Beat the midsummer boredoms 

From Roy Logan, program coordinator

[JULY 8, 2006]  Here we are in the middle of summer, having just passed the Fourth of July. If you are a parent and are starting to hear the cries of, "I'm bored and don't have anything to do," the Lincoln Park District may have your solution.

Lauren Perring will teach tumbling, beginning Sunday. She has taught tumbling with us for three years now, and we welcome her back. The four-week session will begin with kindergarten through second grade from 1 to 1:45 p.m., and third- through fifth-graders will meet from 2 to 2:45 pm. Classes are in the aerobics room, and the cost is $30 for in-district residents.

Summer Theatre opens another week starting Monday. The workshop is led by Chris Gray, who teaches at Lincoln College. Young performers ages 11 to 14 are invited to attend. Experience the basics of getting a show into production: painting, singing, set design, tryouts and improvisation. You'll even get a tour of the Johnston Center. Bring your sack lunch, your swimsuit and towel. The day begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. The week will close with a show for family and friends on Friday afternoon. Cost is $75 per actor or actress.

We welcome Sports Care, an affiliate of Memorial Medical Center and our own ALMH, as Joe Santillo, ATC/L, offers a seminar on injuries related to exercise and physical activity. He will discuss methods to prevent injuries and traumas as well as how to treat them. This free seminar is designed to meet the interests of high school athletes, recreational athletes, coaches or anyone who is interested in learning about staying healthy. Join us in the Railer Room on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The seminar should last about one hour, with time for questions and answers.

Do you know your pin oak from your bur oak? Is that a monarch or a swallowtail? Poison ivy and what other plant have three leaves? We meet in Memorial Park on Thursday at 9 a.m. with Carol Thompson, park interpreter from Weldon Springs State Park. She will share what Mother Nature has to show us and, in many cases, what is hidden from us. Bugs, butterflies, birds and the smallest of insects will be examined. Tree identification and hiking will round out our "Day in the Woods program." We'll even offer a pioneer dinner cooked over the open fire, using cast-iron Dutch ovens. Insect repellent and long pants with comfortable tennis-style shoes are suggested. Parents or guardians are responsible for transportation to and from Memorial Park. For the session from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., we are looking for explorers entering first through third grades. Entering fourth- through sixth-graders are welcomed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost is $8 for the day and lunch is included.

It wouldn't be summer at the park district without Audra Turley of Audra's Studio of Dance offering her talents. Get a taste of different styles of dance: jazz, ballet, tap, Celtic and clogging are included. Special shoes are not needed, but please wear something other than socks. Previous experience is not necessary. Ages 6 and up meet from 9 a.m. to noon on July 20 and 21 in the ballroom. Family and friends are invited to a demonstration on the last day of class. The class is $15.

[Provided by Roy Logan, Lincoln Park District program coordinator]