Latest news with #Tozer
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ex-Wrexham and Newport defender Tozer retires
Former Wrexham and Newport County defender Ben Tozer has announced his retirement from football. Having helped Cheltenham Town win League Two in 2020-21, centre-back Tozer was a pivotal figure as Wrexham gained back-to-back promotions in 2023 and 2024. The 35-year-old - who also had stints with Swindon Town, Newcastle United, Northampton Town, Colchester United and Yeovil Town - ended his career with Forest Green Rovers. "Yeah, retiring, hanging my boots up, whatever you want to call it," he told The Football Fill-In. "I think you know when you know. If you're honest with yourself, that's when you've got to look at yourself and think 'it's too much to go again'. I'm just ready to finish." Wrexham 'on march to history' after promotion Is ruthless streak key to Wrexham's success? Hughes and Hatswell could be a 'recipe for success' - O'Brien Plymouth-born Tozer made his senior debut with Swindon in 2007 before joining Newcastle a year later. He made two first-team appearances for the Magpies before joining Northampton permanently in 2011 following two loan stints with the Cobblers. Following a brief loan spell with Colchester, Tozer made the switch to Yeovil for the 2015-16 season before spending two campaigns at Newport. He featured 76 times for the Exiles, scoring four goals, before leaving Rodney Parade for Cheltenham in 2018. Tozer captained the Robins and played every minute of every league game as they won the 2020-21 League Two title. He became a real favourite in north Wales as he made 136 appearances for Wrexham, scoring seven goals and helping them secure two of their three promotions under Phil Parkinson. Tozer's final season in football saw him make 34 appearances in all competitions for Forest Green Rovers last season - with Tozer being captain in just under half of those. "I've enjoyed a lot of it, it's been hard as well," Tozer added. "I've loved it. Especially the memories that I've made, what I've managed to achieve. I'm happy, I'm proud of myself." Wrexham wrote on X: "A fantastic career and wishing you the very best in your retirement."
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ex-Wrexham and Newport defender Tozer retires
Centre-back Ben Tozer's final goal in professional football came in Wrexham's 2-0 win against Gillingham in November 2023 [Getty Images] Former Wrexham and Newport County defender Ben Tozer has announced his retirement from football. Having helped Cheltenham Town win League Two in 2020-21, centre-back Tozer was a pivotal figure as Wrexham gained back-to-back promotions in 2023 and 2024. Advertisement The 35-year-old - who also had stints with Swindon Town, Newcastle United, Northampton Town, Colchester United and Yeovil Town - ended his career with Forest Green Rovers. "Yeah, retiring, hanging my boots up, whatever you want to call it," he told The Football Fill-In. "I think you know when you know. If you're honest with yourself, that's when you've got to look at yourself and think 'it's too much to go again'. I'm just ready to finish." Plymouth-born Tozer made his senior debut with Swindon in 2007 before joining Newcastle a year later. He made two first-team appearances for the Magpies before joining Northampton permanently in 2011 following two loan stints with the Cobblers. Advertisement Following a brief loan spell with Colchester, Tozer made the switch to Yeovil for the 2015-16 season before spending two campaigns at Newport. He featured 76 times for the Exiles, scoring four goals, before leaving Rodney Parade for Cheltenham in 2018. Tozer captained the Robins and played every minute of every league game as they won the 2020-21 League Two title. He became a real favourite in north Wales as he made 136 appearances for Wrexham, scoring seven goals and helping them secure two of their three promotions under Phil Parkinson. Tozer's final season in football saw him make 34 appearances in all competitions for Forest Green Rovers last season - with Tozer being captain in just under half of those. Advertisement "I've enjoyed a lot of it, it's been hard as well," Tozer added. "I've loved it. Especially the memories that I've made, what I've managed to achieve. I'm happy, I'm proud of myself." Wrexham wrote on X: "A fantastic career and wishing you the very best in your retirement."
Otago Daily Times
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Finding home in new location
Moving across the country and settling into a new home is not easy. To assist with the transition, Auckland artist Tori Beeche drew on artist collective Mothermother for solace and inspiration. She tells Rebecca Fox about the resulting exhibition in her new home of Queenstown. Moving from one end of the country to the other has led artist Tori Beeche to reflect on what makes home, home. "I think probably partly moving from Auckland to Queenstown has made it not just a theoretical exercise but a daily practice now." Beeche, who has lived in Auckland most of her life except for a few stints overseas and her time at the University of Otago, moved south to Queenstown as her husband Dave got his dream job, running RealNZ, about a year ago. Not strangers to the area having holidayed there for many years and more recently having a house in Arrowtown, the pair were excited about the opportunity to live in the area, especially as their two girls are students the University of Otago. "And in fact, I think it's always been on our kind of agenda to move down here at some point. The sooner the better. The whole family, the girls as well, we love the mountains, and we love living in the mountains. And love the life down here." For Beeche it meant leaving behind a close-knit Auckland art community to start again. She has been part of the Mothermother Collective, an artists' run initiative created by Nat Tozer six years ago, since she did her post-graduate study at Elam School of Fine Arts having done her master's with Tozer. "They're an amazing group of artists that are incredibly supportive. So, you know, I was missing that a lot down here." So during a phone call, Tozer suggested she invite a Queenstown artist to join the collective. Beeche issued an invitation to Arrowtown sculptor and contemporary basket maker Jasmine Clark after finding her to be very welcoming. It then developed into Mothermother's first exhibition outside of Auckland with Tozer joining them in the exhibition "Unifying Threads" along with fellow Auckland artist Michelle Mayn and Hamilton artist Rachel Hope Peary. As the collective is just as much about artists supporting each other as it is about exhibiting work, Tozer loves it when the two come together in an exhibition such as "Unifying Threads". Beeche, who is starting to feel settled in her new home after a year, is excited about the exhibition and the artists involved. "They're very much creators. There's weavers and they build things as well as creating kind of experiences. "I think that the opening should be really interesting with the musical elements that Rachel's bringing to it and Michelle's gift philosophy. I think just the whole Mothermother vibe is just so infectious and generous. I'm really excited to be bringing it down here and having Nat share that vision." Beeche's art practice combines themes of nostalgic reflection and connection to place in paintings of rooms inspired by her photographs of her father's Norwegian upbringing, many taken by her amateur photographer grandfather. "My interest probably began in my childhood. My dad is from Norway and he told a lot of stories about his Norwegian heritage." He visited his family back in Norway every four years trying to stem a sense of displacement and alienation he felt living in New Zealand. "I think that kind of acknowledgement or pleasure that he got from me liking his Norwegian culture and his aesthetic kind of view of the world, perhaps influenced my kind of way of seeing things." The paintings she has completed for "Unifying Threads" explore how patterns and decorative elements elicit a sense of recognition. She references French writer Charles Baudelaire who says that it is mostly in the process of recognition that we feel at home in the world. And for him it's about capturing the permanent from the transient. "And to me, I think there's a deep sense of permanence in many of the patterns I've described in the paintings I've made for "Unifying Threads". "But I believe that that's also quite universally felt as well. People recognise black and white checkerboard tiles or Ikat rugs or grandma's quilt patterns. They all kind of carry origin stories and have travelled with these stories all over the world. And people bring patterns of home and they decorate their homes with them. And it makes them feel connected geographically, maybe back to home as well as to the new location." She has noticed it in herself in the way she has decorated her home and the rituals and routines she follows as ways of bringing her past and new lives together. "And connecting with people that want to have conversations about the same thing." In her past work she has explored passions, the desire to find order and meaning in an arbitrary and chaotic world by imposing rules and codes to help make sense of things. "But I think in "Unifying Threads", I've been thinking much more about patterns of community rather than maybe just the literal sense of a passion." However, it was not until she was in her late 30s that Beeche discovered her interest in art. She studied music at school and went on to study commerce at the University of Otago before a career in investment banking in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. "Then I did a complete 360 and went to art school." It was the result of a few life events; her second daughter arrived premature at 24 weeks and she found working was not compatible with her ongoing health issues. She found herself looking for a creative outlet so was drawing and painting and also did a jewellery making course. "Then I decided I'd like it to be more than a hobby and I wanted to study it. I knew I wanted to be a painter." Right from the beginning she had a kind of an aesthetic of old world or nostalgia and the more she looked into it during art school she realised how looking back can help people look forward. "I feel like there's a nice sort of way of keeping some of those rituals and ceremonies and the ways that we've had in the past that really could be very beneficial to life in the future." She spends most days in the studio, selecting the source material for her works and finding the structure to focus the room on whether it is a window or a doorway and then she adds the decorative elements. "Quite often what I'm looking for is sort of some recognition or spark that reminds me of something that will help me solve the painting, whether it's something from my memory banks or perhaps sometimes books I've read. Sometimes I just need a little riddle to help me figure out what element the painting needs to work." In between each body of work Beeche paints, she does watercolours and drawings to freshen herself and change her understanding of the compositional space she is working with. Her colour palette is very limited as she prefers to mix her own colours from the base primary colours. "I do think it's probably highly referential to the houses and things I saw when we travelled to my dad's family in Norway." Beeche's late father loved seeing things he recognised from his history in her paintings. "He got a great deal of enjoyment out of it." TO SEE: Unifying Threads, May 8-June 8, Te Atamira, Whakaari, Queenstown; Wire Weaving workshop with Jasmine Clark May 13, 20, 10am; charcoal drawing workshop with Tori Beeche, May 29, 10am.
Scotsman
22-04-2025
- General
- Scotsman
Seven must-read books this World Earth Day
April 22nd marks World Earth Day, and this year's theme—'Our Planet, Our Power'—urges individuals and industries around the globe to come together in support of renewable energy, with a bold goal to triple clean electricity generation by 2030. In the spirit of Earth Day, why not explore books that inspire sustainable living and a deeper connection with the natural world? Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox 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... Whether you're looking for a guide to aid your journey towards a sustainable home, reduce your carbon footprint, or understand the science behind the climate crisis, these seven thought-provoking reads will empower you—and the planet. Feel-Good Homes: How to choose the right heat pump for a comfortable, healthy, sustainable home by Drew Tozer Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Empowering homeowners to break free from the limiting 'it is what it is' mindset, NRCan-registered energy advisor Drew Tozer's revolutionary new book Feel-Good Homes demonstrates how right-sized HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) and other upgrades can be used to create comfortable, healthy, sustainable homes. World Earth Day Books With expertise in building science and heat pumps and a decade of experience in renewables and energy conservation, Tozer is passionate about breaking down science into accessible guidance for homeowners. After exploring the underlying causes of comfort and health problems – and the science behind those problems -Feel-Good Homes introduces Tozer's HAVEN method as a path for homeowners to find the right solutions within their goals, needs, and budget. HAVEN is based on Tozer's real-world experience and outlines the five most important factors for homeowners to consider when replacing HVAC or completing an energy retrofit: H – heat load A – air leakage V – value mindset E – environmental control N – necessary infrastructure Whether it's a homeowner taking their first steps to solve problems that matter to them, or someone exploring the benefits of heat pumps, Feel-Good Homesis an energising call to action. Tozer catalyses contractors and homeowners to work collaboratively using the HAVEN method to achieve remarkable results transforming average houses into feel-good homes. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad One Garden Against the World: In Search of Hope in a Changing Climate by Kate Bradbury Five years after writing her first nature memoir, The Bumblebee Flies Anyway, Kate Bradbury has a new garden. It's busy: home to all sorts of wildlife, from red mason bees and bumblebees to house sparrows, hedgehogs and dragonflies. It seems the entire frog population of Brighton and Hove breeds in her small pond each spring, and now there are toads here, too. On summer evenings, Kate watches bats flit above her and for a moment, everything seems alright with the world. But she knows habitat loss remains a huge issue in gardens, the wider countryside and worldwide, and there's another, far bigger threat: climate change. Temperature increases are starting to bite, and she worries about what that will mean for our wildlife. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In her uplifting new book, Kate writes passionately about how her climate-change anxiety pushes her to look for positive ways to keep going in a changing world. As in her first memoir, she invites you into her life, sharing stories of her mum's ongoing recovery and her adventures with her new rescue dog, Tosca. One Garden Against the World is a call to action for all of us - gardeners, communities and individuals - to do more for wildlife and more for the climate. Climate change and biodiversity loss go hand in hand, but if we work together, it's never too late to make a difference. The Big Switch: Australia's Electric Future by Saul Griffith Climate change is a planetary emergency. We have to do something now - but what? Australian visionary Saul Griffith has a plan. In The Big Switch, Griffith lays out a detailed blueprint - optimistic but feasible - for fighting climate change while creating millions of new jobs and a healthier environment. Griffith explains exactly what it would take to transform our infrastructure, update our grid, and adapt our households. The same natural advantages - incredible resources on an enormous continent - that helped Australia prosper in the 20th century are the ingredients for becoming the most prosperous, entirely renewable, economy in the world. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The point is, we don't have to be perfect to solve climate change. We just need to be electric. If we go hard and go early on cutting emissions - and if by doing so we encourage other countries to increase their ambition and follow us - we have everything to win. We'll be winning so much, we'll win, win, win, win, win. Lower energy prices for all Australians. Driving our vehicles will be cheaper than it has ever been. Heating our homes and our showers will be cheaper too. The average household will probably save $5000 a year or more on energy and car expenses.' - Saul Griffith Sustainable Energy - Without The Hot Air by David J C MacKay If you've ever wondered how much energy we use, and where it comes from – and where it could come from – but are fed up with all the hot air and 'greenwash', this is the book for you. Renewable resources are 'huge', but our energy consumption is also 'huge'. To compare 'huge' things with each other, we need numbers, not adjectives. Sustainable Energy – without the hot air addresses the energy crisis objectively, cutting through all the contradictory statements from the media, government, and lobbies of all sides. It gives you the numbers and the facts you need, in bite-sized chunks, so you can understand the issues yourself and organises a plan for change on both a personal level and an international scale – for Europe, the United States, and the world. In case study format, this informative book also answers questions surrounding nuclear energy, the potential of sustainable fossil fuels, and the possibilities of sharing renewable power with foreign countries. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Written by David MacKay, who was an esteemed Professor of Engineering at the University of Cambridge and Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Department of Climate Change, this is an uplifting, jargon-free and informative read for all. In it, David debunks misinformation and clearly explains the calculations of expenditure per person to encourage people to make individual changes that will benefit the world at large. If you've thrown your hands up in despair thinking no solution is possible, then read this book - it's an honest, realistic, and humorous discussion of all our energy options. Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet by Hannah Ritchie Feeling anxious, powerless or confused about the future of our planet? This book will transform how you see our biggest environmental problems – and how we can solve them. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It's become common to tell kids that they're going to die from climate change. We are constantly bombarded by doomsday headlines that tell us the soil won't be able to support crops, fish will vanish from our oceans, and that we should reconsider having children. But in this bold, radically hopeful book, data scientist Hannah Ritchie argues that if we zoom out, a very different picture emerges. In fact, the data shows we've made so much progress on these problems that we could be on track to achieve true sustainability for the first time in human history. Packed with the latest research, practical guidance and enlightening graphics, this book will make you rethink almost everything you've been told about the environment. From the virtues of eating locally and living in the countryside, to the evils of overpopulation, to plastic straws and palm oil , Not the End of the World will give you the tools to understand our current crisis and make lifestyle changes that actually have an impact. Hannah cuts through the noise by outlining what works, what doesn't, and what we urgently need to focus on so we can leave a sustainable planet for future generations. These problems are big. But they are solvable. We are not doomed. We can build a better future for everyone. Let's turn that opportunity into reality. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Cheaper, Faster, Better: How We'll Win the Climate War by Tom Steyer Renowned investor and climate champion Tom Steyer gives us a unique and unvarnished perspective on how we can all fight climate change—joyfully, knowledgeably, and even profitably—at a time of unparalleled consequence and opportunity. Every day the news is filled with stories of extreme weather that threatens our cities, our health, our tornadoes wiping out whole communities; droughts that ignite catastrophic wildfires; storms flooding roads and destroying infrastructure; rising water levels that jeopardize entire nations; new climate-related diseases that threaten our health. Just as World War II raised an existential threat that united Americans in a common cause, the dangers of climate change are similarly challenging all of our previously held notions of the future—and our only hope, as Tom Steyer sees it, is to unite together to take action in a collective movement akin to a war effort. Steyer has been on the forefront of the climate war for well over a decade, leveraging his investment expertise, business knowledge, and community-organizing skills to support sustainable climate solutions. In this accessible book—aimed at reaching everyone from Wall Street investors to college students—he explains how capitalism is an effective tool for scaling climate progress, offers his candid take on fossil fuel enablers, and explains why immediate action on the climate front will not only be our key to a healthy and viable future but also an investment in the future of our economy. Steyer tells his own story of coming to understand the urgency of climate action, and, in short, interstitial chapters, he showcases the inspiring work of people on the front lines, whose innovative approaches provide hope for meaningful change. The urgency to act is imperative—and time is running out—and yet Steyer feels confident that we will win this war, precisely because there has never before been a moment more necessary or more rewarding to come together to secure a healthy future for ourselves and the planet. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Good News, Planet Earth: What's Being Done to Save Our World, and What You Can Do Too! by Sam Bentley Join sustainability enthusiast and climate activist Sam Bentley as he shares the hopeful developments combating climate change! Do you feel like climate change is just getting worse and there's nothing you can do to stop it? Good news-there are tons of efforts already underway to save our planet, and we'd love for you to join the fight. Good News, Planet Earth!is your go-to guide to learn all about the amazing sustainable developments that are happening worldwide to combat global warming, pollution, deforestation, the use of wasteful products, and threats to our diverse wildlife. Inside you'll find: Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad · 25 chapters covering ocean-cleanup innovations, composting initiatives, animal rights activism, efforts to greenify public spaces, solar power advancements, public transportation solutions, and more! · 100 actionable steps you can take to fight climate change and live more sustainably!
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dixon council OKs enterprise zone expansion to cover new businesses near Amboy, Byron nuclear plant upgrades
Feb. 5—DIXON — The Dixon City Council approved three ordinances Monday in support of expanding the Lee-Ogle County Enterprise Zone's boundaries to include three upcoming developments in rural Lee and Ogle counties. The proposed new boundaries would include a project between Amboy and Sublette that involves building an entertainment complex along with a separate bar and restaurant, increasing the power output at the Byron nuclear plant, and adding another building to HA International's existing manufacturing plant just outside Oregon, Lee-Ogle Enterprise Zone Administrator Andy Shaw said in an interview with Shaw Local. The enterprise zone, created through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, is designed to stimulate economic growth by offering state and local tax incentives to projects within the zone. Expanding it will ultimately go to the IDCEO for final approval, but its advisory board is first seeking approval from all local governments within the zone. The process is expected to take several months, Shaw said. Ordinances to expand it were approved by the Lee County Board on Jan. 23, the Ogle County Board on Jan. 21 and the Rochelle City Council on Jan. 27. The first map amendment approved by the Dixon council includes about 10.61 acres for two separate developments called Fun on 52 and Pub & Patio along Route 52 between Amboy and Sublette. Pub & Patio, formerly Sublette Saloon at 1831 Tower Road, will be a bar and grill restaurant. Next to that existing building, developer Sanjay Desai plans to add an entertainment space featuring bowling, ax throwing and other activities, Desai said in an interview with Shaw Local. Desai's other project, known as Fun on 52, is planned to be a family oriented amusement complex with golf activities and go-karts. The facility will be all new construction off of Route 52 near the Mendota Hills Campground in Amboy, he said. Pub & Patio is expected to open late 2025 while Fun on 52 will take at least a few years to complete, Desai said. He expects to hire about 15 to 20 employees between both projects. Another amendment involves a project to increase power output at the Byron Nuclear Plant. Constellation, an energy company based in Baltimore, plans to replace six low-pressure turbines, two high-pressure turbines and update the electrical system. The new turbines will generate an additional 79 to 80 megawatts of energy, Ryan Tozer, Constellation's manager of local government affairs, said Monday. Tozer said the new turbines are larger, which makes them spin faster, which then generates more energy. Constellation plans to invest more than $355 million in the project and it's expected to be completed in 2029. Throughout construction, Constellation will be looking to hire between 500 and 600 contractional employees during four windows, Tozer said. "It's a major investment and a lot of workers to the regional area," Tozer said at the Lee County Board meeting on Jan. 23. The last amendment is for a project at HA International in rural Ogle County, west of Oregon on Devils Back Bone Road south of Pines Road. The company plans to expand its existing plant by bringing an improved production line from one of the company's sites in Ohio, Shaw said. That expansion would include constructing a new building to manufacture a product called feeders to be used in the metal-casting industry. It will cost about $10 million to complete, create 17 new manufacturing jobs in the short term and 56 new jobs over the course of about 10 years, Shaw said. The zone's expansion is beneficial to project developers, but they don't have to wait for it to be approved to move forward with their plans, Shaw said. Still, he expects that most of them will because if not, they could miss out on the full benefits of building within the zone, which includes two major benefits related to new construction, Shaw said. One is a sales tax exemption on all building materials related to the project, which comes out to about 8% savings at the beginning of the project. The second is property tax abatements if the assessed property value increases after construction is completed, Shaw said. As for the local governments within the zone, its expansion "is significant because of the percentages we try to keep balanced between Lee and Ogle counties in terms of acreage," Dixon Mayor Glen Hughes said Monday. The map amendments add about 11 acres to Lee County's portion of the zone and roughly 200 acres — a majority of it for the Byron Nuclear Plant — to Ogle County's portion. If the state approves the expansion, Lee County will have a total of 5,354.27 acres included in the zone and Ogle County will have 6,128.79 acres, according to the ordinances. It's also significant in terms of future development availability, Hughes said. The state limits the zone's total coverage area to 12,800 acres. This expansion would grow its total coverage area to 11,483 acres, which leaves about 1,316 acres available for future use, Shaw said. "We feel pretty comfortable that we're OK with future needs, but there are some other tricks we can do to create some space, too," Shaw said. "This is somewhat unusual that we need to amend the map," he said. Typically, developers will build within the zone's established boundaries, attracted by its tax benefits.
