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Around The World

Around the world – April 2015

Northern Lights The Northern Lights blaze across the Arctic skies in Sweden when charged particles discharged by the Sun reach Earth’s atmosphere on solar winds and then collide with gaseous particles. The different gases produce different colours, usually pale light greens and pinks. And because of Swedish Lapland’s proximity to the magnetic north, it makes it a hot spot for the phenomenon. The Northern Lights appear around the beginning of September (Kiruna) to around the end of March all over Swedish Lapland. But for the very best chance of seeing the Northern Lights, you should make the trip to the Aurora Sky Station in Abisko National Park. A chairlift takes you up to the observation tower, as well as the station’s Northern Lights exhibition. You will need to dress warmly though because it is in the Arctic Circle.Surrounded by mountains, Abisko is known for its clear skies, so there’s a good chance of seeing this fantastic heavenly show. National Cherry Blossom Festival If you have had enough of cold weather and are ready for spring, instead of heading to Lapland, you can head to our nation’s capitol and take part in the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which happens every year from mid-March to mid-April. The National Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates spring in Washington, D.C., the gift of the cherry trees and the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan (who gave the cherry trees to the city). The Festival produces and coordinates daily events featuring diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty and community spirit. Events are primarily free and open to the public. But one of the best parts is just walking through the city and seeing it in full bloom.

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What’s It Like To be

Financial Planner

Please tell our readers a little bit about yourself. My name is Chelse Stevens. I am an Account Executive with Fidelity Investments in Knoxville, Tenn. I have been helping individuals reach their financial goals for more than five years. I went to Maryville College in Maryville, Tenn., where I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in business and minors in accounting and Spanish. I also played soccer and tennis. I was named a candidate for Woman of the Year with the Leukemia Lymphoma Society for my philanthropic work in the community. I started my career with Capital Financial Group as a Financial Planner and transitioned to Fidelity as an Account Executive in 2014. I have a handsome husband and two rambunctious dogs (Lucca and Nola). What does a financial planner do? A financial planner helps people understand how the money they earn can work harder for them. Our job and passion is to help people navigate one of the most important topics to them: personal finance. I help people figure out how to take care of not only themselves, but their families for the long run. My goal is to make their lives more enjoyable because they have confidence that the money they saved could be enough for them to live the kind of life they want to enjoy. Why is financial planning important? Think of a financial planner like your family practice doctor who makes sure that all of your vitals are good and keeps you healthy. A financial planner does the same thing for your finances. It’s really important to make sure you or someone you trust is watching your money so it is doing what it needs to do to take care of your family now, and for the long haul. When/how did you know you wanted to be a financial planner? I realized I wanted to be a financial planner when I was a senior in college. Ever since I started working at the age of 13, I had always been good with money, and I enjoyed the finance part of what I learned in college. I met a financial planner when I was a senior and realized that was what I wanted to do in life: help people deal with money. What kind of training does it take to be a financial planner? There are a lot of different training programs for becoming a financial planner. First, they should have a college degree, preferably in business of some kind. Then they must get a license that qualifies them to talk about different financial options. Then, after three years in the business, they can test for their CFP (Certified Financial Planner) designation. Even after you get your certifications, you must take extra continuing education courses to stay current with your licenses. I am always learning! What is a typical day like for you? Each day I come into the office and look at my task list to see what I have planned for the day – whose plan do I need to work on before they come in? Whom do I need to call to wish a “Happy Birthday?” Whom am I meeting with today? On a typical day, I meet someone new to help, but I also continue to help existing clients. Every day I learn something new, for instance, about a new financial tool that people might have questions about or how to fix a new numbers problem for a client so that they can be confident about their finances. I also learn about what’s happening in the stock market. What do you love most about your job? I love that moment after you have helped someone with their financial plan. There is a sense of relief and gratitude for making the process easy, and knowing that they now have one less thing to worry about. What are some challenges that come with your job? Because money is a very personal topic, and sometimes difficult to understand, there can be a “language barrier” when explaining how personal finance works. Educating people to help them understand what some of the industry terms mean in plain language is an important part of what I do. What is something interesting that most people don’t know about financial planning? Many people don’t realize that financial planners can help you manage your paycheck after you retire. It’s also not uncommon for us to share in the personal life events that matter most to people, like the loss of a loved one or the birth of a child. We communicate with people not only about money, but also about the moments that matter most in their lives. What do you like to do when you are not working? When I’m not working, I like to spend time with my husband Scott and our two boxer dogs, Lucca and Nola. We enjoy hiking, playing sports and spending time with our friends and family in lovely Knoxville, Tenn. Do you have any tips for parents and kids about money and finances? Save, save, save. Keep the experience visual and use a clear jar for saving. Make it a family affair. Also, know that this is a process of trial and error. Parents can also think about matching their kids’ savings. For example, if the kids saved $20 towards a long-term goal, the parents can match a portion of their savings amount. This is especially helpful when kids are saving towards larger items, like a bike, car or college. Overall, our parents are our role models when it comes to developing healthy habits: saving, spending less than you make and keeping track of what you have. If, as a parent, you don’t know whether you have the tools readily available to set a good standard, turn to professionals, friends and other resources that can help coach you on your way. Fidelity has a Viewpoint article on Fidelity.com about how parents can help their kids learn more about money: www.fidelity.com/viewpoints/tips-for-raising-a-saver. Thanks so…

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Wildville

Domestic Pig

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Suidae Genus: Sus Species: S. scrofa Subspecied: domesticus Pigs were first domesticated from the wild boar in China around 4900 BC. They were domesticated in Europe in 1500 BC. The very first pigs were brought to America by Christopher Columbus, who took eight pigs on his trip to Cuba in 1493. Pigs didn’t really take hold in America after that first voyage, however. It wasn’t until Hernando de Soto brought them to Tampa, Florida, in 1539. He started with a herd of 13 pigs, and after three years, the herd grew to around 700. Of course some of the pigs escaped from the herd into the wild and were the ancestors to the wild pigs that can still be found today. Colonists and pioneers continued to bring pigs along to help start their lives in the new world because they are hearty and travel well. The domesticated pig most likely began with two different breeds, one native to Asia and one native to Europe. Since then, through breeding, many different kinds of domestic pigs exist, each kind slightly different in how much fat it produces or in taste. The Romans began changing the traits of pigs through more advanced farming techniques. They bred one pig specifically to produce fat and one to produce meat. Here are some interesting facts about Domestic Pigs: Iowa is the top pig producer in the U.S. Pigs are omnivores; they eat plants and meat. They have a very strong sense of smell. Pigs are even smarter than dogs. Full-grown pigs weigh between 300 and 700 pounds. They have terrible eyesight. A pig’s snout is very sensitive to the touch and smell, so pigs use it to root around for food. They live for between 12 and 27 years. They are usually about 2 feet tall. They can run 11 miles per hour. A male pig is a boar. A female pig is a sow. They have a much better sense of taste than do humans.

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Where in the World

Wall St.

Wall Street isn’t just a street; it is an area in New York City that is known as the financial district. Its reputation began with traders gathering and working in the area during the Revolutionary War, and it grew tremendously from there.Now, Wall Street is home to the largest stock exchange in the world, The New York Stock Exchange, and many, many other important financial businesses. It is an important area geographically, financially and politically. Wall Street is called by that name because in 1653, there was actually a wall there. It was a 12-foot-high wooden wall built along the northern edge of the Dutch colony New Amsterdam by Peter Stuyvesant for the Dutch West India Company to protect the colony from the British and other local threats. The Dutch called it de Waal Straat, and even after the British dismantled the wall, the name for the area stuck. Here are some other facts about Wall Street: • Wall St. is eight blocks from Broadway to South Street and is about a half mile long. • It is the second-largest Global Financial Center in the World; London is first. • Trading begins every morning at 9:30 a.m. with an opening bell. • Trading ends every afternoon at 4 p.m. with the closing bell. • Famous people are often invited to ring the bells. • George Washington’s inauguration in 1789 took place on the balcony of Federal Hall in Wall Street. • The busiest corner of the district is the intersection of Wall and Broad Street. • There are 2,764 listed securities in the New York Stock Exchange, the largest in the world. • The stock exchange has grown from 533 seats in 1868 to 1,366 seats now. • The New York Stock Exchange was not the first stock exchange in America; the Philadelphia Stock Exchange was founded in 1790. • The first listed company on the New York Stock Exchange was the Bank of New York.

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Kids

Snow and Ice

You know that heavy rain can cause flooding, but did you know that snow and ice can also cause flooding? When temperatures start to warm each spring, the threat of flooding grows across the part of the country that spent the winter in a deep freeze. In northern U.S. states like Alaska, North Dakota and Wisconsin, and also in the mountains of the Western U.S., temperatures during the winter mostly stay below freezing. This means all the snow that falls in this area hangs around until it is warm enough to melt. Once it does start to melt, the run-off from the snowmelt will head for nearby creeks, rivers, lakes and reservoirs, and may cause these bodies of water to overflow their banks. It is possible for that same flood to affect areas well downstream of where the flooding originated. For example, almost every spring flooding on the Mississippi River starts in the Upper Midwest as the temperatures warm and the snow and ice start to melt. All that additional water causes the Mississippi River to spill over its banks in the north. As this excess of water travels down the river towards the Gulf of Mexico, many areas that didn’t receive much snowfall over the winter still experience the flooding that is happening due to the snowfall in the north. Thick ice also forms on some rivers and creeks during the winter. When the temperatures start to warm, the ice starts to melt and it weakens enough to crack and break apart into chunks. As ice is carried downstream, it may get caught on any sort of obstruction to the water flow, such as a downed tree, further blocking the water’s ability to flow. When this occurs, water can be held back, causing upstream flooding. When the jam finally breaks, typically because of further ice melting, flooding can occur downstream. Ice only six inches thick can destroy large trees and knock houses off their foundations. Once an ice jam gives way, a location may experience a flash flood as all the water and debris that were trapped rush downstream. This is why it is important to know when a nearby river is impacted by an ice jam and to avoid the area until the ice jam has been resolved. The National Weather Service provides river forecasts so that you will know when a river might flood and can stay safe by avoiding that area. Visit www.water.weather.gov for the latest river forecast information. This flooding in downtown Davenport, Iowa, from the Mississippi River was caused by snowmelt.

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Letter From Truman

Mar 2015 – Letter from Truman

Hi, Kids! I just got my allowance. I am saving up for a new toy, and I almost have enough to buy it! I am thinking about asking my parents if I can do extra chores so I can earn the money faster. Then I can get my toy sooner than I thought. Money sure can make things complicated sometimes. I am glad that my parents are teaching me about how important it is to save a portion of my money and to give some to help others, too. You can read more about money and how important it is to be responsible with your money in the “Connections” section. Did you know that there are people who get paid to help others manage their money? In “What’s It Like to Be…,” I chat with Chelse Stevens about her job as a financial planner. If I had $100, I wonder what she would suggest I do with it. What would you do if you had $100?

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Space Place

The Largest Asteroid Doesn’t Quite Cut It As a Planet

From a distance, Ceres might look a bit like any other planet you might see. It’s spherical, after all, and that’s one of the biggest requirements of planethood. But put it next to any other planet, and you would quickly see that it is seriously tiny. It’s not even 1/5th the size of Mercury, which is the tiniest planet in the solar system. This small size is one of the reasons why Ceres is classified as a dwarf planet. Its location, floating amongst thousands of bits of other space rock in the Asteroid Belt, is another clue that it hasn’t reached full planethood. For a space object to be honored with the title “planet,” it has to have enough gravity to clear away all the junk around it. But, alas, poor Ceres can’t muster that kind of gravitational strength. Still, amongst the other asteroids, Ceres is a giant. Because of this, it is considered both a dwarf planet and the largest asteroid — the only dwarf planet/asteroid in our solar system. It is also the closest dwarf planet to Earth. The others, including famed Pluto, are all near or beyond the orbit of Neptune. But it’s really hard to see. It’s tiny, after all, and it’s also not especially bright. We haven’t really had a chance to take a close look. That is about to change! After more than seven years of travel, a trusty spacecraft named Dawn is fast approaching Ceres. It has already begun to take pictures. As it gets closer and closer, those pictures will become clearer and clearer. It has already revealed a cratered surface. By March, it will enter into orbit around Ceres, giving us all kinds of new information about this mysterious little world. When it does that, it will become the first spacecraft ever to visit a dwarf planet!

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Movie Reviews for Kids by Kids

Paddington

Paddington is a great adventure, with lots of twists and turns. This film is playful, comedic and enjoyable and definitely a great film for friends and family. Paddington (Ben Whishaw, voice) is a rare breed of bear that travels all alone to London. He wants to find a home after his is destroyed. While there, he discovers that it’s not what he expects, but finds a family that’s willing to take him in and look after him for just a little while. This is when everyone’s adventure begins. Paddington is so outgoing and adorable. You can’t help but love this bear. He has an innocent way about him, but still is a little mischievous and gets into trouble. The visual effects and fur look very real and life-like. Nicole Kidman’s character (Millicent) is very determined to add Paddington to her collection of stuffed animals. She will stop at nothing to get him. She’s fierce, frightening and intimidating. I love the story line, humor and definitely the action. I liked that the climax of this film is very unpredictable and shocks the audience. My favorite character would have to be Paddington. He truly thinks of the wellbeing of others, and his curiosity is adorable. He reminds you of a child learning new things. A scene that I would call my favorite is when Paddington tries to return a wallet to a man that dropped it out of his pocket while walking out of an antique shop. Paddington chases him, trying to get the wallet to him. Finally, he catches up with the man by falling on him from the air. When he falls on the man, they both tumble down and about 30 wallets fall out of the man’s coat. Paddington catches a pickpocket and ends up in the paper on his first day in London. It’s a very comical scene that makes the audience crack up. One of the messages of this film is that families are not made up just by the people who are related to us, but friends and even animals can be a part of our family. I recommend Paddington for ages 8 to 16. However, it’s great for the whole family and anyone who loves bears. It’s rated PG, and there’s nothing really you would need to look out for. I give it 5 out of 5 stars. It’s a great film that makes you feel good, so please check it out. Video review here: http://youtu.be/wo4A3uyYKyc

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Kidsville Kitchen

Save Time on Weeknight Meal Prep

With so many dishes requiring time-consuming special preparation, you may find yourself looking for ways to shave a little time. The key is to buy back precious minutes without sacrificing the taste and quality your loved ones expect when they gather for a week night meal. To ensure you’re always ready to create delicious dinners, keep these tips in mind: • Build recipes around staples you already have on hand, to shave off some grocery shopping time. To create a variety of dishes, keep a ready stash of basic items like rice, pasta, potatoes and a large assortment of herbs and spices. • Look for ingredients that offer convenience, such as being pre-cooked or pre-measured. For example, Success Boil-in-Bag Rice is a 10-minute quick-cooking long grain rice, which is pre-measured in a convenient colander bag that can be prepared on the stove or in the microwave. • Save time slicing, dicing and chopping by using frozen or store-prepared fruits and vegetables. Cutting preparation time will leave you free to focus on tending to another dish, or spending more time with your family. With a few time-saving measures in place, you’ll have a dinner so tasty no one will even wonder what shortcuts you took along the way. You’ll also be free to experiment with new recipes, such as this delicious, sweet and crunchy Apple Walnut Dressing. Apple Walnut Dressing 1 bag Success® White Rice or Success® Brown Rice 1 tart green apple, cored and chopped 2 tablespoons lemon juice nonstick cooking spray 4 ounces bulk turkey sausage 3/4 cup chopped onions 1/2 cup chopped fresh celery 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 1/4 cup raisins 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/8 teaspoon dried sage 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1/4 cup honey Prepare rice according to package directions. Combine apple and lemon juice in large bowl; mix lightly. Set aside. Spray large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Crumble sausage into prepared skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned, stirring occasionally. Add onions, celery, walnuts and raisins; cook until crisp-tender. Add apple mixture, seasonings and sage; cook and stir 3 minutes. Add rice, broth and honey; heat thoroughly, stirring constantly.

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Kids

Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol is one of America’s most talented and famous artists. He is most known for his unique and quirky style of paintings. When Warhol was eight, he caught a disease that forced him to spend a lot of time in bed. To help him pass the time, his mother taught him how to draw. Warhol quickly fell in love with the pastime; this was the beginning of his career as an artist. Warhol was already popular, but he really became famous when he revealed his idea of Pop Art in 1961. When Warhol was painting, art was a very serious thing that focused on themes like morals, mythology and religion. Warhol thought that art should be more fun. He also felt that artists could find inspiration and make beautiful and important works from everyday objects in life. Pop Art focuses on popular icons in a culture like movie stars, hamburgers or soda and depicts them in bright colors. Often, the paintings are several versions of one subject in different colors and textures. Pop Art was also different from the standards of the time because it often combined different media. A work could be a mix of painting, photography and other styles. • Pop art made people question what defines good art. • One of Warhol’s most famous works is pictures of brightly colored soup cans. • His painting of Elvis called “Eight Elvises” sold for $100 million in 2008. • His studio was called “The Factory.” • He also wrote books in the 1970s. • Warhol died at the age of 58 on February 22, 1987. • His original name was Andrew Warhola. • He worked for Glamour Magazine in the 1950s. • While working for the magazine, he became a very popular commercial artist, especially for the way he drew shoes. • He was born in 1928. • His parents were immigrants from Slovakia. • He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. • One of his very first famous paintings was of a soup can. • At the gallery opening, autographed soup cans were sold for $6 each. • He claimed that he ate this soup for most of the lunches of his life.

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