Increase Your Profits With These Hot Affiliate Marketing Tips - Meonit

Affiliate marketing programs get so many people interested in them because they look easy and inexpensive. Nothing has to be purchased, mailed, or even personally handled. But, there are difficult jobs to govern and work to be completed, if your plan is providing sustainable earnings solely with affiliate marketing.

Tracking services vary in dependability. Choose one that is legitimate and suits your website needs. When an affiliate calculates your sales earnings incorrectly, remember you are the one who will lose income. Avoid this by using a reliable tracking system constantly. An independent service you pay for will pay for itself by preventing the loss of commissions.

TIP! There are some vendors who may attempt to scam you. They do this by persuading you to utilize their tracking system.

Consider making offers to customers to be affiliates can be a great affiliate marketing tactic. An idea is to invite your customers to become an affiliate if they buy your services. If your customer believes in your product and is willing to sign on as an affiliate, you have the power to turn a single sale into hundreds, if not thousands. Having lots of affiliates underneath you can bring in a lot of extra revenue.

Boost your sales by ensuring your site has plenty of links, but also be sure that those links are relevant to the content being provided. Clicking on a ?Weber Grill? link should never take your visitors to a ?Apple iPad? sales page. While you may think you are being creative, your visitors may feel lied to.

TIP! Look at referral programs that your partners in affiliate marketing might offer. Many affiliate companies will offer commissions based on new refferals.

Affiliate Networks

Affiliate sites are not all alike. Some are overly complicated and frustrating. Even if your site is not as efficiently designed as you would like, it is still possible to make money. This helps out immensely for building trust with your customers, and it also can provide a boost to your sales figures.

TIP! Use screenshots and recommendations for your products. Offering more information to your potential customers will make them more likely to buy your products themselves and recommend you to their friends.

It?s a good idea to take advantage of affiliate networks as a means to improve your affiliate marketing. Affiliate networks act as a liaison between website owners and advertisers. Using this tool can connect good webmasters with reliable networks. You can earn a positive reputation by surrounding yourself with well-established networks.

Affiliate marketing is one of the most popular and effective ways to get results from your online business. Generally speaking, you can get a lot more traffic with affiliate marketing programs than other types of advertising because you will have access to lots of great marketing tools. When looking at affiliate programs, pay attention to things like the directory?s popularity, ease of use and the payment you will receive for referrals.

TIP! You may begin by advertising to the same demographic using various affiliate programs. Your visitors will have a more diverse array of links from which to choose if you join several similar programs.

Given the symbiotic relationship between Google and social media, it would be foolish to ignore the social media outlets in your affiliate marketing campaign. The search engines use the links on social media websites to help determine search rankings. Social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn contain postings that interact with marketing affiliates.

Place a trivia or trick question on a banner ad and have the answer at your site, requiring the user to click on your ad. This tactic grabs visitors? attention and doesn?t let go. Reward the visitors by presenting discounts to those that answered the question correctly.

TIP! Select a niche you are comfortable working with and find a product that corresponds to this niche. You can make profits quicker by tapping a niche market than with mainstream products.

Let your readers be aware that you do profit when they buy from your link. Your readers are savvy. They know when you are just trying to sneak in an affiliate sale. By being honest from the beginning, you are more likely to gain repeat visitors and customers for your affiliates.

Do not try to sell anything that is unknown either, stick with something people know about. Lots of people are scared of the level of competition in popular markets. However, it is easier to convince customers to buy a product that is already popular, than to try and find a solid customer base for an unpopular product. Popular products will have a larger pool of interested customers, meaning that even taking into account the competition, there will be more sales for you. It is about your angle of marketing that will generate focus over your competitors.

TIP! Don?t put too many banners on your site. You may dissuade people from visiting your site if you make it too stuffy.

Be informed of your audience as your choose your affiliates. Choose advertising that complements the product or services you are selling. Visitors come to your website for specific reasons and are interested in what you?re selling. Take advantage of that, and place ads that cater to their needs.

If you want to be a successful affiliate is is vital that you learn proper marketing methods. Many affiliates tend to start out with the first free option they come across. Although, nothing is wrong with using these methods, it is vital to know the options that can greatly help you achieve your goals.

TIP! Do not assume that a 100% commission program is a scam. Before you completely ignore this opportunity, read the details.

The first thing you must do before agreeing with an affiliate is to make sure you receive commission on all sales by the company. Is the company able to not only track online orders, but phone, mail and faxed orders as well? You need to be sure you are receiving all of the commission payments you are due.

Pay-per-sale affiliate plans can be tricky. It can, on the other hand, lead to very good money if everything works as planned. Make sure you put in the time to adequately research all of your affiliates before you implement them in your site.

TIP! Marketing affiliate products is a legitimate business, so those who do it should present themselves and their programs as professionally as possible. Make sure the links are not too obvious.

This can be vital if you have an elderly audience, such as baby boomers. Larger print can boost your sales. A slight adjustment upward in font size can make a big difference to seniors. Readability leads to profitability.

You could get more exposure thanks to paid advertising. Your ads should implement keywords as a means to both increase the amount of visitors and the amount of sales of your site. In addition, those potential customers that may have displayed some interest in your products, will increase

TIP! One way to boost your affiliate marketing commission is through contests. This is a good way to have visitors keep coming back for more and encourage them to let their friends know as well.

Affiliate Marketing

Never promote a product that you cannot stand behind 100 percent. Remember that the products you recommend are a reflection of you. The products and services you endorse will promote trust from your customers if they are reliable. A good way to keep customers is to always make sure your products come with high reviews.

TIP! It is far more effective to apply the information from a couple of really good affiliate marketing books rather than spend time learning the information in several books. It?s not unheard of to expend time and energy only to be disappointed in your earnings.

You must remain relevant so that your affiliate marketing efforts are successful. Know your affiliate program?s tools and updates like the back of your hand. At any given time, there are dozens of helpful new tools and resources that can improve the quality of your affiliate marketing program by making your advertisements more effective.

Statistics in real time are important. Because they allow you to see how many visitors have come through the site, and how many people have made purchases.

TIP! If you want to have immediate access to your money, you should choose an affiliate company that has many payment options. While some companies send money right to your bank or use e-wallet alternatives, others just send a paper check once you hit the payout threshold.

If you rely on one or more affiliate partners for your revenue stream, communicate with them as often as possible. Building relationships through communication is an important part of ensuring continued profitability. The best affiliate partners are priceless and you should do everything in your power to care for them.

It is better to affiliate with companies that product many different products if possible. To attract repeat customers, find a reputable company that releases a number of quality products. This ensures that you will have have steady commissions. Fly by night products and fads are things you should stay away from.

TIP! You can improve your affiliate marketing efforts by including media showing the product in action, like screenshots and videos. This gives more people a reason to buy the product you are promoting.

The success of your marketing campaigns rests on both direct purchases from your readers, and encouraging repeat sales. If the customers you referred to a product liked it enough to purchase additional ones, then you deserve a percentage of commission on these new sales. Ensure that you get what you deserve with back-sales.

Have a specific affiliate marketing goal to meet every day, even if it?s something small like ?add a new blog post.? You can stay motivated using a method that works best for you!

TIP!

You want to build a newsletter that brings calls attention. In the past, people loved tot receive email. Just make sure to keep it fresh and informative or you run the risk of your newsletter ending up in someone?s spam mailbox.

TIP!

Just because a site is one of the most profitable within that industry, does not mean it is the best. Make sure you do your research and gain knowledge about the businesses before you make any choices or investments in them. You must ensure that you will have the ability to easily market it with no problems.

TIP!

Do everything you can to make your readers trust you. When readers can identify with the content you provide them, they will be grateful for this and will be more likely to help see to it that your website survives and grows, including clicking referral links to products they plan on purchasing.

TIP!

Make goals for yourself that extend beyond just paying your bills each month. Always reach higher and higher and always put in the hard work. It can seem difficult to stay in business and spend the time doing it, if you do it will pay off

TIP!

Business Related Posts:Business Mastering Search Engine OptimizationAmplify Your Affiliate Marketing Through These Expert IdeasGreat Ideas To Help You Get Better At Affiliate MarketingHot Tips To Help You Improve At Affiliate MarketingProven Best Practices For Using Social Media Marketing

Article by Internet Business | Make Money (c) Internet Business | Make Money - Read full story here.

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Source: http://www.meonit.com/2012/09/increase-your-profits-with-these-hot-affiliate-marketing-tips/

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Dixon Smith, Stage 4 Cancer Patient, Thwarts Robbery With Shotgun

LAKETON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) ? A 63-year-old man with stage 4 lymphoma, steady nerves and a double-barreled shotgun thwarted a break-in at his western Michigan home and convinced two suspects to surrender, police said.

Dixon Smith said he confronted the two young men just before noon Thursday after they climbed the stairs to the second floor of his home in Muskegon County's Laketon Township.

Smith and police believe one of the suspects picked the front door lock with a credit card.

"I'm still trying to calm down," Smith, who was home alone working in his second-story loft, told MLive.com for a story published Friday. "Within three minutes I see a guy with a hoodie walking past my front window."

"They made it almost to the top stair. I came out and told them to lay down," he said of the frightening experience. "Tell you what, you've got a shotgun, you're waiting, you hear them on the stairway coming for your bedroom."

Smith, whose lymphoma currently is in remission, ordered the two to lie down and held them at bay with the loaded gun while he called 911 and waited for police, who arrived after "kind of a long" five-to-10-minute wait.

Smith said he spent the time holding his shotgun on the two suspects, who assured him they wouldn't try anything and eventually surrendered to police. No one was injured.

"I really tried to be as forceful as possible," Smith said. "I didn't want them to get me into a conversation. You can't let them get too close to where they can grab the gun."

Both suspects were lodged at the Muskegon County Jail awaiting charges, said Sgt. Pat Herremans of the Muskegon County Sheriff's Office.

Smith said he and his wife knew and, over the years, have tried to help one of the suspects.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/21/dixon-smith-thwarts-robbery_n_1905061.html

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About Commercial Heating and Air Conditioning | Randumbprod ...

Commercial heating and air conditioning is often stands as the HVAC system, the air conditioning, heating, ventilation and air-known. This system is used to maintain a comfortable temperature and air quality in houses and large buildings. The main objective is to create a safe and healthy environment with respect to temperature and humidity. Law of heat transfer, fluid mechanics and thermodynamics are used to design.

HVAC systems that provide for the improvement of air quality, and maintain the pressure for ventilation. Room air distribution methods are used air. Environment and fresh air requirements should be determined in the design of the HVAC system.

Heating

The heater in the HVAC could be used a stand of several types. In cold regions, the central heating implemented. The system consists of gas furnaces, boilers and heat. Water control is maintained from a central location, such as a furnace or mechanical room.

Water is used as a medium for heat transfer. Pipes and serves as a channel for the fluid a part of the heat into the room through the radiator. The radiator can be mounted to the wall or fixed under the floor.

Pumps circulate the water and ensure sufficient heat at all locations. If the weather is warm, the pipes and the same channel can be used for cooling. This heating process can also be performed by resistance heating. The electric current is used to heat the conductive filaments.

There are some considerations to keep in mind. Heat pumps efficient but more expensive. They should be used in moderate climates. Radiators should be located near a window or cool buildings. Noxious gas formed when the heating is not working properly. Therefore, adequate ventilation is a must for all commercial heating and air conditioning systems.

Ventilation

Classified as mechanical ventilation or forced and natural. In the first type, the air handler is used to control the quality of the air through the liquid, or to replace the air in the interior with fresh air. Mechanical or forced ventilation is not energy efficient in humid areas.

In these areas, the exhaust, direct drive fans are used to control the air quality and humidity as well. In cold climates, ceiling fans can also be reached for ventilation. They circulate the warm air at the top across the room.

Natural ventilation does not use mechanical equipment. It airs a room with open windows, openings or holes in the wall. It only works in a small area, but it is still widely used because low prices and uses no energy.

Air conditioning

The air conditioning system removes heat from the use of radiation, convection, and even a heat pump. This process is known as the refrigeration circuit. The system is designed to not only cool the room, but also for ventilation and moisture control. Advanced design uses reversing hanging automatically between heating and cooling of the space from the external environment.

It is a central cooling system, but they can only be installed if the building is to be constructed. Expansion in a structure which has been built up is difficult because the channel is very large. In such cases, the separate coils can be used for indoor and outdoor use. The two units are connected by lines. A passage for the refrigerant

Dehumidification is important in air conditioners. Evaporator or open chiller cabinets are used for such purposes. Keller serves as a good location because of the higher density of the water in the air at a lower temperature. Filtering is also required to remove sand particles from gas, which can be dangerous. Screening and condenser should be cleaned regularly, as dirt ? up, the compressor can be damaged.

Source: http://www.randumbprod.com/about-commercial-heating-and-air-conditioning/.html

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Judo is coming to the Cloverleaf Recreation Center ? The Medina ...

By Eric Barnes

WESTFIELD TWP. ? Hundreds of martial artists will be in town this weekend for a pair of judo tournaments at the Cloverleaf Recreation Center.

Some of the top female judoka (students) and sensei (masters) will compete Saturday at the eighth All Women?s Championship.

?The all women?s event allows girls and women to get as many matches as they want,? tournament co-director Julee Cope said. ?When a female goes to a tournament, she often has only one or two other females to fight, if any.?

At last year?s AWC, two women competed in 11 matches each.

Cope said this event gives female competitors the chance to meet new and old friends for camaraderie and competition as well as opportunities to learn ? or teach ? new skills.

Cope said the three-day event, which begins with registration on Friday, typically has more than 200 martial artists, but precise numbers are hard to predict, as the tournament requires no pre-registration.

The 17th Rock and Roll Capitol of the World tournament, which is open to males and females, will be Sunday at the recreation center.

?Spectators will see the Olympic sport of judo being performed by men and women of all ages and skill levels,? Cope said. ?There are often young kids (5 and above), and many masters (some in their 50s and 60s) who still compete.?

Scheduling the women?s tournament at the same time as the Rock and Roll event allows for broader exposure for the sport, Cope said.

?We combined the events so that we could promote a weekend of judo for an entire family,? she said.

Judo sensei Frances Glaze will instruct a Kime no Kata Clinic after the competition Saturday.

Licensed male and female referees are invited to officiate Saturday and Sunday events and may participate in the clinics, Cope said.

Opening ceremonies are scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday. The AWC matches will begin afterward. The Rock and Roll event begins at 9 a.m. Sunday.

Those who may be unfamiliar with judo are encouraged to attend to see what the sport has to offer.

?Since judo is a throwing sport you might see someone standing, then all of a sudden lying on their back,? Cope said.

For more information, visit ohiojudo.org or contact tournament co-director Deborah Fergus at (269) 208-1068.

Contact Eric Barnes at sports@medina-gazette.com.


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Source: http://medinagazette.northcoastnow.com/2012/09/20/judo-is-coming-to-cloverleaf-rec-center/

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Lyon Porter | Town Residential | Hockey Real Estate Agent

Lyon Porter as a member of the Richmond Riverdogs and his Town Residential headshot

Many New York sales agents have come to the business of real estate from a wide range of other professions. In an ongoing series, TheRealDeal.com will profile brokers for whom selling properties represents a major career transition.

Real estate pros have the reputation for being aggressive. Lyon Porter, a former professional hockey player who recently began selling commercial and residential real estate at Town Residential, embraces that. Porter sat down with The Real Deal to discuss what his fellow athletes look for in a New York City apartment, the nameless neighborhood that he calls home, and how his sports injuries prepared him to sell New York real estate.

Which teams did you play for?
I played for the Adirondack Frostbite, the Syracuse Crunch and the Richmond Riverdogs. I lived in 10 cities in 15 years. I left home at 16.

Where was home?
Shaker Heights, Ohio.

Do you still paly recreationally?
I do. I play over at Chelsea Piers. I play with a group of guys who also used to be professionals.

Did you get terribly injured?
I cracked a hip socket, separated both shoulders, got a lot of stitches. ? These aren?t all my real teeth. The first breath of cold air after chipping a tooth is no fun. And getting your nose broken is probably one of the worst, because you can?t see.

Why?
Your sinuses, they kind of ? come out.

Your nose been put back together very well.
Thank you. I still can?t breathe out of it.

How many times was it broken?
I don?t know. I fought a lot.

How has that helped or harmed you as a real estate pro?
It?s like what they say about boxing: ??it?s more important to be able to take a punch than to give a punch.? So, in real estate you take a lot of punches. You get a lot of doors closed in your face. In hockey there is constant rejection ? having to try out, having to move [cities], having to go forward when people say you shouldn?t. Especially being from the U.S. when most players are Canadian [can be tough].

Was there anti-American sentiment?
I was often the only American on my team. But having to go up against those obstacles was helpful, because now I don?t mind someone saying no to me.

It?s mental toughness, basically. The same in real estate as in the rest of life.
Yeah, it?s like when you get traded, you can?t take it personally. The only thing you can control is how you perform. And it?s the same in real estate.

Is there a particular kind of clientele you specialize in? Do you find you can bond with clients over professional sports?
I do have some clients who are professional athletes.

Like who?
I?m not going to name names. But I have some pro hockey players and other pro athletes. I can relate to them, to having a life on the road. I can relate to not wanting to live in a hotel.

What do you think professional athletes need in a home?
I think actually having a home, since they are on the road so much, it?s very important to them. And almost exclusively athletes buy condos [instead of co-ops] because they might get traded the next day.

And they must like full service amenities?
Well, we have the Town Residential concierge service. It?s nice to be able to give them something to lean on. It?s a free service to clients. It?s been an amazing thing for this type of clientele. Even just for a busy New Yorker, being able to get a reservation at the Nomad tonight if you want it.

Before joining Town you were in graduate school?
Yes, I had worked in real estate and did my masters in development at NYU?s Shack Institute [of Real Estate]. I did full -time [but] at night. And I also was still working with C&K Properties, assisting them with private equity real estate acquisitions.

How did working in private equity inform your knowledge of real estate?
Brooks Crowley, who I worked with there, was invaluable. Two guys who started from scratch. They owned 3 million square feet in the city. ?[The experience] really helped me with my investor clients and developers I am working with now, to see it through their eyes.

Where do you live?
In the 20s. It?s just below Murray Hill, a lot of people would call it Kips Bay. If you look at it on a taxi map, it?s a gray area.

What kind of branding do you think it should get?
I
t used to be called Rose Hill, but that never caught on in the popular nomenclature. I don?t know if I would call it a name at this point though. I have a rent stabilized apartment so I didn?t choose the neighborhood, it chose me.

You aren?t gonna tell us how much you pay?
No. But it is a two bedroom, thank God, because I just had a son two months ago.

Congratulations. Do you want your son to play hockey?
He can play whatever he wants.

When it comes to hockey, can you tell when a kid is really young if they will be good?
Yeah, and they could tell that I was a terrible skater; I just loved hockey. I was never the skill guy. I made it really far as a really unskilled guy.

Did you make up for a lack of technique with aggression or something?
I did. I was a grinder. If I had to fight or hit someone, [I would].

Would you characterize yourself as a real estate pro in sort of the same way? Always willing to fight?
I think in this business, in this city, you have to have something extra. Whether it?s being able to take punches or being able to swim with sharks. Anyone successful has something extra, and I think I gained mine from hockey. When someone shuts the door in my face I just say, ?Ok, well I?ll knock on it again tomorrow.? I don?t mind hearing ?no,? in fact I don?t even hear it. And that?s why this business is a perfect fit for me.

Source: http://therealdeal.com/blog/2012/09/20/off-the-ice-real-estate-beckons/

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Ben Vereen files for divorce from wife of 36 years

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ben-vereen-files-divorce-wife-36-years-234607580.html

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The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 will hit 5 US carriers by mid-November

Galaxy Note 2

Samsung has unveiled their U.S. release plans for the upcoming Galaxy Note 2, and things are looking very nice. The Note 2 will be on all five major U.S. carriers by mid-November, making this the second time Samsung was able to pull off a (mostly) simultaneous launch of the same model across the board.

We've seen the so-called international version of the Note 2, but what do we get here in the states? A beast, that's what.

  • 1.6 quad-core Exynos CPU
  • LTE and/or HSPA+42 where applicable
  • 2GB RAM
  • Android 4.1
  • 16GB storage
  • microSD card slot

That's not a typo -- the Note 2 will be the debut of the LTE optimized Exynos. I know more than a few have been waiting for that one. Of course this all sits under the 5.5-inch Super AMOLED HD screen an is backed up by that 3100mAh battery. Jelly Bean is an awesome bonus, and there's a chance that this will be the first phone on Verizon to offer it.

Of course the redesigned S-Pen and software optimizations are on-board, and the device will be available in Marble White or Titanium Grey, with flip-cover backs available in Titanium Gray, Marble White, Blue, Pink, Mint, Lime Green, and Orange. Full details from carriers will be coming soon, we'll keep an eye out for all the Note 2 news.

The full press release is after the break, and the Galaxy Note 2 forums are open for business!

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/N7_0WY6EVTE/story01.htm

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Chicago students return to class as strike ends

Leslie Sabbs-Kizer, right, walks her children Nkai Melton, 8, Akaira Melton, 7, and Khaymya Smith, 3 to Bond Elementary school in Chicago, for the first day of classes Wednesday morning, Sept. 19, 2012, after Chicago teachers voted to suspend their first strike in 25 years. Union delegates voted overwhelmingly Tuesday night to suspend the walkout after discussing a proposed contract settlement with the nation's third largest school district. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

Leslie Sabbs-Kizer, right, walks her children Nkai Melton, 8, Akaira Melton, 7, and Khaymya Smith, 3 to Bond Elementary school in Chicago, for the first day of classes Wednesday morning, Sept. 19, 2012, after Chicago teachers voted to suspend their first strike in 25 years. Union delegates voted overwhelmingly Tuesday night to suspend the walkout after discussing a proposed contract settlement with the nation's third largest school district. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

Students walk through the gates for the first day of school outside Benjamin E. Mays Academy, Wednesday morning, Sept. 19, 2012, after Chicago teachers voted to suspend their first strike in 25 years. Union delegates voted overwhelmingly Tuesday night to suspend the walkout after discussing a proposed contract settlement with the nation's third largest school district. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

Students gather outside Benjamin E. Mays Academy for the first day of school Wednesday morning, Sept. 19, 2012 in Chicago, after Chicago teachers voted to suspend their first strike in 25 years. Union delegates voted overwhelmingly Tuesday night to suspend the walkout after discussing a proposed contract settlement with the nation's third largest school district. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

Yvette Osborne speaks after dropping her three children off at Benjamin E. Mays Academy for the first day of classes, Wednesday morning, Sept. 19, 2012, after Chicago teachers voted to suspend their first strike in 25 years. Union delegates voted overwhelmingly Tuesday night to suspend the walkout after discussing a proposed contract settlement with the nation's third largest school district. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

(AP) ? Chicago children returned to school Wednesday, less than a day after teachers ended a seven-day strike that disrupted the daily routines of thousands of families and made the city a flashpoint in the debate over union rights and efforts to overhaul the nation's public education system.

For Erica Weiss, the resumption of classes spared her from having to take her 6-year-old daughter to work.

"I am elated. I couldn't be happier," said Weiss, who had to leave her office in the middle of the day to pick up her daughter from one of the schools that stayed open and then bring her back to her finance job downtown.

"I can't even imagine the people who could have possibly even lost their jobs over having to stay home with their kids because they have no alternate care," she added. "It just put everyone in a pickle."

Union delegates voted overwhelmingly Tuesday evening to suspend the walkout after reviewing a proposed contract settlement with the nation's third-largest school district. They said the offer wasn't perfect, but that it included enough concessions on proposed new teacher evaluations, recall rights for laid-off teachers and classroom conditions.

The contract will now be submitted to a vote by the union's full membership of more than 26,000 teachers and support staffers.

The strike stranded roughly 350,000 students and left many parents scrambling to arrange alternative care for their children even though the district kept more than 140 schools open for several hours a day for meals and activities.

Some parents expressed hope Wednesday that the tentative agreement would benefit students in a district grappling with high dropout rates and poor performance.

"They'll win from the strike," said Leslie Sabbs-Kizer, referring to her children as she walked them to a South Side elementary school.

Wilonda Cannon, a single mother raising her four children in North Lawndale, a poor West Side neighborhood beset by gang shootings, said she was relieved that her two youngest were returning to class after spending the last seven weekdays with their grandfather.

She said she hoped the agreement was the beginning of something new for Chicago's public school system, which has long struggled with high drop-out rates and low test scores. It will take months if not years before parents and teachers will see whether the changes and contract provisions pay off for students.

"I don't know all the ins and outs (of the contract negotiations) ... but it does seem as though it's a step in the right direction," Cannon said.

As the strike dragged into a second week, Mayor Rahm Emanuel sought a court order to send teachers back to the classroom, a request that was moot after schools reopened.

"This is an exciting day for the city of Chicago," Emanuel said Wednesday. "I'm excited that the kids are back doing the most important thing," learning in the classroom.

The deal offered "major gains," including a longer school day and language clarifying that principals have the right to hire the teachers they want, he said. And the three-year contract will cost taxpayers more than $30 million less than the four-year contract that expired in June.

Union leaders pointed to concessions by the city on how closely teacher evaluations will be tied to student test scores and to better opportunities for teachers to retain their jobs if schools are closed by budget cuts.

"We said that we couldn't solve all the problems of the world with one contract, and it was time to end the strike," said Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis.

With an average salary of $76,000, Chicago teachers are already among the highest-paid in the nation. The district's final proposal included an average 7 percent raise over three years, with additional raises for experience and education.

But the evaluations and job security measures stirred the most intense debate. The union said the evaluation system relied too heavily on test scores and did not take into account outside factors that affect student performance such as poverty, violence and homelessness.

The union also pushed to give laid-off teachers first dibs on open jobs anywhere in the district. The tentative settlement proposed giving laid-off teachers first shot at schools that absorbed their former students and filling half of district openings from a pool of laid-off teachers.

Susan Hickey, a school social worker, said she is eager to learn how the students she counsels fared over the summer.

"How are they? Are they OK?" she said. "I'm glad to be back for all kinds of reasons."

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Associated Press Writer Jason Keyser contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-09-19-Chicago%20Schools-Strike/id-a6e9fed3d00b46af97ee4ba1b3a79000

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Endeavour stops in Houston en route to California

HOUSTON (AP) ? The space shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to leave Houston early Thursday after giving locals a brief glimpse of what might have been.

Hundreds lined the streets and crowded the airport Wednesday to see the retired shuttle land before it was to head to California where it will be permanently displayed, a fact that doesn't sit well with many Houston residents who feel Space City was cheated out of an artifact that should have been theirs to keep.

"I think that it's the worst thing that they can do, rotten all the way," said 84-year-old Mary Weiss, clinging to her walker just before Endeavour landed after flying low over Gulf Coast towns, New Orleans and then downtown Houston and its airports.

Space City, partly made famous by Tom Hanks when he uttered the line "Houston, we have a problem" in the movie "Apollo 13," has long tied its fortune to a mix of oil and NASA. Astronauts train in the humid, mosquito-ridden city, and many call it home years after they retire. The Johnson Space Center and an adjacent museum hug Galveston Bay.

Houston's bid for a shuttle was rejected after the White House retired the fleet last summer to spend more time and money on reaching destinations, such as Mars and asteroids. Instead, Houston got a replica that used to be displayed at the Kennedy Space Center.

"The one we're getting is a toy. An important toy, but a toy nonetheless," said Scott Rush, 54, of Crystal Beach, Texas.

Still, people came out in droves Wednesday, waving American flags and toting space shuttle toys, cameras and cellphones.

Back-to-back delays in the ferry flight resulted in one day being cut from the Houston visit. After landing, the Endeavour rolled slowly in front of the cheering crowd. It circled and preened like a runway model, giving awed spectators an opportunity to take pictures from a variety of angles.

"I want to go on it," said 3-year-old Joshua Lee as he headed to the landing area with his mother and grandmother.

Joshua's mother, Jacqueline Lee of Houston, viewed the landing as an educational opportunity.

"I don't know if he'll get to see this again," Lee said.

Around sunrise Thursday, the shuttle was scheduled to leave Houston, riding piggyback on a jumbo jet. It's booked to stop at Biggs Army Airfield in El Paso, Texas, before heading to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Calif. After spending a night there, the shuttle will head to Los Angeles International Airport on Friday.

In mid-October, Endeavour will be transported down city streets to the California Science Center, its permanent home.

NASA still plays a large role in Houston, and astronaut Clayton Anderson, who lived on the International Space Station from June to November 2007, encouraged people to focus on a new era of space exploration.

"The shuttles are a wonderful legacy, a huge part of Houston, but now it's time to look to the future," said Anderson, who lives in the Houston suburb of League City.

This is the last flight for a space shuttle. Atlantis will remain at Kennedy for display, and Discovery is already at the Smithsonian Institution, parked at a hangar in Virginia since April.

Endeavour ? the replacement for the destroyed Challenger shuttle ? made its debut in 1992 and flew 25 times before it was retired. It logged 123 million miles in space and circled Earth nearly 4,700 times.

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Ramit Plushnick-Masti can be followed on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RamitMastiAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/endeavour-stops-houston-en-route-california-084609663.html

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