Staff Report

Summer is just around the corner, and the Stuart C. Gildred Family YMCA encourages children and parents to explore the many benefits of swimming, while also staying safe.

“Research shows that participation in aquatics safety programs and swim lessons significantly reduces the risk of drowning,” said Margo Byrne, chief operations officer of the Channel Islands YMCA.

The YMCA encourages parents to take an active role in fostering a relationship between their children and swimming — beginning with water safety. Safety tips include:

• Swim only when and where there is a lifeguard on duty.
• Never swim alone.
• Adults should constantly watch their children in and around the water.
• Parents or guardians of young children should be within an arm’s reach.
• Inexperienced or non-swimmers should wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket.
• No one, child or adult, should engage in breath-holding activities.

In addition to learning life-saving water safety skills, children can increase their physical activity by swimming.

Swimming also motivates children to strive for self-improvement, teaches goal orientation and cultivates a positive mental attitude and high self-esteem.

It also teaches life lessons of sport and sportsmanship, so that children can learn how to work well with teammates and coaches and how to deal with winning and losing.

For more information about the Stuart C. Gildred Family YMCA, visit www.ciymca.org/stuartgildred or call 805-686-2037.

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Join library storytellers as they read stories, sing silly rhymes, make crafts, and perhaps even enjoy a visit from some very special guests… Pajama Storytimes will take place on the following days and locations:

·         Tuesday, June 14 at the Buellton Library, 6 p.m. – 140 W. Highway 246, Buellton

·         Wednesday, June 15 at the Solvang Library, 6 p.m. – 1745 Mission Dr., Solvang

·         Wednesday, June 22 at the Eastside Library, 10:30 a.m. – 1102 E. Montecito St., Santa Barbara

·         Wednesday, June 22 at the Goleta Library, 10:30 a.m. – 500 N. Fairview Ave., Goleta

·         Thursday, June 23 at the Carpinteria Library, 10:30 a.m. – 5141 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria

·         Thursday, June 23 at the Central Library, 6 p.m. – 40 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara

Library staff and volunteers encourage children to read and participate in fun, educational events every summer in order to instill a lifelong love of reading. No pre-registration is necessary. For more information, call the Santa Barbara Central Library’s Youth Services Desk at 805-564-5603, or contact your local branch library.

Information about Santa Barbara Public Library System locations, hours, events, and programs is available at SBPLibrary.org. All Library programs are free and open to the public.

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“This year marks 71 years of our traditional sleepover summer camp. I started as a Counselor at Circle V in 1993 and have been Camp Director since 2008. We welcome campers from throughout Southern California. No child is turned away due to lack of funds since we have camperships available. Please come to the Open House or contact us and learn how you can give your kids a wonderful experience this summer,” according to Circle V Ranch Camp Director Ray Lopez.

Circle V offers seven sessions starting on June 27 and ending August 14, 2016. Each session features six days and five nights of traditional supervised activities for boys and girls ages 7 to 13.  For ages 14-17, a Camper in Leadership Training (CILT) program is also available. Applications and campership (scholarship) requests are now being accepted for 2016 Summer Camp sessions.

2016 Summer Session Dates and Themes are: 

• Session One: Monday, June 27 to Saturday, July 2– Wild Wild West Week
• Session Two: Tuesday, July 5 to Sunday, July 10– Secret Agent Week
• Session Three: Monday, July 11 to Saturday, July 16– “The Final Frontier” Space Week
• Session Four: Monday, July 18 to Saturday, July 23– Medieval Week
• Session Five: Wednesday, July 27 to Monday, August 1– Flashback Week
• Session Six: Wednesday, August 3 to Monday, August 8– Carnival Week
• Session Seven: Tuesday, August 9 to Sunday, August 14 – Sports Extravaganza Week

Circle V campers enjoy activities including archery, hiking, swimming in the pool, learning about nature, reading skills, arts & crafts, painting, photography, playing games of baseball, basketball, ping pong, foosball, soccer, miniature golf and of course, campfires, skits and songs. (There is no TV or radio or internet access to affect the experience.) Campers stay in spacious wood cabins or canvas tents. Three nutritious daily meals are served family-style in the Dining Lodge and provide not only a chance for food but also for more camaraderie and fellowship.

In summer 2015, the camp hosted more than 1,200 children for this time-honored experience. The Circle V Ranch Camp fee for six days/ five nights including lodging, all meals, activities, recreation and supervised fun is $425 per child; and “camperships” (made by individuals and groups’ donations) are available for qualified campers. For complete info on fees and camperships, visit www.circlevranchcamp.org/datesthemesfees.html

Founded by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Los Angeles Council in 1945, Circle V Ranch Camp & Retreat Center has been located on 30 acres in the Los Padres National Forest in Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley near Cachuma Lake since 1990. During autumn, winter and spring, the Camp & Retreat Center is available for rental to other non-profit groups and organizations.  Parents/guardians are encouraged to contact the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Circle V Ranch Camp main office at 323-224-6213 to receive the Camp application or apply online at www.circlevranchcamp.org

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