| Beverley tops value poll
Householders searching for the best possible lifestyle at the best possible price should move to Beverley. The schools, restaurants and property prices put the Yorkshire town top of the Royal Bank of Scotland's "affordable affluence" survey. Maidstone in Kent came second while Chester was third. The survey considered positive "lifestyle indicators" in each town and the prices charged for them. These included upmarket restaurants, bars, museums, galleries, gyms, top-performing state schools and motor dealerships. .
Israel at Ease
Buttery local olive oil, hinting of spice, sampled on a breezy afternoon beneath a cardamom tree. Chardonnay so crisp you can almost smell the vines. Couples in plush cotton robes wandering the manicured lawns of a mountaintop spa. Cozy coffee shops, cutting-edge art galleries, designer fashions, sleek boutique hotels, cuisine rivaling any gourmet menu. This is the Israel that Lin Arison wants people to know. Not just the Israel of labels - Holy Land, cradle of civilization, powder keg - but a living, bubbling land of pottery makers and glassblowers, savvy chefs and Wine Spectator-worthy vintages. In this Israel, the Gaza Strip strife that dominates headlines seems a world away. "Everyone who comes here says the same thing, that it feels so safe," says Arison, who splits her time between Miami and Tel Aviv.
PEORIA: District 150 and union negotiating
PEORIA - District 150's cafeteria employees won't face outsourcing this school year because the district has decided to keep its current food service arrangement in place. But issues like pay and insurance are still up in the air because the employees' union is currently in contract negotiations with District 150. The union - the Peoria Federation of Support Staff Local 6099 - also represents clerical and paraprofessional employees. Raises aren't budgeted for the union, which was news to the union president when informed by the Journal Star on Monday. "We're not accepting that as an answer. … Any non-financial gain proposal would really be unacceptable at this point," Local 6099 President Debbie Chavez said. If raises are bargained, it could impact the district's balanced budget, which is expected to be adopted at Tuesday's School Board meeting.
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