America's Education News Source Sign up for our free newsletter and start your day with in-depth reporting on the latest topics in education Support The 74’s year-end campaign with a tax-exempt donation and invest in our future Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter American teachers and students are captives of a broken assessment system.  Interim reading assessments frustrate teachers and students and devalue what students are learning, even though they’re intended to provide useful information about student progress and help teachers target instruction throughout the year. They have not moved the needle on reading proficiency or reducing inequities, as new NAEP reading results confirm we’re issuing a clarion call to assessment stakeholders at all levels: Do better for teachers Right now, periodic reading tests prompt students to “find the main idea” or identify a “point of view” — discrete standards and skills that don’t add up to reading comprehension. They are misaligned with the research on how kids learn to read well and ignore the foundational role of knowledge in reading comprehension and comprehension is an outcome that occurs when readers apply a dynamic set of reading processes and knowledge to a text Consider this fourth-grade Reading Standard 3 for literature:  drawing on specific details in the text (e.g. Students could miss a test item tied to this standard because of weak decoding skills difficulties parsing syntax or transitions But the interim assessments we give students today can’t identify what went wrong genre or any single construct confuses cause and effect Answering a question based on a standard is an effect of comprehension And a student’s response to any one question tied to a standard does not predict how well that student will do on a similar question using a different text Few schools — or teachers — will move to text-focused classrooms and abandon using standards as the organizing force for daily lessons if the assessments they’re provided use an outdated Transforming Assessment Questions and Classroom Conversations  We need new assessments that reflect the research base and diagnose the degree to which actual reading comprehension is occurring.  Such assessments would provide more meaningful information and play a more powerful role in the classroom Rather than issuing reports on mastery of this or that standard assessment developers need to release their passages and items in full along with guidance on how to discuss the results with students Then teachers could use interim assessments to deconstruct student thinking in class by revisiting reading assessment texts and asking students to share their thoughts about each question they encountered and explain why they answered questions as they did.  and high-impact way to use interim data to inform instruction and in the case of comprehension questions the richest discoveries will come not from asking which items students missed Students can go astray for a variety of reasons and the best way to identify the path they followed The challenges any text presents will vary but the number and types of obstacles are not infinite students — can lead discussions that explore how best to overcome them This collaborative approach enhances comprehension for all students expanding their understanding by recognizing how ideas and vocabulary interact with knowledge to make meaning.  Deconstructing assessments with students connects instruction directly to the science of reading comprehension rather than treating reading as a disjointed series of atomized elements Teachers might find that what they are already doing to support students’ reading comprehension is on the right track teachers and students will recognize the nature of the various obstacles that complex text presents and how these can be addressed assessments can do what is intended of them: inform instruction.  text-driven conversations take time to do well it is hard to imagine a more powerful way for teachers to support students in learning about texts and exploring the suite of constructs known as literacy.  An even more enduring and essential reform is to ensure tests actually measure what students are learning would not only reflect the science of reading comprehension but they also would be based in curriculum and connected to the books and topics students study in class.  This vision rejects the false premise that reading comprehension is a content-neutral skill that can be taught and tested in the abstract Rather than asking students to address items tied to random passages they may not know anything about a contextualized approach to reading assessment would offer a multidimensional view of students’ reading comprehension and would more accurately mirror the literacy tasks students will encounter after graduation It’s time to invest genuine energy and resources into creating interim assessments that provide actionable insights and align with research and the real world Current assessments are standards-specific and knowledge-agnostic — the inverse of what research and experience tell us teachers and students need This approach is a closed loop that is steering teachers and students off-course.  map those errors onto matching discrete skills or standards and instruct teachers to repurpose reading into a relentless repeating pattern of practicing said standards — interim assessments whether created by assessment providers or curriculum publishers simply must focus on the real and varied causes of breakdowns in comprehension.   Developers need to revamp their tests to tackle the challenges inherent in content-rich text They need to abandon the practice of reporting by state standards They need to release items that allow teachers and students to thoroughly analyze and comprehend what students are learning.  Designing the right tests will empower and incentivize the right teaching and make reading tests genuinely valuable to educators and students The responsibility and power rests with interim assessment providers and publishers as well as the state and local leaders who procure them hear our call: We need an interim assessment do-over Susan Pimentel is co-founder of StandardsWork a nonprofit education consultancy that sponsors the Knowledge Matters Campaign She was the lead author of the Common Core State Standards for English/language arts literacy and led development of the Knowledge Matters Review Tool.  David Liben has worked with schools and districts nationwide to improve student learning for over 20 years.  He is the former principal of a high-performing school in Harlem and is the co-author of two highly acclaimed books on reading Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Susan Pimentel is co-founder of StandardsWork She was the lead author of the Common Core State Standards for English/language arts literacy and led development of the Knowledge Matters Review Tool David Liben has worked with schools and districts nationwide to improve student learning for over 20 years He is the former principal of a high-performing school in Harlem and is the co-author of two highly acclaimed books on reading We want our stories to be shared as widely as possible — for free Please view The 74's republishing terms. By Susan Pimentel & David Liben This story first appeared at The 74, a nonprofit news site covering education. Sign up for free newsletters from The 74 to get more like this in your inbox This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy and to add new information Close to 70 years after the last train departed, southeastern Massachusetts is preparing to reconnect with Boston South Coast Rail, expected to launch public service in spring 2025 economic conditions and regional connectivity by restoring direct service to Fall River the only major cities within a 50-mile radius of the state capital that lack commuter rail access to the city according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation But for communities already grappling with housing affordability crises the long-awaited rail link raises questions about who will benefit Housing advocates warn that the project could exacerbate a crisis for low-income families and push longtime residents out of their neighborhoods but might also deepen existing inequities and perpetuate the current affordable housing crisis for lower-income residents,” said Judith Liben a housing attorney at the Boston-based Massachusetts Law Reform Institute State report: As Fall River punishes homelessness, city lags behind in affordable housing who recently authored a report analyzing Fall River’s housing strategies identified a series of challenges confronting low-income and working-class renters in the city increasing evictions and a vacancy rate of just 1.2% have made affordable housing increasingly elusive for many residents It also reveals that the city has prioritized the development of market-rate and luxury housing units while neglecting affordable housing needs and a comprehensive plan to address them “There are increasing evictions and fears of displacement,” said Liben “And these are not just problems in Fall River but you've seen them replicated in other places.” The MLRI report pointed to New Bedford as a model for a more balanced approach to addressing its housing crisis With plans to expand both market-rate and mixed-income housing the report positions New Bedford to pursue more equitable growth compared to neighboring communities These strategies are informed by challenges identified in a MassINC study which examined New Bedford’s residential market and found that over two-thirds of renters would be unable to afford typical asking rents if forced to move Another study by MassINC surveying the housing market in gateway cities highlights a decade-long trend of household growth outpacing housing stock growth from 2012 to 2022 tightening markets and reducing vacancy rates while on-market units increased by only 1,564 New Bedford saw a smaller but still significant gap with households growing by 2,563 compared to an increase of 1,744 on-market units home values in both cities are expected to climb driven by a combination of factors that may include the upcoming South Coast Rail and broader market trends Home values in Fall River are projected to rise by an average of 1.2% by Feb compared to values at the end of last month an analysis of Zillow’s home value forecast data shows New Bedford is expected to see a similar trend with home values predicted to grow by 1.1% by Feb The introduction of commuter rail is expected to bring opportunities for transit-oriented development a strategy that typically involves creating mixed-use developments near transit stations to stimulate local economies attract businesses and encourage residential growth according to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority A report by MassINC highlights the transformative potential of transit-oriented development in gateway cities With large swaths of vacant and underutilized land surrounding commuter rail stations these cities have the opportunity to create thousands of new housing units and jobs mandates municipalities served by MBTA transit establish zoning districts permitting multi-family housing to be built as of right Building buildings: 2024 saw a housing development boom in Fall River. Will it continue in 2025? both Fall River and New Bedford are required to comply with the law to increase housing supply Fall River is compliant with the MBTA Communities Act Although the legislation focuses on increasing the overall supply of multi-family housing near transit areas it does not explicitly require that this housing be designated as affordable or reserved for low-income residents Liben emphasized the importance of equitable development as new housing is introduced near the rail stations “We anticipate there will be a lot more housing but it should be housing that is to some extent available to a broad income spectrum and not just wealthy people,” she said a longtime resident of Fall River and former City Council candidate the commuter rail represents both opportunity and challenge an influx of people will boost the local economy and businesses but low-income residents will suffer the most “You have a lot of people from up north coming to Fall River because they're being displaced or they can't afford to be there,” Amaral said “They come in here and the same thing is going to happen to Fall River Fall River may have to adaptAs residents brace for the changes brought by the South Coast Rail Amaral acknowledged that progress is inevitable “This is what happens in a society – things change they're fluid and you got to adapt and adjust.” Housing advocates like Liben stress the importance of the city setting clear affordable housing goals adopting strong inclusionary zoning ordinances and maximizing the use of state and federal resources to increase affordable housing and prevent displacement but the city has to make sure that all of its residents benefit by the train coming and none of the residents are hurt by the train coming,” she said the Palestinian permanent legal US resident the Trump administration wants to deport In February I saw a sneak preview of the upcoming documentary The Encampments a film about the pro-Palestine demonstrations on the campus of Columbia University was one the main voices for the protesters who are attempting to stop the Gaza genocide Khalil was arrested by ICE agents in New York on March 7 and faces possible deportation for his participation in the protests ICE agents informed him that the State Department had revoked his green card Please note: a Green Card can only be revoked by an immigration judge It cannot legally be revoked administratively On Jan. 29 President Trump issued an executive order to “Combat Anti-Semitism.” It refers to “8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)” as a legal basis to exclude aliens for reasons of national security Khalil has done nothing to violate any of the provisions in Section 3 it’s these provisions that are among the justifications for Khalil’s arrest Let’s be clear: The government has refused to provide any evidence of illegal action by Khalil It verges on the realm of “thought crimes” in George Orwell’s 1984 If Khalil has done anything beyond exercising his right to free speech the administration must either identify it or release him immediately Members of the Columbia University Apartheid Divest group are surrounded by members of the media April 30 2024 outside the Columbia University campus in New York If our government can simply allege that you have committed a crime and imprison you without evidence This is not about one man and It’s not even about immigrant rights Khalil was singled out because he was an outspoken and high-profile activist. He was a highly visible advocate for free speech. If you were to speak with Khalil, you may agree or disagree with what he has to say. Nonetheless, you both have the right to speak to each other in the first place. Moreover, Khalil is reputed to have made repeated public statements condemning antisemitism The administration’s intent is to stifle free speech and make the consequences exceedingly harsh Mahmoud Khalil is just the tip of the iceberg. Trump and Rubio say that this arrest is the first of many. Multiple other student activists who are not as high profile as him are being deported as well. Rasha Alawieh a doctor at Brown University was deported on March 15 It is especially troubling to repress core American rights on the pretext of fighting antisemitism. Antisemitism is a real and growing threat in America. Witness the shootings at Tree of Life Synagogue and the Charlottesville Unite the Right rally But repression of free speech does nothing to alleviate real antisemitism The administration is whitewashing the MAGA movement’s cozy relationship with neo-Nazis and white nationalists If the administration can lie that Khalil is an antisemite or terrorist to destroy his freedom they can lie about any of us and destroy any of our freedoms To paraphrase the words of Pastor Martin Niemöller prior to the Holocaust if we don’t speak up for Mahmoud Khalil now there will be no one left to speak up for us Robbie Liben works for a large national health care company and is an organizer with Western Montana Democratic Socialists of America, westernmtdsa.org letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account tram services on Prague's Libeň Bridge will be indefinitely suspended implemented by Prague Public transport Company (DPP) aims to ensure safety and smooth traffic flow due to concerns about the structural condition of the bridge Low temperatures have increased the risk of sudden closures for tram traffic prompting the decision to replace the tram service with buses until further notice Tram services on the bridge were temporarily suspended earlier this year but this closure will remain in effect until repairs on the bridge are complete The tram service disruption will affect the section between Dělnická and Palmovka with replacement buses taking over this route The existing X25 bus service will be extended and will run between Tusarova and Palmovka making stops at Dělnická and Libeňský most there will be permanent changes to the tram lines in the area will be rerouted along the following routes until repair work on the bridge is completed: which was previously a temporary solution due to disruptions on line 17 temporary lines 12 and 94 will be permanently redirected from Nov In response to the suspension of tram services the X25 replacement bus service will run daily between Tusarova and Palmovka This route will connect key locations including Dělnická and Libeňský most DPP and Prague's Technical Road Administration are also exploring alternative routes in the Libeň area to minimize delays during peak traffic times The night bus service X94 will continue to operate These changes aim to prevent a sudden closure on the bridge, similar to earlier this year, when a portion of the bridge had to be closed due to the combined effects of low temperatures and the bridge’s condition Once repairs are completed on the Libeň Bridge Your morning coffee deserves a great companion. Why not enjoy it with our daily newsletter? News from Czechia, curated insights, and inspiring stories in English. Welcome to BirdLife International en As a global Partnership We have translated as much content in your language as our resources allow Please visit the English language site to view all of our content one of the oldest species of lark in the world with only 50 to 100 individuals surviving today the Liben Plain has seen numerous human pressures in addition to drought and soil erosion among others has meant that only  a small fraction of the grasslands remain this has led to the fragmentation of the Liben Lark’s habitat splitting populations from each other and putting additional pressure on this bird In 2015, Birdlife International, RSPB, Ethiopia Wildlife and Natural History Society (BirdLife Partner) and SOS Sahel Ethiopia embarked on a three year project to save the Liben Lark The Darwin funded project helped local communities create four communally managed grasslands reserves known as kallos across the plain The kallos managed by local pastoralists’ communities would serve as fodder for livestock during the dry season the kallos would provide suitable breeding and foraging for the lark during the two wet seasons locally known as Ganna and Hagaya In addition to supporting the pastoralism activities the project was also designed to help vulnerable households to diversify their livelihoods from extensive pastoralism and therefore reduce their needs and pressure on grasslands A savings and credit co-operative was formed with four village level Community Based Organizations (CBOs) the co-operative has over 100 members and training is being provided The project had mixed results at the start severe drought in southern Ethiopia coupled with political instability negatively impacted the kallos. In 2018 when the project was due to come to an end the reserves experienced an upturn following good rains in the region A field trip undertaken by the project partners in the same year found out that although the kallos were full of lush grass the number of Liben Lark territories were fewer than envisaged The birds could have been wiped out due to the drought a second survey yielded positive results and found that the number of Liben Larks had increased from 11 to 21 territories although in a declining range on the plain The kallos have also been instrumental in supporting local pastoralists providing  70% of fodder during the drought period to more than 900 households two of the existing kallo were extended “We got relatively good season for grasses and we recommend that kallo maintenance and new kallo establishments continue” Thankfully, the project has  continued  beyond 2019 with emergency response funding from RSPB and a grant from the IUCN Save Our Species, co-funded by the European Union This means that maintenance of  these vital kallos protecting  both  bird and livelihoods While sustainable land management of the Liben Plains has been initiated focus is now on long term solutions which will build on these conservation efforts to halt degradation of the Liben Plain and thus save mainland Africa’s first bird threatened with extinction This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union through IUCN Save Our Species Its contents are the sole responsibility of BirdLife International RSPB, Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society and SOS Sahel and do not necessarily reflect the views of IUCN or the European Union BirdLife International lance un nouvel appel à propositions pour de petites subventions en Guinée et en Sierra Leone. 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Thus, promoting institutional services, raising community knowledge, empowering women to make decisions, and enhancing the infrastructure of the health sector. Volume 5 - 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2024.1282081 This article is part of the Research TopicSocial Determinants of Women's Health in Low and Middle Income CountriesView all 14 articles Background: One of the most important health interventions for reducing maternal morbidity and death is the use of maternal healthcare services maternal healthcare services are not well utilized particularly in rural pastoralist communities the purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of maternal healthcare services and the characteristics that are related to it in the East Borena zone a community-based cross-sectional survey was carried out in Liben with 416 randomly selected mothers Mothers who had given birth within the 12 months before the study comprised the respondents Questionnaires given by interviewers were used to gather the data The data were transferred to SPSS version 20 for analysis after being entered into Epi-Info version 4.1 for coding and Lemeshow goodness of fit tests were employed multivariate and binary logistic regression analyses were carried out 95% CI and the odd ratio were used to examine the relationship between the outcome and predictive variables Results: At least one prenatal visit was received by 60% of moms Only 21.2% and 17.5% of women had given birth in a medical facility and made use of early postnatal care services The use of antenatal care was strongly correlated with maternal education [AOR = 2.43 (95% CI: 1.22–4.89)] decision-making capability [AOR = 2.40 (95% CI: 1.3–23.3)] felt compassionate and respectful treatment [AOR = 0.30 (95% CI: 0.18–0.50)] and intended current pregnancy [AOR = 0.22 (95% CI: 0.12–0.37)] Moms b/n ages 15–19 had a 3.7-fold higher probability of giving birth in a hospitals than moms b/n ages 35 and 49 [AOR = 1.74 (95% CI: 1.02–3.08)] Mothers who lived far away were 1.02 times less likely to give birth at a hospital than those who could reach one within an hour (AOR = 1.74;95% CI: 1.02 While recent use of antenatal care [AOR = 5.34 (95% CI: 1.96–8.65)] and knowledge of using postnatal care were shown to be strongly correlated with danger indicators [AOR = 2.93 (95% CI: 1.59–5.41)] knowledge of danger signs [AOR = 3.77 (95% CI: 2.16–6.57)] and perceived compassionate and respectful care were significantly associated with institutional delivery Conclusion: Overall the prevalence of maternal healthcare services utilization was far below the national and regional targets in the study area and enhancing the infrastructure of the health sector the utilization of maternal healthcare services is a complex behavioral phenomenon influenced by several factors at both individual and community levels barriers limiting the utilization of maternal healthcare services must be identified and addressed at all levels of the healthcare system the purpose of this study was to understand the current status of the utilization of maternal health care services by elucidating the various factors influencing the use of these services in the study area Childbearing women who had given birth in the 12 months previous to the survey of residents of Liben district Ninety-five (195) of the district's 191,494 inhabitants are female 19,990 women of reproductive age are thought to reside in the district overall there are sixteen health posts and six health centers The dates of this study's conduct were September 15 The required sample size of eligible mothers was determined using a single-population proportion formula. The following assumptions were made: the proportion of institutional delivery in the rural community of the Oromia region, according to the mini-EDHS-2019 report, was 40% (10) and an expected 10% non-response rate The final sample size was calculated to be 416 suggesting that there is little confidence in the findings and that the null hypothesis is not likely to be rejected I made an effort to give the sources a lot of thought it is inappropriate for this investigation at the district level it ought to be controlled throughout the ideation and proposal creation phases The participants were selected using the following steps: first six rural kebeles (the smallest administrative unit) were selected from the 16 kebeles in the district using a simple random sampling technique The census was carried out in the selected kebeles to identify mothers who had given birth in the year prior to the survey The proportional distribution of the sample size for each selected kebele was determined mothers were selected using a systematic random sampling method Women who had given birth in the last 12 months and had been residents of the Liben district for at least six months were included including techniques like employing objective measures Mothers who were critically ill and unable to respond to interviews were excluded an expectant mother should receive at least eight ANC visits according to the recent WHO Focused Antenatal Care (FANC) Framework The total of age-specific fertility rates divided by the sum of age-specific rates where a represents the middle of each age range (17.5 22.5…49.5) or early 30s and late 20s Maternal healthcare services include antenatal Institutional delivery refers to childbirth either in public or private healthcare facilities attended by skilled attendants such as midwives and health officers Postnatal care refers to care given to mothers after childbirth by healthcare professionals in the first 48 h after delivery at a health facility Quantitative data were collected using a structured and semi-structured questionnaire The questionnaire was based on a review of relevant previous studies and literature Face-to-face interviews were conducted at respondents' homes The main contents of the tool included socio-demographic characteristics and maternal healthcare service utilization The English questionnaire was revised before being translated into the local tongue and then back into English for uniformity The tool was pretested on 5% of a comparable population Six diploma nurses who spoke the local languages well participated in the data collection process all supervisors and data collectors received training based on the principal investigator's guide The supervisors and primary investigators kept a careful eye on every action and gave the data collectors additional guidance and assistance the data were examined for inconsistencies Epi Data version 4.1 was used to code data Summary statistics of means and percentages were used to describe the study population Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify associations between independent and outcome variables Variables with a p-value of ≤0.25 on bi-variable regression analysis were further entered into the multivariable binary logistic regression model to control for possible confounding variables and the model adequately fit the data at a p-value of >0.05 Multi-collinearity between the independent variables was assessed using a variance inflation factor of <10 Crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% CI were used to determine the strength of association between the outcome variables and independent variables Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05 Socio-demographic characteristics of the study participants in Liben district Regarding obstetric history, 167 respondents (40%) became pregnant for the first time before the age of 19. Almost half (51%) had had five or more pregnancies. Fifteen women (3.6%) had experienced a stillbirth. For 244 respondents (59%), their most recent pregnancy was planned and intentional (Table 2) Obstetric characteristic of the study participants Reasons cited by the study participation for not attending ANC services Bi-variable and multivariable analysis results of maternal healthcare service utilization and its associated factors among childbearing Age of women in liben district Regarding early postnatal care utilization attending antenatal services in recent pregnancy and knowledge of danger signs in pregnancy were variables that showed an association with postnatal care utilization those mothers who had attended an ANC visit in their last pregnancy were 5.3 times more likely to utilize early postnatal care services than those who had not (AOR = 5.34; 95% CI: 1.96 The likelihood of utilizing early postnatal care services was 2.2 times more likely for mothers who had planned their pregnancy than for those who had not (AOR = 2.19; 95% CI: 1.07 where early PNC was obtained by 47% and 51% of women The temporal difference between these studies and sociodemographic features of the study area could all be contributing factors to this mismatch the study was carried out in a pastoralist rural district where the education and decision-making authority of women may be important indicators of the use of healthcare services by mothers The majority of rural villages have an uneven and small number of healthcare facilities are usually uneven and restricted in rural communities In addition, moms who could make decisions either by themselves or in conjunction with their husbands were more likely to use ANC than mothers whose husbands made decisions on their own. This outcome is in line with research done in the towns of Holeta and Enderta (11, 17) This could be explained by the fact that women's education plays a critical role in enabling them to be economically independent and to make decisions about maternal healthcare services enhances their understanding of basic healthcare services and encourages behaviors related to seeking health It was observed that pregnant women who used ANC and PNC were more likely to have planned their pregnancies than unplanned ones, probably because of their increased concern for the health and welfare of their unborn child. This result is in line with research findings from Abuna-Gindeberet, Debre-Tabor town, and Wombera (13, 14, 23) This study also demonstrated that mothers who felt that healthcare providers treated them with compassion and respect had a higher likelihood of using ANC and giving birth in a hospital than mothers who did not. These outcomes are in line with those observed in the districts of Kombolcha and Ambo (16, 21, 24–28) This suggests that women's decisions to utilize or not use a specific type of maternal healthcare service are significantly influenced by the attitudes of healthcare practitioners toward women's healthcare According to this study, using a PNC and having understanding of obstetric risk indicators were highly predictive of institutional delivery. Compared to mothers who did not voluntarily indicate any obstetric danger indicators, mothers who were aware of at least one obstetric danger sign were more likely to use institutional delivery and PNC services. This result is consistent with research from the rural Jabitena district (19, 29, 30) and prevention of obstetric danger signals are the main reasons why women and their families should seek medical attention as soon as possible Awareness of these indicators is a key component in encouraging pregnant women and their families to seek medical attention as soon as possible in order to prevent According to the results of the current study, moms who could get to the hospital in under an hour were 1.74 times more likely to use institutional birth. This result is consistent with research by Enderta and Butajira (11, 31–35) laboring women have less time to get to a hospital a greater distance between medical institutions and little access to public transit may be linked to higher transportation expenses Because the interviewers conducted the data collection they were able to clarify any topics that the respondents were unsure of which increased the accuracy of the information gathered There was no triangulation of qualitative data collection methods; just the quantitative method was employed it is recommended that researchers who are interested in this subject incorporate qualitative methodologies The study area's overall consumption of maternal healthcare services fell well short of the planned expansion and transformation of the health system The low rate of use of maternity healthcare services in the research region suggests that there is still more to be done to enhance the health of women The study also showed a strong relationship between ANC utilization and maternal education and knowledge of danger signs were significantly associated with PNC utilization and perceived compassionate and respectful care were associated with institutional delivery taking into account these established contributing variables and offering education and training on these issues to the community potentially enhance and maintain the use of maternal healthcare services in the community The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary Material further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author Ethical clearance and approval were obtained from the Ethical Committee of Research and Community Service of the Educational Development Center (EDC) of the Negele Health Science College Permission was obtained from the district health office Oral informed consent was obtained from all participants Confidentiality and anonymity were ensured The participants were informed that their participation was voluntary Verbal informed consent was obtained from all subjects before the study and written informed consent was obtained from legally authorized representatives before the study The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher Maternal mortality in developing countries PubMed Abstract | Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Google Scholar Levels and Causes of Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Google Scholar Postpartum and Newborn Care: A Guide for Essential Practice Google Scholar Doable 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Abstract | Google Scholar Institutional delivery service utilization among pastoralists of Dubti District Google Scholar The health extension program and its association with change in utilization of selected maternal health services in Tigray region Ethiopia: a segmented linear regression analysis Factors affecting utilization of maternal health care services in Kombolcha district Central Statistical Agency (Ethiopia) and ICF International Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey: Addis Ababa Google Scholar Utilization of institutional delivery service at Wukro and Butajera districts in the Northern and South Central Ethiopia Factors affecting utilization of postnatal care service in Jabitena District Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Antenatal care utilization and associated factors from rural health extension workers in Abuna Gindeberet District Institutional delivery service utilization and associated factors among child bearing age women in Goba Woreda Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Maternal health service utilization and associated factors among mothers with children under one year in Ambo District Utilization of institutional delivery service and associated factors among mothers in North West Ethiopian Mengistu S and Arero G (2024) Women of reproductive age's use of maternal healthcare services and associated factors in Liben district Received: 23 August 2023; Accepted: 25 June 2024;Published: 3 September 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Desta, Mengistu and Arero. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Godana Arero, Z2FyZXJvMjAxNUBnbWFpbC5jb20= Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish The late Barry Liben's children are enjoying a homecoming "The old saying 'You can't go home again,' well you can rebuild a place that uses the values of home and feels like home," said Michael Liben Chai's founders hope the New York-based boutique host agency will be home to 20 to 30 independent contractors The agency will focus on high-end leisure and small to midsize corporate travel The Liben children come from diverse professional backgrounds Michael was a lawyer at the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office who represented victims of domestic violence was previously a social worker running a large social services agency in New York owned a retail clothing store in Montclair for nearly a decade and also spent time as a celebrity stylist "It was time for all of us to refocus our careers on something else," Michael said we spoke to a lot of the wonderful people who our dad had brought into our lives from the travel business more family-oriented place to work,' and we saw that as an opportunity to try to build it ourselves." his father's leadership values were a heavy influence for Chai Travel Michael said the agency's single layer of management will be accessible to all Always being available was "one of our dad's secrets," Michael recalled "He knew he needed to be in the trenches with [the advisors] and that culture is really what we see as our differentiation." Barry Liben was also an influence on the agency's name But it's also a Hebrew word that means life; Barry wore the chai symbol on a necklace for most of his life Rounding out Chai's management team are David Buda a 35-year executive vice president at Tzell who spent 25 years in advisor support roles most recently at Internova's Global Travel Collection Michael is particularly excited about the team and said he believes they will make advisors' jobs both easier and more enjoyable Michael said the agency hopes to announce the onboarding of its first advisor Chai plans to up its hosted IC count to the double digits and open its first office location in New York Electric cars and trucks are slowly but surely finding their way onto roads across the world That’s because current electric motors and battery technology don’t come close to matching the power and energy density of old-fashioned The trio includes CEO Jason Sylvestre (BSEE ‘18, MSEE ‘19), CTO Max Liben (BSME ‘18, MSEE ‘20) and president Erik Maciolek (BSME ‘18). Over the past three years, H3X has received over $9 million in investment, including backing from defense superpower Lockheed Martin in early 2023 The three engineers met at UW-Madison as part of the Formula SAE team a student organization that each year builds and races a 1/3-size formula-style race car Max and Jason spun off and started the Formula Electric team they built the first electric all-wheel drive FSAE car in the United States and in 2018 they were the first team to develop an entire custom electric powertrain from scratch Max designed the motors and Jason built the quad inverter to control them “It was very similar to starting a company because we had to recruit students to join the team we had to raise money and connect with sponsors and then ultimately deliver a product on a very compressed timeframe,” he says “And we went through a lot of the same type of emotional roller coasters that you go through in a startup.” Eventually, Sylvestre and Liben earned master’s degrees at UW-Madison, studying with the Wisconsin Electric Machines and Power Electronics Consortium (WEMPEC) a global leader in developing motor technology The three knew they wanted to take the cutting-edge skills they acquired at UW-Madison and apply them to decarbonization Sylvestre started a power-electronics consulting business Liben designed electric powertrains for Tesla and Maciolek worked on electric powertrains and lithium-ion battery development at several companies the three began developing the designs and business plan for a new aviation motor company In 2020, they were accepted into the prestigious Silicon Valley tech incubator Y Combinator and the three began working on H3X full time establishing an office in the greater Denver area and their motors are now starting to be delivered to customers Sylvestre says there are three areas of innovation that make their motors unique “One is the novel materials we’re using that no one else is using in motors Two is new manufacturing processes that we’ve developed in-house to best utilize these materials And third is novel integration techniques between the electric motor and the inverter,” he says where you have the inverter and motor co-packaged in one unit You get rid of a lot of unnecessary mass and component costs.” By increasing the power density of the motors it allows airplanes to save weight in the airframe structure because they do not need to carry heavy engines and can use that savings to carry more batteries or fuel we’ve found that you can increase narrow-body aircraft range by 120% by using our 12 kW/kg motors versus the conventional 3 kW/kg systems that exist today,” Sylvestre says “This means that if you have an aircraft with 200 miles range The result is a family of motors H3X calls HPDM the company has two motor types being tested by customers: The HPDM-30 is a small 33-kilowatt version that can be used for propulsion or power generation in aerospace and defense applications The 250-kilowatt HPDM-250 is powerful enough to get smaller aircraft aloft and H3X is planning for its first flight with the unit in 2024 should be ready for testing by the end of 2024 That motor can power single-aisle aircraft and can be stacked to provide up to 10 megawatts of power efficient motors also have applications in large-scale marine “Our vision is to become the world’s leading supplier of advanced electric motors by 2030 to help enable decarbonization in a lot of these heavy industries,” says Sylvestre Sylvestre say that the company is still deeply connected with UW-Madison and has recruited many of its 23 employees from the Formula SAE team and WEMPEC “We love UW-Madison; it really set us up well for what we’re doing,” he says “It’s just a great university with great programs and great students It lets them be both hands-on as well as entrepreneurial.” Check out other college alumni who also made the Forbes list Featured image caption: H3X co-founders (left to right) Top image: H3X co-founders (left to right) As more and more of our day-to-day activities have moved online we have begun to leave digital traces of decisions and preferences — moods preferences among potential dates — that had previously been all but invisible   Join Professor David Liben-Nowell as he presents: “Tie game: Making connections with social networks”.  He will describe a few highlights of the emerging research area of computational social science and talk briefly about how current students are exploring this topic in the Carleton curriculum Carleton Connects: Professor Seth Greenberg 507-222-4000 Sign In Rabbi Daniel Liben became the spiritual leader of Temple Israel of Natick in 1991 After 30 years of devoted service to his congregation and community Rabbi Liben was honored by Temple Israel at a (virtual) gala in June “Dan remains the man I first encountered in college—warm compassionate,” said Rabbi Carl Perkins of Temple Aliyah in Needham who deeply loves Israel and knows how to say what needs to be said deliberately and in a manner both true to himself and deeply devoted to the congregation.” attended Haverford College in Pennsylvania Through Bryn Mawr College’s collaborative relationship with Haverford “I had originally considered majoring in English and becoming a journalist,” said Liben in an interview His love of Judaism and plans for his future evolved through his coursework interactions with professors and participation in communal Jewish activities Rabbi Liben’s involvement with Haverford Shabbat made an impact on him “Students were invited for Shabbat dinner and services,” he recalled By senior year Rabbi Liben decided to attend rabbinical school. A professor had suggested that the rabbinical school at Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in New York would be perfect for him because “I would get an education in classical Jewish texts and it would nurture my passion for Jewish life I also liked JTS because it would challenge me ritually and religiously.” As a rabbinical student he “felt comfortable because I was raised in a committed Conservative home I was sure that working in a Jewish community was what I wanted to do.” Liben was ordained in 1983 Rabbi Liben’s first job was as associate rabbi at Temple Emanu-El in Providence After eight years at Emanu-El he was ready to lead his own congregation “Challenges were different in the suburbs—you have to work harder to create community than in an urban setting,” he recalled “I found that I loved working to create community.” Temple Israel became a Shabbat meetup place as parents attended afternoon services and arranged for their children to get together at each other’s homes many of our best programs developed organically and helped set a course for me in creating community.” Another innovative program combined family education with Havdalah services and another combined soccer and family education at Longfellow Health Club in Natick with children playing while parents engaged in study A later effort became known as “Nash and Drash”; congregants took a break during Shabbat services for brunch and learning Rabbi Liben has been married for 42 years to his wife teaches at a Jewish day school in New Jersey Talia is digital editor of Hadassah’s online magazine who lives in Israel and served in the Israel Defense Forces an organization that creates internships for business students who also lives in Israel and was recently married the Conservative Movement’s gap-year program Eight of the Liben grandchildren live in New Jersey Over the years meditation and mindfulness became integral to the rabbi’s role as a spiritual leader and in his personal life “I had attended a retreat for rabbis and knew this would make a significant difference in my life,” he said The Institute for Jewish Spirituality helped him establish a personal practice “I had thought of prayer as a mitzvah and an obligation With meditation and mindfulness it became a new experience This can be a useful tool in developing one’s spiritual life.” Likeminded temple members encouraged him to bring his interest into the congregation and he has led a mindfulness sit at the temple for many years on Thursday mornings Also central to the Liben family was Camp Ramah in Palmer “Israeli dance connected me as a teen to Jewish culture I had taught for a peer group at USY in high school In college I started an Israeli folk dance program and at CEJWIN camp in New York.” He also taught at his congregation in Rhode Island A friend working at Ramah invited him to bring his talent to Palmer where he taught Israeli dance for 18 years All of the Liben children enjoyed their summers at Ramah as well Rabbi Liben has led an Israeli folk dance group at Temple Israel for a number of years Rabbi Liben’s community involvement has been another satisfying element of his work in Natick and Greater Boston He served on CJP’s Commission on Jewish Continuity which he feels “helped the community to evolve and grow CJP helped develop a new vision of religious schools.” Rabbi Liben also became a spiritual director upon completion of a program at Hebrew College He has served with the Natick Interfaith Clergy a group that works to promote peace and inclusion for all people in the community He describes the group as “extremely collegial I found friendship and trust as well as valuable and honest conversations.” Rabbi Liben has embraced his love for Jewish and family education teaching adult education classes at Temple Israel in-person and online These include Parenting Through a Jewish Lens; Parenting Teens Through a Jewish Lens; and the “incredibly successful” Grandparenting Through a Jewish Lens Courses were developed in conjunction with Hebrew College Rabbi Liben was honored by the Town of Natick Select Board which was read by board member Sue Salamoff his vision to expand knowledge and access to prayer and for being there for people at their moments of deepest sadness and greatest joy…For his compassion it was pointed out that Rabbi Liben is a founder of Natick Is United a town-wide network connecting people through advocacy celebration and conversation with the goal of building a vibrant and safe community for all His rabbinical colleagues also held a tribute at Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters Mikvah in Newton Rabbi Liben is a former board member of Mayyim Hayyim “The gala at the temple gave the congregation the opportunity for closure,” said Rabbi Liben “We need ritual to move from one state to another I am humbly grateful.” Temple Israel has established the Rabbi Daniel Liben Endowment Fund which will support multigenerational programming including the temple’s annual scholar- and artist-in-residence weekends The Libens’ plans include enjoying time in Tel Aviv They look forward to spending time with family Rabbi Liben will continue his Thursday morning meditation sit online He will also continue to teach Jewish theology in conjunction with the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem a center of applied Jewish thought and education for scholars Rabbi Liben acknowledges that he will miss the staff at Temple Israel “The best I ever worked with.” His tenure ended officially on June 30 Rabbi David Klatzker began a one-year term as Temple Israel’s transitional senior rabbi The congregation will use the year to find a new senior rabbi Summarizing his thoughts on the challenges for Jews today as he looks back on his three decades at Temple Israel “Being able to carve out the time and space to celebrate our uniqueness We need to help families choose to make the commitment to slow down and appreciate the value of Jewish life and to see the value of developing practices and patterns of behavior that nurture the images of what in each of us is unique Imhof credited Liben as both a mentor and a friend has been named a Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences and was invited to speak at the Fifth Indo-American Frontiers of Science symposium held in Agra Liben-Nowell’s lecture, “Tracing Information Flow Online,” surveyed the computational research analyzing information propagation through digital traces of online activity The lecture focused on the mechanics of how information and jokes circulate globally in social networks and why these movements have been difficult to observe directly Liben-Nowell also discussed his recent work in collaboration with Jon Kleinberg and Flavio Chierichetti which traces such information-spreading processes via the reconstruction of the propagation of two massively circulated Internet chain letters.  Kavli Fellows are selected from among the nation’s brightest young scientists who have made significant contributions to science and who have been identified as future leaders in the scientific community Kavli Frontiers of Science symposia bring together these outstanding young scientists to discuss the exciting advances taking place in their fields The format encourages collaboration and brings together some of the most exciting cutting-edge research from a variety of disciplines Carleton College Hosts “5K for Hope;” Proceeds Benefit The Hope Center Kelly to Present at the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance Sign In The late Barry Liben's three children have formed Chai Travel a New York-based host agency that focuses on high-end leisure travel and small to midsize corporate accounts Liben, who died in 2020, was Tzell Travel Group's chairman. He also held posts as Tzell's CEO, and the CEO of Travel Leaders Group (today known as Internova Travel Group) Michael Liben, Rebecca Liben Levy and Daniella Liben Pally are the founders. The agency is affiliated with Virtuoso and has a partnership with New York's First In Service Travel "We had a front-row seat to the dedication heart and vision that our father brought to his work in the travel business," Chai Travel CEO Michael Liben said in a release "His guiding principles were simple: put the advisors first give them everything they need to succeed and make sure you have some fun along the way We started Chai Travel to continue that winning strategy." The siblings formed the company in early 2022 and spent the past year building its team and platform Rounding out the leadership team are president David Buda and director of advisor services Kristine Taras Buda was Tzell's executive vice president for 35 years Taras most recently worked at Internova's luxury-focused Global Travel Collection The host agency is welcoming new and seasoned travel advisors "Industry consolidation has created a need for independent host agencies and Chai Travel is positioned to fill that need," Michael Liben said relationships and technology they need without sacrificing the family-oriented atmosphere that they want." Batt remembered Liben as a champion for the industry Crafting crafty challenges is a challenge in itself Join computer science professor David Liben-Nowell and current student Billy Bratton ’25 for a conversation about the art of puzzle-making and -solving and the place for puzzles in a Carleton education Professor of Computer Science David Liben-Nowell has taught at Carleton since 2005 In addition to a forthcoming revised textbook Connecting Discrete Mathematics and Computer Science his many publications cover a range of topics: the geography of friendship and online chain letters. In the last decade he has developed an off-campus studies program in the History of Computing (based in England) and had at least one crossword puzzle rejected by The New York Times in every year except 2018.  Sophia Maymudes ’20 majored in computer science and her crosswords have appeared in many venues including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal Billy Bratton ’25 has published crosswords in The New York Times Carleton Connects: Gao Hong and students on Chinese music Carleton Connects: Mario Small '96 on neighborhoods Sign In Industry Leader and True Champion of Travel Advisors Founded Luxury Travel Business passed away yesterday after a long year of health battles at the age of 67 Liben had served as Chairman of Tzell Travel Group since 2016 Prior to that he was the organization's President and CEO for nearly 40 years He additionally had served as CEO of Travel Leaders Group and was a current member of the company's Board of Directors "It is with profound sadness that we share the news that Barry Liben passed away last night," said Cindy Schlansky and Monty Swaney loved his wife without bounds and found immense joy and pride in his children and seven grandchildren." management savvy and leadership skills charted the company's path to growth and success and Tzell Travel Group is a highly recognized and award-winning travel agency organization specializing in luxury leisure corporate and entertainment travel with offices in the U.S At the time of his initial investment in 1977 Liben grew Tzell Travel Group to become one of in the industry's largest luxury travel agencies with over 700 agents Liben's successful business philosophy—"create an environment conducive to initiative and hard work then let people do their best and recognize it"—was transformational in the industry and continues as Tzell's legacy today Tzell Travel Group merged with Travel Leaders Group Liben served as CEO for Travel Leaders Group He worked in partnership with Chairman Michael Batt to grow the enterprise from $7 billion in annual sales volume to nearly $20 billion Travel Leaders Group acquired Protravel International while expanding internationally beyond the U.S "Barry will be remembered as a kind and generous leader who was driven to succeed through determination and hard work," said Chairman Batt "He was one of our travel industry's biggest champions and will be missed by all." Barry created a travel company with a big heart that brought joy but to everyone who worked there," said Awilda Gonzalez Operations and Engagement at Tzell Travel Group In addition to establishing the Protravel and Tzell Foundation in the wake of 2012's Hurricane Sandy Liben's philanthropic work included serving on a number of high-profile association and community organization boards including the Israel Community Development Foundation and the National Stuttering Association About Travel Leaders GroupTravel Leaders Group (www.TravelLeadersGroup.com) is transforming travel with a commitment to our vacation and business travel clients through our progressive approach toward each unique travel experience Having already assisted millions of travelers business and franchise travel operations under a variety of diversified divisions and brands Travel Leaders Group ranks as one of the industry's largest travel agency companies Contact: Dina Ruden                                                  212-409-9554[email protected] https://www.travelleadersgroup.com a charitable initiative of Internova Travel Group one of the world's largest travel services companies Travel Obituaries Do not sell or share my personal information: He was a pillar of so many important things He was the quintessential self-made American success story the big brother I never had — a mentor and someone I admired and loved on so many levels but more than anything else it was his family whom he met in Camp Betar; his three children He couldn’t stop speaking about his kids and grandkids Barry grew up in Brooklyn and dropped out of high school changed — and in many ways defined — his life he eventually became director of the organization located in the Betar office was a small travel agency named Tzell Travel — which was short for “Etzel,” the Hebrew acronym for Irgun Zvai Leumi (IZL) the Jewish underground movement that fought to oust the British Mandatory authorities from pre-state Israel Barry scraped together the money to buy the agency — which he eventually grew over many years of hard work into a travel agency with sales of over $800 million He worked so many hours for so many years — and redefined the travel industry Everyone in the travel industry was on his speed-dial — and he wasn’t shy about telling everyone and anyone what he thought He had such loyalty from his team and clients and didn’t ever stop doing what was right for them Yet Barry Liben was so much more than a hard-working self-made entrepreneur He was a deep patriot and lover of all things Israel-related He loved football — his New York Giants — and honesty Barry was devoted to helping so many people from so many walks of life Barry wrote emails all in caps — and he loved his team in the Israel football league He was smart — street-smart — read people very well Barry was a very close friend of mine for more than 20 years We had so many discussions on so many things Barry understood deeply how to help Am Israel — he was always there on so many important issues I agreed to become Chairman of American Friends of Duvdevan these are Jewish heroes who protect Israel.” Barry cared about Israel and Jews with all his soul and being When I was thinking of starting a PR agency at the age of 28 I went to see Barry — who I had met through Betar where I started 5WPR on the rooftop of his office The first two years we worked out of his office — and he remained my partner for the first 10 years of my business until I bought him out in 2013 He was my confidant then — and until today — on life I remember discussions with him about people I remember him always discussing Jewish politics and the ethics (or lack thereof) of leaders (and Jewish leaders) He was a pillar of Jewish and Zionist pride — a true Betari and a great American Jew The loss of Barry Liben is a loss so many of us will feel He was always there for me and for so many others and grandchildren be comforted among the mourners of Zion Ronn Torossian founded one of the largest Public Relations firms in the United States Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" MontrealNewsRunning group helps build sense of communityBy Lauren FernandezPublished: October 13, 2024 at 11:55AM EDT Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved A boutique travel advisory dedicated to providing industry-best culture and practices to independent travel advisors NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Forty years in the making, the Liben Family is combining legacy and luxury with the introduction of Chai Travel, an innovative and family-oriented full-service travel company (www.ChaiTravel.com) focusing on high-end leisure and small-to-midsize corporate travel.  Chai Travel was first formed in early 2022 by Michael Liben former CEO of Tzell Travel and Travel Leaders After spending 2022 building a core team and platform Chai Travel is launching its efforts to attract both established and up-and-coming travel advisors that share its vision of a boutique Chai's core team includes industry veterans with over 60 years of industry experience David Buda will serve as the company's first President having previously spent more than 35 years as the Executive Vice President of Tzell Travel Kristine Taras signed on as the Director of Advisor Services and brings 25 years of experience supporting travel advisors most recently at Travel Leaders' GTC division.  Chai has already secured an affiliation with Virtuoso through its partnership with First In Service Travel Chai has access to premiere hotel partnerships CEO and co-founder of Chai Travel said "industry consolidation has created a need for independent host agencies and Chai Travel is uniquely positioned to fill that need and technology they need without sacrificing the family-oriented atmosphere that they want."  "we had a front-row seat to the dedication and vision that our father brought to his work in the travel business His guiding principles were simple: put the advisors first and make sure you have some fun along the way Contact Information:Chai Travel AdvisorsMichael Liben212-287-4033 x101[email protected] Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Is six even the right number?” The show is hosted by Nicholas Arioli KSTP Piece on Carleton's Inclusion on Alumni Factor List New Exhibit in Perlman Teaching Museum Highlights Faculty Work Sign In Barry Liben was on his own at the age of 15. He never finished high school or attended college. To this day, he doesn't have the patience to read a book. But he reads the Economist, Forbes, Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, Vanity Fair and all the travel publications. He reads blogs and online content. He reads newspapers -- "ferociously," he said, "since I was 6." Liben started his working career in a sub-basement beneath a Brooklyn deli. His parents' marriage had broken up, and his younger brother was getting into trouble on the streets of Brooklyn. So his father moved to Madison, Wis., where Liben's older brother was in college. It looked safer. But Liben had no desire to move to Madison, so he stayed in the family apartment, dropped out of school and took three jobs: handing out leaflets for a deli, delivering meat for a butcher and working three floors below ground for a frozen foods company. But he was also very involved with a Jewish organization called Betar. It ran a sleepaway camp, which he'd started attending at age 4. "Think my parents were trying to get rid of me?" he asks. "I love sleepaway camp. I think it is the greatest thing in the world for children." He started out as a camper, became a counselor and by age 17, he was director of a camp with 350 kids and 200 staff. Off-season, he'd recruit campers, regaling families with stories about the camp. "I was making $400 a month," he said. "Rent was $112, so I could live like a king in Brooklyn in a fourth-floor walkup." It's been nearly 40 years since he ran that camp (it closed in 1977, a year after he left). But he said that not a month goes by without his hearing from a former camper. "Someone will come up to me and say, 'Do you remember me from the summer of 1973? It was the greatest summer of my life!'" Liben said, adding that hundreds of people came to the camp's reunion 10 or 15 years ago. "I don't think I've loved anything more than being a camp director, other than being a father and grandfather," he said. At age 25, he married Sindy Bachner, "the love of my life" and a woman he had met at camp as a young girl. Sindy said that even today, many of their closest friends date back to their camp days. There was a small agency, Tzell Travel, next to Betar's offices in Manhattan. It made most of its money selling tickets to Israel. Liben was friendly with the manager; they'd talk sports, and Liben and his friends would book the occasional $299 package to Vegas through Tzell. Liben took stock of his skills. He had little formal learning, just his "education of the streets." Nevertheless, Tzell's manager invited Liben to join the business. "He said, 'We're looking for a partner. If you have $20,000, we'll sell you a quarter of the business,'" Liben recalled. "I said, 'Fantastic! I have two minor problems. One, what is a travel agency? Two, my total net worth is $414.'" "But life is so interesting," Liben mused recently. Three months later, his father's twin brother killed himself and left Liben $35,000, enough to make a down payment on a house --in those days, you could get a house in New Jersey for $75,000 -- and maybe buy into the travel agency, as well. He persuaded Tzell to let him buy in with $10,000 up front and another $10,000 if he liked working there. It was only then, however, that he discovered the agency was $450,000 in debt -- one-and-a-half times its total annual sales -- and interest rates in 1977 were 17.5%. "My wife, thank God, was a registered nurse," Liben said. "At least she had a salary." Taking over the agency, he went about diversifying the business and bulking it up. But in the meantime, making ends meet required nonstop work for Liben and Sindy. "He drove a cab at night, and I tried to work as many double shifts as they would let me," Sindy recalled recently. She worked at Lenox Hill and Sloan-Kettering hospitals. Still, they turned the agency around and made it a successful enterprise that would go on to spawn myriad other agencies. Over the years, the couple had three children and two grandchildren. Liben has told his kids he wants 10 grandchildren. "Two have to have three, and one has to have four," he said. Sindy sighs when she hears that. And then she laughs. "He's just driven," she said. "He gives 1,000% to everything in his life. He doesn't know how to do anything halfway." Liben's genius may lie in what Michael Batt, founder and chairman of Travel Leaders Group, calls his "exceptional intuition." "If you were trying to summarize him, it would be his combination of extreme intelligence, tremendous intuition and determination and hard work," Batt said. "He is a real people person." Jerry Behrens, who went to work for Liben shortly after commission caps hit and is today senior vice president of strategic development for Travel Leaders Group, said, "Barry is a very smart guy. His real strength is being able to read people." He thinks Liben's background as a camp director is one reason he has a knack for dealing with a variety of individuals in a number of ways. "We are married 36 years, together 43 years," Sindy said. "If you can't laugh, I don't know how you stay together. And he makes me laugh." Travel to Mondstadt City and look for Liben standing near the flower stall, just inside the main gate. Men of color are trusting their heads with a barber who sees the world their way. He is Chani Liben, 30, an immigrant from Africa who brought his scissors with him to Sioux Falls. He once prayed to God that he could make just enough money cutting hair to cover the rent at his eastside barber shop. "For one or two years it was very hard to get a customer," he said. Now he's busy enough that his shop has become a focal point in the specialized field of ethnic haircuts. Liben calls his business A Multicultural Barber Shop. It's a storefront in a mall at 208 S. Wayland Ave., a mile east of downtown. He cuts hair for men of all backgrounds. But among blacks and African Americans, he has become a regional draw and then some. "This is the only place I come for a haircut," said Berekat Haile, 37, who sees Liben once a month. It's a bit of an effort for Haile. He works as an oil field techniciain in Tioga, N.D., a 10-hour drive from Sioux Falls. Samantha Hooker's drive was across town when she brought in her son Jayden, 4, on a recent weekday. "Somebody told me about you guys," she told Liben. "I went to another barber shop and they said, 'I can't cut his hair because it's curly.' " Liben and his wife, Sifrashi, have four children from age 1 to 9. He left Ethiopia as a political refugee and moved first to Nairobi, Kenya, then Minneapolis in 2006 and Sioux Falls a year later. He opened his current shop in 2011. "I came to this country to find a better way, to change my life," he said. He would do that by cutting hair. He received training at barber school in Nairobi and, once in South Dakota, went to Pierre to pass a state exam for his operating license. His workplace is to the rear of a pawn shop that shares the same building at 10th and Wayland. Inside his door is a waiting area that serves a motley collection of businesses in nearby rooms. One door leads to Diva's, a hair products shop. Another door leads to a desk where Jacques Derrick Eviglo offers a buffet of services — income tax, fax, cell phone pricing, travel agency work and "a taxi service when I'm not busy." Eviglo, 33, from Togo, West Africa, is a former 800-meter runner who now is one of Liben's best customers. Inside a third door is Liben's barber chair. He is a slender, neatly trimmed stylist who dresses in black and goes about his work with few words. "I cut hair for others. God gave me this opportunity," he said. The ethnic haircut is a small but growing fraction of the local market in cosmetology. Sioux Falls was 1.8 percent black and African American in the 2000 census but that share more than doubled to 4.2 percent in 2010. The actual number of residents in that racial category almost tripled during the same decade. It went from 2,226 to 6,494, and 56 percent of the new total — or 3,664 — are boys and men, the group Liben aims to serve. That those numbers create a specialty market at all is a matter of culture and genetics. A black person's hair generally is of a tougher consistency and has a hereditary tendency to take on a coiled form that makes it distinct from other races. Barbers and stylists around the city say they are able to serve all customers. But the black and African-American hair, by nature, is a more difficult cut, and most barbers have relatively few opportunities to practice. "The more hair you cut, the more specific types, the better you get at it," said Lisa Langel, general manager for Great Clips, which has five shops in Sioux Falls. "If we had a lot of ethnic people coming in, we'd be really good at it. I don't think we ever tell people we can't do it. We just don't have people coming in." Caitlin Hoogland, curriculum coordinator at Stewart School of Hairstyling, which has about 100 students, said Stewart does not have a specific training on ethnic hair but integrates the subject throughout its instruction. Students learn of different textures and tensions in hair and learn how to deal with those differences, such as how to relax hair before cutting it. The skills don't concern one race or another but stress the individuality of each customer. Those factors create an opening for barbers in ethnic cuts, said Comfort Schilling, a black American from Sudan who is a partner of Liben's and manages the Diva's hair products shop. Barbers and customers of a different racial heritage often face a gap in trust and understanding, she said. "It's a special skill because you guys don't know how to cut our hair. No offense. People trust each other more. Like, for instance, you would rather go to a white barber than you would go to a black, just because you think they do relate to you more," Schilling said. "We do get white customers also, but the majority of our customers, they have nowhere else to go." Deonte Sullivan, 24, moved to Sioux Falls from Georgia and works at a fast food shop. His mother is white and his father black, a parental blend that gave him a tough crop of African-American hair. He keeps it short and uses a facial trim to sharpen his appearance. Robert Brooks, 25, who moved here from Louisiana, keeps a tight cut, also. He turned his head to show a design cut into the back, the logo of the New Orleans Saints etched into his hair just above his neckline. Such a pattern in a cut is a cultural statement for him, but he hasn't seen another since coming north. "I'm the only person I've seen so far with a haircut like this," he said. "I mean, if I can find another person with a haircut with just one design in it, I'd be happy, and I won't feel like I'm alone." Liben, in fact, does such designs. He has several dozen different style options displayed in 10 picture frames around the walls of his shop. They show different designs and logos, fades, mohawks and facial images. Mamoud Nor, 26, a truck driver, stopped in for a late cut Friday night, a "No. 11" from a wall chart that was short on the side with a slight wave on top. It was a quick and quiet job for a regular customer. "I just want him to cut the hair," Nor said. He was in and out in 15 minutes. Eviglo also climbed into Liben's chair. He has a line design in his cut that includes concentric circles and a wave requiring frequent attention. "You've got to get it cut every week," he said. Liben's native tongue is Oromo Amharic but he has polished his very serviceable English and laughs freely with visitors to his shop. "So you don't need a haircut?" he asked. "If you don't need hair, just say 'clean cut,' and we'll shave it off." He's had a lot of practice by now with white customers' hair. It would be an easy cut, he said. • Family: wife Sifrashi Mengisto, daughters Martha Molu, 9, and Bethlehem Molu, 4, sons Samuele Molu, 3, and Eyasu Molu, 1. • Business: A Multicultural Barber Shop, Sioux Falls. Barry Liben died on January 2, 2020 in New York at the age of 67. He was a great man on so many levels. His loss is immeasurable. He was a pillar of so many important things. A legend, he was the quintessential self-made American success story. For me, he was a close friend, the big brother I never had, a mentor, a role model, a business partner. Someone I admired and loved on so many levels. As he always told me, “take care of your family and friends. Be a great Betari Jew. Smile and laugh. The secret to a happy life.” So much defined Barry Liben but more than anything else it was his family. His wife Sindy who he met in Camp Betar, his three children, Michael, Daniella and Rebecca, and his seven grandchildren. Barry’s family was simply his life. He couldn’t stop speaking about his kids and grandkids. Always every minute speaking to them and about them. Family was everything for him. Barry grew up in Brooklyn, and dropped out of High School. The Zionist youth movement, Betar, founded by Ze’ev Jabotinsky changed – and in many ways defined – his life. Starting as a camper, he eventually became director of the organization, where for many, many years he educated, led, protested for Jewish rights, laughed and made life-long friends. He led the organization and through the years influenced thousands of people. That movement and the values of Betar defined Barry’s life – about keeping ones word, about honor, being a strong Jew, standing up for Israel. All those things defined Barry Liben. He was proud of what he built and really good at it. He worked so many hours for so many years – he redefined the travel industry with what he did. Everyone in the travel industry was on his speed-dial – and he wasn’t shy in telling everyone and anyone what he thought. He had such loyalty from his team, and clients and didn’t stop ever doing what was right for them. Barry wrote emails all in caps – and he loved his team in the Israel Football league. Barry loved his friends – he was a man of action, a tachlis person focused on accomplishing, and doing. He was so driven and focused. He was smart – street-smart – read people very well, made decisions quickly and loved with all his heart. Barry Liben loved to speak his mind. Barry was always larger than life. Barry was a very close friend of mine for more than 20 years. He was the big brother I never had. We had so many discussions on so many things. So much I learned from the man and shared with the man. As one who was a leader of Betar many years after Barry, we shared so many values and ideals. Barry understood deeply how to help Am Israel – he was always there on so many important issues. Just last month, I agreed to become Chairman of American Friends of Duvdevan and Barry was my first call to ask him to be on the Board with me. He said “Of course, these are Jewish heroes who protect Israel.” This was only one of the many causes he cared deeply about throughout his life – from settlements to the National Stuttering Association, the Menachem Begin museum to Jewish media like the Nachum Siegel show and more. His office was always being used for different important philanthropic related issues. Barry cared about Israel and Jews with all his soul and being. He was my confidant then – and until today – on life, business and more. I remember many meals with him - I remember discussions with him about people, politics and so much more. I remember him always discussing Jewish politics, the ethics (or lack thereof) of leaders (and Jewish leaders). Barry was a great family man, a great Jew, a great businessman, a great Betari. He was always there for me and for so many others. Brother Barry – I miss you. Tel Chai. May his wife, children, and grandchildren be comforted among the mourners of Zion. Ronn Torossian is President & CEO of "5W Public Relations" Menu.page-40335999{--colorD:#f9ce60;--colorJ:#f9ce60;--gradientTransparentJ:#f9ce6000;--colorDC:#f9ce60;--colorDA:#f9ce60;--colorDF:#f9ce60;--colorJD:#f9ce60;--colorDJ:#f9ce60;--colorJF:#f9ce60;--colorJG:#f9ce60;--colorDDC:#f9ce60;--colorDTransparent:#f9ce60;--colorJTransparent:#f9ce60}Game Guides Where to find Liben in Genshin Impact's Marvelous Merchandise eventWhat's in the box Genshin Impact is a free-to-play open-world RPG that's often compared to Breath of the Wild, except because it's a live service game, it has periodic events. A co-op combat event called Elemental Crucible ran in early October but the second event called Marvelous Merchandise just began on October 26 How long will it last and how do you participate The Marvelous merchandise event began on October 26 and will conclude on November 2 at 4 a.m you'll be eligible to participate in the Marvelous Merchandise event all you need to do is log on every day and locate a pompadoured man named Liben (pictured below) he'll ask that you hand over 10 copies of a common item Liben will give you access to a single Box o' Marvels earning one chance to open a Box O' Marvels each day You'll store those chances until the event concludes meaning you can choose to open all seven boxes at once on the final day Liben's location changes every day when the server resets at 4 a.m He can appear throughout Teyvat during the event period You can receive a hint of his location by using the Marvelous Merchandise event page found by clicking the Compass icon on your shortcut wheel Liben's icon will appear on your map until he moves to his new location the following day Here's a rundown of Liben's known locations and requests (this list will be updated every day with Liben's latest location and current request): October 26 — Liben is located in Mondstadt across from Flora's flower stand to the right of the city's front gate October 27 – Liben is located in Springvale He's in the very back of the Hunter's Village Head up the staircase located behind the large windmill and you'll see him October 28 – Liben is located at the Dawn Winery October 29 – Liben is located at Stone Gate in Liyue You'll find him next to Pops Zhou's tea shop October 30 – Liben is located at the Wangshu Inn in Liyue on the ground floor October 31 – Liben is located by the Statue of the Seven in Sea of Clouds November 1 – Liben is located in Liyue Harbor beneath the northernmost Teleportation Waypoint After completing Liben's request, you'll be able to open one of his Box o' Marvels. There are seven to unlock throughout the event. According to a Reddit thread where players compared rewards from their boxes Even those who chose the same box-type seemed to obtain wildly different rewards all boxes appear to pull from the same reward pool We currently know of a few possible rewards: It seems the only constant is that you'll receive 30 Primogems from opening a box Players who have reached Adventure Rank 20 and unlocked Genshin Impact's Battle Pass will also receive 1200 Battle Pass experience points for delivering to Liben on five different days Read also: Is Klee worth the Wishes and Primogems? Too many automated requests from this network Tilahun Liben thought he was seeing things Surely that mound of orange orbs under those trees near his church couldn't be oranges but that life ended abruptly in 1999 when an oppressive regime imprisoned him for three months for his political dissent further persecution forced him to flee his homeland: He ended up at the Kakuma refugee camp Liben, 46, hadn't been in the city more than a few months when he met Barbara Eiswerth, an American who had, by chance, visited Kakuma during Liben's stay. Here in Tucson, Liben learned, Eiswerth had founded an organization called Iskashitaa Refugee Network that helps refugees find community and purpose through gleaning backyard fruit which they eat themselves and share with other Arizonans in need Gleaning — or harvesting unwanted fruit — was a new concept to Liben so was the sight of oranges and grapefruit piling up beneath trees the owner of the tree will get the fruit to the market," Liben says after she mapped Tucson's public fruit as part of her doctoral program in geology — a project that revealed to her the area's edible inventory she and her colleagues had distributed it at several "free farmer's markets." One of these events specifically targeted refugee children whose enthusiasm for the gleaned fruit blew Eiswerth away the need is here in this refugee community,"she says "Why not teach them about local food resources while teaching them to fit in?" The produce makes a difference to Tucson's refugees who despite having an organizational sponsor In nearly two decades of working with refugees has seen the depth of their talents and skills "I've gone into refugee homes and opened a fridge to see a gallon of milk a few bottles of water and a few fruits," she says While Iskashitaa doesn't pay refugees to glean Eiswerth does whatever she can to help them out — offering gift cards Iskashitaa — which means "working cooperatively together" in Somali Bantu the ethnicity of many early volunteers — provides more than just healthy food It also serves as a refuge and an opportunity for those whose lives have been radically disrupted "We provide healing through harvesting," Eiswerth likes to say and we give them a chance to give back to a country that gave them a second lease on life." that sense of community is as important as Iskashitaa's mission volunteers at Iskashitaa partly because she has the time — she's a retired dentist — and partly to keep her mind occupied "I don't like to stay home and think about the past and get sad Nobody can imagine how in one minute you can lose everything," says Hililian whose family spent more than three years in Syria before being accepted into the United States Iskashitaa's refugees find the idea of harnessing American excess to feed those in need compelling The organization rescues 50 tons of produce annually but that's only about 10 percent of what's locally available about a third of fruit and vegetables are lost or wasted along the food chain.) "The waste makes me so sad because a lot of people around the world don't have anything to eat," Hililian says "I am happy to work to save every food [item] 'We could use that!' You can make many things out of the fruit and vegetables — juice And so Iskashitaa extends the shelf life of citrus by making jam and converting dates into honey in the commercial kitchen of a local church Refugees also coax meals from often-ignored foods said he's learned plenty from having refugees harvest his garden excess When Iskashitaa sent a few Iraqis to pick grapes from his home arbor Gray was thrilled to learn that the leaves were also sought to make rice-stuffed dolmades And he was surprised when a few West Africans harvested his squash leaves It's pretty interesting to see other people's cooking styles and what they do with things we never thought were edible," says Gray I eat the leaves from cauliflower — I cook it up with collard greens and mustard greens." But the prime "use-it-all" example is the Seville orange widely planted in Arizona as a decorative tree but ignored as the sour or "poison orange." That characterization appalls Iskashitaa volunteers from Iraq where those oranges are a key culinary component "The sour orange is like medicine," says Hililian which has an annual operating budget of $100,000 incorporating the expertise of new participants both refugees and University of Arizona students from a wide range of programs who flock to intern and volunteer But the organization's growth hasn't been without friction Eiswerth recently filled a local pool with citrus to show that the organization was (A single citrus tree can yield 1,500 pounds of fruit.) Lacking refrigeration the group stores produce in the shade of its adobe headquarters where black and green milk crates brim with orange and yellow citrus "If someone would like to donate a truck-in or walk-in cooler," Eiswerth says President Trump's current refugee ban and anti-immigrant rhetoric also pose challenges for an organization working with refugees from five of the original seven blacklisted nations Eiswerth says that refugees are equally scared and discouraged by developments But the political turmoil also provides a teachable moment "we have an opportunity to educate and engage more people Churches who never mentored a refugee family before are now doing it I think it's profoundly impactful for American-born families to meet a refugee for the first time and experience their life for a minute." feels that his American experience demonstrates that refugees bring more than they take Despite working full time at a nursing home occasionally plays saxophone at group events "All the refugees I know who have come here They are living peacefully with no trauma in a free country They say 'God Bless America,' because America provides a lot for us." Liben pauses for a moment we are the ones who bless America with our hard work." This story was produced in collaboration with the Food & Environment Reporting Network Jonathan Bloom is the author of American Wasteland and the creator of wastedfood.com He regularly writes and speaks on wasted food and his work has appeared in The New York Times Become an NPR sponsor AmaWaterways Celebrates Travel Advisor Appreciation With Incentives and Rewards Bowman’s Travel Brief: Avoid Newark Airport Mastering the Art of Group Travel Bookings Fiesta Americana Travelty Celebrates Travel Advisors The Top 24 Most Powerful Travel Agencies of 2024 The Strategic Art of Pre-Planning Luxury Vacations: A Perspective for Travel Advisors WHY IT RATES: Barry Liben had a huge impact on the travel industry and will be missed by many Blue Ribbon Bags (BRB), the world's leading delayed baggage tracking service and one of the fastest-growing ancillary services in the travel industry, is deeply saddened by the loss of Barry Liben who passed away on January 2nd due to several health battles at the age of 67 Liben was a partner and one of the founding members of Blue Ribbon Bags where he played an instrumental role in the development and growth of the organization especially during the company's infancy stages in 2011 His expertise of the travel industry and insights on how to maneuver strategically proved to be one of BRB's strongest assets when launching the product in the USA Liben took great pride in mentoring CEO of Blue Ribbon Bags which included assisting with key business decisions and with the overall direction of the company it has positioned BRB as one of the top ancillary services in the travel industry "Today the world lost one of the greatest men it knew Barry Liben accomplished more in his short lifetime He was adored by his family and friends and was an incredible man to be around I am privileged to be able to say he was my mentor." states Menkin For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter The TravelPulse staff is comprised of experienced journalists and award-winning editors and writers