(NAPSI)—When people think about FIRST, they immediately think of high school robotics competitions. But for the 2.5 million students who have participated in FIRST programs worldwide since 1989, the payoff is so much more.
FIRST is a robotics community that prepares students for their future through inclusive, team-based robotics programs for ages 4-18. Its mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders and innovators, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs.
“FIRST Robotics is not just a program about building robots, it also focuses on the growth and development of the individual, with technical training, organizational training and community outreach,” said Derek Curd, a mentor of the Up a Creek Robotics team (Team 1619), based in Longmont, Colo. “FIRST teams operate like small companies, so when students come out of the program, they’ve had the opportunity to develop management and operational skills as well,” he said.
Up a Creek Robotics was established in 2004 and partners with the St. Vrain School District. Curd, a tech industry engineer, has been a team mentor since 2014. The team has won numerous regional competitions dating back to 2015 and has earned several invitations to compete at the international meet in Houston, Texas. It also took first place in the global skills competition last year against more than 1,500 teams. Continue reading
(NAPSI)—After these many months of sacrifice and seclusion, isn’t it time for a journey guaranteed to elevate the spirit and soothe the soul?
A luxury African safari is at the top of most travelers’ wish lists and for advice on the only way to go, look no further than the readers of Travel+Leisure. The prestigious publication recently named Micato Safaris the #1 World’s Best Safari Outfitter for a record-breaking tenth time in their annual survey. No safari outfitter—no tour company of any kind—has come close to landing in the #1 spot 10 times.
“In the past year, Micato Safaris has safely escorted many hundreds of guests on magical holidays through the vast plains of Africa. Our guests have been treated not only to a daily cornucopia of magnificent wildlife viewings but also to the indulgent, worry-free journey they deserve,” said Dennis Pinto, Managing Director of Micato Safaris. Continue reading
Portrait of a Fit Senior Woman and Her Husband Walking Along With Yoga Mats Through the Park
(NAPSI)—Spring is here, and with it comes warmer weather, longer daylight hours, and for many, a desire to spring into new activities, including exercise. If you’re ready to kickstart a new fitness routine, here are three tips to help you get started.
- Find What Motivates You
Are you itching to get out into the sunshine for a walk? Are you eager to set up some friendly competition on the tennis or pickle-ball court? With warmer weather, there are so many outdoor options. But, if there’s still too much “brrr” in the air for you or if you’re motivated by more structured exercise options, such as strength training or cardio classes, there are many online workouts you can enjoy in the comfort of your home. For example, the Silver&Fit® Healthy Aging and Exercise program offers 54 free Facebook Live or YouTube classes each week. Thousands of people participate in these beginner, intermediate, and advanced dance, yoga, tai chi, cardio, strength, and flexibility classes. Continue reading
From the internet
Check the the words (lyrics) to the songs that were performed for halftime.F word 13 times,
N word 16 times,
MF 4 times,
P-word 3 times,
B-word 24 times,
What a great example. Remember, the NFL approved everything ahead of time that was broadcast.
Snoop Dogg performing in that halftime show, collaborated on a song in January with the following lyrics:
“All you n*****s out there
Take your guns that you using to shoot each other
And start shooting these bitch ass mother f****ing police
That’ll impress a mother f***ing n***** like me”!
If you think this is alright then your part of the problem. Do you like your Children listening that that kind of verbal garbage? Continue reading
By TomL
President Biden get your knee off the neck’s of the American people!
On your first Day, you said you were going to lead and combat the COVID-19 Pandemic.
It was already well under way! Cures were already available. The know who you are and what you are! You had nothing to do with it!
Kamala Harris get your knee off the neck of the American people!
You took a trip to the border where there were very few problems and reported there was no problems..
President Biden get your knee off the neck of the oil industry!
On the first day, you made it impossible for the Oil industry with the regulations changes you imposed & you revoked the permits on the Keystone XL PIPELINE! More at the end. Continue reading
Your Bad Dog!
Apparently we had another incident of a pet dog biting a neighbor.
Mostly the reactions of owners, victims and officials are inappropriate, uninformed and cruel.
Out of ignorance (or worse), you teach your dog that its job is to ‘defend’ you, your home and your property. Then, when it does it’s best to repel an ‘invader’ you’re yelling and almost choking it on the leash (or worse).
Although most owners are in denial, fact is that any dog is capable of biting.
Don’t bother to ask an owner “Does your dog bite?” In the right (wrong?) circumstances, any dog might bite (or try to).
Many experts claim that fear is the most frequent reason, but, As I See It, that’s not true. Continue reading
Dear Friends,
The 2022 Legislative Session has concluded and it is nice to return home to family, friends, and the good people of Senate District 12. Over the next few columns, we plan to share a few highlights of what was done in Tallahassee over the last few months.
First, we want to share some budget numbers with you. Florida, thanks to a constitutional mandate, must pass a balanced budget every year. This means that we do not spend more money than what you, the taxpayer, sends us. This year, thanks to our robust economy, Florida’s budget set a new record at $112.1 billion. This budget leaves $8.9 billion in state reserves (our rainy day fund), establishes a $1 billion state inflation fund to help offset the rising costs of inflation, and provides $658 million in broad based tax relief to Florida families.
Within this budget, the legislature increased K-12 per-student funding to the highest level in state history and invested $800 million to increase the salaries of classroom teachers, a $250 million increase over the prior year. Continue reading
At the CEP’s Annual Luncheon on 2 February, the new 5-year Strategic Plan, Forward Momentum, was unveiled to a crowd of nearly 1,100 business leaders. The plan had been developed over eight months in 2021 and involved consultations with a number of experts and economists.
The plan is a continuation of its two successors (Moving Forward and Moving Forward – Phase II) but also broadens the engagement of the CEP in a few key areas. All of the plans 19 goals are aligned with the CEP’s mission “to be the catalyst for a prosperous community.” The following are highlights of a few of the goals. The complete can be found at OcalaCEP.com/the-CEP/strategic-plan/
Business Advocacy – the top goal in Business Advocacy is the Renewal of the Local Option Sales Tax. This 1% tax was first approved by voters in 2016 and then overwhelmingly renewed in 2020. The tax is the best way to fund important and needed transportation and first responder needs. The revenues can only be spent on capital needs and approximately 1/3 of the revenue is collected by tourists and commuters who are using our roads and depending on our first responders but not otherwise contributing to their support.
Business Attraction – the #1 goal in the plan is to secure a commitment for commercial passenger air service. As a community of nearly 400,000 the time is right for the return on local air service. Continue reading
By TomL
Lady Lake Florida…Received a phone call last week. He introduced himself as a long time Lady Lake Resident, actually I think he was from the Villages, he was accusing the paper of making Democrats look like Russians. (Boy is that a far stretch). I ask him if he call Fox News and accuse them of the same. I said we have a well rounded group of writer’s and I’m sorry you don’t like what we say, simply just don’t read it. He said he would never watch Fox News. After the called ended, I sat and thought about what he said. You know he is right the Republicans are the only one’s doing their job, the other are taxing the heck out of us. There is talk about the Green new deal is financed by Russia and China, I guess I need to explain. Investigators are now saying that some of the candidates running and endorsing the Green New Deal had hefty contributions from Russian and Chinese backed company’s. Some people get upset when they believe something all their lives and things change, people change. The reader said the whole paper was guilty of it. He said the paper treated Governor DeSantis like a God (Far Stretch). I think several times our writers said DeSantis was doing his job and most Floridians would agree with that. I walked outside and there it was A FULL MOON! I say if you don’t like what is in the newspaper, any paper, just simply don’t read them. I am sorry the Democrat’s are being blamed for what Biden is putting them through. Just impeach him and get it over with! Continue reading
In Marion county, for eight years, the first Saturday in March plays host to the largest festival in our area known as Habitat for Humanity of Marion County’s Strawberry festival. This last Saturday, March 5, 2022 was no different!
This year’s strawberry festival saw 35,000 +/- visitors enjoy strawberry treats of all kinds, local entertainment on two stages, a car show, a strawberry pie eating contest, a chance to shop over 250 vendors and a giant kid’s zone with fun for kids of all ages! The 8th annual strawberry festival was located at the McPherson Government complex on NE 25th Ave where plenty of parking and open spaces allow this festival to grow year after year.
The Habitat strawberry festival in Marion County represents a piece of American history when county fairs and festivals brought communities together. All proceeds made at the festival go towards building a home for a Marion County family in need. A Habitat home is built with mainly volunteers, including the future homeowner. The strawberry festival also is alive with volunteer spirit and known for uniting people from all parts of the county. When the habitat homeowner completes their required volunteer hours (averages 250 hours) and is handed the front door keys to their new home, their first mortgage payment is likely to be sweeter than the strawberries sold at this year’s festival. Only for that habitat family, the safety and security they receive from the new home lasts longer than any of the sweet treats enjoyed at the festival.
If you missed Habitat’s strawberry festival this year, be sure to save the date for next year. It’s always the 1st Saturday in March and thousands of festival goers will tell you that a good time is had by all!
Elizabeth B. Chryst
Chair-Habitat for Humanity of Marion County, FL
