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Astro Cheer

Astro Cheer Finds Home In Randolph

RANDOLPH — Astro Cheer Elite, a competitive cheer team organized and coached by Susan Magara, has located in the Borden Building in Randolph.

The program began at the Village Dance Studio in Randolph with eight athletes. Those athletes went on to win four first place and one second place in competitive local meets.

“Astro Cheer is a small growing group of local athletes that believe enough in the sport of cheer to spend a large portion of their time training in the gym. I could not be prouder of the team and their accomplishments,” Magara said.

In the 2016-17 season, the team doubled in size and expanded into a Senior and a Junior Prep team. Along with her daughters, Abbigail and Arielle, the Senior team won a national title at the Hard Rockin’ Nationals in Cleveland and the Junior team placed second at the same event.

“Wins are not everything, improvement is the key. I am always trying to improve the score of the team, when their score goes up that is a win for us. We started the year looking for a score in the 90s and fell short by a hundredth of a point scoring an 89.99,” Magara said.

The Borden Building, 26 Center St., Randolph, gives the team a permanent home with the open area of the second floor of the building with the ability to expand as the team grows.

“We moved our tumbling and competitive cheer program from Little Valley back to Randolph because we want to make a difference and with any expansion space is critical,” Magara said. “We are focused on getting kids involved in sports and a healthy lifestyle. This year we hope to expand to 25 athletes and increase our tumbling classes. We are adding an after school program for kindergarten through eighth grades that will offer a place to go after school that they can seek help with homework and have the opportunity to learn more about exercise and healthy eating.”

For more information, call 777-0083.

Several States Add Jobs In July

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hiring increased in 11 U.S. states in July, while the unemployment rate tumbled to record lows in two states.

The Labor Department said Friday that unemployment rates were relatively stable in most states. They fell in 15 states and rose in 23, but many of the changes were statistically insignificant.

The jobs report for states reflects the steady job gains in a recovery from the Great Recession that has entered its ninth year. The overall unemployment rate fell to 4.3 percent last month as employers added 209,000.

Several states saw strong job growth between June and July. California added 82,600 jobs. Florida gained 32,700. Pennsylvania saw hiring of 29,000.

North Dakota’s unemployment rate fell to 2.2 percent, a record low. Tennessee’s rate of 3.4 percent is also a record low for that state.

When unemployment drops that to that low level, businesses may be forced to raise pay to compete for talented workers. So far, wage gains nationwide remain at about 2.5 percent a year, below the 3.5 percent pace normally associated with a healthy economy. But inflation has stayed relatively low, so the wage growth is still leaving many workers better off

Over the past year, Oregon, Arkansas, Florida, New Hampshire, Utah and Texas saw the largest percentage job gains — with growth of at least 2.4 percent. Texas added the most jobs in the past 12 months: 293,400.

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