A cure for those summertime blues

As summer approaches, people looking to get outdoors and enjoy the warm weather will soon have many opportunities to participate in activities across the area. Here are a few:

Sedalia Parks and Recreation Department

Recreation Superintendent Amy Epple said the Sedalia Parks and Recreation Department will introduce a few new activities and bring back some family favorites this summer.

Most of the activities will provide inexpensive opportunities for kids to get outside and stay active, which Epple said is one of the department’s primary goals.

   “I really like to see kids get up and moving and start doing things,” Epple said. “You need to have a balance in your life.”

   Among the new parks programs is Dino Day at Vermont Park, in which children between ages 3 and 6 can learn about the history of dinosaurs through stories, games, crafts and songs.

Another new activity is the Aqua Camp running from July 26-30 at Liberty Park Pool and featuring water safety and swimming instructions, water games and crafts for children ages 7-12.

   The Beginners Triathlon is back for the second year for athletes interested in taking on the challenge of a 200-yard swim, five-mile bike ride and two-mile run. The June 26 event at Centennial Pool is for people ages 15 and up, and costs $20 for registration. New this year is a Superkids Triathlon for children between 4 and 14 years old that will take place later that day.

   “We’ll do the adult triathlon in the morning first, and once that one ends we’ll take a little break and then the kids can do their triathlon,” Epple said.

   “It’s really for kids 4 to 14, and there will be a different course for each age.”

   Along with the new programs, Clover Dell Park has recently introduced two features that are free of charge, a disc golf course and a dog park.

Epple said the new disc golf course at Clover Dell Park is designed to give beginning disc golfers a challenging short course where they can learn the sport. For experienced disc golfers, it is a fun place to work on their short games and practice their distance drives on a few of the longer holes.

   The recently opened dog park has been a hit since it opened last winter, Epple said. Now that the summer is approaching, the parks department is looking to add new features such as a fire hydrant, tunnels, hoops and other toys.

   “We opened that in February and it’s been a big hit. We have the park for the big dogs and the little dogs, and that is getting used a lot,” Epple said.

   Returning parks activities include several youth and adult sports programs, the Sunrise Optimist Club’s miniature train rides every Saturday at Liberty Park, specials at both city pools, concert band performances at Convention Hall on Thursdays and senior dances on the second Friday of each month.

Parks Department summer programs

• June 9, Dino Day

• June 16, Tie Dye Mania

• June 23, Chalk it Up!

• June 26, Beginners Triathlon and Superkid Triathlon

• July 7, Art in the Park

• July 9, TGIF: Thank Goodness it’s Funday

• July 10, Dusk ‘til Dawn Softball Tournament

• July 14, Can You Dig It?

• July 17, Little Mermaid Pool Party

• July 19-22, Youth Volleyball Camp

• July 26-30, Aqua Camp

• July 31, Pirate Party

• Aug. 4, A Burst of Bubbles

• Sept. 7, Doggie Dive

Liberty Park Pool

• May 29, Pool opens

• June 7, Water aerobics begins

• June 17, Dollar admission day

• June 20, Parents day

• June 25, Swimming Under the Stars, 9-11 p.m.

• July 4, special hours: Noon-6 p.m.

Centennial Pool

• June 3, Pool opens, adult and lap swims begin

• June 17, Dollar admission day

• June 20, Parents day

• July 1, Pool closed for swim meet

• July 4, Pool closed

• July 10, Teens late night swim, 9-11 p.m.

• July 16, Swimming Under the Stars, 9-11 p.m.

Concert Band, Liberty Park Convention Hall

• June 24

• July 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29.

Many of the summer programs require registration prior to the day of the event. For more information on all the activities listed, visit the Parks Department website at sedaliaparks.com or call 826-4930.

Bothwell  Lodge  State  Historic  Site

The 12,000-square-foot lodge that was built on top of three natural caves is just one of the things to look at when visiting the site.

The lodge sits atop a 120-foot bluff and was built between 1897 and 1928.

Charles Wise, tour guide, said tours of the 31-room lodge are available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Tours also are available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. Tours cost $4 per adult and children ages 6 to 12 can take the tour for $2.50. The tours take between 45 minutes and one hour to complete.

For those wanting to do their own exploring, the park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset daily and is open to the public for free.

The 247-acre site includes a three-mile hiking and bicycling trail, a picnic area, playground equipment and a pavilion that can be reserved.

Wise said the park is always pretty in the summer and the tours are a great way to learn some history about the way people lived 80 to 100 years ago.

For more information about Bothwell Lodge State Historic Site, call 827-0510.

Knob Noster state park

Knob Noster State Park is 3,934 acres of prairie, savanna and forest land. The park features several small lakes for fishermen, multiple walking trails and a campground area.

   The park is offering multiple activities throughout the summer that are free to attend in addition to weekly activities hosted by naturalists.

   The McAdoo Trail and the equestrian campground will not be opened until later in the summer due to repairs.

• May 28-30, Photo scavenger hunt

• May 29, Plenty of planets astronomy program

• June 5, Planet astronomy program

• June 12, National outdoor activity day

• July 3, Moonless magnificence

• July 17, Magnificent desolation

• August 14, Astronomy program event

Events can change due to inclement weather and those wanting more information about specific activities should contact the park office at 563-2463.

State Fair Community College

State Fair Community College has a variety of camps available this summer for area youth.

   Students, from pre-kindergarten through seniors, are invited to the college to hone their skills with SFCC’s basketball teams or learn some new cheerleading moves under the tutelage of the college’s cheerleaders.
Applications for all camps may be picked up at the Multipurpose Center and at Pummill’s Sporting Goods.

Applications may be mailed to State Fair Community College, Multipurpose Center, 3201 W. 16th St., Sedalia, MO 65301.

Applications are available online at sfccmo.edu/sportscamp.

For more information contact Winnie Craig in the MPC office at 530-5808, ext. 7440, or by e-mail at wcraig@sfccmo.edu.

Lady Roadrunners basketball camp

This camp will be held June 7 through June 10 for girls in grades three through 12.

Third through seventh-graders will attend from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Eighth- through 12th-graders will attend from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Cost for the camp is $70 per person.

Roadrunners basketball camp

This camp will be held from June 14 through June 17 for boys in grades one through nine. The cost is $70 per session or $125 for a full day.

The first session will be held from 9 a.m. to noon and the second session will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. The full-day program will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Full-day basketball camp

This camp will be held for fifth- through 12th-graders from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 19 through July 21. cost is $95.
Plus Shooting Camp

Campers can work on their shooting skills during this session, which is open to both boys and girls in grades second through 12th. The camp will be held from 9 a.m. to noon and will cost $35.

Pee Wee Basketball Camp

This camp is open to boys and girls ages 4 through 8. The camp will be held from 9 to 11:30 a.m. June 21 through June 23. Registration fee is $45 before June 7 and $50 after June. 7.

SFCC Cheerleader Camp

The college’s cheerleaders will hold a camp June 28 through July 1. Kindergarten through sixth grade’s session will be held from 9 a.m. to noon for $40. Seventh- through 12th-graders are invited to attend from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for $60 per person. Individuals and full squads are welcome to attend the camp.

Chemistry Camp

“Chemistry with Mr. Jack” will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 21 through June 25 in Room 803 of the Heckart Science and Allied Health Center. Cost is $149 and space is limited to the first 15 eligible applicants. The camp is open to incoming fifth- through ninth-grade students who are interested in learning about chemistry through safe, fun, hands-on experiments.

The application deadline is June 4.

To register, call 530-5822 or go online to sfccmo.edu/lifelonglearning and click on Chemistry Camp with Mr. Jack. For more information, contact Hayes at jhayes@sfccmo.edu.

Katy Trail State Park

Many events are planned along the Katy Trail as it celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

The trail is a 225 mile bike path that runs throughout Missouri from Machens, near St. Louis, west to Clinton. The trails was inducted into the national Rail-Trail Hall of Fame in 2008 and is a segment of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail and the American Discovery Trial. The trail also is a Millennium Legacy Trail.

Some of the events taking place along the trail this summer include:

• May 28-31, Katy Spring Fling

• May 29-30, Pedaler’s jamboree

• May 28-June 2, Celebration Ride

• May 28-June 2, Torch Relay

• May 29, Birthday Party for the Katy Trail in Boonville

• June 6-13, Touring Cyclist Tour of the Katy end to end

• June 20, Katy Trail Father’s Day Family Bike Ride

• June 21-25, 2010 annual DNR Ride

• July 16-18, Robert Woolery Memorial Pow-Wow

• July 27, Missouri River 340

• Aug. 10, Katy Trail Merchants and Communities Summer Conference

• Aug. 12-21, Missouri State Fair

For more information about the Katy Trail State Park, visit katytrailstatepark.com.

Powell Gardens

Located about 20 miles east of Warrensburg on U.S. Highway 50, Powell Gardens plans a full slate of summer activities — including the return of Dave Roger’s Big Bugs at the end of May and the popular Festival of Butterflies slated for Aug. 6 — 8 and Aug. 13 -15. Powell Gardens also will host its annual Independence Day celebration on July 3.

The facility’s marketing director, Callen Zind, said a new exhibit and themed exhibit days would mark this year’s celebration of giant insects.

“Big Bugs opens May 29. For those that haven’t seen it before, it is a collection of 11 ‘unnaturally large bugs’ made of natural materials. This year we are adding a new exhibit — a giant daddy long legs.

Zind said the “Booms and Blooms” event will feature fireworks and music by the Lee’s Summit Symphony.
“Our day lily collection hits peak bloom at that time of year and we will have events through the day,” Zind said.

She said this year’s Festival of Butterflies will introduce some exotic moths to the already wide range of butterflies typically housed at Powell Gardens during the festival.

“I think people will be amazed at the variety of moths. There are 10 times as many moths as butterflies, and some are really amazing to see,” Zind said.

Powell Gardens schedule

May

29

9 a.m.- 3 p.m. Trunk Show: Silk charmeuse scarves

9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Dave Rogers’ Big Bugs Opening Weekend

10 a.m. — noon Learn to play cedar flute

30
9 a.m. -6 p.m. Dave Rogers’ Big Bugs Opening Weekend

June

5

10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Honeybee Day

12

10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Ant Day

9 a.m.-4 p.m. Watercolor with Craig
13

5 p.m. Under a Blue Moon: Garden Party and Auction

15

 3-5:30 p.m. Native Plant School: Small Trees & Large Shrubs (FULL)

19

2 p.m. Ask an Entomologist and Daddy Long Legs Day

20

2-3 p.m. Father’s Day Performance

25

7-9 p.m. Full Moon Friday: Burgmansia (Angel Trumpets) & Bellinis

26

 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Ladybug Day

27

 2-3:30 p.m. Chef Souffle’s Kid Cooks (Ages 6-10)

July

3

 Booms & Blooms

10

10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Dragonfly Day

11

2-4 p.m. Terrarium “Bubble” Gardens

12

Week of July 12-16 Summer Camp (Ages 8-12)

17

10 a.m. — 3 p.m. Sweet Corn Fest

19
Week of July 19-23 Summer Camp (Ages 8-12)

24

10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Spider Day

31

11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Paul Mesner Puppets and Damselfly Day

August

6

6 p.m. An Evening with Magical Moths & Milkshakes

9 a.m.-6 p.m. Festival of Butterflies, Aug. 6- 8

13

9 a.m. — 6 p.m. Festival of Butterflies, Aug. 13-15

21

10 a.m.-noon Insect collecting for beginners

9 a.m. — 1 p.m. Assassin Bugs Day and Wonderscope Live

28

10 a.m.-2 p.m. Praying Mantis Day

Admission: $9.50 for adults, $8.50 for seniors 60 and older, $4 for children age 5-12.

(There is a $1 increase in the cost of tickets for Boom and Blooms and the Festival of Butterflies.
Online: powellgardens.org

Central Missouri Repertory

The Central Missouri Repertory summer company kicks off its 29th year with two productions this summer, according to Colette Tilden with the University of Central Missouri Theater Department.

“I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” is based around a series of love and relationship-themed vignettes and runs June 17 to 19, and June 24 to 26.

“We usually have a really good attendance for our children’s theater and we are looking forward to this year’s productions. The children’s traveling show is based loosely on a Medieval play ‘Everyman.’ It focuses on two main characters ‘Everyboy’ and ‘Everygirl’ who go on a journey that encompasses the many temptations that confront contemporary youth,” Tilden said.

2010 Central Missouri Repertory schedule

• “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change”

Book and Lyrics by Joe DiPietro

Music by Jimmy Roberts

June 17, 18, 19, & 24, 25, 26

7:30 p.m.

Highlander Theatre

Tickets are $7 for students., $10 UCM faculty staff and Seniors, $12 for the general public

• EveryKid (Travelling show) Admission is free

by: Gillette Elvgren

June 16: Carrollton

June 17: Blue Springs

June 18: Richmond

June 22: Children’s Mercy Hospital

June 23: Whiteman AFB

June 24: Warrensburg

Box office opens June 2

660-543-8811

10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday

Online: ucmo.edu/theatre/calendar/rep.cfm