Travel Academy

Support abounds for Milton Academy hockey player paralyzed from injury

Kenny Gretsch 3 weeks ago

High School Sports

“I’m ready to fight and I will FIND away to get through this.”

Support, from prayers and well wishes to hundreds of thousands of dollars, has flooded in for a Milton Academy hockey player, whose dreams of playing at the collegiate level were dashed following a severe, on-ice injury on Saturday that left him paralyzed from the waist down.

Jake Thibeault, 18, of Fitchburg, fractured two vertebrae in an on-ice collision and suffered a small brain bleed, according to an online fundraiser established for him by the Greg Hill Foundation.

“Jake is tough, is overflowing with grit and is determined to walk again. But he is scared beyond belief,” Jake’s father, Michael Thiebeault, wrote in a Facebook post on Monday. “Losing hockey and his dream of playing collegiately, which we now know for certain was happening, is soul crushing for him.”

Donations and encouragement for Jake’s road to recovery have, however, abounded in recent days, including a GoFundMe campaign that garnered over $254,000 in 24 hours.

“The Boston Bruins are keeping Jake Thibeault in our hearts today,” the Bruins said in a statement on Tuesday. “We offer our full support and well wishes to Jake, his family, and the rest of the Milton Academy hockey community.”

Kevin Lizotte, who launched the GoFundMe effort and coached Jake when he played for the Worcester Junior Railers and other teams, wrote on the online fundraiser page that Jake “embodies the Milton Mustang’s motto ‘Dare to be true.’”

“He is a true gentleman, a true athlete, a true student, a true teammate, and a true friend,” he wrote.

According Lizotte, Jake played with his son on the Blues Leominster Dek Hockey team, and also played for Twin City Youth Hockey, Fitchburg High School, the Boston Bulldogs, and the South Shore Kings, among numerous other travel teams.

“What makes Jake an outstanding hockey player has less to do with skills and skating and so much more to do with character,” Lizotte wrote. “Jake is among the most dedicated, hard working student athletes. He has more grit and perseverance than most 18-year-olds. Most importantly, he is the ultimate teammate. He’s the first to pass the puck to set up a perfect scoring opportunity for (a) teammate and the first kid to provide backup if someone is disrespecting his team.

“He is positive and encouraging to others both on and off the ice,” he added.

Michael Thibeault shared links to both fundraising campaigns on Facebook, and wrote that each was established to support Jake’s future care.

As of early Tuesday afternoon, the Greg Hill Foundation initiative had eclipsed $31,400, easily surpassing the foundation’s pledge to match all donations up to $5,000.

Donations for the GoFundMe campaign on Tuesday poured in at a rate of tens of thousands of dollars in merely a few hours, surpassing its $250,000 goal in the afternoon.

“The entire South Shore Kings organization is praying for Jake Thibeault,” the South Shore Kings wrote on Twitter on Sunday. “Jake

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RSL Academy Dominant in MLS NEXT Opening Weekend

Kenny Gretsch 3 weeks ago

This past weekend the Real Salt Lake Academy officially began its quest for back-to-back MLS NEXT Cup Championships, beginning the 2021-22 season against Real Colorado. 

The U15 squad, led by Head Coach Andrew May, were the first to take the pitch. With a group made up entirely of players new to the RSL Academy, May was tasked with bringing together the young men in a short span in order to begin the season. The U15 squad produced a squad that rolled Real Colorado 4-0, leaving spectators none-the-wiser as to their limited time playing together.

Goals from Carlos Castrejon, Max Lora, Josiah Martinex and Axel Uriostegui led the way for the team offensively, while a clean-sheet performance from Ty Rinker in goal included a penalty save, helping the team cruise to victory. 

“It was a great start to the season,” May said. “It’s a long process and this is just the beginning of their journey.” 

In its first match since lifting the 2021 U15 MLS NEXT Cup trophy, the newly-promoted U17 team battled to a 4-3 win over Real Colorado. Director of Academy Coaching Arnold Rijsenburg took the reins of the group, rolling out a lineup that included six members of the Championship side, with three more available off the bench. 

Picking up right where they left off, Izahi Amparo, Axel Kei, Evan Pickering and Jude Wellings all scored in the tightly contested match, while goalkeeper Fernando Delgado and defenders Gershon Henry and Haroun Conteh sought to hold out Colorado’s offensive efforts. 

“It was a very difficult first game of the season,” Rijsenburg said. “We had to fight hard for 90 minutes to get the win. As expected, there is still a lot of work to do.”

Both teams will travel to Los Angeles, California this weekend to face LAFC on Sunday, September 12. The U15s will take the field at 10:00 a.m. MT and the U17s will follow closely behind at 12:00 p.m. MT.

Prior to Saturday the U17 team will take part in its first official United Premier Soccer League match against Spider FC on Wednesday, September 8 at Zions Bank Stadium.

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Kankakee Trinity Academy loses state recognition, seeks other accreditation | Local News

Kenny Gretsch 3 weeks ago

KANKAKEE — After being a state-recognized school for nearly all of its 40-year history, Kankakee Trinity Academy was moved to “unrecognized” status for not enforcing the state mask mandate, and its leaders have decided to seek accreditation elsewhere.

The private pre-K – 12 school was notified of the change in status in an Aug. 30 letter from the Illinois State Board of Education, which indicated that the school had lost access to state funding and its ability to participate in Illinois Elementary School Association and Illinois High School Association competitions.

In response, school leaders said they will not implement the mask mandate, and instead they have begun the process to gain accreditation with the Association of Christian Schools International.

Tom Brands, president of the KTA Board of Directors, said the board discussed seeking accreditation with this organization several years ago, but the move was tabled.

In light of the mask issue, that option became a more serious consideration, he said.

“We are so closely aligned with what we require, that we do not believe there will be much to this process,” Brands said. “In other words, we already have a lot of things in place that they require.”

In a letter to parents regarding the decision, the board said the school has begun the “Crosswalk to Accreditation” process and anticipates KTA will gain full accreditation with the organization by Jan. 1, 2022.

“Full accreditation with ACSI means that your child will have access to any college or university throughout the world,” the letter states.

Higher education institutions require high school diplomas from schools with official accreditation and/or state recognition.

Principal Brad Prairie added that the school has been a member of the ACSI for at least 20 years, but it has not pursued accreditation from the organization until now.

KTA was founded in 1981, and in February 1983, it was evaluated and granted full recognition status by ISBE following a visit from the state, according to the school’s website.

“It’s been a blessing for us to be recognized [by the state] for 40 years,” Prairie said. “We are appreciative of that.”

Prairie said the only state money KTA receives is Title II funding, which is designated for training teachers and principals, but the school does not rely heavily on state funds in the same way public schools do.

The letter from ISBE also indicated the school would no longer be eligible for the Children’s Tuition Fund, a tax-credit program for private schools, Prairie said.

“[State funding] is very minimal,” Brands added. “It’s not anything that impacts our decision whatsoever. The state does almost nothing for us.”

For athletics, Prairie said students will still compete against other Christian schools.

“It would involve some travel,” Prairie noted. “We would definitely be traveling more than if we were playing locally. You have northwestern Indiana schools, the suburbs of Chicago; there’s lots of directions where there’s Christian schools.”

School officials declined to comment on COVID-19 concerns or other precautions the school is taking in

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COVID-19 Weekly Newsletter: EU Restricts Travel, U.S. Boosts Vaccine Supply Chain | Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Kenny Gretsch 3 weeks ago

The European Union removed the U.S. from its safe travel list earlier this week, as the Biden administration took measures to bolster the vaccine supply chain to meet the anticipated rise in demand.

Children Account for One in Five COVID-19 Cases

Last week, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children accounted for 22.4% of reported weekly COVID-19 cases, a substantial increase since the beginning of summer and well above the average seen since the beginning of the pandemic. Experts anticipate these numbers to increase as schools are reopening. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends indoor masking in schools for all students, staff, teachers and visitors, irrespective of vaccine status. Children under the age of 12 are unvaccinated, as no vaccine has been approved for use for under the age of 12 — but this week Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Biden, said there is a chance vaccines may be available for these children by the winter holidays. This week, CDC director Rochelle Walensky spoke about new data set to be released Friday that indicates more children are contracting COVID-19 because of increased disease in their communities — but that there is no increased disease severity, and that community-level vaccination is protecting children.

Restrictions on American Travelers Headed to Europe

This week the United States was removed from the European Union’s safe list for travel; however, the travel restrictions are not uniform throughout the continent. Only two countries have entirely blocked U.S. travelers from visiting — Bulgaria and Norway — while two others have only closed their border to unvaccinated Americans. Nine countries have quarantine requirements for unvaccinated travelers, and the remaining countries are open to American travelers but with certain pre-qualifying requirements, includingproof of vaccination, a EU Digital COVID certificate or a negative test results within a certain timeframe prior to arrival.

$3B To Improve COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Chain

White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients announced the Biden administration will spend $3 billion in expanding the domestic vaccine manufacturing supply chain by supporting the purchase of equipment, inputs, supplies and other necessities. This is intended to increase manufacturers’ capacity and capability to keep up with anticipated increase in demand, as eligible vaccinated Americans in the coming weeks will be heading to get their booster shot. The funds will be available to vaccine manufacturers as well as producers of personal protective equipment. During a news briefing, Zients said the funding will allow manufacturers to add new production lines and facilities and fulfill President Biden’s pledge to be the “arsenal of vaccines for the world.”

FDA Considers Booster Shots

The Biden administration recently announced the United States will begin rolling out booster shots of the mRNA vaccines in September, pending Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC recommendations. Some public health authorities raised concerns that the White House’s announcement will pressure FDA and the CDC to endorse the extra shot, even if the data are insufficient. In a press release Wednesday, Peter Marks,

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Airlines facing a new pilot shortage as planes, but not personnel, return: Travel Weekly

Kenny Gretsch 3 weeks ago

Some U.S. airline operations were constrained this summer as carriers worked to catch up with training for pilots who were on leave during worst days of the Covid-19 crisis.

But experts expect the return of a more structural pilot shortage in the coming years as flight operations eventually ramp up to 2019 levels but without the pilots who took advantage of early retirement offers put forward by airlines in 2020. 

“It’s going restrict our ability to do business worldwide,” said Kit Darby, whose aviation consulting business, KitDarby.com, focuses on pilot career services. “It is going to restrict our regional airlines, and they have half the flights and over a quarter of the passengers. If the smaller airlines run out of pilots they can’t feed the bigger airlines passengers.”

Fueled by a surge of pilots reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65 and augmented by industry growth and a reduction in the number of military-trained pilots who could quickly be hired, the U.S. airline industry was struggling with a pilot shortage prior to the pandemic.

The University of North Dakota, which has one of this country’s leading four-year flight training degree programs, estimated that the U.S. had a shortage of 3,500 commercial pilots in 2020, pre-pandemic.

The shortage had been especially acute for regional airlines in the years leading up to the Covid-19 outbreak, forcing some to reduce their schedules while also contributing to some bankruptcies and closures.

Schedule reductions directly impact major carriers, since the largest U.S. regional airlines fly under the American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express brands. 

The University of North Dakota expected mandatory retirements to peak between 2023 and 2026 at around 3,000 annually.

Kit Darby

Kit Darby

The pilot shortage ended overnight with the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis. Instead, approximately 5,000 pilots accepted early retirement offers from mainline U.S. carriers desperate to reduce payroll, according to analysis undertaken by Darby. Now, as airlines anticipate reaching 2019 demand levels in 2022 or 2023 and then growing from there, they’ll have to replace those pilots sooner than expected, often from the existing regional pilot ranks.

Hiring needs will be substantially higher than what airlines have dealt with to date. U.S. airline seat capacity is down 11% this August compared with 2019, according to the air travel data provider OAG. Worldwide, the in-service airline fleet also remains 11% below the pre-pandemic level, according to a recent Aviation Week analysis. In addition, 11% of the planes that are in service are either parked or on reserve.

In other words, there will be a future need for more planes — and more pilots. 

What the airlines are doing about it

Delta has said it plans to hire 1,000 pilots by next summer. United recently became the first mainline U.S. carrier to purchase its own flight training school. The carrier expects to graduate 5,000 pilots from its Aviate Academy by the end of the decade. 

In an analysis early this year, the consulting firm Oliver Wyman estimated that U.S. pilot demand will

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CPS students to return to the classroom; unvaccinated students who traveled asked to stay home

Kenny Gretsch 3 weeks ago

CHICAGO — Chicago Public School students return to the classroom this morning following the Labor Day weekend. However, anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated and travelled out of town for the holiday will have to stay at home — without remote learning as an option.

CPS informed students and families of the guidelines before the holiday weekend.

If a child is unvaccinated, CPS wants them to produce a negative Covid test and still quarantine for seven days after returning to the state.

If a child doesn’t get tested, they are required to stay home for 10 days.

Parents should notify the schools that their child will be absent and it will be excused by the school.

After 24 hours, students will be given take home work.

CPS’s online tracker shows that as of Sept. 4, 28 adults in the district have tested positive for COVID-19, with 11 students doing the same.

Last week, Gov. JB Pritzker said it was important that everyone step back and think about they can keep others safe.

Students who do test positive for COVID-19 will be allowed access to the district’s virtual academy.

Parents must notify the district before that process can begin.

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Surgery, travel: people explain Pfizer preference

Kenny Gretsch 3 weeks ago


News

Tyrell Gittens



A nurse prepares a shot of the Pfizer vaccine. AP Photo.
A nurse prepares a shot of the Pfizer vaccine. AP Photo.

San Fernando resident Pat Ramsir has had triple bypass surgery and his doctor told him to take the Pfizer covid19 vaccine, as it was the safest for him.

When Newsday visited the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA) mass vaccination site on Monday shortly after 11am, Ramsir was one of just a few people waiting to get their covid19 jab.

But one official said there were long lines earlier.

Ramsir told Newsday, “I was advised by the doctors and I was advised by my family away to wait for the Pfizer.”

Ramsir’s son accompanied him in the event that he had any adverse reactions after getting the jab.

Ramsir said it’s fine if people have a preference for which vaccine they take – once they get vaccinated.

One woman, who asked not to be named, said she waited for the Pfizer vaccine because: “I was told the Pfizer vaccine would have been better, especially travelling internationally.”

Even though one woman took her three school-age children to get vaccinated at SAPA on Monday, she insisted she was not going to get vaccinated. She said the only reason her children were getting vaccinated was because of their father.

The woman, who lives in Hermitage Village, added, “Well, they have to get their education so they have to get it to go to school.

“I had second thoughts, but their father said they have to get their education, and they have to get it anyhow you take it. So he decided to bring them.”

Jael Kelly went to get her Pfizer jab at the Pleasantville Health Centre on Monday. But she was disappointed to learn on arrival that the centre wasn’t giving Pfizer jabs.

So she decided to take the Sinopharm covid19 vaccine which was offered at the centre.

At the Debe Health Centre, Newsday spoke with Cindy Narinesingh, who took her daughter Samritha Narinesingh, 13, to get vaccinated.

Cindy told Newsday, “I felt a sigh of relief that she got vaccinated. I’m looking forward to her going back to school and having a little recreation to enjoy life.”

A form two student at Siparia West Secondary School, Samritha said she felt happy to be vaccinated and looks forward to physically attending school sometime soon.

The La Romaine Health Centre was deserted on Monday when Newsday visited. Only one person was waiting to get vaccinated there.

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Virus Experts Say Don’t Enter Here Without Caution

Kenny Gretsch 3 weeks ago

The continuing rise of the Delta variant—and the fact that even vaccinated people can contract and transmit the virus—mean that caution is warranted in public as Americans head into fall. The CDC officially recommends that both vaccinated and unvaccinated people mask up in public settings. Experts say whether to visit those settings at all is a matter of calculated risk: Are you vaccinated? How high is the transmission rate in your local area? Do you live with anyone who is vulnerable? Here’s where and how they say you should exercise caution. Read on to find out more—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You May Have Already Had COVID.

people masks subway
Shutterstock

The Delta variant is much more contagious than earlier strains of the coronavirus, which mean crowded indoor spaces—always a transmission hotspot—are even more risky. You may want to wear a face mask in those situations or skip them altogether. “We should still choose bigger spaces with fewer faces, and if we turn up to a location or event and feel there are too many people, we have to be ready to leave,” Dr. Gwen Murphy, PhD, MPH, director of epidemiology for Let’sGetChecked, told ETNT Health.

woman sitting inside airplane wearing KN95 FFP2 protective mask
Shutterstock

Eighty-one countries are now on the CDC’s Level Four COVID risk assessment list, meaning transmission is “very high” there. “Avoid travel to these destinations,” the CDC says bluntly. “If you must travel to these destinations, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel.” On the list: the United Kingdom, France, Greece and Spain.  

woman with red curly hair laughing with her two friends in a restaurant
Shutterstock / Zoran Zeremski

Close quarters, often poorly ventilated—indoor restaurants and bars have been a major source of transmission during the pandemic, and the risk is still there. This week, Hawaii’s state health department reported 20 COVID clusters linked to restaurants. “If you are not vaccinated right now in the United States, you should not go into a bar, you should probably not eat at a restaurant,” Dr. Jonathan Reiner, professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University, told CNN in July. “You are at great risk of becoming infected.” 

If you’ve been vaccinated, but live with people who are vulnerable to severe COVID or children who are ineligible for vaccination, you may want to reduce your risk by wearing a mask (when you’re not eating or drinking) or choosing outdoor seating.

RELATED: I’m a Doctor and Here’s How to Not Catch Delta

Picture of attractive woman at breakfast buffet in hotel
Shutterstock

Restaurants nationwide have introduced a number of new COVID safety initiatives, from increased outdoor seating to requiring patrons to present proof of vaccination on entry . However, there’s one type of dine-in experience you might want to think twice about. “Even within all the safety options, buffets are still going to be higher risk,” Kenneth Perry, MD, FACEP, told ETNT Health. “People are going to be closer to each other at the buffet line, and possibly not wearing masks.” 

RELATED: If You Live Here, You’re in COVID Danger Now

movie theater snacks
Shutterstock

Every public activity involves an element

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Roger Miles to Be Inducted into U.S. Travel Hall of Leaders

Kenny Gretsch 3 weeks ago

WASHINGTON – Roger W. Miles, chairman of the board of Miles Partnership, will be honored as the 2021 inductee into the U.S. Travel Association Hall of Leaders, the organization announced Friday.

Distinguished individuals are named to U.S. Travel’s Hall of Leaders for “sustained, noteworthy contributions that have positively impacted the travel industry and raised industry-wide standards.”

With this induction, 103 travel industry luminaries have been named to the U.S. Travel Hall of Leaders since it was established in 1969.

“Roger is a trailblazer whose ingenuity, creativity and business acumen shaped the modern-day field of destination marketing, inspiring countless visits to a host of American cities and travel businesses and sights,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. “He graciously shares his knowledge on place-based marketing and has contributed in meaningful ways to the success of every entity and leader that he’s advised over the years.”

Miles founded Miles Partnership in 1990. He leveraged his background in business and engineering to bring an analytics-driven approach to destination marketing, leading to the development and evolution of groundbreaking digital marketing strategies. Miles played an instrumental role in the creation and utility of destination travel websites.

Miles is also credited as a leading voice in evolving cooperative marketing models from media-driven display advertising into content-rich storytelling. Core to this approach was the creation of tangible assets—articles, photos, videos and more—to help destination marketing organizations (DMOs) promote themselves to digital audiences. Miles was instrumental in developing programs that helped individual tourism businesses collaboratively market with local DMOs, and local DMOs partner with state tourism organizations. This approach also helped build out national programs in support of Brand USA.

Prior to founding Miles Partnership, Miles had more than 17 years of management experience in the publishing industry. He currently serves on the board of trustees of Thornton Academy in his hometown of Saco, Maine, and has held board and officer positions for numerous tourism-related startups and national trade associations, as well as chambers of commerce and convention and visitor bureaus.

Miles will be honored by the U.S. Travel board of directors at a dinner on November 17, 2021, during its fall meeting.

The 2020 inductees were Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of the San Francisco Travel Association, and Ernest Wooden Jr., former president and CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. A list of all previous Hall of Leaders honorees is available here.

About U.S. Travel Association

U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry. In 2020, travel generated $1.5 trillion in economic output and supported 11 million jobs, a drastic decline from pre-pandemic figures. U.S. Travel’s mission is to increase travel to and within the United States. Visit ustravel.org for information and recovery-related data.

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Three Manchester City Stars Train With Academy Set-Up During International Break – Advice and ‘Words of Encouragement’ Provided

Kenny Gretsch 3 weeks ago

The majority of Manchester City’s squad have jetted off on a two-week international break, but for three players in particular, they’ve taken up a slightly different job in the fortnight break. 

As confirmed by Pep Guardiola earlier this month, the club had blocked call-up’s for Manchester City’s Brazilian players, with fears about travel due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. 

With strict restrictions still imposed in South America, there was a risk both Gabriel Jesus and Ederson would have to quarantine for 10 days upon their return to England.

READ MORE: Phil Foden set for quadrupled wages and six-year contract after talks

READ MORE: New Man City signing reveals conversations with Fernandinho regarding move to the Etihad

So, instead of some light training and relaxation, Sam Lee from the Athletic has reported that both Fernandinho and Gabriel Jesus have been working with Manchester City’s under-18s and under-23s during the international break.

Joined by Kevin De Bruyne – who is currently recovering from an ankle injury – the trio have also helped out with some advice and words of encouragement for the up and coming starlets.

READ MORE: Man City set to enter ‘bidding war’ for Erling Haaland next summer

READ MORE: Kaka reveals all about his proposed move to Manchester in 2008

We’ve already seen the benefits working with world-class players can bring to the club’s talents range of academy prospects.

Graduate Phil Foden is now one of the best players in Manchester City’s squad, but for years he worked very closely with the likes of legendary duo David Silva and Sergio Agüero.

Recently, it was revealed that all of Romeo Lavia, James McAtee, Liam Delap and Cole Palmer would be receiving the same development pathway this season.

Follow us on Twitter for live updates: @City_Xtra

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