Latest news with #Mazurek
Vancouver Sun
17-06-2025
- General
- Vancouver Sun
How a group of Vancouver volunteers is helping older adults reconnect with the outdoors — one ride at a time
For some of Vancouver's older adults, the most meaningful moments of their week happen at just 10 kilometres an hour. That's the average speed of a trishaw, a three-wheeled electric-assisted bike piloted by volunteers with the Vancouver Cycling Without Age Society . From May through October, the volunteers take older adults on free or donation-based rides along scenic routes, such as in Stanley Park, Pacific Spirit Park, Jericho Beach or the seawall. Geared to those who live in long-term care homes or who face social isolation, the program helps seniors reconnect with the outdoors and feel 'the wind in their hair again.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Before last year, Kitsilano resident Helen Mazurek, 84, had few reasons to venture outside. 'I got a dog, Wee Angus, but even walking him means relying on HandyDART,' she said, referring to the transit service for people with mobility challenges. Mazurek's husband, Jerzy, is in hospital, so she has found new purpose in being able to enjoy the outdoors from the leather seat of a trishaw, energized by the fresh air and the calming sight of tree canopies overhead. Last week, she took her seventh free ride with the non-profit, joined by her black-and-white Shih Tzu mix. 'Wee Angus sat beside me until we passed by the sight of something he really liked, then he'd shuffle to the other side,' Mazurek chuckled. 'I'm too old to ride a bike myself, so these rides have made me feel invigorated and alive.' Last year, the society completed 500 rides, serving more than 1,000 people and logging 3,500 kilometres. This year, they're on track to triple that number. The non-profit operates two main programs in the city: one partners with care homes and senior-serving organizations to offer scheduled weekly rides, while the other establishes community ride hubs in locations, like Jericho Beach, for seniors living independently. 'About 95 per cent of seniors in B.C. live at home, many cared for by family members who are also working or raising children,' said Jake Winn, the society's executive director. 'On weekends, we set up in accessible spots, like Jericho Beach and Pacific Spirit Park, to offer community rides by donation.' According to Winn, the rides are often meaningful milestones. 'Some seniors dress in their Sunday best. Others bring along family members. One couple celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary on a ride — the care staff decorated the trishaw, and the gentleman wore what looked like his original wedding suit. As they rolled through town, people clapped and waved. It was like the whole city was part of their celebration.' The society has six passenger rickshaws, not nearly enough to meet growing demand. The e-bikes are on the road seven days a week, averaging 15 kilometres a ride. Like small electric vehicles, they require daily charging, regular maintenance, insurance and dedicated storage. Winn says each trishaw is operated by trained volunteers — many of them seniors — who receive instruction in communicating effectively with individuals living with dementia and other conditions. 'It's about more than a ride,' said Winn. 'It's about dignity and countering the culture of ageism in North America by making sure older adults stay visible and connected in their communities, so they're not just some distant thought in a care home.' The society still hopes to expand, not just with more trishaws, but with new hubs across the city to ensure any senior, in care or at home, can access a ride when they want to be whisked away somewhere outdoors. The rides aren't just scenic — they're social, too. 'We always go in groups of three trishaws,' Mazurek told Postmedia News. 'I used to be quiet during the rides, but now I end up chatting with the pilots all the way there and back.' Once, while rolling through Jericho, the senior said a little girl ran up to the cycle and shouted, 'That's what I want for my birthday!' Mazurek recalled. 'We just laughed. We always do the queen's wave as we go by.' sgrochowski@
India Today
30-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
Ex- Goldman Sachs banker sentenced to 2 years in $4.5 billion 1MDB scandal
A former Goldman Sachs banker was sentenced Thursday to two years in federal prison for his role in a $4.5 billion scheme to ransack a Malaysian state investment Leissner, at his sentencing in Brooklyn federal court, apologized to the people of Malaysia, who he called the 'real victims' of the scheme.'The funds raised more than a decade ago could have profoundly benefited the nation and its citizens,' he said in a statement read in court and provided by his lawyers. 'Instead, due to my greed — and the greed of those involved alongside me — they were misappropriated.'advertisement Prosecutors said Leissner and other Goldman Sachs bankers helped the Malaysian investment fund known as 1MBD, or the 1Malaysia Development Berhad state fund, raise $6.5 billion through bond they say more than $4.5 billion of the funds were stolen and laundered through bribes and spoils bankrolled extravagant purchases, from wild parties to lavish spending on jewels, art, a superyacht and luxury real estate, prosecutors have said. They also helped finance the 2013 Martin Scorsese film 'The Wolf of Wall Street' that starred Leonardo scandal led to the fall of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's government in 2018. Najib was later convicted by a Malaysian court of abuse of power and other crimes related to the scandal and sentenced to 12 years in prison.'What we did was unequivocally wrong, and I take full responsibility for my role,' Leissner said Thursday. 'I deeply regret my actions, and if I could turn back time, I would undo them without hesitation.'advertisementLeissner had pleaded guilty in 2018 to bribing government officials in Malaysia and Abu served as a key government witness in the trial of Roger Ng, a fellow former Goldman Sachs banker who was sentenced in 2023 to 10 years in federal lawyers described the looting of 1MDB as 'perhaps the single largest heist in the history of the world,' but maintained prosecutors scapegoated him for crimes committed by others, including the higher-ranking declined to comment on Thursday's sentence. They had not sought a specific prison term in filings ahead of sentencing while lawyers for Leissner had sought a sentence of time already is due to report to prison Sept. 15 and his lawyers have requested that he be sent to the federal prison in Otisville, New York, according to the Mazurek, Leissner's lawyer, said his client is prepared to serve his sentence. It includes two years of supervised release after prison and a forfeiture totaling $43.7 million, which already has been paid to Malaysia, he said.'Mr. Leissner cooperated not only to obtain leniency at sentencing, but to show his true remorse for his actions and tell the full story of 1MDB and Goldman Sachs,' Mazurek said in an email. 'He did that and will continue to tell all who will listen about the poisonous culture at Goldman that inspired the 1MDB scheme.'Must Watch
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man accused of setting APD motorcycles on fire appears in court
Less than one week after the official opening of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, one of the protesters appeared in court. John Mazurek is accused of setting fire at a police precinct in 2023. Channel 2's Steve Gehlbach was at the Fulton County Courthouse, where there were around a dozen demonstrators outside while Mazurek was in court. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Based on the proceedings, it doesn't look like Mazurek will be going to trial any time soon. An attorney for Mazurek and a prosecutor told the judge they're still negotiating a plea deal and need more time. Prosecutors said a jury trial is a last resort. TRENDING STORIES: Man accused of setting APD precinct on fire in July 2023 arrested, Atlanta officials confirm APD patrol car set on fire in southeast Atlanta neighborhood, police confirm 'This is not the way:' Atlanta mayor, police chief respond to attacks on training facility 'So we're not going anywhere, the defendant's on bond,' an attorney said. Mazurek, 30, was arrested for first-degree arson. While he's out of jail, he's wearing an ankle monitor. He was arrested for the 2023 attack on an Atlanta police precinct where multiple APD motorcycles were set on fire. Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said when he was arrested that the fires were more than just a harmless property crime. 'We are very fortunate that we did not stand in front of you in July to note the passing of an Atlanta police officer due to an arson attack,' Schierbaum said previously. Outside of the courthouse on Monday, a small group chanted and held up a banner reading 'Free Jack.' Even after the official opening of the training center last week, the 'Stop Cop City' protesters said they're not going away. 'We can still push back on the general militarization of the police,' one protester said. 'Butch,' who didn't want to give his full name, said the legal process is the punishment for Mazurek but wouldn't address if they thought torching police vehicles was appropriate or not. 'We think they're making extravagant charges, don't think they have a clear idea who the suspect is,' Butch said. 'So they're pinning it on one person.' Mazurek's defense attorney told Channel 2 Action News that they're still waiting on a ruling from the judge about motions argued in 2024. She said those should be done in the next two weeks and reset the next hearing in the case for the last week in June. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Pioneer Power Invited to Participate in the 37th Annual ROTH Conference
FORT LEE, N.J., February 25, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pioneer Power Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPSI) ("Pioneer" or the "Company"), a leader in the design, manufacture, service and integration of distributed energy resources, power generation equipment and mobile electric vehicle ("EV") charging solutions, today announced that Nathan Mazurek, Chairman and CEO of Pioneer will be participating at the 37th Annual ROTH Conference, March 16-18, 2025, in Dana Point, California. Mr. Mazurek will be available for one-on-one meetings. For more information about the conference or to request a meeting with management, please contact your ROTH sales representative or email ppsi@ You may also visit: The conference will feature one-on-one and small group meetings, analyst-selected fireside chats, and industry keynotes and panels with approximately 450 participating companies across a variety of growth sectors including Business Services, Consumer, Healthcare, Industrial Growth, Insurance, Resources, Sustainability, and Technology, Media and Entertainment. About the ROTH Conference The Annual ROTH Conference is one of the largest in the nation for small-cap companies, combining company presentations, Q&A sessions and management 1-on-1 meetings. The format provides investors the opportunity to hear from and meet with executive management from approximately 500 private and public companies in a variety of growth sectors. Roth's award-winning Research Team identifies distinguished presenting companies across broad sectors, including consumer, energy, healthcare, industrial growth, metals & mining, sustainability, services, technology and more. About Pioneer Power Solutions, Inc. Pioneer Power Solutions, Inc. is a leader in the design, manufacture, integration, refurbishment, service and distribution of electric power systems, distributed energy resources, power generation equipment and mobile electric charging solutions for applications in the utility, industrial and commercial markets. To learn more about Pioneer, please visit its website at e-Boost is Pioneer's portfolio of smart, mobile EV charging solutions. The Company has been aggressively marketing e-Boost to electric bus and truck manufacturers, fleet management companies, municipalities and EV infrastructure providers since its initial launch in November 2021. View source version on Contacts Brett Maas, Managing PartnerHayden IR(646) 536-7331brett@ Sign in to access your portfolio
