Elliot Zaretsky Honored by Long Island Council of the Blind for His Lifelong Dedication to Helping Blind and Visually Impaired People

    FARMINGDALE, NY, May 06, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Elliot Zaretsky, president and founder of MaxiAids Products for Independent Living was honored this week by the Long Island Council of the Blind for his extensive work helping people who are blind or who have low vision live more active, independent lives.

To mark the occasion, Mr. Zaretsky was presented with a plaque that recognizes his "commitment to ensuring the equality of rights, dignity and independence of people who are blind and/or have low vision... by his continued work and support for the population." In addition to printed engraving, the plaque was also imprinted in tactile Braille.

While accepting the honor, Mr. Zaretsky recalled that he was motivated to get into the independent living industry after he found out his son was deaf.

A pharmacist by profession, he was operating a successful chain of pharmacies at the time. Frustrated by the lack of products available to help his son, and at the expense of the few products he did find, he vowed to make a difference.

So, in 1986 Mr. Zaretsky started MaxiAids Products for Independent Living.

"My goal was to find and develop products to help people with special needs live more healthy, active and independent lives," he says. "And I was determined to keep the prices low so more of the people who really need these items could afford them."

After three decades in business, he has met his goals and expectations. MaxiAids has been at the forefront of the independent living industry and is responsible for many inventions and developments in the field. With over 8,000 items it has become the one-stop super-store for those with special needs, and its product catalog is considered by many to be the reference guide of the industry.

And beyond the products it supplies, the company also employs people with disabilities.

"I am proud of our dedicated staff, which includes blind, deaf and autistic people," noted Mr. Zaretsky. "And there are several deaf-blind individuals in our job training program who show an amazing determination to come to work."

He also expressed his satisfaction at the strong partnerships MaxiAids has established with non-profit organizations including Helen Keller National Center and Braille Institute, as well as numerous Lighthouses for the Blind and schools for the deaf across the country.

Lastly, Mr. Zaretsky reflected on his three decades at MaxiAids.

"Even after all of these years I still go to work every day with the same passion for serving those in the special needs community that I had at the start," he concluded. "And I am happy to say that I believe I am exactly where I was meant to be in life."

MaxiAids is a world-leading provider of products for independent living, supplying an extensive range of items designed to improve the lives of seniors, as well as the blind, low vision, deaf, hard of hearing, diabetic and those with mobility challenges and other special needs. For more information, visit www.MaxiAids.com or call 1-800-522-6294.

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9/11 Widow to be Honored May 1 at French Consulate in NYC

    NEW YORK, NY, April 12, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The French Consul General in New York City, Mr. Bertrand Lortholary, will preside during a May 1, 2013, ceremony at the French Consulate in New York, recognizing the international service of Ms. Dening Wu Lohez.

Ms. Lohez has been appointed to the rank of Knight in the French National Order of Merit by the Government of France. The appointment is by the order of French President Francois Hollande, based on the recommendation of Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.

Lohez is the widow of Jerome R. Lohez, one of five French nationals who perished in the World Trade Center, Sept. 11, 2001. Ms. Lohez is the founder and chair of the New York City-based Jerome Lohez 9/11 Scholarship Foundation. The foundation was created to promote educational and cultural exchange between France and the United States.

"This distinction marks in particular the recognition by French authorities of your engagement in the service of education and French-American relations," French Ambassador to the US Francois Delattre wrote to Ms. Lohez in his formal letter of congratulations. "This honor is a profound source of joy for all who admire your work, for whom it serves equally as an example and a source of encouragement."

As an expression of its expanded global vision for the future, the Lohez 9/11 Foundation initiated partnerships in 2012 with international graduate programs at universities in Shanghai and Beijing. Ms. Lohez was born in Shanghai and currently holds dual French-American citizenship.

The Decoration Ceremony will be combined with the annual Lohez Foundation Awards Ceremony, in which current student recipients of the Lohez Scholarship are honored by the foundation.

To arrange a media interview with Ms. Lohez, or to reach out to other VIPs, please contact Mr. Patrick A. Berzinski at patrick@tranquility49.com or 201-941-1196.

WHAT: National Order of Merit Decoration Ceremony for Ms. Dening Wu Lohez
WHERE: The Consulate General of France in New York, 934 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10021
WHEN: May 1, 2013 starting at 6:30 p.m.
WHO: Consul General Bertrand Lortholary, Ms. Dening Wu Lohez, invited dignitaries.

Tranquility49, the "communications boutique for the 21st century," is a broad-spectrum media-communications firm located in the heart of New York City. For more information, please visit www.tranquility49.com.

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LMU Sportscaster Honored with Scholarship

Sophomore Chase Lio’s dreams got an important boost this week. The aspiring sports broadcaster was awarded a $5,000 scholarship from the Southern California Sports Broadcasters for his work as the play-by-play announcer for the Loyola Marymount University women’s basketball team.

”It’s a pretty cool honor,” said Lio, a sophomore economics major. “The money is good, but for me the best part is that there will be an opportunity to make connections, hopefully developing some sort of network, getting a job or internship opportunity.”

Lio credits his grandfather, Dennis Lio, with sparking his interest in sports. Dennis, who coached Chase’s T-ball team, and who, Chase said, “throughout my whole life, I don’t think that he missed more than one baseball game a whole season,” flew from New York to see the presentation. Chase teasingly added, “It’s probably just to meet some of the people at the luncheon, like Vin Scully and some of his old-time heroes.” 

Tom Feuer, the SCSB’s scholarship chairman and an executive producer for Fox Sports West/Prime Ticket, presented the award to Lio on Jan. 28, noting that Lio was unanimously selected for the scholarship. Sarah Finney, LMU’s assistant director for sports information, nominated him.

Lio, who grew up in Wilsonville, Ore., a suburb of Portland, had some play-by-play experience that helped him land the job with LMU Athletics. During his high school years, the basketball coach did an online broadcast for families that couldn’t make it to the games. “They asked me if I wanted to do it because I’ve always had an interest in listening to the games on the radio, rather than watching them on TV. And I said, ‘Sure, why not?’ I mean, only 12 to 15 people listening to it, and I could screw up and nobody would be listening.” 

Now 20 games into his first season, Lio is getting the full sports-journalism experience behind the microphone. He’s thrilled to be watching Lion guard/forward Alex Cowling chase records: “Alex just passed the LMU rebounding record and Coach [Charity] Elliott did a really classy thing: she called timeout right afterward and everyone gave Alex a standing ovation.” But he’s seen some of the downside, too: “The hardest thing to do is interview Coach Elliott after a loss. I don’t want to ask the wrong questions and I know she doesn’t really want to talk, especially … after losing close games. It’s tough to ask her questions, because I have to interview her and we have to get her side of the story.” 

Lio, whose broadcasting heroes include sportscasting legend Jack Buck and longtime Portland Trailblazers announcer Brian Wheeler, will be busy the rest of the season, covering the women’s games as they compete for a good seeding in the WCC tournament, keeping up with his classes and honing his play-by-play skills. Maybe, even, he will come up with a signature catch-phrase. “I’m working on it, but I feel that is just something that has to come to you on the spot, without even thinking about it,” he said. “I’m still new to this play-by-play for collegiate basketball, where there’s pressure on me to do well. So, I feel like that kind of thing will come to me as I get more comfortable.”

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Playa Vista Elementary Honored for Eco-Friendly Design

Playa Vista Elementary School was recently honored by the Los Angeles Business Council, winning the “Green Building” award at the organization’s annual architectural awards.

The school, which has a partnership with the LMU School of Education, was lauded for its eco-friendly design, which LMU officials helped craft during the design and construction phase of its facilities.

“This is a great honor for Playa Vista Elementary School and recognition of LMU’s commitment to working hand-in-hand with the community and Los Angeles Unified,” said Shane Martin, dean of the School of Education. “Our collaboration with PVES shows how successful educational partnerships can make a difference in the lives of our community’s children.”

As part of the school’s unique partnership, School of Education faculty provide research-based teaching methods, best practices, and professional development for the school. The LMU Center for Urban Resilience provides environmental curricula tied to the nearby Ballona Creek watershed.

The university has also provided funding for textbooks, classroom technology, and volunteers to work with students in science labs.

Martin and other LMU faculty and staff met regularly with the design team prior to completion of the school. Several of their ideas are reflected in the architecture, such as the open classroom ceilings, whose exposed pipes and cables can be used as a learning tool.

The school facility achieved a LEED Platinum rating, and includes many “green” features, including a geothermal and solar-equipped energy system.

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