Lawrence’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board voted 4-3 to make a stronger statement to the city commission against a proposal to implement fees for residents to use Lawrence’s recreation centers.

The city’s rec centers are currently admission-free. Parks and Rec staff members presented a new proposal Monday for lower fees than what they’d previously proposed, which would’ve charged adult residents $25 per month to use Sports Pavilion Lawrence and the East Lawrence and Holcom Park recreation centers.

The new proposal would instead charge adults $12 per month to have access to use all three of the rec centers. There would be reduced rates available for people who qualify based on their income.

Read more background information about the proposed fees in the articles linked below and at this link.

Luis Ruiz, director of the department, said staff did not yet have an updated graphic to reflect the updated proposal, but the fees that the previous proposal would’ve charged only for use of the East Lawrence and Holcom Park rec centers would also cover Sports Pavilion Lawrence under the updated proposal.

There was no updated proposal included in the meeting agenda.

Advisory board members last month agreed on sending the commission a statement against the $1.8 million budget cut the Parks, Recreation and Culture department is facing, but that statement did not explicitly mention the board’s opposition to the rec center fees.

The majority of Lawrence city commissioners the following night indicated they’d support charging fees to use rec centers, though they wanted to look at options to keep them free for children.

The advisory board has no budgetary authority and won’t get to make the final call on this issue, but they are appointed to advise the city commission through their perspectives and expertise.

Board Chair Lisa Hallberg said the board is here to “be the voice of the people like us, the people who live here, the people who use these facilities.” She said she wanted the board to give the commission a statement about the fees that was unambiguous.

Board member Marilyn Hull had drafted a statement, which the board reworked a bit on the fly before voting to approve it.

“The Parks, Recreation and Culture Advisory Board recommends that you maintain the policy of keeping indoor recreation centers admission-free for self-directed exercise and recreation,” the statement read.

“While we appreciate staff’s efforts to make access less costly than originally proposed, we continue to believe that fees introduce inequity and barriers. Further, providing proof of low income is a burden, and this program will be difficult and time consuming to implement,” it continued.

Hallberg, Hull and board members Taylor Bussinger and Vicki Collie-Akers voted in favor of making the statement; members Lee Ice, Ruth DeWitt and John Nalbandian voted against the motion.

Another draft of the statement had included that “Free access ensures that all residents, regardless of income, can use safe, healthy spaces year-round. This supports public health, youth development and community connection, while reducing long-term costs,” and that “Revenue targets are unlikely to be met as users leave or turn to private gyms. Taxpayers already support these centers. Free access guarantees that all benefit. Please protect equity, wellness and access. Keep Lawrence’s recreation centers free for all.” It was not entirely clear from the motion whether that additional language would be included in the final statement that will be provided to the Lawrence City Commission via a future meeting agenda.

Ice voted against the motion because he said if the board made that statement, he would want to also discourage increasing charges for other Parks and Rec activities and facilities to compensate. He said he wanted to be assured that youth sports league teams won’t have to pay 10% more, or that admission to the pool wouldn’t increase by $2, for instance.

Nalbandian said he voted against it because “I think it diminishes our credibility with the city commission, because we’ve already said this.”

Board members did not indicate that they would oppose charging spectator fees of people who come to Lawrence for youth sports tournaments. Lawrence city commissioners also spoke in favor of charging spectator fees.

Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.

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CONCORD, N.C. — Isaiah Evans, a former North Meck High School star and current Duke basketball guard, hosted his first youth camp this morning at Carolina Courts in Concord.

The camp, attended by about 80 kids, focused on basketball skills as well as life skills such as discipline and hard work. Evans partnered with the local non-profit ‘Destined for Greatness’ to organize the event.

“I’m super thankful, bottom line. This is something special to me, and again, we’re getting bigger and better next year,” said Evans. “I’m just super thankful for all the kids coming out, and all the parents that brought the kids out.”

During the camp, Evans took time to engage with the participants by taking photos and signing shirts and McDonald’s All-American cards.

The camp is expected to grow in the coming years.

(WATCH BELOW: Legette, Horn return to field as Panthers look past preseason loss)

Legette, Horn return to field as Panthers look past preseason loss

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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Frederick Richard is taking the fight to make men’s gymnastics matter to a new front: his wardrobe.

The charismatic 21-year-old Olympic bronze medalist switched out the stirrup pants that have long been a staple of the men’s uniform for shorts with compression leggings at the U.S. Championships this weekend, firm in his belief that the three-tenths (0.3) deduction he receives every day of competition that he breaks the rules is worth it if it makes his sport more accessible.

Even when those tenths add up. Richard edged Fuzzy Benas by less than a quarter of a point for second place behind two-time national champion Asher Hong. If Richard had worn the traditional uniform, his margin over Benas could have been a little more comfortable.

Yet asked if the statement he is trying to make — that it’s time for men’s gymnastics to modernize its uniforms — is worth the risk to his potential placement during a given meet, he didn’t hesitate.

“It’s 1,000% worth it,” Richard said. “If you look at these kids in the crowd, I’m thinking about them and I’m thinking about when I was younger.”

Finding an alternative

While Richard quickly fell in love with gymnastics as a kid growing up in the Boston area, the stirrup pants worn by the guys on pommel horse, still rings, parallel bars, and high bar were another matter.

“If I left the gym to go to the gas station, I didn’t want anybody to see me in my pommel horse pants,” Richard said. “Kids would say, ‘Do you do gymnastics?’ I’d say ‘Yeah.’ But I didn’t want them to search ‘gymnast’ and see the uniform. I didn’t feel like it was cool.”

His solution was to design an alternative. With the help of the apparel company Turn, Richard debuted the look earlier this year and “refined” it ahead of nationals.

During the opening night of competition on Thursday, the rising Michigan junior wore maize-and-blue colored zebra-patterned leggings with (almost) matching blue shorts. On Saturday, Richard swapped the maize and blue for gray.

Both times, there was a “ND -0.3” next to Richard’s score on the first event in which the traditional pants were required. Yet Richard wasn’t as focused on the ribbon board where his score was posted, but on the young boys in the stands below them.

“(I want them to) see this, and they’re like, ‘This is cool. I want to wear this. This kid is trying to make the sport cool, he looks cool,’” Richard said. “And that’s the stuff that gets kids into the sport, that’s stuff that keeps kids in the sport.”

Even if it’s a largely American conversation.

Fighting for relevance

While the popularity of men’s gymnastics in the U.S. has declined for decades (though there is optimism that the bronze medal Richard and his teammates captured at the 2024 Olympics could help stem the tide), there are no such issues overseas.

They’re not talking about stirrup pants in China. Or Japan. Or Russia. Places with dominant programs whose stars become champions and national heroes in the process.

The challenges men’s gymnastics faces in the U.S. are many. The number of Division I programs that offer it as a scholarship sport is a fraction of what it was decades ago. And the impact of the recent House settlement could make opportunities at a level that has long served as a feeder system to the U.S. national team even scarcer.

At the Olympic level, the men have long competed in the shadow of the star-studded (and highly successful) women’s program.

Richard has long understood this. He’s seen the attrition firsthand. While the uniform didn’t stop him from pressing on, he believes he might be the exception, not the rule.

Countless young boys dabble in multiple sports growing up, gymnastics included. Richard thinks tweaking the uniform requirements into something he considers more modern could remove what he thinks might be a roadblock to sticking with it for some.

“It does add to what makes a 12-year-old boy decide, ’Do I want to keep doing this sport? Or should I play football or soccer, because my friends think I’m cool when I play with them?” he said.

The rules do allow for a little latitude. Some German female gymnasts opted for full-body unitards at each of the last two Olympics, though the design does not run afoul of FIG regulations.

What Richard is doing does.

Pushing the limits

And while he stressed he would never wear his outlawed uniform in a team competition — he wore regulation pants while helping lead Michigan to the NCAA championship this spring — that might not be the case the next time he competes internationally.

“We’ll see about the world stage,” Richard said. “We’ll have to talk and see what they allow, but I want to keep pushing it. I’m having fun. I feel more free.”

He’ll have some time to think about it. When the six-man roster for the 2025 World Championships was announced late Saturday night, Richard’s name wasn’t on it. The decision had nothing to do with Richard’s uniform but the uniqueness of this year’s world meet, which does not include a team event and is largely designed for event specialists.

At his best, Richard is one of the top all-arounders on the planet. Yet even he admitted he was at about “80%” at nationals following a whirlwind stretch that included traveling to places like Uganda. Richard is partnering with the African nation to open a facility for boys there interested in acrobatics.

The joy he felt during the trip was palpable. So has the criticism he’s received back home for his uniform choice, with some telling him if he wants to look like a basketball player, maybe he should go play basketball.

While Richard’s modified look wouldn’t look out of place on the court, pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik — who won a pair of bronze medals in Paris and became a breakout star in the process (all while wearing stirrup pants) last summer — agrees with his Olympic teammate that there “should be a certain level of flexibility” when it comes to uniforms, though he also pointed out that having everyone wear identical outfits is designed to help the judges do their jobs.

“So like, you can’t wear like super baggy clothes, obviously,” Nedoroscik said. “But I do like there should be maybe a little bit of wiggle room.”

That’s all Richard says he is asking for, though it seems highly unlikely the FIG would eliminate the deduction for a uniform violation anytime soon. That is not going to stop Richard from pressing on.

“I’ll wear it for the next 10 years if I have to,” he said. “So eventually, if I keep succeeding and winning, and eventually on the international stage do the same thing and keep winning, (the FIG) will see how people like it (and) the younger kids will start wearing it … and the trend is going to grow.”

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Football season is upon us. Unfortunately, sports – especially tackle football – are one of the most common causes of head injuries among children and adolescents. Head injury is an umbrella term that refers to anything from bumps and bruises to concussions, fractured skulls and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).

As a neurosurgeon, I cannot stress enough the importance of head injury prevention and education. The statistics are alarming: tackling is responsible for more than 60% of concussions in high school football. Additionally, research conducted at Wake Forest University School of Medicine shows a correlation between head impacts during youth football practice and changes in brain imaging over multiple seasons.

Head injuries can have devastating effects. A split second during a game or practice can lead to lifelong consequences. As parents and community members, what can we do to make youth football safer?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed evidence-based recommendations to increase sports safety as part of its HEADS UP campaign, which offers resources for parents, coaches, athletic trainers, sports officials and athletes.

First, know that prevention is the best possible protection. Make sure your child always wear their helmet during practices and games but understand that no helmet fully protects against brain injury. Teach and regularly reinforce good sportsmanship with your child.

Seek out opportunities for your child to participate in noncontact football. An American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine study reported youth tackle football athletes had 15 times the head impacts compared to flag football athletes. Youth tackle football athletes sustained a median of 378 head impacts per athlete during the season and flag football athletes experienced a median of eight.

Youth football coaches should be educated on head impact prevention measures and teach safe, age-appropriate tackling and blocking methods. Reducing the number and frequency of contact can also go a long way in limiting injuries.

It’s important both you and your child can identify the signs and symptoms of a concussion or brain injury, which include:

• Feeling off after head impact
• Having a headache or feeling pressure in their head
• Becoming nauseous, which can result in vomiting
• Experiencing confusion
• Having trouble concentrating
• Exhibiting clumsiness
• Answering slowly

After a head injury, your child should no longer play their sport until they are seen by a health care provider. In extremely emergent cases, your child may experience loss of consciousness, worsening headache, slurred speech, weakness and repeated vomiting, which warrant a trip to the emergency room as soon as possible.

A health care provider will develop a personalized plan for your child’s return to school and sports based on the severity of the head injury since the brain needs adequate time to heal.

Being informed and prepared in the event of a medical emergency will help make this football season safer for everyone.

Dr. Daphne Li is a pediatric neurosurgeon at Advocate Children’s Hospital.

Are you trying to find a pediatrician? Find one in Illinois or Wisconsin. 

It’s not uncommon for a brand to hang onto the same slogan for years, or even decades. Nike has used “Just Do It” since 1988, for example. McDonald’s has embraced “I’m Lovin’ It” since 2003. And, for its part, Snickers has been telling Americans that they’re just not themselves when they’re hungry for the last 15 years.

Today, Mars’ candy-bar colossus will remind them yet again with a pair of spots starring Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

Of course, the tricky part about sticking with a longtime slogan is finding fresh interpretations of it, and that’s especially true in Snickers’ case. “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” came storming out of the gate at the 2010 Super Bowl with a 30-second spot from BBDO featuring the incomparable Betty White playing football in the mud with a bunch of bros straight out of central casting. After White gets sacked and decides to take a time out with a Snickers bar, she metamorphoses into a strapping young jock.

Those final few seconds created not just the a-ha moment, but a template that’s served the snack brand for a generation.

Following the White spot (still considered among the best Super Bowl ads of all time) was no mean feat. But Snickers managed it by adapting its transmogrification formula to an all-star cast that over the years has included Robin Williams becoming a football coach, Joe Pesci transforming into a frat boy, and Danny Trejo turning into… Marsha Brady.

The latest ads (still from BBDO), hold fast to that formula. The twist this time is that Allen transforms into… himself.

The cornerstone spot shows us Allen’s father dozing off while reading his adult son-in bed, wearing his Bills uniform-a bedtime story. With a bite of a Snickers bar, delirious dad blinks and he’s again reading to Allen as a boy.

The second features Allen rescuing a heat-exhausted construction worker by snatching a Snickers bar from an ice chest he has handy. There’s no sugar-fueled metamorphosis in this one, but Allen’s delivery of a self-referential punchline (“Still stressed about the Bills game next week, huh?”) furnishes the requisite denouement.

BBDO also shot quick-cut verticals for social channels, featuring Allen blowing his lines and holding the candy bar the wrong way-until, of course, a restorative nibble on a Snickers returns order to the universe.

“Even Josh Allen isn’t immune, fumbling lines and forgetting sponsors until he gets his Snickers fix,” helpfully chirped a company statement.

That these crisply-produced snippets feel like outtakes and bloopers spotlights Allen as one of those rare pro athletes who’s actually a natural on camera. Who knows? If Allen doesn’t get his Super Bowl ring before retirement time, there’s always marketing as a second career.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — San José State Athletics is partnering with the Kyle J. Taylor Foundation to offer free heart screenings to youth and young adults, ages 12–25, on Sunday, September 21, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Yosh Uchida Hall, One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192.

As students head back to school and prepare for another year of classes and sports, these two organizations are joining forces to ensure San José State University students are healthy and safe.

This event is part of a community-driven mission to combat Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), a leading cause of death in young people. Studies show that approximately 1 in 300 youth unknowingly live with a heart condition that puts them at risk for SCA—conditions that routine physical exams often fail to detect. These standard exams fail to detect 90% of at-risk youth.

“We are grateful to partner with San José State University to provide these life-saving services to our community,” said Jennifer Sarmento, Executive Director of the Kyle J. Taylor Foundation and mother of Kyle. “Before losing my son, I never imagined that a healthy-looking young person could die from an undiagnosed heart condition. No parent should have to endure that kind of loss—especially from something that can be found with a simple heart screening. Our mission is to make sure other families never face the same heartbreak.”

“San José State Athletics and Sports Medicine is honored to be able to partner with the Kyle J. Taylor Foundation and its mission to bring awareness to Sudden Cardiac Arrest. We are happy to be able to help support our local San José community through cardiac awareness and education, as we share the same purpose and goals of KJTF,” shared Stephen Bartlinski, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine.

Where: San Jose State University – Yosh Uchida Hall. One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192

Date:  Sunday, September 21, 2025

Time: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Pre-registration is required. To sign up for an appointment, visit:

https://kylejtaylor.app.neoncrm.com/event.jsp?event=545&

Media Contact: Kylie Clark, Kyle J. Taylor Foundation, kylie@kylejtaylor.org

About The Kyle J. Taylor Foundation: The organization was founded in 2018 in honor of Kyle Taylor, who passed away at the age of 18 from Sudden Cardiac Arrest. His family established the foundation to bring awareness to and stop Sudden Cardiac Arrest in three critical areas: proactive prevention, raising awareness, and effective response.

For more information: www.kylejtaylor.org  

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