Latest news with #Foltz
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Shaikin: Ducks unveil $1-billion arena renovation, stress-free parking. But can either OC team win?
For pro sports in Orange County, these are the worst of times. The Angels last appeared in the playoffs 11 years ago, the Ducks seven years ago. The Ducks, embracing a full rebuild, scored more points last season than they had in six years. They still posted a losing record and fired their coach. The Angels, declining a full rebuild or an all-in push, are back in last place. Advertisement Today, we bring good news to the loyal and long-suffering sports fans of Orange County. In announcing a $1-billion renovation of Honda Center, the Ducks are unveiling what might be the most fan-friendly policy ever adopted in our car-centric local culture: easy parking. No more cars inching forward to the parking attendant. No more shuffling through your wallet for cash or a credit card. No more scrolling through your phone to find that bar code, or scrambling through your glove compartment to find that parking pass. Read more: Shaikin: The Ducks are O.C.'s model sports franchise. Could their owner save the Angels? Just drive right in and enjoy the show. Advertisement 'We think this will get people in 20 to 30 minutes faster,' said Bill Foltz, chief executive officer of OC Sports and Entertainment. 'Parking is the first thing you see when you are coming to a concert or a sporting event, and getting out of there is the last thing you remember. So we are working really hard to make sure both of those things are great experiences.' The renovations revealed Tuesday include a five-story grand entrance and community gathering space; new and expanded concession areas to shorten lines; new and renovated suites and luxury seats; and three new parking garages. This is a welcome boost to LA28. The Honda Center will be hosting Olympic volleyball, and the owners of the Ducks are throwing in a billion-dollar venue facelift. Advertisement 'If you're going to spend this kind of money,' Foltz said, 'why not do it when the world is coming here?' Truth be told, Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli would have spent the money anyway. They previously committed $4 billion to the OC Vibe development now under construction around the Honda Center, with a performance hall, restaurants, a food hall and park scheduled to open next year, with homes, hotels and offices and additional entertainment venues to follow. It is all of that — the district around the arena — that shaped the parking policy. Whether you stop by to watch the Ducks, see a concert, grab dinner or simply meet friends for a stroll, the policy is the same. 'What we're trying to do is eliminate that transaction that everybody has when you're pulling into a parking lot,' Foltz said. 'You are just going to pull in.' Advertisement That doesn't mean you won't pay a fee to access the general parking lots for a game or a concert, but the fee will be part of what Foltz called an 'all-inclusive' ticket price. The Ducks say this parking model is 'the first of its kind at a U.S. arena.' The arena, we should note here, is owned by the city of Anaheim. 'The Ducks are an unparalleled partner with Anaheim,' Mayor Ashleigh Aitken said. 'They are great stewards of the Honda Center, and OC Vibe will bring a new energy to the surrounding area. 'What makes them so special is their devotion to the fan experience, ensuring their followers feel valued.' Advertisement The owners of the Ducks are picking up the cost of revamping the arena. 'It's all the Samueli family that's behind this,' Foltz said. 'We fund all of it. We've never gotten money from the city for any renovations here.' That stands in stark contrast to the current stalemate between the city and the Angels over the future of Angel Stadium. The city has backed away from two deals in which Angels owner Arte Moreno would have paid to renovate Angel Stadium and develop the land around Angel Stadium, in much the same way the Ducks are doing around the Honda Center. 'I hope to replicate this at Angel Stadium,' Aitken said, 'but realize the teams are just in different places.' Advertisement The most recent deal collapsed in 2022, after the disclosure of an FBI corruption investigation into former mayor Harry Sidhu, who was sentenced in March to two months in federal prison. Moreno so far has shown little interest in a third round of negotiations, despite an invitation this month from Aitken. 'I'm not going to put $200 [million] or $300 million into a stadium that a city owns without any of their participation,' Moreno told the team website in February. Foltz said the Ducks and Angels communicate regularly and said he briefed Angels president John Carpino on the Ducks' renovation plans. Foltz said he has heard nothing to indicate the Angels are making similar plans. Advertisement 'I don't know of anything that's happening over there,' Foltz said. Read more: Shaikin: What's the future for aging Angel Stadium? It feels like an increasingly uncertain one The Ducks' parking innovations are cool, and a vibrant entertainment village around the arena is great, but what would be really great is for one of the Orange County teams to make a postseason appearance sometime this decade. As Foltz talked up the brand new, grand new plaza outside Honda Center, he sounded wistful. Playoff watch parties, after all, require a playoff team. 'I'm jealously watching the Kings and Edmonton play,' he said, 'or seeing Toronto, where they have just as many fans outside as they do inside. We're building for that future.' Bring it on. Soon, please. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- Los Angeles Times
Ducks unveil $1-billion arena renovation, stress-free parking. But can either OC team win?
For pro sports in Orange County, these are the worst of times. The Angels last appeared in the playoffs 11 years ago, the Ducks seven years ago. The Ducks, embracing a full rebuild, scored more points last season than they had in six years. They still posted a losing record and fired their coach. The Angels, declining a full rebuild or an all-in push, are back in last place. Today, we bring good news to the loyal and long-suffering sports fans of Orange County. In announcing a $1-billion renovation of Honda Center, the Ducks are unveiling what might be the most fan-friendly policy ever adopted in our car-centric local culture: easy parking. No more cars inching forward to the parking attendant. No more shuffling through your wallet for cash or a credit card. No more scrolling through your phone to find that bar code, or scrambling through your glove compartment to find that parking pass. Just drive right in and enjoy the show. 'We think this will get people in 20 to 30 minutes faster,' said Bill Foltz, chief executive officer of OC Sports and Entertainment. 'Parking is the first thing you see when you are coming to a concert or a sporting event, and getting out of there is the last thing you remember. So we are working really hard to make sure both of those things are great experiences.' The renovations revealed Tuesday include a five-story grand entrance and community gathering space; new and expanded concession areas to shorten lines; new and renovated suites and luxury seats; and three new parking garages. This is a welcome boost to LA28. The Honda Center will be hosting Olympic volleyball, and the owners of the Ducks are throwing in a billion-dollar venue facelift. 'If you're going to spend this kind of money,' Foltz said, 'why not do it when the world is coming here?' Truth be told, Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli would have spent the money anyway. They previously committed $4 billion to the OC Vibe development now under construction around the Honda Center, with a performance hall, restaurants, a food hall and park scheduled to open next year, with homes, hotels and offices and additional entertainment venues to follow. It is all of that — the district around the arena — that shaped the parking policy. Whether you stop by to watch the Ducks, see a concert, grab dinner or simply meet friends for a stroll, the policy is the same. 'What we're trying to do is eliminate that transaction that everybody has when you're pulling into a parking lot,' Foltz said. 'You are just going to pull in.' That doesn't mean you won't pay a fee to access the general parking lots for a game or a concert, but the fee will be part of what Foltz called an 'all-inclusive' ticket price. The Ducks say this parking model is 'the first of its kind at a U.S. arena.' The arena, we should note here, is owned by the city of Anaheim. 'The Ducks are an unparalleled partner with Anaheim,' Mayor Ashleigh Aitken said. 'They are great stewards of the Honda Center, and OC Vibe will bring a new energy to the surrounding area. 'What makes them so special is their devotion to the fan experience, ensuring their followers feel valued.' The owners of the Ducks are picking up the cost of revamping the arena. 'It's all the Samueli family that's behind this,' Foltz said. 'We fund all of it. We've never gotten money from the city for any renovations here.' That stands in stark contrast to the current stalemate between the city and the Angels over the future of Angel Stadium. The city has backed away from two deals in which Angels owner Arte Moreno would have paid to renovate Angel Stadium and develop the land around Angel Stadium, in much the same way the Ducks are doing around the Honda Center. 'I hope to replicate this at Angel Stadium,' Aitken said, 'but realize the teams are just in different places.' The most recent deal collapsed in 2022, after the disclosure of an FBI corruption investigation into former mayor Harry Sidhu, who was sentenced in March to two months in federal prison. Moreno so far has shown little interest in a third round of negotiations, despite an invitation this month from Aitken. 'I'm not going to put $200 [million] or $300 million into a stadium that a city owns without any of their participation,' Moreno told the team website in February. Foltz said the Ducks and Angels communicate regularly and said he briefed Angels president John Carpino on the Ducks' renovation plans. Foltz said he has heard nothing to indicate the Angels are making similar plans. 'I don't know of anything that's happening over there,' Foltz said. The Ducks' parking innovations are cool, and a vibrant entertainment village around the arena is great, but what would be really great is for one of the Orange County teams to make a postseason appearance sometime this decade. As Foltz talked up the brand new, grand new plaza outside Honda Center, he sounded wistful. Playoff watch parties, after all, require a playoff team. 'I'm jealously watching the Kings and Edmonton play,' he said, 'or seeing Toronto, where they have just as many fans outside as they do inside. We're building for that future.' Bring it on. Soon, please.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
County's needle exchange program extended
ANDERSON — The needle exchange program in Madison County has been extended for another two years. The Madison County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday voted to extend the program which has been operating in the county since 2021 through Aspire Health Indiana. Commissioner Rick Gardner voted not to extend the program. 'Over the years needles have been found in the streets constantly,' Gardner said after the vote. 'I don't trust people to properly dispose of needles.' County attorney Jeff Graham said at a previous meeting the Indiana General Assembly has approved the program through July 1, 2026. He said the Madison County program would continue through 2027 unless lawmakers end the program in 2026. The program administered by Aspire Health Indiana is currently authorized through March 2, 2025. Julie Foltz, director for infectious disease services at Aspire, said there is a lot of misinformation about the program. The program started in Madison County in 2015 with the Madison County Health Department originally operating it. After the Madison County Council voted not to fund the program with local tax dollars, Aspire Health Indiana restarted the program in 2018. The program was ended in June 2020, but the commissioners renewed it in March 2021. Foltz said the goal of the program is to prevent the spread of HIV and hepatitis C in the county. 'We schedule patients for medical care,' she said. 'We help them access medical care and provide housing assistance.' Foltz said there are approximately 1,000 people in the program and 225 were added in the past year. OTHER BUSINESS The commissioners approved a build, operate transfer agreement for the Madison County Parks and Recreation Board. County Engineer Jessica Bastin said the agreement allows the Park Board to request proposals on future projects. County officials have designated $4 million in American Rescue Plan funds for the county's Parks and Recreation Board. The first project will likely take place in the White River corridor between Anderson and Perkinsville. The project could include hiking trails, green space and a boat launch. Officials hope to hire a contractor within the next three to five months and have a presentation to the public that would include trailheads with water access.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Hawaii auto sales could see uptick after falling in 2024
Auto sales in Hawaii ran out of gas and fell 3.2 % in 2024, but this year's outlook is seen as promising yet fraught with uncertainty. New-vehicle registrations, coming off their third consecutive down year, are expected to rise 2.4 % to 46, 200, according to a fourth-quarter report released recently from Hawaii Auto Outlook. However, Jeffrey Foltz, editor of the report, cautioned that potential changes in government policies threaten that outlook. Foltz said possible tax cuts, an increase in tariffs and reductions in the labor force due to deportations could hover over the automobile market. 'Most economists agree that collectively, these policy initiatives would accelerate inflation, potentially reversing recent improvements in affordability, ' Foltz said in the report, which is produced for the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association. 'Despite these potential negatives, we think a strong labor market and pent-up demand accumulated during five years of below-average sales should be sufficient to push the market higher in 2025.' Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. State auto sales declined in 2024 to 45, 104 from 46, 593 in the previous 12 months. The drop-off follows on the heels of a 2.5 % decline in 2023 and a 12.5 % fall in 2022. On an encouraging note, however, sales inched up 1.8 % in the fourth quarter. Sales were down for the year on each of the four major islands : off 18.8 % on Kauai, down 6.6 % on Hawaii island, weaker by 3.9 % on Maui and down 1 % on Oahu. The state's overall performance fell short of the U.S. market, where auto sales rose 3.1 % for 2024. New-vehicle registrations can be representative of auto sales, but the two don't always align because a buyer can purchase a vehicle one month and register it in another. The data is based on county Department of Motor Vehicles registrations. Hybrid vehicles continued making progress in the state amid Hawaii's goal to achieve 100 % clean energy by 2045. New hybrid vehicle registrations increased 34 % from a year ago and hybrid's market share reached 11.3 % compared with 8.2 % in 2023. Meanwhile, battery electric vehicle registrations had a 14 % market share in 2024 versus 13.2 % a year earlier, and plug-in hybrids' market share was 2 % compared with 1.6 % in 2023. Toyota was the bestselling brand in 2024 with a 27.6 % market share, followed by Honda at 12.6 %, Tesla at 8 %, Ford at 6.5 % and Nissan at 6 %. The market share for the top-selling models in the state were To yota Tacoma, 7.4 %; Tesla Model Y, 5.3 %; Toyota RAV4, 4.5 %; Toyota 4Runner, 4.1 %; and To yota Corolla, 3.4 %. Light trucks—which include vans, SUVs and pickups—maintained their large lead over cars with a 77.7 % market share versus 22.3 % for cars. Consumers continue to opt for larger vehicles because of more visibility, additional room for storage and stable gas prices.
