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Summer activities plentiful in Union City

Summer activities plentiful in Union City
By HOPE MONTGOMERY
Messenger Intern
What better way is there to spend the summer than to get out and get active?
Union City’s Parks and Recreation Department is giving the youth of the community as many opportunities as possible to do just that.
Events are offered all around the county during the summer to keep young people and their families busy and entertained.
The Boys & Girls Club summer program has been up and running since Monday and will continue until July 26, with activities each weekday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for children ages 6-12 and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. for teens from 13 through 18 years old. A single membership is $45 and a family membership is $80. The club is located at 1015 East College St.
The Obion County Summer Reading Program, an annual reading-based program sponsored by Obion County Public Library, kicks off Monday at 10 a.m. and will continue through July 15, when the special events for children of all ages will come to an end with the Family Movie Night. More information about the programs offered under the theme umbrella, “Dig Into Reading,” are available at the library, located at 1221 East Reelfoot Ave. in Union City, or online at www.oclibrary.org.
On the Fourth of July at 9 p.m. there will be a fireworks display at Graham Park.
Gates to the Obion County Fair will open Aug. 12 and the excitement will continue through Aug. 17.
Several opportunities for activity and fun began this week, courtesy of the Union City Parks and Recreation summer program.
There is a free week-long color guard camp at the Union City High School band house, continuing through Friday, for students who will be entering fifth through eighth grades, and there are also boys’ baseball and girls’ basketball camps taking place at Graham Park at no cost.
Beginning Monday and continuing through Friday, boys’ soccer and girls’ softball camps will take place at Graham Park. The activity is being offered to students in fifth through eighth grades. The action runs from 9 a.m. to noon.
Girls’ volleyball and boys’ weight training camps will begin June 17 and continue for a week for students in sixth through eighth grades.
Volleyball camp will take place from 9-11 a.m. at the UCHS gym. Boys’ weight training is set for 1-4 p.m. at the UCHS field house.
Girls’ cheerleading and boys’ basketball camps are planned for June 24-28.
Cheerleading camp will be available for students in third through fifth grades from 9:30-11:45 a.m., and for those in sixth through eighth grades from 1-3:15 p.m. at Union City Middle School.
A tennis clinic just for beginners is planned for 9-10 a.m. at the Taylor Street courts next to UCMS. Football camp for boys in third through fifth grades will be in operation 8-11 a.m. on the same dates, July 8-12. Preregistration is required for the tennis camp.
Football camp is planned at the UCHS football field unless there is rain, in which case the camp will be moved inside at the UCHS athletic facility.
Finally, the boys’ football camp for sixth through eighth grades will take place July 15-19 at the same location.
In addition, the city’s recreation program is offering discount tickets to Six Flags in St. Louis in an effort to provide recreational services even when families go out of town. Purchasing discounted tickets through the Union City Parks and Rec Office will not only be a money-saving move for area residents, but it will allow the department to claim a small portion of the ticket price to help provide local services.
Union City residents are also advised to note that recently approved regulations mean there are some new guidelines for use of city recreational facilities. Individuals, group or organizations wishing to use parks for any event or gathering that involves the use of any equipment, structure or device must obtain prior permission to do so from the Parks and Rec office, provided the department is not sponsoring the program.
For more information about use of parks and recreational facilities or summer programs for children and youth, call 885-0354 or visit online at www.ocpark.com.
The office is located at 311 South Sunswept Drive in Union City.
Published in The Messenger 6.5.13