FRONT PAGE

Parks district gears up for active
summer program for kids and kayakers

By Meg Olson

“It’s perking along,” said Point Roberts parks district board member Shelley Damewood, in charge of putting together this year’s summer programs.

At the May 5 park meeting Damewood said this year the main program would be led by veteran summer program counselor Neil Teutsch, working with a slate of local young people who are all experienced working as summer program staff. She said the program would take on more variety this year, and move away from the indoor craft activities of other years. “It’s going to be great,” she said.

The Sea Otter Paddle Club kayak program will be growing again this summer, Damewood said. “We wanted to open the program up to adults,” she said. The teen group is open to kids ages 13 to 17 and the adult group is for paddlers 18 and over.

With help from Whatcom County parks, the parks district is arranging for an instructor in June to train adult paddle guides and perhaps give instruction to all participants. Paddle guides will also be trained in instruction as well. “Everyone on the water will have training and no one will go alone,” Damewood said. There will be scheduled paddles throughout the summer led by paddle guides and the boats will be available for groups of adult participants when they are not being used.

Damewood said she had been in contact with previous participants and expected the program to be full by the sign-up date. Board member Irene Waters said the program could be expanded to welcome more community members next year. “If this is successful we can have more boats,” she said.