Students play during break weeks

As schools slumber, students on winter break from most area schools have two more weeks to play before their return to school on Jan. 11.

Local activities over the holiday range from the adrenaline-filled to the leisurely, and are suitable a wide range of ages.

Some attractions, such as the McDermont Field House, have extended their hours to accommodate increased traffic.

“We’ve been pretty busy, there are a lot of families coming in right now,” Tammy Meadows, a membership specialist at McDermont, said.

Some of the attractions available at the recreational complex include the ever-popular Flowrider simulated surfing machine, an indoor skate park, climbing wall and basketball court.

Weekday hours are noon to 9 p.m., with lights remaining on Friday and Saturday nights until 11 p.m. Sunday, the center is open until 8 p.m.

Meadows said prices for the activities range from $4.50 to $29.

In response to calls from the public during the school break, McDermont has opened the Hippo Slide — normally only open on the weekends — on the weekdays as well.

Meadows said the video games are a popular attraction at the moment. “They’re loving the arcades,” she said.
Jim Perrine, Director of Parks and Leisure, said many students on break participate in the City’s three Adventure Day Camp sessions.

He said students at the camp do craft projects and recreational activities.

City parks and playgrounds, as well as the skate park, are all open for visits by students.

The skate park is located in Veterans Park at 700 N. Newcomb St.

Another location Perrine said students spend time during their holiday is the Youth Center at the Heritage Center Library, located at 256 E. Orange Ave.

It offers video games and pool tables, among other activities, Perrine said, on a daily basis.

For more information about the Youth Center, call 791-7698.

Another pastime with no price tag attached can be found at the Porterville City Library, located at 41 W. ThurmanAve., beginning Jan. 4.

The “Get Wrapped up in Reading @ Your Porterville Library” program is a free reading incentive program scheduled for the month of January.

Readers ages three to 16 can come to the Porterville City Library and sign up for the program. Everyone who participates will receive a reading log, stickers and a bookmark.

There will also be a drawing for various prizes. To enter to win, all readers must turn in their reading logs by Saturday, Jan. 30.

For more information, call the library at 784-0177, or visit www.portervillelibrary.org.

For less than $10, kids can catch a handful of kid-friendly flicks at Galaxy Theaters, located at 631 N. Indiana St.:

The Princess and the Frog, rated G with a run time of 1 hour and 40 minutes; Avatar, rated PG13 with a run time of 2 hours and 45 minutes; Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, rated PG with a run time of 1 hour and 35 minutes; the Blind Side, rated PG13 with a run time of 2 hours and 25 minutes and Sherlock Holmes, rated PG13 with a run time of 2 hours and 9 minutes.

Tickets are $9.75 for adults, $7.25 for kids younger than age 11 and $7.25 for all shows playing before 6 p.m.
For show times visit www.galaxytheaters.com or call 781-7469.

Less than a half of a mile away from the movie theater is the Porterville Lanes & Sports Center, which offers a league for kids each Saturday morning at 10 a.m.

To join, an annual fee of $17 is required, in addition to the $8 charged every Saturday to bowl three games. The league of four-person teams is open to kids ages 5 to 18.

Each week about “30 kids show up, but we could use more,” mechanic Guillermo Cordero said.
In addition to the league, regular games are available for $3 before 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and $3.75 any other time. Cosmic bowling runs from 6 p.m. until 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

The bowling alley is located at 952 W. Grand Ave.

For more information, contact 781-3090.

-- Contact Sarah de Crescenzo at 784-5000, Ext. 1045, or sdecrescenzo@portervillerecorder.com.