enquirer-media-mason-our-town-april-may-2009
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Our Town’s guide to … MEETING THE NEIGHBORS • WHERE TO EAT • THE BUZZ WHAT’S NEW • ALL-STARS FROM KINGS AND MASON family | community | life| | Save yourself some green with these gardening tips FUN FOR MASON: Your 16-page guide to all the city has to offer Local entrepreneur deals up success with a new game Save yourself some Local entrepreneur deals up There’s a lot more to them than just watching your kids There’s a lot more CONNECTMASON.COM • CONNECTDEERFIELD.COMTRANSCRIPT
family | community | life| |
MASON & DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP
APRIL | MAY 2009
Our Town’s guide to …MEETING THE NEIGHBORS • WHERE TO EAT • THE BUZZ WHAT’S NEW • ALL-STARS FROM KINGS AND MASON
There’s a lot more to them than just watching your kids
Local entrepreneur deals up success with a new game
There’s a lot more PRESCHOOLS
Save yourself some green with these gardening tips
Save yourself some PRUDENT PRUNING
CONNECTMASON.COM • CONNECTDEERFIELD.COM
DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP
Local entrepreneur deals up
It’s in the cards
FUN FOR MASON: Your 16-page guide to all the city has to offer
EDITOR
CONTRIBUTING
EDITORS
ART DIRECTOR
PHOTOGRAPHERS
WRITERS
Michael Kurtz
Tim BonfieldMelissa Huelsman
Jamie Rockwell
Ernest ColemanAmanda DavidsonDeogracias LermaDavid SorcherLeigh TaylorTony Tribble
Jenny CallisonMichael D. ClarkSue KiesewetterGregory KorteSheila McLaughlinJanice MorseChau NguyenAmber SamblanetJill I. SoliminiRichard StewartCarrie Whitaker
SALES MANAGER
RETAIL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
ACCOUNT MANAGERS
MANAGING EDITOR
NON-DAILY PRODUCTS Michael Perry
Tony [email protected]
Mike [email protected]
Jeremy FurnissDelinda KennedyApril RichKaty SheehanWill Smith
Our Town312 elm Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
tel | 513.768.6033fax | 513.768.6086
Our Town is published six times per year: December/January, February/
March, april/May, June/July, august/September and October/november
BUSINESS TO CONSUMEROur Town is published by
4 our town
Submit your Mason and Deerfi eld Township stories, photos and events at your community Web sites, connectMason.com and connectDeerfi eld.com.
getconnecteD!
april | may 2009
One of the characteristics that makes the Mason and Deerfi eld Township area so nice is convenience.
Beautiful homes, excellent school districts, incredible parks. All of it is within about 15 minutes.
You can live, shop and play without really having to leave town.
You can also work. The number of companies here — from the mom and pops to some of the world’s largest — is second to none.
But like the rest of the country, we here in Mason and Deerfi eld Township are feeling the effects of a tough economy. Families and companies alike are having to make diffi cult decisions.
Our Town wants to help in whatever way we can. We’ve heard from many of the Our Town readers that
they’d like to see more coupons in the magazine from our advertisers.
Because everyone is trying to save money these days, we thought our readers had a great idea and we’ve gone ahead
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the buzzWhat’s making headlines in Mason and Deerfi eld Township.
5 questions…with township offi cer and wish granter John Wahle.
what’s newPolicies for your protection, a trim for your best friend, convenience for your health needs, an educational foundation for your child, your own home gym away from home and an organic choice.
kings islandThe park embraces its past and straps you in for a new thrill in 2009.
the sounds of winterSpend a few hours with the Mason Community band.
success is in the cardsSpend a few hours with the Mason Community band.
YOURcoMMunity
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eDitOR’snote
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16• Announce your business• Celebrate your kids’ achievements• Highlight community news • Submit your upcoming events for our free calendar listings
and created a brand new page called the Mason & Deerfi eld $$$ Saver.
This new page will be a regular feature in each Our Town issue and offers great deals and savings to our readers from the local advertisers.
Take a look at page 33 and support your local businesses.If you have a business or offer that you would like to
advertise yourself please contact Tony Elam at 513.755.4167.We know things will eventually get better. But in the
meantime, let’s all do our part to keep Our Town a great place to live.
Michael Kurtz 513.465.7024 | [email protected] | connectDeerfi eld.com
Submit your Mason and Deerfi eld
get
april | may 2009 5
Our 16-page guide to all the fun and fi tness brought to you by the city of Mason begins on page 33.
funformason
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meet the krallsLife is very full for these empty nesters.
saving green with gardeningHome improvement doesn’t have to be expensive. Check out these tips for a cheap makeover.
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where to eat: dewey’sTasty pies and a fun time are on the menu at Dewey’s newest pizza parlor.
events calendarDozens of great places to go and things to do.
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YOURHoMe
Dwight Porter deals a game of LoYo! Photography by tony tribble.
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YOURFreetiMe
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family | community | lifeAPRIL | MAY 2009
Our Town’s guide to …MEETING THE NEIGHBORS WHERE TO EAT THE BUZZ WHAT’S NEW ALL-STARS FROM KINGS AND MASON
There’s a lot more to them than just watching your kids
Local entrepreneur deals up success with a new game
There’s a lot more
Save yourself some green with these gardening tips
Save yourself some
CONNECTMASON.COM CONNECTDEERFIELD.COM
Local entrepreneur deals up
It’s in the cards
FUN FOR MASON: Your 16-page guide to all the city has to offer
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a magic school dayMagician Stephen night wows the students of St. Susanna’s.
school news and notesall you need to know from the Mason and Kings school districts.
fi nish line in siteMason High School principal Dave allen is running to a dream.
building block of learningPreschools are a lot more than glorifi ed day care.
academic all-starsit doesn’t take brains to see that these six students have it under control in and out of the classroom.
YOURscHools
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48 crank it upOur Town columnist richard Stewart tries to decide if the good ‘ol days really were better, or if he’s just getting old.
FinALtHouGHts
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thebuzzWhat’s going on in Mason and Deerfield TownshipCOnTribuTeD bY Michael D. clark, GreGory korte, Sheila MclauGhlin anD Janice MorSe
PHOTO bY cara owsley
want coMMunity newS...anD More?Discover and discuss the latest news, events and school happenings in Mason and Deerfield Township at connectMason.com and connectDeerfield.com.
mason plans smoke detector blitzFires killed at least 184 people in Ohio last year—a 12-year peak that
was 43 percent higher than the 129 who died during 2007.
Yet many of those deaths could have been avoided, fire marshals
say, because about 82 percent of those deaths occurred in situations
where investigators could not find a working smoke detector.
The grim figures include 26 dead in 21 fires in the region. Working
smoke detectors were confirmed in only four of those fires.
Some of those deaths happened in Mason.
aslee engleman, 76, died in May after her sewing machine
sparked an electrical fire. in January 2008, the four Veillette children
were killed in a fire started by their father, Michel Veillette, after he
killed his wife.
“The Veillette fire is not in the preventable category,” says Mason
fire chief John Moore. “no fire-safety program could have prevented
those fatalities.”
Would a smoke alarm have helped engleman survive?
“Maybe,” Moore says.
Mason firefighters plan to expand their smoke detector blitz this
year with donations from the local VFW.
road widenings not quite so wide residents living near two big road-widening projects planned for
butler and Warren counties said the new roads would be too big—
and planners say they’ve listened.
Design changes are in the works for projects to add lanes to butler
Warren road north of Tylersville road, and bethany road east of
butler Warren road in Warren County.
The $11.3 million plan for widening two-lane butler Warren road
calls for creating a five-lane road from Tylersville road to Heritage
Club Drive, then four lanes north to bethany road.
but the initial plans upset residents on the Warren County side. So
the road was shifted west to preserve landscaping mounds and trees
that buffer homes in the Heritage Club neighborhood. eliminating a
proposed sidewalk on the Warren County side also reduced the need
to acquire rights-of-way along the east side of the road just north of
Tylersville road.
Meanwhile, planners have backed off an initial design to turn
mostly two-lane bethany road into a five-lane road.
When plans were presented in august for a $6.2 million widening
project along a 1.5-mile stretch of bethany, residents said they
could accept no more than three lanes. Since then, county and
state transportation officials have dropped the five-lane plan and
streamlined several other features.
Construction is expected to get under way in 2011.
Citizens can check out more details on the Warren County
engineer’s Web site at www.co.warren.oh.us.
the Veillette house, bought by Deutsche Bank at $120,000 below the appraised value, had $156,000 worth of repairs made to it.
veillette house auctioned to the bankneighbors of the house where Michel Veillette killed his wife and four
children a year ago won’t be welcoming a new family to brackenview
Court anytime soon.
There was no bidding war when the property was auctioned in
January at a Warren County sheriff’s sale.
instead, Deutsche bank bought the house back at the minimum
bid: $240,000—$120,000 less than its appraised value. “We kind of
expected that’s what was going to happen,” says rene Garvin, who
lives in one of three houses on the cul-de-sac. “Of course, we’d like
to see somebody move in there but ... we know it’s probably going to
take a lot of time.”
Veillette, who hung himself in jail, owed $343,397 on the house. He
bought it for $436,659 in 2006, according to the auditor’s records.
after the tragedy, residents in the Hickory Woods subdivision
suggested that the house be torn down for a memorial park. When
that wasn’t possible, neighbors said they hoped the house would just
be repaired and sold, and that a new family would give the property a
fresh start.
Contractors made about $156,000 in repairs to reconstruct
the interior. How much the house might sell for remains unclear.
Whether the future buyer will know the history of the house also
remains unclear.
Legally, the seller is not required to disclose that a murder happened
at the house, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce.
WhAt’stHat?how often does it happen? We’re driving through a town we know well but stumble across something that causes us to ask, “What is that?” if you’d like us to find out what something is, let us know at [email protected] and we’ll publish the answer here in our next issue.
it’s true, the Liars bench is back.it may be that people just move too fast
these days for a bench in the middle of a sprawling suburban city to become a social hub.
but folks in Mason are honoring the memory of one that was.
in 1944, anybody who strolled through downtown Mason knew about the Liars bench.
it was a spot in front of a popular confectionary called Morse’s, where old-timers often gathered to swap stories that were always entertaining, but often less than true. it was a popular hangout for the younger set, too.
in reverence to that old bench and the memories that it conjures, the city of Mason has placed a new bench and a plaque about its history near the spot where the Liars bench once perched.
“i graduated in 1944. The bench lasted through the war, and after that, i don’t remember too much going on there,” says al Voorhis, a lifelong Mason resident and founder of Voorhis Slone Welsh and Crossland architects in Mason. “Some of the old people—i guess i’m that old guy now—always sat there. They seemed so old to me then.”
The new Liars bench was built by Mason resident ron Larcomb, owner of Larcomb Construction. it’s made of cedar and is shorter than the original, so it probably could not seat six rowdy high school boys. but perhaps it will be a place for a new generation to make memories.
“i think it’s a great story,” ron says. “i was happy to do it.”
CARRie WhitAKeR
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WiTH townShip officer anD wiSh Granter
John wahle
fiveqUestiOns
John Wahle doesn’t have super powers or own a magic wand, but he knows how to make
wishes come true. John, Deerfield Township’s fiscal officer, and his wife Patti have volunteered in various capacities since they were married 42 years ago. With four grown children, the Wahles wanted a way to work with children. So they became wish granters for the Make-a-Wish Foundation in 2007. now, they act as fairy godparents to children in need all over southern Ohio.
What keeps you coming back to volunteer at the Make-a-Wish Foundation?JOHn: You see children that are in need and have some rather difficult situations, health wise. it’s rewarding to work with them and their families and help them get a wish they would never have a chance of getting otherwise because of health or financial reasons. We’ve been fortunate that it hasn’t happened to us and it’s great to get out and help others.
Describe the most memorable child you’ve worked with.PaTTi: i don’t even know we can pick one out. They’re all so different. it’s just each child, the enthusiasm, the families; i think every wish is very special.JOHn: What really hit me was how positively people work with the children despite the tragic situations. When this happens to anyone, it’s hard to handle, but it’s so neat to see people who are so caring and are appreciative of others who want to help their children.
PhOtO PROViDeD
What’s your favorite thing about volunteering for Make-a-Wish?JOHn: it’s seeing all the resources go to the family and the child and to see that we’re able to help them with it. it’s a really good feeling to be involved in an organization that puts all their resources to someone in need.PaTTi: The most rewarding thing is working with the child and the family. You have the chance to give them a bit of hope, some strength and someone to lean on. You give a little bit of love and you always get back more than you ever give.
What aspect of the work is most misunderstood? PaTTi: i’ve heard people sometimes make a joke about it, that it’s really not for critically ill children and it riles me because the foundation is definitely structured to help these children. When you go to see the children and see their reaction when they have a wish granted, you see that everyone’s heart is where it should be.
What do you like best about volunteering?PaTTi: When you get into volunteering, you can’t believe what you get back. JOHn: in every instance, we’ve made new friends. i’d encourage everyone to volunteer. You always feel good when you come away from it and think about what you can do. in every case, it’s enriched our lives. We’re very happy people and a part of that is because we’ve been involved. We find our strength in others.
ChAU ngUYen
WiTH townShip officer anD wiSh Granter
John wahle
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COMPILED BY Jenny calliSonPHOTOS BY Michael kurtz
the dog house2906 u.S. 22 & 3 (Montgomery road) 513.583.9978
Jimmy and Susan Huff have moved their pet grooming business from Symmes Township to its new location in the Landen Square Shopping Center. The shop, which opened in early February, provides a complete line of grooming services for dogs and cats. Dawn Mason is the grooming specialist.
“We have the capability of grooming all dogs, including large and giant breeds,” says Susan Huff.
The Dog House, which was at its former location for 11 years, needed more space. Since the move, Susan Huff says, they’ve also found that the Landen Square location is more convenient for many of their clients.
Hours are 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday and Friday; 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; and 8 a.m. until mid-afternoon Saturday. The shop is closed Sunday and Wednesday.
Dog house co-owner susan Huff gives buster a long-overdue haircut. the Dog house provides grooming for dogs and cats.
what’s newin mason and deerfield township
mike gallagher, agent State Farm insurance 5604 Tylersville road 513.204.1518 or www.mikegallagheragency.com
in January, Mike Gallagher celebrated the opening of his agency, which offers a complete array of State Farm auto, home, business, life and health insurance. Through State Farm bank, the agency can provide loans and deposit products. Mike is also a registered representative of State Farm VP management Corp. for securities products.
Working with Mike are Julie Gallagher, Diane amburgy and Karlie Gallagher. The office is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday. appointments at other times can be arranged.
Mike Gallagher and his staff offer a complete line of auto, home, business, life and health insurance.
the little clinicKroger arbor Square 5100 Terra Firma Drive
This 340-square-foot walk-in clinic is the first of its kind in a Cincinnati Kroger, although The Little Clinic has already opened several locations within Kroger stores in the Columbus area.
The clinic is staffed by registered nurse practitioners and physician assistants, who can prescribe medication and treat common illnesses and minor injuries. Staff members can also perform sports physicals, pre-employment health screenings, and vaccinations. They can provide referrals to primary-care physicians and to urgent care centers or hospitals when needed.
The Little Clinic is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Care is available for infants (12 months and older) through adults, and no appointment is necessary.
the Arbor square Kroger is the newest location for the Little Clinic, which offer a convenient way to meet your medical needs.
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COMPILED BY Jenny calliSonPHOTOS BY Michael kurtz
snap fitness 4200 aero Drive 513.229.7300 or www.snapfitness.com/masonoh
Snap Fitness, a 24-hour fitness club, positions itself to provide a convenient, less expensive alternative to “big box” full-service facilities by locating in residential communities and limiting services that many busy members may not need.
The new Snap Fitness location, like the company’s other franchises nationwide, offers the latest commercial-grade equipment including strength equipment and free weights; soft-surface treadmills; tanning beds; certified personal trainers and small group classes. The secure facility remains locked at all times; members enter with an electronic keycard.
“it’s like having your own private gym minutes from your doorstep,” says Marianne appel.
The club is open every day of the year.snap Fitness offers a full range of free weights and strength training in addition to cardio equipment.
basilico organic6176 Tylersville road 513.492.9521
This new eatery is “fast casual” in its concept, but with a twist: everything that comes out of its kitchen is organic. executive chef Pedro Zuniga says that basilico Organic is the first uSDa-certified organic restaurant in the Midwest, and one of only a few in the u.S.
The restaurant’s name provides a clue to its culinary foundation: Zuniga said that basil and pesto sauce are used in many of the signature dishes.
“Our menu features mainly italian dishes but it’s also inter-continental, with a Sushi bar, and South american and european specialties as well,” Pedro says. “but the main thing is that everything’s organic.”
basilico Organic, owned by Sylvio and antoniela Miranda, is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. it opened in late December.
Basilico Organic is the first UsDA-certified organic restaurant in the Midwest. the menu offers a wide variety of choices.
kiddie academy 6202 Snider road 513.234.0699 or www.kiddieacademy.com/mason
This new child care facility offers the character education program Life essentials as a core part of its curriculum. it focuses on values, morals and principles to start young children on the path to becoming educated, ethical and involved adults.Kiddie academy accepts children 6 weeks old through preschool age, and provides before- and after-school care to children up to age 12. in addition to its preschool programs it offers a private full-day kindergarten, and a summer camp program. Lead teachers have a bachelor’s degree at minimum; some have a master’s degree.in addition to serving a hot lunch and snacks daily, Kiddie academy features Web cameras in each room and a computer lab with age-appropriate programming. Hours are 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Owners shannon and rafael nazario work with one of the many classes at the Kiddie Academy.
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ticket info annual passes to Kings island can be
bought individually or per family. regular season passes for a family of four start around $360. the cost for season passes will increase sometime around Memorial Day, Don says. Gate price for adults is $47.99. Discounts are available at www.visitkingsisland.com.
This year, Kings island celebrates the new and the old.
Diamondback, the park’s new roller coaster —a $22-million investment with 10 vertical drops ranging from 106-230 feet—is expected to attract big crowds.
“This ride is big—real big,” says Greg Scheid, Kings island’s vice president and general manager. “its use of rugged natural terrain and a spectacular splashdown ending ensures that no other roller coaster tops these thrills.”
The beast roller coaster gets a nod of respect this year, too, as the park celebrates the wooden coaster’s 30th anniversary. The beast remains the longest wooden roller coaster in the world.
“Kings island’s thrills don’t end with Diamondback and the beast,” says park spokesman Don Helbig. “Our entertainment lineup has something for everyone.”
Got a tween who can’t put down her iPod? Try a new show called “Don’t Stop the Music,” featuring music by beyoncé, Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Katy Parry.
How about a grumpy husband who’s a sucker for Loretta Lynn? The new “Down Home Country” show features songs by Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Willy nelson and other country classics.
The third new show, “Marty’s Party,” is for children. Kings island also plans to revive a popular park perk
from the 1970s and 1980s: roving entertainment. also, bubba Gump’s Shrimp Shack will reopen this year after a one-year hiatus.
For more information about what’s new this year at Kings island, go to www.visitkingsisland.com.
The park opens april 18.
get the first ride on diamondback
the park will be accepting bids for the inaugural ride on Diamondback until april 15. the minimum bid is $50 and nearly 100 people will win a seat. Proceeds for the auction will go directly to a Kid again, a program that pays for adventures, like day trips to Kings island or sporting events, for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. a Kid again is based in columbus, but has a cincinnati chapter based in anderson township.
Visit www.kidiamondback.com for more information.
BY carrie wHitaKer
features the new and the classicKings Island
the Kings island entertainment crew gets their flashdance on. Flashback: totally 80’s! is one of six live shows that will be presented at Kings island in 2009.
PhOtO PROViDeD
14 our town
Trumpets sounded. The winds rose. and the band joined in. Mason Middle School was filled with the classic sound of the Mason Community
band during its winter concert in February. The band, comprised of musicians from around the area, performed under the direction of Scott Cook. be sure to hear them the next time.
The Mason Community band plays on.PhOtOgRAPhY BY tony tribble
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The sounds of winter
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The Mason Community band puts on a show at Mason Middle School.
The band takes its direction from conductor Scott Cook.
The concert opened with the band’s rendition of the national anthem.
The band is comprised of musicians from around the area.
a percussionist chimes in.
The Mason Community band performs throughout the year in the Mason area.
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Success in the cards
for local entrepreneur
Dwight Porter plays LoYo! with his family, Marla, asia, and alexis.
PhOtOs BY ernest coleMan
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playing loyo!the object of the game is to have the lowest score at the end of six • rounds of play.
Each player receives four face-down cards. •
After glancing at any two cards, players pull cards numbered 1 to 9 • and two specialty cards Loyo!, worth 0 and oH no!, worth 15, from the deck and replace with their cards.
When you think you have the lowest score, shout “Loyo” to roll the • dice and get a bonus deduction or add to your opponent’s score.
Be warned, there are little twists in the game that can double • players’ scores or let them catch up in the middle of the game.
Plus, there are two other versions of the game, played with the same game pieces. So, if you feel like risking more, play Loyo! challenge. this feature challenges all players to a potential “all in poker show down” at the beginning of each round. Also, if you want a mind-boggling experience try Loyo! Headache, where players play with six cards instead of four.
informAtion ProvidEd By Pfun, PArEnt comPAny for Loyo!
Dwight Porter “had to be peeled off the ceiling” of his Mason home after he received a phone call from the
Chicago Tribune informing him that his new game, LoYo!, had been chosen as one of the 10 coolest new board games on the market.
The “quick-playing game combines the best of poker, Concentration and Uno,” said the Tribune’s “gadget adviser,” Eric Gwinn.
Porter began futzing around with the pet project in the early 1990s, and finally launched LoYo! at the Chicago Toy and Game Fair in November.
“I couldn’t believe the notoriety I got two weeks later,” Dwight says, about the attention he’s received since the Tribune shout-out.
In January, he got a call from a company about working out a licensing deal. He declined to name the company.
“That’s the ultimate level you want to get to ... it allows me to receive royalties and they do the distribution,” Dwight says.
Dwight and his wife, Marla, are board and card game lovers. When he was younger, Dwight would pack his apartment full of friends on the weekends to play games ranging from Monopoly to the rummy card game Tonk.
Now, game night is a family affair with his wife and two children, Dwight says.
LoYo! is a game of strategy, memorization, risk and luck, played with a deck of cards, score sheets and a die. There are three versions of the game played with the same deck.
Right now, the game can be purchased on Amazon.com and at the game’s Web site, www.loyogame.com. The introductory price is $12.99.
“A 7-year-old can beat an adult,” Dwight says. “No one was at an advantage in the game, you do need that skill set to improve your odds of winning. And I like the variability of the game—you can play for an hour, or 15 minutes.”
Bloggers ate up the review by the Chicago Tribune, and Dwight is starting to get orders from all over the country, he says.
BY cArriE WHitAkEr
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Snow made a first scheduled magic show disappear from St. Susanna’s Catholic Schools Week schedule in February. But students got the chance
to see Stephen Knight’s act “Respect the Magic Word” a few days later. Students got into the act for some of the illusions, and sat mesmerized by the rest.
St. Susanna students get dazzled.phOtOgRaphY BY AmAndA dAvidSon
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Magician Stephen Knight demonstrates a few tricks for St. Susanna students.
First grader Jack Haglage is pleased by what he sees.
Second Grader olivia Polson readies herself for what comes next.
Terri Cunningham, a fourth grade teacher, didn’t lose here head when asked to help with one of the tricks.
Students watch intently at one of the magic tricks.
Third grader Kyle Atchley gives his approval.6
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kings Schools
BY SuE kiESEWEttEr
SCHooLnotES
kingS ScHooLS
April6 Spring break begins
14 Classes resume; Kings Kids kindergarten registration opens; Columbia PTo, 7 p.m., art room
17 Junior high dance, 5-7 p.m.
21 Kings Board of Education, 6:30 p.m., Kings Education Center; J.F. Burns, kindergarten musical, 6:30 & 7:30 p.m.; Kings Mills fourth grade panoramic picture, 1:30 p.m.
22 Kings celebration, 7 p.m., high school
23 Kings Mills kindergarten musical, 6:45 p.m.
25 High school prom, oasis Center
28 High school band awards, 6 p.m.
30 South Lebanon first/fourth grade chorus musical, 7 p.m.
MAy1 Interim grades send home
4 Kings Kids before and after school
For The Fridge
Under the new system when students pay for their food, they give the cashier their student ID number. That will bring up the child’s account and picture along with any alerts for food allergies or other concerns. It will also show how much money is in the account and then deduct the child’s purchase.
Parents can replenish the accounts on their children’s accounts online through the Pay For It prepayment system using a credit card. They can also send checks or cash as they do now and the cafeteria staff will add the money to the child’s account.
Lunch now compLeteLy cashLessThere is no need anymore for students in any of the Kings Local Schools to carry cash to pay for school lunch.
or for parents whose children have allergies to certain foods to worry that their child might purchase something they may react negatively to.
The final two computerized cash register systems have been installed in the cafeterias—Kings Mills in February and South Lebanon in March.
RegisteR foR kindeRgaRtenKindergarten registration for students who will be attending Kings Mills, J.F. Burns or South Lebanon elementary schools for the 2009-10 school year will be held from 4-7 p.m. at Kings Mills Elementary School on three April dates.
Those whose last names begin with A-L are asked to register on April 2. Last names beginning with M-Z should register April 15. Anyone who couldn’t make either of those registration dates should report April 16.
Those registering after April 16 should do so at the Kings Education Center, 1797 King Ave.
Children who will be 5 years old by September 30 are eligible for kindergarten.
Registration packets are available at each of the three elementary schools or online at HYPERLINK “http://www.kingslocal.k12.oh.us” www.kingslocal.k12.oh.us
Parents should bring the child’s original birth certificate, Social Security number or card, completed papers, custody papers if applicable, immunization records, proof of residency and photo identification. Acceptable proof of residence includes rental or lease agreements along with deeds or settlement papers. Information: Tammy Schnetzer, 513.459.2932.
kings footbaLL wins in the cLassRoom
The 2008-2009 Kings High School football team wasn’t just a presence on the gridiron with an overall 8-4 record, going 1-1 in the playoffs. Team members are powerhouses in the classroom too.
The ohio High School Football Coaches Association designated the Knights an All-Academic team—the first ever for the school. The team was ranked 14th out of more than 725 teams in ohio
registration begins
7 Kings Mills art show, 3:30-7 p.m.; junior high talent show, 7 p.m.
11 High school academic awards, 7 p.m.
12 orchestra performance, grades 6-12, 7 p.m., high school
14 Sixth grade student orientation at junior high, 9 a.m., parent orientation, 6 p.m.
18 Fourth grade student orientation to intermediate school at Columbia, 9:30 a.m., parent orientation, 6 p.m.
19 Kings Board of Education, 6:30 p.m., Kings Education Center
20 Columbia choral concert, 7 p.m., cafeteria
21 junior high choral concert, 7 p.m.; Kings Mills fourth grade musical and marimba, 6:45 p.m.; South Lebanon kindergarten concert, 7 p.m.
23 High school graduation, 3 p.m., Cintas Center at Xavier University
25 Memorial Day, school & Kings Kids
based on the grade point average—3.6—of the team’s top 22 lettermen.
one player, senior Andy Dauner, received an individual All Academic award, one of 16 among 35,000 players.
“This is a reflection of how hard our kids work in the classroom, a reflection on our teachers,’’ says coach Andy olds. “It’s a real team effort and I just happen to be the head coach.”
The honor is a first for the team, Andy says. He attributes it to players tutoring each other and teachers who work after school one-on-one with players who need help.
“We’re sending the message that academics are important and sometimes it means coming late to practice to get help,’’ he says.
swimmeR saiLs to new RecoRd
A Kings Junior High School swimmer has set two Fort Ancient Valley Conference records.
Eighth grader Ian Wooley swam the 50-backstroke in 26.15 seconds in the championship competition, setting a league record. He set the second league record in the 100-backstroke, where he swam it in 56.12 seconds.
“Ian is an incredible swimmer,’’ says coach Anne Albert. “He was on fire this year.”
overall the junior high swim team had an undefeated regular season, with a 9-0 record.
new compLeX on time, on budgetSome educators at the junior-senior high school complex already have a little bit more breathing room even though the $27.2 million construction project won’t be finished until this summer.
The project began last spring and is on target to be completed on budget this summer, says business manager Steve Waldmann.
In January the new entrance and lobby, commons area and front offices at the junior and senior high schools opened. In February the junior high weight room opened, quickly followed by the multi-purpose room.
The high school lobby is next to the cafeteria where dozens of new high and low top tables along with a snack bar have been added for seniors to use during lunch.
Also completed is the bus garage. Still under construction, Steve says, is the classroom wing, which will be finished in June or July.
An August 23 grand opening of the remodeled junior and senior complex is planned for the community.
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seLf-poRtRaits eaRn honoRs
Patience and perseverance finally paid off for art teacher Audrey Gorman and her painting students.
For the past four years, Gorman’s painting I, II and III students entered a self-portrait contest sponsored by Utrecht’s – a painting supplies distributor – and co-sponsored by the Savannah College of Art and Design.
None of the students had won awards -- until this year when Glorimar Garcia, Seth Simmons and Katie Young all won honorable mentions.
“I am really proud of these students,”
mason Schools
BY SuE kiESEWEttEr
9. Parents also should bring proof of
residency, the child’s original birth certificate with the raised seal or a passport, the child’s social security card or number; parents’ driver’s license or state ID, and custody papers, if applicable.
Registration packets are available from the Mason Central receptionist, 211 N. East St. They will not be mailed and are not available online.
Morning kindergarten sessions run from 9:10-11:55 a.m. and afternoon classes are from 12:55-3:40 p.m. Students are assigned to morning or afternoon classes depending on where they live. Go to www.masonohioschools.com/downloadslinks.aspx to determine which session your child is assigned.
Information: 513-398-3741.
bRight “RetiRes” but stays on The Mason school board has agreed to allow Superintendent Kevin Bright retire, and then be rehired April 1 with certain stipulations.
Bright will begin collecting retirement checks in addition to his salary. However, he will give up bonuses for two years and his pay will be frozen for three years. The new agreement will extend his contract through the 2011-12 school year.
“I love Mason City Schools,’’ Bright said. “There was no better place for my own kids and there’s never been any better place for me.”
Bright also donated a $20,000 bonus for the current school year back to the district.
westeRn Row students Rock at ReadingWhen it comes to reading, students at Western Row are among the most voracious in the region.
of the 62 Greater Cincinnati Schools that participated in Xavier University’s reading program, Western Row students read the most – just over 15 books per
Gorman said. “Their commitment to quality shows in their work, and each of them deserve this recognition.”
kindeRgaRten RegistRation setFour dates have been set aside for kindergarten registration for the 2009-10 school year.
Parents may bring completed registration packets to the Kiva at the Mason Early Childhood Center, 4631 Hickory Woods Dr. from 1-3 p.m. March 30; 8-10 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. March 31; 6-8:30 p.m. April 7; or 8-10 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. April
SCHooLnotES
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For The FridgemASon ScHooLS
April2 Kindergarten Spring Fine Arts Program, 6:15 p.m., Early Childhood Center.
4 Cultural Fair 2009, Early Childhood Center, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
6 Kindergarten registration, 6-8:30 p.m., Early Childhood Center.
8 National Honor Society Prom Fashion Show, 7 p.m., high school auditorium.
9 Kindergarten registration, 8-10 a.m. and 1-3 p.m., Early Childhood Center; National Honor Society Prom Fashion Show, 1 p.m., high school auditorium.
10 Spring break begins.
20 Classes resume from spring break.
21 School board, 7 p.m., high school.
23 Middle school early release, 1:30 p.m.
30 Preschool cancelled.
MAy5 Third grade music concert, 6:15 p.m., Mason Heights.
7 The Secret Garden musical, 7 p.m.,
high school.
8 District Art Show, 7-10 p.m., high school.
11 Third grade music concert, 6:15 p.m., Mason Heights.
12 School board, 7 p.m., high school.
13 High school orchestra concert, 7 p.m.
14 Funfest 2009, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., intermediate school softball field.
16 High school prom, 8 p.m., Roberts Center.
17 After Prom, midnight to 4 a.m., high school.
18 High school spring choral concert, 7 p.m.
19 Senior recognition, 6 p.m., high school auditorium.
21 Middle school early release, 1:30 p.m.
22 Drama awards, 6 p.m., high school auditorium.
26 School board, 6:30 p.m., high school.
student.The school now has a banner
proclaiming it School of the Year. Students also received free admission passes to Xavier sporting events.
“(It was) a fabulous way to motivate the entire school to read more,’’ said Krista McMillen, a reading specialist.
Krista, along with fellow reading specialists Emily Menendez, Emily Mongillo and Jessica Schuler coordinated Western Row’s participation.
student poem pubLished
After a nearly two-year wait Katie Hibner is a published author.
The Mason Intermediate School sixth grader’s poem, The Sunrise, was published in the February issue of Creative Kids magazine.
The poem was submitted to the national magazine when Katie was a fourth grader.
“A fantastic writer, Katie is sure to have many more successes like this in the future,’’ said Holly Cammerer, intermediate school gifted intervention specialist. Here’s the poem:
THE SUNRISEThe sun is gone, over skies a full black cloak is spread. Infinite dreams sparkle and sing in our heads.
Night is here, darkness present.Day, dissolved its light so pleasant.
Silver-outlined shadows slowly creep,Whispers of the past’s secrets, promised to keep.
Streaks of racing comets, twilight bands. Twinkling moons and stars are raised by many hands.
The sun returns, nature’s shining prize. A message from the future,
The sunrise.
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?teacher feature
Mason high School principal dave Allen is serious about his leisurely runs.
april | may 2009 25
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While most people are sleeping, Mason High School Principal Dave Allen starts every weekday at
4:30 a.m. with a 4 to 10 mile jog.Then on the weekends, he does 14 to 22
miles. He’s applying strict discipline to himself
in preparation for a long-held goal—running the Boston Marathon.
“For a lot of different reasons, I had gotten myself tremendously out of shape,” Dave said. “I started jogging a bit and set a goal for myself to finish a marathon.”
His wife, Kim Allen, a group aerobics instructor, remembers when Dave didn’t have time to work out because he was always at school, pursuing a doctorate degree.
“It got to the point where I was dragging him to exercise,” Kim says. “He has really come full circle and it’s been amazing to see him go from not being able to run 3 miles to qualifying for the Boston Marathon. He’s never been in better shape than me and now he is.”
Dave ran the Flying Pig Marathon three years ago. By that time, he’d gotten hooked on running, Kim said. Along the way, he has lost 60 pounds.
“I love setting goals for myself and doing things people say I have no business doing,” Dave says.
He secretly trained for the Nashville marathon in May 2007 with the hope of qualifying for the Boston Marathon, which requires a time of 3 hours, 15 minutes and 59 seconds. Dave was doing fine in Nashville until the 20th mile when he started cramping up.
“I finished, but didn’t qualify [for Boston],” Dave says. “It really ticked me off so I started training more intensely.”
In october 2007, Dave finished the Columbus Marathon in 3 hours, 14 minutes and 4 seconds. A picture of the Allens at the finish line showed up on the front page of the local section of The Columbus Dispatch.
“Kim is just grabbing me and there were tears running down her face,” Dave says. “She was more excited for me than I was.”
With six months of training time per marathon, Dave said having a good support system is essential. For him, it’s his wife, 7-year-old daughter Emmi and 2-year-old son Ty.
Sometimes on the weekends, Kim rides her bike beside him with a backpack full of water. Normally, Dave makes his weekday runs alone.
“When you run at 4:30 in the morning, there are not many people who want to go out with you,” he says.
Training is like a part-time job, especially for someone with young children, Kim says. The Allens have scheduled Dave’s training into their family time, trading off on exercise days because she considers his training more important than her need to exercise.
Despite his intense training regimen, Dave makes sure he doesn’t miss commitments at home or at school.
“What I miss out on is sleep,” Dave says. “But with my commitment with work and evening activities, it really benefits me to run early in the morning so I have time for my family after work.”
Kim says his training has allowed him to stay in shape and inspire others.
“He was in no condition to do what he is doing right now four years ago,” Kim says. “Now he’s a tremendous inspiration for people who maybe didn’t think they were
runners.” Martin Muff, whose wife coaches at
Mason High School, was also running in the Columbus Marathon and was surprised see Dave trim 40 minutes off his time.
“I talked to him about how he did it and I thought, ‘Hey, if he could keep me to that training time and intensity, that would help me a lot,” Martin says. “I’ve been trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon for five years and I’m hoping to qualify while helping Dave train for it.”
The two meet with a small group of people on Saturday mornings for longer jogs.
“Dave’s a very focused, approachable individual,” Martin says. “When you’re out there as long as we are with the intensity and discomfort of running, it’s better to have someone that’s enjoyable and that will push you. There’s a camaraderie that helps you get to that level of intensity.”
His training for the Boston Marathon mirrors the leadership he does at Mason High School, Dave says.
“I have a ton of kids who talk to me about [my training] and it opens up the opportunity for me to talk to them,” Dave says. “No matter what age you are, what your hobbies or interest are, it’s important to set goals for yourself and stay active. our teachers [at Mason] help our students with goal setting and our coaches do it with our athletes.”
Dave is using his run as a fundraiser for Common Ground, a wheelchair accessible playground for special needs children.
“our high school is starting to rally behind it and getting involved with something that’s going to be there for a long time,” Dave says. “I wanted to be a part of something like that as well.”
BY cHAu nguyEnphOtO BY LEigH tAyLor
for Mason principal Finish line in sight
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As the 3- and 4-year-old children walk into Nancy Piening’s classroom at Creative Kids Preschool each is
greeted by name and then guided to wash his or her hands.
For the first 15 or 20 minutes as classmates are arriving, each child can choose where to go in the classroom: there is an easel for painting, a table filled with rice, a block center, areas for dramatic play, games, a science center and more.
Then Nancy gathers the children together on the rug for the morning meeting. They begin with a review of shapes—in Spanish. She holds up a rectangle, triangle.
“They all end with an ‘o’,” Nancy says. “Let’s clap it.”
Annabelle is asked to be the Queen of Weather for the day and puts on a tiara before deciding whether it’s sunny or cloudy, warm or cold. As a group they decide how to dress the frog—long sleeves on this day.
During their daily meeting the children learn they will take turns making paper pizza today—with cheese or pepperoni—and then put their name under the picture of the pizza they made.
While one group makes the pizza, another goes for a science lesson with Jessica Tipkemper-Wolfe and Nancy helps others at
the writing center.It is a typical morning at Creative Tots,
which has seen enrollment grow from just 40 children when the Mason school opened in 2006 to about 125 children today. The school has already expanded once and now has three large, brightly colored classrooms, a gym, and a fenced outdoor play area accessible from two classrooms. Morning or afternoon half-day programs are offered for children as young as 18 months in the farm-themed toddler room, through age 5.
It is one of two-dozen preschool programs licensed by the ohio Department of Job and Family Services in the immediate Mason/Deerfield Township/Maineville area. Some are church-based, others are childcare centers with preschool instruction while others, like Creative Tots, are privately owned.
SoCIALIZATIoN AND FUNAs the population has boomed, so have
the offerings to accommodate the growing number of families with children 5 years or younger who are seeking programs for their children.
Deerfield Township mom Leila owens is one such mom. Her daughter Kaia, 4, is in her second year at the school; >>
BY SuE kiESEWEttEr phOtOS BY tony triBBLE
of learningPreschools are a lot more than glorified daycare
Buildingblocks
thIS pagE: forrest day gets a kiss from his mom Brenda after being dropped off at
Creative tots pre-School.
FaCINg pagE: reed mattingly concentrates on one of the toys.
>> What to look for in a preschool
Low child-to-teacher ratios•
no more than 18-20 pre-schoolers •in a group
Well-trained staff. • find out what qualifications, training and degrees the teachers and helpers have
Low staff turnover•
Safe, healthy environment. • make sure center is licensed, looks clean and children are under adult supervision at all times. Staff should be able to clearly describe health/safety/emergency plans and policies
Accreditation • by the Association for the Education of young children
—Source: nAtionAL ASSociAtion for tHE EducAtion of young cHiLdrEn
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senses; lets them learn through play, questioning and exploration; and provides lots of interaction with adults. Classroom materials should allow children to use them in many ways. And, he says, teachers should have degrees in early childhood education.
“The correlation between teacher competence and the quality of a program is very high,’’ Peter says.
That’s one concept Emilie has embraced at Creative Tots. Three teachers—all with education or bachelors degrees—teach no more than 21 preschoolers or no more than 18 children between the ages of 18 months to 3 years in the toddler class.
“We are holding ourselves accountable,” Emilie says.
BUILDING BLoCKS FoRSCHooL
J.F. Burns principal Cheryl Montag says because of changes in the curriculum and higher expectations for young children, pre-school is a great start to a child’s formal education.
“I recommend at least one year of preschool before kindergarten. The expectations are that once a child gets to kindergarten they’re starting to read. Letters and sounds are reinforced in kindergarten but introduced in
and Wyat, 2, recently started attending the toddler program.
“If they’re given the chance to learn, they do,’’ Leila says. “Here, she’s challenged and it’s fun. She comes home learning stuff she wouldn’t have learned from us. She’s exposed to so much.”
Leila said her son, who had been a “mama’s boy”, is learning to socialize with other children.
A former third grade Indian Hill teacher, owner Emilie Parry bases her lessons on the latest and best practices in early childhood education so her students will be well prepared for kindergarten.
She incorporates preschool curriculum set by the ohio Department of Education and standards established by the National Association for the Education of Young Children into her toddler, preschool and pre-kindergarten programs.
“We now know a lot more about how children learn,” says Peter Pizzolongo, associate director for professional development for the Washington D.C.-based National Association for the Education of Young Children. “So much of what they learn at an early age is the basis for what they’ll be learning K-12.”
Peter says a good preschool program allows a child to use all of his or her
>> Signs of a great Preschool
children spend most of time playing and •working with materials or other children.
children have access to lots of activities •such as building blocks, props for pretend play, picture books, art materials, matching games, pegboards or puzzles.
teachers work with individual children, •small groups and the whole group at different times during the day.
the classroom is decorated with children’s •artwork, their writing and stories.
children learn numbers and the alphabet in •context of everyday experiences that could include cooking, taking attendance, serving snacks or similar activities.
children work on projects and have long •periods of time - at least one hour - to play and explore. few, if any, worksheets are used.
children have the opportunity to play •outside every day.
teachers read books to children individually •or in small groups throughout the day not just at group story time.
curriculum is adapted to the needs of every •child.
children and their parents look forward to •school.
—Source: nAtionAL ASSociAtion for tHE EducAtion of young cHiLdrEn
Emilie Parry reads to kids.
april | may 2009 29
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preschool,” Cheryl says. “Preschool is such a building block for the
children I can tell a difference between children who have gone to preschool and those who haven’t.”
Many of the preschools where her children attend have prepared the students well for school - both socially and educationally, Montag said. She has developed a relationship with the coordinators who keep in close contact to make sure their programs meet the children’s needs.
“They want to know they’re doing a good job. That’s very rewarding and says a lot about the program,’’ Montag said.
Mason parent Meg Chisholm likes the flexibility of the Creative Tots programs along with the extras—like Spanish instruction. She looked at several preschools before settling on Creative Tots.
“They expect a lot more in the schools. This is an excellent program and I want my children to be ready for kindergarten. I want them to have equivalent experiences as other children so they are ready for school.”
Parent Angela Grimm of Liberty Township was amazed at how much Spanish and reading skills her daughter has picked up.
“I had four years of Spanish in school and here’s my 4-year-old correcting my Spanish,” Angela says. “It’s not like when I went to school.”
>> mason, deerfield township area Pre-schools
*camp JB mac, • 9500 Snider road
*chai tots, • 7587 central Parke Blvd.
*childtime Learning center, • 595 Western row road; 6820 tylersville road; 120 grandin road
*creative tots/Busy Bees, • 6408 thornberry court
*Endeavor Learning center, • 5188 cox-Smith road
*Heritage Presbyterian church,• 6546 S. mason-montgomery road
*Jvv Early childhood School at cedar village, • 5467 cedar village drive
*kiddie Academy, • 6202 Snider road
*kids ‘r’ kids Quality Learning center, • 7439 mason-montgomery road,6493 ohio 48
*king of kings Lutheran Preschool, • 3621 Socialville-foster road
*Lakeview Preschool, • 8639 columbia road
*Little Leprechaun Academy,• 6956 cintas Blvd.
*Pooh’s corner Preschool, • 6315 mason-montgomery road
*Primrose School of mason, • 5888 Snider road
*the goddard School, • 754 reading road
*the goddard School of Landen, • 3613 Socialville-foster road
*the Little Schoolhouse Preschool, • 4934 Western row road
*the Sunshine House,• 7818 mason-montgomery road
*toddler time Learning center, • 8126 ohio 48
*Weekday ministries, • 5165 Western row road
*ymcA Little miami Learning center, • 247 u.S. 22/ohio 3
Amy Safran reads Ned Said No to the kids.
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YOURcommunityAcademic aLL-staRskings high school mason high school
BY micHAEL d. cLArk AND SuE kiESEWEttEr phOtOgRaphY BY tony triBBLE
Kashi Goyal, SENIoR
Ivy Charneski, SENIoR
Kashi Goyal, SENIoRKashi Goyal, SENIoR
iVy chaRneskikings high school
kashi goyaLmason high school
Early in her schooling Ivy Charneski knew what would be important to her as a Kings High School senior. “I knew even when I was small that I wanted to go to a good college. I realized early that you have to train yourself to be successful.”
How did you achieve your academic success? I received my academic success through staying focused. I knew that I wanted to go to college, so I dedicated my time to studying and keeping up in the classroom. My parents never had to push me or remind me to study because those were things I did for myself.
What has been the most exciting moment in your academic success? The most exciting moment in my academic success is applying to college because that is what the past four years have been preparing me for. After working so hard through senior year, the moment when you’re applying to colleges and deciding where you want to go next year is the most rewarding feeling.
How will you pursue your studies? I will pursue my studies by continuing to work hard in college. I plan to study law or business.
What is your favorite part of academics? My favorite part of academics is just learning. I especially like to learn things that you can apply to ever day life. I like how you can talk to your friends and family and show them interesting facts and they will usually have something cool in return. We all learn something new everyday.
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kRisten tuRneykings high school
At Mason High School, 18-year-old Kashi Goyal has garnered a 4.9 grade point average while taking on leadership roles. She is captain of the speech and debate team, vice president of the National Honor Society, and serves on the Student Leadership Advisory Council and Senior Sibs.
How did you achieve your academic success? I have looked to my sister Shalini as my mentor and, really, my inspiration for my academic success. She has provided an amazing example to follow.
What has been the most memorable academic moment? I am really most proud of qualifying for state in speech and debate, last year. It is really nice to know that the time and effort my partner and I put into our event paid off.
How will you pursue your studies after high school? Next year I will leave the shelter of Mason High School for college. I don’t know where that will take me. Right now I am really tempted by a 6-year medical program.
How have academics played a role in your life? In high school, it’s easy to have the mentality that grades are everything. But when I take a step back from test scores and grades I can honestly say that the courses I have taken have prepared me for a lot more. I have learned how to manage my time, and equally as important, when to just take a breath and relax.
april | may 2009 31
kashi goyaLmason high school
Michael Verleye, SENIoR
Kristen Turney, SENIoR
kRisten tuRneykings high school
michaeL VeRLeyemason high school
Being tuned into the world has always been important to Kings High School senior Kristen Turney. “I like government a lot and I like current affairs and politics and discussing what’s going on,” says the 18-year, who will be attending Miami University in the fall.
How did you achieve your academic success? It’s just always been important to me to keep up in school. As I got older, I learned to balance my time well between weekends, homework, and school activities. For me, it’s mostly whether you view your classes positively or negative and how you choose to prioritize that makes you succeed. If you want to succeed, you do.
What has been the most exciting moment in your academic success? So far, the most exciting thing academically for me was doing well on my Advance Placement chemistry test last year. It sounds corny, but I worked really hard for it. The class was really demanding and chemistry was a very challenging subject for me.
How will you pursue studies? In the fall, I will be attending Miami University. I want to major in economics—I’ve been sure for a while now that I wanted to go into business, but I didn’t realize which branch of it would fit me right until this year.
What is your favorite part of academics? My favorite part of academics is definitely my government class. It’s my best subject, and it just feels natural to me. I’m lucky, because sometimes, what you’re best at and what you feel fits you right isn’t always the same. But with me, it is. I like how government isn’t just a study of hypothetical things or theories—it’s real-life stuff.
Mason High School senior Michael Verleye may be one of the school’s top students with a 4.9 grade point average but he’s far from a bookworm. Michael is involved in marching and pep bands and he volunteers at the Cincinnati Art Museum. He’s also involved in the National Honor Society, Senior Sibs, Mock Trial and the Student Leadership Advisory Council.
How did you achieve your academic success? I credit my parents for my academic success. As a child, my parents spent a lot of time reading with me and we liked to play little geography games too. They have always created a home atmosphere that puts academics first, which has helped me throughout all of my schooling.
What has been the most memorable academic moment? I am most proud of having straight A’s throughout high school up to this point. It has taken a lot of hard work and dedication. It means a lot to me because Mason is a very challenging school with a variety of difficult classes. Because of Mason’s rigorous academic slate, I feel well prepared for college and life after school.
How will you pursue your studies after high school? I hopefully will be attending the University of Notre Dame, a school I’ve been a fan of since birth. I plan on majoring in engineering. As of now, I am leaning toward chemical engineering.
How have academics played a role in your life? Academics have shaped many facets of my life. I find that I am surrounded by a group of hardworking, intelligent individuals that I’m glad to call my friends. I know I’ve learned a lot from staying up late, finishing papers or lab reports. My time management skills have improved tremendously throughout high school. I know that will help me not only in college, but also during my entire life.
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Erin White, SENIoR
Esther Oh, SENIoR
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estheR ohmason high school
eRin whitekings high school
Eighteen-year-old Esther oh’s parents always hoped she would one day go into math and science. But this Mason High School senior was inspired to write after taking an after school enrichment class many years ago.
How did you achieve your academic success? My parents were serious about me getting good grades when I was younger. They were always kind of hoping that I’d take up math and science, except that was pretty hopeless. But a while back, I had this superb English mentor in a writing workshop who helped me get into writing.
What has been the most memorable academic moment? Pulling off an acceptance to Stanford is pretty high up. It was my first acceptance because I applied for early action. My counselor, Ms. Clark, had kind of hinted at it to me, but I didn’t get the official e-mail until a few days later. So I opened it up and then there was this long moment of shock and jumping around like a little kid.
How will you pursue your studies after high school? I can’t wait for graduation and then college. As far as the school goes, I want to see how the money plays out, but I’m pretty much in love with both sunny California (Stanford) and also Columbia so hopefully it’ll be one of those two. For a major, I’m thinking about foreign policy or international relations right now—although if you ask me again in college I’d probably say undecided.
Discipline was an early and important lesson from her parents that stuck with Kings High School senior Erin White. The 17-year-old says “my parents would always make me do my home work before I could do anything else.”
How did you achieve your academic success? I think that the biggest part of my academic success could be attributed to my parents who always encouraged me to do home work and study before anything else after school. Also I think that studying a little every day helped me, most subjects don’t come extremely naturally to me. The difference is my hard work.
What has been the most exciting moment in your academic success? I think that I was always pushing myself academically, for other people and because I thought it was the right thing to do. But, the most exciting thing was the first college acceptance letter I received. I finally felt like everything had paid off.
How will you pursue your studies in college? I will be studying international business, French and Spanish at Loyola University of Chicago next fall.
What is your favorite part of academics? I really just enjoy coming to school most days and learning new things. Being in honors classes most of the day, I have the benefit of interacting with lots of talented students. We often challenge each other in many ways during discussions and debates both in and out of the classroom. It’s really great when a friend can help you and you can help a friend.
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mason & DeerfielD $$$ saVer
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Andrew E. DeWitt opened the fi rst Dewey’s Pizza in Oakley in 1998. The Cincinnati native and musician had fallen in love with pizza all over again when he got a job at a pizza delivery place to make a few extra bucks. Then he decided to open his own restaurant that combined great pies, cold drinks and good music.
Now, Dewey’s has more than a dozen locations in Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Dayton, St. Louis and Cleveland, with a Columbus shop opening this year.
The Dewey’s location on the border of Mason and West Chester Township has only been open since late last year, and already the place is a packed on a regular basis. My boyfriend and I joined my parents for a celebratory dinner. The second we walked through the door, my mom said, “It smells good in here!” And she was so right.
My group and I had a short wait for a seat even on a Sunday, but the cool thing about Dewey’s is you can watch pizzas being made through the glass window that looks into the kitchen. I easily passed the few minutes waiting for a table by watching the pizza makers toss dough in the air and have fun with the kids whose noses were pressed to the glass.
We got our table and immediately began salivating over the pizza list. Dewey’s doesn’t offer appetizers but has a choice of salads, make-your-own calzones and pizzas. We decided to get
DEWEY’S PIZZA 7663 Cox Lane, West Chester, OH 45069 513.759.6777 or www.deweyspizza.com
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something more tame (a 13-inch pepperoni, $13.45) and then got adventurous with the 11-inch Southwest BBQ Chicken ($14.95), which is topped with olive oil, smoked cheddar and mozzarella, black bean corn salsa, Amish chicken, roasted red peppers and barbecue sauce. My dad really enjoyed the barbecue pizza, and the pepperoni was devoured quickly with help from my boyfriend.
My mom shared in some pizza but ordered a chicken Caesar salad for her meal ($6.45 plus $1.75 for chicken). My boyfriend and I opted for side Caesar salads ($4.65) to go with our pizza. All of Dewey’s dressings are made daily at the restaurant. I had a Diet Coke ($1.85) to drink, my dad had a Bud Light ($2.59), my boyfriend tried a Mt. Carmel Copper Ale ($3.76) and my mom stuck with water.
We enjoyed the fun and inviting atmosphere of Dewey’s, where it seems the servers work as a team with whoever is available to fi ll drinks and clear empty dishes away. It’s family-friendly but also a lively place for friends to grab some beers and delicious pizza. The only problem arose when we had a hard time fi tting all of our food and plates on the table.
Dewey’s is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday.
Tasty pies and fun times at dewey’sphOtO bY DaViD sorcher
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Brian and lisa wolf of West Chester look on as sons Logan and Alex perfect the art of pizza cheese stretching at Dewey’s.
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BRAZENHEAD IRISH PUB5650 Tylersville Road Mason, OH 45040513.229.0809
You’ll fi nd plenty of space for parties large or small, traditional Irish cuisine and a huge selection of imported and domestic beers, martinis, wine, Irish whiskeys and single malt scotches. Order the classic fi sh and crisps platter or try seafood specialties such as Aunt Patty’s Crabby Sandwich and Kilroy’s West Coast Fish Tacos. and yes, there’s more than just Guinness to wash it all down with.
TAQUERIA MAYA7876 Mason-Montgomery Road Mason, OH 45040513.339.1300
Pozole? Ceviche? Menudo (the food, not the band)? Not quite sure what these are ... or even how to pronounce them? Fear not, because Taqueria Maya will not only let you know just how to speak some Spanish, they will also fi ll you with some delightful Mexican cooking. The menu is full of items you may never have heard of, but will soon learn to love.
PITRELLI’S ITALIAN CAFE312 Reading Road Mason, OH 45040513.770.0122
Ah, love. Nothing is more romantic than a nice Italian dinner away from all the pressures of life, and Pitrelli’s wants to provide that setting for you. Famous for their signature dishes, this restaurant will wine and dine you in the fi nest manor.
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For more restaurant reviews or to rate and review where you’ve eaten lately, visit www.connectmason.com or www.connectDeerfi eld.com.
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Events calendarLooking for fun? For even more event listings, visit connectmason.com or connectDeerfield.com.
April 1Art & Craft ClassesStudents Making Art Club, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. Fairfield Community Arts Center. After school program in pottery, painting, woodworking, edible art, youthful yoga, theater and more. Includes snacks, field trips, homework and free time. Bus service may be available. Grades K-6. $45, $40 resident. $80 deposit and registration required. 513.867.5348. 411 Wessel Drive, FAirField.
Filmsdinosaurs Alive!, 1 p.m. Museum Center, Omnimax Theater. Film goes on adventure of science and discovery with dinosaurs from Triassic Period to Cretaceous Period. Call to verify times. $7.50, $6.50 ages 60 and up, $5.50 ages 3-12. 513.287.7000. 1301 Western Ave., QueenSgAte.
Happy HoursHappy Hour, 3 p.m.-7 p.m. Dingle House Irish Pub. $4.50 drafts, $2.25 domestic bottles and house wines specials. 513.874.7468. 9102 West Chester Towne Center Drive, WeSt CHeSter tWp.
Happy Hour, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Miso Thai & Sushi Asian Bistro. Half price drinks, sake and Japanese drinks. 513.779.1807. 7334 Tylers Corner Place, WeSt CHeSter tWp.
Health / WellnessFlow Yoga, 7:15 p.m.-8:15 p.m. Alliance Healing Center. Stephanie Herrin, instructor. $36 for 6 weeks; $32 for 4 weeks. Registration required. 513.204.0091. 3484 Irwin Simpson Road, deerField tWp.
dinosaurs unearthed, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Museum Center. Exhibit of over 20 life-sized, mov-ing dinosaurs, full skeletons and fossils. Feathered dinosaur models bring life to new discoveries in paleontology. $15, $10 children; $10, $7 children for members. 513.287.7000. Through Sept. 7. 1301 Western Ave., QueenSgAte.
SportsCincinnati Cyclones Hockey, 7:30 p.m. U.S. Bank Arena. Professional minor league ice hockey. Johnstown Chiefs. $22.50 VIP, $10. 513.562.4949. Presented by Cincinnati Cyclones. 100 Broadway, doWntoWn.
Winter/Spring Meet, 1:10 p.m. Turfway Park. Free. 859.371.0200. 7500 Turfway Road, FlorenCe.
April 2Art ExhibitsAwakening: path to Spirituality, noon-6 p.m. Gallery 42 Fine Art. More than 20 paintings
by Chuck Marshall. 513.234.7874. Through April 4. 105 E. Main St., MASon.
Exercise ClassesHealing Yoga, 6 p.m.-7:15 p.m. Alliance Heal-ing Center. For beginner, novice and those with range of motion limitations. With Stephanie Her-rin. $8. 513.204.0091. 3484 Irwin Simpson Road, deerField tWp.
April 3Educationlunch & learn, noon-1 p.m. Mars Hill Academy. Hear from experts on topics relative to classical and Christian education. Bring lunch, friends welcome. Free. 513.770.3223. 4230 Aero Drive, deerField tWp.
Exercise ClassesMeditation Class, 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Alliance Healing Center. With Mike Perry. $15. Registration Requested. 513.204.0091. 3484 Irwin Simpson Road, deerField tWp.
Food & Drinklenten Fish Fry, 4:30 p.m.-8 p.m. St. Maximil-ian Kolbe Church. Includes cod, shrimp, salmon or seafood combo dinners. Clam chowder. Carryout available. Bring a non-perishable item for Reach Out Lakota for free soft drink. $3-$8; Kid’s Meal $3. 513.777.4322. 5720 Hamilton-Mason Road, libertY tWp.
Fish Fry, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. St. Margaret of York. Includes fish, shrimp, salmon, pizza, sides, drinks and dessert. Carryout available. Benefits youth group’s mission trip. $5-$10. 513.683.7100. 9483 Columbia Road, deerField tWp.
St. Columban Fish Fry, 5 p.m.-8 p.m. St. Columban Church. Salmon, fried cod, shrimp, cheese pizza, sandwiches and dinners, sides and beverages. Drive-through and walk-in carryout available. Stations of the Cross offered from 7:30-8:30 p.m. $2-$9. 513.683.0105. 894 Oakland Road, lovelAnd.
St. peter Men’s Club Fish Fry, 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m. St. Peter Church - New Richmond. Fried and baked fish and sides. Dessert and drink included. Carryout available. Benefits parish projects. $6.75 adult, $3.25 children under 12. 513.553.3267. 1192 Bethel-New Richmond Road, neW riCHMond.
Happy HoursWest Chester’s biggest office party, 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Jag’s Steak and Seafood. Buffet, half-price appetizers, entertainment and drink specials. Buffet from 5-7 p.m. Weekly drawings for gift cer-tificates to local businesses. $5 buffet. 513.860.5353. 5980 West Chester Road, WeSt CHeSter tWp.
April 4Health / WellnessKids guided imagery Meditation, noon-2 p.m. Alliance Healing Center. Ages 5 and up. With Brecka Burton-Platt. $10. Registration re-quested. 513.204.0091. 3484 Irwin Simpson Road, deerField tWp.
Student TheaterCharlotte’s Web, 2 p.m. Taft Theatre. $7-$20. 513.562.4949. Presented by The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati. 317 E. Fifth St., doWntoWn.
April 5MusicCincinnati pops orchestra, 3 p.m. Music Hall. Doc Severinsen & Friends guest. Steven Reineke, conductor. $25-$69. 513.381.3300. Pre-sented by Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. 1241 Elm St., over-tHe-rHine.
April 6Book ClubsA Course in Miracles, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Alli-ance Healing Center. Study group for “A Course in Miracles” by Foundation for Inner Peace. With Ken Obermeyer. Free, donations accepted. Registration recommended. 513.204.0091. 3484 Irwin Simpson Road, deerField tWp.
April 11SportsCincinnati rollergirls, 7:30 p.m. Cincin-nati Gardens. Women’s roller derby. $15, $7.50 ages 12 and under; $10, $5 ages 12 and under advance. 513.351.3999. Presented by Cincinnati Rol-lergirls. 2250 Seymour Ave., roSelAWn.
intimidation Cage Fighting, 8 p.m. U.S. Bank Arena. Professional mixed martial arts with local amateurs. ICF: Breakout. $78, $53, $38. 513.562.4949. 100 Broadway, doWntoWn.
April 12BookstoresScrapbooking, 1 p.m. Agora Bookstore. 513.898.0804. 108 W. Main St, MASon.
April 14Mercy Healthy Weight Solutions information Session, 6 p.m.-7 p.m. Mercy HealthPlex Fairfield. Information session about medical and surgical weight loss options. Cover-age, procedures, cost, fitness and more discussed.
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Free. 513.603.1441. Presented by Mercy Healthy Weight Solutions. 3050 Mack Road, FAirField.
April 16Mom’s ClubsMoMS Club of landen/Mainville business Meeting, 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Deer-field United Methodist Church. New members welcome. 513.469.1922. Presented by MOMS Club of Landen/Mainville. 2757 W. U.S. Route 22 and 3, deerField tWp.
TheaterShock and Awe, 8 p.m. NKU Corbett Audi-torium. Members of U.S. Army share personal experiences while abroad fighting War in Iraq. Based upon interviews with U.S. veterans. Part of Y.E.S. Festival of new plays. $12, $10 seniors, $8 students. 859.572.5464. Through April 25. Pre-sented by Northern Kentucky University Theatre and Dance. Nunn Drive, HigHlAnd HeigHtS.
April 17EducationMad Anthony Writers Conference, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Miami University Hamilton. Thirty workshops for writers of all genres. Police Acad-emy. $125, $99 March 31st or before. Registration required, available online. 513.856.9800. Presented by Mad Anthony Writers Conference. 1601 Univer-sity Blvd., HAMilton.
April 18Garden ShowsCincinnati Flower Show, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Symmes Park. Horticultural event showcasing
gardening displays, plant markets and more. Cincinnati Fine Food Show. Local and national vendors. Advanced tickets sales only, available online. $20, $14 advance. Reservations required, available online. 513.872.9555. Presented by Cincin-nati Horticultural Society. 11600 Lebanon Road, SYMMeS tWp.
Special Eventsbutterfly Show, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Krohn Conser-vatory. Featuring international butterflies, flowers, culture and art of India. $6, $5 seniors, $4 ages 4-17, free ages 3 and under. 513.421.5707. Through June 21. 1501 Eden Park Drive, eden pArK.
April 19MusicFrankie valli and the Four Seasons, 7:30 p.m. Aronoff Center, Procter & Gamble Hall. $80, $70, $60, $50. 513.621.2787. Presented by Star Productions. 650 Walnut St., doWntoWn.
April 21TheaterAvenue Q, 8 p.m. Aronoff Center, Procter & Gamble Hall. Musical comedy with puppets. Addresses some adult issues and may not be appropriate for children. $20-$60. 800.982.2787. Through May 3. Presented by Broadway Across America. 650 Walnut St., doWntoWn.
April 22Recreationpretty, pretty princess party, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Mercy HealthPlex Fairfield. Pampering, manicures, pedicures, crafts and treats. Dress-up is optional. Ages 4-12. $10, $8 members. Registra-
tion required. 513.682.1218. 3050 Mack Road, FAirField.
April 23TheaterA little night Music, 8 p.m. New Stage Collective. Stephen Sondheim musical. $20, $16 seniors, $12 students. 513.621.3700. Through May 17. 1140 Main St., over-tHe-rHine.
April 24BenefitsSpring Fling, 8 p.m.-midnight Museum Cen-ter, Union Terminal. Holly Morgan of Q102, emcee. Includes food, drinks, and parking. Entertainment by DJ KaeJae and Naked Karate Girls. Benefits Cincinnati Horticultural Society’s Project Grow. $50. Online reservation required. 513.200.9830. Presented by Cincinnati Horticultural Society. 1301 Western Ave., QueenSgAte.
April 26
Art Openingsgreater Hamilton Art exhibit, 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Fitton Center for Creative Arts. Juried exhibition in various media by local artists. Exhibit continues through June 15. Free. 513.863.8873. 101 S. Monument Ave., HAMilton.
April 27MusicSilverstein, 7 p.m. Bogart’s. With Norma Jean, Bless The Fall and Before Their Eyes. $20, $18 advance. 877-598-8703. 2621 Vine St., CorrYville.
FrYing up SoMetHing goodThere’s no problem getting your fill of fried fish at this time of the year. The calendar is full of fish fries at churches, schools, fire departments and more. Find the one nearest you and dig in!
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Support Groupsgrieving for a parent, Sibling, Friend topic night, 7 p.m.-9 p.m. St. Maximilian Kolbe Church. Night set aside for those who have suffered the death of a loved one. Free. 513.870.9108. Presented by Companions on Jour-ney Grief Support. 5720 Hamilton-Mason Road, libertY tWp.
April 28MusicMusic Cafe, 7 p.m. Fitton Center for Creative Arts. Five local and traveling musicians of all abili-ties and ages perform approximately 25 minutes each. Refreshments provided. Free. 513.863.8873. 101 S. Monument Ave., HAMilton.
April 29Theaterdonít Make Me pull this Show over: dispatches From the Frontlines of parenting, 7:30 p.m. Ensemble Theatre of Cin-cinnati. New musical that takes us on the winding road of parenting. $29-$38, $26-$32 students and seniors, $16 ages 12. 513.421.3555. Through June 30. 1127 Vine St., over-tHe-rHine.
Recreationboys night, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Mercy Health-Plex Fairfield. For boys only. Games, male bonding, crafts and snack. Ages 4-12. $10, $8 member. Registration required. 513.682.1218. 3050 Mack Road, FAirField.
April 30
CivicWarren County virtual Community School board Meeting, 4 p.m. War-ren County Educational Service Center. Regular business meeting. 513.695.2900. 320 E. Silver St., lebAnon.
Musicreverend Horton Heat, 7:30 p.m. Bogart’s. $20, $5 advance. 877-598-8703. 2621 Vine St., CorrYville.
TheaterSomething’s Afoot, 8 p.m. Parrish Audi-torium. Murder mystery. $15; discount available for seniors, students and groups. 513.737.7529. Through May 3. Presented by Greater Hamilton Civic Theatre. 1601 University Blvd., HAMilton.
MAy 1Musicthe devil Wears prada, 7 p.m. Bogart’s. $17.50, $14.50 advance. 877-598-8703. 2621 Vine St., CorrYville.
MAy 2Musiclisa biales, 8 p.m. Fitton Center for Creative Arts. Mixture of folk and blues. Tickets include post performance wine and beer reception. $17, $15 members. Reservations recommended. 513.863.8873. 101 S. Monument Ave., HAMilton.
DanceYu Wei: Chinese dance Collection, 8 p.m. Fairfield Community Arts Center. Presented by One Stage Series. Dance with cinematic vignettes
depicting stories of dance. $15, $12 seniors and students. 513.867.5348. 411 Wessel Drive, FAirField.
Schoolspre-primary Art Show, 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Children’s Meeting House Montessori School. View art made by children age 3-6 including water colors, collage, drawings, mosaics, self portraits, and pottery. Refreshments served. Free. 513.683.4757. 927 O’Bannonville Road, lovelAnd.
MAy 4Benefitsit’s not How You play, it’s Who You play For St. rita golf outing, 7 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Crooked Tree Golf Course. Play 108 holes of golf, choosing best ball out of three at each hole. Includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, personal caddy, and special gift. Benefits St. Rita School for the Deaf. $1000 in pledges. Registration required. 513.771.7600. Presented by St. Rita School for the Deaf. 5171 Sentinel Oak Drive, MASon.
MAy 5Support GroupsSurvivors After Suicide, 7 p.m.-9 p.m. St. Maximilian Kolbe Church. For those who have suf-fered death of a loved one, friend or close associate by suicide. All welcome. Free. 513.870.9108. Pre-sented by Companions on Journey Grief Support. 5720 Hamilton-Mason Road, libertY tWp.
MAy 8TheaterArms and the Man, 7:30 p.m. Cincin-nati Shakespeare Company. In late 19th century
Avenue QThis isn’t the Muppets you remember from your childhood. Avenue Q is a hilarious look at some of life’s basic - and not so basic - issues. Warning: this one’s definitely just for the parents!
when 8 p.m. April 21
where Aronoff Center
tickets 513.982.2787
Bulgaria, Raina fi nds herself torn between the boisterous man of her dreams and the sensitive hero from behind enemy lines. $26, $22 seniors, $20 students. 513.381.2273. ext.1. Through May 31. 719 Race St., doWntoWn.
MAy 9Musicgwar, 8 p.m. Bogart’s. With Priestess and Cattle Decapitation. $23, $20 advance. 877-598-8703. 2621 Vine St., CorrYville.
MAy 12MusicKings of leon, 7:30 p.m. PNC Pavilion at Riverbend. With The Walkmen. $46. 513.562.4949. 6295 Kellogg Ave., AnderSon tWp.
MAy 13Lecturesgreat ohio road trips, 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Fit-ton Center for Creative Arts. Carruthers Signature Ballroom. For Ohioans who like to hit the open road. Includes buffet lunch and entertainment by Treva Boardman. $17, $15 members. Reservations recommended. 513.863.8873. ext. 110. 101 S. Monu-ment Ave., HAMilton.
Support Groupsnew beginnings Widowed group, 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Huff Realty West Chester. For those who have been widowed more than or less than 1 year. Free. 513.870.9108. Presented by Companions on Journey Grief Support. 6192 Mulhauser Road, libertY tWp.
MAy 14TheaterHal Holbrook in Mark twain tonight, 8 p.m. Aronoff Center, Procter & Gamble Hall. Tony Award-winning one-man show. $45, $35, $25. 513.621.2787. 650 Walnut St., doWntoWn.
MAy 15Danceriverdance, 8 p.m. Aronoff Center, Procter & Gamble Hall. Irish dance. Farewell tour. All ages. $25-$60. 800.982.2787. Through May 17. Pre-sented by Broadway Across America. 650 Walnut St., doWntoWn.
MAy 16MusicChuck brisbin & the tuna project, 9:30 p.m. Turner Gill’s Bar and Grill. 513.863.3383. 2556 Millville-Oxford Road, HAMilton.
TheaterMoon over buffalo, 8 p.m. Fairfi eld Com-munity Arts Center. Presented by Fairfi eld Footlight-ers. $12, $10 seniors and students. 513.867.5348. Through May 31. 411 Wessel Drive, FAirField.
MAy 24Musicthe rusty griswolds, 10 p.m. Jefferson Hall. 859.491.6200. Newport on the Levee, neWport.
MAy 26Civicland use planning Committee, 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Community Development Depart-ment. 513.777.4214. 9577 Beckett Rd., Suite 100, WeSt CHeSter tWp.
TheaterA Chorus line, 8 p.m. Aronoff Center, Procter & Gamble Hall. Musical. In an empty theatre, cast-ing for new Broadway musical is almost complete. For 17 dancers, this audition is the chance of a lifetime. Ages 13 and up. $20-$60. 800.982.2787. Through June 7. Presented by Broadway Across America. 650 Walnut St., doWntoWn.
MAy 27TheaterMeshuggah-nuns: the ecumenical nunsense, 8 p.m. Fitton Center for Creative Arts Benninghofen Theatre. The Sisters are on an all-expense paid cruise where the entertainers get seasick. $17, $15 members; $10 Wednesday. Reser-vations recommended. 513.863.8873. Through May 31. 101 S. Monument Ave., HAMilton.
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Meet the Kralls
Life is full in this empty nest
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Empty nesters Bonnie and Bob Krall couldn’t be happier. When they moved to Mason 18 months ago to
be closer to family, they traded in country club cuisine for happy meals with the grandkids, and their nest is rarely empty now.
“It’s like living with extended family,” Bonnie says about her daughters, son-in-laws and three grandchildren. “We spend tons of time together, we just live in three different houses.”
Longtime residents of Medina, Bonnie and Bob embarked on a path that led them to a four-year stint in Birmingham, Alabama eight years ago.
“Life was good there. We had a beautiful house with a pool and a country club membership,” says Bob. “But on a Friday night we’d be floating around the pool alone. Life is so much fuller now.”
During their time in Birmingham, the couple never went more than two months without seeing their grandchildren.
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“We saw them all the time, but I didn’t like being known as ‘Gramma Alabama,’” says Bonnie. “We wanted our grandkids to grow up really knowing us and being comfortable with us.”
So, when an opportunity to move to Columbus four years ago came up, it was an easy decision. Two years later, when Time Warner offered Bob a position as fleet manager in Mason, that decision was even easier.
Their oldest daughter, Kim, resides in Loveland with her husband, Mason High School Principal Dr. Dave Allen, and two children, Emmi and Ty.
Middle daughter, Kelly, is a Mason Intermediate School sixth grade teacher and girls varsity track coach. She, her husband, Mason High School guidance counselor and assistant varsity football coach Tony Affatato and daughter, Gabby, live in Mason.
These days, Bonnie and Bob are thrilled to be out and about in Mason and
Meet the Kralls: The Krall family takes a minute to pose for a shot.
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be recognized as Emmi and Ty’s Grammy and Pappy or Gabby’s Grammy. “We take them to our neighborhood pool, and we even have our own passes to King’s Island so we can meet them there,” says Bonnie.
“We have to have a kid calendar to keep up with their schedules—they spend so much time with us,” she adds.
The house is certainly outfitted for the grandkids. “We don’t have a pantry—we have a ‘snack cupboard’ and enough bikes for everyone,” jokes Bob.
The spare bedroom serves as the dormitory for sleepovers and will soon sport a crib. Their youngest daughter, Kerry, and her husband, Matt, are expecting their first child in March.
“They live in Detroit, so it will be hard. But we plan on seeing our new grandson at least every six weeks,” says Bonnie.
The couple will have to get those visits on the calendar, because in addition to being phenomenal grandparents, they lead really busy lives.
Bob’s 95-year-old mother, Caroline, is also a frequent visitor to their home. She travels down from Toledo every couple of months and stays for a week or so. “It is great for the grandkids to interact with GG—short for great-grandmother—and it’s great for her, too,” says Bob.
In her spare time, Bonnie works as a receptionist for Martinez and Martinez Family Dental and is active in a book club. “I love sewing, too,” she says, “But it’s the kids that really fill my life.”
In addition to his full time position with Time Warner, Bob, who has had his pilot’s license since 1971, flies with the Civil Air Patrol and belongs to a flying club.
“The Civil Air Patrol serves two roles,” says Bob. “Its primary function is to provide search and rescue missions in the event a plane goes down. But we also take kids from ROTC programs up to see if they have an interest in flying.”
There are not enough hours in a day for Bob. He is not one to sit for long and always has a project underway. Whether it be putting the finishing touches on an addition to the screened-in back porch or redoing their guest bath from the tile on up, Bob always has a tool in hand.
Even a frigid, winter day finds him hard at work in the backyard on his latest endeavor—a compost pile.
“It’s all good,” he says, “Hard work keeps you young.”“We have to stay young,” says Bonnie. “We are so
proud that our kids want us in their lives, and we want to be able to do things with them for a long time.”
“The kids want us here,” says Bob, “and we want to be here. I finally feel like we are home.”
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Despite the current state of the economy, residents are finding ways to bring color into their yard
without losing too much green.According to Beth Maddux-Coolie,
retail general manager at the Liberty Township location of the Delhi Flower and Garden Center, research and planning are the first steps to successful budget gardening.
“Do some research about the types of plants you like,” Beth says. “Know what kind of sun requirements you have, where you’re planting, if there’s any water issue in the area. You really have to know your area so you can make the right decision on which plants to get.”
When Beth was growing up, her parents planted everywhere across the front of their house.
“I don’t have the time or the money for that, so I put things in containers,” she says. “You can still have the color you want without spending hundreds of dollars planting every single inch of landscape.”
Likewise, a hanging basket can add a burst of color to a patio or porch without costing a fortune, she says.
Beth suggests starting plants and vegetables from seed, growing them inside during the colder months before moving them into the garden in April.
“You can start off seeds in two-liter bottles or egg cartons,” she says. “You can do inside gardens, too, especially herb gardens which you can do on your window sill.”
Although gardening from seeds may take more work and patience, Beth says a pack of seeds can last a few years if they’re stored and cared for properly.
“A pack of tomato seeds is the same price as one or two tomatoes at a store,” Beth says. “You’re looking at a plant that will yield you tomatoes all summer long.”
It’s more popular to start annuals—plants that need to be planted yearly—
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wheel barrels—can be used as planting containers instead of buying new pots.
Beth also recommends composting as a good way to save.
“You can either spend a little bit more up front to buy a composting bin or you can use chicken wire and a cage,” she says.
“Doing that, you’re turning all the stuff that you’re throwing into your garbage into fertilizer for your plants. Coffee grounds, banana peels are great for your soil.”
According to Beth, more people are looking for easy-to-care-for plants.
“It’s a good idea for the customer to know how much time they have to devote to their garden because some take a lot of time between watering, fertilizing, spraying,” she says. “You have to be really honest about how much time you’re willing to make for [your garden] because
it can be like another job.” For those who don’t have a lot of time,
Natorp’s Inc. nursery supervisor Alan Cohen recommends knockout roses—a flowering shrub—which come in a variety of colors.
“They’re re-blooming, easy to trim, a pretty solid plant,” Alan says.
The Rozanne geranium—perennial of the year in 2008—is still popular, as well as the Walkers Low Catmint, hydrangeas, wave petunias and ornamental grass, Sherree says.
According to Tom Fryman, a Natorp’s landscape architect, a slower economy means advantages for the consumer.
“There’s more plants and more selections,” he says. “There are larger plants to buy and of course, we become more aggressive in our pricing.”
from seed compared to perennials—plants that come back every year, Natorp’s store manager Sherree Wilson says.
“Most people who do seeds go with annuals because most perennials don’t bloom for the first year typically from seed,” Sherree says.
Even so, perennials are a good investment, Beth says.
“You’re going to spend a little bit more on the perennials, but they can still give you as much color and satisfaction as your annuals will,” she says. “Friends or neighbors may have perennials that can be divided and you can look on the web for groups that do perennial or seed swaps.”
Gardening on a budget is about using your imagination and utilizing every day things, Beth says. Things around the house—such as wagons, old boots or
You can utilize things around the house to plant in, like an old wheelbarrow (above). Just make sure you’re not going to need it for a while. Or, in the
case of perennials, ever again.
Likewise, Alan suggests joining customer reward programs and looking for sales early in the planting season.
Despite the economy, Natorp’s staff has an optimistic outlook for the spring business season. Garden stores and nurseries typically don’t get hit as hard during recession, Alan says.
“We may have lower sales and lower inventory, but we can still pull out a good year for ourselves,” he says.
And Sherree says a nice garden can be a get-away at home for people who cannot afford a vacation this year.
It’s a “feel good business,” she says. “When your yard, your porch, your deck looks good, you feel good. If you can’t afford to take a vacation, you’re stuck there, so people still want their landscape to look good.”
finalthoUghts
48 our town
Evidence suggests that I have begun, somewhat prematurely, the descent into curmudgeonhood. There need be no more definitive proof of this than the inescapable reality that things
annoy me almost every day of my life. I do not refer here to things which correctly anger people of any age such as cruelty to children and animals or the slow, ceaseless torture of being a Bengals fan. No, I mean broader, state-of-humanity kind of things: thoughts and sentences that begin with the phrase “When I was a kid …” Inevitably, these mental comparisons and occasional out-loud utterances are unflattering to the more recent version of anything and commonly conclude that something or someone or society collectively used to be better—more intelligent or more respectable or more qualified or just more fun (in ways that did not involve the threat of communicable diseases). I am awash of late in something of a pervasive, low-fat version of melancholia, believing as I do that mankind in general is advancing heedlessly toward some proverbial cliff.
I did not have a computer until I was in my late 20s. My children find this both amusing and incomprehensible. I fondly recollect that there was once a life without e-mail, cell phones, Bluetooth anything, or digital HD television. Eating dinner with your family was neither an occasion nor an optional activity; you ate dinner with your family because it was time to eat and because you were hungry. There was once a dividing line between being at work and being home. Weekends often arrived without specific plans. People knew how to read road maps and how to write thank you notes. You are certainly free to disagree but I contend that life was fuller and more meaningful when we actually interacted with one another in a face-to-face, full and grammatically correct, complete sentence sort of way.
Given the current economic conditions, one can quite plausibly assert that “times are hard,” because, for too many, this is factually accurate. But, the basis of my lament here is not economic. Rather, it is behavioral. Look at photographs of breadlines during the Great Depression—most every man in the queue is wearing a suit and a hat. Even in the darkest of hours, they comported themselves with a certain level of dignity and self-respect. Lack of economic advantage does not
excuse or necessitate a lack of manners. By comparison, last December a man was trampled to death at a Wal-Mart in New York by a mob entirely too eager to get their hands on poorly made, ridiculously cheap junk. It seems like proper regard for basic decency and civility has very nearly disappeared from our country. Just try to have a conversation that includes even a modicum of genuine human interaction or eye contact with anyone who carries a Crackberry. Apparently, the word “shame” no longer exists in our societal dictionary. I submit that irrefutable evidence of this may be obtained simply by observing the astoundingly shameless behavior routinely on display on YouTube.
Decency is defined as “conformity to prevailing standards of propriety and modesty.” Therein lies the root of our pervasive descent into behavioral decay—there really aren’t any such prevailing standards anymore. Don’t believe me? Check out the quantity of uninhibited, spandex encapsulated people on parade at nearly any retail location. Too many, it seems, confuse the constitutionally protected freedom of personal expression with utter disregard for humility or self respect. Pride should be earned, I think, and bestowed by the esteem of others for your good works and kind gestures rather than simply adopted as an attitude for a lifestyle.
Perhaps it is only distorted warmth of recollection on my part that suggests that we are capable of being better. Maybe, as I suggested at the outset, I am simply slipping on the mantle of the curmudgeon. But, I would be lying if I said I believed that. In 1922, Emily Post published a book entitled Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home. I suggest that it may be time for a reprint.
Some folks report that Richard Stewart is actually a fairly pleasant guy with a decent sense of humor. He may just be in a bad mood because his granddaughter recently moved out of town. He can be reached at stewart.richard @ yahoo.com.
Crank It UpAm I are curmudgeon, or did things actually used to be better?
bY richarD stewart
funformasonApril/May 2009
masonCity of Mason
Summer CampsTennis in the ParksOutdoor Swim TeamAnd LOTS More!
Summer CampsLOOK INSIDE FOR: Priority Registration
Begins March 28See back cover for Registration Information
Summer CampsSummer CampsLOOK INSIDE FOR: Priority Registration Priority Registration Priority Registration Priority Registration
Begins March 28Begins March 28Begins March 28Begins March 28
Outdoor Adventures Await
Programs and events from the
contents
The programs and events in Funformason are brought to you by the City of Mason, which operates the Mason Community Center.
Mason Community Center6050 Mason-Montgomery RoadMason, Ohio 45040p 513-229-8555 f 513-229-8556
Weather Hotline: 513-229-8502, option 5
Call hotline for weather updates, cancellations, and fi eld rainouts (option 6).
Programs presented by the City of Mason are open to all, including those who live outside of Mason or those who do not have a community center pass. Programs fees are set by pass holder status and residency and are listed at VIP/MR or CR/NR.
You are eligible for the VIP rate if you have a current VIP membership to the Mason Community Center.
You are eligible for the Mason resident (MR) fee if you reside within the boundaries of the City of Mason.
You are a community resident (CR) if you reside within the Mason City School District. All Mason residents are also community residents.
Please note that your ZIP code is not an indicator of your residency status. Many households with the 45040 ZIP code are not in the City of Mason. Proof of residency will be required if not on fi le.
City of Mason6000 Mason-Montgomery RoadMason, Ohio 45040p 513-229-8500
Table of
Special Events Nature Programs
Youth Enrichment Special Events Arts & Crafts Tumbling/Gymnastics Sports Wellness
Ballet/Dance
Camps
Tennis in the Parks
Teens & Tweens
Enrichment Special Interest Arts & Crafts Computer Classes Sports
Fitness/Wellness Special Interest Exercise Wellness
Aquatics
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12
7
9
9
6
13
10
4
Bursting at the Seams! Here at the Mason Community Center, we’ve been working hard to bring you a variety of programs and events. We have so many we can’t fi t them all! For more program times and descriptions, including some special events in our Live Well in Mason series with Group Health Associates and Bethesda, visit us online at www.imaginemason.org!
This symbol designates a program where volunteers are needed. If you are interested in volunteering, please fi ll out a volunteer application form located on our web site at www.imaginemason.org.
This symbol designates a Young Rembrandts™ program. Young Rembrandts™ encourages creativity, technique, and joy of the artistic process by offering a unique, step-by-step method that successfully teaches children how to draw.
This symbol designates a Live Well in Mason program provided through a partnership between the City of Mason, Group Health Associates, and Bethesda. It includes Wellness Wednesday on the fi rst Wednesday of every month and other programs as designated.
3
To register, see page 16.
Kids in Naturepresented by the Wild Bird Center of Mason
Pine Hill Lodge
The Earth is Our HomeWhat does it mean to be a caretaker of the Earth? Learn the importance of recycling and conservation, and gain a better understanding of your impact on our friends in the forests and streams.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/MR/NR) Activity Tu 4/21 4:45-6:00P 6-12 4/14 $9 /$10 /$15* 313122-01
Conservation Good TurnPlant native perennials and shrubs in a butterfl y garden on the grounds of Pine Hill Lodge while learning which native plants create the best habitats for butterfl ies, bees, hummingbirds, and other plant pollinators. Discuss soil, water, and light conditions to determine which plants grow best in different areas.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/MR/NR) Activity Th 4/23 4:45-6:00P 6-12 4/16 $9 /$10 /$15* 313122-02
Environmental ScienceReduce pollution and conserve resources in your home, school, and community. In this exciting interactive program, you’ll explore ten simple changes you can make in your daily life to promote a greener planet.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/MR/NR) Activity Tu 5/12 4:45-6:00P 6-12 5/5 $9 /$10 /$15* 313122-03
Outdoor AdventurerJoin our volunteer naturalist and discover how our feathered and furry friends protect themselves from the elements in this fun and informative nature hike through Pine Hill Lakes Park.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/MR/NR) Activity Th 5/14 4:45-6:00P 6-12 5/7 $9 /$10 /$15* 313122-04
*Pricing is per family. Group pricing rates are available by calling 513-229-8555.
Special Events
Moonlight FishingPine Hill Lakes Park Enjoy fi shing at the park after dark! Fishing will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday and will continue until 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning. All participants 10 years and older must have a current 2009 City of Mason Fishing Pass. Passes will be sold at the lake on the day of the event.
Day Date Time Age F-Sa 6/5-6/6 6:00P-7:30A All
Family Fun and Fitness NightsSpecial Needs Program
Mason Community CenterFamily Fun and Fitness Night includes activities for youth who have cognitive, sensory, and motor planning delays. The entire family is encouraged to participate in recreational activities to promote healthy lifestyles. The cost is for a family of four, and at least one parent or guardian must participate. For more information, contact the Mason Community Center at 513-229-8555.
Day Date Time Age Fee(VIP/CR/NR) Activity F 4/24 6-8P 6 & up $26 /$30 /$45* 211201-02 F 5/15 6-8P 6 & up $26 /$30 /$45* 211201-03 F 6/12 6-8P 6 & up $26 /$30 /$45* 211201-04 *Cost is for a family of up to 4 participants
Family Fishing DerbyPine Hill Lakes Park Enjoy the thrill of the catch at the annual Family Fishing Derby! Prizes will be awarded within several age groups for the “biggest catch” (most weight), the “longest fi sh”, and the “most fi sh caught.” You must be present to win. All participants 10 years and older must have a current 2009 City of Mason fi shing pass. Passes will be sold at the lake on the day of the event.
Day Date Time Age Sa 5/16 7:00A-noon All
Earth Day Celebration 2009 Pine Hill Lakes Park - NEW 2009 LOCATION!Celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day with your family, friends, pets, and neighbors at our free non-competitive walk and expo. The expo features earth-friendly vendors, interactive nature programs, organic gardening tips, live music, and tasty food. One FREE event T-shirt will be given to each of the fi rst 100 registered Earth Walk participants. The Mason Tree Committee will give free tree seedlings to the fi rst 200 walkers who complete the Earth Walk.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee Activity Sa 4/25 10:00A-2:00P All 4/18 Free 213813-03
NATURE PROGRAMS
Great Outdoors Month Pine Hill Lakes ParkCelebrate National Great Outdoors Month with the City of Mason and local nature professionals. Events will be held throughout the month of June. Visit www.imaginemason.org for a complete event schedule. Group pricing is available. Contact the Mason Community Center at 513-229-8555 for details.
4
VIP: Community Center VIP Pass Holder MR: Mason Resident CR: Community Resident NR: Non-Resident
TUMBLING & GYMNASTICS
Tumbling for TotsGymnasium BDuring this class, your toddler will begin with fun stretching activities and focus on developmental movement, coordination, balance, strength, and peer interaction. Parents or guardians will be active participants in this class.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity M 5/4-6/29 10:00-10:30A 18mo-3yr 4/27 $73 /$85 /$110 232301-06* W 5/6-6/24 10:15-10:45A 18mo-3yr 4/29 $73 /$85 /$110 232301-07 Th 5/7-6/25 10:30-11:00A 18mo-3yr 4/30 $73 /$85 /$110 232301-08 Sa 5/9-6/27 10:00-10:30A 18mo-3yr 5/2 $73 /$85 /$110 232301-09 *No Class 5/25
Pre-School Drawing Arts & Crafts 1Young Rembrandts™ instructors provide a positive, nurturing environment for your child. Each week, your child will draw something along with the instructor, from fi sh to teddy bears; rainbows to cowboys. Classes will concentrate on drawing and coloring, but will also work on developing fi ne motor skills, focus, listening, staying on task, spatial organization, and patience. All supplies are included. Each week will consist of all new lessons.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Tu 4/21-5/26 6:00-6:45P 4-6 4/14 $68 /$80 /$95 231200-03 W 4/22-5/27 6:00-6:45P 4-6 4/15 $68 /$80 /$95 231200-04 Tu 6/9-7/7 6:00-6:45P 4-6 6/2 $60 /$70 /$80 331200-01 W 6/10-7/8 6:00-6:45P 4-6 6/3 $60 /$70 /$80 331200-02
Cartooning Arts & Crafts 1
Learning to draw can be lots of fun, especially if your child is creating silly characters and funny expressions, and drawing sequences that tell jokes. This delightful program combines Young Rembrandts’™ innovative step-by-step drawing method with light-hearted subject matter that engages children, their sense of humor, and their vivid imaginations. All supplies are included. Each session will introduce a new lesson.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity M 4/20-6/1 6:00-7:00P 7-13 4/13 $68 /$80 /$95 231201-02* M 6/8-7/6 6:00-7:00P 7-13 6/1 $60 /$70 /$80 331201-01 *No Class 5/25
Elementary Drawing Arts & Crafts 1
The innovative, step-by-step drawing method of Young Rembrandts™ can help any child learn how to draw, regardless of artistic ability. Children will learn to express their creativity with skills that will last a lifetime. All materials are provided. New subject matter is introduced every week, ranging from animals and landscapes to still lifes and art history.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity W 4/22-5/27 4:45-5:45P 6-12 4/15 $68 /$80 /$95 231202-02 W 6/10-7/8 4:45-5:45P 6-12 6/3 $60 /$70 /$80 331202-01
Pre-Teen Drawing/Cartooning Arts & Crafts 1
This is the best of both worlds for students who want a challenge. More complex concepts are stressed in this Young Rembrandts™ class, such as shading and highlighting, perspective, and color theory. All supplies are included. Each session will introduce new subject matter.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Tu 4/21-5/26 7:00-8:00P 8-13 4/14 $68 /$80 /$95 231203-02 Tu 6/9-7/7 7:00-8:00P 8-13 6/2 $60 /$70 /$80 331207-01
Youth Enrichment
Tumbling for ToddlersGymnasium BYour child will begin to develop fl exibility and tumbling skills. Class will focus on somersaults, bridges, balancing in headstands, cartwheels, arm strengthening, and coordination skills such as skipping, hopping, and jumping.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity M 5/4-6/29 10:30-11:15A 3-5 4/27 $73 /$85 /$110 232302-10* W 5/6-6/24 10:45-11:30A 3-5 4/29 $73 /$85 /$110 232302-11 W 5/6-6/24 11:30A-12:15P 3-5 4/29 $73 /$85 /$110 232302-12 W 5/6-6/24 4:15-5:00P 3-5 4/29 $73 /$85 /$110 232302-13 Th 5/7-6/25 11:00-11:45A 3-5 4/30 $73 /$85 /$110 232302-14 Th 5/7-6/25 5:15-6:00P 3-5 4/30 $73 /$85 /$110 232302-15 F 5/8-6/26 10:00-10:45A 3-5 5/1 $73 /$85 /$110 232302-16 F 5/8-6/26 10:45-11:30A 3-5 5/1 $73 /$85 /$110 232302-17 Sa 5/9-6/27 10:30-11:15A 3-5 5/2 $73 /$85 /$110 232302-18 Sa 5/9-6/27 11:15A-noon 3-5 5/2 $73 /$85 /$110 232302-19 *No Class 5/25
Kinder TumbleGymnasium BYour toddler will develop balance and coordination as he or she learns how to walk or crawl across beams, roll down wedges, hang from bars, and slide down mats. This is all with the help of instructors and a parent or chaperone.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Th 5/7-6/25 10:00-10:30A 1-2 4/30 $73 /$85 /$110 232300-02
ZUMBA Kids Bunny Hop Activity RoomBoys and girls are invited to a ZUMBA kids party with moving and shaking, twisting and hopping, hula-hooping and running! Your kids will get active with fun Latin music and easy-to-follow moves to help build strong muscles and bones, boost energy, maintain a healthy weight, and create positive self-esteem.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Sa 4/11 12:15-1:15P 5-13 4/4 $0 /$2 /$6 269115-01
SPECIAL EVENTS
ARTS & CRAFTS
5
To register, see page 16.
Tumbling Gymnasium B
Level 1Cartwheels, running cartwheels, round-offs, handstands, strength, balance, coordination, and other basic skills will be introduced.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity W 5/6-6/24 5:00-6:00P 5 & up 4/29 $77 /$90 /$115 232303-03
Level 2Running round-offs, kick-overs, back bends, and front limbers will be taught while continuing to work on the basic skills.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
W 5/6-6/24 5:00-6:00P 5 & up 4/29 $77 /$90 /$115 232304-03
Level 3The focus will be on advanced tumbling skills, including walkovers and front and back handsprings. Round-off back handsprings will be introduced.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
W 5/6-6/24 6:00-7:00P 5 & up 4/29 $77 /$90 /$115 232305-02
Level 4Tumblers will work on round-off back handsprings, aerials, and back handspring series.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
W 5/6-6/24 7:00-8:00P 5 & up 4/29 $77 /$90 /$115 232306-02
Participation Requirements Please note that a community center pass is NOT required to participate in any Funformason programs unless otherwise noted.
Single Day Gymnastics Clinics Gymnasium B
Cartwheel ClinicGymnasts can perfect their cartwheel by practicing correct body positions through drills and skill specifi c instruction. Round-offs, handstands, and other tumbling skills will also be touched upon.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Sa 5/2 6:00-7:30P 5 & up 4/25 $17 /$20 /$30 232351-01 M 6/8 1:00-2:30P 5 & up 6/1 $17 /$20 /$30 232351-02
Back Walkover ClinicStudents will learn and perfect the skills needed to perform back walkovers and other bridge skills.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Sa 5/9 6:00-7:30P 5 & up 5/2 $17 /$20 /$30 232352-01 M 6/15 1:00-2:30P 5 & up 6/8 $17 /$20 /$30 232352-02
Back Handspring ClinicParticipants can improve their back handsprings with helpful tips and tricks from the instructor.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Sa 5/16 6:00-7:30P 5 & up 5/9 $17 /$20 /$30 232353-01 Sa 5/30 6:00-7:30P 5 & up 5/23 $17 /$20 /$30 232353-02
Gymnastics Skill DevelopmentThis class is an open forum for the up-and-coming gymnast who wants extra time to explore his or her talent. A coach will be on hand to assist in setting up drills and spotting gymnasts on their skill sets.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Su 5/3 4:30-6:00P 5 & up 4/26 $9 /$10 /$15 232354-01 Su 5/10 4:30-6:00P 5 & up 5/3 $9 /$10 /$15 232354-02 Su 5/17 4:30-6:00P 5 & up 5/10 $9 /$10 /$15 232354-03 Su 5/31 4:30-6:00P 5 & up 5/24 $9 /$10 /$15 232354-04 W 6/10 1:00-2:30P 5 & up 6/3 $9 /$10 /$15 232354-05
GymnasticsGymnasium B
Level 1Beginner students will be introduced to the vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and fl oor. The focus will be on cartwheels, round-offs, and walkovers. No prior experience is necessary.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Tu 5/5-6/23 6:00-7:00P 5 & up 4/28 $94 /$110 /$135 232355-01 Th 5/7-6/25 6:00-7:00P 5 & up 4/30 $94 /$110 /$135 232355-02
*No Class 4/11-4/18
Level 2Prerequisite: Must be able to do cartwheels and round-offs, and be working on walkovers.
Participants will progress through new skills on the vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and fl oor. The focus will be on bridge skills and the beginning fundamentals of back handsprings.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Tu 5/5-6/23 7:00-8:00P 5 & up 4/28 $94 /$110 /$135 232356-01 Th 5/7-6/25 7:00-8:00P 5 & up 4/30 $94 /$110 /$135 232356-02
Level 3Prerequisite: Must be able to do front and back walkovers and be working on back handsprings.
Advanced vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and fl oor exercise skills will be stressed.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Tu 5/5-6/23 7:00-8:00P 5 & up 4/28 $94 /$110 /$135 232358-01 Th 5/7-6/25 7:00-8:00P 5 & up 4/30 $94 /$110 /$135 232358-02
Gymnastics Birthday Parties Gymnasium B
The Mason Community Center is now offering a new way to celebrate birthdays! This exciting new party package includes 45 minutes of gymnastics instruction tailored to fi t the needs of the guests. La Rosa’s pizza, a Sweet Sensations cake, and a private party room will also be provided. Please contact the center at 513-229-8555 for pricing and availability.
6
VIP: Community Center VIP Pass Holder MR: Mason Resident CR: Community Resident NR: Non-Resident
Baton TwirlingCommunity Room 3 Students will be introduced to the basic twirls, dance combinations, and terminology of baton. Batons may be rented or purchased from the instructor on the fi rst day of class.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
Tu 5/5-6/2 6:00-6:45P 4-7 4/28 $60 /$70 /$95 231301-08 Tu 5/5-6/2 6:45-7:30P 8-14 4/28 $60 /$70 /$95 231301-09
Sporties for Shorties Gymnasium BThe “shorties” will learn movements that assist in motor development and rhythmic skills, and will have an opportunity to interact with other children their own age. They will have fun running, throwing, jumping, and dancing. Each class will introduce an age-appropriate sport.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Sa 5/2-6/6 1:00-1:45P 3-4 4/25 $51 /$60 /$85 232350-02
Start Smart BaseballField HousePrepare your 4- to 5-year-old for organized baseball in a fun, non-threatening environment. Classes will focus on throwing, catching, batting, running, and agility. Spend quality time working one-on-one with your child. Parent participation is required.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
M,W 5/4-5/20 6:30-7:15P 4-5 4/27 $43 /$50 /$75 232503-01
Creative DanceActivity Room Inspiring and creative, this class encourages your child’s natural talents. The curriculum stresses development of coordination, muscle strength, motor and listening skills, and musical and spatial awareness. Fundamentals of classical ballet will be gradually introduced.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity F 5/29-7/17 4:15-5:00P 5-7 5/22 $102 /$120 /$145 266806-02
Teen/Adult BalletActivity Room Offered to teens and adults with a broad range of abilities and experience, this class will be taught in a manner that adjusts to students. Barre exercises and center work will be included.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Sa 5/30-7/18 noon-1:30P 14 & up 5/23 $136 /$160 /$185 266808-02
HIP-HOP/JazzActivity Room Young teens can extend their boundaries and take part in this program that features an exciting mix of jazz and hip-hop choreography. They will learn the joy of expression through movement.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Sa 5/30-7/18 1:30-2:30P 12-14 5/23 $102 /$120 /$145 266807-02
Ballet/Dance
Do you fi nd your child dancing around the living room? Have you always wanted to try your hand at ballet or jazz? Starting this fall, your entire family can explore the art of dance with the Cincinnati Ballet. Whether the goal is a career in dance or a life enriched by movement, the Cincinnati Ballet along with Mason Community Center will provide you with the training you’re looking for.
Presented in collaboration with
Ballet Basics Activity RoomYour child will improve fl exibility, build muscle strength, and learn the basics of ballet—all while developing the poise, grace, and self-confi dence that is possible only through this art form.
Level 1
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity F 5/29-7/17 5:00-6:00P 8-10 5/22 $102 /$120 /$145 266804-02
Level 2
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
F 5/29-7/17 6:00-7:15P 10-12 5/22 $136 /$160 /$185 266805-02
SPORTS
WELLNESS
Baby Yoga Activity Room Connect more consciously with your baby or toddler through yoga, music, and mindfulness. With the help of an instructor, you’ll engage your child in baby yoga poses in a loving and respectful manner. Simple poses are also offered for your benefi t, along with meditation, breathing practices, and relaxation exercises. For parent and baby 3 months to 3 years old. One child per parent, please.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
F 4/24-5/22 11:15A-noon 3mo-3yr 4/17 $33 /$38 /$57 266705-02
Preschooler Yoga Adventure Gymnasium B Designed for preschoolers, this fun-fi lled class blends yoga, play, music, dance, and drama. Children will develop physical strength, fl exibility, emotional calm, and self-expressions. The games played in this class will help increase concentration and self-esteem while stimulating creativity, imagination, and social skills.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
F 4/24-5/22 12:15-1:00P 3-5 4/17 $33 /$38 /$57 266704-02
7
To register, see page 16.
Spring Break Camp Mason Community Center No spring break vacation plans? Bring your children to the Mason Community Center for a vacation from school. Each day will include games, arts and crafts, free time, and daily swimming in the community center pool. Please pack a swimsuit, towel, lunch, and snack for your child each day. All children must wear comfortable clothes and tennis shoes. Morning and evening extended hours are available. Visit www.imaginemason.org for more information.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
M-F 4/13-4/17 9:00A-4:00P 6-12 4/6 $94 /$110 /$135 236509-01
Skyhawks Soccer CampMason Community Center All the skills and thrills of soccer are taught through fast-paced drills, skill-building exercises, and game-speed scrimmages. Coaches will focus on the essential skills of dribbling, passing, shooting, and ball control to enable young athletes to play with confi dence and have fun.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
W 4/22-5/27 9:00-10:00A 3-4 4/15 $60 /$70 /$95 232403-01 W 4/22-5/27 10:15-11:15A 3-4 4/15 $60 /$70 /$95 232403-02 W 4/22-5/27 11:30A-12:30P 3-4 4/15 $60 /$70 /$95 232403-05 W 4/22-5/27 12:45-1:45P 3-4 4/15 $60 /$70 /$95 232403-06 Sa 4/18-5/23 9:00-10:00A 3-4 4/11 $60 /$70 /$95 232403-03 Sa 4/18-5/23 10:15-11:15A 3-4 4/11 $60 /$70 /$95 232403-04 Sa 4/18-5/23 11:30A-12:30P 5-6 4/11 $60 /$70 /$95 232403-07 Sa 4/18-5/23 12:45-1:45P 7-9 4/11 $60 /$70 /$95 232403-08
Counselor in Training Mason Heights Elementary School If you have always been a leader and enjoy working with younger children, this is an ideal program. Get hands-on experience working with our Spring Break and Summer Fun camps. Counselors in Training will be required to lead group games, speak in front of groups, and provide programming support for other themed camp activities.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
Spring Break Camp M-F 4/13-4/17 9:00A-4:00P 12-15 4/6 $64 /$75/ $100 236509-04 Summer Fun Camp M-F 6/8-6/12 9:00A-4:00P 12-15 6/1 $64 /$75 /$100 236517-01 Beginning with the Basics: Understanding the role of a counselor M-F 6/15-6/19 9:00A-4:00P 12-15 6/8 $64 /$75 /$100 236517-02 Leadership M-F 6/22-6/26 9:00A-4:00P 12-15 6/15 $64 /$75 /$100 236517-03 Safety Week: CPR and First Aid M-F 7/6-7/10 9:00A-4:00P 12-15 6/29 $64 /$75 /$100 236517-04 Teamwork M-F 7/13-7/17 9:00A-4:00P 12-15 7/6 $64 /$75 /$100 236517-05 Problem Resolution M-F 7/20-7/24 9:00A-4:00P 12-15 7/13 $64 /$75 /$100 236517-06 Behavior Management M-F 8/3-8/7 9:00A-4:00P 12-15 7/27 $64 /$75 /$100 236517-07 Group Management M-F 8/10-8/14 9:00A-4:00P 12-15 8/3 $64 /$75 /$100 236517-08 Character Development M-F 8/17-8/21 9:00A-4:00P 12-15 8/10 $64 /$75 /$100 236517-09 Professional Development
Camps
Summer Fun Camp Mason Heights Elementary School - NEW 2009 LOCATION!Perfect for children age 6 through 12, each week will feature group games, crafts, sport activities, movies, swimming at the Lou Eves Municipal Pool, and an off-site fi eld trip. Please remember daily to have all campers pack a full lunch, refi llable water bottle, plenty of snacks, sun block, a hat, sunglasses, and extra clothing in a durable backpack or gym bag. Morning and evening extended hours are available. For weekly fi eld trip and extended hours information, visit www.imaginemason.org. There is no Summer Fun Camp the weeks of June 29 and July 27.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity M-F 6/8-6/12 9:00A-4:00P 6-12 6/1 $94 /$110 /$135 236507-01 Field Trip: Cincinnati Zoo (Cincinnati, OH) M-F 6/15-6/19 9:00A-4:00P 6-12 6/8 $94 /$110 /$135 236507-02 Field Trip: Boonshoft Museum (Dayton, OH) M-F 6/22-6/26 9:00A-4:00P 6-12 6/15 $94 /$110 /$135 236507-03 Field Trip: Glow Bowling at Mason Bowl (Mason, OH) M-F 7/6-7/10 9:00A-4:00P 6-12 6/29 $94 /$110 /$135 236507-04 Field Trip: Young’s Dairy (Yellow Springs, OH) M-F 7/13-7/17 9:00A-4:00P 6-12 7/6 $94 /$110 /$135 236507-05 Field Trip: Newport Aquarium (Newport, KY) M-F 7/20-7/24 9:00A-4:00P 6-12 7/13 $94 /$110 /$135 236507-06 Field Trip: EnterTRAINment Junction (West Chester, OH) M-F 8/3-8/7 9:00A-4:00P 6-12 7/27 $94 /$110 /$135 236507-07 Field Trip: Splash! Moraine (Moraine, OH) M-F 8/10-8/14 9:00A-4:00P 6-12 8/3 $94 /$110 /$135 236507-08 Field Trip: Cincinnati Museum Center and Omnimax (Cincinnati, OH) M-F 8/17-8/21 9:00A-4:00P 6-12 8/10 $94 /$110 /$135 236507-09 Field Trip: Laser Web (Fairfi eld, OH)
Laffalot Summer CampMason Community CenterLaffalot Summer Camp is a high-energy, high-activity, fun-focused sports and activities program devoted to the physical, emotional, and social development of children ages 6 to 12.
LSC offers day camps specifi cally developed in girls-only and boys-only formats. The camps are created for any range of athletic ability so that no child is left behind in this all-inclusive program. Activities are designed for large muscle development, which improves balance and overall coordination, is essential for kids at this age, and is the foundation for skill development later. In addition, this program reinforces good social skills by fostering teamwork and group play, all while having fun!
For more information on morning and evening extended hours visit www.imaginemason.org. Detailed program information is available at www.laffalotcamps.com.COPYRIGHT, 2009, LAFFALOT SUMMER CAMPS LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity M-F 6/29-7/3 9:00A-2:00P 6-12 6/22 $94 /$110 /$135 236515-01 Boys Only Camp M-F 6/29-7/3 9:00A-2:00P 6-12 6/22 $94 /$110 /$135 236515-02 Girls Only Camp M-F 7/27-7/31 9:00A-2:00P 6-12 7/20 $94 /$110 /$135 236515-03 Boys Only Camp M-F 7/27-7/31 9:00A-2:00P 6-12 7/20 $94 /$110 /$135 236515-04 Girls Only Camp
8
VIP: Community Center VIP Pass Holder MR: Mason Resident CR: Community Resident NR: Non-Resident
8 Fishing CampPine Hill Lakes Park Get your child hooked on fi shing while enjoying a full week of learning the basics! Your camper will develop life skills, responsibility, and respect for the environment while building self-esteem and learning how to fi sh. By the end of the week, each child will know Ohio fi shing regulations, will be fi shing on his or her own, and will be able to identify local fi sh.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/MR/NR) Activity M-F 7/13-7/17 9:00A-noon 9-12 7/6 $51 /$60 /$85 236503-01
Nature Day Camppresented by the Wild Bird Center of Mason
Pine Hill Lodge Treat your child to a week of nature exploration. Naturalists from the Wild Bird Center of Mason and Parks & Recreation staff will introduce your child to the great outdoors. Educational presentations, plenty of fun games, nature crafts, and a daily theme such as “The Hunter and the Hunted”, “Beaks, Feet & Feathers,” and “Frogs and Polliwogs” will be featured.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/MR/NR) Activity M-F 7/27-7/31 9:00A-noon 6-8 7/20 $51 /$60 /$85 236502-01
M-F 8/3-8/7 9:00A-noon 9-12 7/27 $51 /$60 /$85 236502-02
Snorkeling CampMeeting Room 3If your child enjoys swimming, introduce him or her to another aspect of the aquatics world! Snorkeling Camp introduces campers to the proper use of snorkeling equipment and the skills and techniques associated with snorkeling. All equipment and materials are provided. Participants must bring their own lunch and be ready to swim.
Camp runs Monday through Friday with an optional fi eld trip on Saturday. The trip is an additional cost, but does allow campers to participate in a real snorkeling dive in New Paris, Ohio. On this trip, participants will have the opportunity to practice their snorkeling skills viewing fi sh and other aquatic life in a pristine stone quarry. All equipment will be provided.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity M-F 8/3 – 8/7 9:00A-3:00P 10-15 7/27 $143 /$168 /$193 236512-01 Camp Registration Sa 8/15 8:00A-5:00P 10-15 8/8 $39 /$45 /$68 236512-02 Field Trip Registration
Safety CampHeritage Oak Park Help your child become aware of what to do in dangerous situations. Safety Camp will teach fi re safety, fi rst aid, water safety, and animal control. Children will participate in a bike rodeo, nature hikes, and many other fun activities, including a graduation on the last day of camp. This program is sponsored by the City of Mason Police, Fire, and Parks & Recreation Departments.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/MR/NR) Activity M-F 6/8-6/12 9:00A-noon 5-9 6/1 $51 /$60 /$85 236500-01
M-F 6/15-6/19 9:00A-noon 5-9 6/8 $51 /$60 /$85 236500-02
Clay Camp Arts & Crafts 2 Guided by wildlife sculptor Bonnie Meyer Day, campers will learn several hand-building techniques to form animal likenesses. Campers will also learn simple tricks to apply details like fur, feathers, or even skin. Glazes will be provided so each sculpture will be a fi nished work of art.
Day Date Time Grade Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity M-Th 6/15-6/18 9:00-11:00A 1-6 6/8 $51 /$60 /$85 236521-01
M-Th 8/10-8/13 9:00-11:00A 1-6 8/3 $51 /$60 /$85 236521-02
Camp Little FeetGlass RoomsThis half-day morning program is designed with age appropriate games and crafts. Your child will engage in activities to promote social and motor skill development while enjoying a new environment and new theme every week! This is a perfect program for introducing your child to a school-type environment.
Each Friday, Camp Little Feet will meet at Pine Hill Lodge for a special day of outdoor programming, weather permitting.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity M-F 6/8-6/12 9:00A-noon 4-5 6/1 $51 /$60 /$85 236514-01 Spectacular Sports M-F 6/15-6/19 9:00A-noon 4-5 6/8 $51 /$60 /$85 236514-02 Celebrating Summer M-F 6/22-6/26 9:00A-noon 4-5 6/15 $51 /$60 /$85 236514-03 Into the Wild M-F 6/29-7/3 9:00A-noon 4-5 6/22 $51 /$60 /$85 236514-04 Radical Recycling M-F 7/6-7/10 9:00A-noon 4-5 6/29 $51 /$60 /$85 236514-05 Slimy Science M-F 7/13-7/17 9:00A-noon 4-5 7/6 $51 /$60 /$85 236514-06 Nutty Nutrition M-F 7/20-7/24 9:00A-noon 4-5 7/13 $51 /$60 /$85 236514-07 Incredible Insects M-F 7/27-7/31 9:00A-noon 4-5 7/20 $51 /$60 /$85 236514-08 To the Moon M-F 8/3-8/7 9:00A-noon 4-5 7/27 $51 /$60 /$85 236514-09 Wacky Water Week M-F 8/10-8/14 9:00A-noon 4-5 8/3 $51 /$60 /$85 236514-10 Magic Camp M-F 8/17-8/21 9:00A-noon 4-5 8/10 $51 /$60 /$85 236514-11 Circus Craze
Looking for a summer camp for your sports enthusiast? In addition to the camps you see here, we also offer a wide range of Skyhawks sports camps sure to please any sports enthusiast, big or small! Visit www.imaginemason.org for listings.
9
To register, see page 16.
Teens & TweensAll Access: Strength TrainingActivity Room This program allows 13- and 14-year-olds an opportunity to access the fi tness center and weight room before turning 15. Participants will learn etiquette, correct form and technique, how to use all of the weight and cardio equipment, and much more! Attendance will be taken. Participants who attend every session will be permitted to use the fi tness center without direct adult supervision. (Daily admission or Community Center membership required for fi tness center and weight room use after completion of the class.)
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity W 4/8-4/29 4:30-5:30P 13-14 4/1 $64 /$75 /$100 261100-02* M 5/4-5/18 2:30-3:30P 13-14 4/27 $64 /$75 /$100 261100-03 W 5/6-5/20 4:30-5:30P 13-14 4/29 $64 /$75 /$100 261100-04 *No Class 4/15
Teen Tuesday Yoga Activity Room Perform muscle stretches to help prevent injuries from all your other activities. Inversions and power poses will increase strength and class will end with a relaxation period.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Tu 4/21-5/19 4:00-5:00P 10-15 4/14 $17 /$20 /$30 266700-04
Tennis in the ParksYouth Tennis LessonsHeritage Oak Park
Pee Wees This class is for beginners. Most enrollees will have little to no tennis experience.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/MR/NR) Activity Th 4/30-5/28 5:30-6:30P 4-5 4/23 $56 /$65 /$90 232100-01 Sa 5/2-5/30 10:00-11:00A 4-5 4/25 $56 /$65 /$90 232100-02
Future Stars Future Stars are just beginning to play from the baseline. This program will follow the “games” approach to learning tennis.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/MR/NR) Activity W 4/29-5/27 6:00-7:00P 6-8 4/22 $56 /$65 /$90 232101-01 Th 4/30-5/28 6:30-7:30P 6-8 4/23 $56 /$65 /$90 232101-02 Sa 5/2-5/30 11:00A-noon 6-8 4/25 $56 /$65 /$90 232101-03
Junior Champs These children are beginners or graduates from Future Stars. They are comfortable serving and playing from the baseline and are beginning to rally.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/MR/NR) Activity Th 4/30-5/28 6:30-7:25P 7-13 4/23 $56 /$65 /$90 232102-01 Sa 5/2-5/30 noon-1:00P 7-13 4/25 $56 /$65 /$90 232102-02
Adult Tennis LessonsHeritage Oak Park
Beginner Classes will be half traditional stroke work and half focused on rallying skills.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/MR/NR) Activity Sa 5/2-5/30 9:00-10:00A 14 & up 4/25 $56 /$65 /$90 222100-01
Advanced Beginner/IntermediateThis class is for adults who know how to play sets. Players will work on spin, court positioning, and match strategy.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/MR/NR) Activity W 4/29-5/27 7:00-8:00P 14 & up 4/22 $56 /$65 /$90 222101-01
Weather Hotline: 513-229-8502
TriHealth’s Camp Crazyfood Glass Rooms Children can discover the adventure of cooking and how rewarding it can be at TriHealth’s national award-winning Camp Crazyfood, sponsored by Meijer at the Center of Cincinnati. Young students will become little chefs for a week as a registered dietitian teaches how to prepare exciting new recipes each day. Kids can participate in an edible fundraiser to raise money for The Kids Cafe, part of the Cincinnati Free Store. This is defi nitely a recipe for cooking up a week of fun!
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity M-F 8/10-8/14 1:00-4:00P 6-8 8/3 $128 /$150 /$175 236527-01
Parent & Teen Workout TimeFitness CenterTeens and Tweens 10 to 14 years old may access the Fitness Center from 1-6 p.m. on weekends with adult supervision. Restrictions apply. Visit www.imaginemason.org for details.
10
VIP: Community Center VIP Pass Holder MR: Mason Resident CR: Community Resident NR: Non-Resident
Computer BasicsComputer LabLearn how to defi ne key computer-related terms, navigate using the mouse, and turn the computer on and off properly. You will also learn the concept of Windows, having multiple windows open on your desktop at once, and working with fi les, folders, and Windows Explorer.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
F 5/1-5/22 10:00A-noon 18 & up 4/24 $68 /$80 /$105 241400-03 Tu 6/9-6/30 10:00A-noon 18 & up 6/2 $68 /$80 /$105 341400-01
COMPUTER CLASSES
Working with FilesComputer LabLearn the purpose of Windows Explorer, understand the relationship between folders and fi les, and know how to work with them.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity W 4/22 10:00A-noon 18 & up 4/15 $17 /$20 /$30 241405-02 F 5/15 10:00A-noon 18 & up 5/8 $17 /$20 /$30 241405-03 Tu 6/23 6:30-8:30P 18 & up 6/16 $17 /$20 /$30 341405-01
Working with WordComputer LabLearn how to use Microsoft Word and its many functions, including the automatic spell checker, thesaurus, and the grammar correction tool.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
W 4/29 10:00A-noon 18 & up 4/22 $17 /$20 /$30 241410-02 F 5/22 10:00A-noon 18 & up 5/15 $17 /$20 /$30 241410-03
PowerPointComputer LabBuilding on your word processing skills, this class will give you the basic tools to create colorful slide presentations, handouts, and fl yers for work or school. Learn how to use text boxes; insert objects; create master slides, themes, and backgrounds; and how to use custom animations.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
Tu 6/9-6/23 6:30-8:30P 18 & up 6/2 $51 /$60 /$85 341409-01
Beginning InternetComputer LabNavigate browsers, web sites, web pages, and search engines while learning how to use the toolbar and functions of a web site. E-mail will also be discussed in depth.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
Tu 5/5-5/26 10:00A-noon 18 & up 4/28 $68 /$80 /$105 241401-02 F 6/5-6/26 10:00A-noon 18 & up 5/29 $68 /$80 /$105 341401-01
Job Seekers Focus Group BRIDGE LoungeOut of work? Meet with other job seekers on a weekly basis to network for information and ideas on improving your job search. Assistance provided by a professional career coach.
Day Date Time Age Fee M 4/27-6/15 7:00-8:00P 18 & up Free
Life Story WorkshopArts & Crafts 1Embark on your own memoir-writing journey in this guided life story workshop. Explore your life experiences, relationships, and choices through weekly themes. Discover the stories within you while developing the tools to share and save them.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Tu 4/21-5/26 2:00-4:00P All 4/14 $85 /$100 /$125 221129-02
EnrichmentSPECIAL INTEREST
Job Search Assistance Workshop Arts & Crafts 2Develop the tools and techniques for fi nding, and getting the job you want. Each two-hour workshop will provide you with more in-formation on creating and executing a job search plan. A certifi ed career coach with proven expertise working with individuals who have gone through a job loss and those looking for a career change will conduct the workshops. It is recommended that participants take all the workshops in order to maximize an effective job search. Series pricing is available.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity W 4/22 6:00-8:00P 18 & up 4/15 $26 /$30 /$45 221602-01 Plan and Execute a Successful Job Search W 4/29 6:00-8:00P 18 & up 4/22 $26 /$30 /$45 221602-02 Assessing Your Skills and Abilities: Identify, demonstrate, and package your skills W 5/6 6:00-8:00P 18 & up 4/29 $26 /$30 /$45 221602-03 Creating a Résumé that Works W 5/13 6:00-8:00P 18 & up 5/6 $26 /$30 /$45 221602-04 Networking for the Hidden Job Market: Skillfully employing networking techniques W 5/20 6:00-8:00P 18 & up 5/13 $26 /$30 /$45 221602-05 Interview Skills: Communicating to create good fi rst impressions W 5/27 6:00-8:00P 18 & up 5/20 $26 /$30 /$45 221602-06 Online Job Search & Networking Tools: Using electronic databases, on-line classifi ed postings, and social networking sites W 6/3 6:00-8:00P 18 & up 5/27 $26 /$30 /$45 221602-07 Age Bias and the Job Search: Reframing the age question W 4/22-6/3 6:00-8:00P 18 & up 4/15 $155 /$180 /$205 221603-01 Series Pricing
11
To register, see page 16.
Tae Kwon Do BeginnerCommunity Room 1 & 2The emphasis is on overall self-control, self-discipline, physical fi tness, self-defense techniques, balance, fl exibility, and strength. Build character while developing courtesy, integrity, honor, respect, loyalty, perseverance, concentration, and compassion.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Tu,Th 5/5-5/28 6:30-7:30P 5 & up 4/28 $40 /$50 /$60 211100-03 Tu,Th 6/2-6/30 6:30-7:30P 5 & up 5/26 $40 /$50 /$60 211100-04
SPORTS
E-mailComputer LabLearn how to create an e-mail account, send and receive e-mail, set up and use an address book, work with e-mail attachments, and organize saved e-mails. If you don’t own a computer, the BRIDGE computer lab enables you to have your own e-mail account to keep in touch with loved ones.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
Tu 5/19-5/26 10:00A-noon 18 & up 5/12 $34 /$40 /$60 241403-02 F 6/19-6/26 10:00A-noon 18 & up 6/12 $34 /$40 /$60 341403-01
SpyWare and Anti-Viruses Computer LabLearn simple tips and tricks that will help keep your computer from being exposed to the dangers of the Internet, including how to deal with pop-ups, avoid viruses, and protect your personal information. Understand what spyware does and protect yourself from it with simple programs that are free and can be downloaded from the Internet.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
W 5/13 10:00A-noon 18 & up 5/6 $17 /$20 /$30 241411-01
Digital PhotographyComputer Lab
Digital Photo 1Learn the many features of a digital camera while defi ning those strange terms such as megapixels, jpeg, tiff, resolution, optical versus digital zoom, compression, dpi, and compact fl ash versus secure digital memory. At the end of the course, you will be able to choose a digital camera that fi ts your needs.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
Th 5/7 10:00A-noon 18 & up 4/30 $17 /$20 /$30 241418-03 Th 6/4 10:00A-noon 18 & up 5/28 $17 /$20 /$30 341418-01
Digital Photo 2This course will cover using the camera features and uploading, printing, and archiving images. How many images will your memory card store? What does fully automatic mean? How do you control the resolution and depth of fi eld aperture setting? Learn the answers in this class.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
Th 4/16 10:00A-noon 18 & up 4/9 $17 /$20 /$30 241419-02 Th 5/14 10:00A-noon 18 & up 5/7 $17 /$20 /$30 241419-03 Th 6/11 10:00A-noon 18 & up 6/4 $17 /$20 /$30 341419-01
Digital Photo 3Learn to adjust the color and contrast, crop and resize the photo, save it in a variety of formats, and manage your database of images.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Th 3/19 10:00A-noon 18 & up 3/12 $17 /$20 /$30 241420-01
Digital Photo 4Manipulate digital images utilizing color adjustments, cropping, layering, retouching, distortion, blurs, and brush fi lters. Get answers to all the questions you have about digital image processing.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Th 4/30 10:00A-noon 18 & up 4/23 $17 /$20 /$30 241421-02 Th 5/28 10:00A-noon 18 & up 5/21 $17 /$20 /$30 241421-03
eBay BuyingComputer LabLearn how to use your home computer to buy items on eBay. Electronics, cars, clothing, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods, digital cameras, and everything else are available on eBay, the world’s online marketplace. Find out how to look for that one-of-a-kind item.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
W 6/10 10:00A-noon 18 & up 6/3 $17 /$20 /$30 341422-01
eBay SellingComputer LabSell items on eBay using your home computer. Have fun selling everything quickly and easily. You must have an eBay account and know how to buy on eBay prior to this class.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
W 6/17 10:00A-noon 18 & up 6/10 $17 /$20 /$30 341423-01
Teen/Adult Gymnastics Gymnasium B High school gymnasts, keep up your skills over summer break. Adults, learn a new method to keep your body in motion. Build strength and fl exibility while maintaining previously mastered tumbling skills.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
F 5/1-6/19 6:00-8:00P 14 & up 4/24 $136 /$160 /$185 232359-01
12
VIP: Community Center VIP Pass Holder MR: Mason Resident CR: Community Resident NR: Non-Resident
Personal Training Fitness AreaThe Mason Community Center is please to offer an outstanding Personal Training program to help you reach your fi tness goals. Our certifi ed personal trainers will assess your current fi tness level and coach you through an effective program tailored to fi t your needs. For more information about our personal training packages and instructors, please visit www.imaginemason.org.
Kickboxing & Activity RoomSuper kickboxing combos will take your body to the next fi tness level. Then add muscular endurance, improve your fat-burning ability, and increase your overall self-confi dence with 45 minutes of Train it! followed by stretches and cool-down.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Th 5/7-6/4 9:30-10:45A 15 & up 4/30 $18 /$21 /$32 261402-08
Boot Camp & Activity RoomThis class is a fun, dynamic, and intense circuit workout that incorporates agility, plyometrics, and core conditioning. There will be a combination of cardio drills mixed with the squats, presses, lifts, and curls of Train It!
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
Sa 5/9-6/6 9:30-10:45A 15 & up 5/2 $18 /$21 /$32 261401-11
Xtreme! KickboxingActivity RoomThis class is an intermediate to advanced athletic cross-training program with drills for kicks, punches, and combinations, as well as strength training using barbells, jump rope, balance, and fl exibility. Punch bags will be provided. Please bring your own boxing wraps or weight lifting gloves.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
W 5/6-6/3 9:30-10:45A 15 & up 4/29 $26 /$30 /$45 261405-08
Fitness & WellnessSPECIAL INTEREST
EXERCISE
Flashback to the 80s Activity RoomCombine low and high impact aerobic moves with your favorite 80s music in this fun, energetic class. Be sure to bring a water bottle and a friend to reminisce to our 80s classics.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
Sa 4/18 12:15-1:15P 13 & up 4/11 $0 /$2 /$6* 261409-01 *Pricing is per person.
Also Available Mason Community CenterTo help you on your path to fi tness, we offer fi tness center orientations, as well as numerous screenings. For a complete listing, visit us at www.imaginemason.org.
108 Sun Salutations Pine Hill LodgeCultivate positive energy to bring in the new season. Classical sun salutations, called Surya Namaskar, develop strength and endurance, and can be a powerful tool for meditation and self-transformation.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/MR/NR) Activity
Sa 5/2 8:30-11:00A 13 & up 4/25 $8 /$10 /$15 269108-01
WELLNESS
Yoga StrongActivity RoomUtilizing 3- to 4-pound body bars and handheld weights, the mindfulness of yoga is integrated with the strength of bodybuilding. This user-friendly system combines breath-based yoga postures, held in accurate alignment, while simultaneously working out with free weights.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
Tu 5/5-6/2 1:00-2:15P 13 & up 4/28 $18 /$21 /$32 261406-03
Prenatal Yoga Activity RoomPrenatal yoga has many physical and mental benefi ts. These include relief from Sciatica and back pain, relaxation and stress relief, help with digestion, increased or maintained stamina for labor, reduced fear of labor, increased trust in the wisdom of your body, and increased confi dence.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
Sa 5/9 9:45-11:00A 15 & up 5/2 $6 /$7 /$11 266706-01
13
To register, see page 16.
Water TotsLeisure PoolLearn how to work safely and effectively in the water with your infant or toddler. Basic water safety and self-help skills will be covered. The program emphasis is on water adjustment, preparatory activities for swimming, and enjoyment for you and your child. An adult must accompany the child in the water. Children in diapers MUST wear swim diapers or securely fi tted rubber pants.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
M 6/8-7/27 6:00-6:30P 6m-3yr 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351010-01 Tu 6/9-7/28 10:15-10:45A 6m-3yr 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351010-02 Tu 6/9-7/28 5:25-5:55P 18m-3yr 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351010-03 W 6/10-7/29 10:15-10:45A 18m-3yr 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351010-04 W 6/10-7/29 6:00-6:30P 6m-3yr 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351010-05 Sa 6/6-8/1 11:05-11:35A 6m-3yr 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351010-06* *No Class 7/4
Aquatics
Preschool 1Leisure PoolPrerequisite: Must be 3 by the fi rst day of class and comfortable in a class setting without a parent.
Your child will become oriented to the aquatic environment and learn elementary skills such as buoyancy, breath control, supported fl oating, water entry and exit, and alternating arm action.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
M 6/8-7/27 9:05-9:35A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-01 M 6/8-7/27 9:40-10:10A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-02 M 6/8-7/27 10:15-10:45A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-03 M 6/8-7/27 4:15-4:45P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-04 M 6/8-7/27 6:00-6:30P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-05 Tu 6/9-7/28 9:05-9:35A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-06 Tu 6/9-7/28 10:15-10:45A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-07 Tu 6/9-7/28 4:15-4:45P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-08 Tu 6/9-7/28 4:50-5:20P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-09 W 6/10-7/29 9:05-9:35A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-10 W 6/10-7/29 9:40-10:10A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-11 W 6/10-7/29 4:15-4:45P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-12 Th 6/11-7/30 9:05-9:35A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-13 Th 6/11-7/30 10:15-10:45A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-14 Th 6/11-7/30 4:15-4:45P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-15 Th 6/11-7/30 5:25-5:55P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-16 Th 6/11-7/30 6:00-6:30P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-17 Sa 6/6-8/1 8:10-8:40A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-18* Sa 6/6-8/1 8:45-9:15A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-19* Sa 6/6-8/1 9:55-10:25A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-20* Sa 6/6-8/1 10:30-11:00A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351008-21* *No Class 7/4
Preschool 3Leisure PoolPrerequisite: Must be 4 by the fi rst day of class and have passed Preschool 2 and be able to swim independently on front and back in deep water.
Your child will learn rotary breathing with the front crawl and continue working on the back crawl, elements of butterfl y, and fundamentals of treading water.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
M 6/8-7/27 10:15-10:45A 4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351019-01 M 6/8-7/27 5:25-5:55P 4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351019-02 Tu 6/9-7/28 9:05-9:35A 4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351019-03 Tu 6/9-7/28 4:50-5:20P 4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351019-04 Th 6/11-7/30 6:00-6:30P 4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351019-05 Sa 6/6-8/1 9:55-10:25A 4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351019-06* Sa 6/6-8/1 11:40A-12:10P 4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351019-07* *No Class 7/4
Preschool 2Leisure PoolPrerequisite: Must be 3 by the fi rst day of class, have a Preschool 1 cer-tifi cate or be able to submerge head and blow underwater bubbles, move fi ve yards independently, bob fi ve times, do the front and back fl oat with minimal support, and open the eyes underwater to recover an item at arm’s length.
Your child will learn to fl oat on front and back without support and recover to a vertical position, the arm and leg motions of treading water, submerge the entire head for fi ve seconds, push off the wall, and swim using a combination of arm and leg action on front and back for 15 feet. Preschool 2 is a challenging class that is often repeated and modeled after the skills in Level 2.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
M 6/8-7/27 9:05-9:35A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-01 M 6/8-7/27 10:15-10:45A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-02 M 6/8-7/27 4:15-4:45P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-03 M 6/8-7/27 4:50-5:20P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-04 M 6/8-7/27 5:25-5:55P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-05 Tu 6/9-7/28 9:40-10:10A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-06 Tu 6/9-7/28 10:15-10:45A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-07 Tu 6/9-7/28 4:15-4:45P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-08 Tu 6/9-7/28 5:25-5:55P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-09 Tu 6/9-7/28 6:00-6:30P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-10 W 6/10-7/29 9:05-9:35A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-11 W 6/10-7/29 9:40-10:10A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-12 W 6/10-7/29 10:15-10:45A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-13 W 6/10-7/29 4:15-4:45P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-14 W 6/10-7/29 4:50-5:20P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-15 W 6/10-7/29 6:00-6:30P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-16 Th 6/11-7/30 9:05-9:35A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-17 Th 6/11-7/30 10:15-10:45A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-18 Th 6/11-7/30 4:15-4:45P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-19 Th 6/11-7/30 4:50-5:20P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-20 Th 6/11-7/30 5:25-5:55P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-21 Sa 6/6-8/1 8:10-8:40A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-22* Sa 6/6-8/1 8:45-9:15A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-23* Sa 6/6-8/1 9:20-9:50A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-24* Sa 6/6-8/1 11:05-11:35A 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-25* Sa 6/6-8/1 11:40A-12:10P 3-4 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351009-26* *No Class 7/4
Swim Lesson Testing Leisure PoolIf you’re new to the Mason Community Center swim lessons or are just unsure which level to place your child, we are offering free swim lesson testing sessions the week before registration. Call the Mason Community Center at 513-229-8555 to schedule your appointment.
Day Date Time Age Fee
Tu 2/10 4:30-5:30P 3 & up Free Th 2/12 9:30-10:30A 3 & up Free
14
VIP: Community Center VIP Pass Holder MR: Mason Resident CR: Community Resident NR: Non-Resident
Level 1Leisure PoolPrerequisite: Must be 5 years old by the fi rst day of class.
Your child will become oriented to the aquatic environment and learn elementary skills such as buoyancy, breath control, supported fl oating, water entry and exit, and alternating arm action.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
M 6/8-7/27 9:05-9:35A 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351001-01 M 6/8-7/27 4:15-4:45P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351001-02 M 6/8-7/27 4:50-5:20P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351001-03 M 6/8-7/27 6:00-6:30P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351001-04 Tu 6/9-7/28 9:40-10:10A 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351001-05 Tu 6/9-7/28 4:15-4:45P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351001-06 Tu 6/9-7/28 6:00-6:30P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351001-07 W 6/10-7/29 9:05-9:35A 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351001-08 W 6/10-7/29 4:50-5:20P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351001-09 W 6/10-7/29 6:00-6:30P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351001-10 Th 6/11-7/30 9:40-10:10A 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351001-11 Th 6/11-7/30 4:50-5:20P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351001-12 Th 6/11-7/30 6:00-6:30P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351001-13 Sa 6/6-8/1 8:10-8:40A 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351001-14* Sa 6/6-8/1 9:20-9:50A 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351001-15* Sa 6/6-8/1 9:55-10:25A 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351001-16* Sa 6/6-8/1 10:30-11:00A 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351001-17* *No Class 7/4
Level 2Leisure PoolPrerequisite: Must be 5 by the fi rst day of class and have a Level 1 or Pre-school 1 certifi cate or be able to blow underwater bubbles with the mouth and nose, move fi ve yards in the pool, bob fi ve times, do the front and back fl oat with support, and open the eyes underwater to recover an item at arm’s length.
Children will learn to fl oat on front and back without support and recover to a vertical position, the arm and leg motions of treading water, pushing off the wall, and swimming using a combination of arm and leg action on front and back for 15 feet.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
M 6/8-7/27 9:40-10:10A 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-01 M 6/8-7/27 4:15-4:45P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-02 M 6/8-7/27 6:00-6:30P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-03 Tu 6/9-7/28 9:05-9:35A 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-04 Tu 6/9-7/28 9:40-10:10A 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-05 Tu 6/9-7/28 4:15-4:45P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-06 Tu 6/9-7/28 4:50-5:20P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-07 Tu 6/9-7/28 5:25-5:55P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-08 W 6/10-7/29 9:40-10:10A 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-09 W 6/10-7/29 10:15-10:45A 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-10 W 6/10-7/29 4:15-4:45P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-11 W 6/10-7/29 4:50-5:20P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-12 W 6/10-7/29 5:25-5:55P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-13 Th 6/11-7/30 9:05-9:35A 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-14 Th 6/11-7/30 9:40-10:10A 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-15 Th 6/11-7/30 4:15-4:45P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-16 Th 6/11-7/30 4:50-5:20P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-17 Th 6/11-7/30 5:25-5:55P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-18 Th 6/11-7/30 6:00-6:30P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-19 Sa 6/6-8/1 8:10-8:40A 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-20* Sa 6/6-8/1 8:45-9:15A 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-21* Sa 6/6-8/1 9:20-9:50A 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-22* Sa 6/6-8/1 9:55-10:25A 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-23* Sa 6/6-8/1 10:30-11:00A 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-24* Sa 6/6-8/1 11:40A-12:10P 5-10 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351002-25* *No Class 7/4
Level 3Leisure PoolPrerequisite: Must be 5 by the fi rst day of class and have a Level 2 certifi cate or be able to front fl oat for fi ve seconds, then roll over to a back fl oat for fi ve seconds, roll over again to a front fl oat, and return to a standing position independently. Children must also be able to swim 15 yards of a combined stroke on front and back.
Children will learn rotary breathing with the front crawl and continue working on the back crawl, elements of butterfl y, and fundamentals of treading water.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
M 6/8-7/27 9:40-10:10A 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-01 M 6/8-7/27 4:15-4:45P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-02 M 6/8-7/27 4:50-5:20P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-03 M 6/8-7/27 5:25-5:55P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-04 Tu 6/9-7/28 4:15-4:45P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-05 Tu 6/9-7/28 4:50-5:20P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-06 Tu 6/9-7/28 6:00-6:30P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-07 W 6/10-7/29 4:15-4:45P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-08 W 6/10-7/29 4:50-5:20P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-09 W 6/10-7/29 5:25-5:55P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-10 W 6/10-7/29 6:00-6:30P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-11 Th 6/11-7/30 10:15-10:45A 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-12 Th 6/11-7/30 4:15-4:45P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-13 Th 6/11-7/30 4:50-5:20P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-14 Th 6/11-7/30 6:00-6:30P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-15 Sa 6/6-8/1 8:10-8:40A 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-16* Sa 6/6-8/1 8:45-9:15A 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-17* Sa 6/6-8/1 9:20-9:50A 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-18* Sa 6/6-8/1 9:55-10:25A 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-19* Sa 6/6-8/1 10:30-11:00A 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-20* Sa 6/6-8/1 11:05-11:35A 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351003-21* *No Class 7/4
Level 4Leisure PoolPrerequisite: Must be 5 by the fi rst day of class and have a Level 3 certifi cate or be able to jump into chest-deep water from the side, do the front crawl with their face in the water using rotary breathing for 15 yards, maintain body position by fl oating or treading water for 30 seconds, and swim the back crawl for 15 yards.
Your child will learn to dive from a compact or stride position, improve skills, and increase endurance by swimming front crawl with rotary breathing and back crawl for greater distances. Work will continue on butterfl y, elementary back, and breast strokes. Elements of the sidestroke will be introduced.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
M 6/8-7/27 4:50-5:20P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351004-01 M 6/8-7/27 5:25-5:55P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351004-02 M 6/8-7/27 6:00-6:30P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351004-03 Tu 6/9-7/28 4:50-5:20P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351004-04 Tu 6/9-7/28 5:25-5:55P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351004-05 Tu 6/9-7/28 6:00-6:30P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351004-06 W 6/10-7/29 4:15-4:45P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351004-07 W 6/10-7/29 4:50-5:20P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351004-08 W 6/10-7/29 5:25-5:55P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351004-09 Th 6/11-7/30 9:40-10:10A 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351004-10 Th 6/11-7/30 4:15-4:45P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351004-11 Th 6/11-7/30 4:50-5:20P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351004-12 Th 6/11-7/30 5:25-5:55P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351004-13 Sa 6/6-8/1 8:45-9:15A 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351004-14* Sa 6/6-8/1 9:20-9:50A 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351004-15* Sa 6/6-8/1 10:30-11:00A 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351004-16* Sa 6/6-8/1 11:05-11:35A 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351004-17* Sa 6/6-8/1 11:40A-12:10P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351004-18* *No Class 7/4
MASON & DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP
CONNECTMASON.COM • CONNECTDEERFIELD.COM
FUN FOR MASON: Your 16-page guide to all the city has to offer
15
To register, see page 16.
Level 5Leisure PoolPrerequisite: Must be 6 by the fi rst day of class and have a Level 4 certifi -cate, or be able to swim the front crawl with rotary breathing for 25 yards, maintain position on the back for one minute in deep water, and swim the elementary backstroke for 15 yards. Children must also be able to swim breaststroke for 15 yards, tread water for one minute, and do the back crawl for 25 yards.
Children will refi ne their performance of the strokes and increase their distances. They will also learn fl ip turns and diving.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
M 6/8-7/27 5:25-5:55P 6-14 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351005-01 Tu 6/9-7/28 6:00-6:30P 6-14 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351005-02 Th 6/11-7/30 5:25-5:55P 6-14 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351005-03 Sa 6/6-8/1 11:40A-12:10P 6-14 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351005-04* *No Class 7/4
Level 6Leisure PoolPrerequisite: Must be 6 by the fi rst day of class and have a Level 5 certifi cate or demonstrate the skills necessary to complete Level 5.
Children will swim 100 yards of front and back crawl and 50 yards of breaststroke, elementary backstroke, sidestroke, and butterfl y. This level will work toward better effi ciency, strength, and smoothness while swimming greater distances.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
M 6/8-7/27 4:50-5:20P 6-14 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351006-01 Tu 6/9-7/28 5:25-5:55P 6-14 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351006-02 W 6/10-7/29 6:00-6:30P 6-14 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351006-03 Sa 6/6-8/1 11:05-11:35A 6-14 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351006-04* *No Class 7/4
Adaptive AquaticsLeisure PoolAdaptive Aquatics is a Learn-To-Swim program designed for special needs children ages 5 to 12. With the assistance of qualifi ed staff, participants will work on enhancing swimming ability and comfort level.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity W 6/10-7/29 5:25-5:55P 5-12 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351018-01
Adult Swim Lessons Leisure Pool
BeginnerBasic swim mechanics are covered, including fl utter kick, rhythmic breathing and breath control, front crawl arm mechanics, and elementary backstroke. Additional instruction includes the safety skills of bobbing, fl oating, and gliding.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Su 6/7-8/2 12:15-1:00P 15 & up 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351011-01* Th 6/11-7/30 6:00-6:45P 15 & up 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351011-02 *No Class 7/5
Intermediate/AdvancedIntermediate: Refi ne your freestyle and elementary backstroke and begin learning back crawl and breaststroke. Deep-water exploration and treading water will be introduced. You will also build endur-ance through lap swimming.
Advanced: Refi ne your freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and el-ementary backstroke and learn fl ip turns, diving, and the butterfl y stroke. Build endurance by swimming longer distances and begin practice sets.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity Su 6/7-8/2 1:05-1:50P 15 & up 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351014-01* Th 6/11-7/30 6:50-7:35P 15 & up 5/22 $33 /$38 /$57 351014-02 *No Class 7/5
Manta Ray MastersCompetition Pool
Improve your overall fi tness, develop better technique, train for a triathlon, swim competitively, or just enjoy the water. Competitions are optional. Swimmers age 19 and older of all abilities are welcome. Coaches are available during scheduled practice times to help you attain your personal goals. Additional practices may be added, though you are not required to attend all practices.
Practice times are 6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. A Mason Community Center pass is NOT needed to participate in this program. For more information, pick up a brochure at the Mason Community Center.
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
Tu,Th,Su 5/5-5/28 Varies 19 & up 5/5 $26 /$30 /$45 552008-05 Tu,Th,Su 6/2-6/30 Varies 19 & up 6/2 $26 /$30 /$45 552008-06 Tu,Th,Su 7/2-7/30 Varies 19 & up 7/2 $26 /$30 /$45 552008-07
Deep Water FitnessCompetition PoolThis class is designed as a moderate to high intensity workout featuring cardio, strength training, and abdominal moves that will help you gain endurance and fl exibility. Get the perfect workout without the stress of impact on your joints!
Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/CR/NR) Activity
Tu 5/5-5/26 9:30-10:30A 16 & up 5/5 $17 /$19 /$29 351021-01 F 5/1-5/29 9:30-10:30A 16 & up 5/1 $17 /$19 /$29 351022-01 Tu 5/5-5/26 8:00-8:45P 16 & up 5/5 $17 /$19 /$29 351023-01 Th 5/7-5/28 8:00-8:45P 16 & up 5/7 $17 /$19 /$29 351024-01 Tu 6/2-6/30 9:00-10:00A 16 & up 6/2 $17 /$19 /$29 351021-02 Th 6/4-6/25 9:00-10:00A 16 & up 6/4 $17 /$19 /$29 351022-02 M 6/1-6/29 6:45-7:45P 16 & up 6/1 $17 /$19 /$29 351023-02 Th 6/4-6/25 6:45-7:45P 16 & up 6/4 $17 /$19 /$29 351024-02 Tu 7/7-7/28 9:00-10:00A 16 & up 7/7 $17 /$19 /$29 351021-03 Th 7/2-7/30 9:00-10:00A 16 & up 7/2 $17 /$19 /$29 351022-03 M 7/6-7/27 6:45-7:45P 16 & up 7/6 $17 /$19 /$29 351023-03 Th 7/2-7/30 6:45-7:45P 16 & up 7/2 $17 /$19 /$29 351024-03
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registration
Mason Community Center6050 Mason-Montgomery RoadMason, OH 45040
513-229-8555
All Programs except Swim LessonsPriority Registration: (MR and Community Center pass holders only)begins Saturday, March 28, 8 a.m. Walk-in and online only. www.imaginemason.org
Open Registration: begins Monday, March 30, 8 a.m.
Please update your household information and obtain your username and password from the front desk before registration.
Swim Lesson RegistrationPriority Registration (MR and Community Center pass holders only) begins Saturday, May 16, 8 a.m.Walk-in and online only. www.imaginemason.org
Open Registration: begins Monday, May 18, 8 a.m.
Please note that swim lesson registration closes at 5:30 p.m. on May 22.
Mason Water Moccasins Swim Team Lou Eves Municipal PoolMay 26 – July 27The Mason Water Moccasins is a recreational swim team that competes in the Tri-County Swim League in June and July. The team practices at the outdoor Lou Eves Municipal Pool. Participants will improve the four competitive swim strokes, starts, turns, and learn what it’s like to work as a member of a team and the importance of sportsmanship.
Children (regardless of age) should possess some knowledge of basic swimming skills. The team is not a substitute for swim lessons. Team swimmers must possess a Level 5 swim certifi cate or successfully demonstrate Level 5 skills. Swimmers should be able to swim one length of the pool (25 meters) without stopping. Children who do not possess these skills should enroll in the Swim Lesson Program to develop the skills and endurance needed to participate on the Water Moccasins Swim Team. Evaluations by the coaching staff will occur within the fi rst week of practice.
Please note that each family will be expected to volunteer in some way with a committee in order to ensure a successful swim season. The Swim Meet committee, the Information committee, the Social committee, and the Awards committee will all need family participation. Committee sign-ups will be taken at the Parent Meeting. For more information, please visit www.masonwatermocs.org.
Please note: A Lou Eves Municipal Pool pass is required to participate.
FemaleDay Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/MR/NR) Activity
M-F 5/26-7/27 10:30-11:45A 15-18 5/7 $75 /$75 /$75 352001-01* M-F 5/26-7/27 10:30-11:45A 13-14 5/7 $75 /$75 /$75 352001-02* M-F 5/26-7/27 10:30-11:45A 11-12 5/7 $75 /$75 /$75 352001-03* M-F 5/26-7/27 8:00-9:05A 9-10 5/7 $75 /$75 /$75 352001-04* M,Tu,Th,F 5/26-7/27 9:10-9:55A 7-8 5/7 $75 /$75 /$75 352001-05* M,Tu,Th,F 5/26-7/27 10:00-10:30A 5-6 5/7 $75 /$75 /$75 352001-06*
Male Day Date Time Age Deadline Fee (VIP/MR/NR) Activity
M-F 5/26-7/27 10:30-11:45A 15-18 5/7 $75 /$75 /$75 352002-01* M-F 5/26-7/27 10:30-11:45A 13-14 5/7 $75 /$75 /$75 352002-02* M-F 5/26-7/27 10:30-11:45A 11-12 5/7 $75 /$75 /$75 352002-03* M-F 5/26-7/27 8:00-9:05A 9-10 5/7 $75 /$75 /$75 352002-04* M,Tu,Th,F 5/26-7/27 9:10-9:55A 7-8 5/7 $75 /$75 /$75 352002-05* M,Tu,Th,F 5/26-7/27 11:15-11:45A 5-6 5/7 $75 /$75 /$75 352002-06*
Swim meets will be held on Tuesday nights with the exception of up to two weekend invitationals and championships. Home swim meets will be held in the Mason Community Center.
*After-School Practices Tuesday, May 26 through the last day of class
Age Time
11 & up 3:30-4:30P 9 & 10 6:00-7:00P 7 & 8 5:00-5:45P 6 & under 4:30-5:00P
Informational Meeting Community Center Competition PoolWednesday, April 227:30–8:30 p.m.
Other Important Dates Last Day of RegistrationThursday, May 7(Register online at www.imaginemason.org or at the Mason Community Center.)
Team Suit FittingWednesday, May 275–7 p.m.Community Center Glass Rooms
Parent MeetingSunday, May 314:30–6:00 p.m.Community Center Meeting Room
First Day of Practice
Tuesday, May 26