Weekly News Roundup - March 10, 2010

Advocates and Local Leaders Head to Albany for 2010 Advocacy Day (WHEC-TV, New York)
Afterschool advocates, youth and parents from Rochester, New York, – including Afterschool Ambassador Caroline Merenda – traveled to Albany this week to discuss the importance of afterschool programs with their elected officials.
 
Budgets Involve Choosing Priorities (Times of Trenton, New Jersey)
New Jersey Assemblyman Paul Moriarty (D-Gloucester) writes: “Budget cuts are certainly in order, but they can’t be done blindly and without regard to the impact and long-term consequences they will have on our families and children. The New Jersey After 3 programs are cost-effective models that keep kids safe, improve student achievement and allow families to work full-time. These are exactly the kinds of programs we need to protect during tough economic times, not threaten with closure.”
 
Tampa Seeks Solution to Uproar Over Increased Park Fees (St. Petersburg Times, Florida)
Since fees were put in place for afterschool programs in Tampa, Florida, in October 2009, program enrollment has dropped from 1,700 students to 784.  A Tampa City Council member has proposed a $1 monthly tax on property owners to generate money for the parks department, after community members spoke out against the fee increases for afterschool programs and recreational activities. 
 
After-School Program Closes After Benefactor Cuts Funding (Dallas Morning News, Texas)
After losing their main source of funding, the “I Have A Dream” afterschool program for low-income, at-risk youth in the Cedar Springs Place public housing complex in Dallas, Texas, is closing.