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ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 24 click A portion of the cross country running course is shown at Van Cortlandt Park. (AP) The tortoise and hare sign on the cross country course is shown at Van Cortlandt Park. (AP) The sun peeks through the trees in the main flats area at Van Cortlandt Park. (AP) Destinations Grants Trails are green and wild In this July 7, 2016 photo, a runner strides along the cross country course at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx borough of New York. (AP) Serene spot in Bronx: Van Cortlandt Park has released the poster for Onam Eid Sangamam 2016 by giving to the General Convenor Salim Raj by the patron Joy John Thuruthikara. Ona Sadya coupon has also released by handing over the same to the Joint conven- or Alex Mathew by the General Secretary Joy Karavaloor. Sept 29 Steci Golden Jubilee: The Golden Jubilee closing ceremony of St Thomas Evangelical Church of India Kuwait Par- ish (established in 1965), is being held at NECK Church and Parish Hall at 7.00 pm on Thursday, Sept 29, 2016. Bishop Rt Rev Dr Thomas Abra- ham (chairman Prathinidhi Sabha) will inaugurate the public meeting, which will be chaired by Rev Saji Abraham (Vicar, Kuwait Parish). The first resident vicar, Rev P.M. Joseph (chief guest), along with the presbyters, diplomats and other dignitaries, leaders and pastors from vari- ous congregations are expected to grace this blessed function. On this occasion the Golden Jubilee souvenir will be released by Bishop Rt Rev Dr. Thomas Abraham. The year 2015-2016 will be written in golden letters in the history of St Thomas Continued on Page 26 By Jonathan Elderfield C an serenity come from suffering? For that matter, can serenity be found in New York City, specifically, in this case, the Bronx? Those are the questions I pon- dered as I ran the back hills of Van Cortlandt Park’s famed cross-country trails. I was in the middle of a race put on by the Van Cortlandt Park Track Club, a 5K run that began with a sprint across the flats and a dash into the hills of New York City’s third- largest park, which sprawls for more than 1,000 acres across the northeast corner of the Bronx. Looking out to the edge of the park from some spots, you can see tall apartment buildings. But in other places, you’re running on trails that seem so green and wild, lined with so many trees, that you might as well be in the woods. The park has been a Makkah for cross-country runners for over 100 years. Its courses opened in 1913. Famed athletes who’ve competed here include Alberto Salazar, Alan Webb, Edward Cheserek, Marty Liquori and Matt Centrowitz, who won the gold at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in the 1,500-meter race. I first raced here in high school, a skinny lad unaware of the suffering and false rabbit tactics of rival teams. I soon learned to embrace the suck — just deal with it! — and with time I also learned to fly. There’s a trick to cross-country, you see. Of course you have to have the strength to power up and defeat your opponent on the ascent, but the race can be won on the downhill. If you can give in to grav- ity, to almost fall, you’ll fly down. With arms out for balance, you can speed away from even your toughest opponent. The courses are the same as in my heyday, with flats, a cowpath, a bridge and back hill loop, as well as Cemetery Hill (also known as Vault Hill), which is part of a route used for college races. Race distances are 5K, 8K or 10K. For hill training, Van Cortlandt is a must. For runners and racers, it should be on your bucket list. But take your cue from metal signs along the courses depicting the turtle and the hare. While I like to try to race fast here (and re-live my youth), I suppose the hare suggests that you can also take it easy. You can run or jog, but you can also stroll or just meander through a park that is one of New York City’s emerald treasures. The Van Cortlandt Park Track Club sometimes gives winners carrot cake muffins from Lloyd’s Carrot Cake shop (6087 Broadway in the Bronx), across from the start/finish line. What- ever your pace, you can seek your rewards there as well. (AP) Latest Continued from Page 23 melody and this will be a perfect blend to the celebration mood. The highlight of this show is the beauty contest for the Kollam Jilla king and queen of the year 2016 in the traditional dress. The professional judges will select them from the audience. Delicious, sumptuous Ona Sadya will be served and controlled by coupons. We promise you that we will send you back with joyous heart and a day to remember in your life. All re cordially invited to make the show a grand success. For event management, Elected Salim Raj as General convenor Alex Mathew and Ansar Kulathupuzha as joint conven- ors. Various sub-committees were also formed under the leadership of Advt Laji Jacob, Alex Kutty, Shaji Punnals, Achan- kutty anchal, Thambi Lukose. Achan Kutty Anchal, Varghees Vaidyan, Hari Krishanan, Tijo Thomas. For more information contact 5150 3313, 6650 4992, 6764 0009 Kollam Jilla Pravasi Samajam, Kuwait Only those who spend lots of money and quickly benefit Finding the right credit card for a free vacation By Scott Mayerowitz M any frequent fliers are buzzing about the latest travel rewards credit card — one that comes with a hefty $450 annual fee but offers a juicy 100,000 point bonus at sign-up. Rewards cards lure us in with dreams of a free trip to some warm tropical beach. You’re going to spend money — why not get a vacation out of it. The truth is, these cards make sense only for those who spend lots of money, and quickly benefit. The better value for most travelers — especially those flying domestic coach — is a cash back credit card. There are a number of factors to consider when choosing a credit card. First, a major caveat: None of these cards — rewards or cash back — make sense unless you pay your bill in full each month. If you don’t, any rewards earned will be washed away by interest pay- ments. Cash vs Points The beauty of cash is that there are no restrictions. Forget desperately hop- ing that the airline opens up enough mileage seats on the flight you want. Or worse, locking yourself into one airline — just because you have miles — that requires a connection when there is a cheap, nonstop flight on another carrier. The Citi Double Cash card and the Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature Card both offer 2 percent cash back on all spending. Why is this better than frequent flier miles? A typical domestic roundtrip ticket costs 25,000 miles on American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. Having a credit card with one of those airlines earns you one mile for every dollar spent — more for purchases with the airline. That means you would have to spend about $25,000 on a credit card to get a free ticket. That same $25,000 spent on a cash- back card would earn you $500. The average domestic roundtrip ticket last year cost $363.98 If you charge less than $25,000 a year, cash back makes even more sense. You might only earn $150 or $200 in rewards a year. But you can stash that money away to pay for part of your next flight instead of hoping to eventually have enough miles for that trip. Annual Fees There are cards with higher cash back rates in certain categories as well as many travel cards but they come with sometimes steep annual fees. For many families, that fee can wipe away any savings. Let’s compare a no-fee, 2-percent cash-back card with a card that has a $95 annual fee. It takes $4,750 in charges on that 2-percent cash-back credit card just to earn $95 in rebates. If you are earning miles or some other currency with that annual fee card, your first $5,000 in charges basically cover the fee. For somebody who charges $80,000 a year, that might not be an issue. But for somebody charg- ing $10,000, they are paying a fee and won’t even get enough miles for a free trip. But don’t necessarily dismiss a card just because it carries an annual fee. Most of the major airline credit cards offer free checked bags for the primary cardholder and some of the people traveling with them — as long as everybody is on the same reserva- tion. Since checking a bag typically costs $25 — each way — that $95 annual fee could pay for itself if three bags are checked roundtrip a year. You don’t even have to make other charges on the card, sticking to your cash-back card for everyday spending. Amtrak’s credit card, with a $79 fee, comes with a free companion ticket, potentially making it worthwhile for frequent train riders. A roundtrip ticket from Boston to New York could easily top $200. And the IHG Rewards Club comes with a free night at any InterContinen- tal hotel in the world for its $49 annual fee. That’s anything from the fanciest InterContinental down to a Holiday Inn Express next to the highway. Signup Bonuses Finally, there are those eye-popping signup bonuses. The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card made headlines recently for its 100,000 point signup bonus after spending $4,000. Those points can be worth up to $1,500 in travel rewards. It carries a $450 annual fee but $300 of that is refunded for spending on travel. Other cards routinely offer any- where between 30,000 to 50,000 miles in signup bonuses. So, if you have good credit and can meet the minimum spend within the short time period, you can quickly pad your frequent flier balances. In other words: get the card for the signup bonus and then cancel it before the next annual fee hits. Just be warned, credit card com- panies are starting to cap the number of cards you can have and are putting lifetime limits on signup bonuses. (AP) In this Dec 31, 2013 file photo, a paddleboarder looks out over the Pacific Ocean as the sun sets off on Waikiki Beach, in Honolulu. (AP) Each get $625 K 23 ‘genius’ grant recipients named NEW YORK, Sept 22, (AP): Gene Luen Yang, a prize-winning author and the national ambassador for young people’s literature, and Clau- dia Rankine, one of poetry’s brightest and most innovative stars, are among this year’s 23 MacArthur fellows and recipients of the so-called “genius” grants. The fellows were announced Thursday by the Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacAr- thur Foundation, which gives each honoree $625,000 over five years to spend any way he or she pleases, with no strings attached. More than 900 people have received the grants since 1981, with previous fellows including “Hamilton” playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda, author-jour- nalist Ta-Nehisi Coates and dancer- choreographer Merce Cunningham. Fellows, brought to the foundation’s attention by an anonymous pool of nominators, do not apply for the money and are not informed they’ve been chosen until shortly before the awards are announced. The idea behind the grants is to give people of “exceptional creativ- ity” the “flexibility” to further pursue their ideas and projects. “While our communities, our na- tion, and our world face both his- toric and emerging challenges, these 23 extraordinary individuals give us ample reason for hope,” MacAr- thur President Julia Stasch said in a statement. “They are breaking new ground in areas of public concern, in the arts, and in the sciences, often in unexpected ways. Their creativity, dedication, and impact inspire us all.” Yang is an acclaimed graphic nov- elist whose books include “Ameri- can Born Chinese,” which in 2006 became the first novel of its kind to receive a National Book Award nom- ination. Earlier this year, he was ap- pointed young people’s literature am- bassador by the Library of Congress. In an email to The Associated Press, he said he hoped the grant money would enable him to have a private work space. “Practically speaking, I haven’t had a studio for a while now. For the past few years, I’ve been working at local cafes and from a cor- ner in my bedroom,” he told the AP. Remarkable Rankine is best known for her book-length tapestry of poems, prose and images about racism, “Citizen: An American Lyric,” a 2014 release which won the National Book Critics Circle prize and several other honors. More than 100,000 copies are in print, a remarkable total for poetry. During a recent telephone interview, Rankine said she planned to use at least some of the MacArthur money to open a per- forming-creative-educational space in Manhattan that would challenge “the discourse that created this internalized hierarchy in white people.” “We need a space where we can get together and put pressure on the language,” she said. The foundation also selected au- thor Maggie Nelson, New Yorker staff writer Sarah Stillman, com- poser Julia Wolfe, theater artist and educator Anne Basting and play- wright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. At just 31, the Princeton-educated Jacobs-Jenkins has made a name for himself as an inventive, fresh theater writer. Two of his works tied for Obie Awards for Best American Play and his play “An Octoroon” was finalist for The Ed- ward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History. His works include “Neighbors,” in which a family of minstrels in blackface moves in next to a con- temporary mixed-race family, “Ap- propriate,” where a white family discovers its racist past and “Glo- ria,” about a group of catty editorial assistants at a Manhattan magazine whose lives change completely one random day.
