yasmeen baccarat rouge 540
Tony-nominated actress Kerry Butler chatted about starring in the “Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now!” Off-Broadway musical, which is being performed at New World Stages in New York City. In this show, Butler stats opposite Tony nominee Laura Bell Bundy and Tony winner Marissa Jaret Winokur. “It is so fun working with them and we are closer than we’ve ever been,” Butler noted. “We have been talking nonstop and it’s so nice to have this sisterhood with them. It has been such a wonderful friendship. I am going to miss them so much once the show is over,” she acknowledged. “We are having such a good time with this musical,” Butler exclaimed. “The show has been really, really great, as well as a good learning experience.” “It was so empowering to create this show with my friends and we push each other to go out of our comfort zones. The fact that we did it ourselves (just the three of us) with no other writers or directors was so great,” she elaborated. “Creating the show was the easiest part,” she admitted. “The stressful part was getting the rights to songs and getting the set together. Marissa was painting the set a few days before it opened,” she said with a sweet laugh. “Figuring all those other things out has been a real learning curve,” she added. Butler revealed that her favorite parts of the shows involve singing both the mom medleys and the kids’ medleys. “Of course, I also love the Disney medley because those are my favorite songs to sing,” she noted. On being a part of the digital age, Butler said with a sweet laugh, “We are in charge of all of our social media, so it is a lot.” “We are so creative and opinionated so it has been fun to channel ourselves in those ways too. We try and put out something every single day but it’s work. We do like it though and we enjoy doing it ourselves.” In 2008, Butler scored a Tony nomination for “Best Actress in a Musical” for her stage work in “Xanadu.” On earning a Tony nomination, Butler said, “That was so exciting and a dream come true, especially since this was the hardest part I ever played. I was beyond excited about the nod.” Butler had great words about Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Darlene Love, who starred with her in “Hairspray.” “We love Darlene Love. She is so great,” Butler exclaimed. “We actually did a Tony performance with her for the 20 th anniversary of ‘Hairspray’ when it was being honored. It was a fun reunion with Darlene,” she added. On the title of the current chapter of her life, Butler revealed, “Sisterhood.” For young and emerging actors, she said, “For actors, find a thing that you are the most embarrassed of or made fun of or that’s different, and embrace it. That is what is going to make you shine later on. That’s your secret sauce. You need to accept all of yourself, that way, the quicker you will get work.” “Also, don’t take rejection personally. It is not about talent because there are so many talented people out there. Just brush rejection off and know that it’s not about you. The tougher your skin, the more you will get work,” she elaborated. Her superpowers of choice would be “to be the most amazing gardener so she can feed the world” as well as “to fly.” “If I could fly, I would visit my daughter in college,” she said. Regarding her definition of success, she remarked, “Success means achieving your goals and being happy. Finding contentment in life by enjoying the climb and the ride. My goal has always been to be a working actor and that has worked out well for me.” For fans and viewers, Butler concluded about the show, “We hope we can bring people together with this show, and bring them joy, and see each other’s humanity... that is what the world needs more of right now. We want people to feel like they are all connected.” For more information on “Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now!” musical, visit official website . Read More : “ Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now! ” review Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News.Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 22,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.Drones, planes or UFOs? Americans abuzz over mysterious New Jersey sightingsNone
Jacob Holt scores 23 to help Sacramento State beat Stanislaus State 98-47HMC performs complex surgeries with innovative procedureALTOONA, Pennsylvania, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Luigi Mangione, the suspect charged with murder in the shooting of a top UnitedHealth executive, briefly struggled with officers and angrily shouted while being escorted into a Pennsylvania courthouse on Tuesday, as a clearer picture of his motives began to emerge a day after his arrest ended a massive manhunt. Mangione , 26, turned toward a group of reporters and yelled in part, "...completely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people!" before deputies pushed him away. It was not clear to what he was referring. At the court hearing, his defense lawyer told a judge that Mangione would oppose extradition to New York, where he is charged with murder and other crimes. That decision could delay the process by weeks but is unlikely to block his eventual transfer; for now, Mangione will remain in jail in Pennsylvania, where he faces gun and forgery charges. His attorney, Tom Dickey, said at a news conference that Mangione planned to plead not guilty to the charges. Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealth's (UNH.N) , opens new tab insurance arm, one of the largest health insurers in the U.S., was shot dead on the morning of Dec. 4 outside a hotel in Manhattan in what police said was a targeted attack, sparking a manhunt that led to Mangione's arrest. More clues about his possible motivation were coming to light on Tuesday. When arrested, Mangione was in possession of a handwritten manifesto that offered insight into his mindset, according to police. The New York Times reported that an internal New York City Police report analyzing the document concluded that Mangione viewed the killing as a justified response to what he believed to be corruption in the healthcare industry. "These parasites simply had it coming," the manifesto said, according to the Times. Mangione suffered from chronic back pain that limited his daily life, according to friends, his social media postings and other news reports. His profile on X shows a background image of an x-ray with what appears to be screws and plates inserted in a lower back. An employee at TrueCar told Reuters that Mangione worked at the car-buying website as a data engineer from 2022 to late 2023. In mid-2023, Mangione took about two months off for what the employee's manager described as back-related issues. The employee, who asked not to be named, described Mangione as "incredibly smart" and very friendly to his co-workers. He said that the company offered employees health insurance through UnitedHealth as well as other choices, such as Aetna. From January through June 2022, Mangione lived at the Surfbreak co-living community in Honolulu, where he led a book club and surfed, hiked and rock-climbed, the founder of the group, R.J. Martin, told the Hawaiian outlet Civil Beat. Martin said Mangione had suffered back pain caused by misaligned vertebrae pinching Mangione's spinal cord, and he left for the mainland at some point for surgery. But he went "radio silent" in June or July, Martin told Civil Beat. Mangione never showed any indication of violence, Martin later told MSNBC. "The Luigi that I knew is completely incompatible with an assassin," he said, describing him as funny, kind and thoughtful. At one point, Mangione suggested Surfbreak's book club read the manifesto of Ted Kaczynski - the U.S. domestic bomber known as the Unabomber - as a joke, according to Martin. On the book-themed social media site Goodreads, a poster with Mangione's name praised Kaczynski's book "Industrial Society and Its Future" as "prescient" about modern society, called him an "extreme political revolutionary" and suggested violence was a legitimate form of resistance in some circumstances. Mangione was spotted at a McDonald's on Monday by an employee who thought he looked like the gunman in surveillance images released by police. Mangione, an Ivy League graduate who was also the valedictorian of a private all-boys school in Maryland, had a loaded ghost gun - an untraceable firearm assembled from parts - and a silencer, officials said on Monday. Both the weapon and his clothing closely resembled those used by the gunman. He also had multiple fake identifications, including a fraudulent New Jersey ID that matched the one used by the gunman to check into a Manhattan hostel days before the shooting, according to authorities. Mangione's family released a statement saying they knew only what had been reported in the media. "Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi's arrest," the family said in a statement posted to the X account of Maryland lawmaker Nino Mangione. "We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved." The gunman managed to elude capture for days after the attack last Wednesday outside the Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan. Thompson's murder unleashed a wave of frustration from Americans struggling to afford medical care and those who have been denied claims or care. Thompson, a father of two, had been CEO of UnitedHealthcare since April 2021, part of a 20-year career with the company. He had been in New York to attend the company's annual investor conference. Sign up here. Reporting by Julio-Cesar Chavez in Altoona and Rich McKay in Atlanta; Additional reporting by Brad Brooks, Andrew Hay and Kanishka Singh; Writing by Joseph Ax; Editing by Paul Thomasch, Bill Berkrot and Rosalba O'Brien Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
AP Business SummaryBrief at 5:07 p.m. ESTPatriots safety Jabrill Peppers, accused of domestic violence, cleared to practice and playDuring the Town of Amherst’s final town council meeting of the year on Dec. 16, a motion was passed approving funding for two initiatives. The Community Support Grants Policy, Social Equity Fund allowed for a $5,000 contribution to be made to the Amherst Community Christmas Dinner. The free dinner is open to anyone in the town and beyond providing an inclusive environment for anyone experiencing food insecurity. The welcome holiday meal is free and open to anyone. Another contribution was made on behalf of the Social Equity Fund in the amount of $3,100 being made to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Amherst. The library provides books to more than 220 children in the area to inspire their quest for learning. Council appointed Rae Burke as a citizen member of the Town of Amherst Audit Committee for a term ending on October 31, 2025. The seat was vacant following the election of Rob Small as mayor. An expression of interest was advertised in local media and on the Town of Amherst social media pages. Amherst Town Council believes involving youth in the community adds value to youth development. They also want to empower young people to be active participants in their community and democracy. Council believes the youth perspective is an important one in the decisions they make everyday and welcome their opinions. That’s why in June 2024 an expression of interest was highlighted for young people to join the Amherst Youth Town Council. The seats are capped at 15 members and there were seven interested applicants over the summer. Last week, two new students were recruited, bringing the total number of members to nine. Town Council appointed Isla Crocker and Hanna Brunt to the Amherst Youth Town Council last week. Town Council approved the purchase of 10 body-worn cameras for Town Police in the 2024/25 Capital Budget. The amount to purchase the devices was estimated at $50,000 but the prices have changed considerably since the approval. Staff are now recommending the equipment be leased now instead of purchasing it. Council passed a new motion to remove the purchase of 10 police body worn cameras from the 2024/25 Capital Budget and authorize the lease. The new lease will be for 12 police body-worn cameras at a cost of approximately $20,000 annually. This new approval will be funded from the Police Department Operating Budget. In leasing the equipment, the provider will make sure the existing technology, data storage in the cloud, repairs and equipment replacement will be up to date.
Several supporters of the Montreal Canadiens place a lot of hope in Logan Mailloux. His first season in the professional ranks last year impressed many. He scored no less than 14 goals and totaled 47 points in 72 games. This season, he did well with the big club (three points in five games) but had to return to the AHL. He started the season very well down there, like the rest of the Rocket, who kept winning. However, it has been much tough for the young defenseman lately. He is currently going through a tough stretch, having only recorded one assist in his last 11 games, including this afternoon’s game. Quite different performance when comparing this to his 12 points in his first seven games with Laval. On this Sunday afternoon, the Rocket hosted the Springfield Thunderbirds, and the Rocket completely dominated their opponents. Pascal Vincent’s team ultimately won the game 3-1. Victory for the #Rocket 3-1 over Springfield With this win and Cleveland’s loss, Laval is on top of the North Division going into the Christmas break #AHL . — Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) December 22, 2024 Sean Farrell opened the scoring in the first period, while Joshua Roy doubled the lead in the third. Matt Luff quickly narrowed the gap before Laurent Dauphin secured the victory into an empty net. Joshua Roy earned his second point of the game on the third goal, and Connor Hughes was solid again in front of his net. During this match, Anthony Marcotte thought that Logan Mailloux had been removed from both waves of the power play. He quickly corrected himself upon seeing Mailloux finally join the second wave. Logan Mailloux is no longer on the Rocket’s power play. Noel Hoefenmayer and Adam Engström are preferred on the two waves today. — Anthony Marcotte (@anthonymarcotte) December 22, 2024 However, this should not be taken lightly in the case of the right-shot defenseman. To see a defenseman who scored 14 goals last year as a rookie being demoted to the second PP does not bode well... It is newcomer Noel Hoefenmayer, acquired in the Jacob Perreault trade, who has taken over the first unit of the PP . Mailloux needs to bounce back quickly, as his future in Montreal could be more complex than he thinks. Speaking of Montreal, with the current team, there is not much room for Mailloux to play up top, hoping that he finds his wings. The power play is currently doing well and as long as Hutson and Matheson are there, there will be no space for Mailloux on the power play. Additionally, the defensive brigade is well stocked with the recent acquisition of Alexandre Carrier. If anything, Carrier could also be tried on the PP one day, as he handles the puck very well and makes smart decisions. He has a certain offensive flair that could come in handy if Martin St-Louis ever wanted to make changes to his second wave. In short, Mailloux needs to get his act together quickly; otherwise, his development could take a hit , and that’s not good for anyone. In brief – Very interesting. What do you think? That would be insane https://t.co/leBQSIxFsu — Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) December 22, 2024 – Incredible: a father and son come to blows in Saskatchewan FATHER AND SON CHUCK KNUCKS!! ONLY IN SASKATCHEWAN pic.twitter.com/VvCnYGVHZz — Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) December 22, 2024 – That’s good We’ve got Elves vs. Reindeer for holiday Mites on Ice. pic.twitter.com/SSu6qQtSnA — Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) December 22, 2024 This article first appeared on Dose.ca and was syndicated with permission.
The fate of rock climbing in the U.S. could be determined by outgoing President Joe Biden during his final weeks in office. On Thursday, the U.S. Senate passed the . It had passed the House back in April. The bill's passage last week through the Senate sent it to the president's desk. As of Monday, it was still awaiting Biden's signature. The 220-page bill contains a raft of provisions for the nation's public lands, from improving national battlefields and offering broadband internet in developed recreation sites to around the country. Crucially for rock and ice climbers and mountaineers, the legislation contains the Protect America's Rock Climbing, or PARC, Act, which was absorbed into the bill after having been introduced as a standalone item in 2023. directs the secretaries of Interior and Agriculture — Interior oversees the Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service, Agriculture the U.S. Forest Service — to "recognize that recreational climbing (including the use, placement, and maintenance of fixed anchors) is an appropriate use" in designated wilderness across the country. For existing climbing routes, the language also orders the agencies to ensure "the continued use and maintenance of recreational climbing routes (including fixed anchors along the routes)." If signed into law, the bill would undercut a that would only be allowed in wilderness in limited circumstances and after agency review. That change, which would retroactively cover existing anchor bolts in addition to new proposed bolts, would also place environmental review requirements on bolts outside of designated wilderness, too, although the agencies would have leeway to be less restrictive of bolts outside of wilderness. The agencies' draft proposed guidance, released in November 2023, would make bolts prohibited by default unless allowed by an agency. In contract, the language in the EXPLORE Act would make bolts allowed by default except where actively managed or prohibited by an agency. The EXPLORE Act would confirm in legislation the manner in which bolts have long been allowed on public lands, including in wilderness. But the agencies' proposed guidance would mark a sea change in how they manage or permit bolts. The , the day before the EXPLORE Act passed the Senate and went to Biden's desk. The Forest Service had not withdrawn its proposal as of Monday, but it would be voided if Biden signs the EXPLORE Act. It's unclear what the agencies might do if he doesn't sign the bill into law. The Access Fund, the primary climbing advocacy group in the U.S., stated in March 2023 that the agencies' proposals "would upend 60 years of precedent that pitons, bolts, slings, and other fixed anchors are fundamentally allowed in Wilderness." "As climbers, fixed anchors are essential pieces of our safety system that allow us to safely and sustainably access vertical terrain," Access Fund Executive Director Heather Thorne said in a statement about the withdrawal of the Park Service proposal. "Without fixed anchors, many of the wildest and most inspiring places in America would become inaccessible to the public." Access Fund Deputy Director Erik Murdock said the guidance "would have prohibited long-established practices and tools for safely ascending and descending climbs." He previously stated that the agencies' proposed guidance would endanger climbers by preventing the installation, use or maintenance of hardware that has been commonplace in wilderness climbing and elsewhere for decades. (Eric Murdock is not related to Missoulian reporter Joshua Murdock) But therein. The PARC language, the group stated online, "would deface and degrade wilderness by legalizing the installation of fixed climbing anchors." "Fixed climbing anchors degrade Wilderness through lasting signs of human development and by attracting and concentrating use — at expense to native plants and animals," the group stated. "Making a special exception for fixed anchors would effectively amend the Wilderness Act for a subgroup of recreationists — adding fuel to the efforts of other user groups like mountain bikers, commercial outfitters, the NRA, and hobby airplane pilots that have been trying to do the same." Montana roots, national impact Whether from agencies or Congress, the guidance on bolts would apply anywhere climbing bolts exist or might be placed in a national forest, national park or other federal public lands. In Montana, the changes would impact places like the Bitterroot Range's towering walls and Hyalite Canyon's pinnacles and prized winter ice routes. The issue is at least somewhat rooted in a long-running dispute between climbers and Forest Service officials on the Bitterroot National Forest. A being developed by the Forest Service has been delayed pending overarching national guidance. In response to complaints from environmental groups including Friends of the Bitterroot, the Forest Service enacted a bolting moratorium on a portion of Mill Creek in 2015. In 2020, the agency banned and criminalized new bolt installation across the entire Bitterroot National Forest — an unprecedented prohibition in the U.S. that remains in place. The proposed agency guidance would reopen Bitterroot bolting in some circumstances, but only after agency analysis and approval for each proposed bolt or route. The EXPLORE Act would likely revert the policy closer to pre-2015 status. Nationally, the rules would affect the vertical wilderness of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in California; the deep, shadowy wilderness in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado; Rocky Mountain National Park's iconic Diamond on Longs Peak in Colorado; and the Eastern climbing mecca at Kentucky's Red River Gorge. Even lesser-known places with bolts, like Rattler Gulch near Drummond, could be subject to possible change under the agencies' proposals. Like the PARC Act it absorbed, the EXPLORE Act attracted bipartisan support in both chambers; its 51 co-sponsors included 27 Democrats and 24 Republicans. The EXPLORE Act passed the House in the spring on a voice vote, meaning that representatives' individual voted were not recorded. It passed the Senate last week via "unanimous consent," meaning no senators objected to the measure. The bill claims broad support outside Congress from groups including The Wilderness Society, which previously voiced support specifically for the PARC Act. The PARC Act had received support from outdoor industry groups, companies and advocacy organizations, as well some leaders from states with significant climbing areas. The Access Fund supported passage of the PARC Act, and later the EXPLORE Act. The group has stated that it supports targeted management like site-specific area closures designed to reduce impacts to natural resources, or things like seasonal closures for raptor nesting. But the group opposes the agencies' draft limitations to bolts. The Wilderness Society, California Wilderness Society and Colorado Governor Jared Polis, have joined the Access Fund in opposing the federal agencies' proposed restrictions, and supporting the pending legislation that would affirm bolts' place in wilderness and other federal land. Polis, when he was a congressman, sponsored the 2009 legislation that designated much of Rocky Mountain National Park as wilderness. He maintains that wilderness designation was not intended to limit climbing bolts. The Access Fund that the proposed guidance, at that point drafted only for Joshua Tree and Black Canyon of the Gunnison parks but by that fall considered nationally, "would upend 60 years of precedent that pitons, bolts, slings, and other fixed anchors are fundamentally allowed in wilderness. Essentially, the park service was now saying they believed fixed anchors were instead prohibited by default." But conservation groups are split on their support for the PARC language and for bolts on public lands, particularly in wilderness. In May 2023, dozens of conservation groups from around the U.S. — including many from Montana — wrote that bolts "degrade wilderness character" and that climbers constitute "a subgroup of recreation interests" who shouldn't get special treatment. The groups said that climbers want bolts to make climbs easier, and that "Lowering the difficulty of a climbing route to a climber’s skill level by bolting goes against the essential spirit of the Wilderness Act." (Climbers generally use bolts as a safety mechanism to catch falls, not to aid their upward progress.) The groups argued that affirming bolts' place in wilderness would open the door to mountain bikers who want to ride in wilderness, hunters and anglers who want to use wheeled game carts, airplanes and motorboats in wilderness, and event promotors who seek to hold commercial events in wilderness. Montana-based groups who signed the letter include Wilderness Watch, Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Friends of the Bitterroot, Friends of the Wild Swan, Swan View Coalition, Great Old Broads for Wilderness, Footloose Montana and Bitterroot Audubon. George Nickas, executive director of Wilderness Watch, told The Colorado Sun that "the climbers are just one more recreational group trying to establish the first big chink in the armor of the Wilderness Act. This is an ongoing fight."🍷 A popular South Jersey winery is all festive for the holidays ❄ It looks like a scene out of a Hallmark movie 🎅 Come enjoy all the festivities it has to offer EGG HARBOR CITY — An historic South Jersey winery wants to get everyone in the holiday spirit with the return of its “Vintner Wonderland.” Now through January 20, 2025, Renault Winery in Egg Harbor City has been transformed into a scene out of a Hallmark Christmas movie, according to the winery. Bundle up and gather around cozy fire pits, dine inside igloos, sip hot spiced wine, indulge in hot chocolate, and enjoy sweets and treats, all while taking in the sights, songs, and flavors of the season. This year’s highlights include: Vintner Ice Rink – Glide across a sparkling outdoor rink surrounded by festive lights. This year, special charity programs at the rink will support the local community and those in need. Vintner Village – Explore a marketplace featuring artisan shops and culinary delights. Watch artisans hard at work. Purchase a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Family-Friendly Activities – Enjoy games for children of all ages, visit Santa Claus in his workshop, try your hand at arts and crafts, or get your face painted with a festive touch. Festival of Trees – The Renault family gives back this season to support Faces 4 Autism with their enchanting festival of decorated trees displayed and auctioned off through Dec. 20. Barrel Tree – Renault’s famous “barrel tree” is known as one of the most unique trees in the U.S. It will be at the center of the outdoor holiday village with twinkling lights cascading from each side. New this year include The Vintner Express Barrel Train – Hop aboard this whimsical train for a ride around the vineyard village. Grinch’s Lair Pop-Up Bar – Enjoy festive cocktails and a playful atmosphere inspired by the Grinch himself. Santa’s Workshop – Create memories with Santa in a cozy, photo-ready space filled with holiday cheer Louie’s Lounge Wine Bar – Unwind with a glass of Renault’s wines in an elegant setting designed for relaxation and celebration. Buddy’s Sweet Shoppe – Delight in holiday-themed treats and confections, plus Buddy’s ginormous hot chocolate. Signature Holiday Events Stories with Santa – Santa Claus will host “Stories with Santa” on Dec. 7, 12, 14, 19, and 21 at 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Gather for a classic Christmas story with Santa, complete with freshly baked cookies from Café La Fleur. Kids will receive a special gift from Santa, chat with the “big guy” and photos after storytime. Cost is $15 per person. Vintner Wonderland at Renault Winery (Renault Winery) Breakfast with Santa – Enjoy a festive breakfast with Santa in Renault’s Champagne Ballroom on Dec. 15 and 22, at 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and noon. Cost is $30 to $60 per person. Cookies and Cocktails – This is for adults only. Treat yourself to three signature cocktails paired with festive cookies in a lively holiday setting on Dec. 26 and Jan. 2 at 6 p.m. Cost is $30 per person. Family Fun Nights at the Rink – Every Friday in December, bring the whole family for an evening of fun and festive activities. Cost is $15. Noon Year’s Eve – On Dec. 31, starting at 11:30 a.m., join Renault for a New Year’s Eve countdown for kids at noon. Lace up your skates and hit the ice in the Vintner Wonderland. Hang out in the igloos, and indulge in bites from the food trucks and sweet shops. When the clock strikes noon, raise your glasses to 2025 with a toast of nonalcoholic sparkling cider. New Year’s Eve Countdown and Champagne Toast – Enjoy a champagne toast on Dec. 31 in a commemorative champagne flute to take home. Renault also offers a Renault Passport Vinter Edition - The passport comes with premium seasonal perks designed to enhance the guest experience. The passport includes priority access to the events, dedicated parking close to the venue, a two-hour ice skating session with skate rentals included, a vintner express tractor ride, a s’mores kit, 10% off at the Renault gift shop, and more. Prices are $39 per person or $139 for a family four pack. Reindeer Run – This annual holiday-themed race is part of Vintner Wonderland on Dec. 21, rain or shine, with the one-mile kids fun run at 9:45 a.m. and the 5K run at 10 a.m. The cost of the 5K run is $30, until 6 p.m. on Dec. 20. The one-mile fun run price is $20 until 6 p.m. on Dec. 20. Registration after that time, and on race day will be $35 for the 5K and $25 for the one-mile fun run. Holiday Artisan Markets – From shopping for handcrafted treasures to indulging festive treats, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Check out holiday ornaments, artisanal foods, jewelry, and one-of-a-kind items on Dec.14 and Dec. 21. For a full schedule, passport details, and a full calendar of events, visit here . Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom New Jersey's 10 best holiday cookies Here's a little history lesson before you bake your favorite cookies! Gallery Credit: Jill Croce
Texans look to regroup as they prepare for Ravens after Tank Dell suffers another injury
GARRIOCH: The Ottawa Senators version of 'Twas the Night before ChristmasDP World Callao Strengthens Position as Peru's Gateway for Trade with Asia
NoneWhen VHS tapes hit the scene in the ‘80s, people thought cinemas would die a natural death in a matter of a decade. But what happened was just the opposite; VHS faced a natural death and CDs took over by the 2000s to be quickly replaced by the DVDs and Blu-ray. Then the internet gave us Netflix and the rest is history. Forty years later, theatres are still relevant. IMAX and 3D have broadened cinematic possibilities thanks in part to innovative technology, big studio budgets and all-star casts. But this is not about commercialised cinema. Instead, we went in search of two cinema halls well past their glory days that have survived (in some form) to the present day. Although the stories are different, they lend a unique perspective to Sri Lanka’s shifting socio-political narrative down the years. Welcome to the Ritz and the Rio – a tale of two cinemas. Ritz cinema transformed The Ritz is in the heart of Borella. Covered in billboards, the theatre stays relevant showing Sinhala and Kollywood releases. The Gallery downstairs has been converted to a pub, while the balcony has been converted into one entire floor for screenings. The lobby of the Ritz cinema is decorated with posters of silver screen classics like Sweep Ticket and Maruwa Samaga Wasey. Between the theatre’s ‘vomitories’ stood a defunct 35mm projector; a reminder of the cumbersome analogue era. Rakith Sugathadasa is the current proprietor of the Ritz cinema which has been in his family for three generations. As a millennial, he is well aware of the challenges to small independent theatres. One issue, he says, is parking. Decades ago, not many people owned cars and so building parking lots were not given much attention when designing commercial buildings. Rakith’s grandfather opened the Ritz in 1959 but passed away two years later and the cinema was rented out till 1980 after which Rakith’s father managed it until 2007. In its heyday, the Ritz was a massive theatre with a seating capacity of 700. “After the popularity of multiplexes, I decided to make it into a 116-seater. That’s why the Ritz survived and the Lido cinema didn’t,” Rakith said. One of the main Sinhala movie centres since the ‘80s, the Ritz cinema is an independent cinema and is part of the Lanka Film Distributors (LFD). Only five film circuits have the authority to release local and foreign films in Sri Lanka – They are the MPI, EAP, CEL, LFD which are owned by the private sector, and the Rithma Film Circuit owned by the Government under the National Film Corporation. In a world of multiplexes the Ritz keeps running due to its budget rates, according to Rakith. “We also have a bar and restaurant downstairs, so that is also one reason we are still surviving”. The Ritz upgraded to digital in 2016 to keep up with the times because analogue is just not feasible to operate. “35mm film costs Rs. 300,000 per single cinema, but a circuit can distribute to every cinema digitally for under Rs. 500,000. Moreover, film rolls are a hassle to operate”. Rakith said he hopes to upgrade the theatre and is still managing the Ritz cinema since it’s a family heirloom. “I grew up here. The Ritz is just a hobby. I have other businesses,” he said with a smile. “At the end of the day, the cinema is not marketable by itself. Films are what drive the market. We have a consistent crowd and sometimes get houseful in the weekends or during holidays”, he added. Rio theatre: flawed beauty In downtown Slave Island stands a decaying building—a flawed beauty and a tragedy of Sri Lanka’s dark past. The Rio theatre and hotel opened its doors in 1965 and featured Sri Lanka’s first 70mm Todd-AO projector. The Todd-AO 70 mm widescreen film format was developed by Mike Todd and the Naify brothers. The Todd AO also marked the beginning of what later became ‘Surround Sound’. The Rio’s first screened the musical South Pacific which was attended by the then Governor General William Goppalawa and a 20-year-old Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. During its heyday the Rio screened 70mm hits such as Can Can, Alamo, Sound of Music, Cleopatra and West Side Story. In the 60s, the Rio cinema became a popular entertainment hub for Colombo families as it featured amenities such as restaurants and ice cream shops. “But the good times came to an end quickly when the Film Corporation took over all distribution and importation of films and then the quality of movies began its decline from then,” Rathnarajah ‘Thambi’ Navarathnam, proprietor and manager of the Rio cinema, said. “Hollywood didn’t want to deal with a monopoly; they were big enough to ignore Sri Lanka and the 360 cinemas islandwide dropped to a mere 140 in the following years. However, to save the industry, a few private entities were once again allowed to import films. Torched The Rio was torched during the communal riots of 1983 just as many other Tamil-owned businesses. The cinema was rebuilt but the once-magnificent 70mm Todd-AO was replaced by the basic 35mm projectors, marking the end of an era. Rio earned a bad reputation after its fall from grace. The fact that the old cinema is being used as a ‘cruising’ spot is an open secret. The 35mm projectors are handled by an old-time technician who splices martial arts films, exploitation movies and R-rated shows into one continuous roll which are screened thrice a day. The Rio in recent years has also become the haunt for artistes, anarchists and bohemian-types. Several large murals have taken up the walls and the hotel section has been rented out to raves, parties, rock concerts and galleries. The Goethe Institut and Techno Worlds undertook minor restoration efforts and closed off much of the unsafe parts of the building. Contrasting fates The stories of the Rio and Ritz are part of our continuous internal struggle as a nation. The contrasting fates summarise the duality of Sri Lanka’s journey—adaptation and decline, resilience and abandonment. While the Ritz thrives through modernisation and community relevance, the Rio stands as a haunting reminder of missed opportunities and the scars of history. Together, they challenge us to confront the choices that have shaped not only our cultural institutions but also our collective identity. In cinema, as in life, transformation often requires vision and effort, while ruin comes easily, borne of neglect or misguided decisions. The Ritz and the Rio are not just cinemas; they are reflections of who we are, where we have been and the possibilities that lie ahead. Whether we learn from their stories or repeat the patterns they represent, remains to be seen.
baccarat 540 scent
baccarat cheat
baccarat house edge
