Halloween Spooktacular at Pearce

Pearce Community Center will host its 25^th annual Spooktacular on Friday, October 30.

The event will begin at 4:00 p.m. with carnival games and a cake walk. There will be a haunted house that will offer a fun, scary, or terrifying trip through the house. A hot dog dinner with chips and a drink will be available to purchase.

At 5:00 p.m., James and the Hip Hop Howlers will perform hip hop dance to popular Halloween music.

At 5:30 p.m., the costume contest will begin. There will be several age categories and prizes will be awarded for the funniest, scariest, and most original costumes in each age category. 

Spooktacular will conclude at 6:30 p.m., just in time for the Monster Mash Dance to begin at 7:00 p.m. Students in grades 4^th through 6^th are invited to wear their costume and spend the evening dancing to the latest tunes played by the Pearce DJ, playing dodgeball, and making their way through the spooky haunted house.


Game tickets can be purchased for 25 cents. The hot dog dinner will be $3 for children 12 and under and $5 for adults 13 and over. A large adult meal with two hot dogs will be available for $7.

School’s Out Day Camp Offered at Pearce

Pearce Community Center will host School’s Out Day Camp for students in grades K-6 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Monday, October 12 and Friday, October 23 when IVC School District #321 is not in session. Before camp care is also available beginning at 6:30 a.m.

Campers will spend the day enjoying a variety of indoor and outdoor activities, swimming in the pool, and local field trips. Bring a daily sack lunch that does not require refrigeration but can contain microwaveable items and a drink, swimsuit and towel, gym shoes, and a book. An afternoon snack will be provided.

Register in advance at Pearce. Foundation members pay only $27 per child per day; members $30; and non-members $45.

Kids Exergaming during School's Out Day Camp

Babysitting Class Offered at Pearce

Pearce Community Center is offering the Safe Sitter® program, a six-week babysitting class, beginning Thursday, October 8, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. for ages 11 to 17.

The class will develop knowledge of first aid, rescue skills, and behavior management techniques as well as provide the experience to handle medical, behavioral, or household emergencies. Participants will also learn how to feed and diaper small children and create their own personalized toolkit of activities, crafts, and games to take with them to babysitting jobs. The class will conclude with hands-on experience babysitting at Pearce during Parent’s Night Out on Friday, November 13, mentored by trained staff.

The cost of the class is $30 for Foundation members; $40 for members; and $50 for non-members. Register for the Safe Sitter® program at Pearce. 

Youth Basketball League Registration Has Begun

Registration is open for Pearce Community Center’s fall/winter youth basketball league open to boys and girls ages 4 to 12 years old. The league is designed to provide fun, recreational basketball practice and play during which participants will learn basic skills and rules of the game in a structured environment. Every child, regardless of their skill level, will have the opportunity to experience basketball.  Games are played at Pearce on Saturdays.

The first six-week season runs from November 14 to December 19. Practice begins the week of November 2. Registration for this season ends October 26.

The second six-week season runs from January 16 to February 20. Practice begins the week of January 4. Registration for this season ends December 28.

Pearce Foundation members pay only $30 for a single season or $52.50 for both. Members pay $40 for a single season or $70 for both. Non-members pay $60 for a single season or $110 for both.

September Member of the Month

Hair stylist Celena Monier is our September member of the month.

Joining Pearce in 2013 makes Celena a relatively new member compared to our charter members, but already she has participated in nearly every group exercise class. Her favorites include Hip Hop, RIP, and Core Fusion. “You don’t notice how hard you’re working because the classes are so fun,” says Celena, “until the next day when you try to get out of bed!”

When Celena is not at Pearce working out, she helps on the family farm and hangs out with friends.

“Take advantage of the classes provided,” says Celena. “The instructors are so welcoming and encouraging. And like Hip Hop instructor James always says, ‘be safe, have fun!’”

September Member of the Month Celena Monier

When Does a Swimming Pool Cease to be a Swimming Pool?

In our case, a pool stops being a pool when there is no water in it during our annual pool maintenance project each August. 

I'm glad to report that the pool painting project is now complete. The paint manufacturer requires a minimum of 10 days of curing and drying time before we can start filling it with water.

Therefore, we have a firm re-opening date of September 14 which gives us time to fill, treat and heat the water.

We are disappointed that the closing took longer than expected, but the upside is that next year's maintenance closing will not include pool painting and will be just a few days to do any mechanical maintenance required. 

We have also completely rebuilt the spa with all new fittings and plumbing. We expect a trouble-free future for the spa.

 

Thank you for being so patient during this year's pool shutdown.

Ben Alvarez

Director

Exercise Myths Part 4

 

By Megan Rupiper, MS, Certified Personal Trainer

Megan Rupiper

Myth #7 - Drink 8 glasses of water per day.

It has reappeared in the media recently that, in fact, we do not need to consume 8 glasses of water per day. Research has been refuting this myth for years. The myth started back in the 1940's when the Food and Nutrition board recommended people drink 2.5 liters of water per day. What people failed to take away from the recommendation was the statement under the recommendation: "most of this quantity is consumed in prepared foods." This means that through the consumption of the foods and beverages we drink in the course of the day, we are consuming the recommended amount. There is no need to force yourself to gulp down an additional 8 glasses of water each day. Research has proven that for an otherwise healthy adult, there are no additional health benefits. I still recommend water as the best beverage to consume, but it is not the only beverage you can consume to maintain your hydration. 

There are currently no set recommendations on how much water people should consume during the day. There are so many factors that vary from a person's body size, what they eat, where they live, and what they do that can affect their water needs. 

Myth #8 - Squats are bad for your knees.

So many clients have come to me with knee trouble, often saying the doctor told them not to squat because it is bad for their knees. This claim has been made for years without supporting evidence or research. 

Squatting is an activity of daily living. How many times during the day do you stand up to get off your chair or the toilet, bend down to pick something up, get something out of a lower cupboard, walk up or down the stairs? All of these movements require you to perform some form of squat. 

There are many variations of the squat exercise. Some of them you may find more comfortable on your knees and some of them less comfortable. You should select the squat exercise that feels best for you. The squat is one of the best movements to increase strength in the lower body and very effective for improving your ability to complete activities of daily living. See your Pearce Community Center personal trainer to help you find the best squat exercise for you!

Myth #9 - Fresh fruits and vegetables are better than frozen.

The truth is many of the fruits and vegetables we buy every day at the grocery store were picked out of the fields almost 2 weeks prior to hitting the store shelves. A majority of the vitamin C found in those foods is long gone by the time it is brought home to enjoy. 

If you can buy your produce fresh from a local farmers market or pick from your own garden, the nutrient content is not lost. Frozen fruits and vegetables are picked and frozen at the peak of freshness, giving them a higher nutrient content than some fresh options. Buyers beware; some frozen fruit can be packaged in heavy syrup that adds unnecessary calories and lessens the healthy factor. Look at the ingredients on the food package. Try to avoid added sugar and salt in your frozen fruits and vegetables. Frozen fruits taste great when added to smoothies, yogurt and oatmeal where frozen vegetables taste great when added to stir fry, casseroles and soups. Don't be afraid to stock up or experiment with frozen fruits and vegetables.