Tag: local

Camping outlook: It’s going to be a busy season | Local News

by  on  in Camping

WENATCHEE — The clock is ticking for those looking to book a stay at a state park this year: reservations are up and officials expect busy summer akin to 2020.

“We like to advise people to try to plan ahead and book early,” said state Parks and Recreation Commission spokeswoman Toni Droscher in an email Wednesday. “The reality is, camping at state parks is gaining in popularity, and we only have a finite amount of spaces. And we have fewer first-come, first-served campsites.”

During the past 12 months there have been 382,500 reservations created statewide, which amounts to a 44%

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After family vacation, everything changed | Local News

by  on  in Vacation

We were blessed to enjoy a family vacation in Florida February 22-29, 2020. Little did we know what would greet us upon our return.

Like many Americans, we too had to cancel special events: the 25th wedding anniversary celebration for my daughter Andrea and her husband Kevin, a sibling reunion which

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Local tourist attractions plan return

by  on  in Tourism Spot

WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS – For Mary Kay Wydra, the president of the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, 2020 was not a good year.

“It was challenging year to say the least,” She told Reminder Publishing.

Tourism is not only big business for the commonwealth, it’s big business for Hampden and Hampshire counties.

According to the state-wide 2018 statistics (the latest available) from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) Direct spending was $24.2 billion; State and local taxes: $1.6 billion; Jobs supported: 153,200; Wages paid: $5.6 billion; 27.6 Million Domestic Visitors: 1.8 Million Overseas Visitors; and 700,000 Canadian

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No Tour Home Tour, the 2020 version of the annual Holiday Home Tour, kicks off Monday | Local News

by  on  in Tour

“We knew that everyone needed a little extra Christmas cheer. We wanted to hold to our mission of public health and create an event that was safe for everyone to attend,” she added.

Since becoming the sponsor of the 26-year-old Holiday Home Tour in 2017, the HelpCare Clinic has raised roughly $65,000 from it. Last year, it raised $30,000. Income from the each of the prior two years was roughly $17,500. The tour commonly provides the clinic with 10% to 15% of its annual budget.

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This year, the clinic hopes

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South Dakota braces for ‘almost non-existent’ 2020 tourism season due to COVID-19 | Local News

by  on  in Tourism Spot

The COVID-19 pandemic has almost completely shut down tourism in South Dakota, one of the state’s largest industries.

The loss of visitors now and potentially into the summer tourism season threatens to cut off a vital economic lifeline for businesses and their employees and eliminate a major source of sales tax revenues that fund operations of cities and state government.

Gov. Kristi Noem has said the pandemic and efforts to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, such as social distancing and foreign travel restrictions, would likely continue through May, when infections are expected to peak in South Dakota. The

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