By By ERIN VER BERKMOES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - Although rain was falling on Monday morning, the City of Niles 2005 Summer Parks Program kicked off at three of the cities neighborhood parks.
The parks program is designed for children in Niles who will be in the first through sixth grades next school year and runs through Aug. 5.
The program is conducted at Eastside, Southside and Clevenger parks, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and runs through Aug. 5.
Racht has been involved with the program for several years, and served as its director last year. He is a teacher in the Niles Community School system.
Racht added on Wednesdays the children are taken to the Niles-Buchanan YMCA to go swimming and on Fridays they get to go on field trips to a number places in the area.