Registration deadline at hand for summer programs at park

Local residents looking for things to do this summer to keep their children busy need look no further than what is going on in the Greencastle Parks and Recreation Department.

Some of the summer programs available through the Parks and Recreation Department include:

Police Boot Camp -- Designed for any youngster interested in law enforcement, the Greencastle Parks and Recreation Department has partnered with the Greencastle Police Department, Putnam County Prosecutor's Office, Indiana Excise Police, Indiana State Police, Putnam County Fraternal Order of the Police, Putnam County Community Corrections and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to give children entering grades 6-8 a sneak peek into the law enforcement field.

Included are physical fitness drills, flag ceremony presentations, K-9, SWAT Team and rescue diving demonstrations and more. The program is scheduled from Monday to Friday, June 9-13 from 8:30-11:30 a.m. in front of the Greencastle Aquatics Center at Robe-Ann Park.

The program registration deadline is Friday, June 6. A participation fee of $10 per person includes a uniform (T-shirt and shorts) and daily snacks.

Youth Tennis Instruction -- A 10-lesson youth tennis instruction program will include an introduction into the game of tennis through a schedule guided by instructor Jenny Heithaus.

Lessons will cover rules of the game, scorekeeping, fundamentals of serving, forehand, backhand, singles and doubles play and tennis etiquette (good sportsmanship).

Students are asked to supply their own tennis racket and a new can of tennis balls.

Youth Tennis Instruction is set for the Robe-Ann Park tennis courts at 9-10 a.m. for 12-14 year old players, 10-11 a.m. for 10-11 year olds, and 11 a.m.-noon for 7-9 year old players.

The fee is $30 per person, which will include a T-shirt and water bottle. Deadline for registration is Friday, June 6.

SPARK -- The annual Summer Program of Awareness and Recreation for Kids (SPARK) program is open to youth entering grades 1-6. It will be held in Robe-Ann Park on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from June 9 to July 18.

Led by program instructor Nancy Hagen, the SPARK effort will include group activities, structured games, field trips, arts and crafts, and daily swimming at the Greencastle Aquatics Center.

Pre-registration is requested, however registration will be available on opening day (Monday, June 9). All participants are asked to come dressed in swimwear under their clothes, and for the safety of the participant, closed-toe shoes are required (i.e., no flip flops).

Swimming Lessons -- Learn-To-Swim Lessons are again available this summer at the Greencastle Aquatics Center.

For the youngest swimmer, group lessons in Water Babies is available for ages six months to five years held in the afternoons at 5, 5:30 and 6 p.m. from June 16-27, and then again from July 7-18 at a fee of $30 per person.

Also using a group lesson format, Learn-To-Swim Lessons are available for youth ages six and up on the afternoons of June 2-13 from 5 and 5:45 p.m., and then in the mornings at 8:30, 9:20 and 10:10 a.m. from June 16-27 and then July 7-18 at a fee of $35 per person.

For those wishing a more private setting, private swim lessons are available from 11 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays as well as during Family Swim from 5-6:30 p.m. at a fee of $80 per person.

Persons may contact the Greencastle Aquatics Center for more information at 848-1909.

Registration forms are available at Greencastle City Hall, Greencastle Pediatric Dentistry, Park Firebaugh Dentistry and the Greencastle Aquatics Center. Completed forms with registration fees should be returned to Greencastle City Hall at 1 N. Locust St. For more information, contact the Greencastle Parks and Rec-reation Department at 653-3395.