Sean C. Morgan
The City of Sweet Home summer recreation program, Fun in the Parks, starts July 11 for a total of six events, all on Thursdays.
Cost is $15 for all events and a T-shirt or $3 per event. Lunch is provided by School District 55 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., with events starting at 12:15 p.m. All events end at 2 p.m. except the last day, which ends at 3 p.m.
Children under the age of 5 must be accompanied by an adult.
“They’re all going to be fun,” said city Planning Assistant Julie Fisher. “We’re going to be at different parks (Sankey, Northside and Ashbrook) each week.”
The program was cut in the 2013-14 budget during the spring, based on priority recommendations from the Parks Board. The Budget Committee attempted to restore the cuts to the program and the Harvest Festival, which had been canceled.
Cut from the Rec Program were the annual South Santiam rafting trip and tree climbing at Sankey Park.
By the time the Budget Committee was attempting to restore the cut to the Rec Program, it was too late, Fisher said.
Plans were already set, and services were booked. City officials are hoping to restore those events next year, she said.
New to the program this year is the Amazing Spaghetti, who appeared during the Harvest Festival last fall, Fisher said, and the children will participate in the creation of a third stone ring round what was once an old pool at Sankey Park.
Children will make a “mark in the park” by designing and decorating blocks for the third circle. The first two were completed last summer.
Volunteers are still needed to lead crafts, chaperone children and supervise activities, Fisher said. Volunteers must be 18 and complete a background check.
Anyone interested should contact Fisher at (541) 367-8113, e-mail her at [email protected] or stop by the Community Development Department office at City Hall, 1140 12th Ave.