Archive for June, 2025
Using a HELOC as a Financial Tool
By NICOLE ROTHSTEIN, a contributing writer for Sunrise Banks. Your home, often your largest investment, can also serve as a valuable financial tool. A Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) allows you to borrow against your home’s equity—typically up to 85%—based on your credit history. Equity is calculated by subtracting what you owe on your mortgage from your home’s value. HELOCs are commonly used for significant expenses like renovations, buying a second home, launching a business, education costs, or debt consolidation. Jean Chalifoux Kiely, Executive Vice President and Director of Consumer Banking at Sunrise Banks, shared insights on how HELOCs work and how they compare to home equity loans. HELOC vs. Home Equity LoanA HELOC offers a revolving line of credit you can draw from as needed, much like a credit card. It has a variable interest rate often tied to the prime rate, so your payments can fluctuate. In contrast, a home equity loan provides a lump sum with a [...]
Charles Broden: Soldier and Freedom Seeker
from the series Tales from Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery... Number 235 in a Series By SUE HUNTER WEIR Charles Broden was one of an unknown number of Black men who served in the Union Army but who never qualified for military benefits because they lacked the necessary documentation. In 1890, he filed for a military pension in which he described the duties that he performed for Union soldiers during the War. According to Mr. Broden, he was attached to Company A of the 38th Iowa Infantry, on December 15, 1862, at New Madrid, Missouri. For two months he worked as a cook and did odd jobs. Then, he was assigned to look after the officers’ horses. He received paychecks, wore a private’s uniform, and ate military rations. He was discharged on September 15, 1863, and was given “quite a lot of money.” He could not read or write and assumed that the papers that he was given were official discharge papers. By the time that he applied for a pension in 1890, he had lost [...]
An artist’s touch is felt in all parts of her process—the work of South Junior Tobi Grumdahl Moskowitz
By OLIVER STRICHERZ As AP season at South comes to a close, countless students are living in academic fatigue. Many wonder if their efforts exist in vain after they stumble through these lofty exams, but in the case of AP Art students, this is far from the truth. This previous school week, ending on May 9, students in Cynthia Berger’s AP Art class finished submitting their portfolios, consisting of 15 works (can include completed works, progress photos, and more), meant to explore an inquiry-based sustained investigation. Since the beginning of the school year, they’ve created a body of work that will live far beyond their deadlines. The final brush strokes and kiln firings solidify their artistic efforts, an eternal snapshot of the teenage artistry of these students. This shines through deeply in the portfolio of South Junior and ceramicist, Tobi Grumdahl Moskowitz. Assorted Works - Different vessels with affixed ceramic hands created by Grumdahl Moskowitz to answer the [...]
