News4U Online

The reaction to the changing of the guard here on the Kid’s Page was swift and, if I may use a hackneyed word, awesome: “Ur cool. i never thaught about a dad writing kids things. Keep it up. (sic)” There were other emails, but none quite as eloquent.

            It’s time for dads to stand up and take the reigns! We can plan a day out as well – or dare I say better – than our wives or significant others. While I certainly want to promote organized events in some fashion, I also want dads to take their kids to the river side to throw rocks out as far as possible. To get stuck in the mud on some half-forgotten back road just as it’s about to get dark. To play mini golf and cheat on the score together. To go fishing and catch nothing but logs, twigs and lightning bugs. We discover we’re still kids too when we do these things. And we make an indelible impression on our daughters and sons; they remember more than you imagine, I think.

            This is starting to sound preachy, and I’m not man enough to mount a soapbox about anything (except for Civil War and Lincoln trivia – if there’s anything geeky I’ve managed to latch onto, it’s those two items). So let’s proceed to the happenings, the what to do, the where, the when and maybe even the why:

A reminder:

Pools are open, and have been for a month or so. It’s been like Louisiana hot around here lately, so remember to support your local parks and drop the kids off at the pool to cool off, have fun and stay out of your hair for a few hours. Admission to the pools at Combest, Cravens the Legion and Kendall-Perkins Spray Park is only $3.25; hours are noon to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with an added Tuesday night swim from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday hours are noon to 6 p.m.; Sunday’s hours of operation are 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Flicks:

Back in the early and mid 20^th century, movie houses were a place people went to not only see flicks, get their news and catch cool cartoons, but also to cool off. Many theaters back then had air conditioning, which they would often advertise as prominently as the movies themselves.

            Today we take air conditioning for granted, much more so than our heartier grand- and great-grandparents. But the flicks are still rolling, and Malco’s Kids Summer Film Fest continues through the end of the month, every Tuesday and Wednesday through the 29^th. Call 683-2123 for extra info.

Americana on the diamond:

Owensboro’s own KITTY League team, the Oilers, are busiest this month. They play practically every day of the month, and the caliber of talent is impressive; the players are typically college players looking to expand their game, mostly for the love of it. And that’s the best kind of ball – watching players play because they love it, not because their agent gets a cut of their gazillion dollar checks and they sit out a game because they have a hangnail.

            Chautauqua Park’s the location, and the home games are listed in News 4U’s entertainment guide. For a few bucks you can kick back with a cold brew, keep your own score, munch a hot dog, and show your kids that baseball is more than hulking millionaires, Fantasy Leagues and controversy. Like it should be.

Out of town fun:

Is your son or daughter a budding young geologist or paleontologist? Want to take a short day trip? Check out Falls of the Ohio State Park, a place where the distant past is exposed in weathered limestone outcroppings, bluffs and flat spaces, all along the big and beautiful Ohio River.

            How old are the fossils lying embedded in the stone at the Falls? 380-some-odd millions years old, according to analysis. The fossil beds have the distinction of being the largest naturally-exposed Devonian Period fossil beds in the world.

            Views in and around the Falls area are impressive and serene. Even if you’re not into fossils and cool-looking rocks, simply picnicking in the area and enjoying the scenery make for enough enjoyment.

            But it’s the fossils that keep visitors coming back. You really have to see the limestone up close and in person to really get the stark impression that nature provides us with some wonderful, unique features. And in the case of the Falls of the Ohio, these natural wonders are virtually right in our back yard.

            Head east toward Louisville on I-64. Stay on 64 into Clarksville, Indiana and catch I-65 south toward Louisville. Take the last exit before the bridge and follow the signs. The Park is open seven days at week, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. The Interpretive Center on site offers an in-depth educational experience about the Falls, and it’s open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1p.m. to 5 p.m.

            More information about the Park can be obtained by calling 812-280-9970.