The Daily Southerner, Tarboro, NC

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  • Annalise Potter, 4, left, prepares to take a dip in Community Pool Monday while her sister Lydia Potter, 6, looks on. Community and Clark Swimming pools are opening seven days a week.

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June 21, 2012

Pools, libraries offer numerous activity opportunities

Staff Writer Calvin Adkins

TARBORO — Summer activities abound for those wanting to partake.

With warm weather here, both the Clark and Community swimming pools are open and the summer reading program is under way at the Edgecombe County Memorial Library.

Based on numbers from last summer, things are expected to be busy.

The two pools averaged about 1,200 swimmers per month last year and the library's summer reading program kept readers focused on books for an estimated 10,000 hours.

This year, both entities are pushing for even greater participation.

The Community Pool is open daily from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., while Clark Pool is open daily from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

And if you don't know how to swim, it's not a problem as swimming lessons are offered for swimmers from birth and up.

"This community has the opportunity that other communities don't have," said Tarboro Parks & Recreation Director Cheryl Gay. "I would like to see more citizens take the advantage of them. We have really nice swimming pools and our goal is to have more participation."

That's also the goal for Edgecombe County Memorial Library reading program, "Dream Big, Read."

The program kicked off Monday with a bash at McIntrye Auditroum on the campus of Edgecombe Community College. Special performer for the event was "Fish the Magish." Children who missed the kickoff can still sign up at the Tarboro or Pinetops branches of the library.

The purpose for the program is to encourage children to read. Children up to age 18 can participate and each participant is asked to read at least 35 hours. They are also asked to record the each segment on a log provided by the library. Parents may also read to underage children who cannot read and follow the same recording process.

The top readers from ages 6 and under and from ages 7 to 11 will be awarded prizes.

Teenagers will not be award prizes this year. Instead, they are being asked to volunteer to assist with the program. Teenagers who volunteer at least six hours will receive a gift.

But the program is not all about reading.

Organizers have prepared an array of events that include a musical performance, a day at the movie, a teen poetry workshop, a jazz performance by Coco Rouzier, a tea party and "Story Time" every week — Tuesdays at the Tarboro library and Wednesdays at the Pinetops library.

As a special treat for Story Time, local professionals and elected officials will briefly share their experiences with the children in collaboration with the program's "Dream Big" motto.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and that date will be Aug. 1. However, the organizers have made the end a treat as well by throwing another big bash that includes a pizza party in Keihin Auditorium, where "Big Bang Boom" a musical group, will perform.

 

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