Our local community is distraught as Rachel Jacobs z”l(daughter of Gilda and John Jacobs) was on that doomed Amtrak train headed from DC to NYC. Chaos and tragedy ensued after the speeding train (travelling twice the limit) crashed and killed 8 people in Philadelphia while injuring hundreds of others. Rachel was only 39 and was robbed of many vibrant years ahead to raise her family and continue her passions. Rachel grew up in the very tight knit community of Huntington Woods where the neighborhood is an extended family. Her parents are beloved and highly respected community leaders whose connections are deep and extensive.  Grief is heavy in the hearts and minds of all who know the Jacobs family. Prayers and condolences to all the victims and families of this senseless tragedy.

Rachel and her family

More deadly news occurred again in Nepal this week. After suffering a death toll of over 8,000 people from the last earthquake, another massive 7.3 quake hit the devastated country on Tuesday. Dozens more people have died with the count still rising.  Many people and organizations are working tirelessly to assist the Nepalese, but one dedicated Detroiter, Dr. Richard Keidan, has been connected to Nepal since the early 80s and has put his passion for this remote country at the forefront of his philanthropy. Detroit2Nepal was formed in 2010 and has since raised appreciated support for the people of Nepal. This past weekend, they raised funds through the Over the Edge event that set adventure seeking Detroiters repelling down one of our downtown skyscrapers. http://detroit2nepal.org/

As the weekend to honor Mothers has just past, this might be a good time to lament about our unhealthy U.S. maternity leave policy. Only us and the tiny countries of Suriname and Papua New Guinea (do you even know where those countries are…?) require no maternity paid leave compared to the former Soviet Union region which (financially) pampers their new mothers for a full year. This policy also affects our employment stats. As you can see by this map, Canada is gracious with their new moms which reflects in a higher percentage of women in the workforce…82% vs our 74%. However, if you live in NY, NJ, HI, CA or RI, these states do provide some form of paid leave. The health of our moms and babies would benefit greatly from a bit more mothering.  John Oliver did a segment on his show last weekend that highlighted this issue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIhKAQX5izw

Light blue: 26-15 weeks,  Dark blue: 52 weeks or more

Now, some of you might find the next video a bit too progressive for your taste buds but I wholeheartedly agree on these 5 points to help make our country’s workplaces more family friendly.

If  “Women on 20s” got their way, our underground railway matriarch, Ms. Harriet Tubman, would soon be gracing our $20 bills and replacing the punim  of Andrew Jackson. With the tallies counted, Harriet surpassed Eleanor Roosevelt

On a related story, officials are asking Canadians to stop tampering with their $5 bill in memory of

Leonard Nimoy:

I am a firm believer that happiness is derived from appreciating joyous moments in life and from giving your (time, help, money, assistance…) to those in need.

Nataly Kogan, after trailblazing the corporate world, researched the studies of happiness and developed an app ( https://www.happier.com/ ) that can assist us in increasing our happiness levels.  Nataly’s journey (via Russia to Detroit) is spotlighted in this 15 minute Ted Talk and worth the viewing for her inspiration on Happiness.

And for 10 quick and easy tips, try these on for size:

https://www.happier.com/blog/how-to-be-happier-10-ways-to-infuse-every-day-with-joy

Can you match these location (Chicago, South Carolina, Ann Arbor) with their achievement…?

1. Millennials favorite place to live.

2. Home to Obama Library

3. Recipient of every Teacher’s grant requests

The answers:  Ann Arbor is where millennials want to live. Obama chose Chicago and Stephen Colbert funded every SC public teacher’s educational grant request to the tune of $800,000.

Bravo to…

We are proud of our talented banjo playing daughter,

Kudos to Fashion Forward niece,

http://www.dbusiness.com/May-June-2015/2015-Champions-of-the-New-Economy/#.VVJnsflVhBd

Smart Choice as

was chosen #3 Must Read

in honor of World Book Day (May 14).

Ditto on the Smart Choice of Canada and Michigan to name our new bridge after the beloved (by both homes)

Last but definitely not least, Bravo, to dear husband,

for his finalist status of the

Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award:

http://www.ey.com/US/en/About-us/Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneur-Of-The-Year/MNWO_article_finalists

Wishing you and your loved ones a

Lisa