SPB Hospitality Names Ryan Russell Director of Communications and Cause Marketing

Its such an honor to have the opportunity to lead SPB Hospitality under a new role, said Russell. My team has always challenged me to pursue new opportunities, and Im looking forward to continuing working with a group of committed and talented individuals. Im thrilled for whats to come!

As Director of Communications and Cause Marketing, Russell is responsible for overseeing all corporate communications, public relations, cause marketing, guest relations, a corporate call center, and The SPB Foundation. The SPB Foundation is dedicated to helping team members in times of need and supporting the communities in which SPB restaurants operate.

Throughout his career, Russell has held various positions in operations, including Event Operations Manager, Sales Director for Aramark, and leadership positions for restaurant and hotel marketing. Russell will be bringing these roles, he gained extensive experience in managing teams, engaging local communities, overseeing budgets, and implementing strategies to drive business success.

A graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University, Russell is recognized for his deep understanding of operations and passion for community service. With his strong leadership skills and commitment to social responsibility, he is an essential asset to SPB Hospitality.

To learn more about SPB Hospitalitys brands and locations, visit www.spbhospitality.com.

About SPB Hospitality
SPB Hospitality is a leading operator and franchisor of full-service dining restaurants, spanning a national footprint of hundreds of restaurants and breweries in 35 states and the District of Columbia. The Companys diverse portfolio of restaurant brands includes Logans Roadhouse, Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom, and a collection of high-end restaurant brands including J. Alexanders, Merus Grill, Redlands Grill and Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill. SPB Hospitality is also one of the largest operators of craft brewery restaurants including Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, ChopHouse & Brewery, Big River Grille & Brewing Works, AIA Ale Works Restaurant & Taproom, Ragtime Tavern Seafood & Grill and Seven Bridges Grille & Brewery.

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21st Eric Williams Memorial Lecture features Angela Davis -Revolutionary Winds-

After a record 19 consecutive years at Florida International University (FIU) in 2021, the Lecture found a new home at the John L. Warfield Center for African and African American Studies at the University of Texas, Austin. Celebrating Eric Williams, an online exhibition of the Eric Williams Memorial Collection Museum at the University of the West Indies (UWI, Trinidad and Tobago) is also available for viewing on the website.

This year, the Lecture again hosts distinguished scholar, activist/organizer, teacher, and writer Angela Davis, internationally renowned for her ongoing work to combat all forms of oppression in the U.S. and abroad. Her articles and essays have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, and she is the author of nine books, including “Angela Davis: An Autobiography”; “Women, Race, and Class”; “Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday”; “The Angela Y. Davis Reader”; “Are Prisons Obsolete?”; a new edition of “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”; and “The Meaning of Freedom”. During the last twenty-five years, Professor Davis has lectured in all of the fifty United States, as well as in Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and the former Soviet Union. She is a living witness to the historical struggles of the contemporary era.

Established in 1999 at FIU, the Eric Williams Memorial Lecture honors the legendary Caribbean statesman, eminent historian, and author of several books. His 1944 groundbreaking study “Capitalism and Slavery” arguably re-framed the historiography of the British trans-Atlantic slave trade, and established the contribution of Caribbean slavery to the development of both Britain and America. It has been translated into 9 languages: Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Turkish, Korean among them (with a Dutch translation forthcoming). An almost 80-year-old still highly controversial and provocative text, popularly referred to as ‘The Williams Thesis’, the book argues, among other propositions, that slave trade revenue fueled the rise of the British Industrial Revolution; and that its declining profitability, not solely humanitarianism, gave the impetus to British abolition. Never out of print in the US, in March 2022 “Capitalism and Slavery” was listed at #5 on the UK Sunday Times Bestseller list.

Davis, the 2003 speaker at the 5th Annual Eric Williams Memorial Lecture at FIU, told a notable anecdote in her preamble. Jailed in the US in the 1970s, “Capitalism and Slavery” was the one book she requested that her lawyers had to literally fight to get into her prison cell.

Eric Williams was also the first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and Head of Government for a quarter of a century until his death in 1981. He led the country to Independence from Britain in 1962 and onto Republicanism in 1976.

Among prior Eric Williams Memorial Lecture speakers have been: the late John Hope Franklin, one of Americas premier historians of the African-American experience; Kenneth Kaunda, former President of the Republic of Zambia; Cynthia Pratt, former Deputy Prime Minister of the Bahamas; Mia Mottley, now Prime Minister of Barbados; Beverly Anderson-Manley, former First Lady of Jamaica; Portia Simpson Miller, former Prime Minister of Jamaica; Hon. Kenny Anthony, former Prime Minister of Saint Lucia; Hon. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and The Grenadines; prize-winning Haitian author Edwige Danticat and award-winning author, historian and educator, Dr. Carol Anderson of “White Rage” fame.

The Lecture, which seeks to provide an intellectual forum for the examination of pertinent issues in Caribbean and African Diaspora history and politics, is co-sponsored in part by UTs Center for the Study of Race and Democracy; Glenn Joseph; Dr. & Mrs. Leroy Lashley; Jerry Nagee.

The Lecture is also supported by The Eric Williams Memorial Collection Research Library, Archives & Museum at UWI, which was inaugurated by former US Secretary of State, Colin L. Powell in 1998. It was named to UNESCOs prestigious Memory of the World Register in 1999.

Books by Eric Williams and Angela Davis will be available for purchase at the Lecture.

– EWMC –

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Commuter Fat Tire E-bike Comparison: HiPEAK Elias vs Super 73 S2

The best commuter electric bikes can help you get to work faster and with less effort. This means that you won’t arrive at your destination feeling tired, and it can also keep you away from traffic lights and other obstacles along the way.

The best commuter electric bikes can help you get to work faster and with less effort. This means that you won’t arrive at your destination feeling tired, and it can also keep you away from traffic lights and other obstacles along the way.

Through this method, you’ll become healthier, and your commute time may be shorter than driving or taking public transportation, as you’ll find the faster bike-friendly routes only accessible by bike.

What is an commuter electric bike?

The commuter electric bike is a part of a larger category of commuter bicycles that we believe have certain features that make them most suitable for short-distance commuting in densely populated urban environments. They are usually lighter and more agile than regular electric bikes, and sometimes have less power and range than regular electric bikes as well.

Obviously, any electric bike can be a urban commuter electric bike. You can happily ride a full suspension electric mountain bike(EMTB) through the streets of New York City, but is that really the best use for this bike? Our goal is to help consumers determine the best use for each electric bike. For the 2 electric bikes listed below, we believe they are most comfortable to ride in dense urban environments.

HiPeak Bona VS Super 73 S2, which one is better?

The HiPEAK folding electric bike is made of high-quality bicycle components and has sturdy structure as well as eye-catching appearance. The step-through and step-over geometry frames of the electric fat tire models are more suitable for a wide range of riders. If you need a bike that can fit into a small space, such as on the subway or in the office, Bona may be the best electric commuter bike for you.

Super 73 enjoys high popularity in the electric bicycle industry. Its inspiration comes from classic motorcycles of the 1960s, both for road and off-road riding. Its models feature retro designs that are favored by young people who pursue fashion. Their frames are different from most electric bicycles, focusing on convenient urban e-bikes and fashionable beach cruisers.

Although these two electric fat tire bikes may look very similar, they have significant differences in many aspects. In this article, we will delve into what makes them unique and why you may prefer one over the other.

Comparison of price and warranty service

Hipeak Bona: Price $1,299 Warranty 1 years

Super 73 S2: Price $3,295 Warranty 2 years

The price of S2 is nearly $2,000 more than Bona, which is a considerable amount for many young people. Although S2 looks cool and has powerful performance, if you only use it for commuting to work or riding on campus, then HiPeak Bona can meet your travel needs and save you a lot of money. Trust me, you can do a lot of things with $2,000.

Comparison of motor

HiPeak Bona:750W motor | Battery 48V 15Ah | Max Range 60 miles | Pedal assist 7-level.

Super73 S2:750W motor | Battery  48V 20Ah | Max Range 75 miles | Pedal assist Class-1、Class-2 、Class-3 、off-road mode.

The Super 73 S2 and HiPeak Bona electric fat tire bikes both come equipped with 750W hub motors, which provide enough power to take you from home to the office. The motor can be operated through pedal assistance or handlebar throttle, allowing you to ride at different speeds. This makes the bikes more durable and sustainable, and encourages a high-quality riding experience that saves people a lot of commuting time in crowded traffic.

The HiPeak Bona motor allows you to ride at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour and cruise easily in assist mode. In addition to motor assistance, Bona also offers 7 levels of pedal assist, allowing riders to pedal more comfortably and efficiently.

The Super 73 S2 electric bike is configured to ride in level 1, level 2, level 3, and off-road modes. The bike comes pre-programmed at level 2, allowing for throttle operation and pedal assist riding, with a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour and 28 miles per hour in off-road mode.

Comparison of battery

The size of an electric bike battery determines how far a rider can ride on a single charge. The battery capacity also determines the speed and hill-climbing ability of an electric bike. It can improve your riding efficiency and range, allowing you to ride more miles with less effort.

A side-by-side comparison table of HiPeak Bona and Super 73 S2 shows that the Super 73 S2 uses a 48V 20Ah battery pack, while the HiPeak Bona uses a 48V 15Ah lithium-ion battery. Electric bikes have several different characteristics that affect how many miles can be traveled on a single charge, depending on battery capacity, average speed, terrain, rider weight, etc., of which battery capacity is the most important. Therefore, in terms of comparing the battery capacity of the two models, the 48V 20Ah battery pack used by the Super 73 S2 is superior to the battery pack used by Bona.

However, when comparing the maximum range, the difference between the two is not significant. If your city commuting time is long, it is recommended that you choose an electric bike with a larger battery capacity, as you can get better range and higher speeds, and enjoy the freedom of riding on a fully charged fat tire electric bike with ease.

Transmission and component

For a high-quality electric bike that can adapt to both urban environments and outdoor riding, performance and practicality are factors that riders should seriously consider. The following information compares the transmission, rear frame, and component configurations of HiPeak Bona and Super 73 S2 electric bikes.

HiPEAK Bona: 20″ x 4″ Puncture resistant fat tires |  Mechanical disc brake | 7-speed gear shift system | Half-twist throttle | Bike weight 62 pounds | Max load 350 pounds | 6061 Aluminum alloy frame | Rear rack | Foldable

Super73 S2: Front 4.5″ and rear 5″  20″ x 4.5/5″ fat tires | Hydraulic disc brake | Single-speed | Thumb throttle | Bike weight 73 pounds | Max load 325pounds | Aluminum alloy frame

Brakes and tires

An electric bicycle with the power and riding range of Bona and S2 requires stable braking force and finely tuned traction to match their speed potential. Although Bona is a mechanical disc brake, it can also tow riders or conquer any terrain. The road-oriented 20-inch wide tires provide excellent grip on sidewalks, while the 4-inch width allows riders to ride on interesting gravel or forest trails.

Comparison of gear shift

The Super 73 S2 is a single-speed bicycle without any additional mechanical gears, which means it heavily relies on the electric motor. This means that if you always use the throttle, it will quickly drain the battery.

On the other hand, HiPeak Bona uses a derailleur with 7-speed gears, and multi-gear bicycles have a much wider range in terms of pedaling. Because you can shift to a lower gear when going uphill and shift to a higher gear when going downhill or on flat roads, you can easily adapt to constantly changing terrain. This reduces reliance on the electric motor and throttle, allowing you to enjoy riding at different speeds.

Throttle setting

HiPeak Bona uses a half-twist throttle, while the Super 73 S2 uses a thumb throttle. The half-twist throttle is a device that is more favorable for riders to start the bike. Among outdoor enthusiasts, the design of the half-twist throttle can better control the bike. Although the choice between the half-twist throttle and the thumb throttle is based on the rider’s habits, when you are riding in the city or commuting, Bona’s half-twist throttle can help you start the electric bike most conveniently, saving you a lot of time.

Load capacity

When riding between towns, it is sometimes necessary to use an electric bicycle to carry heavy loads. Bona has a load capacity of 350 pounds and a sturdy rear rack. The S2 has a load capacity of 325 pounds, and the basic model does not come with a rear rack, requiring an additional payment of $175. Therefore, Bona has a safer and more effective way of carrying heavy loads, making it more practical.

Bike frame

In terms of frame structure, the straight frame of the S2 is not convenient for riders to get on and off. Compared to the Super 73 S2, Bona’s step-over frame is easier to get on and off, making it more powerful for elderly or physically challenged riders who need a more effortless bike frame. For young people who want an easier and faster commuting experience, or parents who want to send their children to school or run errands, Bona’s easy-to-ride frame will be more popular to a certain extent. If you don’t like the step-over frame, HiPeak also has a step-through Elias for you to choose from.

Foldability

For urban commuting electric bikes, the foldability of the bike is very important because some commuters will not only use electric bikes as their only mode of transportation on their way to work, but also other transportation methods. The convenience of folding allows them to easily bring the electric bike on the subway or bus without obstructing other passengers. In this regard, Bona has an advantage in practicality.

Conclusion

These two electric bicycles have both elevated performance, practicality, and electric bike functions to a higher level, making them excellent alternatives to commuting by car. Although the S2’s design has attracted many young people’s attention, whether you are looking for a great electric commuting equipment or a sweet weekend short trip ride, Bona’s comprehensive performance of the transmission system will bring a more practical riding experience and is a very cost-effective choice for urban commuting bicycles.

About HIPEAKBIKE

We are a E-bike company that produces innovative, high-performance, valuable and affordable electric bike and outdoor accessories. Our mission is to get people in touch with bikers and outdoor people shine in their communities.

Choate Construction Announces New Chief Operations Officer

Choate Construction Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Dave Knudson to Chief Operations Officer (COO) of the firm. Formerly as Executive Vice President of Operations and throughout his 20-year tenure with Choate Construction, Dave has been a driving force behind many of Choate’s strategic initiatives, and a key contributor to the firm’s overall success. In his role as COO, Dave will continue to lead Choate’s relentless pursuit of operational excellence on behalf of its clients, while continuing to strengthen the firm’s relationship-focused culture.

Choate Construction Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Dave Knudson to Chief Operations Officer (COO) of the firm. Formerly as Executive Vice President of Operations and throughout his 20-year tenure with Choate Construction, Dave has been a driving force behind many of Choate’s strategic initiatives, and a key contributor to the firm’s overall success. In his role as COO, Dave will continue to lead Choate’s relentless pursuit of operational excellence on behalf of its clients, while continuing to strengthen the firm’s relationship-focused culture.

“Dave has selflessly invested decades of time and energy in the development of our employee-owners and the future of our firm,” says Matt Brewer, Choate President & CEO. “I am grateful to have him as a leader within Choate, and I look forward to the bright future Dave will continue to help usher in through his new role as Chief Operations Officer.”

With more than 35 years of proven experience in the construction industry, Dave brings an in-depth perspective to Choate’s operations that ensures continued success for Choate’s clients and their projects. His breadth of knowledge, tenacity, and passion for fostering long-lasting partnerships have directly contributed to the firm’s growth and will continue to optimally position Choate for the future.

“It is truly an honor to be named COO of Choate Construction,” says Dave. “I am humbled by the trust placed in me by members of our Board and senior leadership to continue strategizing and facilitating the growth of our people, our firm, and the clients who put their trust in Choate. I am very proud of Choate, every one of our employee-owners, and I’m very excited about continuing to help shape the future of our awesome company!”

Dave is a 1987 graduate of the University of Florida’s M.E. Rinker School of Construction Management.  He is past chair of the Carolinas Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors, past member of ABC’s National Board of Directors and an active member of ABC’s National Legislative Committee.

About Choate Construction Company

Choate Construction Company is one of the largest nationally recognized general contractors in the southeast with offices in Atlanta, Charleston, Charlotte, Nashville, Raleigh, and Savannah. Founded in 1989, 100% employee-owned Choate Construction specializes in both ground-up and interior construction, believing success is driven by its relationships and reputation. Choate has built a resume of projects large and small, across the nation in multiple market sectors. From its innovative OneLife safety program to its efforts to “Build Up” the communities in which it serves, the heart of Choate is its people. Please visit www.choateco.com for more information.

Hilton’s Oceana Hotel “Breakfast in Bed” Package Offers Locally Sourced Artisanal Treats & Serenity

Hilton’s Oceana Santa Monica Hotel, the premier seaside haven for relaxation and luxury in Southern California, announces its exclusive “Breakfast in Bed” package.

Hilton’s Oceana Santa Monica Hotel, the premier seaside haven for relaxation and luxury in Southern California, is pleased to announce its exclusive “Breakfast in Bed” package. Guests can enjoy locally sourced artisanal treats and creatively composed culinary delights while staying in an elegant room with oceanfront views.

Through 2023, guests will receive a surprise welcome gift, a daily breakfast for two, flexible cancellation, and complimentary upgrades (based on availability at check-in). This package is perfect for those seeking a serene escape, as the hotel’s design provides guests a tranquil environment surrounded by sweeping ocean vistas.

Oceana Hotel carefully curates their menu to feature fresh ingredients from local farmers, fishermen, and artisans. Guests can indulge in honey-baked French toast, avocado toast with grilled shrimp, or Chia seed pudding made with coconut milk and fresh berries.

In addition to the package offerings, Oceana Hotel provides guests access to their stunning Sunset Terrace, where they can enjoy an al fresco breakfast while enjoying the breathtaking views. The hotel also offers a private beach club, a rooftop pool, and a state-of-the-art fitness center for guests seeking to enjoy SoCal-inspired comforts.

“We are excited to offer our ‘Breakfast in Bed’ package to guests seeking a serene oasis in the heart of Santa Monica,” says a spokesperson at Oceana Hotel. “We take pride in sourcing local ingredients and creating dishes that are both visually captivating and delicious. We invite all travelers to experience our seaside indulgence and unwind in our luxurious accommodations.”

For more information about the “Breakfast in Bed” Package, visit Hilton’s Oceana Santa Monica Hotel website.