By By MARTIN SLAGTER / Niles Daily Star
NILES - If your kids are looking for ideas on how to stay busy when they get out of school, the Niles Summer Parks Program is the answer for the summertime blues.
The long-standing program offers a wide variety of activities for kids entering grades 1-6 at parks throughout the city, including sports, arts and crafts, swimming and a number of field trips. And the best part is, it's free.
The program is put on by the city, and is held Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with all activities, lunch, a snack and transportation, free of cost.
Program director Joe Racht, who is also a fifth grade teacher at Howard Elementary said the program is for all kids who are in the Niles area for the summer, whether they are residents, or just visiting for a week and is held at Eastside, Southside and Clevenger parks.
Racht said the program holds daily activities including arts and crafts, soccer and baseball, as well as several weekly activities such as field trips to the zoo, and weekly swimming at the YMCA.
One of the highlights of the program is a fishing program put on by City Police Officer and Niles High School Liaison Officer Kevin Kosten. The program takes all the kids involved in the summer program fishing at Nub Lake Campgrounds.
Racht, now in his sixth year with the program, said there are usually around 175 kids who participate in the program, as well as 10 counselors.
Racht said the long standing success of the program has caused the Summer Parks Program to become a tradition in the Niles area.