Latest news with #Tourists
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lopez: Three years away from the Olympics, L.A. is tripping over hurdles and trying to play catchup
Los Angeles is now a mere 12 months away from serving as primary host of the World Cup soccer championships, and three years away from taking the world stage as host of both the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. Athletes and tourists by the tens of thousands will pour into the region from around the world, and I'm reminded of the classic film 'Sunset Boulevard,' in which Gloria Swanson proclaimed, 'I'm ready for my close-up.' Will L.A. be ready for its close-up? That's a question I intend to explore on a semi-regular basis, and you're invited to worry and wonder along with me by sending your comments and questions to To let you know where I'm coming from, I'm a sports fan who watches the Olympics on television despite the politics, the doping scandals and the corporatization of the Games. But I'm also a professional skeptic, and my questions extend far beyond whether we're ready for our close-up. Here are just a few: Will the benefits of hosting outweigh the burdens? Read more: Need a sidewalk fixed in L.A? It could take City Hall 10 years, if you're lucky Will the average Southern Californian get anything out of the years-long buildup and staging of the Games? And, will basic services and infrastructure near Olympic venues get upgrades at the expense of long-overdue improvements in other areas? The answer to that question is a big 'yes,' says L.A. Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who represents the northeastern San Fernando Valley. 'What I've seen in [the latest] budget is that those areas that will be hosting some of the Olympic events will be prioritized,' she said, and that means her district is off the radar. It's worth noting that the city of Los Angeles is not running these Olympics (that's the job of LA28, a private nonprofit working in conjunction with the International Olympic Committee), nor is it hosting all the events. Olympic sites will be scattered well beyond Los Angeles proper, with volleyball in Anaheim, for instance, cricket in Pomona, cycling in Carson and swimming in Long Beach. Softball and canoe slalom competitions will be held in Oklahoma City. But as lead host and a partner in the staging of mega-events that will draw an international spotlight, the reputation of the city of Los Angeles is on the line. One financial advantage the 2028 Games will enjoy over previous Olympics is that there's no need to erect any massive, ridiculously expensive new stadiums or arenas. There'll be soccer at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, track and field at the L.A. Coliseum and baseball at Dodger Stadium, for instance. All of which will keep the overall cost of the Games down. But playing the part of primary Olympic host carries as many risks as opportunities. 'The Games have a history of damaging the cities and societies that host them,' according to an analysis last year in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, which cited 'broken budgets that burden the public purse … the militarization of public spaces … and the expulsion of residents through sweeps, gentrifications and evictions.' Even without all that, L.A. has a raft of problems on its hands, and the close-up at the moment is not a pretty portrait. Read more: Can MacArthur Park be saved? A look to the past points the way forward Tens of thousands of people are homeless, and the agency overseeing homelessness is in turmoil amid damning financial audits, so unless there's a quick turnaround, the city will be draped in blue tarps for all the world to see. Meanwhile, planned transportation improvements are behind schedule, skyrocketing liability claim settlements are expected to cost $300 million this year, and on top of all that, it suddenly dawned on local leaders several weeks ago that the city was broke. 'Our budget situation is critical,' Mayor Karen Bass wrote in an April letter to the City Council, outlining a nearly $1-billion deficit and proposing numerous program cuts and layoffs. The City Council restored some of those trims, but the outlook is still grim, with several hundred workers losing their jobs. Bass and other local leaders maintain that playing host to mega-events will help restock the treasury. But the opposite could be true, and if the $7-billion Games don't break even, the already-strapped city will get slapped with a $270-million bailout tab. For all the hand-wringing at City Hall, it's not as if the current budget deficit should have come as a surprise. Revenue is down, the response to homelessness devours a big chunk of the budget (without transformational progress to show for the investment), and the bills keep coming due on the City Hall tradition of awarding public employee pay raises it can't afford. That's why there's a 10-year wait to get a ruptured sidewalk fixed (although the city is much quicker to pay millions in trip-and-fall cases), and there's an estimated $2 billion in deferred maintenance at recreation and parks department facilities. At TorchedLA, journalist Alissa Walker reports that in an annual ranking of park systems in the largest 100 cities, L.A. has dropped to 90th, which she fairly called "a bad look for a city set to host the largest sporting events in the world." Speaking of bad looks, moving thousands of athletes and tourists around the city will be key to the success of the Games, but some of the so-called "28 by 28" transportation improvements slated for completion by the start of the Olympics have been dereailed or scaled back. And my colleague Colleen Shalby reported last month that Metro's projected budget deficit over the next five years is massive: 'Critical parts of Metro's Olympics plans are yet to be nailed down," she wrote. "The agency has yet to confirm $2 billion in funds to lease nearly 3,000 buses, which are integral to Los Angeles' transit-first goal for the Games.' Michael Schneider, founder of the nonprofit Streets for All, said L.A.'s budget crisis 'is coming at the worst possible time.' Not that the delivery of basic infrastructure needs should be tied to major sporting events, but he had hoped the Olympics would trigger a substantial investment in 'bus rapid transit, a network of bike lanes, sidewalks that aren't broken, curb ramps. Just the nuts and bolts of infrastructure.' Jules Boykoff, a Pacific University professor and former professional soccer player who has studied the social and economic impacts of several recent Olympics, is not wowed by L.A.'s record so far. 'I thought Los Angeles was going to be in a lot better shape,' Boykoff said. 'I've been taken aback by the problems that exist and how little has been done.' The real goal isn't just to host the Olympics, Boykoff said, but to do so in a way that delivers long-lasting improvements. 'Any smart city' uses the Games 'to get gains for everybody in the city. Athens in 2004 got a subway system,' he said, Rio de Janeiro in 2016 got a transit link, and last year's host, Paris, got a system of bike lanes. Read more: Reopen Alcatraz as a prison? Yes, but Trump shouldn't stop there L.A. had gold-medal aspirations, and the city has made some transit improvements. It's also got a wealth of signature natural wonders to show off, from the mountains to the sea, just as the Paris Games featured the Eiffel Tower and the magical evening skyline. But three big hurdles now stand in the way of making it to the podium: The budget limitations (which could get worse between now and 2028), the diversion of resources to the Palisades wildfire recovery, and the uncertainty of desperately needed federal financial support from President Trump, who would probably not put Los Angeles on his list of favorite cities. Races are sometimes won by runners making a move from the back of the pack, and L.A. could still find its stride, show some pride, and avoid embarrassing itself. That's what I'm rooting for. But just one year away from the World Cup and three from the Olympics, the clock is ticking, and it's almost too late to be playing catchup. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Washington Post
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Rio's mayor loosens restrictions on live beach music after an outcry
RIO DE JANEIRO — Rio de Janeiro's mayor on Tuesday loosened new restrictions on live music on the city's beaches after many people warned of a threat to the dynamic cultural scene. Mayor Eduardo Paes earlier this month introduced the measures and reinforced existing ones, citing the need to protect public safety and the environment and promote peaceful relations between tourists and residents.
CTV News
20-05-2025
- CTV News
Great places to travel to this summer!
Ottawa Watch Get your summer 'book-it' list ready! Our Summer Travel Week kicks off with some trending destinations.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tourists top Drive in 10
GREENVILLE, SC – Bringing hot bats to Fluor Field on Friday night, the Asheville Tourists overpowered the Greenville Drive in a 15-13 shootout. The Tourists (11-14) scored in seven of the 10 innings played and tallied four multi-run frames. While the Drive (11-14) made two separate comebacks throughout the night, Asheville kept its foot on the gas to overcome the adversity. Cristian Gonzalez and Alejandro Nunez each brought runs home in the first and third innings. Up 2-1 in the fourth, Garret Guillemette deposited a ball well past the right field wall to extend the lead. Righty Dawil Almonte made his High-A debut, filling in for starter Nick Swiney. Entering in the third frame, Almonte surrendered an inherited runner, before allowing five to score (four earned) in the fourth as the Drive jumped ahead 6-5. Firing back in the fifth and sixth innings, the Tourists found two more pairs to add to the scoreboard, while getting a solid performance from Matthew Linskey on the bump. The 6-foot 7-inch righty threw in three scoreless innings while racking up four strikeouts. Tying the game at six, Drew Vogel hit a sacrifice fly to center field. Then, Trevor Austin singled up the gut to regain the edge. Chase Jaworsky made it a 9-6 game with a two-RBI base knock to right. In the eighth inning, Nunez homered for the fourth time this year with a blast to right center field. With the game seemingly out of reach, Greenville struck gold and scored four more off a trio of hits and two walks in the eighth inning to tie the game late. No one scored in the ninth inning, and the game continued on into the 10th frame. Dishing out one final heap of runs, Asheville registered five more to jump ahead and seal the deal. Nunez cut the knot with a sacrifice fly to left field, making it 11-10. Two batters later, Gonzalez also scored another on a fly out. The dagger came from Kenni Gomez who, as the third Tourists of the game, hit a mammoth shot over the right field wall to plate three. Not going down easy, Greenville found the board for three in the home 10th, but they didn't have enough juice left. Closing the game with the tying run at the plate, Julio Rodriguez (W, 1-0) slammed the door four hours and two minutes after the first pitch for the win. Asheville scored its most runs in a game this season off 13 hits. Nunez led the team with three knocks, while he and Gomez each nabbed a trio of RBIs. Bush, Jaworsky and Guillemette also had multi-hit affairs. Both teams will battle once again tomorrow at 6:45 p.m. ET. Asheville has taken a three-games-to-two lead in the series, and looks to win it with more good offense Saturday night. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Asheville Tourists to take the field as Asheville Snot Otters for one-day rebrand, fundraiser
The Asheville Tourists will have a new, snotty identity for one day only. On June 6, the Tourists will undergo a name change to play as the Asheville Snot Otters, a nod to the rare eastern hellbender salamander. The Tourists will don custom jerseys and caps with a unique logo featuring a snot-covered salamander. Advertisement The game-worn Snot Otters jerseys will be auctioned off prior to the game with proceeds going toward the Western North Carolina Nature Center. The Asheville Tourists will take the field as the Asheville Snot Otters on June 6 for one game only with custom jerseys, which will be auctioned off to benefit the Western North Carolina nature center. Alternate identities are common in Minor League Baseball, and the Tourists, the Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, are no stranger to donning a different uniform. Every season, the Tourists undergo name changes to play a game as the Beer City Tourists and a game as the Asheville Hippies, both inspired by Asheville's local culture. The WNC Nature Center reopened in March after being closed for nearly six months because of damage from Tropical Storm Helene. Flooding from the storm damaged roads and destroyed the main bridge to the Nature Center, leaving it inaccessible for months. Advertisement Despite 40 downed and leaning trees, as well as damage to fencing or boardwalks, all of the animals survived the storm and no enclosures were destroyed. What is a Snot Otter? The Tourists' new alternate identity gets its name from the rare eastern hellbender, a type of aquatic giant salamander native to Western North Carolina. Hellbenders have several nicknames, including snot otters, mud puppies and devil dogs. The hellbender is just one of three giant salamander species in the world. The salamander is known for living among the large, flat river rocks of Western North Carolina — and the broader southern Appalachian region — and can grow up to two feet, making it the largest North American amphibian. Advertisement Hellbender populations were devastated by Tropical Storm Helene, washing away habitats and worsening the species' condition, Lori Williams, a biologist and hellbender expert with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, previously told the Citizen Times. As a result of Helene, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed the Hellbender, already at risk with low populations, to be placed on the list of endangered species. Evan Gerike is the high school sports reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Email him at egerike@ or follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @EvanGerike. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville Tourists to play as Snot Otters, auction off jerseys
