County and its mission of helping more families realize the American dream of homeownership,” said Sal Mendoza, City National Bank senior vice president, community reinvestment act manager, “We want to also thank FHLBank San Francisco for matching our grant and helping us make a difference in the communities where we live and work.”

“The racial homeownership gap is persistent and pervasive in the Bay Area, so we thank FHLBank San Francisco for making this funding available to partners doing critical work to make homeownership more attainable for Black families,” said Bobbie Salgado, Silicon Valley Bank’s senior director, community reinvestment act and community affairs manager. “We are proud to work with FHLBank San Francisco and our local housing services partners to put these funds to work in our communities.”

More information on FHLBank San Francisco’s Empowering Black Homeownership matching grant program and the Bank’s other Community Programs, is available at fhlbsf.com.

About F&M Bank
Founded in Long Beach in 1907 by CJ Walker, F&M Bank provides white-glove service to clients at 25 branches from San Clemente to Santa Barbara, as well as through Online and Mobile Banking platforms. The Bank offers commercial and small business banking, business loan programs, home loans, and a robust offering of consumer retail banking products, including checking, savings and youth accounts. F&M Bank is a California state-chartered bank with deposits insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (Member FDIC) and an Equal Housing Lender. NMLS #537388. For more information about F&M, please visit the website, www.FMB.com.

About City National Bank
With $91.2 billion in assets, City National Bank provides banking, investment and trust services through 68 branches, including 22 full-service regional centers, in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada, New York City, Nashville, Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and Miami*. In addition, the company and its investment affiliates manage or administer $83.0 billion in client investment assets.

City National is a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), one of the world’s leading diversified financial services companies. RBC serves more than 17 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the United States and 27 other countries. For more information about City National, visit the company’s website at cnb.com.

*City National Bank does business in Miami and the state of Florida as CN Bank.

About Silicon Valley Bank
Silicon Valley Bank, the bank of the world’s most innovative companies and investors, provides commercial banking services, expertise and insights into the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity, venture capital and premium wine industries. Silicon Valley Bank operates in centers of innovation around the world and is one of SVB’s core businesses with SVB Capital, SVB Private and SVB Securities. With global commercial banking services, Silicon Valley Bank helps address the unique needs of its dynamic, fast-growing, innovative clients. Learn more at www.svb.com.

About the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco
The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco is a member-driven cooperative helping local lenders in Arizona, California, and Nevada build strong communities, create opportunity, and change lives for the better. The tools and resources we provide to our member financial institutions—commercial banks, credit unions, industrial loan companies, savings institutions, insurance companies, and community development financial institutions—foster homeownership, expand access to quality housing, seed or sustain small businesses, and revitalize whole neighborhoods. Together with our members and other partners, we are making the communities we serve more vibrant, equitable, and resilient. Learn more at www.fhlbsf.com.

The post FHLBank San Francisco Matching Grant Program Delivers Extra appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Federal Home Loan Bank Of San Francisco

Empowering Black Homeownership Program matched funds the Bank’s member financial institutions donated to housing counseling organizations serving communities of color

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco announced that, in partnership with participating member financial institutions, more than $2.2 million has been donated to HUD-approved housing counseling agencies through the Bank’s Empowering Black Homeownership matching grant program. This funding has been distributed to 22 HUD-approved housing counseling agencies so that they can better serve homebuyers and homeowners in communities of color.

“The Empowering Black Homeownership matching grant program is a key component of FHLBank San Francisco’s commitment to working to narrow the Black homeownership gap and reduce racial wealth disparities,” said Teresa Bryce Bazemore, president and CEO of FHLBank San Francisco. “We are grateful for the member financial institutions that have partnered with us to advance racial equity by providing financial support for housing counseling agencies directly serving populations that have been historically disadvantaged when it comes to building wealth through homeownership.”

The Empowering Black Homeownership grant program, which launched in March 2022, made $1 million available for the Bank’s member financial institutions to request dollar-for-dollar matching grants of up to $125,000. FHLBank San Francisco is grateful to each of the following Bank members for delivering generous donations along with our matching grant funds to 22 local housing counseling agencies for HUD-eligible activities, which include capacity building, operations, and pre-and post-purchase homeownership counseling .

Story continues

Several FHLBank San Francisco member institutions shared their thoughts on the impact that FHLBank San Francisco’s Empowering Black Homeownership matching grant program will have on homebuyers and homeowners of color in communities where they do business:

“Thank you to our partners at FHLBank San Francisco for making this important grant matching program available via its member banks,” said Cheryl Ryman, Farmers & Merchants Bank vice president, community reinvestment act officer. “We applaud Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles, NeighborWorks OC, and Affordable Housing Clearinghouse for the valuable work they do in our community, and we are grateful for the opportunity to assist in achieving their mission.”

“City National Bank is proud to support Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County and its mission of helping more families realize the American dream of homeownership,” said Sal Mendoza, City National Bank senior vice president, community reinvestment act manager, “We want to also thank FHLBank San Francisco for matching our grant and helping us make a difference in the communities where we live and work.”

“The racial homeownership gap is persistent and pervasive in the Bay Area, so we thank FHLBank San Francisco for making this funding available to partners doing critical work to make homeownership more attainable for Black families,” said Bobbie Salgado, Silicon Valley Bank’s senior director, community reinvestment act and community affairs manager. “We are proud to work with FHLBank San Francisco and our local housing services partners to put these funds to work in our communities.”

More information on FHLBank San Francisco’s Empowering Black Homeownership matching grant program and the Bank’s other Community Programs, is available at fhlbsf.com.

About F&M Bank
Founded in Long Beach in 1907 by CJ Walker, F&M Bank provides white-glove service to clients at 25 branches from San Clemente to Santa Barbara, as well as through Online and Mobile Banking platforms. The Bank offers commercial and small business banking, business loan programs, home loans, and a robust offering of consumer retail banking products, including checking, savings and youth accounts. F&M Bank is a California state-chartered bank with deposits insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (Member FDIC) and an Equal Housing Lender. NMLS #537388. For more information about F&M, please visit the website, www.FMB.com.

About City National Bank
With $91.2 billion in assets, City National Bank provides banking, investment and trust services through 68 branches, including 22 full-service regional centers, in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada, New York City, Nashville, Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and Miami*. In addition, the company and its investment affiliates manage or administer $83.0 billion in client investment assets.

City National is a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), one of the world’s leading diversified financial services companies. RBC serves more than 17 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the United States and 27 other countries. For more information about City National, visit the company’s website at cnb.com.

*City National Bank does business in Miami and the state of Florida as CN Bank.

About Silicon Valley Bank
Silicon Valley Bank, the bank of the world’s most innovative companies and investors, provides commercial banking services, expertise and insights into the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity, venture capital and premium wine industries. Silicon Valley Bank operates in centers of innovation around the world and is one of SVB’s core businesses with SVB Capital, SVB Private and SVB Securities. With global commercial banking services, Silicon Valley Bank helps address the unique needs of its dynamic, fast-growing, innovative clients. Learn more at www.svb.com.

About the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco
The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco is a member-driven cooperative helping local lenders in Arizona, California, and Nevada build strong communities, create opportunity, and change lives for the better. The tools and resources we provide to our member financial institutions—commercial banks, credit unions, industrial loan companies, savings institutions, insurance companies, and community development financial institutions—foster homeownership, expand access to quality housing, seed or sustain small businesses, and revitalize whole neighborhoods. Together with our members and other partners, we are making the communities we serve more vibrant, equitable, and resilient. Learn more at www.fhlbsf.com.

CONTACT: Media Contact: Mary Long Senior Director, Marketing Communications longm@fhlbsf.com 415.616.2556

The post FHLBank San Francisco Matching Grant Program Delivers Extra Than $2 Million to Assist Slender the Black Homeownership Hole appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco announced that, in partnership with participating member financial institutions, more than $2.2 million has been donated to HUD-approved housing counseling agencies through the Bank’s Empowering Black Homeownership matching grant program. This funding has been distributed to 22 HUD-approved housing counseling agencies so that they can better serve homebuyers and homeowners in communities of color.

“The Empowering Black Homeownership matching grant program is a key component of FHLBank San Francisco’s commitment to working to narrow the Black homeownership gap and reduce racial wealth disparities,” said Teresa Bryce Bazemore, president and CEO of FHLBank San Francisco. “We are grateful for the member financial institutions that have partnered with us to advance racial equity by providing financial support for housing counseling agencies directly serving populations that have been historically disadvantaged when it comes to building wealth through homeownership.”

The Empowering Black Homeownership grant program, which launched in March 2022, made $1 million available for the Bank’s member financial institutions to request dollar-for-dollar matching grants of up to $125,000. FHLBank San Francisco is grateful to each of the following Bank members for delivering generous donations along with our matching grant funds to 22 local housing counseling agencies for HUD-eligible activities, which include capacity building, operations, and pre-and post-purchase homeownership counseling .

• Bank of the West
• Citizens Business Bank
• City National Bank
• Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach
• First Republic Bank
• Luther Burbank Savings
• Mechanics Bank

• MUFG Union Bank
• Pacific Premier Bank
• Pacific Western Bank
• Silicon Valley Bank
• Toyota Financial Savings Bank
• Tri Counties Bank
• Western Alliance Bank

Several FHLBank San Francisco member institutions shared their thoughts on the impact that FHLBank San Francisco’s Empowering Black Homeownership matching grant program will have on homebuyers and homeowners of color in communities where they do business:

“Thank you to our partners at FHLBank San Francisco for making this important grant matching program available via its member banks,” said Cheryl Ryman, Farmers & Merchants Bank vice president, community reinvestment act officer. “We applaud Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles, NeighborWorks OC, and Affordable Housing Clearinghouse for the valuable work they do in our community, and we are grateful for the opportunity to assist in achieving their mission.”

“City National Bank is proud to support Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County and its mission of helping more families realize the American dream of homeownership,” said Sal Mendoza, City National Bank senior vice president, community reinvestment act manager, “We want to also thank FHLBank San Francisco for matching our grant and helping us make a difference in the communities where we live and work.”

“The racial homeownership gap is persistent and pervasive in the Bay Area, so we thank FHLBank San Francisco for making this funding available to partners doing critical work to make homeownership more attainable for Black families,” said Bobbie Salgado, Silicon Valley Bank’s senior director, community reinvestment act and community affairs manager. “We are proud to work with FHLBank San Francisco and our local housing services partners to put these funds to work in our communities.”

More information on FHLBank San Francisco’s Empowering Black Homeownership matching grant program and the Bank’s other Community Programs, is available at fhlbsf.com.

About F&M Bank
Founded in Long Beach in 1907 by CJ Walker, F&M Bank provides white-glove service to clients at 25 branches from San Clemente to Santa Barbara, as well as through Online and Mobile Banking platforms. The Bank offers commercial and small business banking, business loan programs, home loans, and a robust offering of consumer retail banking products, including checking, savings and youth accounts. F&M Bank is a California state-chartered bank with deposits insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (Member FDIC) and an Equal Housing Lender. NMLS #537388. For more information about F&M, please visit the website, www.FMB.com.

About City National Bank
With $91.2 billion in assets, City National Bank provides banking, investment and trust services through 68 branches, including 22 full-service regional centers, in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada, New York City, Nashville, Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and Miami*. In addition, the company and its investment affiliates manage or administer $83.0 billion in client investment assets.

City National is a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), one of the world’s leading diversified financial services companies. RBC serves more than 17 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the United States and 27 other countries. For more information about City National, visit the company’s website at cnb.com.

*City National Bank does business in Miami and the state of Florida as CN Bank.

About Silicon Valley Bank
Silicon Valley Bank, the bank of the world’s most innovative companies and investors, provides commercial banking services, expertise and insights into the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity, venture capital and premium wine industries. Silicon Valley Bank operates in centers of innovation around the world and is one of SVB’s core businesses with SVB Capital, SVB Private and SVB Securities. With global commercial banking services, Silicon Valley Bank helps address the unique needs of its dynamic, fast-growing, innovative clients. Learn more at www.svb.com.

About the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco
The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco is a member-driven cooperative helping local lenders in Arizona, California, and Nevada build strong communities, create opportunity, and change lives for the better. The tools and resources we provide to our member financial institutions—commercial banks, credit unions, industrial loan companies, savings institutions, insurance companies, and community development financial institutions—foster homeownership, expand access to quality housing, seed or sustain small businesses, and revitalize whole neighborhoods. Together with our members and other partners, we are making the communities we serve more vibrant, equitable, and resilient. Learn more at www.fhlbsf.com.

The post FHLBank San Francisco Matching Grant Program Delivers Extra appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

American House Cleaning, the leading home cleaning company, provides immaculate cleaning services in San Francisco. They specialize in house and apartment cleaning, moving out cleaning and more.

Menlo Park, CA – September 25, 2021 – With over three decades of experience in the industry, American House Cleaning, a full-service cleaning company, provides immaculate cleaning services in the Bay Area to residential clients and real estate agents. They specialize in house and apartment cleaning, moving out cleaning and more.

When asked about their services: “As a locally run cleaning company with a comprehensive range of services, American House Cleaning has been serving its loyal customers throughout the Bay Area since 1987. We pride ourselves on consistently delivering excellent results to individuals and property managers, real estate companies and brokers, ”said the spokesman for American House Cleaning, the leading home cleaning company in SF.

He also continued, “American House Cleaning has been the premier housekeeping service in the San Francisco Bay area for over two decades. Our housekeeping staff are 100% dedicated to making your home or apartment spotless and shiny from top to bottom. Our maids are known for their attention to detail and the personal care of our customers. “

The Bay Area cleaning service offered by American House Cleaning is superb and the package can be customized to suit the needs of their customers. Your housekeeping staff will follow a checklist to ensure every service and to ensure that everything cleaning-related is taken care of.

“Our process starts at the top to remove any dust or cobwebs that may have built up in lights and ceiling fans. As our housekeeping staff work their way down, all surfaces are dusted, scrubbed and dried. Then we clean picture frames, home accessories, polish glass surfaces and polish wooden furniture. Once all of the dirt has been swept from the floors, our staff vacuum and / or mop the floor, ”said the spokesman.

In addition to house cleaning, they also specialize in moving house cleaning in San Francisco, helping individuals and real estate agents ensure a hassle-free move process.

“It is very important to us to maintain a highly respected reputation in our industry and in the local community. Our ultimate goal is to make our customers happy and to provide the most incomparable customer service in the industry. Because of this, we’ve been in business for over 30 years and have retained many customers since the day we were founded. We want to continue to be the cleaning company of choice in San Francisco and the surrounding area in the future, as we have been for over three decades, ”concluded the spokesman.

“Mustan and their staff are first class, so I highly recommend them: They always provide efficient, thorough and detailed cleaning services. Trustworthy, personable and yet professional over the years I have used your services. In addition to regular cleaning, they also cleaned windows, moved house cleanings and deep cleans for me, ”says Pamela Kaiser, one of her satisfied customers.

About American house cleaning:

American House Cleaning, the leading home cleaning company, provides immaculate cleaning services in San Francisco. They specialize in household and house cleaning, moving house cleaning and more. Visit https://americanhousecleaning.com/ for more.

Media contact
Company Name: American house cleaning
Interlocutor: Mike Chinchilla
E-mail: Send e-mail
Phone: +1 650-322-7779
Address:164 Jefferson Dr
City: Menlo Park
State: California
Country: United States
Website: https://americanhousecleaning.com/

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