Latest news with #OpenStreets
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Carp chaos at Utah Lake as carp overpopulation becomes serious problem
UTAH COUNTY, Utah () — Utah Lake Authority is offering a monetary prize of $1,000 to the person who catches the most carp from Utah Lake to try to get carp overpopulation under control. 'When I first started here on the docks, you would look down at the water and you really couldn't see more than a quarter of an inch down,' Melanie Evans, sailing instructor for Bonneville School of Sailing said. For eight years, Melanie Evans has been sailing the lake. 'Every year it's getting a little clearer,' Evans said. She's on the lake nearly five times a week, and she sees the lake clearing up. 'What we're seeing is carp, and we can see a whole body of them which means the water is cleaner, and I think it's because of all the carp removal they're doing,' Evans said. That's exactly what the Utah Lake Authority and its partners have been working towards for over a decade: removing the carp, which are not native to the lake. Homes staying on the market longer across Utah this year Kelly Cannon-O'Day said over the last several years they're eliminated over 60% of the biomass in Utah Lake. 'Carp are a big problem because they make the water quality so poor and they're the ones that make it muddy and rip up the soil and crowd everything out,' O'Day said. O'Day is the communications manager for Utah Lake Authority and said Utah Lake plays a critical role in the state's ecosystem, supplying over a third of the water that flows into the Great Salt Lake. 'It's all part of one big watershed that connects everything, and so when we talk about the water quality of Utah Lake, we're talking about the entire ecosystem here, not just fish, but birds, amphibians, plant life, farming water and drinking water,' O'Day said. She said one of the most effective methods of carp control has been hiring commercial fishermen. 'Their nets were specifically made to catch carp and allow smaller fish to go through,' O'Day said. Nurse burnout is a huge issue in Utah now more than ever before, especially in rural areas She said fishermen were paid by the pound until carp numbers dropped so low that it became too expensive for them to continue. 'Caught so much carp that they weren't catching as much anymore so it became more expensive to run the specialized equipment,' O'Day said. Another high-tech solution they have used is traps with cameras and sensors. 'The traps actually come up and catch the carp and then they send a signal out to folks at DWR for them to come out and collect the fish,' O'Day said. Now a new solution this year. 'We developed the idea of a fishing tournament, a carp hunt, where you come out and remove carp by any legal means necessary,' O'Day said. A $1,000 price to the person who catches the most. 'It's a good thing and it helps the quality of the lake,' Evans said. Carp chaos at Utah Lake as carp overpopulation becomes serious problem Open Streets returns to Salt Lake City every weekend in June Cache Coffee working to spread hope through uplifting video — here's how you can help Two Utah campgrounds included in list of 50 Favorite Places to Camp in America Right Now: Hipcamp Family in Sandy stuck in insurance claim limbo after asbestos contamination Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pickleball, yoga among activities at downtown event
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A summer series in downtown Sioux Falls is opening the streets to pedestrians. The event launched in May and will happen during First Fridays through August. A mother's message after loss The sound of pickleball will be coming to a stretch of Phillips Avenue this week. Remedy Pickleball Pub will offer a pop-up pickleball court Friday night in the Raven parking lot. 'We'll have it taped off with the lines and nets out and some loaner paddles and balls and just have the opportunity to come an play and learn the game a little bit,' Remedy Pickleball Manager Geneva Olson said. The pop-up court is one of many activities at this month's Open Streets event happening on Phillips Avenue between 6th and 7th streets. The June event is all about wellness. 'Put on your shorts and your T-shirts. We're going to be doing crossfit, we're going to be doing yoga. There's actually going to be a monster truck here, which is not really wellness related, just fun. There's going to be face painting, kids activities, Parks and Rec will be coming out with their mobile rec unit,' Downtown Sioux Falls CEO Brandon Hanson said. Hanson says the events are designed to bring people together, drive foot traffic to businesses, and inform future development. 'This is pretty underdeveloped. If you have ever walked in this stretch of Phillips Avenue, there's not retail, there's not food and beverage. It's really kind of this desert in downtown and we want to show that it doesn't have to be that way, and there's future projects that are being talked about in these blocks, so what does it look like when we fill it with people and design it to be people first?' Hanson said. And pickleball is just one of the reasons you may want to check it out. 'You can be 70 and play this game and you can be 15 and play this game and have fun. And so it's really an awesome opportunity for people to get out and get moving. Be social,' Olson said. The Open Streets events are put on by DTSF and AARP South Dakota. It runs from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. That portion of Phillips will be closed to drivers starting around 4 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Streets in Philadelphia's Midtown Village to close to cars for 4 Sundays in June as Open Streets program grows
Philadelphia's Open Streets program is expanding to Midtown Village this summer, the Center City District announced this week. Parts of 13th and Sansom streets will close to cars to make more room for people on four Sundays in June — June 8, 15, 22 and 29 — from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the announcement. These blocks will be closed to traffic from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on those days: 13th Street from Chestnut to Locust streets Sansom Street from 12th to Juniper streets Drury Street Part of South 13th Street will be a family-oriented area with sidewalk chalk, bubbles, games and toys. El Vez, Mari Mari and McGillin's Olde Ale House will have expanded outdoor dining. Morton Contemporary Gallery will have a sidewalk sale, and Crimson Hair Studio will host a giveaway and free hair consultations, according to the announcement. The announcement comes after some streets near Rittenhouse Square were shut down on Sundays in April and two days during the holiday season in favor of more space for outdoor dining, community activities and more. Philadelphia's Open Streets program started in September 2024 along West Walnut and 18th streets in Rittenhouse Square, and the Center City District says nearly 90% of businesses in the area reported increased foot traffic. "Open Streets isn't just about closing streets to cars — it's about opening streets to possibility," Prema Katari Gupta, president and CEO of the Center City District, said in a statement.
CBC
26-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
'It's time' for OpenStreetsTO to make a comeback, Toronto resident says
A Toronto resident is campaigning to revive a popular street event after a years-long pause. OpenStreetsTO is an event that closes roadways to cars and opens them to pedestrians, encouraging physical activity and recreation while allowing residents to experience the city's streets and architecture differently. "Open Streets has widespread community support," said Robert Zaichkowski, who's leading the charge to restart the event. "It's a no-brainer to bring it back." With some Toronto bike lanes under threat of removal, and the city trying to ease traffic congestion, keeping Toronto's streets accessible for pedestrians and cyclists is top of mind for many residents, including some government officials. MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam, who initially helped launch the Toronto branch of the festival in 2014 when they were city councillor, told CBC Toronto they felt inspired to bring OpenStreetsTO to the city after attending the event in Guadalajara, Mexico, and seeing its benefits. "I got back to Toronto and said, 'Oh my gosh, we need this,'" they said. "We need this for our health, our happiness. We need this to build up economic development. We need this to bring new customers to our main streets. We need this to connect our kids and our neighbourhoods." OpenStreetsTO was held across Yonge and Bloor streets every summer until 2020, when it was cancelled due to the pandemic. It came back during the summer of 2022 through a partnership with ActiveTO, according to David Simor, one of the event's original founders. Simor says that because ActiveTO is not a permanent city program, they didn't have enough support to bring OpenStreetsTO back after that, and it hasn't been held in the city since. Despite the passion for the program, there are no plans to bring the event back, Simor said. Meanwhile, Hamilton and Waterloo are holding Open Streets events this summer. The main obstacle is getting multiple city departments, such as transportation and police, to co-operate without having strong support from city hall, according to Amanda O'Rourke, executive director of 8 80 Cities, the non-profit organization that collaborated to help launch OpenStreetsTO. She says political support waned after Wong-Tam left office. "Bringing all those divisions together was easier to do in a big city like Toronto with a political champion, like councillor Wong-Tam, who could help us bring everyone to the table," O'Rourke said. However, Wong-Tam says having a municipal champion won't be enough to sustain the program, should it return. Instead, they said management of the event should be raised to the mayor's office, reducing its reliance on councillor and volunteer support. "I don't think that it's fair for a group of volunteers to launch and sustain Toronto's largest free recreation program on their backs," Wong-Tam said. CBC Toronto asked Mayor Olivia Chow if the city has any plans to bring OpenStreetsTO back. She said the city has to examine whether the program is needed, as they've already increased funding for many other street festivals. However, she said the city is committed to keeping streets open to pedestrians. "Streets are for people, and we'll continue to make sure that they are open for everyone as much as possible," she said. Some say they are open to collaborate on reviving the program, with conditions. Cheryll Diego with the Downtown Yonge BIA – where a large part of OpenStreetsTO was held – told CBC Toronto that the team is open to having a conversation about the event's return, as long as appropriate planning is done to accommodate the community's other needs, such as reducing traffic congestion. WATCH | Toronto announces $2.5M in funding for summer cultural festivals: What you need to know about Toronto's summer festivals 3 days ago Duration 2:23 While the pandemic and a lack of strong political support may have stopped the program for now, Simor says bringing it back is not impossible. "I think the community of organizations who came together to make it happen and to sustain it still very much have all the knowledge and expertise of running it," he said. "All the pieces are still there for Open Streets to continue in Toronto." Meanwhile, Zaichkowski is encouraging residents to reach out to the mayor and their councillors, asking for their support to bring OpenStreetsTO back. "I just find Open Streets brings everybody together to walk, bike and do other forms of physical activity," he said. "It's such a pleasant atmosphere where you could try almost anything."
CBS News
24-04-2025
- CBS News
Minneapolis unveils safety plans for city's summer of fun
A plan is in place to help keep summer safe in downtown Minneapolis following a recent drop in crime that leaders hope will continue in the months ahead. Minneapolis has a lot happening this summer, including Taste of Minnesota, Twin Cities Pride, several Open Streets block parties and the Twin Cities Marathon in October — so city leaders are working hard to make sure everyone can just come and have fun. In a news conference on Wednesday, Minneapolis Community Safety Commissioner Toddrick Barnette said a big part of the plan is beefed up staffing. Certain parts of downtown, Uptown and Dinkytown should all see extra officers day and night this summer. "Over the past few summers, we've seen a consistent growth in both the number and size of events coming to the City," Barnette said. "This summer will be no different as our residents and visitors take advantage these activities." They'll be focusing on places like liquor establishments, tobacco vendors and food markets where data has shown higher concentration of gun crimes around those areas. Minneapolis police will depend on help from neighborhood safety programs like the "violence interrupters" to help in different ways this summer. The 911 Emergency Communications Center will also increase staffing as there tends to be more calls during the summer months. And the Minneapolis Fire Department will also increase staffing and have mobile EMS units at big events. The city has laid out its complete plans on its website.
