Springfield's Dickerson Park Zoo welcomes Malayan tiger as part of species survival plan
Cinta, who was born in California in 2015, came to the Springfield zoo based on the recommendations of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Malayan Tiger Species Survival Plan. The species is considered critically endangered, with only 100 to 250 Malayan tigers in the wild.
The species survival plan is meant to "ensure the sustainability of a healthy, genetically diverse, and demographically varied AZA population," according to AZA. Cinta and the zoo's female tiger, Berisi, will potentially be part of that.
Cinta is not yet on exhibit to the public as he is acclimating to his surroundings.
Dickerson Park Zoo, 3043 N. Fort Ave., is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Guests may stay in the park one hour after the admission gate closes. For more information, visit DickersonParkZoo.org.
More: Here's how animals cope with the cold at Springfield's Dickerson Park Zoo
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield's Dickerson Park Zoo welcomes critically endangered tiger
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Miami Herald
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Fast Company
05-08-2025
- Fast Company
Leaders with emotional intelligence use these short phrases to become exceptional at work
BY Listen to this Article More info 0:00 / 3:32 What if the way you handle emotions—yours and others'—is the difference between leading well and missing the mark? Well, that's where emotional intelligence comes in. But what if you had insight into saying the right things at the right moment to build stronger connections in the process? Would that be a gamne changer for you? Emotional intelligence shows up in the way we talk to people, especially when things get tense, uncertain, or emotional. Choosing your words with the skills of EQ It's not about being perfect or having all the answers. It's about being aware of what you're feeling, paying attention to how others are doing, and choosing words that connect instead of shut things down. Hard to do for some, I know, but if you're leading a team, the way you communicate can either build trust or quietly erode it. Here are five core emotional intelligence skills—each with practical ways to show them through simple, everyday phrases you can start practicing today. 1. What to say to display empathy Empathy means showing people you see what they're going through. You don't have to solve their problem or offer advice. Just saying something like 'That sounds really tough. Want to talk about it?' or 'I get why this would be frustrating' tells someone they're not alone. These small moments help people feel understood—and that matters more than we often realize. 2. What to say to show self-awareness This crucial EQ skill is about noticing your own reactions and being honest about what's behind them. If you've snapped at someone or feel off, it can sound like 'I've been a bit distracted today—there's a lot on my plate.' Or 'That topic gets under my skin, and I'm working on that.' Here's the thing: owning your emotions doesn't make you weak; it makes you real. And real earns respect. 3. What to say to show emotional regulation The skill of emotional regularion is staying steady when emotions run high. It's not about shutting down feelings; it's about not letting them run the show. You might say, 'I want to respond thoughtfully, so I'm going to take a minute,' or 'Let's revisit this tomorrow when we've both had time to think.' That pause gives space for better conversations and fewer regrets. 4. What to say to display relationship management This is using emotional awareness to navigate conversations in a way that keeps people connected, even when you disagree. It sounds like 'I want us to be on the same page—can we talk this through?' or 'I appreciate your perspective. Let's figure out how to move forward together. ' It's about making it clear that the relationship matters as much as the issue at hand. 5. What to say to show active listening Yes, this is definetely a skill of emotional intelligence. It's more than nodding while you wait your turn to talk. When someone's sharing something important, phrases like 'So what I'm hearing is…' or 'Tell me more about what's behind that' show you're actually engaged. People can tell when you're really listening and it builds trust faster than anything else. — By Marcel Schwantes


Hamilton Spectator
30-07-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
She lived through more than a century
Renfrew – One of, if not the oldest, living woman in Renfrew County, left this earthy world Monday after having spent 107 years here. Grace Merchand passed away through the night at Bonnechere Manor in Renfrew where she had been a resident for the past several years. A longtime resident of the Eganville area, she was instrumental in the elementary education of many of the young men and women in schools from Denbigh to Petawawa, beginning in this area in 1946. A year later, she married Griffith native, L.T. Merchand of Griffith, and after relocating to Eganville, the couple operated the Royal Pines Pavillion dance hall, overlooking Wilber Lake on Hwy. 60 west of the village. In 2023, Leader staff writer Debbi Chrisrtinck interviewed Mrs. Merchand on the occasion of her 105 birthday at the time. On that occasion, Ms. Christinck noted Mrs. Merchand still had the beautiful, almost impish smile and twinkle in her eye which had carried her through for over a century as the daughter of Scottish immigrants who was orphaned at a young age and went on to have a full life in the Ottawa Valley, teaching, hosting dances, enjoying the outdoors and sharing her infectious love of life. 'You have to have a sense of humour,' she noted then. 'It's much nicer to have a smile.' Bonnechere Manor hosted a party in her honour that day, where she especially enjoyed the piper and was tapping her toes to the music, a fallback to her Scottish heritage. 'The young people I know put on a party for me,' she said. 'It was very nice and I have all these flowers.' For most people are 'young people' when compared to Grace, Ms. Christinck penned. She was born when WWI was still in full swing and the Spanish Influenza was gripping the world. In her lifetime, she saw another World War and another pandemic which swept the globe. In her personal life she experienced the early loss of both parents and was widowed right when she was looking forward to enjoying her retirement with her husband. 'Those are blows which might have been caused to make some people bitter, but not Grace,' Ms. Christinck wrote. 'She looks back on her life full of love and gratitude. 'She has kept a joy for life and enjoyed good health, living on her own well past 100 until more recently when she moved first to a retirement home and then to the Manor,' her story continued. She was born on March 2, 1918, in Toronto as Grace Wiseman to a young Scottish couple – her father was from the Highlands and her mother from Glasgow. She recalled her parents came to Canada in search of opportunity and were encouraged to find work in the Toronto area. 'As it happened a doctor was asked to start a home in Whitby for people with mental health issues and they worked there, so I spent my young life in Whitby,' she recalled. Her father died when he was 27 of cancer, so she doesn't remember him. She was only five months old. 'My mother remarried to a single man, a very nice person,' she said. They moved to a horseracing farm and Grace joked she began to love reading when she would read the horse racing accounts in the newspaper. 'I was going to a rural school and it was about a mile and half walk on the highway, so you had to be careful,' she said. Tragically, her mother died when she was still young and her stepfather's sister stepped in to help and take care of Grace. She has fond memories of her time with her stepfather and his sister who provided for her and was thankful to them. 'They were lovely people,' she recalled. As a teenager, Grace decided to be a teacher and enrolled in Toronto Normal School for her teaching qualifications. Her first job was in Prospect, which is near Brooklyn, Ontario, just north of Oshawa. It was in the 1930s and she was not much older than her pupils. 'It wasn't easy to find a job then when you were young and inexperienced,' she recalled. 'I applied for another job and ended up in Denbigh.' From then on, the Ottawa Valley was her home, teaching from Denbigh to Petawawa. Many of her students kept in touch with her. 'They are all grown up now for sure but sometimes they come to the door once in a while to let me know they think of me,' she said in the interview. Grace also developed a life-long friendship with the late Len Hopkins, the former MP for Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, and his family. They were teachers together in the rural schoolhouse and the friendship was solidified during her years teaching in Petawawa as well. She loved being a teacher and working with the students and was considered a pioneer for the idea of outdoor classrooms long before their time. 'She worked to bring the classroom outdoors and to work with the natural interests of the children,' Ms. Christinck wrote. 'She retained her love of the outdoors throughout her life. 'We live in a beautiful area, especially in the fall,' she said. As a young teacher she fell in love with L.T. Merchand who was as tall as she was small and they married in 1947. He was from the Griffith area originally and they soon built their home outside Eganville where they bought a few acres. They had a bush lot near his family homestead and on the highway outside Eganville they ran a popular dance hall called the Royal Pines Pavilion. Many recall it as the best dance hall in the Valley and the couple also had an overnight cabin to keep tourists and a small store. Dances were held on Friday nights and it was all lots of fun, she recalled. 'When we bought the property, we decided there was no place nearby for entertainment, so my husband and another man built the dance hall,' she said. 'We met a lot of nice people there through the years.' The dance hall was a large building, 40 by 80 feet, and was also used for wedding receptions. Bands came from all over to the dance hall, which would be crowded with dancers. The couple thrived with the fun and activity. Her husband was ideally suited to running the dance hall, she said. He had a presence about him and people responded well to him, she recalled. 'He did things in a quiet way,' she said. 'He was a good person to manage people.' All the while, she continued teaching and by the 1950s she was in Petawawa, where she would stay most of the week, returning home on weekends. During the dance season she would make sure to come home on Wednesday nights to help. Tragically, her husband died shortly after she retired from teaching in the 1970s. Grace stayed in the home and enjoyed her retirement. Active in the Association of Retired Teachers, she also spent time travelling, reconnecting with family in Scotland and New Zealand and always had a keen interest in people around her. At the time of the interview, she was using a walker and her hearing was not as good as it used to be, but she still enjoyed reading and her memory was particularly strong about her early years, particularly her childhood and early married life. For those who might be looking for a secret to making it to 105, she joked she washed her face with cold water. She added she never expected to live so long since both her parents died young. Having a good outlook on life is very important, she believed. 'My mother was an unusually knowing and fine person,' she said. 'I learned from her how she dealt with anything upsetting. She had a good sense of humour.' A funeral mass will be celebrated Friday in St. James Catholic Church, Eganville at 11 a.m. Visitation will take place from 10 a.m. until the time of the funeral Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .