What summer activities for kids are the best bargain?

School will let out for the summer in just four weeks, which has many of the parents I know scrambling to register their kids for summer activities, myself included.  

I will likely spend around $500 registering my two school-aged kids for summer activities, which will include baseball, swim lessons and Vaction Bible School. To me, that seems like a lot of money, so I decided to run some numbers on several of the summer offerings for kids in Spokane this summer and see which ones are the best value--here are the results:

Spokane Parks & Rec Offerings:

Adventure Day Camps: $189 for 5 days, 8 hrs/day = $4.72/hr

Corbin Art Center Camps: $119 for 5 days, 6 hrs/day = $3.96/hr

Swim lessons: $48 for 8 30 min sessions = $12/hr

Christian Youth Theater Camps:

Munchkin Camps (5-7 yrs): $90 for 5 days, 3 hrs/day = $6/hr

Junior Camps (7-12 yrs): $185 for 5 days, 7 hrs/day = $5.28/hr

Teen Camps (13-18 yrs) $195 for 5 days, 8 hrs/day = $4.87/hr

East Central Community Center:

Basketball Camp: $50 for 5 days, 4 hrs/day = $2.50/hr

Vacation Bible School:

Prices at area churches range from $10-$25/child and run for 5 days a week for 3 hrs/day = $0.66/hr - $1.66/hr

Spokane Youth Sports Association (SYSA): 

Summer Baseball: $110 for 10 game season, about 1 hr/game = $11/hr

Soccer, Flag Football or Lacrosse Camps: $50 for 4 days, 1.5 hrs/day = $8.33/hr

Out of this sampling of summer activities available in Spokane, Vacation Bible School is by far the best value, with the East Central Community Center's Basketball Camp coming in 2nd and Corbin Art Center Camps taking 3rd. Of course, price isn't everything. I am happy to pay $12/hr to make sure my kids learn to swim, and my son loves playing baseball, so I cough up the $110 without too much complaining. 

What do you think? Are these activities worth the money? Will you be paying for summer activites for your kids or will you just tell them to go play outside? Leave a comment below or on Facebook. 

Celebrate Beanfest at the library

Beanfest will be celebrated at the South Hill branch of the Spokane Public Library (33rd & Perry) on Thursday, May 16 at 4pm. What is Beanfest you ask? It's a way to get kids excited for the gardening season. Activities will include:

Planting beans

Examining bean roots

Reading bean stories

Eating jelly beans

This free program is appropriate for school-age children.

Time to Pull Out the Bikes

We just dusted off the bikes at our house this past week, which is perfect timing because Bike to Work Week starts this Monday, May 13th. Two Wheel Transit and Title Nine Spokane will be hosting an Energizer Station during Bike to Work Week on Wednesday, May 15. Stop by Two Wheel Transit (8th & Perry) for some treats on your way to work.

Two Wheel Transit has also started holding Shop Rides on Thursday evenings at 6:30pm and Saturday mornings at 8:15am. The rides begin and end at Manito Tap House (29th & Grand in Manito Shopping Center). Visit Two Wheel Transit's Facebook page for more info.

Dreams of summer lead to yellow jacket nightmares

The following is a guest post by Wayne Haehl of the Manito/Cannon Hill neighborhood:

Yellow jackets. The very mention of the name makes one shutter. Spring is here and summer will soon be abuzz with these little yellow banded beasties.

What purpose do they serve under heaven escapes me; frankly, I eradicate the little buggers when I find a nest on my property. I’ve tried the recommended method of the plastic florescence yellow traps baited with attractant. The ill-mannered stinging bugs still manage to rudely invite themselves to our backyard BBQs.

A few years ago I was tasked by my mother-in-law to exterminate all yellow jackets in her henhouse on her property near Ellensburg, WA. In a rare moment of insight, I came up with the idea to use a shop vac. The shop vac has a long hose as well as an extended nozzle which kept the business end of the yellow jackets at least 5 feet from me.

The powerful suction of a 5hp shop vac is more than a match for the most skilled flyers among yellow jackets and their nests fold up like bad origami under such a vacuum.

I completely took out three large nests in less than an hour. I noticed some bewildered stragglers searching for their home after it was gone. I sucked them down as well. The lunch bell rang and I broke for a much deserved sandwich with my family.

After lunch I went to get the shop vac and heard an odd noise. There was movement inside of the shop vac. I suspected the yellow jackets were not happy with their new digs and I was not going to open the shop vac up to chat. I started feeling a little monstrous letting the little dudes suffer so. I found a can of bug spray designed for yellow jackets, turned on the shop vac and sprayed inside the nozzle for about 10 seconds. Then I turned off the shop vac and went to have a piece of promised fresh baked apple pie--my mother-in-law's specialty. Upon my return, the movement inside the shop vac had ceased.

I completely eliminated the rest of the yellow jackets in the henhouse and their nests by days end. I chose to bury the contents of the shop vac and hosed it out well. The in-laws were impressed.

The yellow jacket shop vac eradication method was an elegant, effective, pie worthy solution; much more humane than letting the bugs starve to death in a yellow trap. I still use and recommend it to this day.

South Hill restaurants giving back to local schools

Several local restaurants are supporting different South Hill elementary schools with a portion of their proceeds on certain days of the month. Below is  a list of the restaurants that I am aware of that are supporting South Hill schools in this way:

The Scoop (25th & Monroe)
Wildcat Wednesdays
5% of profits on Wednesdays will support Wilson Elementary

South Perry Pizza (10th & Perry)
First Wednesday of the month
10% of sales benefits Grant Elementary

Revel 77 (3223 E 57th)
Third Tuesday of the month 

10% of sales go to Moran Prairie Elementary

MacKenzie River Pizza (57th & Regal)

First Monday of the month

% of sales benefits Moran Prairie Elementary

Mark your calendars and plan to support South Hill businesses and schools at the same time.  If I missed a business, let me know in the comments below or on Facebook.

This post was sponsored by Everyone Makes Music. Enrollment for the spring session (April-June) is now open, with music and movement classes for babies, toddlers & preschoolers. Call Miss Ruth at 535-7218 or click the link above to register.

Revenge of the Rubber Chicken Tomorrow

The annual Revenge of the Rubber Chicken will be held tomorrow at 6pm at Ferris High School Gymnasium (Ray & 37th). Tickets are $5/student, $8/person and $20/family (kids under 5 are free).

Revenge of the Rubber Chicken is a basketball game played by LC and Ferris alum and hosted by the South Spokane Rotary. The proceeds from the event provide scholarships for college-bound Ferris and LC students.

This year there will be a 3-point shooting contest and the prize is a 42" HD Smart TV. Your ticket or program will also get you a 20% discount at area restaurants on game day.

My husband is a member of South Spokane Rotary so I already have my ticket and my kids are excited to go. Who else is planning to go?

This post is sponsored by Everyone Makes Music, featuring the Simply Music piano method for 8-years and up, as well as Play-a-Story piano lessons for kids age 5-7. Call Miss Ruth at 535-7218.

Friends of Manito Tropical Plant Sale this Saturday

The Friends of Manito will be holding their annual Tropical Plant Sale on Saturday, March 2 from 11:30 - 2:00 pm in the Manito Meeting Room (east of Gaiser Conservatory in Manito Park).

The Friends of Manito will also be hosting lectures throughout the year, with two in March. The first lecture in March is directly before the Tropical Plant Sale. All events are on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. unless otherwise noted and will be held in the Manito Meeting Room located east of Gaiser Conservatory: 

March 2nd - Lecture on Growing Orchids

The exquisite orchid has been the symbol of love for hundreds of years. It was treasured then, as it is now, for its beauty. Because of their exotic appearance, we mistakenly think orchids will be difficult to care for. Learn how easy they really are to grow. Our speakers, Mary Wall and her brother, Dr. Doug Corpron, together, have had an interest in growing orchids for 80 years. They will demonstrate propagation, planting and talk about the types and care of orchids. Dr. Corpron has won several awards and taught many seminars on growing orchids. Free and open to the public.

March 16th -Plant Propagation by Steven Nokes

All gardening begins with a new shoot; a single tip of green pushing its way through the soil. While some plants are quite happy to propagate themselves, others need early encouragement and nurturing. Whether you’re aiming to germinate rare varieties, preserve the characteristics of existing specimens or simply want to reduce material costs, propagation from seeds and cuttings will guide you through the different horticultural principles. Steven has been gardening the same ground for over 30 years, has many greenhouses, is a life member of the Gardeners of America, and has been in the WSU Master Gardener program for 26 years. On Steve’s landscaped two acres you’ll find annuals galore, vegetables, berries, perennials, a pond, and an orchard. This class is free and open to the public. Please call or leave a message at The Friends of Manito Office to reserve your space: 456-8038. Free and open to the public.

April 13th - Native Plants by Eva Lusk
April 20th - Tree Tour of Manito Park by Ed Lester
May 18th - Tree Tour of Manito Park by Ed Lester
May 25th - Talk about the June Plant Sale by Plant Manager, Janis Saiki
June 1st - Small Fruits by Steven Nokes
June 15th - Tree Tour of Manito Park by Ed Lester
July 20th - Roses by Steve Smith
August 24th - Talk about the September Plant Sale by Plant Manager, Janis Saiki
September 21 - Children’s Renaissance Faire (11 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.)
November 16th - Holiday Flower Arrangement by Maralee Karwoski

Signs of the times

The following post is from Mary H of the Comstock neighborhood:

Shuttling between three institutions of higher education -- plus working minutes from downtown -- I drive and walk the mean streets of Bermtopia quite a bit. As a result, I see Things. Odd things. Magical things. Heartbreaking things. Inspiring things. And, because it's Bermtopia, just plain mystifying things.

I try to record these with my handy-dandy cell phone, but because I am a Responsible Driver and don't drive and cell phone at the same time there are, alas, many missed photo ops. But because I love you all, yesterday I took a little detour from my weeklypilgrimage trip to Trader Joe's to capture a couple of recent favorites I came across this week. Read (and see) the rest of the post here.

More South Hill retail space completed at 55th & Regal

A new retail space has gone in at 55th & Regal. So far there aren't many signs of life, but one of the storefronts has posted a Liquor License Application.  The application is for spirits/beer/wine for a restauarant/lounge establishment. Somewhere is listed as the name of the business. Somewhere Inc. also owns Usher's Corner, a bar in Hillyard that features live music.

What else would you like to see move into the space?  Leave a comment below or on Facebook. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that another cellphone outlet will not be one of the occupants.

Inspired by tuna

The following is a guest post  by Wayne Haehl of the Manito/Canon Hill Neighborhood:

Most of what I cooked up in college was considered toxic waste by federal, state and local agencies, as well as my roommates. One recipe, however, was survived and enjoyed by all when it was my turn to burn dinner: Tuna Cakes. I know it sounds silly, but solider on with me…

1) Take a can of reputable tuna packed in spring water  (I never understood what they mean by spring water….why not just call it fresh water or just, water?)

.

2) Squeeze out the excess water and into a glass and discard it. (If you have cats they will treat you as a god if you poor the tuna enhanced spring water on their food or let them drink it outright. Dogs enjoy tuna water as well but experience has shown less than pleasant odiferous repercussions from tuna water consumption with our canine companions).

3) Preheat a nonstick frying pan on medium upon the stove; put the tuna chunks into a mixing bowl.

4) Add 1 egg (this helps bind the ingredients;  no bits of shell, or people complain).

 

5) Add a hand full of coarsely crushed crackers (Saltines, Rtiz, ..feel free to experiment; standard Ritz are my favorite).

 

6) Add a dash of lemon juice (this helps flavor and blend the ingredients).

 

7) Add a half teaspoon of black pepper (This is to taste; it is not necessary chemically but does enhance the flavor in a good way).

8) Drop a slice of butter or equivalent into the hot and ready pan (this helps to uniformly caramelize the surface of the tuna cake when it is frying).

9) Mix the motley concoction with a rubber spatula until it is as uniform as it is going to get.

Take one hand full at a time and press it into patties or cakes.

10) After the butter is completely melted, fry the tuna cakes like hamburgers until both top and bottom surfaces look the color of medium toasted bread.

Tuna Cakes go well with fruit juice (I prefer a good cold grape juice) and assorted simple crudités. All basic food groups are represented.

One standard issue can of tuna makes two big patties or three medium ones.

From prep to finish, Tuna Cakes take roughly 15 minutes. If it is done correctly, the whole family will enjoy this high protein, well balanced meal,  pets included--the dog at your own peril.