LOS ANGELES – Six early childhood educators will be honored as the Los Angeles County Preschool Teacher of the Year Award winners. Selected from a large pool of nominated teachers throughout Los Angeles County, the awards honor outstanding teachers in each of the county’s five Supervisorial districts, who go above and beyond the call of duty to prepare their students for kindergarten and beyond. The winners will be recognized during an evening celebration at the Globe Theatre in Universal Studios Hollywood on Thursday, April 4, 2013.

The winners are Beatriz Sackett at John Tracy Clinic in Los Angeles; May Webster at Whelan State Preschool in Lennox; Christine Morrison at Stanley Mosk Elementary in Winnetka; Antonio Garza, Jr., at Los Molinos Elementary in Hacienda Heights; Juana M. Guzmán at All Season's Children's Learning Center in Arcadia; and Jennifer Weisbart at Burbank Elementary in Pasadena.

Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide access to quality preschool education to the children of Los Angeles County. LAUP has been honoring exceptional preschool teachers through these awards for six years. The recognition includes a $2,000 prize for each winner through the Elizabeth Lowe/Bob Weekley Award for Excellence in Preschool Teaching.

“These winners are a talented group of educators and are truly the unsung heroes in the field of early education,” said Celia C. Ayala, chief executive officer of LAUP. “All six make an extraordinary impact on each child that crosses their path, and devote their energy to help bring out the best in each preschooler. Because of their individual and collective experiences, thousands of children are thriving today and better prepared for their futures.”

LAUP will also present Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky with the Elizabeth Hamilton Lowe Child Advocacy Award for his commitment and dedication to the development of young children. News Anchor Ellen Levya of KABC-TV Channel 7 will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Visit www.laup.net for event information.

About LAUP: Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP) is a non-profit network of more than 300 preschool sites, established to fund a free or low-cost, quality preschool education to the children of Los Angeles County in order to better prepare four-year-olds to succeed in school. LAUP has raised the level of quality preschool programs throughout the county by advancing teacher training, enriching curricula and offering a safe and nurturing environment for more than 60,000 preschoolers since 2005. LAUP is funded in part by First 5 LA. www.laup.net.

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LOS ANGELES – Six early childhood educators will be honored as the Los Angeles County Preschool Teacher of the Year Award winners. Selected from a large pool of nominated teachers throughout Los Angeles County, the awards honor outstanding teachers in each of the county’s five Supervisorial districts, who go above and beyond the call of duty to prepare their students for kindergarten and beyond. The winners will be recognized during an evening celebration at the Globe Theatre in Universal Studios Hollywood on Thursday, April 4, 2013.

The winners are Beatriz Sackett at John Tracy Clinic in Los Angeles; May Webster at Whelan State Preschool in Lennox; Christine Morrison at Stanley Mosk Elementary in Winnetka; Antonio Garza, Jr., at Los Molinos Elementary in Hacienda Heights; Juana M. Guzmán at All Season's Children's Learning Center in Arcadia; and Jennifer Weisbart at Burbank Elementary in Pasadena.

Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide access to quality preschool education to the children of Los Angeles County. LAUP has been honoring exceptional preschool teachers through these awards for six years. The recognition includes a $2,000 prize for each winner through the Elizabeth Lowe/Bob Weekley Award for Excellence in Preschool Teaching.

“These winners are a talented group of educators and are truly the unsung heroes in the field of early education,” said Celia C. Ayala, chief executive officer of LAUP. “All six make an extraordinary impact on each child that crosses their path, and devote their energy to help bring out the best in each preschooler. Because of their individual and collective experiences, thousands of children are thriving today and better prepared for their futures.”

LAUP will also present Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky with the Elizabeth Hamilton Lowe Child Advocacy Award for his commitment and dedication to the development of young children. News Anchor Ellen Levya of KABC-TV Channel 7 will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Visit www.laup.net for event information.

About LAUP: Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP) is a non-profit network of more than 300 preschool sites, established to fund a free or low-cost, quality preschool education to the children of Los Angeles County in order to better prepare four-year-olds to succeed in school. LAUP has raised the level of quality preschool programs throughout the county by advancing teacher training, enriching curricula and offering a safe and nurturing environment for more than 60,000 preschoolers since 2005. LAUP is funded in part by First 5 LA. www.laup.net.

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Sunnyvale, California – April 4, 2013 – Last month, Interactive Fitness introduced the new Expresso HD Bike at the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) Annual Conference & Recreational Sports Exposition in Las Vegas, and it received rave reviews from college recreation leaders, including from attendees who competed in the NIRSA Interactive Cycling Challenge.

Gaining fans at dozens of colleges across the nation, the Expresso Bike from Interactive Fitness is an exciting new way to engage students and members. Additional information about the Expresso Bike from Interactive Fitness is available by going to the Interactive Fitness college website.

In Las Vegas, as an example of the kind of engaging community competitions available on the Interactive platform, the NIRSA Interactive Cycling Challenge featured eight men and eight women from colleges and universities across the nation, representing their schools in a single-elimination, bracketed cycling challenge. In the women’s competition, Allison Yarrow from Millersville University won the title with Ali Casqueiro from Oregon State finishing second, Danielle Caldwell from Oregon State finishing third, and Emily Charnowsi from Boston College finishing fourth.

Casqueiro is the Membership Coordinator in the Department of Recreational Sports at Oregon State University. “I signed up to compete on the new Expresso HD Bike at NIRSA in Las Vegas to be part of something active and engaging in my first visit to NIRSA. I had never seen the Expresso HD Bike before, but as an avid cycler and as a cycling instructor, I was curious,” said Casqueiro. “After my first ride on the Expresso HD Bike I was definitely hooked! The opportunity to ride against others, the whole interactive part, it was so different for me. Sometimes training for cycling can be a lonely sport; you need to visualize in your mind what a course might look like, with the Expresso Bike you don’t need to visualize, it’s all there for you. The courses were great, and varied, definitely challenging. That last ride we had I was exhausted. A whole different workout every time I was on the Expresso Bike. I’ve seen bikes like this before, but never rode on one. It was a really fun experience, I enjoyed the competition and the camaraderie, the virtual completion ability gives you the competitive spirit in a virtual setting that is refreshing and unique.”

In the men’s competition, Matt Stancel from the University of Iowa took first place and won the $300 prize, with Reed Phinisey from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln finishing second, Jared Utterback from Montclair State third, and Steve DiPaolo from Stanford University fourth.

DiPaolo is the Director of Marketing and Senior Coordinator of Rec Facilities in the Physical Education, Recreation and Wellness division of the Stanford University Athletic Department. “I had my first chance to ride the new Expresso HD Bike at NIRSA in Las Vegas. Overall, I was very impressed. When I’m working out normally I have a hard time psyching myself up, like on a spin bike or a stationary bike. The Expresso Bike makes the experience much more enjoyable,” DiPaolo said. “I thought the new Expresso Bike was quite comfortable, as a cardio bike it offers a seamless experience. The only cycling I usually do is a spin class, but with the Expresso Bike there is so much to learn, so many options, and all of them are easy to learn, easy to control. It was an enjoyable experience. We rode over three different courses, one was a 2.5 mile course, the next a five mile course, the last day, a one mile time trial. The graphics were great, compared to other bikes I’ve seen it’s like night and day. The Virtual Competition is sure a great differentiator – I think for a student or staff – giving them an additional incentive to compete on this bike. It creates an added element of excitement and interest. The two choices, competing with a friend or competing against your previous rides is impressive. I would definitely recommend the new Expresso HD Bike to anyone interested in bringing the experience of Virtual Competition in a state-of-the-art bike that encourages your riders and members.”

Phinisey is the Graduate Assistant for Strength Training and Conditioning and a Personal Training Supervisor in the Campus Recreation department at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “I had never ridden an Expresso Bike before, but I was informed of the competition prior to the conference and I was interested in what this equipment had to offer,” said Phinisey. “Once competing and experiencing the equipment at varying intensities I was very impressed with its practicality. With being an avid cyclist I was mostly fascinated with the organic feel of the rides corresponding to courses we rode and it’s response to the manual shifting features. The Expresso Bike was un-like any other stationary bike I had ever ridden before as the bike has features that most stationary bikes don’t have, being the shifting capabilities and clip-in features. I would consider it the closest transparency to actually being outside and riding on a road or competitive bicycle. The experience was riveting to say the least, the features of this bike truly captured what it is like to ride outdoors whether that is competitively or just for recreation. The virtual competition with other colleges and other riders is great! It gives us recreational professionals an opportunity to offer some truly special programming to our student populations. I feel this type of equipment is on the cutting edge of fitness technology and with the ever-growing interest in the virtual aspect it is definitely a piece of equipment to consider for purchasing.”

Well beyond a stationary bike, the Expresso Bike from Interactive Fitness is the one product that does it all. It enables riders to experience full virtual reality, as they ride through over 40 different “worlds,” ranging from a one-mile speed course to a 20-mile mountain climb. And it replaces “cardio isolation” by keeping the riders “social” -- every Expresso Bike is connected via the Internet, enabling riders to share their rides, and compete “virtually” with riders in other locations around the country, instantly. The Expresso Bike features state-of-the-art electronics and features designed to stimulate the mind as well as the body, and enable riders in one location to virtually race against another rider or group of riders in another location. These “Virtual Races” are stored and remembered, tracking progress automatically as the rider becomes stronger and healthier.

For additional information on the Expresso Bike from Interactive Fitness, visit the Interactive Fitness college website.

April 3, 2013 (Brockton, MA) – Good Sports, a national nonprofit organization, and GEICO teamed up to support the sports program at the Boys and Girls Club of Brockton by providing them with a variety of sports equipment, including basketballs, soccer balls and flag football equipment. Most importantly, the program will receive basketball uniforms for the boys’ travel team.

“Activities like team sports can help students learn about teamwork, commitment, character, time management and sportsmanship,” said Rick Hoagland, GEICO regional vice president. “Students need proper uniforms and equipment to learn these lessons, and we’re pleased to partner with Good Sports to help support the sports program at the Boys and Girls Club of Brockton.”

As the Boys and Girls Club of Brockton’s Athletic Director, Mario Lamarre explains, “This donation is giving us more hope. Even with the best staff in the world, it is difficult to run effective programming without proper equipment. With this donation, we will be able to run numerous activities on a nightly basis, and that will help us enhance our reach to even more of these youth in the Brockton Community.”

The donation is part of an ongoing community partnership between Good Sports and GEICO that will help bring new equipment and resources to youth sports organizations in Massachusetts throughout 2013.

“Our goal is to ensure all kids have the opportunity to engage in sports and fitness and all the benefits that go along with those opportunities. We are excited to partner with GEICO to make this donation to the Boys and Girls Club of Brockton as we believe this donation will give more kids a chance to participate,” said Christy Keswick, chief operating officer at Good Sports.

About GEICO

GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies and is the third-largest private passenger auto insurance company in the United States. GEICO provides millions of auto insurance quotes to U.S. drivers annually. The company is pleased to serve more than 11 million private passenger customers and insures more than 18 million vehicles (auto & cycle).
GEICO’s online service center helps policyholders take care of policy sales, policy changes, claims reporting and to print insurance ID cards.
GEICO also provides insurance quotes on motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), travel trailers and motorhomes (RVs). Coverage for boats, life, homes and apartments is written by non-affiliated insurance companies and is secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Commercial auto insurance and personal umbrella protection are also available.
For more information, go to www.geico.com.

About Good Sports

Good Sports helps to lay the foundation for healthy, active lifestyles by providing athletic equipment, footwear, and apparel to disadvantaged young people nationwide. By partnering with sporting goods manufacturers, Good Sports is able to get the necessary equipment into the hands of the kids that need it most, giving them a chance to get in the game. Since 2003, Good Sports has provided over $6 million worth of equipment to nearly 750 youth programs, impacting more than 400,000 kids. For more information on how you can support Good Sports, please visit www.goodsports.org.

Fort Collins, CO-- Releasing April 30, 2013 from Entangled Select, EXTREME LOVE is poised to be the next breakout novel in women's fiction and resonates with a message of emotional rebirth. Readers who love Lori Foster's best-selling series about MMA fighters will adore Abby Niles' new spin on the hot heroes of this sport—and the spunky women who fall for them.

After winning a lifelong battle of the bulge, life turns topsy-turvy for the book’s heroine, Caitlyn Moore. Ultimately, she learns to accept her new body and wardrobe, and finds true love in the process. "My own personal journey was the inspiration for EXTREME LOVE," explains Niles. "I lost 80 pounds. It was extremely hard for me to let go of a mind-frame I'd spent a lifetime with. I'd look in the mirror and there was a smaller version of me looking back, but I still saw every insecurity staring back at me." Niles took this premise and crafted the authentic and relatable Caitlyn, a heroine readers will root for.

Women everywhere struggle with weight loss. A central message in EXTREME LOVE encourages women to find an exercise they love—working out doesn't have to be miserable."It doesn't matter what it is: Zumba, step, combat, running...whatever sweat-inducing activity that makes you smile while you are doing it...find it. Everything else will click after that," says Niles.

Why MMA? It's a hot genre twist that makes a great backdrop for a book. "I adore and respect the sport. These men truly are warriors in their own right and when mega-hottie and extreme fighter, Dante Jones, came to life in my mind, I couldn't think of a better way to entertain readers," Niles adds.

About the book:

EXTREME LOVE by Abby Niles, Contemporary Romance, 293 pages, Print ISBN:978-1-62061-246-0, ePub ISBN:978-1-62061-247-7, from Entangled Select.

About the author:

Abby Niles has always loved to read. After having twins and becoming a stay-at-home mom, she started doodling stories to keep her sanity. She didn’t plan for writing to become an obsession, but it did. Today, she juggles a day job, two rambunctious children, and writing.

She's a huge fan of the UFC and Georges “Rush” St. Pierre and is always anticipating his next fight, where he'll defend his title. She also loves Zumba, and refuses to admit she looks more like Animal doing his Muppet flail than a sensual Latin dancer.

Twitter: @abbyniles

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/abbynilesauthor

Author location:

North Carolina