Mes: febrero 2021

BOYNE FALLS, Mich., Feb. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Boyne Resorts today announced a renewable energy purchase commitment with CMS Enterprises, a CMS Energy subsidiary, that entirely offsets electric energy consumption at its resorts and facilities throughout North America as of Jan. 1, 2021.

The purchase is among numerous environmental initiatives and newly established goals that are part of the company’s evolving, long-term sustainability plan, named «ForeverProject». The plan’s marquee goal is to achieve net zero emissions by 2030 and working with CMS Enterprises accelerated the effort by eliminating approximately 70% of the company’s carbon footprint driven by its electrical usage. Additionally, a 1.7-megawatt solar array will be installed at Boyne Mountain Resort in collaboration with a separate CMS Energy subsidiary.

«Human driven climate change is an urgent issue for the world and most certainly for the snowsports industry. Though we have been a thoughtful steward of our resort properties over the last eight decades, it was clear to our team that we were not doing enough and fast enough if we are to truly help reverse the effects our carbon footprint has on the planet’s climate,» said Stephen Kircher, Boyne Resorts president and chief executive officer. «Our commitments guiding ForeverProject, starting with moving to 100 percent renewable electric energy, reduce a significant portion of our carbon footprint and give us a huge head start on our efforts to become completely carbon neutral by 2030. We have always tried to take the long-term perspective on our business and this environmental sustainability initiative steps up our efforts to positively affect the lasting implications our resorts, team members and guests have on the planet.»

The new level of urgency was initiated in October 2019, in part facilitated by Boyne Resorts’ sponsorship of and involvement in the Mountain Towns 2030 Net Zero Summit, through collaborative discussions with the ski industry’s largest players who have shown leadership by aggressively embracing sustainability efforts, and the rollout of NSAA’s (National Ski Area Association) Sustainable Slopes initiatives. CMS Energy is a longtime energy provider to Boyne Resorts’ Michigan operations and following the Net Zero Summit, discussions between the two began in earnest, culminating in this significant and impactful clean energy arrangement.

CMS Enterprises develops, owns and operates utility-scale wind, solar and energy projects for large customers. CMS Enterprises will tap its in-house energy marketing group and U.S.-based clean energy portfolio to help Boyne Resorts capture renewable energy credits (RECs). The RECs will help Boyne substantiate renewable energy use claims and maximize value for its renewable energy investment.

Through facilitation of the RECs purchase, sharing baseline and consumption tracking models now utilized companywide and leading additional projects to support the company’s goals, CMS Enterprises is today regarded as a true partner on both a regional scale and to Boyne Resorts globally.

«CMS Enterprises is proud to help Boyne Resorts power its facilities in Michigan and throughout North America with renewable and clean energy,» said DV Rao, Senior Vice President of Strategy for CMS Energy. «Through implementation of energy efficiency programs, the electrification of Boyne’s vehicle fleet, on-site solar generation and other advances on tap in Michigan, Boyne Resorts is poised to become an industry leader in clean and renewable energy and sustainability.»

Preparations are underway for the solar array being installed by a CMS Energy subsidiary at Boyne Mountain Resort. The 1.7-megawatt system stands to power the equivalence of the resort’s 300+ homes and condominiums, and is the first of its size for Boyne Resorts. Solar is a resource of strong interest and this project is to serve as a pilot for potential installations at locations across the resort network.

For information on Boyne Resorts’ 73-year history of sustainability efforts and further steps toward its net zero emissions goal, and for details of and the many resort-based ForeverProject initiatives being led by the company’s passionate and valued resort teams, please visit http://www.boyneresorts.com/sustainability.

About Boyne Resorts
Boyne Resorts, founded in 1948 by Everett Kircher, is among the largest mountain resort companies in North America. A Michigan-based corporation, Boyne Resorts owns award-winning mountain and golf resorts and attractions throughout the United States and Canada including Cypress Mountain near Vancouver, B.C., official freestyle skiing and snowboard venue of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games; Sugarloaf and Sunday River Resort in Maine; Boyne Mountain Resort, Boyne Highlands Resort, Inn at Bay Harbor, Autograph Collection and Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark in Michigan; Big Sky Resort in Montana; Loon Mountain Resort in New Hampshire; Gatlinburg SkyLift Park in Tennessee; Brighton Resort in Utah; and The Summit at Snoqualmie in Washington. To learn more about Boyne Resorts, please visit http://www.boyneresorts.com.

Media Contact

Julie Ard, Boyne Resorts, 231.549.7239, jard@boyneresorts.com

SOURCE Boyne Resorts

FORT MYERS, Fla., Feb. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Quigley Eye Specialists has partnered with Beraja Medical Institute (BMI) and Douglas Surgery Center (collectively «BMI»), a South Florida leader in the diagnosis and treatment of vision disorders. Beraja Medical Institute has been providing care to Miami-Dade County for over 30 years and now joins 19 other locations under Quigley Eye Specialists ownership in Florida.  This partnership will establish Quigley Eye Specialists’ presence in Miami-Dade County.

BMI is led by ophthalmologists Dr. Roberto Beraja and Dr. Victor Beraja.

Roberto Beraja, MD, is a skilled ophthalmologist and cataract surgeon. In 1987, he earned his medical degree from the renowned McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Later that same year, Dr. Beraja co-founded Beraja Medical Institute, where he currently serves as the medical director of ophthalmic surgery.

Victor Beraja, MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon. Dr. Beraja graduated from Universidad Latina de Costa Rica, Facultad de Medicina and is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties. He is also a clinical assistant professor in the department of surgery at Florida International University College of Medicine in Miami, and Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale.

«Partnering with BMI is an excellent opportunity for expansion into Southeast Florida,» said Dr. Thomas Quigley, Founder of Quigley Eye Specialists. «Miami-Dade is a vibrant market with impressive growth. For more than 30 years, Dr. Roberto Beraja and Dr. Victor Beraja have been taking great care of patients in Coral Gables and are respected surgeons with exemplary reputations. With a Southeast location, we will be able to build upon the success of BMI. We look forward to our partnership and are excited about the future.»

The partnership will ensure patients throughout Florida will have convenient access to industry-leading specialists, innovative treatments, and state-of-the-art equipment. Together, Quigley Eye Specialists and BMI have 36 optometric physicians and ophthalmic surgeons with three surgery centers in Southwest and Southeast Florida.  

Founded in 1988, Quigley Eye Specialists consists of more than 100 medical professionals, including surgeons, optometrists, retina specialists, and technicians. Offices are conveniently located throughout Southwest and Southeast Florida in Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Coral Gables, Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, Naples, North Port, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda and Venice.  

About Quigley Eye Specialists

Technology leaders in eye care, Quigley Eye Specialists is one of the nation’s leading multispecialty ophthalmology practices specializing in cataracts, laser cataract surgery, glaucoma, iLASIK, dry eye, eyelid surgery, retinal issues, corneal conditions, routine eye care and facial plastic surgery. As the number one choice for cataract treatment in Southwest Florida, Quigley Eye Specialists is committed to providing the highest level of quality eye care and service to the community. For more information or a full list of locations, visit www.QuigleyEye.com.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/beraja-medical-institute-joins-quigley-eye-specialists-301220669.html

SOURCE Quigley Eye Specialists

NEW YORK, Feb. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — American Jewish Committee (AJC) welcomed a U.S. State Department official’s statement confirming that President Biden «embraces and champions» the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism.

«We must educate ourselves and our communities to recognize antisemitism in its many forms, so that we can call hate by its proper name and take effective action. That is why the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, with its real-world examples, is such an invaluable tool,» said Kara McDonald, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.

Addressing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Expert Meeting on Combating Antisemitism in the OSCE Region, McDonald noted, «As prior U.S. Administrations of both political stripes have done, the Biden Administration embraces and champions the working definition. We applaud the growing number of countries and international bodies that apply it. We urge all that haven’t done so to do likewise.» The U.S. has long recognized the IHRA working definition as a vital educational tool.

AJC CEO David Harris called McDonald’s remarks «a solid reaffirmation of American leadership in the global fight against antisemitism. The IHRA working definition is the gold standard.» AJC, the premier global Jewish advocacy organization, has spearheaded over many years a diplomatic advocacy campaign to encourage all 57 OSCE member states and other countries around the world to adopt and implement the working definition.

Harris saluted McDonald’s announcement that she is currently overseeing the work of the State Department Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism as President Biden considers nominating a successor to Elan Carr, who served as envoy in the Trump Administration.

The OSCE expert committee meeting is organized by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde, in cooperation with the organization’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The ODIHR’s recent hate crime report revealed that 22 percent of all hate crimes in 2019 were antisemitic, even though Jews constitute less than one percent of the population in the OSCE region.

AJC staff experts addressing the OSCE gathering included Rabbi Andrew Baker, Director of International Jewish Affairs, who also serves as the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office’s personal representative on combating antisemitism, and Felice Gaer, Director of AJC’s Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights.

The IHRA definition is based on the 2005 European Monitoring Centre (EUMC) Working Definition. It offers a clear and comprehensive description of antisemitism in its various forms, including hatred and discrimination against Jews, Holocaust denial, and, of particular note, antisemitism as it relates to Israel. AJC worked closely with the EUMC to develop the working definition, and has advocated for its adoption at the institutional, national, and popular levels.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ajc-praises-biden-administration-support-for-ihra-working-definition-of-antisemitism-301220586.html

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa, Feb. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, LLC («SIRE» or the «Company«) today announced the appointment of Kevin Ross as a member of SIRE’s board of directors (the «Board«), effective as of Friday, January 29, 2021.  Mr. Ross’ assignments to SIRE Board committees have not yet been determined.

Following the resignation of The Honorable Hubert M. Houser from the Board in December 2020, the Board’s Nominating Committee invited SIRE unit holders to suggest persons to fill Mr. Houser’s Board vacancy for the remainder of his term, through the 2022 annual meeting of the Company.  Since that invitation, the Nominating Committee received a number of member suggestions, had discussions with a selection of the most qualified suggestions, and interviewed final candidates.  Following the recommendation of the Nominating Committee, on January 29^th, 2021 the Board appointed Kevin Ross to the Board vacancy to serve through the 2022 annual meeting of the Company.

Mr. Ross is an experienced owner-operator in the agriculture industry, managing his own row crop, hay, and cattle operation in Minden, Iowa for over two decades.  Mr. Ross brings with him a wealth of experience, having served for 16-plus years as a founding board member and executive committee member of Western Iowa Energy, LLC—a biodiesel plant in Wall Lake, Iowa—and currently serving as the chairman of the board of the National Corn Growers association where he has been a board member since 2013.  Mr. Ross served as a board member of the Iowa Corn Growers Association from 2008 to 2015 and as President 2011 to 2012.  Mr. Ross holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Studies from Iowa State University and anticipates receiving his Master of Business Administration from the same distinguished alma mater in the spring of 2021.

Karol King, Chairman of SIRE’s Board of Directors said: «Kevin Ross has significant leadership experience in the ethanol, biodiesel and corn grower industries, and is an effective advocate for these industries at the state and federal level.  His background will be very valuable to SIRE as we navigate challenging times for ethanol and rapidly evolving new technologies and markets for ethanol plant co-products.»

About Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, LLC:

SIRE is located on 275 acres in Council Bluffs, Iowa, operating a 140 million gallon per year ethanol plant. SIRE began producing ethanol in February 2009 and sells its ethanol, distillers grains, corn syrup, and corn oil in the continental United States, Mexico and the Pacific Rim.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the «1995 Act«). Such statements are made in good faith by SIRE and are identified as including terms such as «may,» «will,» «should,» «expects,» «anticipates,» «estimates,» «plans,» or similar language. In connection with these safe-harbor provisions, SIRE has identified in its Annual Report on Form 10-K , important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement made by or on behalf of SIRE, including, without limitation, the risk and nature of SIRE’s business, and the effects of general economic conditions on SIRE. The forward-looking statements contained in this Press Release are included in the safe harbor protection provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. SIRE further cautions that such factors are not exhaustive or exclusive. SIRE does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement which may be made from time to time by or on behalf of SIRE.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sire-board-elects-new-director-kevin-ross-301220585.html

SOURCE Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, LLC

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — In a victory for the U.S. industry, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) today made an affirmative final determination in the antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations on vertical shaft engines (VSEs) with a displacement of between 225cc and 999cc from China. The ITC found that U.S. vertical shaft engine producers have been materially injured by unfairly traded imports of vertical shaft engines from China, paving the way for imposition of AD/CVD orders.

The ITC determination follows a January 2020 petition filed by the Coalition of American Vertical Engine Producers (the Coalition), a coalition of leading U.S. manufacturers of VSEs. The Coalition has now successfully shown that unfairly dumped and subsidized VSEs from China have injured the U.S. industry. The Commerce Department has already determined that Chinese imports are being unfairly traded, meaning that AD/CVD orders will now be issued on VSEs from China.

Antidumping duties will be imposed at rates ranging from 117.65% to 468.33%, and countervailing duties will be imposed at rates ranging from 17.75% to 19.29%. The AD/CVD order will remain in effect for a minimum of five years, and there is an opportunity each year for duty rates to increase through the annual administrative review process.

«Today’s vote is a major win for the American VSE industry and its workers, which assures that duties will be applied to unfairly traded imports from China,» said Dan Pickard, partner in Wiley’s International Trade Practice and lead counsel to a member of the Coalition.

«We appreciate the Commission’s hard work in this case,» said Robert DeFrancesco, a partner in Wiley’s International Trade Practice. «We look forward to the issuance of the AD/CVD orders, which will help level the playing field in this American industry that has been injured by unfairly traded imports.»

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/international-trade-commission-makes-affirmative-final-determinations-in-trade-case-on-vertical-shaft-engines-from-china-wiley-reports-301220581.html

SOURCE Wiley Rein LLP.