Latest news with #LizHamilton
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
The Highground raises funds with its 15th annual Honor Ride
NEILLSVILLE — In a day that many spent in leisure, The Highground was one of several organizations that put the focus back on Veterans this past Memorial Day. 'The Highground's actually been around since the early '80s and it started out as a memorial park,' explained Liz Hamilton, who said her role was mainly in marketing and social media for The Highground but that she wore many hats including as an event photographer. 'It was started by a Vietnam veteran, and it was just started as a way to honor and remember the sacrifices that our Veterans made through all wars — so we started with World War I, then a World War II tribute and we have a Korean War tribute [as well as] a national Native American tribute is on site and Gold Star tribute.' Other memorials are on site, including the Dove Effigy mound, a 'living memorial' to pay homage to those who were prisoners of war or went missing in action. The mound contains soil from all counties in Wisconsin as well as hundreds of other locations throughout the country. With the expansions it has received throughout the years, Hamilton said that The Highground is now the second largest Veterans park in the United States, behind the memorial parks in Washington, D.C. The scale certainly impresses, but The Highground goes beyond memorials in providing programs and support for Veterans in the area. These efforts come in the form of education, such as with their Vets & Guitars program. They also come in the form of various retreats and other programs that help Veterans deal with what has been labeled as 'unseen wounds,' including post-traumatic stress disorder. Hamilton noted that Veterans also deal with a disproportionately high rate of homelessness as she described efforts by The Highground to assist those who have found themselves unhoused. 'We work with a company out of [The Twin Cities] and we also work with some local communities like the Wisconsin Veterans' Home in Chippewa Falls,' explained Hamilton, 'And we do what we call a winter clothing drive that actually goes through March or April. We take those donations wherever we hear that there's a need for that.' Other assistance comes in the form of its Community and Military Outreach, or CAMO program that offers a variety of workshops to the community and specifically to Veterans. 'We kicked it off this year …[CAMO] had a financial workshop where people could come and get financial advice; we did a mental health expo too. We have a couple of other things that are planned for this year,' she said. A significant amount of what is provided, however, requires financial support; this has led to numerous fundraising initiatives in the form of rides throughout the year. These include the Memorial Day Honor Ride that took place last Monday, the fifteenth year the event has taken place. The event started in 2010 as The Highground Fun Run with bikers taking a trip from Hudson to The Highground, and has from that point. The event now makes thousands of dollars to assist The Highground with its programming, with hundreds of riders participating. There are now several independently-organized routes led by experienced ride leaders, with each path taking riders on scenic routes throughout the area. Riders at the end take a ride throughout Neillsville together, in honor of those who fought for their country but never made it home. It is one of many rides to help raise funds for The Highground that happen throughout the year, with the rides going back decades in some cases. 'We also have The Heroes' Ride [in August], which is our bicycle tour; that is actually the longest and largest fundraiser at The Highground. It was started by a bunch of wonderful volunteers and it's in its 41st year; it's a multi-route ride like the Honor Ride,' said Hamilton. 'Then we have the Ride to Remember, which is specifically honoring the MIAs and the KIAs (missing in action/killed in action); that one is in its 25th year.' Hamilton said that she couldn't help but find the emotional significance of the rides powerful. As the photographer for many of the events, she has seen the solidarity of the Veteran community as they come together for a common cause. 'To be involved in those, it's inspiring and a little emotional because of the fact that there are so many Veterans out there that are willing to help each other. Most of these rides are led by volunteers, so our route leaders — they start early and they volunteer their time on the side and they do this solely to give back to the Veteran community and The Highground,' she said. 'It's a pretty amazing place and a pretty amazing thing to be involved in.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
The Highground raises funds with its 15th annual Honor Ride
NEILLSVILLE — In a day that many spent in leisure, The Highground was one of several organizations that put the focus back on Veterans this past Memorial Day. 'The Highground's actually been around since the early '80s and it started out as a memorial park,' explained Liz Hamilton, who said her role was mainly in marketing and social media for The Highground but that she wore many hats including as an event photographer. 'It was started by a Vietnam veteran, and it was just started as a way to honor and remember the sacrifices that our Veterans made through all wars — so we started with World War I, then a World War II tribute and we have a Korean War tribute [as well as] a national Native American tribute is on site and Gold Star tribute.' Other memorials are on site, including the Dove Effigy mound, a 'living memorial' to pay homage to those who were prisoners of war or went missing in action. The mound contains soil from all counties in Wisconsin as well as hundreds of other locations throughout the country. With the expansions it has received throughout the years, Hamilton said that The Highground is now the second largest Veterans park in the United States, behind the memorial parks in Washington, D.C. The scale certainly impresses, but The Highground goes beyond memorials in providing programs and support for Veterans in the area. These efforts come in the form of education, such as with their Vets & Guitars program. They also come in the form of various retreats and other programs that help Veterans deal with what has been labeled as 'unseen wounds,' including post-traumatic stress disorder. Hamilton noted that Veterans also deal with a disproportionately high rate of homelessness as she described efforts by The Highground to assist those who have found themselves unhoused. 'We work with a company out of [The Twin Cities] and we also work with some local communities like the Wisconsin Veterans' Home in Chippewa Falls,' explained Hamilton, 'And we do what we call a winter clothing drive that actually goes through March or April. We take those donations wherever we hear that there's a need for that.' Other assistance comes in the form of its Community and Military Outreach, or CAMO program that offers a variety of workshops to the community and specifically to Veterans. 'We kicked it off this year …[CAMO] had a financial workshop where people could come and get financial advice; we did a mental health expo too. We have a couple of other things that are planned for this year,' she said. A significant amount of what is provided, however, requires financial support; this has led to numerous fundraising initiatives in the form of rides throughout the year. These include the Memorial Day Honor Ride that took place last Monday, the fifteenth year the event has taken place. The event started in 2010 as The Highground Fun Run with bikers taking a trip from Hudson to The Highground, and has from that point. The event now makes thousands of dollars to assist The Highground with its programming, with hundreds of riders participating. There are now several independently-organized routes led by experienced ride leaders, with each path taking riders on scenic routes throughout the area. Riders at the end take a ride throughout Neillsville together, in honor of those who fought for their country but never made it home. It is one of many rides to help raise funds for The Highground that happen throughout the year, with the rides going back decades in some cases. 'We also have The Heroes' Ride [in August], which is our bicycle tour; that is actually the longest and largest fundraiser at The Highground. It was started by a bunch of wonderful volunteers and it's in its 41st year; it's a multi-route ride like the Honor Ride,' said Hamilton. 'Then we have the Ride to Remember, which is specifically honoring the MIAs and the KIAs (missing in action/killed in action); that one is in its 25th year.' Hamilton said that she couldn't help but find the emotional significance of the rides powerful. As the photographer for many of the events, she has seen the solidarity of the Veteran community as they come together for a common cause. 'To be involved in those, it's inspiring and a little emotional because of the fact that there are so many Veterans out there that are willing to help each other. Most of these rides are led by volunteers, so our route leaders — they start early and they volunteer their time on the side and they do this solely to give back to the Veteran community and The Highground,' she said. 'It's a pretty amazing place and a pretty amazing thing to be involved in.'
Scotsman
27-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Let's get serious to tackle Scotland's housing crisis
It's time for a radical intervention in how homes are planned and approved in Scotland Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... One year ago, Scotland declared a housing emergency, yet we are still nowhere near tackling this challenge. It's a stark assessment but not a surprising one for those of us working at the heart of housing delivery. It's not just a challenge for the homebuilding industry but one that affects everyone. Having a safe and warm place to call home has a direct impact on educational attainment, physical and mental health. Recent statistics from Shelter report over 10,000 children are living in temporary accommodation, the highest level since records began in 2002, which has detrimental implications that can last a lifetime. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Additionally, the sector supports over 79,000 jobs in Scotland and contributes more than £3bn to our economy while every home that is built contributes towards critical infrastructure including schools and community facilities. Bold intervention is needed to get Scotland's housing market back on track, says Liz Hamilton The housing emergency is widely acknowledged, as are the far reaching benefits of changing this, so if we're serious about turning the tide, it's time for a radical intervention in how homes are planned and approved in Scotland. As a senior land and planning manager for AS Homes and Briar Homes, I have seen first-hand the mounting barriers developers, of all sizes, face in progressing sites through the planning system. For over 15 years, our business has built a trusted reputation delivering high-quality, energy-efficient homes across the west of Scotland and beyond, for both social housing and the private market. Yet despite our track record and expertise, it has never been harder to get an application through planning, and the wider consenting process, than it is today. The planning system in Scotland is chronically slow. Even straightforward applications are often caught in lengthy delays, inconsistent feedback, and resource bottlenecks within local authorities. These delays don't just hold up housing, they create ripple effects across communities, supply chains, and the wider economy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As a result, developers are often forced to bring homes to market under entirely different and sometimes unfavourable conditions than initially planned. Competing sites may have come forward in the interim, interest rates could have shifted, or material costs increased. All of this places immense pressure on viability, particularly in areas where land values are tight and competition is fierce. Getting housing projects under way has become ever harder for developers Picture: JeffThis is especially challenging for smaller builders and SMEs like us. In many parts of Scotland, the rising cost and complexity to deliver new homes compared to the achievable selling price means that developing certain sites doesn't stack up anymore. This isn't just a commercial problem for the developer, it also impacts the local communities by restricting supply, placing immense pressure on the availability and affordability of homes in the area. This is particularly evident in more peripheral settlements outside the core Central Belt. And yet, we persist because our mission to build much-needed homes that strengthen communities remains unchanged. At AS and Briar Homes, we may be small, but we are mighty. We have the capacity, expertise and commitment to lead residential developments across Scotland. But our growth as a business, and our ability to meet Scotland's urgent housing needs, is being strangled by a lack of deliverable land and an often sluggish and overly complex consenting regime. We need bold intervention that reinvigorates the planning process to provide clarity, consistency and capacity. We need an ambitious national housing target that filters down into local delivery frameworks and for the next local development plans to allocate enough deliverable land. Above all, we need to recognise the vital role housebuilders of all sizes play in delivering the homes that will shape Scotland's future. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad At the upcoming Homes for Scotland Awards and Scottish Home Awards we'll see countless examples of what's possible when planning, design and community-building align. From innovative affordable housing schemes to sustainable and well-landscaped private developments, these showcase what Scotland's housing sector can achieve. It's time to match ambition with action. A functioning planning system is not a 'nice to have', it's a cornerstone of solving the housing crisis. Let's work together at pace, to get Scotland building more, and critically, enough new homes.
