the alley Newspaper | News & Views of Phillips Since 1976

Financial Empowerment at Waite House

Written by editor on 02 July 2013

By Wes Durham

Managing personal finances is a key to success for every household. To help Phillips residents accomplish this, Waite House Neighborhood Center (Pillsbury United Communities) offers a free, 6 part Financial Empowerment Program including Budgeting, Loans, Debt Management, Banking Strategies, and Savings and Retirement Plans. Thirteen neighborhood residents recently participated in this.

Chris Elfering designed the program and led this first session. He is from Mission Continues which places returning military veterans into community service positions. This was a no-brainer for Chris, a former financial advisor. He talks about the importance of developing sound money management habits “one of my biggest motivations for becoming a financial advisor after the Army was to understand my own finances better. Personal finance is rarely taught in the school system or by our own parents. After working with clients, I quickly realized the real need to understand money management.”

Related Images:

Sightseers

Written by editor on 02 July 2013

Sightseers (2013)

*****

“Sightseers”

Cast: Alice Lowe (Tina), Steve Oram (Chris), Richard Glover (Martin), Eileen Davies (Carol). Running time: 88 minutes. Country: UK. Director: Ben Wheatley.

Studio CanalÂ

Drama/Thriller/Dark ComedyÂ

“Sightseers” is an uneasy comedy intertwined into one of the darkest of comedies. Mean-spirited is the order of the day from beginning to the end.

One can be cynical saying what a “lovely” couple, Chris (Steve Oram) and Tina (Alice Lowe) are, taking a clue from Alice”'s invalid mother (Eileen Davies) who frowns on her and her new boyfriend. Chris and Tina jump into his van for a “vacation”. Carol blames her daughter for the accidental death of her dog “Poppy”.

The parking lot incident when Chris hurriedly backs out killing a pedestrian is considered an accident by the courts. Yet there”'s a sinister quality in Chris”'s face after the fatal accident making us chary of what is to come.