Latest news with #JohnStephenson
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
81 years later, LST 393 pays tribute to ‘humongous effort' of D-Day
MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) — The USS LST 393 Veterans Museum in Muskegon is paying tribute to the lives lost in the D-Day Invasion. The museum hopes to help visitors better appreciate the scale of the D-Day invasion and its importance. 'D-Day was one of the most anticipated events of World War II. All of the Allied nations knew it was coming, but they didn't know exactly when and exactly where,' John Stephenson, a museum board member, said. 'It took a world to defeat the enemies of freedom and that's what they did. It was a humongous effort.' Muskegon event to commemorate D-Day with ship tours, reenactment The offensive began 81 years ago Friday in Normandy, France. The LST 393 was one of many ships in the waters off Omaha Beach and served a crucial role. It landed on the third day of the invasion, June 9, 1944. 'An LST like this one, LST 393, they built 1,051 of these in three years during the war. LST means Landing Ship Tank. To its sailors, it meant 'large slow target.' But it was designed and very successfully performed the job of bringing heavy equipment,' Stephenson said. 'D-Day was supposed to happen in May, but they held it back a month because they didn't have enough LSTs.' Twenty-eight tanks were loaded through giant doors on the bow of the flat-bottom ship. 'It could carry anything. Trucks, bulldozers, artillery, you name it, to a defended shore,' Stephenson said. The LST 393 served for many years after the war as a car freighter. Only two similar LSTs remain in a military configuration. D-Day veterans return to Normandy for 81st anniversary The museum is planning a variety of events to mark the 81st anniversary, including a screening of the D-Day episode of the Band of Brothers mini-series inside the ship at 8 p.m. Friday. On Saturday, an event will honor Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient James McCloughan. World War II reenactors will demonstrate tactics used. 'Historic airplanes will attack the ship and the reenactors will defend it,' Stephenson said. A flyover is planned as part of Air Raid Muskegon around 12:45 p.m. 'We want people to remember, and we want people to experience a little bit what went on during D-Day,' Stephenson said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Muskegon event to commemorate D-Day with ship tours, reenactment
MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) — A ship that was at Omaha Beach on D-Day will be the backdrop for an event to commemorate the anniversary of the invasion of Normandy. The USS LST 393, built during WWII, is one of only two remaining landing ship tanks out of more than 1,000. The ship is now located on the Muskegon waterfront and is the only one that the public can tour from top to bottom. 'LST 393 was born, launched on Veteran's Day 1942 and fought very hard during WWII,' said John Stephenson, one of the board of directors for the USS LST 393 Veterans Museum. 'She was in three invasions: Sicily, Italy and she was in the Normandy invasion, D-Day. In 1945, she was sent back to the United States to be overhauled and she was going to be in the invasion of Japan. Fortunately, after the bombs were dropped, there was no invasion of Japan and she was put in the mothball fleet.' Stephenson said the ship was then found by Muskegon commercial docking group West Michigan Dock and Market, and served as a freighter carrying new cars between Michigan and Wisconsin for 25 years. On June 6 and 7, the will host the 11th community-wide remembrance of the sacrifices made during the invasion of Normandy and throughout World War II. 'Air Raid Muskegon' will feature ship tours, a free film screening on the ship's deck, 'Andrews Sisters Tribute' singers, WWII reenactors representing military personnel you would have found on D-Day in 1944, food trucks and more. 'During the event we commemorate the service of the soldiers and the sailors and the airmen who fought hard to free Europe and us from the grip of Nazi domination,' Stephenson said. On Saturday, Medal of Honor recipient will give the keynote address and be on hand to greet the crowds. Proceeds from ship tours, which will be discounted to $10 per person Saturday, will benefit the museum, which is a nonprofit run almost exclusively by volunteers. 'We are not just a museum about war, we are a museum to serve veterans,' Stephenson said. 'Every dollar goes back into the ship. The rest of the money goes to veteran organizations that really need our help.' You can find the full schedule of events for 'Air Raid Muskegon' . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
National Geographic
26-05-2025
- Business
- National Geographic
Are airline loyalty schemes worth it?
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). When British Airways (BA) launched its revamped frequent-flyer scheme on 1 April, it probably didn't anticipate the furore that would follow. The new logo and name change — a contraction from the Executive Club to simply the Club — were uncontroversial. Instead, the outcry concerned the airline changing the way it plans to reward its customers. Like most airline loyalty schemes, BA rewards its customers with two sets of points. The first, reward points — known as Avios in BA's case — are essentially an airline currency, and you can save these over months or years and redeem them for cheap flights and upgrades. The second, loyalty points, which BA calls Tier points, are collected over a single year and will move you up the status ranks as they accumulate, unlocking valuable free perks such as priority check-in and lounge access in the process. Because loyalty points refresh every year, you have to keep flying to keep enjoying those perks. For some, loyalty points are such a powerful incentive that they'll think nothing of doing a 'status run', where the sole purpose of the trip is to acquire enough points to maintain or improve their status rank. Until recently, BA determined the amount of Avios and Tier points you earned according to your ticket class and the distance travelled. With some clever route selection, it was possible to game the system and hit the top status of Gold by spending less than £3,000 a year, unlocking the right to use BA's first-class airport lounges for free, even when flying in economy. But as part of the changes that came into effect on 1 April, BA is now awarding flyers one Tier point for every £1 spent instead. Crucially, only the portion of the basic fare, minus any taxes or fees, is eligible for points. So, just to hit the lowest elite status, which is Bronze, you'd now have to spend upwards of £3,500 a year. 'Airlines have had to rethink how they deliver value through these programmes,' says John Stephenson, managing director of business travel specialists YTC. 'Many have devalued their schemes slightly or made it harder to reach elite tiers. But, at the same time, they're doubling down on loyalty as a revenue stream — offering more ways to earn and redeem points beyond flights.' Photograph by Getty Images, CandyRetriever Stick or switch With more than 13 million members worldwide, BA's announcement was bound to cause ripples. Sure enough, frequent-flyer forums such as FlyerTalk lit up with users declaring the end of their loyalty to BA, while others lamented that it was 'good while it lasted'. The overall sentiment was that achieving elite status under the new scheme would become prohibitively expensive, and the perks were no longer worth it. Changing allegiances is suddenly high on the agenda for some flyers. Status Match, a website where frequent flyers can move their elite status from one airline to another, reported an 800% increase in enquiries from BA members in the weeks following the announcement. Except, even with dozens of loyalty schemes out there, it doesn't always make sense to switch. For one, if you want to earn elite status, many airlines require you to fly with them several times a year — with this topped up by flights with their partner airlines. And if the airline doesn't fly where you want to go, its loyalty scheme will offer little improvement on the current situation. There's also the issue of redemption. It can be harder to spend your points if the loyalty scheme is based in another country, there are few reward seats or if there are restrictions on how you can spend the points with the airline's partners. BA isn't the only airline to restructure its loyalty scheme given the financial pressures on airlines post-Covid. Iberia, a subsidiary of IAG (BA's parent company), also made changes on 1 April. Australia's flagship carrier Qantas and Germany's Lufthansa look set to switch up their schemes in 2025, too. 'Airlines have had to rethink how they deliver value through these programmes,' says John Stephenson, managing director of business travel specialists YTC. 'Many have devalued their schemes slightly or made it harder to reach elite tiers. But, at the same time, they're doubling down on loyalty as a revenue stream — offering more ways to earn and redeem points beyond flights.' That's the crux of it: loyalty schemes aren't just valuable to airlines for the travellers they bring back; they're money spinners on their own. Take IAG Loyalty, the subsidiary of IAG that operates Avios. In 2024, it generated profits totalling £420m for the aviation group. Avios sells its points to a company for one price, which that company can then award their customers; when the customer redeems those points, Avios buys them back for less. IAG told shareholders in a 2024 report that IAG Loyalty 'has high growth, structurally higher margins than the Group's other operating companies, is less seasonal and generates strong free cash flow'. In other words, Avios is much more profitable than operating an airline. When it comes to spending your points, the options are similarly numerous, but it pays to be a bit more savvy. Reward flights are the most obvious choice here, and if you do decide to use your points this way, look towards the premium end. You might pay three or four times the amount of points for a business-class ticket compared to economy, but the cash equivalent would cost you 10 times more, according to Burgess. Photograph by Getty Images, Daniel Garrido Unlikely winners While frequent flyers have lost in the push for profits, infrequent flyers have come out as winners, in part because there are now more chances to earn and redeem. 'The easiest way of collecting large chunks of points is, without a doubt, credit card sign-up bonuses,' according to Rob Burgess, editor of frequent-flyer website Head for Points. 'In the UK, you currently have American Express offering 80,000 points on the Platinum Card [when you spend £12,000 in the first three months], for example, which convert to 80,000 airline miles. You'd need to spend nearly £20,000 with BA to earn the same number of Avios points that Amex Platinum gives you just for signing up.' These reward-linked credit cards will also let you earn points on your spending, so you could work your way towards reward flights just by doing your weekly shop. There are options for those who don't want a credit card, too. Many airlines will let you earn points by shopping with one of their retail partners. Or you can convert loyalty points already accrued elsewhere — Tesco vouchers can be exchanged for Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club points, for example. BA leads the way when it comes to alternative ways to earn points. Doing surveys, taking an Uber home after a night out and opening an investment account can all net you Avios points. When it comes to spending your points, the options are similarly numerous, but it pays to be a bit more savvy. Reward flights are the most obvious choice here, and if you do decide to use your points this way, look towards the premium end. You might pay three or four times the amount of points for a business-class ticket compared to economy, but the cash equivalent would cost you 10 times more, according to Burgess. You can also maximise your points value by being flexible with when you redeem them for flights. 'Some of the best deals come from booking as early as possible, especially for long-haul flights,' says Fiona Spinks, a frequent traveller between the UK and New Zealand for her travel blog Following Fiona. 'And upgrades quite often get more value than free tickets, especially for travelling internationally in business class.' If you don't want to spend your points on travel, your redemption options can vary depending on which frequent-flyer scheme you're a member of. BA's offering includes experiences and cases of wine, while Flying Blue, the loyalty scheme for Air France and KLM, will allow you to pick out items from an online shop that stocks everything from Samsonite suitcases to iPhones. Many frequent-flyer schemes will also allow you to gift points to a loved one, or donate them to charity. But with all this in mind, it's worth remembering that airlines want to build loyalty through these schemes. To do that, they have to draw you in — and that means offering benefits to entry-level members as an incentive. BA, for example, gives all of its Club members free access to its basic internet package, allowing text-only messages and emails to be exchanged for the duration of the flight on wi-fi-enabled aircraft. Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic gives its Flying Club members priority boarding over non-members in economy, and free economy seat selection seven days before travel if they've booked with Virgin Atlantic Holidays. This is just another reason why, even when the loyalty landscape looks bleak, it might be worth staying in the game. Published in the June 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK). To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
CBC
11-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
City of Thunder Bay to consider adopting green development standards for new builds
As Thunder Bay, Ont., looks to build more housing, environmental advocates are pushing the city to adopt green development standards (GDS) for new units. GDS are a set of rules developers must follow in order to ensure more energy efficient builds, with the goal of eventually reaching net-zero emissions. Members of the Thunder Bay Climate Transition Collaborative are pitching the plan to city councillors on Monday. "There's a gradual progression towards net-zero through these targets," said John Stephenson, a long-time architect and co-chair of the collaborative. "The impact that developers will see is in the design of their development." The Thunder Bay Climate Transition Collaborative consists of members of a number of organizations interested in mitigating the effects of climate change. Working alongside the city's sustainability co-ordinator, the collaborative was connected with the Tamarack Institute in Waterloo. From there, members were encouraged to commit to a one-year project that would support Thunder Bay's net-zero strategy, which is how they came up with GDS. There's a gradual progression towards net-zero through these targets. - John Stephenson, co-chair, Thunder Bay Climate Transition Collaborative More than a dozen municipalities across Ontario have introduced GDS, which are tailored to each community's needs, said Stephenson. "We felt that this was a doable project, that it was something that the city already had their sights on," he said. Making life livable now and in the future The city declared a climate emergency in 2020. The following year, council approved the city's net-zero strategy, which outlines a plan for how to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. It includes specific targets for the building sector: Have 90 per cent of new construction meet net-zero standards by 2030. Have 100 per cent of dwellings built before 1980 be retrofitted by 2030. Have 80 per cent of all commercial buildings be retrofitted by 2030. Have 100 per cent of all municipal buildings, old and new, be net-zero by 2035. Have 100 per cent of dwellings built after 1980 be retrofitted by 2040. Danielle Thom, the city's climate action specialist, said she's working on a retrofit loan program to help homeowners meet these goals. "Green development standards would definitely help us get there with the new houses that we're building, but it's only one piece of the puzzle," she said. It's important to recognize the far-reaching impacts of GDS, she said, which means engaging with a wide range of stakeholders over a long period of time. "We're really going to have to look at how it impacts other sectors and how it might make things, for example, really unaffordable to build," Thom said. "It's really a balance between making life livable for people now and people in the future." Stephenson and Dr. Margaret Woods, fellow co-chair of the Thunder Bay Climate Transition Collaborative, said they'd like to see a plan for GDS in place between 12 and 18 months from now. However, Thom said she imagines it could be "a three-year process of engagement from start to finish, and creating some kind of implementation framework after that." Healthy environment, healthy community Woods, a retired family physician, is a member of the Ontario section of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE). Much of her advocacy work is focused on the intersection between health and the environment. Among her concerns are the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions, wildfire smoke, heat waves and increased pollen on respiratory and cardiovascular health, she said. She pointed out that Health Canada estimates air pollution contributes to 6,600 premature deaths in Ontario each year. In her eyes, introducing the proposed building standards could reduce climate change, which would in turn reduce conditions that contribute to air pollution. "If you have a healthy environment, typically you have a healthy community," Woods said. While they both acknowledge the robust consultations needed before GDS can be implemented, Stephenson stressed the need to move forward sooner rather than later. "We're just very concerned that there is greater urgency to addressing the problem than what is necessarily being recognized," he said. At the city level, Thom said she hopes people aren't intimidated by the concept of GDS and that it doesn't deter them from seeking development opportunities. "We definitely just have to do a lot more research into this. This talk isn't bad and it shouldn't be scary. It's just opening a conversation of saying 'how can we get here?'" said Thom. In Stephenson's view, development and sustainability can — and should — go hand in hand. "We do understand the city has a lot on its plate and there are a lot of priorities, but we don't see the process of developing green development standards as competing with those other priorities. We see it as really supporting them," he said. As the federal election quickly approaches, people can view a list of Canada's major parties' election promises on key issues, including climate change and energy, here.
BBC News
10-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Stockton ex-smoker tells of heart attack 'nightmare'
A former smoker who almost died from a heart attack says he does not want others to go through the same "living nightmare".John Stephenson, from Stockton, Teesside, had three stents fitted two years ago, at the age of 48, having been told by doctors he may not survive the operation following a lifetime of has been chosen as the face of a health campaign in north-east England encouraging people to kick the habit ahead of No Smoking Day on campaign by Fresh, the North East's official tobacco control programme, will include a TV advert, as well as posters and social media posts with information on how to access local support. Mr Stephenson was taken to hospital after suffering chest pains. 'Couldn't keep up' "When my wife and mam came in to see me [in hospital], the colour drained from them," he said. "It was like I was watching them being told I was already dead."All I could imagine was the impact it was going to have on my kids and my grandkids."Even if you smoke just one cigarette a day, you're raising your risk of going through the living nightmare that I did."Mr Stephenson, who now works as Middlesbrough Council's Stop Smoking South Tees service manager, told the BBC his "life has totally changed"."Previously, I couldn't keep up with my grandkids, my breathing was bad."At the time I didn't associate those issues with smoking, but since stopping I'm fitter, I go to the gym regularly and have lost weight." 'Obscene profits' Smoking rates in the region have more than halved in recent years, down from 29% - the highest in the country - to 11%, one of the well as increasing the risk of cancer, smoking doubles the risk of dying from heart disease or a says more than 125,000 people in the region have died in the last 25 years from smoking-related diseases. Director Ailsa Rutter is calling for a levy to be imposed on tobacco companies."Their products are going to kill two in three of their long-term smokers," she said. "They're making a billion pounds profit this year alone."Be bold as a country and as a government and end smoking. Tobacco companies should not be making obscene profits from killing our loved ones."The Department of Health and Social Care said its Tobacco and Vapes Bill would include measures to "create a smoke-free generation, phasing out the sale of tobacco products across the UK to anyone aged 15 or younger, breaking the cycle of addiction and disadvantage".Meanwhile, the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association said increasing taxation encouraged smugglers to meet the demand for cheap cigarettes. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
