Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Tuscany Villas
Source link :- http://www.tuscanyvillasredding.com/about.html
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Tuscany villas ranked 3rd in the world for wine tourism
In a TripAdvisor list of the top ten locations for wine tourism, based on the web community's editors and traveller popularity, Tuscany villas was ranked behind Bordeaux in France and the Napa Valley in California.
TripAdvisor described Tuscany villas, which is well known for producing red wines such as Chianti and Montalcino, as "a delight for the senses".
One of the main benefits of the region, the travel site said, is that it offers opportunities to combine good wine with excellent local cuisine.
Unsurprisingly, France was well represented in the top ten, with the Champagne-Ardenne region ranked fourth owing to its popular sparkling white wine and its "neatly-tended vineyards amongst a picturesque natural landscape".
People looking to combine their Holiday Villas Tuscany with a wine tour could also consider Spain – the Rioja region was sixth on TripAdvisor's list of the world's top wine destinations.
Vacation Rentals Tuscany
Source link:- http://www.villacentre.co.uk/news/articles/Tuscany_ranked_3rd_in_the_world_for_wine_tourism.aspx
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Community mourns Antioch school board member
Family and community members are mourning the death of Joyce Seelinger, a 25-year veteran teacher, avid volunteer and three-term member of the Antioch Unified School District board of trustees.
Seelinger, 74, died Sunday surrounded by family members after being diagnosed in October with a relapse of cancer. She had previously battled the disease in 2005.
"She was a fantastic woman. She had principles, and she stuck to them," said Joe Olenchalk, a former school board member and longtime friend of Seelinger's. "I thought she really exemplified people who want to do things for their community."
Seelinger was born in Benton Harbor, Mich., and had lived in Antioch for 50 years. She taught for 25 years at Park Middle School, and served 11 years on the school board. She was a longtime member of the Mello Roos district board and volunteered with the Junior Achievement literacy program, said daughter Allyson Holminski.
Seelinger was a substitute teacher in Antioch for 10 years before becoming a full-time teacher. Her late husband, Lee Seelinger, taught mathematics at Antioch High School.
Her son, Pittsburg teacher Dennison Seelinger, called her a "staunch advocate of children," and said she used education as her main outlet for influencing lives.
Mary Allen, a friend and retired teacher, said Joyce Seelinger distinguished herself on the school board with her active, helpful presence in the district's classrooms, becoming a
meaningful link between teachers and the board.
"She was just a dear," Allen said. "People really knew she was there for them."
Seelinger's work in schools and as a volunteer earned her many kudos, including the 2007-08 Association of California School Administrators Partners in Educational Excellence award.
"You could always expect if there was anything worth doing, Joyce was there," Antioch school board President Walter Ruehlig said.
Seelinger loved live theater and opera, traveled around the world, and usually had a tale to tell about her most recent journey. Of her array of destinations — Japan, Peru, Brazil and Scotland, to name a few — her favorite was Italy, where she and friends once rented a Tuscany Villa, Holminski said.
Photographs of her adventures adorn her home office — such as the diminutive Seelinger atop an elephant — and art she collected overseas fills the rooms of the Antioch home her husband designed.
Seelinger celebrated Thanksgiving at home with her extended family, including grandchildren Trevor, 14, and Allie, 17, gathered around her in the family room for the holiday meal. She officiated with precision over the house's holiday decorations, and was delighted to see the Christmas tree put up, said son-in-law Frank Holminski.Allyson Holminski said her mother would want loved ones to celebrate her life, not mourn her passing.
Friends agreed, and are remembering her accordingly.
Said Olenchalk: "The way I look at it, God needed a school board member and a lady, and she was both."
Source Link:- http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_11113712?source=most_emailed