August 2002

Wolf Tracks • by Nick Wolf

Takoma Park kids keep busy over summer

Summer is an interesting thing in Takoma Park, mostly because kids do so many different things. I mean everyone does something different. Camp, jobs, working on summer homework, (which I think should be outlawed), internships, vacations all are choices kids can make.

Me, for example, I write this column and do pet care. I prefer to make money, as opposed to some other who might choose to sleep their summer away.

Pet care can occasionally be annoying, especially when I have to wake up early to take care of a dog, or pick up a newspaper. But it has its perks.

For example, other then getting paid, some people give me other stuff. One couple on my street, Marco DiPaul and Jennifer Apostle give me fresh tomatoes from their garden. Mmmm! Their tomatoes are so good and juicy!

I have another client, Loni Sinclair who has season tickets to the Orioles. When she is away, she sometimes gives me her tickets. During the last game I went to with the tickets she gave me, my brother caught a foul ball. Boy was he happy!

With the heat this year, I have also worked hard watering gardens. Mosquitoes aside, it is a great way to make money.

Camps are big deals in the summer. They give kids an opportunity to learn something else other than algebra, although I do know some kids that do go to algebra camp! Many of the younger kids in Takoma Park attend a camp called The Round House Theatre Arts Day Program, which is located at various locations throughout the county, including Takoma Elementary.

In my younger years, I was very picky about my camps. But man, I loved this one. I got to do many different arts and crafts, I learned to act, and I just plain had a great time.

This summer, instead of being a camper, I am a CIT, or Counselor in Training at the Arts Day Program. That is something that many of the campers want to do when they get older. At the end of the two-week session, the campers put on a program called "The Sharing" where the campers show off what they have learned at camp, including how to act.

Being a counselor in training is fun. I have an excuse for getting to do many of the things I did when I was younger, plus I earn community service hours. Now that is a great thing to do with your summer. More and more, I see kids my age really using their summer constructively while also having a great time.

I do think I am lucky to live where I live though. My cousin in north Louisiana has very little to do but ride around town and go swimming.

Even though I have made lots of money taking care of gardens, the farmers in Maryland sure are having a difficult time. I found out a few weeks ago that Gary Boll, the corn farmer I wrote about a few months age, has lost over half his crop to the massive draught that hit us a month ago. Officially, I am not suppose to have an opinion on the subject, but unofficially, I'm pretty sure global warming is to blame. Bush's denial of the cold hard fact that global warming exists not only continues to allow large corporations to pollute our atmosphere, but prevents the faster development of alternative fuels.

All this wind everywhere, and so little electricity created.

Scientists predict that in the next few years alone, the average mean temperature of the earth will go up at least three degrees, in part because of the limited restrictions placed on industry. Another topic for another day.

So as the days of summer wind down and all of us start school again, it has been great seeing so many kids do so many wonderful things. We could do more if school didn't start so early.

As for me, I hope no one much talks to me that last week in August. I am going to certainly be in a bad mood. When I should be swimming my days away at Daleview or at the "Y" instead I will be getting up at 6:30am, packing up my backpack and heading off to school.

What was MCPS thinking away? Will we really learn anything that last week in August? And just think, the teachers have to come a full week earlier!

Oh I just can't write about it anymore!

See Scalies for August 2002