As the famous saying goes: “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” And as all frequent travelers know: Things never go according to plan.

We thought our timing was perfect for an early summer family getaway to Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region. We had three kids in tow, ages 11, 8, and 6, who were unexpectedly out of school one week earlier than most other school districts in New England. What a coup! We’d have the Lakes Region practically to ourselves before the summer crowds and family vacationers arrived.

Located about two hours from Boston, just south of the White Mountains, this picturesque region is dotted with more than 270 bodies of water and surrounded by rolling hills and rural farmlands. Lake Winnipesaukee is its hub and centerpiece. From bustling Meredith on the west side of the lake to quaint Wolfeboro on the eastern edge, there are plenty of activities for a great family vacation around this sparkly blue, 72-square-acre lake, affectionately known as Lake Winni. We thought of picnics on the beach, nature walks, boat rides, maybe a visit to the giant Funspot arcade and a round of mini golf, and, of course, an uncrowded, unhurried visit to Weirs Beach and its lakefront boardwalk. We packed our swimsuits, swimming clogs, and hiking boots, and hit the road.

“Wow, there are a lot of motorcycles on the road,” the 11-year-old said from the backseat. “It’s so loud!” shouted the 6-year-old, as a large group of motorcyclists rumbled past us. Hmm. There were a lot of motorcyclists heading in the same direction that we were. Surprise! It was Laconia Motorcycle Week, the world’s oldest motorcycle rally, celebrating its 103rd anniversary. The eight-day event, centered around the Lakes Region, typically attracts up to 300,000 people. Well, this would change things.

The saving grace turned out to be our choice of lodging, The Steele Hill Resort in Sanbornton, a former dairy farm spread across 500 acres, overlooking Lake Winnisquam with distant views of Lake Winnipesaukee (summer starting room rates $220). Initially, we were a little wary of the location, a bit away from the center of Lake Winni action, about a 30-minute drive to Weirs Beach and the town of Meredith. But we were enticed by the resort’s ultra family-friendly amenities. First, were the accommodations, featuring modern two-bedroom suites, with full kitchens, separate living areas, in-room laundry facilities, and private balconies. Second, were the resort’s extensive facilities, including two outdoor pools with hot tubs and large poolside lounging areas, and two indoor pools including one 30,000-square-foot complex with a large pool and water slide, kiddie pools, and hot tubs. There were playgrounds, outdoor grills and picnic areas, a nine-hole golf course, a fishing pond, laser tag, sports courts, bike rentals, walking trails, and a slew of daily activities that included nature scavenger hunts, arts and crafts, ice cream socials, s’mores, and more. There were also a restaurant and lounge on-site. The fact that the resort was tucked away from the most popular centers turned out to be a lucky choice given that it was Bike Week. It became our welcome oasis during our three-night, four-day getaway.

The days worked into an easy cadence. We’d have breakfast in the suite, spend a couple hours at the pool, and head out for a daily excursion, returning in the afternoon for more pool time, games, and dinner. We deviated one day for breakfast at the quirky and old-fashioned Heritage Farm Pancake House in Winnisquam. It’s a rustic, working sugarhouse and petting farm with pancakes and their own wood-fired maple syrup, fresh eggs, bacon, and sausage served family-style from large platters.

Of course, we went to Weirs Beach early one morning. The Main Street, closed to cars during Bike Week, was clogged with hundreds of motorcycles, and lined with vendors selling T-shirts and biker gear. It made for great people watching, and interesting comments from the kids. Out of the mouths of babes: “There are a lot of people with a lot of tattoos!” “And a lot of old men with beards!” We grabbed fresh squeezed lemonades and walked to the beach, which was blissfully uncrowded.

Bike Week or not, Weirs Beach is known for its honky-tonk, party atmosphere, filled with souvenir shops and casual bars and restaurants. It has a scenic boardwalk with views of Lake Winnipesaukee and is the starting point for a one-hour train ride along Paugus Bay to Lakeport and back. This is also where you can board the historic M/S Mount Washington for a narrated cruise of Lake Winni. It’s a nice way to get on the lake, with lots of history and local lore thrown in.

There was mini-golf (Pirate’s Cove is the best option with courses in Winnisquam and Meredith), a hike up West Rattlesnake Mountain, an easy 1.7-mile or so out and back trek with great views from the top, and a visit to Funspot, holding the Guinness Book of Records title as the largest arcade in the world by number of games, more than 600 at last count. We all had a blast.

“Can we go to the pool?” the kids pleaded on our last day, as we were checking out. We did, and we also stopped for one last vacation activity, a visit to Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, which we thought might be a nice contrast to the arcade, mini-golf, and Weirs Beach activities. We took the self-guided tour along the Live Animal Exhibit Trail, an easy ¾-mile walk through meadows, forests, and marshlands, with hands-on exhibits about local flora and fauna, and views of rescued and rehabilitated black bears, bobcats, river otters, raptors, and more. And it was blissfully quiet and uncrowded.

Our timing wasn’t perfect, but sometimes you just gotta go with the flow and fall into a little luck (looking at you Steele Hill.)

“Look! More motorcycles!” the kids screamed from the back seat. Yep, they were all heading north while we traveled south, heading home. For more information, visit www.lakesregion.org.

Diane Bair and Pamela Wright can be reached at bairwright@gmail.com

TRENTON, N.J. — More than 681,000 eligible children across New Jersey will begin receiving Summer EBT benefits in the coming days as part of a permanent federal program designed to help low-income families purchase food while school is out of session.

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture, in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Human Services and the New Jersey Innovation Authority, announced the distribution of the benefits with support from the New Jersey Department of Education and the New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate.

Each eligible child will receive a one-time $120 Summer EBT benefit that can be used to purchase nutritious food at grocery stores, farmers markets and other authorized retailers during the summer months.

State officials expect more than $94 million in federal food assistance to be distributed through the program this summer, benefiting eligible children across 734 participating school food authorities.

“Just because the school season ends it does not mean we stop taking steps to feed students,” said Ed Wengryn, NJ Secretary of Agriculture. “Summer EBT cards provide needed financial support for families to expand food purchasing power while schools are in recess.”

Students are eligible through participating school districts if they qualify for free or reduced-price school meals or attend schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision. School-aged children ages 6 to 16 who are enrolled in SNAP, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, income-eligible Medicaid or foster care also qualify regardless of where they attend school.

The Department of Human Services’ Division of Family Development has begun issuing new Summer EBT cards for 2026. Each eligible child will receive a separate card that can be activated and used for food purchases.

Recipients have 122 days, or approximately four months, to use the benefits before any remaining balance expires.

“As families face uncertainty about food assistance programs, Summer EBT helps ensure children continue to have access to nutritious food when school is out,” said Department of Human Services Commissioner Stephen Cha. “This support helps families supplement their food budgets and keep healthy meals on the table during the summer break.”

State officials said data from several enrollment programs was used to identify eligible children and streamline benefit distribution.

“Perhaps no single issue is more urgent than making sure New Jersey children have access to nutritious food,” said New Jersey State Chief Innovation Officer Dave Cole. “With NJDA, we combed through enrollment information of several state programs to determine eligibility, reduced deduplication, accurately identified thousands of eligible students, and helped ensure program integrity. Thank you, again, to the Department of Agriculture and our other State partners for working to provide this assistance to New Jersey families.”

Education Commissioner Dr. Lily Laux said the program helps bridge the nutritional gap when school meal programs are unavailable.

“The Summer EBT program continues to make a meaningful difference for children across New Jersey by ensuring they have access to nutritious food when school is out,” said Dr. Lily Laux, Commissioner of Education. “School meals can be a lifeline for many students during the school year, and Summer EBT helps bridge that gap during the summer months. This support helps students stay healthy and ready to learn when they return to school in the fall.”

Mark Dinglasan, executive director of the New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate, said the program helps families manage rising grocery costs while supporting local businesses and farmers.

“As working families are navigating higher grocery bills and more, Summer EBT is a way for New Jersey to assist our students and families who rely on the nourishment and stability that school meals provide during the school year. For these families, the summer break upends their carefully managed household budgets and can create greater challenges for the steady access of food during the months when schools are closed,” said Mark Dinglasan, Executive Director of the New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate. “Summer EBT is a powerful way to mitigate such challenges and has a positive ripple effect across our communities. Summer EBT supports the dignity and agency of families to shop for the nourishing foods their children need and want, in ways that make sense to them, including this year’s new eligibility to place online food orders for pickup or delivery from any retailer that accepts SNAP. Those purchases mean sales for local retailers and for our farmers who sell their harvests and products through farm stands, farmers’ markets and more. Plus, Summer EBT can supplement services families may receive from food pantries and other community-based organizations, ensuring a more sustainable way of supporting families during the summer. New Jersey is proud to be among the states that have decided to participate in Summer EBT since the start of this federal program, and I appreciate and congratulate all of the state agencies who continue to work collaboratively with each other and with communities to serve our children and families on such a large scale.”

Families can learn more about eligibility and the program by visiting www.nj.gov/summerebt/ or by contacting their local school district.

Family planning and health organizations that serve tens of thousands of people across Pennsylvania could see federal funding delayed or denied by a new Trump administration policy, a new lawsuit alleges.

The suit, which includes the Cumberland County-based Family Health Council of Central Pennsylvania as a plaintiff, takes aim at a step added this year by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to applications for Title X grants, which provide local agencies with funds to aid low-income and uninsured patients with family planning and related health services.

That new process is detailed in the Title X 2027 Notice of Funding Opportunity published in April. It states that before applicants are assessed on their merits, a group of presidential appointees will conduct an “alignment review” to determine whether each application matches the agency’s “priorities.” The plan offers no opportunity to appeal the group’s decision.

To the plaintiffs in the suit, that sounded like code for evaluating applicants based on politics.

“The Trump administration’s attempt to condition Title X funding on political allegiance is a grave threat to public health,” Sara Rose, deputy legal director at ACLU of Pennsylvania and attorney on the case, said in a statement. “Grant decisions must be guided by objective standards to ensure that taxpayer money is spent fairly and efficiently without regard to the ideology of its recipients.”

Created during the Nixon administration to help low-income people prevent unwanted pregnancies, Title X funding has long drawn opposition from anti-abortion activists.

The Trump administration has also attempted to shift the focus of the program toward promoting more pregnancies. Officials tried and failed earlier this year to block Title X funding from reaching Planned Parenthood facilities.

The suit is filed in the federal Middle District of Pennsylvania. It names HHS, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and other agency staff as defendants.

There are four Title X grantees in the commonwealth, each serving a specific region: The Family Health Council in central Pennsylvania, AccessMatters in Philadelphia, Adagio Health in the west, and Maternal and Family Health Services in the northeast.

Combined, they receive more than $12.6 million in Title X funds annually to serve more than 160,000 patients in Pennsylvania, according to their grant details listed on HHS’ website. (AccessMatters is by far the largest, working with more than 90,000 people.)

These organizations offer everything from fertility care and access to contraception to screenings for cancers and sexually transmitted infections.

Nationwide, the most recent data from HHS shows Title X grantees served nearly 2.8 million people.

Also at issue in the lawsuit is that HHS already has a set of regulations, put in place during President Joe Biden’s administration, that govern Title X applications — and many of them directly conflict with stated Trump administration priorities.

The suit highlights, for instance, that the HHS website currently states that ending “ideologically-laden concepts like health equity” is a priority, while Title X rules simultaneously require grantees to “advance health equity.”

Another alleged conflict stems from the Trump administration’s opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, especially for transgender people. Current Title X regulations mandate that grantees ensure transgender people have access to their programming.

Brigitte Amiri, deputy director at the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom Project, told Spotlight PA that the Trump administration could overturn the Biden-era regulations by undertaking a public notice and comment rulemaking process.

“But you can’t just do it by a funding announcement,” she said.

The new review step “subverts the integrity” of the Title X grant application process, the lawsuit argues, and enables HHS “to hijack” the Title X program to fund organizations furthering the agency’s “political agenda.”

The lawsuit also notes that Title X funds are prohibited from being used for abortions.

Federal Judge Jennifer Wilson, who was nominated to the bench by Trump in 2019, will hear the case.

Spotlight PA sought a comment on the lawsuit from HHS, but did not receive a response.

The Family Health Council of Central Pennsylvania was selected to join the lawsuit because it has received Title X funding since the establishment of the program in 1970, and it serves a large area, the chief executive of the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association told Stateline.

Patricia Fonzi, president and CEO of the Family Health Council, said in a statement that her organization serves more than 31,000 people across a 24-county region.

“We welcome a competitive grant process and believe every applicant should be evaluated on its ability to effectively serve communities, responsibly steward federal resources, and demonstrate the experience and capacity necessary to carry out the Title X statute,” Fonzi said.

“At the end of the day, the success of Title X is measured by whether people can access the care they need in their own communities — and that depends on funding decisions grounded in experience, proven performance, and the ability to deliver comprehensive care where it is needed most.”

The plaintiffs are urging the court to vacate the Trump administration’s new Title X rule and declare it “unlawful.”

Title X funds are issued to agencies on a five-year basis, with annual renewal requirements. The new rule at issue was included in the process for grants under fiscal year 2027, which will begin a new five-year cycle.

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This story was originally published by Spotlight PA and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.