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☆ Summer is a money pit for parents
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-06 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The 34-year-old mom of four said most of these summer camps were already paid up front earlier this year. AdvertisementMeanwhile, 23% of parents, among those who reported they'd be paying for summer programs, expected to pay over $1,000 a month per child during the summer. Broadly, 61% of parents with kids under 18 years old said it "feels even more expensive to raise kids in the summer months." Bowling, who lives in LA, sends her children to a Jewish summer camp, which has long been held as an important cultural touchstone in the American Jewish community. "At the Y, we really want to make sure summer camp is accessible for all."

Persons: Paige Connell, Connell, Courtney Alev, Tom Rosenberg, Rosenberg, Alex Mnatsakanov, it's, Mnatsakanov, they'd, they're, Alev, It's, Dana Bowling, Bowling, Lisa Garcia, Garcia, doesn't Organizations: Service, Business, American Camp Association, Camp, Intuit, American Jewish, YMCA Locations: LA, American, Greater New York, she's

☆ Rural America Lags Cities in Helping People Beat the Heat
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Dionne Searcey | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In Caribou, Maine, a town of 7,400, the splash pad was packed with children at noon on Wednesday as temperatures soared. But next to it, at a cooling center for the rural area’s many elderly residents, all the folding chairs were empty, even though three air-conditioners were blasting a frigid breeze. Officials had spread the word across Aroostook County about the cooling center on social media, on radio stations and TV, and in local newspapers. However in Maine, and across wide areas of rural America, the techniques familiar in cities to help people beat the heat are much more difficult to carry out effectively. Large parts of the nation were boiling this week as temperatures climbed in Maine and other areas that are not accustomed to mid-June heat waves.

Persons: ”, Gary Marquis Organizations: Caribou, Recreation Department Locations: Caribou , Maine, Aroostook County, Maine, America, Caribou Parks

☆ My kids go to summer camp in Taipei. They get to learn Chinese and it's cheaper than in the US.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Virginia Duan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Every year, it seems like the rush to sign my kids up for summer camp begins earlier and earlier. Related storiesInstead, I send my kids to summer camp in Taipei because not only will my children have fun and learn, but they'll be doing so in Chinese. AdvertisementThe author can afford to send her kids to camp in Taipei thanks to the exchange rate and lower costs. Truthfully, many Taiwanese people will try to speak English to my kids even though my kids understand Chinese just fine. For an 8-day, 7-night sleep-away camp for teenagers, the cost for the entire camp would be $711.

Persons: they'll Organizations: Service, Business, UN Locations: Taipei, Taiwan

☆ 6 people injured in shooting at park in Round Rock, Texas, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-16 | by ( Paradise Afshar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

CNN —At least six people, including two children, were injured in a shooting at a park in Round Rock, Texas, the Austin-Travis County EMS said. “We are investigating a shooting incident with multiple victims that occurred at Old Settlers Park tonight,” Rick White, with the Round Rock Police Department, told CNN. “We don’t have a suspect in custody but we’re searching for suspects.”First responders transported the six people to local trauma facilities, “all with potentially serious injuries,” the Austin-Travis County EMS said. A Juneteenth Festival was scheduled at Old Settlers Park on Saturday night, according to the Round Rock Parks and Recreation Department’s Facebook page. Round Rock is located about 20 miles north of Austin.

Persons: ” Rick White, ” Organizations: CNN, Austin, Round Rock Police Department, Parks, Recreation Locations: Rock , Texas, Travis County, Austin

☆ It's not your imagination. Pickleball courts are everywhere
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In 2017, fewer than half of the largest U.S. cities offered formalized pickleball courts. "We have found New York City parks to really understand the popularity of pickleball and also the need for more courts," said Cannon. We're excited to meet the increasing demand and bring Pickleball Kingdom's premier indoor pickleball to the masses," said Ace Rodrigues, founder and CEO of Pickleball Kingdom. Pickleball courts are also popping up at gyms throughout the country. Life Time, an "athletic country club," currently boasts almost 700 pickleball courts across its 170 U.S. locations.

Persons: Wang Fan, Will Klein, Klein, pickleball, Erica Desai, Mary Cannon, Pickle, Cannon, Desai, Pickleball, Rodrigues, Andre Agassi, Bahram Akradi, Ben Johns, Collin Johns, Anna Bright, Tyson McGuffin, Mike Stobe Organizations: Central Park, China News Service, Getty, Trust, Public, Pickle, Long, PENN, Garden Locations: Central, New York City, pickleball, Louisville , Kentucky, Madison , Wisconsin, Honolulu, Manhattan , Brooklyn, Long Island City, Kingdom, Pickleball, United States, Pickleball Kingdom, U.S, Annapolis , Maryland, Madison

Then, Kelce saw Oropeza's painting entitled “:13 seconds,” which depicted the dramatic finish to the Chiefs' game against Buffalo in 2022. “That right there,” Kelce told Oropeza, “looks familiar.”Oropeza's work has caught the attention of more than just Kelce in recent years. He's done commissions for Jarrod Dyson of the Kansas City Royals and the wife of former St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols. “We are incredibly proud of our 60-plus-year connection to the Kansas City region,” Chiefs president Mark Donovan said in a statement. Those are just some of the small businesses that have benefited from what has become a robust Chiefs industry.

Persons: — Anthony Oropeza, Travis Kelce, Kelce, Satchel Paige, ” Kelce, Oropeza, “, He's, Jarrod Dyson, Albert Pujols, Patrick Mahomes, ”, Mark Donovan, Go Taylor, Taylor Swift, Charlie Hustle, Dolce, Andy Reid, ” Dolce, Erin Brown, ” Brown, Jason Kelce, Reid, Andy Reidcicle, “ It's, ” Oropeza, Travis Organizations: of Fame Negro, Chiefs, Buffalo, AFC, Kansas City Royals, Louis Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Econsult Solutions, Arrowhead, ” Chiefs, Kansas, ” Dolce Bakery, Super, Kansas City, Ravens, Vegas, ”, Bills, Eagles, Miami Locations: Kan, Kansas City, Cleveland, Prairie Village , Kansas, Kansas, Las Vegas, Liberty , Missouri

☆ American kids are facing an epidemic of loneliness. Overhauling youth sports could help fix that.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementA Hooptown Youth League game. While Americans of all ages are vulnerable to loneliness, young people are particularly at risk. Data on grade-school-aged children is limited in the US, but research in other countries has found that young children aren't immune to these problems. One of the few studies to explore sports participation's connection to youth loneliness was conducted by European researchers in 2019. A Hooptown Youth League game.

Persons: —, Nancy Curtin's, we'd, Mike Nilson, Gonzaga University's, Nilson, Chris Elam, It's, Vivek Murthy, General's, John Ewing, they're, There's, Charlie Riedel, Matt Hoffmann, Hoffman, Jon Solomon, — Solomon, David J, Phillip Solomon, Solomon, Curtin Organizations: Service, Hooptown, League, YMCA, Amateur Athletic Union, AAU, Portland Press, Getty, Sports, Fitness Industry Association, National Federation of State High School, Team, Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, Cal State Fullerton, Aspen Institute's Sports, Society Program, Aspen Institute, CDC, rec, Aspen, Spokane — Locations: Oregon, Spokane , Washington, Spokane, Kansas City, Mo

☆ Public pools are disappearing across America
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Yet just as public pools become more important than ever, they’re disappearing from sight. Today, the city has five public pools for a population of around 640,000, ranking 89 out of the largest 100 cities in swimming pools per person, according to Trust for Public Land, an advocacy organization for public parks and land. Private pools, like these in Southern California, have replaced public pools in recent decades. When America built poolsWhile public pools are a rarer sight today, governments built enormous pools during the twentieth century. Hannah Beier/ReutersBut the loss of public pools cannot be picked up fully by private pools or non-profit groups.

Persons: Gerome Sutton, ”, Sutton, ” Sutton, Matt Stone, won’t, Tammy Hawkins, We’ve, Andrew Kahrl, “ We’ve, ” Kahrl, Mario Tama, Jeff Wiltse, Robert Moses, ” Wiltse, Victoria Wolcott, Louis, Walcott, Whites, Martin Luther King Jr, ’, Funtown, suburbanites, John Cornell, Wolcott, Kahrl, Kevin Roth, It’s, Hannah Beier, LaShandra Logan, “, ” Logan Organizations: New, New York CNN, National Weather Service, YMCA, Public, Courier, USA, Aqua, Louisville, University of Virginia, National Recreation and Park Association, University of Montana, ”, Hulton, York, federal, Project Administration, San, University at Buffalo, ” Police, D.C, Kerner Commission, The Old, The Old Westbury Country Club, Newsday, Getty, Whites, Recreation and Park Association, Reuters Locations: New York, Louisville , Kentucky, Algonquin, Louisville, West Louisville, Cypress St, America, Southern California, America —, “, New York City, San Francisco, St, Louis, Baltimore, Washington, Los Angeles, Cincinnati, Augustine , Florida, White suburbs, The, The Old Westbury, Mississippi, Cleveland, California, Parks

☆ An Oasis in the Middle of a Scorching Texas Summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( David Montgomery | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It was six o’clock on Friday morning, at least 15 minutes before dawn over Texas’ capital city, and scores of vehicles had already crowded into the parking lot at Barton Springs Pool, a few miles — and in some ways, an entire world — from the lighted skyscrapers of downtown. Jeremy Baumann, a local health care worker, had already been in the water for an hour, getting in his daily laps. When Austinites talk about Barton Springs, they do so in almost spiritual terms. “It’s very much a sacred place,” said Kim McKnight, manager of historic preservation and tourism for the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. “I recognize not everybody goes there, but for those who do they can’t imagine life without it.”

Persons: Jeremy Baumann, ”, Kim McKnight, “ Organizations: city’s, Recreation Department Locations: Texas, Barton Springs, city’s Parks

☆ Drowning Is No. 1 Killer of Young Children. U.S. Efforts to Fix It Are Lagging.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Emily Baumgaertner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

said it planned to do an in-depth analysis of childhood drownings in several states to better understand the contributing factors. (Research shows that drownings rise with every degree on a thermometer.) There are still over 4,000 of them in the United States annually, and about a quarter of the deaths are of children. shows that Black children between ages 5 and 9 are 2.6 times more likely to drown in swimming pools than white children, and those between ages 10 and 14 are 3.6 times more likely to drown. Disparities are also present in most age groups for Asian and Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Native American and Alaska Native children.

Persons: drownings, Deborah Girasek Organizations: National Institutes of Health, Uniformed Services University of, Health Sciences Locations: Florida, Wisconsin, Yosemite, United States, Pacific, American, Alaska

☆ Swimply, the rental company of home pools, adds pickleball courts to its offerings
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Swimply is expanding its marketplace to offer pickleball court rentals. Pickleball courts are even starting to fill the vacant space left behind by retailers in malls. In Stamford, Connecticut, for example, Pickleball America plans to turn 80,000 square feet of a former Saks Off 5th space into 28 pickleball courts. The company has been rapidly building courts — as well as converting courts from tennis to pickleball — and now has more than 400 pickleball courts at its more than 200 golf and country clubs across the country. Swimply court rentals range from $25-$100 per hour.

Persons: Laskin, there's, There's, Linda Hwang, TPL, St . Louis, —, David Pillsbury, Pillsbury Organizations: CNBC, New, Day, Labor, Trust, Public, People Lab, Saks Locations: New York City, New York, Los Angeles, Bay Area, Houston, Austin , Texas, U.S, Sarasota , Florida, ., Stamford , Connecticut, America, St .

☆ Pickleball is replacing Bed Bath & Beyond and Old Navy at malls
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Pickleball is coming to your local mall, replacing shuttered Bed Bath & Beyond, Old Navy, and Saks Off 5th stores. Malls need new tenants to fill vacant spaces and draw customers beyond their traditional department store anchors and clothing stores. Backers of the game and developers are desperate to find vacant spaces to build courts. The Meadows at Lake Saint Louis, an outdoor mall, plans to fill the space once occupied by Bed Bath & Beyond with a pickleball club. A pickleball facility recently opened in a former Burlington store space at Shore Mall in New Jersey, and a pickleball club took over an Old Navy space at a New Hampshire mall.

☆ Strange, 7-foot-long cannibalistic fish with fangs that live in the deep sea are washing up on the West Coast and scientists don't know why
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Lancetfish live in the deep sea, have fanged jaws and long scaleless bodies, and eat their own. The cannibalistic fish has been washing up on the West Coast, but scientists can't explain why. Video taken in California in 2021 shows a lancetfish flapping its jaw and writhing on the sand. Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. The video shows the lancet flapping its fanged jaw and writhing wildly on the sand.

☆ Pickleball is America’s fastest-growing sport. These people hate it
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The sound and disruption from pickleball, America’s fastest-growing sport, is driving some neighbors, tennis players, parents of young children, and others crazy. Pickleball is America's fastest-growing sport. Some tennis players are also frustrated because pickleball is taking over tennis courts. There were 11,000 places to play Pickleball at the end of 2022, an increase of around 130 new locations a month, according to USA Pickleball, the sport’s national governing body. People play pickleball on what were once tennis courts at Allendale Park in Pasadena, CA, in 2022.

☆ Media frenzy from Alex Murdaugh double homicide trial is disrupting weddings at event hall across the street from the courthouse, bride says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Alex Murdaugh murder trial is underway at a South Carolina courthouse across the street from a wedding venue. One bride told The Daily Beast she's stressed about her wedding being so close to the trial. "I did know about the courthouse being across the street but we have never had a trial like this before," DeLong told The Daily Beast. It was more convenient due to the weather and location in town," she told The Daily Beast. "I had been super excited and now I am pretty stressed out," DeLong said, according to The Daily Beast.

☆ Hiking has become a nationwide New Year's Day tradition
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Just 380 people participated in the initial First Day Hike in 1992 at the nearly 7,000-acre Blue Hills Reservation just south of Boston. On Sunday, tens of thousands of people are expected to take part in First Day Hikes at hundreds of parks in all 50 states. The late Patrick Flynn, the former supervisor at Blue Hills, came up with the original plan. In 2012, First Day Hikes went nationwide when the National Association of State Park Directors endorsed the idea. Elijah Bristow State Park near Eugene is even offering a first day horseback ride.

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