Tag Archives: California

Several Wildfires Burn in Several States

As of mid-August, 34 wildfires are burning in eleven states. 10 of which are in Idaho alone. Idaho residents near the town of Ketchum are forced from their homes as 1,200 firefighters battle the state’s biggest wildfire, which burned across 1,000 acres. More than 2,300 homes have been evacuated so far in central Idaho. The fire is only six percent contained. Also, one of the biggest fires in California’s history continues to spread near Yosemite National Park. The fire, which is being referred to as the Rim Fire, was seven percent contained as of August 27 and has burned through 144,000 acres, making it the 14th largest fire in California since 1932, the year the state started keeping wildfire records. The size of the fire is roughly the size of Chicago. The fire’s location made it a threat to San Francisco’s electrical and water supply. Nearly 3,000 firefighters were battling the blaze.

These many wildfires are very hard for most to try and live through. I think it must be hard for all people that are near one of these fires to try and keep calm and live a normal life. I wonder why It has been almost a month now and most of the fires are still burning. How are the firefighters taking these conditions? How many, if any, people have died so far to these fires? Hopefully, all these questions will be answered and we can have all these fires conquered.

~Nick

Too Much Money?

Everyone wants to have a great, fun time at their favorite amusement park. But who wants to pay a lot of money to get in? Not me! On Sunday, June 9th everything will change for the The Walt Disney Company. They have decided to raise their prices in both  Disneyland (Anaheim, CA.) and Disney World (Orlando, Fla.) The Burbank-based company states that a single-day ticket for ages 10 or older for both parks will cost from $87-$92, meaning it increased 6%. Thats crazy! In Disney World the adult pass increased $6 per person, meaning they have to pay now $95 for one adult for the day. Then there’s barely a discount for the children. Only the kids under age ten could have a 6% discount, meaning their total is $89. As you can see, the costs for an average family would be extremely high.

In my opinion, I personally think that the their prices should be lower. I think they are extremely high for a park filled with a ton of people. Yes, there are many rides but also huge lines. You could wait in a line for an hour just to go on one ride. By the end of the day it could be a waste of money by only going on a few rides. Furthermore, the families that have 5 people in it, like I do, that go to Disney World would spend a ton. For me, I have my dad, my mom, my 17 year old sister, my 15 year old brother, and me. That means for five people it will cost $475 for one day! That doesn’t even include parking and all the food. I think thats crazy for people to pay that much for rides. There should be discounts, but no there isn’t. Overall, I think if they keep raising their prices then people can’t afford it and they will lose customers.

~Kaitlyn D’Andrea

Lower those prices so we can board!

As a longboarder, I believe that the price of the top boards on the market are tremendously overpriced! Longboarding has started in the southern parts of California and scooted its popularity all the way over to the east coast. It started with nobody, to thousands around the globe cruising around and having a good time. Longboarding is a popular hobby that gets kids outside to have some fun. Like a large skateboard, you push yourself around doing occasional slides and bombing large hills. Along with the joy, longboarding also brings  awfully high prices. Sliding gloves, knee pads/elbow pads, helmets, wheels, bearing, trucks, boards, grip tape, bushings– I could go on forever! My point is that prices of all this equipment can be over $300! For some, this is why longboarding isn’t multiplying as quickly as I wish it could. But, there is an easy way to make longboarding spread and get it even more popular!

The board below (apex 40), at its highest possible price can be up to $425! Obviously, this is extremely overpriced. That is why it’s as simple as lowering these prices to get the amount of boarders to multiply! Some of my local buddies suggest that if the board and gear making companies lowered their prices, they would totally be into the longboarding. Why would anyone want to spend over $300 for what they think is a “bamboo board”? High on the market boards ( such as the loaded Dervish) have prices unimaginable. There are many reasons the board is overpriced, such as the well constructed board, or steel trucks. But, the main reason is because of the marketing and name brand of the board (LOADED). It’s like buying a car that is faster then the Ferrari, although you are getting a faster car, the Ferrari is more expensive since it’s better known. I sure hope that sellers get this message and learn that their boards are way too overpriced. These too high prices can bring an end to longboarding!

~Evan Zovas