BY MIKE MARZOLF
Special to the Tribune
A big shout out to the Great Bend Rec Commission. For several things, really, but with the newest talk of the town is the playground at its Activity Center on 18th Street – My Backyard.
My Backyard has activities for a wide range of age groups. One of the more popular seems to be the Zip Krooz. I haven’t been on it yet. Yet – I do plan on giving it a try.
The Rec has kept Great Bend busy for years. Through the Rec you can find an activity for just about everyone who wants to be active. From summer classes for younger kids to sports for all ages to activities for seniors.
There is dancing, walking, bird watching, music, knitting, pottery, swimming, bowling, horseshoes and fishing just to name a very few that people may not know about it.
Check them out. I guarantee you can find something that interests you.
Prep thoughts
Weather was the first thing to stop the Great Bend softball team this year. The Panthers are off to a sizzling 8-0 start and were hoping to make it 10 straight until a rainout postponed the WAC twinbill at Dodge City Tuesday.
The Panthers will be tested this weekend at the Sunflower Classic in Olathe. GBHS will play Olathe East and Shawnee Mission West Friday then tangle with Lawrence High and Shawnee Mission East Saturday.
Former athlete/coach update
Antanas Kavaliauskas and his Lietuvos rytas basketball club are closing out their regular season in the Lithuanian Basketball League. The club has just one regular season game remaining on the schedule and is currently 26-6 on the season, good for second place behind Zalgiris.
Jumanji, as he is called after his drastic beard style change which reminded people of the Robin Williams character in the film, could be a part of the 2016 Rio Olympics, playing for his home country of Lithuania. We will keep you informed of the conclusion of his season.
Around Campus
Enrollment Days for the Fall 2016 semester are underway. They run just about every Wednesday from now until the end of July. There is also one Tuesday left on the scheduled – next Tuesday.
It is a good time to take care of several things in one shot for the fall. You meet with the admissions staff, academic advisor, enroll and pay for classes, take tours if desired and assessment tests if needed.
It is a great opportunity to take advantage of. If you want to sign up or want more information, call the Admissions office and they will take care of you.
And finally
How was your Sunday? Good chance it wasn’t spent like mine – at least a small portion of it.
The day was going along easy enough. Mid-afternoon I took off for St. John to pick up my daughter. She spent the weekend with her cousin Abby in Pratt and her Aunt Shelly was meeting me in St. John to get her home.
We met at the Short Stop convenience store right along the highway. Katelyn, Shelly, myself and Sinister. Sinister would be a Great Dane-mix of Shelly’s. Well, Sinister decided he needed a bit of exercise. So out the car he went.
He checked out the area behind the store. It almost ended there. When called, the thought crossed his mind to listen and come to me.
Instead he lived up his name, gave me a sinister smile, and took off on a jog through the Christmas tree farm. He wasn’t done. Across the highway and down the south side of 8th Avenue – the main road heading into St John. Katelyn and I were on foot giving chase. Shelly in her car.
Jogging aimlessly through the water in the ditches and into open area – and back. Sinister continued west until he found a little farm house. A farm house with a few goats, miniature horses, sheep, et al.
He focused on the sheep pen. Looking in, then darting away as someone got close. By this time the extremely understanding family in the house had come out – the father, a boy around 10-12 years old and a younger sister.
Sinister finally went for it. Through a gap in the cattle fence and into the sheep pen. That was a move the sheep were not especially fond of. So, over the fence and into the pen I went as well.
Now mind you, it had rained about two inches or better. This made it muddy. And sheep do, let’s say ‘drop pellets’. This made the pen a bit of a sloppy mess of mud and you know what.
Also mind you, I was wearing long sweat pants, some slip on sandals and socks. Thank goodness for the young boy. He joined me in the pen, eventually got a hold of the dog’s collar, which the dog promptly slipped off.
Sinister was eventually corralled by him. I scooped him up and carried him to the car, which ‘soiled’ my hoodie as well. Katelyn and I walked the approximately quarter-mile back to the Short Stop to our car. Luckily I had a pair of shorts on under my sweats. I shed by sweats, socks, shoes and hoodie and put them in the back.
That didn’t totally eliminate the smell in the car on the way home, but it helped. Also, I am not sure you are supposed to drive barefoot, but that was not a big concern of mine on the time.
Oh well, all turned out okay. Sinister was caught and the sheep were all fine – albeit with a faster heart rate. And the unbelievably nice family in St. John had a conversation piece for supper.
