A Week In Business

A Week In Business
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Certification Earned

BERLIN – Christine Selzer, manager of the Ocean City office of Merrill Lynch, has announced hat James R. Giles was recognized by the Certified Financial Planners Board of Standards for successfully fulfilling the rigorous requirements to become a Certified Financial Planner professional. Giles is the first Financial Advisor in the Ocean City office of Merrill Lynch to attain this designation, which represents the highest standard of certification in financial planning.

Giles now joins a group of Certified Financial Planner professionals who have voluntarily agreed to abide by high standards of ethical conduct and client service. In addition to maintaining high standards of ethical conduct and client service, these professionals are required to report 30 hours of continuing education courses every two years.

“Today, anyone can claim to be a ‘financial planner’ – but not just anyone can call himself or herself a Certified Financial Planner professional,” Giles said. “I’m proud to announce that I have recently earned the CFP® certification, an achievement that counts me among those financial planners who have met the rigorous education, examination, experience and ethics standards of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc., a nonprofit, professional regulatory organization.”

Gold’s Gym Offers

Free Services To Some

OCEAN CITY – In a month where the nation will give thanks for the many freedoms and gifts enjoyed, Gold’s Gym in Ocean City is giving a big thanks to the people who are making the country and its communities stronger.

Through its new “Strength In Our Communities” initiative, Gold’s Gym in Ocean City is providing free fitness consultations and free workouts to all teachers, firefighters, policemen and the military during the month of November. Members of these groups can visit Gold’s Gym on 115th Street in the Gold Coast Mall to redeem a special two-week VIP membership and receive free fitness advice from a Gold’s Gym fitness expert.

“Teachers, firefighters and police officers are people who truly embody strength within their local communities. Now, more than ever, we need these everyday heroes, the people who help form the backbone of our local communities, to be strong, healthy and at their best,” said owner Chris Cope.

Agencies Work To Make

Phone Drive A Success

BERLIN – The Maryland Women’s Commission and Verizon Wireless, in partnership with the Women’s Commissions throughout the State of Maryland, carried out the Verizon Wireless Hopeline Project Cell-Phone Collection efforts last month. 

Locally, in Worcester County 78, phones were collected in 22 days, by newly created partnerships, which include the Worcester County Commission for Women, Remax Premier Properties-Ocean Pines, Copy Central-West Ocean City and Ocean Pines and Berlin/Ocean City Soroptomist Club. These phones were presented to Verizon Wireless at the formal press announcement.

This project will continue throughout 2008-2009. In Worcester County, cell phones may be dropped off at one of the eight Worcester County Health Department locations. For further information regarding this project, contact Linda Busick, Vice Chair, Maryland Commission for Women at 410-641-5873.

The HopeLine Project collects previously owned wireless handsets and accessories to be refurbished, recycled and/or sold. All proceeds from this program benefit victims of domestic violence by providing essential communication tools through the donation of wireless phones and service. This organization has distributed more than $5 million in HopeLine cash grants to domestic violence prevention and awareness programs across the country and provided more than 60,000 phones with airtime and other features. In addition, the program has kept more than 200 tons of electronic waste and batteries out of landfills.

In the last four years alone, the Verizon Foundation and the Verizon Wireless HopeLine program have contributed more than $500,000 to fund domestic violence prevention programs throughout Maryland. These contributions are the direct results of the many Maryland residents who donated their used phones in local Verizon Wireless stores or in special collections