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Casey’s Promotes Latest Pizza With Customer Challenge

Casey’s Promotes Latest Pizza With Customer Challenge

ANKENY, Iowa — Casey’s General Stores Inc.’s newest tongue-twisting challenge will give guests and fans the chance to win free pizza.

From April 11-25, the “Pepperoni Pepperoni Pepperoni” Challenge invites customers to visit pepperonichallenge.com and test their quick-talking skills by recording a video saying “pepperoni” as many times as possible in 10 seconds.

During the promotional period, guests can unlock free pizza, Casey’s Rewards points and other prizes that can be redeemed in the Casey’s app.

“The Pepperoni Pepperoni Pepperoni Challenge is exciting because it gets our guests engaging with Casey’s and our delicious pizza in a new, fun way, while also utilizing the Casey’s Rewards app,” said Art Sebastian, Casey’s vice president of omnichannel marketing. “We have more than 6 million Casey’s Rewards members now, and they benefit from valuable choices as they earn and redeem rewards points toward in-store purchases, fuel discounts or donations to local schools. This challenge puts our guests’ quick-talking skills to the test to earn even more rewards, and we can’t wait to see their submissions that celebrate our limited-time, fan-requested Pepperoni Pepperoni Pepperoni pizza.”

Fast-talking pepperoni fans can play once per day. Here’s how to participate:

  1. Download the Casey’s app and join Casey’s Rewards at caseys.com/rewards.
  2. Visit pepperonichallenge.com to take on the Pepperoni Pepperoni Pepperoni Challenge.
  3. Fans record themselves saying “pepperoni” as many times as they can in 10 seconds.
  4. Submit and share the video on their social channels to be entered to win, making sure to tag Casey’s.

Casey’s debuted the limited-time-only Pepperoni Pepperoni Pepperoni pizza last month. The pie is layered with crispy-cupping pepperoni, deli-style pepperoni and traditional pepperoni on Casey’s made-from-scratch dough. The pepperoni-loaded pizza is available across the retailer’s footprint for only $16.99 from March 1 through June 20.

Headquartered in Ankeny, Casey’s operates more than 2,400 convenience stores. The company has is the third-largest c-store retailer and the fifth-largest pizza chain in the United States.

The Infinitesimal Birthplace of Comets Inspired Oort Lighting

The Infinitesimal Birthplace of Comets Inspired Oort Lighting

Some scientists theorize comets traveling across observable space all originate from the same place, a distant region of our solar system known as the Oort Cloud. It is here where billions, or even trillions of pieces of icy material and rock emerge from the “cometary reservoir” to make an orbital journey occasionally past our small blue planet. It is this theory that inspired the Oort series of lighting solutions designed by engineer Jacopo Roda for FontanaArte.

Characterized by filaments of flexible LED silicone tubes encased in a ribbed glass cylinder, the collection draws inspiration from the innumerable icy space debris that make up the Oort Cloud. Like the astronomical region it is named after, the tubular elements of Oort can be turned into an infinite number of shapes and configurations to fit any space of every size and aesthetic. silver LED light

LED light arch

Describing the collection, Roda notes, “Sinuous rectilinear and curved luminous paths allow the creation of a personalized and different lighting for every need: a moldable, flexible play of light that can be used in domestic environments and open spaces.”

tubular LED light fixture

tubular LED light fixture

tubular LED light fixture

tubular LED light fixture

tubular LED light fixture

tubular LED light fixture

tubular LED light fixture details

tubular LED light fixture

tubular LED light fixture

tubular LED light fixture

tubular LED light fixture

tubular LED light fixture

tubular LED light fixture

tubular LED light fixture

For more information on the Oort lighting family, head to fantanaarte.com.

As the Lifestyle editor, Vy Yang is obsessed with discovering ways to live well + with intention through design. She’s probably sharing what she finds over on Instagram stories. You can also find her at vytranyang.com.

Why Small Businesses Matter in Darien: Jessica Xu Photography

Why Small Businesses Matter in Darien: Jessica Xu Photography

Why Small Businesses Matter

Shop small, do big things for your community

Why Small Businesses Matter puts a spotlight on the local merchants who donate their time, talent, goods, and services for the betterment of our community. The shop local movement spreads virally as local businesses who are “tagged” have the opportunity to share their story!

You’re IT Jessica Xu Photography!

Three questions with Jessica Xu, founder of Jessica Xu Photography.

Why did you start your business?

Before having kids I was an elementary school teacher; I loved teaching my students dearly. However, once I had my first child in 2012 I was motivated to find a way to stay at home with my baby so I bought myself my first DSLR. I had attended photo school before I got my teaching degree but had learned on film so it was a process to develop a digital shooting and editing style.

A couple of years and two babies later I started Jessica Xu Photography, shooting family sessions here in Darien. Being a family photographer is my dream job: I meet new families, I get to express myself creatively and most importantly I work out of my home and can meet my kids at 3:15 when they get off the bus.

What is your best-selling product/service?

When I started out shooting family portraits I only did mini sessions (and I still do them from time to time) but 15 minutes can feel so frantic. My favorite part of the job and my most popular “product” is the full family session. I love to take my time getting to know the families so I can capture them honestly and artfully. I think clients like the full session because we are all so busy and with a full session the family gets to choose the date, time, and location.

Have you “reimagined” your small business?

Transitioning from shooting mostly minis to more full sessions made me think about what kind of experience I wanted to give my client. Everyone who books a photo session is looking for great shots of their family but I want my clients to walk away from our session feeling like they participated in something special. I’m looking to avoid the frantic nature of a mini-session and I understand how most parents doubt their kids’ stamina for actively engaging (aka smiling) but my goal when I’m shooting is to let the session unfold naturally.

That might mean taking a break to chat for a minute about favorite books or tv shows and then we’ll jump back into shooting. I always take that mandatory smile-at-the-camera shot but then the real fun begins and we can get silly if that’s the mood, or serious if that’s where someone is at. Sometimes we’ll explore the location to find the best spot for frolicking. Sometimes the kids need to run a few laps to get their heads in the game (while I shoot furiously).

Sometimes Dad needs to run a lap. Taking the time to get to know my subjects helps me capture them more honestly and that means the photos look great on a holiday card and even better on a wall, in an album, or another keepsake. I’m shooting for posterity, I want to take images that decades from now, families can look at and vividly remember this season of their life.

Jessica would love to nominate Megan Dey who runs Squishy Life Photography to be featured next – “A local infant photographer! I gave newborn photography a shot about ten years ago and it is so hard! Not for me; what she does is pure magic!”

Visit Jessica Xu Photography online here, and make sure to check out their Facebook page as well!

HamletHub thanks Fairfield County Bank for making our Why Small Businesses Matter series possible!

Step by Step Ladder Reinvents the Traditional Library Ladder

Step by Step Ladder Reinvents the Traditional Library Ladder

If floor-to-ceiling bookshelves are on your home design wish list, I suggest you add the versatile, functional, and inviting Herman Studios Step by Step Ladder to it. Featuring a deep top step for extra safety and a wooden support bar for balance, Step by Step can be folded up and hung on the wall when not in use using an included small wooden hook, pulling double-duty as a decorative wall object.

Designer Jonas Herman of Herman Studio in Bosnia-Herzegovina shared, “This stepladder has two purposes: to provide optimal function when unfolded and in use, and serve as a decorative element when folded up and hanging on the wall. We wanted to create a functional ladder that would also have a sculptural effect in a room.”

Choose between natural oil treated and white oak treated European oak finishes.

wood ladder folded up and hung on a wall in corner of room with wooden bookshelf and hanging pendant lamp near a window.

foldable wood ladder on white background

foldable wood ladder on white background

foldable wood ladder on white background

foldable wood ladder on white background

An ultra-strong flag halyard line prevents the ladder from collapsing when in use and prevents it from damaging the wall when stored.

detail of foldable wood ladder on white background

detail of foldable wood ladder on white background

foldable wood ladder and folded version of the ladder on white background

foldable wood ladder folded and hung on a wall on white background

To learn more about the Step by Step Ladder, visit formandrefine.com.

Kelly Beall is senior editor at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based graphic designer and writer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, and enjoys sharing her finds with others. When undistracted by great art and design, she can be found making a mess in the kitchen, consuming as much information as possible, or on the couch with her three pets. Find her @designcrush on social.

Around Town: UNC Asheville hosts free Indigenous hip-hop concert

Around Town: UNC Asheville hosts free Indigenous hip-hop concert

Since joining UNC Asheville’s faculty in 2016, Juan Sánchez Martínez has strived to expose his students to diverse works by contemporary Indigenous artists, musicians and writers.

“In this context, I have witnessed how powerful Indigenous hip-hop is in challenging misconceptions and stereotypes about Indigenous peoples while empowering women, elders, children and keepers of the land,” says Martínez, an associate professor of Spanish and American Indian and Indigenous Studies.

In 2017, Martínez and others started thinking about organizing a UNCA festival celebrating Indigenous hip-hop. After a few years of planning, they were set to host an event in the spring of 2020 but had to cancel when COVID restrictions hit.

Three years later, Activating Indigenous Beats: Hip Hop Nativo is finally a reality. The four-day festival will include workshops and community events and will culminate with a free concert on UNCA’s quad Friday, April 14, 6-9:30 p.m.

The show will feature performances by:  

  • Luanko Minuto Soler, a singer and rapper who is a member of the Mapuche of south-central Chile.
  • Mare Advertencia Lirika, a Mexican rapper and songwriter of Zapotecan descent.
  • Tall Paul, an Anishinaabe and Oneida hip-hop artist enrolled on the Leech Lake reservation in Minnesota.
  • Asheville hip-hop artist Davaion “Spaceman Jones” Bristol.

“They represent a generation of musicians who face their communities’ reality with dignity and strength,” Martínez says. “Their rhymes activate Native languages, disrupt heteropatriarchy and challenge racism.”

Organizers made sure the concert included representation from South, Central and North Abiayala (“the land in full maturity” in the Dule language), as well as from different genders and genres, Martínez says.

Shennelle Feather and Jarrett Wildcatt, artists and educators of the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, will be masters of ceremony during the concert, which also will include visual artists, a food truck and a performance by Aztec dancers. UNCA is partnering with the museum and the Asheville hip-hop community to put on the festival.

“While listening to these beats and lyrics, please keep in your mind, heart and spirit that [the festival] is special in the sense that distant Indigenous languages and peoples are converging in Tokiyasdi, Cherokee territory,” Martínez says. “We are remembering together.”

UNCA is at 1 University Heights. The concert is free. Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets. For more information, visit avl.mx/cks

Toy story

Two educators from Odyssey Community School have teamed up to write a children’s book aimed at teaching youths about compassion and empathy.

Pick Up Your Toys, Kirk! tells the story of a little boy who loves his toys but doesn’t love putting them away.

“I wanted to support children in developing the qualities of sharing and taking care of treasured objects,” says Shirley Rotolo, who teaches kindergarten at the Asheville charter school. “Kirk has to make some challenging age-appropriate choices and realize he has possessions and treasures that not everyone has the opportunity to own. One of my goals for this book was to show how Kirk processes his emotions in this situation.”

Rotolo wrote the book and enlisted fellow kindergarten teacher Samantha Sole to do the pictures.

“I wanted to illustrate pages that a young reader could enjoy both when reading independently and when listening to the story with their parents,” Sole says. “With this in mind, I aimed for the pages to be imaginative and detailed so that the reader could explore both the written and illustrative story.”

Rotolo and Sole started reading portions of the book to their students to gain feedback as they were putting it together.

“It ended up being special for both the children and as well as us when it became published,” Rotolo says. “They were so excited that they were a part of the process.”

For more information or to buy the book, go to avl.mx/ckt

A little night music

White Horse Black Mountain will host “Remembering Sondheim” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 15.

The concert will feature Western North Carolina singers and pianists performing the works of legendary musical theater composer Stephen Sondheim, including songs from Into the Woods, A Little Night Music and Sunday in the Park with George. A version of the show was performed earlier this year in Waynesville.

Featured singers include Lara Hollaway, Adrianne Blanks, Matt Blanks, Matt Edwardsen, Dominic Michael Aquilino and Mandy Vollrath, who also is the show’s director. The show’s pianists are Luke Shaver and Leonidas Lagrimas.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $22 at the door.

White Horse Black Mountain is at 105 Montreat Road. For more information or to buy tickets, go to avl.mx/cku

American songs

The Asheville Symphony will present “Masterworks 6: New World,” a concert of American orchestral music at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 15, at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium.

The performance will feature Antonín Dvořák’s “New World Symphony” and Alexandra du Bois’ “Fanfare on We Shall Overcome.” Cellist Amit Peled will play Victor Herbert’s Cello Concerto No. 2. The du Bois piece was inspired by the election of President Barack Obama in 2008.

“This introduces a concept of the American orchestral sound in the 21st century, while the other two works in the program were seminal in establishing an American school in the late 19th century,” says Darko Butorac, the symphony’s music director, says in a press release.

Ticket prices range from $25-$75.

Thomas Wolfe Auditorium at Harrah’s Cherokee Center is at 87 Haywood St. For more information or to buy tickets, visit avl.mx/ckv.

A Fuller understanding

The Asheville Art Museum will host Altruistic Genius: Buckminster Fuller’s Plans to Save the Planet from Friday, April 14-Monday, Aug. 21. A members-only preview will be 5-7 p.m. Thursday, April 13.

The exhibition features two major suites of prints and other works by inventor and futurist R. Buckminster Fuller, known for popularizing the geodesic dome after conducting field experiments at Black Mountain College. It is meant to introduce visitors to Fuller’s strategies for the sustainability of humans and the planet relating to housing, transportation, mathematics and engineering, the museum says in a press release.

Altruistic Genius will be presented in three sections: “Inventions,” “Synergetics” and “Black Mountain College and Lasting Influence.”

The Asheville Art Museum, 2 S. Pack Square, is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday, Wednesdays, Fridays-Sundays, and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays. For more information, go to avl.mx/ckw.

Perfect circle

FBO at Hominy Creek will host an album release party for Life Is Perfect by Pat Zim and Friends at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 15.

The event will feature performances by Zim, anti-folk/folk-punk band Lurky Skunk, singer-songwriter Lo Wolf and others.

Each song on the album, which will be released Thursday, April 13, is co-written by Zim and a different local musician.

“I have been in Asheville for three years and have met some really inspiring people in the art and music scene here,” Zim says. “[Perfect Circle] is a showcase of their talents and personalities.”

For more information, go to avl.mx/ckx

Fastline Marketing Group Launches Fastline Auctions, Offering Low Commission Rates and a State-of-the-Art Online Experience for Buyers and Sellers

Fastline Marketing Group Launches Fastline Auctions, Offering Low Commission Rates and a State-of-the-Art Online Experience for Buyers and Sellers

BUCKNER, Ky., April 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Fastline Marketing Group is proud to announce the launch of Fastline Auctions, a new service aimed at helping farmers and dealers list their agricultural equipment for auction on Fastline.com. With over 1 million website visitors, 100,000 emails, and a social media following of over 400,000, Fastline is poised to become the preferred auction destination for buyers and sellers alike.

“Fastline has always been committed to helping farmers and dealers connect with one another,” said Dean Barke, President of Fastline Marketing Group. “Our new auction business will enable us to take that commitment to the next level, by providing an easy, convenient, and cost-effective way for buyers and sellers to connect and conduct business.”

One of the unique aspects of Fastline Auctions is its low commission rates, which will make it an attractive option for sellers looking to maximize their profits. In addition, all equipment listed on Fastline Auctions will be lien-free, giving buyers peace of mind and ensuring a smooth transaction process.

Sellers will also have the ability to set the starting auction bid, allowing them to maintain control over the pricing of their equipment. And with Fastline’s state-of-the-art online auction experience, buyers and sellers can be confident that they are using the latest and most reliable technology to conduct their transactions.

Mr. Barke continued, “Our goal with Fastline Auctions is to provide farmers and dealers with a reliable, transparent, and efficient way to buy and sell agricultural equipment. The most important thing for us is that we operate in integrity and honesty, as we have always done in our 45-year history of supporting the agricultural industry. We want our customers, farmers and dealers, to trust us and feel confident that they are getting a fair deal when they use Fastline Auctions.”.

Fastline’s first auction is scheduled to take place this fall, and the company is currently hiring additional staff in the southeast and midwest to support the new venture. To learn more about Fastline Auctions and apply for a job, please visit Fastline careers page or email us at [email protected]. Equipment dealers and farmers who are interested in listing their equipment on Fastline Auctions can complete an inquiry online here and a Fastline rep will reach out with more information.

Contacts:
Dean Barke
[email protected]

SOURCE Fastline Media Group LLC

Artist creates mural in honor of Pat Tillman

Artist creates mural in honor of Pat Tillman

TEMPE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — As we get ready for the 19th annual Pat’s Run, we have been bringing you stories about Pat Tillman and his legacy. The event raises $1 million annually to support the Tillman Scholars program. Those scholars work to keep his legacy alive. Another way people continue to learn about Pat is through art.

Artist Mike Sullivan gave us an up-close look at the mockup of a mural he designed that is on display at the newly renamed Pat Tillman Middle School. “I wanted to create something that would inspire kids of Pat’s example and since the school was named after him a lot of people may be familiar with Pat’s story would say, ‘Who was Pat Tillman?’” shared Sullivan.

This was not, however, Sullivan’s first mural dedicated to Tillman. It’s his second. The first was completed shortly after Tillman died and was installed in the original Tillman Tunnel at Arizona State University’s Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe before the start of the next football season.

“I was working with a sports agency in Orange County and one of the heads of the agency played against Pat in High School. And I told him my idea I want to start doing murals in stadiums. And he felt one of Pat would be very deserving at Sun Devil Stadium,” said Sullivan.

The humble hometown hero gave up his pro football career to enlist after 9/11 and died in Afghanistan 19 years ago this month.

Everyone was on board and Sullivan got to work. “Whenever I start a mural, I always do a pencil drawing outline to show the client or the university what the murals going to look like and I remember going to meetings with the head coach who was Dirk Koetter at the time and he looked at my drawing and said,’ Mike, this only tells half the story.’”

In addition to his talent on the field, Tillman earned a bachelor of sciences in marketing, graduating summa cum lade from ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business in three and a half years. In his offseason, Tillman pursued a master’s degree in history from his alma mater and also volunteered with Boys and Girls Clubs, the March of Dimes and read and talked to students in schools all around the Valley. “He just saw life a different way. And I’ve talked to Jake Plummer, his quarterback, his teammates, his family members, and what I liked about him was similar being an artist, he was always curious about things he always wanted to study, learn more, always wanted to know the other person’s perspective,” said Sullivan.

Although Sullivan never got the chance to meet Tillman in person, he does think that Tillman would be proud of all the work the more than 800 Tillman Scholars do each and every day. “I think he would have a good feeling that his name or his example have helped the Tillman Scholars and students and young people,” said Sullivan.

It was Tillman’s drive to help others and his humble nature that stood out to Sullivan. “What really struck me was that he wouldn’t do any interviews when he announced he was going into the service because he felt he wasn’t any better or worse than any other man or woman serving our country,” said Sullivan.

Sullivan is a nationally known artist. The Tillman mural was the first of many Sullivan has designed, including one of Jackie Robinson at Jackie Robinson Stadium at UCLA. Upcoming murals include other top colleges, top high schools, as well as several professional sports arenas and stadiums.

Tillman scholar creates mural in honor of Pat Tillman

Tillman scholar creates mural in honor of Pat Tillman

TEMPE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — As we get ready for the 19th annual Pat’s Run, we have been bringing you stories about Pat Tillman and his legacy. The event raises $1 million annually to support the Tillman Scholars program. Those scholars work to keep his legacy alive. Another way people continue to learn about Pat is through art.

Artist Mike Sullivan gave us an up-close look at the mockup of a mural he designed that is on display at the newly renamed Pat Tillman Middle School. “I wanted to create something that would inspire kids of Pat’s example and since the school was named after him a lot of people may be familiar with Pat’s story would say, ‘Who was Pat Tillman?’” shared Sullivan.

This was not, however, Sullivan’s first mural dedicated to Tillman. It’s his second. The first was completed shortly after Tillman died and was installed in the original Tillman Tunnel at Arizona State University’s Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe before the start of the next football season.

“I was working with a sports agency in Orange County and one of the heads of the agency played against Pat in High School. And I told him my idea I want to start doing murals in stadiums. And he felt one of Pat would be very deserving at Sun Devil Stadium,” said Sullivan.

The humble hometown hero gave up his pro football career to enlist after 9/11 and died in Afghanistan 19 years ago this month.

Everyone was on board and Sullivan got to work. “Whenever I start a mural, I always do a pencil drawing outline to show the client or the university what the murals going to look like and I remember going to meetings with the head coach who was Dirk Koetter at the time and he looked at my drawing and said,’ Mike, this only tells half the story.’”

In addition to his talent on the field, Tillman earned a bachelor of sciences in marketing, graduating summa cum lade from ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business in three and a half years. In his offseason, Tillman pursued a master’s degree in history from his alma mater and also volunteered with Boys and Girls Clubs, the March of Dimes and read and talked to students in schools all around the Valley. “He just saw life a different way. And I’ve talked to Jake Plummer, his quarterback, his teammates, his family members, and what I liked about him was similar being an artist, he was always curious about things he always wanted to study, learn more, always wanted to know the other person’s perspective,” said Sullivan.

Although Sullivan never got the chance to meet Tillman in person, he does think that Tillman would be proud of all the work the more than 800 Tillman Scholars do each and every day. “I think he would have a good feeling that his name or his example have helped the Tillman Scholars and students and young people,” said Sullivan.

It was Tillman’s drive to help others and his humble nature that stood out to Sullivan. “What really struck me was that he wouldn’t do any interviews when he announced he was going into the service because he felt he wasn’t any better or worse than any other man or woman serving our country,” said Sullivan.

Sullivan is a nationally known artist. The Tillman mural was the first of many Sullivan has designed, including one of Jackie Robinson at Jackie Robinson Stadium at UCLA. Upcoming murals include other top colleges, top high schools, as well as several professional sports arenas and stadiums.

Photography: Duster and Widowspeak

Photography: Duster and Widowspeak

Posted: 11th April, 2023 by The Editor

Duster played a phenomenal show at Philly’s Union Transfer last week. With friends, Widowspeak supporting, the night was certainly one to remember. Jay was there taking some amazing photos, check them out!


Photos by Jay Leiby

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