Jul 26, 2023 | Business
Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) recently partnered with the Student Government Association (SGA) of Dallas College North Lake Campus for a cleanup at the Rock Island Road Bike and Pedestrian Trail on July 13. They met at the KIB office, directly across the street from the trail. After receiving supplies and safety instructions, the volunteers set out for the trail on a beautiful summer morning.
The group worked together, concentrating their efforts on the tree lines near the trail. Together they completed 12 hours of service and collected 35 pounds of trash and recyclable materials, helping to make this popular trail cleaner and greener.
“The Dallas College North Lake Campus students and staff have a long history of partnering with Keep Irving Beautiful,” said KIB Board member Dr. Vu, the SGA faculty sponsor. “Groups like Service Learning, Phi Theta Kappa and the Green Club, as well as the SGA, have contributed many hours of service in KIB projects. It was a pleasure to join the students today for this cleanup, and we hope to do more projects in the future.”
Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit CityofIrving.org/KIB or call (972) 721-2175.
Mar 26, 2023 | Business
Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) recently partnered with two groups to help make two city parks more green and beautiful. Irving Girl Scout Troops 1810 and 6458 didn’t sleep in on Monday, March 13, their first day of Spring Break, but instead came to Towne Lake Park, 800 Esters Road, to plant eight trees along the walking trail. On March 22, ten employee volunteers from Abbott Laboratories spent the morning at Thomas Jefferson Park, 1200 Hidden Ridge, planting 20 trees.
At both events, the City of Irving’s Urban Forestry Team walked the volunteers through all the steps in proper tree planting. Volunteers learned about the types of trees they were planting, how to measure the ideal depth, and tips for maintenance throughout the life of the trees.
The combined results of the two events were 22 volunteers who gave 54 hours of service in planting a total of 28 trees. The trees were a mix of bur oak, red oak, cedar elm and desert willow, which will bring more beauty and many other benefits to these two parks. The purchase of the trees was made possible by corporate donations from Northrop Grumman and Mentor Texas.
“Events like these two tree plantings are great examples of what KIB does and how we bring people together in a common goal,” said KIB Board member Jim Scrivner. “KIB’s youth outreach program includes organizations like the Girl Scouts, who have been active volunteers for many years. We also have a strong corporate outreach program, and in this case, two companies provided the funding and a third company provided the volunteers to plant the trees. We appreciate all those who make a positive difference, and everyone involved in the two projects did an outstanding job.”
Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit CityofIrving.org/KIB or call (972) 721-2175.
Mar 20, 2023 | Business
Jacqueline Yvonne Smart, Ed.D., a retired educator who earned her Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Cambridge College School of Education, has completed her new book, “The Beautiful Colors of God”: a charming tale that aims to inspire acceptance and understanding towards those who may look differently that oneself, and discourage judging someone based on the color of their skin.
“God has given us so many varieties of how He used His colors,” writes Smart. “It is okay to be different. The message cleverly delivers the importance of acceptance, understanding, tolerance of others and confidence in an accessible, child-friendly format. The book features the bold, bright colors of various animals and, of course, humans in their glorious colors.
“This book is written for the young at heart and the not so young at heart. People of all ages will be inspired to celebrate their individuality through acceptance of others and it’s never too early or too late to examine ourselves and how we treat one another. Always remember that when you criticize or judge someone based on their skin color, the size of their nose, or the texture of their hair – you are criticizing God. God does not favor one color over another.”
Published by Page Publishing, Jacqueline Yvonne Smart, Ed.D.’s delightful story is a poignant reminder that all humans are created in God’s image, and one criticizes their neighbor, they are in fact criticizing God. Accompanied by vibrant artwork to help emphasize her message, “The Beautiful Colors of God” is the perfect tool for guardians and parents alike to help younger readers understand the importance of accepting others and not passing judgment.
Readers who wish to experience this inspiring work can purchase “The Beautiful Colors of God” at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.
For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.
About Page Publishing:
Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors’ books, including distribution in the world’s largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Page’s accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at www.pagepublishing.com.
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Jan 15, 2023 | Business
Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) ended 2022 with their second annual Christmas Cards for Seniors project. This year they partnered with the Irving Public Library, and asked volunteers to write Christmas cards (homemade or purchased) to be delivered to local nursing home residents. Volunteers could drop off cards to the KIB office or any library location.
Volunteers came from all areas of the city, including schools, youth groups, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and individuals. Thanks to the volunteers’ generous donations, KIB staff had enough cards so that every resident at three different nursing home facilities could receive one.
Special thanks go to the following who helped make the holiday season merry and bright for our seniors: Mayor Rick Stopfer and wife Melanie; employee volunteers from Gartner and Mentor Texas; Irving Girl Scout Troops 6458, 1810 and 3473; Irving Elite cheerleaders; City of Irving after-school programs at Georgia Farrow, Senter, Lee, Northwest, Mustang, and Cimarron Recreation Centers, Lively Pointe Youth and the Adult Day Therapeutic Program; Helping Around Town (HAT) Ministry; Cardwell Career Preparatory School; and all the individuals who took the time to help bring smiles to the seniors’ faces.
KIB is continuing this spirit with a Valentine’s Day card campaign. Volunteers are asked to bring cards to the KIB office by Monday, Feb. 6, so they can be delivered by Valentine’s Day.
“The outpouring of support by community members for this project was outstanding,” said KIB Board member Kelly Horn. “We received so many cards, and the creativity and artistry shown by volunteers was beautiful and inspiring. The seniors loved getting them, and we encourage our volunteers to help with the Valentine’s Day card campaign also.”
Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit CityofIrving.org/KIB or call (972) 721-2175.
Nov 13, 2022 | Business
A medspa doctor in Surrey (near Vancouver), B.C. has noticed a surge in demand for specific non-surgical cosmetic procedures in recent months.
They are:
Active acne laser treatments
Chemical peels
Hot sculpting
While Dr. Shah of Beautiful Canadian Laser and Skincare Clinic isn’t exactly sure why these treatments are becoming popular at his clinic, he makes some speculations about it.
Acne, for instance, was a common complaint during the pandemic, among mask wearers. “Maskne” as popular culture called it, was commonly being written about in beauty blogs. Google Trends also shows a rise in 2021 for people searching “acne” in Canada.
However, acne is not new, nor is treating it with lasers. More traditionally, acne scars are treated with fractional laser treatments, such as with the Fraxel® DUAL or a CO2 laser. However, these more advanced treatments require acne to have subsided.
Treating active acne with lasers can involve a process called Photodynamic therapy (PDT). This method uses a topical medication to sensitize skin to laser light, followed by pulses with the laser. According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD), this treatment can be effective in reducing severe acne, such as the kind that presents with cysts. However, other studies show that using various laser wavelengths without sensitizing topical cream can also be effective. Aerolase is one such example heavily promoting the latter method, though the same technique can be done with other brand names.
According to Google Trends, chemical peels were popular searches between 2004 to 2010 in B.C., when they later seemed to fall out of favour. However, statistics show a gradual increase in demand for this service in the last few years.
“Especially when it comes to melasma and hyperpigmentation, patients are seeking treatments to solve these issues, and chemical peels are both being asked for and recommended,” explains Dr. Shah of Beautiful Canadian Laser and Skincare Clinic.
The term “melasma” itself has also seen a significant rise in Canadian search queries since 2020, according to Google Trends.
Finally, hot sculpting is coming into demand as an alternative way to remove small pockets of stubborn fat, otherwise known as body contouring. The traditional “go-to,” and still very popular choice, is CoolSculpting®, which freezes fat. Hot sculpting, on the other hand, melts fat. While the heat can be delivered through laser treatments, or laser-assisted lipolysis, those methods can feel painful for patients. The radio-frequency device called truSculpt® iD feels more like a hot-stone massage, according to its creators.
“CoolSculpting® is an excellent choice for fat removal, however patients always like to try something new, as long as it is still effective, and truSculpt® iD can deliver on that, while also giving the bonus of skin tightening,” adds Dr. Shah.
While beauty magazines report several non-surgical procedures as being up-and-coming trends for 2022, Dr. Shah notes most of them are not new, but rather constant in popularity. He points to the example of chin fat reduction, as well as Botox® and filler treatments.
“Belkyra™ has been popular since it was released in Canada in 2016. Treatments like Botox® and fillers are a staple in any medical aesthetics clinic,” he explains. “So I don’t see these as ‘new’ per se.”
“The trends I’m seeing with my patients may be hyper localized, for sure, but they’re interesting because they show a shift in mentality in the general public seeking non-surgical procedures,” he continues. “These treatments are for issues that can be treated by other means, but patients are becoming interested in these particular methods. That may have to do with media attention, word of mouth or otherwise.”
Dr. Shah notes that despite the popularity of these choices, his clinic still makes recommendations based on what clients need, rather than trying to sell a trend, if it’s not right for the patient.
Media contact
Beautiful Canadian Laser and Skincare Clinic
(604) 580 2464
https://www.bclaserandskincare.com/
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