For the past 12 years, Krista Richard has been delivering bikes to people in the Greater Moncton area free of charge. The retired school teacher runs the Bikes and Trikes for Everyone donation program. Parents reach out via her community Facebook page and send the name, age and height of their children and Richard takes it from there. It’s a huge benefit to newcomers and lower income families. “Bikes, like everything else, are more expensive. When we were kids, everyone had a bike and it never occurred to me that some kids don’t have a bike,” said Richard. A collection of bicycle helmets is pictured. (Source: Derek Haggett/CTV News Atlantic)Richard has dozens of bikes at her Moncton home and has already donated more than 70, with 42 kids still on the list. She even salvaged 14 discarded bikes from the dump recently and is in the process of getting them road ready. “It’s part of summer and the thought of a child going all summer without a bike, it really brings tears to my eyes because it’s such a part of childhood,” she said. Sushil Kumar Sharma and his wife received two bikes from Richard on Tuesday for their kids and gave one back. “She’s doing a fantastic job for the community. I have been following her for two years. In the last year she has given us both of the children’s bikes,” said Sharma. “My younger son is excited for this. I told him yesterday and he’s very excited, so he will be coming from school and he’s going for a ride.” Richard does the basic tune-ups on the donated bikes, but any major work is done by Vernon Doucet, her personal mechanic who does the complicated repairs. Krista Richard runs the Bikes and Trikes for Everyone donation program. (Source: Facebook/Bikes and Trikes for Everyone)Doucet thinks the program is great for new Canadians. “It really helps to have a bike or something for the kids to be able to connect with the other kids and to integrate into society here. I think it’s great for those people that don’t have the means or don’t have the ways to get access to that. Krista just makes it possible very easily and it’s amazing,” said Doucet. Richard also runs a free afterschool sports program at BGC Moncton, something she’s very passionate about. She’s set up indoor soccer and floor hockey leagues for students in Grades 4-to-8. As for how long she can keep up the bike donation program, she’s not quite sure. “Oh, until every child has a bike I guess. Or until I can’t do it anymore,” said Richard. Anyone interested in donating a bicycle can reach out to Richard’s Bikes and Trikes for Everyone Facebook page. She’ll be accepting donations until the end of the school year. For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.

New York –

Panera Bread is eliminating Charged Lemonade from its menu, the caffeinated beverage that has sparked multiple lawsuits and caused a public relations nightmare for the company.

The Charged Lemonades will come off the menu in the next two weeks, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the news. The chain declined to comment to CNN on the timeline of the drinks’ removal.

Panera has faced at least three separate lawsuits over the lineup of controversial drinks in recent months, claiming that the high levels of caffeine in the product has led to the deaths of two customers and irreversible health complications in another.

A Panera spokesperson said new drinks will replace it, including low-sugar and low-caffeine options, including a new blueberry lavender lemonade, pomegranate hibiscus tea, citrus punch and a tropical green smoothie.

The lineup of Charged Lemonades was introduced in April 2022, tied with the release of its beverage subscription program that let people get as many soft drinks and coffees as they wanted each day for $10.99 per month. (The price has since increased to US$14.99 per month.)

Panera kept the Charged Lemonades on the menu, despite the controversies, because experts say removing the drink immediately could have come across as an implied admission that something was wrong with it in the first place.

“Very often in lawsuits, there is a knee-jerk reaction among lawyers to do as little as possible publicly out of some vague fear that you are exposing yourself to additional liability,” crisis PR expert James Haggerty previously told CNN, noting that this approach can have a detrimental effect on the market value of a company, at times to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Haggerty added that it’s a “cost-benefit analysis … the loss of reputational value will often outweigh anything that occurs in the courtroom.”

Last month, Panera revamped its offerings with its “largest menu transformation ever” that refocused its selection on sandwiches, soups, salads and macaroni and cheese. A number of items got the ax too, including flatbreads, several sweet treats and chili.

“We are excited to continue the success of our recent menu transformation, which began with our core options of sandwiches and salads,” a Panera spokesperson said about the revamp. “We listened to more than 30,000 guests about what they wanted from Panera, and are focusing next on the broad array of beverages we know our guests desire.”

The changes come as Panera is planning to go public again later this year. In November 2023, the chain laid off 18 per cent of its corporate workforce, amounting to 300 people, and Reuters recently reported that it’s loosening the standards it sets for its ingredients in an effort to save US$20 million annually.

Some people love to wash their car, and for others, it’s their most hated chore. It’s a necessity for car owners, so no matter where you fall on the love-hate spectrum, you want a car wash that’s going to give your car a deep clean that lasts. Automatic car washes are at almost any gas…

  When you take your car to the car wash, there are multiple add-ons available, and one common choice is spray-on wax. It may seem like it doesn’t make a difference, but there are some important benefits. And these benefits go beyond how shiny your will car looks. What Are the Benefits of Waxing Your…

Even when you are lucky enough to start with an empty room, it can be overwhelming to design an interior that you can enjoy for years to come. Following some basic interior design principles, you can transform your space into a relaxing room you will be comfortable and happy with. Decide what your focal point will be and build out from there.  For best results, keep proportion and scale in mind as you decorate as well as these tips!

 Deciding on Your Focal Point
Do you have a magnificent bay window with an incredible view?  Is there an ornate mantle that is the reason you fell in love with your home? Or is there something you absolutely MUST HAVE in the room? Situate your furniture around your chosen focal point to create balance and equilibrium. If your room does not already have an existing focal point, create one with oversized art or add an accent point like a free-standing fireplace, they come in a variety of sizes and styles. Symmetrically balance the room evenly so that both sides mirror one another.  This will help your chosen focal point stand out all the more! Use matching accent tables to flank your sofa or use different pieces of furniture to create a copacetic visual impact, like two similar armchairs to balance a sofa.
Repetition for Rhythm
Rhythm creates a flow and helps direct the eye to the differing visual elements in your room. Just as the notes of a favorite song repeat to create the rhythm, repetition in decor will create a rhythm throughout a home. Establish visual interests with a rhythm throughout your space by placing similar colours or patterns at intervals and repeat in artwork, cushions or area rugs.

Perfect Proportion and Suitable Scaling
Who doesn’t love a large, overstuffed chair? But if your room is on the smaller size it may look out of place and make your room seem even smaller than it is. Keep proportion in perspective. Proportion is the ratio between a piece of furniture and the size of a room. Scale is the size of a piece of furniture in relation to the other pieces of furniture in the room. A super large chair will overpower an apartment of loft size sofa or loveseat and create a sense of unbalance in the room.

Have your room humming harmoniously
Creating harmony will enhance how much you will continue to love your finished. Pull the room with a subdued colour palette for a pleasing, harmonious vibe.   together for a pleasing, harmonious look with a subdued color palette. You can also use a single colour for elements that vary in size and shape. Check out our blog on Doing White on White Right! for more tips!

What is the focal point in your room?  What is your best tip to find harmony and balance through your home?