Posts tagged ‘earrings’

Deaf woman to receive first implant

By admin, 31 August, 2010, No Comment

The UK’s first operation to fit a single cochlear implant to radically improve the hearing of a severely deaf woman takes place today.Nursing Times Learning

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Different styles, coaches still add up to success

By admin, 28 August, 2010, No Comment

During Shawn Roed’s coaching tenure at Duluth East, the girls soccer program was the picture of stability.

After two stints as an assistant, Roed became head coach for 10 seasons before taking over the school’s activities director role in 2008.

Now, with Steve Polkowski moving from the boys program to the girls, the Greyhounds are on their fourth coach in four years.

"We had some continuity go

Discounts may be major legal hurdle

By admin, 18 August, 2010, 3 Comments

Editor’s note: This is the last in a series on Portsmouth’s effort to create a new provision in its zoning ordinance called a "Continuing Care Retirement Community."

PORTSMOUTH — Creating a Continuing Care Retirement Community that caters to both the wallets and residential preference of locals may be more difficult than originally thought.

Throughout the process of creating a CCRC provision in the city’s new zoning ordinance, City Council members have raised concerns about the cost of independent living units at the proposed Borthwick Village development and their availability to local residents.

Proposed by developer Michael Kane, the project involves a 37-acre site between Borthwick Avenue and Islington Street. As currently proposed, the Borthwick Village CCRC would include 330 independent-living units, 50 assisted-living units/beds and 30 skilled-nursing beds.

Councilors’ concerns include how the cost of the units relate to incomes of city residents who may consider the community as a living option,money clips, and whether locals would have better opportunity to relocate to the CCRC.

Councilor Tony Coviello said the pair of concerns is based off a larger one that deals with the city creating opportunities for housing the "next generation of families." As a former Planning Board member, Coviello is perhaps the most fine-tuned member of the council when it comes to the CCRC debate. "The thought process is that the elderly are holding on to their houses and have nowhere else to go," he said. "Their assets are their houses."

Given that assertion, Coviello said the question of "how do we free up housing stock by providing new elderly housing?" has popped up. If the elderly could gain a benefit from putting their home or condominium up for sale and moving to a CCRC, concerns of providing housing for younger families could be considerably mitigated,earrings, he said.

Calling it "just an idea," Coviello acknowledges the idea of creating a benefit still needs to be fully vetted by the city.

Over the past several months,Bead bracelet, in an attempt to pursue the idea, the council has suggested two options that could provide benefits for city residents. In a memo to the council, Planning Director Rick Taintor lays out both options suggested by councilors.

Residents could have either a "one-time 20 percent discount of the selected unit’s entrance fee (at the entrance date)" or "a 30 percent discount of the monthly service for the entirety of occupancy of the facility, regardless of unit type."

Councilors also suggested a 10-percent discount.

In his memo, Taintor tells the council such conditions could potentially be added to the draft CCRC provisions and included in a development agreement, though, Taintor notes, the conditions would be difficult to monitor and enforce over time.

Kane said the development, if constructed, would be "affordable" and priced almost identically to RiverWoods at Exeter,tiffany, a similar CCRC-type development. Having hired an economist to conduct various comparisons of affordability, Kane said he envisions his CCRC to be "right in the sweet spot for the middle to upper class" senior citizens.

Despite the city’s recommendations and Kane’s willingness to discuss affordability, City Attorney Bob Sullivan recently informed the council there are legal and policy concerns with a provision that allows for a percentage reduction in unit purchase prices for city residents.

"Any city ordinance which creates classifications of persons (i.e. residents versus nonresidents) is open to the legal challenge that the ordinance violates the constitutional requirement of equal protection by treating the classifications of persons differently from each other," according to Sullivan’s memorandum. "While I am not concluding that such provisions would certainly violate that constitutional concept, the question would exist, and thus opens the door to future legal challenges."

Sullivan cites two examples as a basis for his concerns. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Sullivan said a developer who planned the redevelopment of Mariner’s Village proposed to the city that he would pay $2,500 per unit on the sale of each unit in a planned condominium development to allow the city to offset increased municipal costs generated by the development. Only two years later, the developer was able to repudiate the agreement and walk away from the obligation by claiming it was constitutionally impermissible for the city to have entered into the agreement, Sullivan said.

"The possibility of a repeat of that unfortunate history is clear in the event that the city adopts an ordinance which raises any constitutional issues," Sullivan said.

A similar situation in which the city’s efforts to adopt and implement controls over unit prices in connection with a proposed housing development in Atlantic Heights several years ago posed similar problems. Sullivan said the example convinced him an "administrative mechanism" to accomplish a such a goal would need to be complex and would be subject to possible manipulation by future property owners.

"Further problems could exist in distinguishing true Portsmouth residents from the ‘straw’ purchasers or persons from elsewhere who found a way to use a Portsmouth address in making the purchase," according to Sullivan.

While the city attorney said he believes the proposed concept cannot be ruled "absolutely impermissible," he contends there are serious reservations that should be contemplated by the council during consideration.

In terms of residential preference, the city also attempted to craft avenues to ensure city residents get first dibs on the units. More than one councilor proposed the residential preference options.

One option includes ensuring one-third of all independent living units be exclusively available to city residents for a period of no less than one year from either completion, occupancy date or occupancy date to the general public.

Other options include making a proportion of unit types for city residents the same as the total units to the general public, and requiring a proportion of city residents in the community to be maintained as close to one-third as possible.

Taintor notes Kane has stated he would agree to a type of residential preference condition, but only with "appropriate protections if not enough local residents apply for units."

"We’re from Portsmouth," Kane said. "We’ve been doing business in Portsmouth for a long time. Our preference is to see Portsmouth residents in there."

Kane said he would "absolutely" work with the city in terms of residential preference. Despite his willingness to work with planners, the city again contends the conditions could be difficult to monitor and enforce, and would require additional staff and/or financial resources for monitoring and enforcement.

Tonight’s city council work session

Very little has changed since the council last met for a work session on the CCRC in June. Taintor said the only major changes made to the ordinance involve adding a provision that the Planning Board can engage independent consultants at the developer’s cost during the land-use process, and a provision that ensures ongoing tax revenues even if the development converts to a nontaxable charity or nonprofit.

Kane said he feels as if the project is a good one and tonight’s work session will hopefully draw some sort of conclusion. "Hopefully we’re getting toward the end of the process," he said. "I think (the council) will work through whatever remaining issues they have."

For Coviello, the end may not be as close as some would like to think. "I suspect by the end of the work session we will either have decided to not move forward or move on," he said. "I don’t expect 100 percent agreement."

Learning to Discount All Those Juicy Discount Offe

By admin, 18 August, 2010, 1 Comment

Sometime this fall, Target will begin offering a 5% discount to customers who use its credit card for their purchases at the chain. So is this a good deal — or not?

Just about every discount offer raises the same question, since it is genuinely difficult to assess what a fair price really is. In most cases, discounts are intended to entice us to spend more, not less. Target says, for instance, that it hopes its offer will prompt its "better and best" customers to buy more at its stores, boosting its sales.

Therein lies my conundrum: My family buys most of its groceries at SuperTarget, and we spent close to $5,000 at the chain’s discount stores in 2009. So the offer would save us money — close to $250 a year — and I might be able to avoid trips to other stores.

Switching cards, however, would mean giving up the benefits of our travel-rewards card, which we estimate are worth $80 to $100 a year on our Target purchases. It also requires carrying around another credit card, paying another bill and — worse — trying to resist the temptation to buy extra, unnecessary stuff because of the discount.

While saving money is important, many discount offers have a darker side. Here are some of the ways we get lulled into thinking we are getting a good deal when we may not be:

– Membership has its delusions. In a 2007 paper on membership fees such as those charged by Costco, Harvard Business School professor Michael I. Norton and Columbia Business School professor Leonard Lee found that consumers equated the fees with especially low prices, even when the prices weren’t all that great. Assuming they were getting great deals, shoppers tended to stock up, spending more than they planned and buying "enough pasta to outlive a nuclear winter,rings," according to the professors.

When we pay for something in advance,earrings, we want to get the full value. So those who subscribe to Amazon.com’s Amazon Prime service, paying $79 for a year’s worth of two-day shipping, are more likely to spend more on the website, just as we might pig out at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

– Loyalty is expensive. My own wallet is full of loyalty cards — Chico’s, Barnes & Noble and Staples, to name a few — all intended to reward high-volume customers. The average consumer belongs to six such programs, says Joseph Nunes, a marketing professor at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business. Once we belong, we are likely to spend more to qualify for a coupon or earn cash back — and then forget to spend it.

"All loyalty programs count on a certain percentage of consumers not redeeming," Prof. Nunes notes. In addition, he says, "once you get closer and closer to a reward, you want it more and more" and may spend more to get it.

– Free is seductive. Various studies have found that many people will respond more positively to an offer that appears free, even if it really isn’t. For example, consumers prefer a product that costs $5 and includes free shipping to an item that costs $2.50 and requires $2.50 to ship.

"When something is free, we have an overly excited reaction," says Dan Ariely, a Duke University behavioral economics professor and author of "The Upside of Irrationality." He marvels, for instance, at how long people will stand in line at Ben & Jerry’s on free cone day. But he asks, "How much time would you spend in line to get $1.75?"

In fairness, it is hard to compare an ice-cream cone and cold, hard cash. A couple of years ago, Prof. Ariely asked about 50 people who were buying a car at a dealership what they would buy if they didn’t purchase a car. Most didn’t have an answer — and none of them saw the cost of the car as equivalent to, say, a tuition bill or multiple vacations.

Prof. Ariely says people should get more comfortable comparing apples and oranges — that is, an impulse purchase with something they truly value. Learning to weigh trade-offs is a good start to becoming a smart shopper.

So is making an extra trip to hunt for specials. Marketing professors Stephen Hoch, at the Wharton School, and Edward Fox, at Southern Methodist University, studied "cherry pickers," people who did most of their grocery shopping at one store, but then went to a second store the same day to take advantage of specials, such as soft drinks on sale. Even factoring in the extra time spent shopping, they found that cherry pickers actually can save big money.

Weighing the hassle involved also is important,Beads necklace, of course, whether you are switching credit cards, surfing the Web for discounts or clipping coupons. When it comes to the Target card,bracelets, I’m not yet convinced that the extra savings are worth the trouble.

Consumers may be surprised to learn what is in the

By admin, 16 August, 2010, 2 Comments

In ancient Egypt, minerals were used to enhance features and to provide a little color, while the Romans used oil-based perfumes to scent their bath water. But cosmetics since that time have evolved with a growing list of ingredients and an increasing potential for irritation.

But who is checking into the safety of cosmetics?

One issue that has gotten attention is lead in lipstick. As a result, the Food and Drug administration created a standard test that found 0.09 ppm to 3.06 ppm of lead in the lipsticks tested. The standard test is now used when there is a question about lead levels in lipstick.

You might be surprised at the chemicals found in cosmetics and their potential dangers. The Environmental Working Group provides a safety guide to cosmetics and ranks beauty products by the potential hazards. Visitors to the group’s website can search by product or brand and learn about the chemicals used and their possible side effects.

The group’s Campaign for Safe Cosmetics co-produced a seven-minute video about the dangers of cosmetics. The video, which was released July 21, points out the lack of oversight into what chemicals are used in makeup and other beauty products.

But the video is not without its detractors.

The Personal Care Products Council released a statement by spokeswoman Kathleen Dezio, who said the "’shockumentary-genre’ video bears no relationship to the ‘real’ story of cosmetics."

"This video is an unfortunate attempt to generate fear about an alleged public health risk from cosmetics that is unwarranted. It is repugnant to suggest that cosmetic companies would manufacture, and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration would allow them to market, products that are dangerous or contain toxins that cause cancer or any other disease.

It is absurd to suggest that the men and women in our industry would market products that could cause harm to themselves and their families," Dezio’s statement read.

The same day the video was released,Charm bracelet, a bill was introduced in Congress to increase oversight on ingredients for cosmetics. Three members of Congress introduced the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 (HR 5786),cuff Links, which seeks to close loopholes in federal law that allow companies to use virtually any ingredient in cosmetic and personal care products — even chemicals that are known to damage human health and the environment.

According to a press release by Illinois congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, one of the bill’s sponsors, the $50 billion cosmetic industry uses 12,500 unique chemical ingredients. Many have never been assessed.

So what’s a plain-faced girl to do? Looking at cosmetic labels may be a good start.

At Les Champs Elysees Day Spa and Salon on North College Avenue, customers can find Aveda products. Owner Margaretet Nowak said customers come to the salon for Aveda’s more natural products.

The company has become well-known for using natural ingredients and for reformulating some of its products to remove parabens,earrings, chemicals used as preservatives in some cosmetic products.

Although the FDA has not yet raised a red flag on paraben in cosmetics, it has acknowledged that "although parabens can act similarly to estrogen,pendants, they have been shown to have much less estrogenic activity than the body’s naturally occurring estrogen," according to the FDA’s website.

Disque said she’s aware that customers are now more concerned about what is in their makeup, hair care and body products. When people have their hair shampooed, she said the stylists can sometimes smell plastic residue from what clients are using to shampoo their hair. Once customers make a switch to something organic, the difference is clear, she said, including how much product they need to use.

"We get tons of people that come in and say "I can’t believe how little I need to use of the product,’" Disque said.

Esthetician Jacqueline Simpson said she often works with clients who have acne. She said she can always tell when someone is using a harsh, heavily formulated skin care line. She said many acne care systems contain more than one harsh chemical that dry out the skin.

Simpson knows the customers often will look to commercials to find a product, but she recommends people research products before buying to make sure the ingredients are safe.

"People are too trusting," she said.

Lady Tigers add seven recruits

By admin, 11 August, 2010, 1 Comment

Jasmain Carey from Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School and TaQuisha O’Neal from Southeast Whitfield are among seven women’s basketball recruits Chattanooga State coach Jay Price reported Friday.

The others include April Woodard, a former star point guard from Harlem (Ga.) High School near Augusta, and 5-10 forward Hiydaayah Williams and 5-6 point guard Olivia James from Atlanta’s Stephenson High,earrings, plus 6-foot power forward Miesha Turpin from Carver High in Columbus and 6-2 post Joycelyn Ford from Hunters Lane High in Nashville, transferring after one year from Cumberland University.

Carey, a 6-foot post who was the Times Free Press North Georgia player of the year, signed early with Georgia College and State University but changed her mind after a coaching change at the Milledgeville school, Price said.

"We had to fight off several Division II schools for her. A lot of Division I schools want her after one year of junior college,Beads necklace," he said. "She’s probably our most prized recruit from this area since I’ve been coaching the women’s team here. She’s big, strong and played in a state championship game,pendants, and she is a really good student."

Carey averaged 15 points and 12.2 rebounds a game as an LFO senior.

"TaQuisha is a really athletic shooting guard," Price said of the 5-6 O’Neal. "She can shoot the ball and has a lot of high energy and is a good defender. And she’s a good student from this region — we want to keep those close to home. A lot of schools in our league had offered her."

Turpin signed with Price’s Lady Tigers last year but didn’t pass her graduation test until December, "so we elected not to bring her till this year," he said. "She’s a really athletic girl with high energy and can play the 5, 4 or 3."

Ford, he said,cuff Links, left NAIA member Cumberland because she wanted to play at the NCAA Division I level and felt a year of junior college ball was the best path to it.

"She’s a good rebounder and runs well for her size," Price said. "We’re really, really lucky to get her."

Woodard had to keep retaking her graduation test since ending her Harlem eligibility in 2006, "and she’s clearly the most talented kid in our freshman class," the coach noted. "She’s the most individually talented kid we’ve ever signed. She plays like a guy."

Then there are the Stephenson duo, who won a Class AAAAA championship as juniors. Former Stephenson coach Lawanza Crutcher, a Chattanooga native, helped Price on a volunteer basis last year and helped get them to the Lady Tigers.

"Hiydaayah had been recruited by a lot of smaller Division I schools," Price said. "She tore her ACL after her junior year but came back. She’s very, very athletic and rebounds well. She’s going to get mid-major looks. Olivia is another really good student and she’s very strong and athletic and a true point guard. She doesn’t look to score so much but is a good defender, handles the ball well and is a good leader. She’s very mature."

‘Leading Ladies’ on stage through Aug. 13

By admin, 11 August, 2010, No Comment

The Barn Theatre presents "Leading Ladies" at 7:30 p.m. today through Saturday and Aug. 10-13. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for ages 18 and under.,watches

The Ken Ludwig farce is full of mayhem and mistaken identity. Two struggling actors attempt a get-rich scheme by swindling an old dowager. They find the would-be recipients to be heiresses … and,key rings, you can guess the rest.

Dave Holmquist plays Jack and Ben Mooberry is Leo, the two struggling actors.

Bev Raske plays Florence, the old dowager.

Other cast members are Casey Argabright playing the part of Audrey,necklaces, Chelsea Brown as Meg, Larry Konsterlie as Duncan, Terry Brunson as Doc and Josh Johnson as Butch/Moose Frank.

The play is directed by Tom Orth.

Quincy Roers is the technical director, Judy Wangsness is the seamstress and Bev Raske is the stage manager.

The wine bar is open before each performance at 6:30 p.m.

For ticket information,earrings, contact The Barn box office at 320-235-9500 or visit The Barn at 321 Fourth St. S.W. in downtown Willmar.

Credit: West Central Tribune, Willmar, Minn.

CPSC, RIVIERA TRADING ANNOUNCE RECALL OF CHILDREN’S COSTUME BRACELETS

By admin, 23 December, 2009, No Comment

The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following press release:

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announces the following recall in tiffany voluntary cooperation with the firm below. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of product: Metallic costume bracelets

Units: About 7,100

Manufacturer: Riviera Trading Inc., of New York, N.Y.

Hazard: The bracelets contain high levels of lead and pose a lead poisoning hazard to children.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: The recalled bracelets have heart, oval, and rectangular shaped charms that have the phrases; “I like sports,” “I like movies,” “I like shopping” and “I like music” printed on them. The bracelet also contains various colored plastic trinkets.

Sold at: Belk, Bloomingdales, Carson Pirie Scott, Kohl’s, Parisians and Proffitts earrings Department stores nationwide from October 2003 through November 2004 for about $6.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take these bracelets away from young children and contact the company to receive a refund.

Consumer Contact: Call Riviera toll-free at (800) 524-0110 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.

Like ‘Rear Window’ with ankle bracelet

By admin, 18 December, 2009, No Comment

Shia LaBeouf as Kale, with Carrie-Ann Moss as his mother, is tiffany and co under house arrest and seeing creepy doings through his binoculars.

About the movie

Disturbia

Genre:Drama; Suspense, Thriller

MPAA rating:

PG-13for sequences of terror and violence, and some sensuality

Running time:01:44

Release date:2007

Rating:

Cast:Aaron Yoo; Brandon Caruso; Matt Craven; Viola Davis; David Morse money clips; Shia LaBeouf; Sarah Roemer; Carrie-Anne Moss; Luciano Caruso; Jose Pablo Cantillo

Directed by:D.J. Caruso

On the web:* Disturbia Official Site

check theaters for showtimesNOW SHOWING

* Regal Downingtown 16* AMC 309 Cinema 9* Regal Edgemont Square 10* AMC Marple 10* UA Oxford Valley Stadium 14* Regal Richland Crossing 12* AMC Orleans 8* UA Moorestown* The Pearl Theatre at Avenue North* UA King of Prussia Stadium 16* AMC Woodhaven 10* UA Movies at 69th Street* Cinemark Movies 16 — Somerdale* Regal Peoples Plaza Cinema 17* AMC Painter’s Crossing 9* Atco Multiplex Cinemas* UA East Whiteland Stadium 9* Regal Barn Plaza 14* AMC Marlton 8* UA Grant Plaza* pendants Regal Brandywine Town Center 16* UA Riverview Stadium 17* AMC Franklin Mills Mall 14* AMC Neshaminy 24* AMC Granite Run 8* Regal Warrington Crossing 22* AMC Deptford 8* Regal Plymouth Meeting 10

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* Movies A-Z* Find a theater* Go to Movies

Rear Window gets YouTubed in Disturbia, a mostly clever, jump- and-scream thriller about voyeurism, murder, and the stuff going on behind closed (garage) doors in suburban America.

Inventively updating the Jimmy Stewart shut-in in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 classic, director D.J. Caruso and screenwriters Christopher B. Landon and Carl Ellsworth have made their protagonist housebound not because of a broken leg, but because of the gizmo strapped to his leg: After surviving a horrendous car accident that kills his father, high schooler Kale Brecht (Shia LaBeouf) becomes an emotional wreck and slugs one of his teachers. Sentenced to house arrest, Kale has to wear an electronic ankle bracelet — if he leaves the parameters of his home, an alarm goes off and the police come.

So Kale passes his time playing video games, scarfing (and sculpting) junk food, scanning the neighborhood through binoculars: a married guy getting it on with his maid, some little kids sneaking cable porn, the dishy teenage daughter of a couple just moved in from the city, and a guy with a vintage Ford Mustang that matches the description of a vintage Ford Mustang spotted when a young woman was abducted.

The woman is missing and presumed dead.

And so Kale, aided by his goof-off pal Ronnie (Aaron Yoo) and that beautiful new neighbor, Ashley (Sarah Roemer), start sleuthing around, deploying cell phones, laptops and videocams to determine whether the creepy Mustang owner, Mr. Turner (Philadelphia’s own David Morse, once again playing the nut job), has an inventory of body bags in his garage.

Caruso orchestrates all this in swift, efficient strokes, mixing the jolts with some jokes, and building measurable suspense with a minimum of blood and gore. LaBeouf projects an intelligence and an Everyguy attitude that’s remindful of a younger John Cusack, while Roemer has a younger Gwyneth Paltrow thing going, if Gwyneth Paltrow had been a cast member of The O.C.

Disturbia, like a lot of high-concept thrillers, lets a few balls drop as the climax comes around: Kale’s mom, played by Carrie-Ann Moss, does some truly dopey things, Roemer’s character virtually disappears from view at an especially vital moment, and audience members will be yelling “Call for backup!” at the guy earrings playing Officer Gutierrez (Jose Pablo Cantillo).

But at a certain point, movies like Disturbia require suspension of belief. To its credit, that moment comes much later in the game than usual. Up until then, like Rear Window before it, Disturbia is sly and suspenseful and full of mounting dread.

——

Disturbia *** (out of four stars)

Directed by D.J. Caruso, written by Christopher B. Landon and Carl Ellsworth, photography by Rogier Stoffers. Distributed by Paramount/DreamWorks.

Running time: 1 hour, 44 mins.

Kale Brecht. . . Shia LaBeouf

Ashley. . . Sarah Roemer

Mr. Turner. . . David Morse

Julie Brecht. . . Carrie-Ann Moss

Ronnie. . . Aaron Yoo

Parent’s guide: PG-13 (violence, sex, profanity, adult themes)

Playing at: area theaters

Contact movie critic Steven Rea at 215-854-5629 or srea@phillynews.com. Read his recent work at http://go.philly.com/ stevenrea.

MEASURE COMES AFTER MINNESOTA BOY DIED AFTER SWALLOWING LEAD-TAINTED BRACELET

By admin, 13 December, 2009, No Comment

The New Jersey Assembly’s Democrats issued the following news release:

The Assembly today approved legislation sponsored by Assemblywomen tiffany jewellery Sandi Love, Nilsa Cruz-Perez and Linda Greenstein and Assemblyman Paul Moriarty targeting unsafe jewelry.

Under the bill, no one may sell, distribute, import or manufacture jewelry in New Jersey that contains materials classified as unsafe The bill also includes stricter restrictions on materials used in children’s jewelry and body piercing jewelry.

Love crafted the legislation (A-2877) after a 4-year-old Minneapolis boy died of lead poisoning from swallowing a tainted charm bracelet.

“Buying a necklace or a charm bracelet shouldn’t bring about fears of lead and mercury poisoning, yet the health and safety of New Jerseyans are at risk,” said Love (D-Gloucester). “It’s time these harmful products are taken down from store shelves for good.”

“Jewelry is often a symbol of love, caring and devotion, and this bill ensures it stays that way,” money clips said Cruz-Perez (D-Camden). “A bracelet shouldn’t prompt fears of lead and mercury poisoning, and any jewelry that contains such products should be immediately recalled.”

Under the bill, the Director of Consumer Affairs or manufacturers, distributors or importers of jewelry who discover it contains any material or substance in violation of the bill’s restrictions must issue an immediate recall for that product.

Within 48 hours of receiving notice of the recall, retailers would be required to remove the jewelry from displays and make it unavailable for purchase.

Within 14 business days, retailers would be required to return all the jewelry to the manufacturer, distributor or importer from which it was obtained, at the cost of the manufacturer, distributor or importer.

Within 14 business days, retailers would be required to return all the jewelry to the manufacturer, distributor pendants or importer from which it was obtained, at the cost of the manufacturer, distributor or importer.

The manufacturer, distributor or importer would then have 60 business days to destroy the jewelry and to dispose of the remnants to remove them from access by the general public.

“This is a responsible proposal that protects consumers against the potential serious illnesses and long-lasting harmful affects,” said Greenstein (D-Middlesex/Mercer). “In this day and age there’s no reason to be making jewelry with lead and mercury and there’s no reason for New Jerseyans to be exposed to such toxic materials.”

The bill specifies the following penalties:

* Knowingly selling, offering for sale, distributing, importing or manufacturing jewelry that contains any material in violation of the bill’s restrictions is an unlawful practice;

* Failing to remove the recalled jewelry from displays, make it unavailable for purchase or return it to the manufacturer, distributor or importer within the required timeframe is an unlawful practice; and

* Amanufacturer, distributor, or importer failing to issue an immediate recall or destroy and dispose of jewelry returned to them as a result of a recall is a crime of the fourth degree for a first offense, third degree for a second offense and second degree for subsequent offenses.

An unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud Act is punishable by a fine of not more than $10,000 for a first offense and not more than $20,000 for subsequent offenses. A violation can also result in cease and desist orders issued by the Attorney General, punitive damages and the awarding of treble damages and costs to the injured.

A fourth degree crime is punishable by up to 18 months imprisonment, a fine of $10,000, or both. A third degree earrings crime is punishable by three to five years imprisonment, a fine of $15,000, or both, and a second degree crime is punishable by five to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $150,000, or both.

“We’re just doing what we can to ensure New Jersey consumers are protected from the dangers of lead and mercury poisoning,” said Moriarty (D-Gloucester). “These are dangerous toxins that have nothing to do with how beautiful a necklace or bracelet looks.”

The bill was approved 78-0 and now heads to the Senate for further consideration.For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.

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