None

Campbell River city council voted Thursday (Nov. 21) to decrease funding to non-profit organizations in Campbell River, while also streamlining the city's approach to its grant process, with most of the changes taking effect in 2026. Chief financial officer Alaina Maher said the new grant policy will allow the city to continue to support non-profits in "improved ways." "It's less subjective, more transparent, and more inclusive," said Maher of the new policy. By providing $2.87 million in grants, leases, and facility rentals to non-profit organizations, she said, the changes reflect a $370,000 decrease in the city's current funding. She added the changes would also align city spending with comparable communities. Currently, the City of Campbell River spends more on non-profit funding than comparable communities, such as Courtenay and Penticton, During the presentation to the council, finance services manager Aaron Daur said the proposed changes streamline three existing policies – the permissive tax exemption, the community grant policy, and a segment of the property policy – into a single policy called the "financial assistance policy." Permissive tax exemptions will decrease from 1.7 percent (or $720,000) to 1.4 percent (or $603,000) of the previous year's tax, resulting in an estimated savings of up to $220,000 each year, he said. Community grants will no longer be restricted to the arts and culture sector. Instead, they will be available to all organizations that contribute directly to the city's social, recreational, cultural, environmental, and economic well-being. A total of $150,000 will be budgeted for community grants, with a maximum of $20,000 per organization. The city currently awards $277,000 in grants, meaning the savings will amount to $127,000, Daur said. The city operating grants are available to organizations operating on city-owned property – and, under the changes, are no longer restricted to arts and culture organizations. The budget will decrease to $550,000, from the $654,000 the municipality currently awards. For example, the Campbell River Art Gallery was awarded an operating grant of $80,000 in 2024. But, due to the changes, with a budget of $550,000, it would instead receive $67,000 – a reduction of $13,000. The changes are substantial, Daur said. City staff recommend the changes be phased in over 2025, taking effect in 2026. At the beginning of the meeting, Mayor Kermit Dahl addressed the significant community uproar over the changes. He said there is a "lack of understanding" about the substantial funding the city currently allocates to non-profits. "Like many cities across Canada, Campbell River is facing the challenge of maintaining our service levels while meeting the needs of a growing community and keeping taxes affordable," Dahl said. "We also recognize that we provide significant funding to the non-profit sector each year." Coun. Ben Lanyon said a five per cent reduction for certain organizations would not lead to dire consequences. He recommended the organizations reach out to the community for philanthropic donations. These days many families are just struggling to put food on the table and don't have any extra money to put toward a higher property tax, he added. Just one councillor, Tanille Johnston, voted against the changes. "We are taking a pretty intense, in my opinion, approach to where we're finding the money to keep the taxation as low as is desired," she said. "This is also a cumulative effect of having councils that have not, in my opinion, operated the community in a way that can sustain itself." She pointed to what she called the city's "historic commitment" to single-family housing as a culprit, adding that single-family homes don't pay for themselves, setting up the city to implement drastic tax measures. Sara Lopez Assu, the Campbell River Art Gallery's executive director, attended Thursday's council meeting. To her, the city is playing a "numbers game" and is "intentionally misleading." "I'm angry and I'm disappointed," she told the , adding when it comes to the actual money the art gallery receives, the community grant cuts amount to about 25 per cent, while the permissive tax cuts add up to 16 per cent. Asking organizations to seek philanthropic donations is "tone deaf," she said, as organizations, like the art gallery, already do so. She said city funding represents about 13 per cent of the art gallery's total operating budget. However, they use those funds, which are core operating funds, to leverage a "multiplier effect" with other funding sources. "We can show up with money in our pocket and say, 'Hey, match it.' And that is what we all have been doing. So we bring in four times what the city invests," she said. Lopez Assu is also not convinced the city funds more than the so-called comparable communities. "It's nine (comparative) communities that the city report is based on," she said. "Five out of those nine communities don't even have a public art gallery. You're comparing complete apples to oranges. "They're comparing us to communities that don't have arts and cultural assets," she said. To help with this transition, council also approved a $20,000 budget to implement the policy and provide workshops to help organizations navigate the changes. The city is also in discussions about creating a grant process with the Strathcona Regional District for non-profits that benefit the entire region, including the city.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was conceived for a purely Scrooge-like reason — to make money. Its creator, however, saw the Montgomery Ward marketing campaign as an opportunity to be as bold in his writing as the fantastical flying stag with a blindingly bright beak he invented was when called upon to pull Santa Claus’ sleigh through fog. Robert Lewis May wrote the original story — about 100 rhyming phrases spread over 32 pages — in 1939. It predated his fellow Dartmouth College grad Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” book by almost two decades. More than 80 years after its inception, here’s how Rudolph — a completely Chicago concoction — became a Christmas icon. Chicago history | More newsletters | Puzzles & Games | Today’s eNewspaper edition ‘A Christmas give-away story’ Ward’s and Sears were the nation’s largest mail-order and department stores in 1939. With each company dueling for supremacy, Ward’s came up with an idea to attract families to its toy department — “a Christmas give-away story” May called it in a 1976 letter. Parents would receive copies of the free Rudolph story in a pamphlet at any of Ward’s more than 600 locations throughout the country during the pre-World War II Christmas season. (Surprisingly, Ward’s didn’t sell any items bearing Rudolph’s likeness to accompany the soft-covered booklet.) May took on this extra assignment and worked nights and weekends on it from his family’s apartment at 2734 N. Mildred Ave. in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. He essentially crafted an original poem infused with his own relatable, underdog experiences from childhood. The story also took inspiration from “The Ugly Duckling” fairy tale and coupled it with a heroic addition to the “eight, tiny rein-deer” pulling Santa’s sleigh in Clement Clarke Moore’s 1822 poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas.” May considered a laundry list of “R” names for his character before settling on Rudolph. One wonders if it would still be the most famous reindeer of all — had its name been Reginald , instead? The original manuscript and illustrations have been housed at Dartmouth’s Rauner Special Collections Library — yep, named after former Illinois governor Bruce Rauner — since 1958 , a gift from May. The copyright: ‘Let Bob May have it’ May knew his story about the reindeer with a red nose had the potential to become a brand of its own. Ward’s issued another 3.6 million copies of its “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” for its stores in 1946. Though Rudolph’s story was popular, it wasn’t lucrative for its creator — yet. But when RCA-Victor contacted Ward’s about creating a recording of the Rudolph story set to music — also in 1946 — May saw an opportunity to finally gain his own royalties from the reindeer. May pleaded his case with several managers at Ward’s, but it was Ward’s president Wilbur H. Norton , May said, who made the difference. Norton convinced Ward’s Chairman Sewell Avery — whom May described as “a one-man Supreme Court, from whose decision there was no appeal” — to transfer the Rudolph copyright to May. Norton argued the department store was “not in the business to try to make a couple of thousand in royalties from RCA-Victor,” May recalled. Avery reportedly told a meeting of Ward’s officers, “Let Bob May have it.” “Five words that changed my life,” May said. The copyright was officially transferred to May on Jan. 1, 1947 — so Ward’s could complete the 1946 Rudolph Christmas promotion without infringing on May’s new ownership of Rudolph. (This copyright was renewed in 1967, and the original 1939 version of the story is set to enter the public domain in 2034. ) “Born as a copyright, Rudolph has remained one ever since,” author Ronald D. Lankford, Jr. wrote in his 2017 book, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: An American Hero.” For the first time on Oct. 4, 1947, the Rudolph story was sold in book form — for 50 cents a copy — and no longer given away. Over the years the story and illustrations would change, but the rights stayed with May. He appeared at local bookstores and children’s Christmas events — including one with a skydiving Santa — to sign copies of his book. The original was reissued in 1993 and found a new generation of Rudolph fans. Rudolph becomes a hit song With the copyright, May was then free to create a variety of items featuring the red-nosed reindeer, but he also realized Rudolph’s popularity would fluctuate with each year’s new Christmas fads. “I quickly realized that my flow of royalties would soon dry up unless I could make Rudolph known and popular and successful outside Montgomery-Ward-land,” May wrote in a 1976 letter. “Along with newspaper and magazine articles, radio and TV interviews, I thought of trying to accomplish my purpose with a Rudolph song.” He contacted Johnny Marks, a songwriter who also happened to be married to May’s sister, Margaret. Marks adapted May’s story into lyrics and set it to music. That song was first recorded in 1949 by cowboy star Gene Autry, whose wife, Ina, apparently persuaded him to do it . It became one of the biggest hits of the season, selling 1.75 million copies . It also became the first No. 1 song of the 1950s, according to ASCAP . Though Marks died in 1985, his St. Nicholas Music publishing company still owns the song’s copyright. In 2020, “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” by Marks was the 20th-most-popular holiday song — played almost 30,000 times on radio stations throughout the United States and more than 75 million times on-demand through streaming platforms, according to MRC Data/BDS. Rudolph takes over television Burl Ives — disguised as Sam the Snowman — made the tune memorable for a new generation of Rudolph fans. Though the first animated feature about the character came out in 1948, Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment’s “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is considered the quintessential show about May’s creation. Released in 1964 — the 25th anniversary’s of the original story — the stop-motion animation special is the longest continuously running Christmas TV special in history. It predates “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” by a year and two years, respectively. Marks composed for it seven original songs, which the Tribune called “sprightly, catchy and singable.” The special brought the Rudolph story to yet another generation of children — including May’s daughter, Martha. “The first year, we watched it on a big box Montgomery Ward TV in the rec room, you know, the wood-paneled rec room in the basement and it was like magic. As soon as the show ended, I tell you, the phone did not stop ringing. Daddy felt like such a celebrity,” she told the Tribune in 2021. “At the beginning of the show, my father’s name and my uncle Johnny Marks, who did the music, their names are on little gift boxes during the opening credits. I’ve always loved to see that.” For the program, Rudolph gained a love interest named Clarice. He also found friendship with another outcast, Hermey the Elf, who would rather become a dentist than make toys, as well as Yukon Cornelius, a dog-sled musher looking for silver and gold. The Island of Misfit Toys storyline mirrors a section from May’s “Rudolph’s Second Christmas” book. They remain ingrained in modern culture. Three characters appeared on U.S. Postal Service stamps in 2014 — Santa, Hermey and Bumble the abominable snowman . Two puppets from the production were sold at auction in 2020 for $368,000 . These items are part of an exhibit at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta. Rudolph’s legacy May died at the age of 71 on Aug. 10, 1976 , and is buried in River Grove’s St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery . “It’s the only reindeer I know that ever put six kids in college,” May told the Tribune in 1972 . If he were alive today, he’d say it put his grandchildren through college, too. His family still retains the copyright to May’s work through the Robert L. May Co. Character Arts licenses the Rudolph image for everything from T-shirts to toys. And, as the Tribune noted in 1972, Rudolph never ages and there is no generation gap in his story. Why does Rudolph endure? “Americans,” he said, “are always for the underdog who, thru goodness and perseverance, gains the respect of everyone.” Want more vintage Chicago? Become a Tribune subscriber: It’s just $12 for a 1-year digital subscription Follow us on Instagram: @vintagetribune And, catch me Monday mornings on WLS-AM’s “The Steve Cochran Show” for a look at “This week in Chicago history.” Thanks for reading! Join our Chicagoland history Facebook group and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago’s past. Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Ron Grossman and Marianne Mather at rgrossman@chicagotribune.com and mmather@chicagotribune.com . interactive_contentTidewater Renewables Ltd. (OTCMKTS:TDWRF) Short Interest Update

London honored for supporting student mental health and eliminating barriers to care NATICK, Mass. , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Boston Business Journal honored Uwill founder and CEO Michael London as part of its 2025 Innovators in Healthcare list . Honorees represent a cross-section of Boston -based innovators addressing some of the most urgent and pressing challenges in the health care industry. London is the founding CEO of Uwill , the leading mental health and wellness solution proudly supporting more than 3 million students at 400 institutions globally. Utilizing its proprietary technology and counselor team, Uwill pioneered the first student and therapist matching platform. The solution offers an immediate appointment with a licensed counselor based on student preferences, all modalities of teletherapy, a direct crisis connection, wellness programming, realtime data, and support. "It's truly an honor to be recognized among this incredible group of innovators," said Michael London , Uwill founder and CEO. "At Uwill, our mission is to break down barriers to mental health care, delivering immediate and accessible support to students worldwide. This recognition reflects more than innovation—it underscores our unwavering commitment to addressing a vital need for students everywhere." London is a recognized thought-leader and pioneer within social impact entrepreneurship, having created more than one billion dollars in company value throughout his career. In 2013, he founded Examity, a leader in learning validation and online proctoring. Prior, London led Bloomberg Institute, an EdTech start-up funded by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg . Earlier in his career, he founded College Coach and co-founded EdAssist, both acquired by Bright Horizons Family Solutions. In 2019, he was a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award and held a position on the Massachusetts Governor's Commission for Digital Education and Lifelong Learning. Michael is a current Trustee at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He is a Member of the Advisory Board at Babson College where he graduated with honors. He also received his MBA from Boston University . About Uwill: Uwill is the leading mental health and wellness solution for colleges and students. As the most cost-effective way to enhance a college's mental health offering, Uwill partners with more than 400 institutions, including Princeton University , the Ohio State University , Santa Fe Community College , and University of Alabama - Online. Uwill is also the exclusive teletherapy education partner for the Online Learning Consortium and teletherapy education partner of NASPA. For more information, visit uwill.com . Contact: Brett Silk bsilk@uwill.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/uwill-founder--ceo-michael-london-named-innovator-in-healthcare-302338655.html SOURCE Uwill, IncPhysically, Felix Kossaras already looks the part of a more than capable Big 12 guard. But as all freshmen learn, getting up to speed at the power conference level involves far more than physical skills, which Kossaras has aplenty. As his freshman campaign draws closer to the start of conference play, Kossaras is one of the young Buffaloes who might find his early spot in the rotation in flux as Colorado men’s basketball coach Tad Boyle attempts to streamline the mix. Still, Kossaras has played in all nine games out of the gate and hopes to be called upon again when the Buffaloes host South Dakota State in the penultimate game of the nonconference schedule on Friday night (7 p.m., ESPN+). “One thing I want our players to understand is it’s going to be hard to play 11,” Boyle said. “Some nights it might be Felix, and some nights it might be somebody else. Felix, he’s going to be a great player at Colorado. Not a good player. He’s going to be a great player. I really believe that. Because he’s got the physicality. He’s got the mentality. He’s got the ability to defend in the Big 12. His body’s ready. But like most freshmen, the inconsistencies are still there.” While Kossaras has appeared in every game, averaging 8.6 minutes off the bench, Saturday’s win against Colorado State marked the first time the 6-foot-5 guard wasn’t called upon in the first half. In spot duty, Kossaras hasn’t forced shots but has gone just 3-for-12. He has six assists with six turnovers. Fourth-year guards Julian Hammond III and Javon Ruffin will be entrenched in the rotation as long as they are healthy. At this point, the same likely can be said of RJ Smith, whose impressive start led to the first staring assignment of his career against CSU. Kossaras and fellow freshman Sebastian Rancik might be in a similar boat as Big 12 play approaches — critical components of the future of the program, who nonetheless will be behind older and more experienced players. “Honestly, just stay ready,” Kossaras said. “I know as a freshman, I might not get a lot of minutes. But I’m going to still keep working and try to climb my way up. I’ve just got to stay ready for my number when it’s called. If I get two minutes, five minutes, 10 minutes, I just need to be ready for it. I’ll take what we can get. “It’s basketball. It’s going to be a long season. We’ll have ups and downs. Some guys will be in foul trouble. Some guys might bet hurt. I just need to let the coaches know they can trust me to be in those positions when they need me.” As the Buffs learned last season, injuries can alter the complexion of the rotation at any time. And while Hammond, Ruffin and Smith all are off to healthy starts, all have battled injuries in recent seasons (Ruffin currently is battling through an ankle issue). It’s a challenge for any freshman, typically months removed from being the most dominant player on any court they set foot on, to remain ready for bench opportunities that may or may not arrive. But it’s a challenge Kossaras says he’s trying to conquer. “It’s difficult, because he’s never been in that position before in his career,” Boyle said. “He’s used to playing and starting and being one of the best players on his team. It’s understanding that becoming a great player is a process. You’ve got to embrace that. Understand it. But yet try to work through the things you need to work through to get better.”