Latest news with #JenniferFisher
Elle
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
Summer Jewelry That Instantly Levels up Your Look
In the heat of summer, sometimes the best outfits are the simplest ones. Not to take away from the major something to give it that extra flair. And in my humble opinion, there's no better way to do that than to pile on the jewelry. Whether it's an oversized, statement-making pendant, colorful beads, or sophisticated sterling silver pieces, jewelry is, without a doubt, one of the best ways to take your standard ensembles to the next level. An easy Stunning Silver Step aside, gold chains—silver is making a triumphant return in jewelry boxes everywhere. Be it in the form of sculptural cuffs, statement earrings, textured bracelets, or something else, these are sure to be a worthy investment for anyone's collection. Agmes Medium Celia Hoops Silver One Size Lié Studio The Edith Necklace Kinraden Levitas Lumen Sterling Silver Earrings Lagos Caviar Rope Bracelet Alison Lou Silver Cloud Letter Necklace Vintage-Inspired Among the It girls, vintage-inspired jewelry—you know, the kind that looks flea-market-worthy but better—is the talk of the town. Some brands that have been doing this exceptionally well are Juju Vera, Dorsey, and Prounis. And in general, styles that feel like a callback to the '80s (i.e. button earrings and cigar bands) are having a particular moment right now. Dorsey Lucien Moissanite Latchback Earrings Juju Vera Elena 14K Gold-Plated Cuff Jennifer Fisher Puffy Ring IVI Los Angeles Signore Oval Hoop Earrings Prounis Jewelry Diamond Laurus Ring Summer Beads Are the carefree vibes making you tap into your more playful side? Well, that's no surprise here. Tap into your inner child and layer on these grown-up takes on beaded necklaces and bracelets. From rainbow-colored options that feel reminiscent of summer camp to luxe styles featuring pearl beads, you'll be feeling the sunshine from all sides when you wear these. Saulé Nola Aqua Blue Earrings Monica Vinader Keshi Pearl Bracelet Sydney Evan 14k Evil Eye Diamond Coin Necklace Jia Jia Arizona 14K Yellow Gold, Ruby & Natural Pearl Bracelet Éliou Samba Necklace Mismatched Earrings Why sport two of the same earrings when you can opt for a bit of variety? Taking a page from the Chloé and Fendi spring/summer 2025 runways, one of the coolest ways to style your earrings is to mix and match different styles and lengths. Consider a triple ear cuff with a drop earring in the same material or a bold stud with a chandelier earring. And if you aren't quite sure about your pairings , plenty of brands offer mismatched pairings to get you started. Sterling King Mismatched Fold Earrings Jenny Bird Tome Triple Ear Cuff VINTY Mismatched Earrings COMPLETEDWORKS Pearl & Ceramic Mismatched Drop Earrings Missoma Molten Baroque Pearl Mismatch Drop Earrings Charms and Pendants Cool girls everywhere are sporting oversized pendants and eye-catching charms. Perhaps it's due to the types of shirts and blouses (even a coolly unbuttoned Oxford shirt) that showcase the collarbone or just the air of summer, but these are perfect for Instagram-worthy warm-weather vacays and alfresco dinners, no? Julietta Pillar Shell Necklace Brinker + Eliza Eliza Queen Of Hearts Necklace Heaven Mayhem Julia Necklace Chan Luu Vignette Charm Necklace Multi Now 40% Off Jennifer Zeuner Haven Necklace Why Trust ELLE Every product featured on is independently researched, tested, or editor-approved. We only recommend products that we stand behind, and the merchandise featured on our site is always driven by editorial and product testing standards, not by affiliate deals or advertising relationships. Any content created in partnership with advertisers is marked as such.
Chicago Tribune
29-04-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Chesterton awards contract for Town Hall to firm that built police station
The construction firm that built Chesterton's police station will be the contractor for the remodeling of the Town Hall and fire station. Chesterton's Town Council Monday awarded the contract to Larson-Danielson Construction of LaPorte for $3,370,500 after the company was found to have the lowest and best bid out of four construction firms that submitted proposals. Larson-Danielson last year built the police station across the street at 8th and Broadway. Town Council members said they were happy with the bids, which came in under an expected $4 million price. The scope of the project grew because of a decision that more remodeling work needed to be done with the fire station. The updating of the Town Hall will improve its acoustics and aesthetics along with upgrading the technology. The Town Hall's interior will be reconfigured so the dais will be moved to the north side. The window on the east side of the building will be removed as part of an effort to lessen the noise from passing trains. New bathrooms will be built in the foyer area. A 703-square-foot community room that will be available to the public will be created from space formerly used by the police department's detective bureau. Councilwoman Jennifer Fisher, I-Dist. 5s, said the community room will fill a need as she has already heard from people who are interested in using it. On the fire station side, a two-story addition of 1,730 square feet will be built toward the back of the building. That addition will allow for an internal reconfiguration with enhanced living quarters, dedicated office spaces for the chief and the two deputy chiefs and a 592-square-foot training room. The council's next step will be to obtain a bond to finance construction. Last year the town expanded the Tax Increment Financing District to include the Town Hall and fire station at the corner of 8th Street and Broadway. The town will be able to use property tax revenues collected within the district to pay off the bonds. In other business, the council decided to suspend its efforts to pursue a federal safe streets grant because of future uncertainty with the town's revenue due to the state legislature's recent passage of Senate Enrolled Act 1. The legislation provides property tax reform and a break for homeowners, but local governments and schools say it will financially impact their operations. Clerk-Treasurer Courtney Udvare said she will have a detailed report soon on what the financial effect will be in the coming years. Council at its April 14 meeting authorized Tina Rongers, the town's grant consultant, to apply to the U.S. Department of Transportation Safe Streets program for a $180,000 grant. If the town was successful in obtaining the grant, it could help with traffic safety issues at the railroad crossings. 'Given the significant impact that Senate Bill 1 may have on funding priorities and the lack of clarity surrounding its impact on next year's budget, it is prudent to pause activities on this grant until more definitive information becomes available,' said Councilwoman Erin Collins, D-2nd. Councilman James Ton, R-Dist. 1, concurred that the suspension was a 'wise move' at this time. Council also: *Approved an agreement with Porter County to share in the repaving costs for Babcock Road from County Road 1050 N to the Gulfview subdivision. Chesterton will pay $79,824.10 of the total $167,180.40 cost. *Heard a request from Justine Carlotta for a wildlife crossing sign on South Calumet Road between Westchester and Jefferson avenues. She said there is a 'wildlife corridor' on the road for beavers, ducks, possums and deer that live in the nearby woods. She said that last week, a duck was fatally struck by a truck. The council referred the matter to the Street Department to investigate.
Forbes
26-04-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Let's Dance: Structured Movement To Fine-Tune Our Human Neural Nets
Sometimes in the rush to explore our interactions with neural nets (often in the form of LLMs) we forget to think about our own operating system and how it works. Of course, scientists did spend a lot of time using human brain models, not to mention lower species like C. Elegans, to evaluate how neural networks can function. That comparison was, no pun intended, a 'no-brainer.' But what about making sure that we evolve our own neural networks, as we work with brand new ones that don't have our human anatomy? One of the biggest tools at our disposal is the science around our own brains. Now at first glance, the mind-body connection might seem to inspire a certain amount of 'woo.' But there is growing evidence that different kinds of stimuli, including physical movement, can help us to refine how our brains work by changing our neural patterns in a phenomenon called neuroplasticity. One way to do this is through exercising the mind. A piece on the subject posted at My Brain Rewired talks about this in the context of language learning: 'The human brain is a dynamic, adaptable entity, capable of reorganizing itself in response to novel experiences and learning,' writes Gabriel Dalexander. 'One of the most potent catalysts for this process is language acquisition. By embracing language learning, individuals can harness the brain's remarkable ability to rewire and strengthen neural connections, leading to enhanced cognitive function and a multitude of benefits. The science behind language learning's impact on the brain lies in its ability to stimulate synaptic plasticity, the process by which neural connections are strengthened and refined. As language learners navigate novel grammatical structures, vocabulary, and syntax, their brains adapt and reorganize, promoting increased neural density and activity.' This starts to help us explore the idea of neuroplasticity. But physical motion can play a role as well. This resource from Harvard Health talks about how different kinds of movement can help with cognition in the elderly. 'Exercise is not just beneficial for the body — it also has a powerful impact on the brain,' writes Jennifer Fisher. 'Neuroplasticity is closely linked to the production of neurotrophins, a group of proteins that play a vital role in brain cell growth and function. Among the key neurotrophins involved in neuroplasticity is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Research suggests that lower levels of BDNF may contribute to cognitive decline, affecting memory, concentration, and learning ability.' Fisher also writes about how movement increases blood flow to the brain, and reduces stress, potentially improving things like mood, memory, and focus. For more check out this recent talk by Yana Nakhimova Ph.D., founder of Body Mind Method. First, Nakhimova asks participants to challenge their balance and tune their brain signals by waving an arm. Noting our tendency toward outdated behavior, she describes a 'body-based intelligence' and suggests we should be leveraging our brain circuitry to the cause. 'AI learns, adapts, self-optimizes, but humans, we freeze, we burnout, and disconnect,' she said. 'We're overwhelmed. And why? Because we are still running on outdated behavioral patterns, and we treat the body (as if it has no) role in intelligence. But here's the truth, we have a body-based intelligence, and it's time we start training it.' 'What if we could upgrade our neural system(s) the same way AI updates its architecture, not through more thinking, but through embodied experience?' she asks. 'And what we can do: we can use neuroplasticity. What the …. body (has) is a neuroplasticity-based program that helps people to shift their emotional, cognitive and behavioral patterns through structured movement. And it's very interesting how we can use the body like your 'interface' and push your brain, and change your behavioral patterns.' We have AI 2.0, she said, but we also need 'human intelligence 2.0.' '(We need) not just positive thinking, and not just clear outputs, but (work on) how we can feel in our internal state,' she said. '(This is) part of what … can help humans be more adaptive, especially in AI environments.' She also made a critical distinction between the neuroscience of structured motion, and traditional methodologies. 'This is not wellness,' she said. This is not yoga, not Pilates, not fitness. It's behavioral science, neuroscience and movement, somatic experience.' Through iterations, she suggested, we improve our responses. 'Just like AI learns through feedback loops, the human's brain learns through feedback as well between your muscles and your brain,' she said. 'When we were kids, what we did: we played a lot, we moved a lot, and we built our skills step by step. So it's very interesting how we can use movement in a new way and help us.' She ended with an appeal to the body science of neurology: '(The) body can shift the pattern, and we can evolve together … human intelligence with artificial intelligence,' she said. 'As we build authentic AI, we also must cultivate a human agenda, for humans, and the most direct way to do that is through the body. So the next evolution of intelligence must include the human body, because it's our interface.' That's all compelling. As we're looking closely at our AI counterparts, we should keep looking at ourselves, too. We want to equip our minds to deal with the rapidly changing world, and that might include using structured movement to our advantage.
Chicago Tribune
28-01-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Chesterton expands its TIF district to help pay for capital improvement projects
Chesterton is expanding the boundaries of its Tax Increment Financing district as the funds will be used to help finance a number of capital improvement projects. One of the major initiatives is remodeling Chesterton's fire station, which will include a two-story, 2,000-square-foot addition along with a reconfiguration of offices and sleeping quarters. The fire station and Town Hall remodeling are expected to cost around $2.8 million. The town along with a consulting firm is working on a breakdown of projected costs for the Town Hall and fire station portions of the building at 8th Street and Broadway. Chesterton's Redevelopment Commission on Monday before the council meeting gave its final approval to the new TIF district boundaries that include 300 new industrial and business parcels. The district now will go west on Broadway from Calumet Road to 16th Street. Properties south of Broadway would include the new Duneland YMCA Healthy Living Campus being developed on the old Chesterton Middle School site. The new TIF will also stretch south along Calumet Road, north of the U.S. Post Office. North of Broadway, the new district would take in some properties on Woodlawn Avenue and Locust Street before ending at Calumet Road and Indian Boundary Road. Residential properties aren't included in the TIF area. TIF districts allow the town to divert a portion of collected property taxes from a parcel to help pay for capital improvement projects. The town of Chesterton has about $10 million available in diverted taxes from its original TIF district that was established in 2000. That district mostly lies east of Calumet Road and is bounded to the north by Indian Boundary Road and the Indiana Toll Road to the south. The new TIF boundaries allow the town to use funds for the fire station and Councilwoman Erin Collins, D-2nd, said that's the financial plan. The Town Council during its meeting Monday touched on two other projects that will involve the use of TIF funds. Bids were opened for the paving and improvement of two new downtown parking lots in the 100 block of Grant Avenue and Calumet Road, and the 100 block of Indiana Avenue. There were four bidders with Grimmer Construction Inc. of Highland submitting the apparent lowest bid of $1,269,149. A contract will be awarded after all the bids are analyzed. The Town Council also unanimously approved an offer of $377,500 to buy the property of Duneland Collision at 107 N. 15th St. If an agreement is reached, the town would use TIF funds to convert the property into a vehicle compound for the street and police departments. Another possible use of TIF funds would be to make infrastructure improvements around the new Duneland Y being developed at the Chesterton Middle School site. Councilwoman Jennifer Fisher, I-Dist. 5, acknowledged to the Post-Tribune that there have been some planning discussions between town and Duneland Y officials, but nothing has been settled. In other business, the council voted 4-1 to re-examine the town's options concerning its contract for legal services. The Harris, Welsh & Lukmann firm has been used by the town for at least 40 years. Chuck Lukmann has been the town attorney with other members of the firm attending meetings and doing legal work. Fisher said that the town's legal costs had been high last year and there is a need to explore options. She and other council members emphasized that they are satisfied with the legal work performed and hope that Harris, Welsh & Lukmann would be among those interested in a contract with the town. Councilman James Ton, R-Dist. 1, said he was 'not astounded that the bill for 2024 was a little higher.' Ton said that the town called upon the firm to do more legal work than normal. Among the projects the law firm worked on were land acquisition for the Westchester-Liberty Trail and downtown parking lots, the situation concerning a data center proposal and the new police station. Collins said that for her, the concern was the town paying $362,000 for legal services 'was more than we can afford and more than we should be paying.'
