Massachusetts
Swimming lessons at Massachusetts YMCAs teach confidence and safety in the water
WALTHAM – At local YMCA branches in Massachusetts, swimming lessons are in full swing to help people of all ages get familiar with the water.
Start introduction to water at young age
“We believe that an early introduction to water is really important,” said Dru Douillette-Belli, the vice president of operations for the YMCA of Greater Boston.
WBZ-TV met up with Douillette-Belli at the Waltham Y, the only location in Greater Boston with an outdoor pool. The YMCA offers swimming lessons to babies beginning at 6 months old, to toddlers, teens and even adults. Douillette-Belli said it’s never too old to learn how to swim.
“We teach what is called jump, push, turn and grab. So they’re jumping in the water, they’re pushing off the bottom, they’re turning themselves and they’re grabbing for the wall,” said Douillette-Belli. “By the end of that session, you see that they’re more relaxed, they’re more confident. It’s a big confidence boost, especially in our youth.”
“Drowning is one of the number one leading causes of death, especially in children under ages 13, 14,” said Megan Roderick, the aquatics coordinator at the YMCA. “So if they’re confident in the water and they know safety skills, they’re able to have fun in the water but be safe at the same time.”
Roderick is also a swim instructor and a lifeguard. She said it’s rewarding to watch a child’s progress in the pool.
“That’s something we see a lot, where a kid just has a fear of the water for whatever reason. But it’s really great when you can see them come in with that, when you’re able to work with them. And you see down the road, they end up loving the water and loving being in the pool.”
Tackling disparities in access to swimming
Douillette-Belli said that fear of the water may be because of a lack of access to it.
“We definitely see huge disparities around people with swim lessons, access to swim lessons. Either there isn’t a pool near them, there isn’t a program or there’s a financial burden to that. And so here at the YMCA, we don’t turn anyone away for the inability to pay.”
Douillette-Belli said some families qualify for free swim lessons, thanks to a partnership between the Y, the City of Boston and USA Swimming.
Massachusetts
What’s open and closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Massachusetts – The Boston Globe
Convenience stores: Open at owners’ discretion on both days.
Taverns, bars: Open at owners’ discretion on both days.
Movie theaters: Open both days.
Drug stores: Open both days.
Coffee Shops: Open at owners’ discretion both days.
Banks: Most are closed or open for limited hours both days.
Stock market: Closes at 1 p.m. ET on Christmas Eve. Closed Christmas Day.
Municipal, state, federal offices: Open on Christmas Eve. Closed Christmas Day.
Libraries: Open with varying hours on Christmas Eve. Closed Christmas Day.
Schools: Closed both days.
Mail: Post offices open with varying hours on Christmas Eve. Post offices closed Christmas Day; express delivery only.
MBTA: Subways, buses, commuter rail, the RIDE, and ferry routes will operate on regular weekday schedule on Christmas Eve. Silver Line service to and from Logan Airport will be increased.
On Christmas Day, subways, buses and the RIDE will operate on a Sunday schedule. Commuter rail will operate on a weekend schedule. There will be no ferry service. For more information, visit https://www.mbta.com/holidays.
Trash/recycling collection: Collections on Christmas Eve and no collections on Christmas Day in Boston. To monitor your neighborhood’s trash and recycling schedule, download the Trash Day App at: https://www.boston.gov/trash-day-schedule.
Sources: boston.gov and mass.gov.
Correction: This story has been updated to correct the time the stock market closes on Christmas Eve.
Sabrina Lam can be reached at sabrina.lam@globe.com.
Mega Millions lottery tickets will more than double in 2025, but the Massachusetts Lottery says you’ll have a better chance of winning.
The Lottery says, “Mega Millions, the multi-state lottery game that has produced a record six jackpot wins exceeding $1 billion, is getting ready for a ‘mega’ overhaul with plans to be bigger and better than ever when the new and improved game launches in April of 2025.”
The Massachusetts Lottery promises “improved odds to win the jackpot, bigger jackpots more frequently, larger starting jackpots, faster-growing jackpots, a built-in multiplier on every play, automatically improving every non-jackpot win by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X – up to $10 million for matching the five white balls, and no breakeven prizes, meaning when a player wins they’ll always win more than the cost of the ticket.”
Five jackpot prizes have been paid out in Massachusetts since the Mega Millions game began in 2022.
Forty-five states and two U.S. territories participate in the Mega Millions game.
Massachusetts Gamers To Pay More To Play Mega Millions in 2025
The Associated Press quotes Christian Teja, the Massachusetts Lottery Director of Communications, as saying that “They’re constantly looking at ways to enhance the games, maybe make them a little bit different than Powerball.”
“You have probably heard about jackpot fatigue, it used to be $100 million and everybody was playing. Then it became $300 million,” Teja said. “Then it was $500 million. Now, it’s really approaching a billion dollars before you see the sales kick up.”
It currently costs $2 to play Mega Millions but the ticket price will increase to $5 in April 2025. Perhaps the lure of bigger prizes and better chances to win will overshadow the higher ticket cost.
25 Times SouthCoasters Won $1 Million or More in the Massachusetts Lottery
Since 2006, the Massachusetts State Lottery has kept a record of every winning ticket of $1 million or more. Here are 25 sold on the SouthCoast.
Gallery Credit: Gazelle
America’s Top 10 States With The Most Lottery Wins
Just how lucky is your state? A new list has determined which states have won the most money from either the Powerball or MegaMillions in the last 10 years.
Gallery Credit: Jahna Michal
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