Bear Essential News April 2021, Phoenix Edition

CAMP

Bear

April 2021 • Phoenix Edition • www.bearessentialnews.com

40 YEARS!

Guide See pages 16 thru 21

essential news

®

Get Me

!

Outside

In This Picture: Find a baseball, a boat oar, a decorated egg, a pine cone, a geologist’s pick, a Scrabble letter, an animal cracker, a watering can, binoculars and EARTH.

CAMP GUIDE

FEATURE

NEWS NEWS

Need S ome Fun?

Earth Day R ocks!

S uez Canal R e-O pens

There’s a camp for you!

Pages 16 thru 21

Check out these AZ sites Pages 12 & 13

Spotlight on Beverly Cleary News Highlights page 5

FAMILIES

W ildlife R escue!

& more news kids can use Scoops pages 7, 11, 15 & 23

Food Detectives

You can be one, too!

Page 8

2

BEAR 40 YEARS •

April 2021

www.bearessentialnews.com

April 2021 •

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

Science

SN

BEAR 40 YEARS

3

News Stories

Get the Scoop!

Garden Art Contest

WINNERS! Thank you to all who entered the contest, and a big congratulations to our winners!

Phoenix Winner Ananya J.

Tucson Winner

It’s Your Chance to Explore Space, Just Like an Astronaut, at Arizona Science Center

by Reporter Miliana Valenzuela Arizona Desert Elementary Just think about being in space….

Imagine being in the rocket ship and the space shuttle. Imagine eating or sleeping in space. The Arizona Science Center has an Astronaut Exhibit where you can learn and do a physical interactive part of the exhibit.

Sari Custer, Chief Science and Curiosity Officer with the Arizona Science Center, says the whole exhibit is a hands-on experience. Custer has a personal background in science.

She loves seeing and helping people at the Center. Custer has been with the Arizona Science Center for 11 years.

The exhibit will be at the Arizona Science Center until May 31. One of the exhibits is called “Heavy Handed.” It has all the controls that would be on a space ship. You have three weights on one hand and then you have to push the control buttons as fast as you can in the time allowed.

Another exhibit is called the “G Force.” It was my personal favorite. You sit in a mock space shuttle. With the wheel in the middle, you spin it and see how fast you can go. It is about gravity. Some people try to go to 1G, which is the fastest speed. At 2G it means that you would weigh twice as much on Earth.

Another exhibit is “Landing Safely to Explore.” The task is to land the capsule on target. You have to put the capsule in the tube. You can change the angle and when you are ready you jump-sit on the seat so that the capsule will fly out. You can also watch a 25-minute movie called, “Ocean to Orbit.”

For information about this event and other exhibits at the Arizona Science Center, go to www.AZscience.org.

Adviser: Karen Golden

Anastasia B.

Be a Young Reporter!

For your sign-up form, go to

Honorable Mention Non-competing Senior

Christine R.

BearEssentialNews.com and click on Young Reporters.

4

BEAR 40 YEARS •

www.bearessentialnews.com

April 2021

Earth Day Activity:

BRACES $

99

Wildflower Seed Bombs per month

FREE CONSULTATION

CHECK

• Mix together 4 parts clay to 1 part potting soil.

• Add in wildflower seeds.

• Add little bits of water and mix together with your hands.

EXAM, X-RAYS & CLEANING

$35

(for patients without insurance)

Open Saturday and Sunday! www.KidzConnextion.com • 480-725-8413 • Text or Call 2046 N. 24th St. Central Phoenix

• Air Dry Clay • Potting Soil • Wildflower seeds (that are native to your area) • Water • A bucket to mix in

Directions:

-UP!

524 E. Baseline Rd. South Phoenix

You will need:

2533 N. 75th Ave. West Phoenix

Get Treatment EARLY! Early orthodontic treatment can minimize more extensive treatment later on in life. The first visit to your orthodontist should take place before you’re eight. There are a number of different types of bites that need to be considered for treatment.

The following situations may need an orthodontic exam as soon as possible:

• difficulty chewing • jaws that pop or click • thumb sucking • open mouth breathing • spacing of teeth • crowding of teeth

www.KidzConnextion.com

Once the mixture is like cookie dough, shape into balls about the size of a golf ball.

Let them dry completely. Once dry, put them in a sealable sandwich bag.

These will make great gifts for family and friends.

Using the seed bombs is easy! Just toss them in a sunny spot in the yard where you want them to grow. Don’t forget to water them, and if you have a green thumb, your flowers should start growing within a couple of weeks.

April 2021 •

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

Suez Canal Finally Open for Traffic A cargo ship nearly as long as the Empire State Building that blocked traffic in the Suez Canal for almost a week has been freed.

The Ever Given is a 1,300-foot, 220,000-ton container ship that is among the largest container ships currently in operation. It is roughly twice as long as the Suez Canal is wide.

The Ever Given got stuck in the canal on March 23. While the ship was stuck for nearly one week, more than 360 vessels lined up behind the Ever Given while others opted to divert their journeys. Those waiting to pass through the canal included container ships, bulk carriers, oil tankers and other vessels. The traffic jam slowed trade in parts of the world and cost billions of dollars!

An investigation is ongoing about how the ship got stuck in the canal. The ship’s owners said high winds in a sandstorm were to blame, but officials investigating the INCIDENT have speculated that the ship may have been grounded by technical or human errors.

Fortunately for everyone involved, some hard work and ingenuity freed the Ever Given and prevented the blockage from dragging on for several weeks as many people initially thought it might. The salvage crews

Beverly Cleary Dies Satellite photo courtes y of Maxar Technologi es

B

News Highlights

BEAR 40 YEARS

relied on tugboats to push along one side of the ship, large-capacity dredgers, and high tides to get the Ever Given moving again. Crews removed 30,000 cubic meters of sand as part of the rescue effort. That’s enough sand to fill about one dozen Olympic-sized swimming pools!

The Suez Canal was completed in 1869, and it has been a significant route for trade since then.

Roughly 19,000 ships use the canal each year, and it links the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. This connection allows for direct shipping from Europe to Asia. Without the Suez Canal, ships have to traverse the entire continent of Africa. This significantly drives up the time it takes for ships to move goods and increases the cost.

Satellite Hunter to Clean Up Space Junk months with varying levels of complexity. If successful, Have you ever thought about what happens to all future satellites could be launched with compatible of the objects humans launch into space? docking plates on them to employ the technology.

Fortunately, scientists do think about problems like While it may not be a problem we often think about, this and are working on a solution. space junk is a growing problem. According Last month, a demonstration to NASA, the first human-made object to mission to test an idea about how enter space was a rocket that launched in to clean up space debris launched 1949. In 1957, the Soviets launched the from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in first satellite, Sputnik 1, into space. The Kazakhstan.

United States responded four months later The mission, known as ELSA-d, with Explorer 1. employs a “servicer satellite” and Since then, approximately 2,500 satela “client satellite.” According to Aslites have been launched into space. There troscale, the Japan-based company are millions of pieces of space junk, includbehind the mission, the two sateling everything from defunct satellites and lites launched together and will use nuts and bolts left behind by astronauts to a magnetic docking technology. The Illustration of satellite servicer satellite will release and try flecks of paint and bits of plastic. to join with the client satellite, which will act as a mock In space, litter has the potential to be extremepiece of space junk. The technology is meant to attach ly harmful because the debris threatens the loss of itself to dead satellites and push them toward Earth services we rely on in everyday life, including weather so they burn up in the atmosphere rather than floating forecasting, telecommunications, and GPS systems. around as debris.

According to a recent report by NASA, there are at The mission’s goal is to demonstrate the servicer least 26,000 pieces of space junk the size of a softball that could “destroy a satellite on impact” because of satellite’s ability to track and dock with the client satelthe speed at which they orbit. lite, and the process will be repeated over the next six

Beloved author Beverly Cleary, creator of memorable characters like Ramona, Ralph S. Mouse and Henry Huggins, died March 25. She was 104.

Cleary was born Beverly Atlee Bunn. After early struggles with reading, Cleary became an AVID reader. She first thought about becoming a children’s author when she was in grade school. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley in 1938. That’s where she met Clarence Cleary, who she married in 1940.

Cleary earned a library degree at the University of Washington and worked as a librarian in Yakima, WA. She recalled in later interviews that she was inspired by young patrons who were looking for books that featured kids like them—ordinary kids. Her first book, “Henry Huggins,” was published in 1950.

Beverly Cleary Facts: Born: April 12, 1916 McMinnville, OR Died: March 25, 2021 in Carmel, CA Married to Clarence Cleary, raised two children— twins Malcolm and Marianne.

Cleary and “Kitty” in 1955

“I think children want to read about normal, everyday kids. That’s what I wanted to read about when I was growing up,” Cleary said in a radio interview with NPR in 1999.

“I wanted to read about the sort of (kids) that I knew in my neighborhood and in my school.”

One of Cleary’s most enduring, but not always endearing, characters is Ramona Geraldine Quimby. The energetic girl is the younger sister of Henry’s friend, Beezus, and was labeled a “pest” at times!

Cleary had many fans, and she answered her own fan mail. She also earned many awards, like the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the American Library Association in 1975.

Cleary won the National Book award in 1981 for “Ramona and Her Mother.” In 1984, she won the Newbery Medal for “Dear Mr. Henshaw,” a book that looked at divorce through a child’s eyes.

Cleary described her characters as the types of kids she knew, whose thoughts and actions reflected her own experiences.

She noted that her stories about everyday kids were the kind of books that she wished had been available when she was a child.

Cleary’s books have been translated into 29 languages.

5

6

BEAR 40 YEARS •

www.bearessentialnews.com

April 2021

WIN a DRONE!

Two Nexus Laser Battle Drones, with Picture/Video Camera.

To enter, go to

BearEssentialNews.com and click on CONTESTS. Good Luck!

School Administrators — BEAR looks forward to bringing its newspaper and reporting program to your students this Fall!

To make sure you’re on our list, Please call or email us with the number of

FREE newspapers you’d like delivered to your school.

Please include: School name, address, contact name and number of papers (to the nearest 100).

480-752-2327

info@bearessentialnews

April 2021 •

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

Get the Scoop!

Going Wild at Liberty Wildlife!

7

News Stories Written by Kids— for Kids

Time Spent with Facetime, Friends & Family

by Reporters Addison Andrzejewski & Audrey Sublette Prenda Microschools Have you even seen a Western Screech Owl? We sure have. Our class had a wild St. Patrick’s Day when Liberty Wildlife, whose mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and release, came to visit Prenda Microschool, located at the Compass Church in Chandler. Liberty Wildlife’s volunteers, Doris and Leslie, came with several birds of prey.

We met Veto and Iris, the American Kestrels, Monk, a Cooper’s Hawk, and Stella, a Western Screech Owl. One of Veto’s and Iris’ super powers is that they are one of the birds than can hover.

When American Kestrels rouse, it means they are happy and comfortable. Monk’s super power is to have accuracy of a thread through a needle, so that even if a quail is on the other side of the thickest forest, a Cooper’s Hawk could get that quail for dinner. Another cool feature is that when a Cooper’s Hawk is a youngling its eyes are blue, when it is middle aged its eyes are orange, and when it is fully grown its eyes are red.

This bird has a built-in camouflage, lives in a cactus and is as cute as can be. Can you guess what it is? It’s a Western Screech Owl, and Liberty Wildlife brought Stella to teach us about them.

Stella is nocturnal but we were able to see her in the day because she was excited to see people.

BEAR 40 YEARS

by Reporter Abigail Hernandez Arizona Virtual Academy

Her eyes don’t move, but her head can turn 270 degrees around.

Visit www.libertywildlife.org for location and hours.

Adviser: Stacey Lane

He Digs It! Meet a Paleontologist

by Reporter Brianna Palacios Mondaca, Arizona Desert Elementary Artic for a couple of summers. I continued when I Have you ever been interested in fossils? How came to the U.S., mostly western U.S., California about finding things you’ve never seen before? and Nevada,” he says.

David K. Elliott is a paleontologist. (He is also Other places Elliott has searched is Kohl’s a professor in the Geology Program at Northern Ranch in Payson, Ariz., Death Valley, Utah and Arizona University.) He first discovered that he Banff and Jasper in Alberta Canada. wanted to study bones when he was “It’s easy to find fossils at Kohl’s 14 or 15. “My family took long walks Ranch in Payson. You will also find outdoors. I lived in the south east of shells and shark’s teeth,” he says.

England. At the age of 10, a teacher Elliott’s greatest find was in brought rocks and minerals to class the Canadian Artic. “It gave us a and I thought it was interesting,” says new idea about how things lived Elliott. in another time. Boney Armor and “I started looking into geology and jawless fish is what we found,” says with natural sciences, paleontology.

Elliott.

When we moved to Bath, another Elliott says, “The material we get town in England, they had lots of fossils from is very old. It is very hard rocks like ammonites. I took Geology Photo: National Parks Service rock. I use small hand drills, chipping the rock away. my last two years in school and got my doctorate in Chemically, fossil bones are resistant to acidic acid, Paleontology at the University,” he says. vinegar. Lime stone is not resistant. You can soak The types of fossils Elliot discovered were the lime stone in vinegar and eventually you will just ammonites and shell fish in high school and have your vertebrae.” vertebrae fossils at the university. “As a grad MORE SCOOPS, page 11 ➧ student it was fish fossils. I went camping in the

2020 wasn’t a great year. It was OK, but It could’ve been better. So, while the COVID-19 virus is still around, I’m going to talk about what I did during quarantine, and you might get some ideas too!

My Facetime, Zoom, and Google Duo usage has gone up way more than I used it before.

Before the virus, I only used it to talk to friends and family who lived far away, but now I use it for talking to all my friends and family. My friends and I will play games, watch YouTube, and just talk while seeing each other virtually.

Every Friday I have Zoom meetings with all my friends, and we play games. I usually Facetime and Google Duo my friends a lot, because we want to talk to each other.

When I do see my friends, I always make sure to stay 6 feet apart, and wear a mask. I’ve seen some of my friends since quarantine, like for my birthday my friend Aiden and I went to a park and opened gifts, while walking around the park (with masks on).

I’ve also learned a lot about my family. For example, one of my extrovert sisters is quiet when she’s not around a lot of people. And, my mom and dad like to read a lot. And, my nana and tata are really good Uno Players.

But aside from the COVID-19 virus, I still managed to find good in the year 2020. I hope 2021 is a better year for all of us.

REPORT

FOR

Call toll free:

BEAR!

1-866-NEWS KID

sponsors

8

BEAR 40 YEARS •

April 2021

Growing, Growing,

www.bearessentialnews.com

Strong!

Sponsored by

Fun tips on healthy foods, fitness and well being —from our family to yours!

Be a Food Detective!

by Vesna Babanovska, RDN, MS, CDCES, registered dietitian at Phoenix Children’s

phoenixchildrens.org 602-933-0935

Knowing how to read nutrition labels can be confusing.

Not to worry, it’s a skill you can learn! This article can help you become a great “detective” when it comes to reading food labels, which will help you choose foods that are healthier for your body.

Let’s focus on five different categories using a food label from a package of cookies: To start, we want to determine the serving size of the food we’re about to eat. In this case, the recommended serving size is two cookies. There is a total of 24 cookies in the package (12x2). If you want to eat half of the package, that would be equal to 12 cookies (24/2). Since the nutrition facts on the label are for 2 cookies only, if you eat half of the package, you will have to multiply calories, sugar, fat and everything else by 6 (12/2)!

Next, we want to determine how many calories are per serving. In this case, there are 140. If you eat half of the package, you will take in 840 calories (140x6). It’s better to choose snacks between 100-200 calories per serving. Cookies are special treats – they are not a snack!

Then, we want to determine how much added sugars are in 2 cookies. It’s a good idea to keep added sugars to less than 10 grams per serving. Half of the package contains 78 grams (13x6) of added sugars. That’s nearly 20 teaspoons of sugars! The recommended daily limit for added sugars is 24 grams (or 6 teaspoons) per day.

Also, it is important to consider how much fiber a food contains, especially when you choose bread, pasta or snacks. For better health benefits you should choose foods that have 3 grams or more of fiber per serving. These cookies have zero fiber!

Make sure to check out the product ingredients, which are very important.

Our bodies do better with foods with fewer ingredients. Less is better when it comes to ingredients!

Boomer’s Summer Camp Word Search!

Find all this summer fun up, down, across, forward, backward and diagonally.

DANCE

HIKING

MATH

SEA

CAMPS

ARCHERY

KARATE

CABINS

SUMMER SCOUTS STEM

SWIMMING CODING

BUGS

SPORTS

COOKING

LANGUAGE FUN

SPACE

WRITING SKATING CRAFTS ACTING

RIDING

SCIENCE MUSIC

EARTH ART

about 12 servings pre container

Serving size 2 cookies (29g)

Amount per serving

Calories

140

Total sugars 13g Includes 13g Added Sugars 26% Total Carbohydrate 21g Dietary Fiber 0g

8% 0%

Remember to keep it simple: • Limit treats to once or twice per week at the most.

• Drink mostly water. Sugary drinks have lots of added sugars.

• Choose foods and snacks that have lots of fiber and very little added sugars.

• Eat plenty of fruit and veggies.

INGREDIENTS: UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE (VITIMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (VITIMIN B2), FOLIC ACID), SUGAR, PALM AND/OR CANOLA OIL, DEXTROSE, COCOA (PROCESSED WITH ALKALID), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA AND/OR CALICUM PHOSPHATE), SALT, SOY LECITHIN, CHOCOLATE, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR. CONTAINS: WHEAT, SOY.

F Y R E H C R A L L S T E M A S

B U G S A C R H E R T R O O T W N I N B E C N A D E R A C U E R G N I T C A E E F R O O O N G I E N M G N I D I R T P C O H A T S U M M E R C A M P S O K T U I P H I K I N G N F U L D I A G N A E W N C I S U M I N I N M N G C I S A S K A T I N G N G U A F E A R T H E T A R A K G O A L S

April 2021 •

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

BEAR 40 YEARS

Let’s Go...

VALLEY METRO! Why Are They Digging Holes?

We build on soil, we build with soil and we build in soil.

Valley Metro delivers environmentally friendly bus and rail service to our community. Did you know we also plan and build for future transit services in the Valley?

Valley Metro has two light rail projects under construction. Before they lay the track down, they have to do some digging. All the utilities underground lines like water mains, natural gas lines, and storm drains are moved and improved.

What's under your feet? You will find soil. It is the upper layers of earth in which plants grow, a black or dark brown material typically consisting of a mixture of organic remains, clay, and rock particles.

Engineers study the construction area to ensure the soil will support the tracks and trains' weight and other things. Then construction and utility workers begin their work. It takes years of planning and building, but when the work is complete, Valley Metro moves you!

Valley Metro Light Rail Station Above and Under Ground

For more Valley Metro fun go to https://www.valleymetro.org/transit-education/valley-metro-fun

9

10

BEAR 40 YEARS •

www.bearessentialnews.com

April 2021

Best Donuts In Arizona

BoSa DONUTS

Celebrates Education!

Coffee & Smoothies

BoSa Donuts salutes a different Valley teacher each month for their hard work, dedication and passion for teaching Arizona kids!

Tell us why your !

S D teacher is GREAT KI

Teacher Found Her Niche in Fourth Grade

S

haron Granger has been teaching for 22 years— seven of those at Towne Meadows Elementary.

She teaches fourth grade, which she loves.

Granger says that fourth-graders are a perfect blend of innocence and independence. “They love school, they love you. Everything is exciting,” explains Granger.

“They still love learning.”

She recalls that one of her first years teaching fourth grade, students were doing reports on famous people. One of the students became very excited and exclaimed, “I found George Washington’s phone number in this book!” He was looking at the biographical dates, she explains with a chuckle.

“I come from a long line of teachers,” says Granger.

She notes that both of her grandmothers and some aunts on both sides of the family were teachers. Originally Granger thought she would do something else as a career. But she found her calling in the classroom.

When she was in school, Granger enjoyed reading and writing and did not like math. But now, math is her favorite subject to teach, she says. She has fond memories of her teacher reading aloud to the class.

“I am still a voracious reader,” she says.

Besides reading, this Arizona native likes to spend her leisure time cooking and baking. Granger says she also likes to listen to audio books while she is doing other things, like organizing in her classroom or at home.

Granger says that one of the things that her students might not know about her is that she was once a sign language interpreter. She says that she used to teach some sign language to her students, but there has not been time to do so in recent years.

She still has a full ASL alphabet taped to a cupboard in her class, and she says she will sometimes turn down the sound if an interpreter is on TV to see if she can still follow along and comprehend.

Student Ivory, who nominated her teacher, writes that Granger “has made us laugh and smile all year long.

Her classroom is full of fun ideas and we are learning so much! 4th grade is so awesome because of Mrs. Granger! I am so thankful to have (her) as my teacher!”

Granger says the motto in her classroom this year is: “Despise the mediocre.”

“We don’t do ‘good enough,’ we always do our best,” Granger tells her students.

BoSaDonuts.com PHOENIX 32nd St & Shea 10876 N. 32nd St 602-569-5556 37th St & Indian School 3722 E. Indian School Rd 602-955-5575 Central & Clarendon 3701 N. Central Ave 602-888-8999 23rd Ave & Camelback 2211 W. Camelback #186 602-368-4477 Bell Rd & Tatum 4601 E. Bell Rd, Ste A5 602-603-3892 4th St & Jackson 310 S 4th St, Ste 100 602-888-8666

1st Ave & Monroe 101 N 1st Ave, Ste 100 602-888-8777 3rd St & Fillmore 455 N 3rd St, Ste 1195 602-888-8555 35th Ave & Southern 6360 S. 35th Ave 602-702-6888 PEORIA 75th Ave & Cactus 7446 W Cactus Rd 623-334-0506 GLENDALE Glendale Ave & Litchfield Rd 13820 W Glendale Ave 623-271-7191

and be entered to win a

$50

GIFT CARD

for your teacher

and a $25 GIFT CARD for yourself!

Teacher name: _______________________ School: _____________________________ District: _____________________________ Your name: __________________________ Grade: ______ Phone: _________________ email: ______________________________ Why is your teacher great? ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________

Send this info and your entry to Bosa Donuts/Teachers

(Winners by random drawing–no purchase necessary)

2525 E. Broadway #102 • Tucson, AZ 85716 or by email to julie@bearessentialnews.com

26 Valley locations to serve you—and growing!

SCOTTSDALE 74th St & McDowell 7444 E McDowell Rd 480-990-1398 CHANDLER Dobson & Elliott 2990 N Dobson Rd 480-899-4999 Arizona Ave & Galveston 655 N Arizona Ave 480-899-7134 Arizona Ave & Ocotillo 4015 S Arizona Ave 480-895-8955 MESA Country Club & Southern 1144 S Country Club Dr 480-844-6181

Mesa Riverview 805 N Dobson Rd, Ste 108 480-699-0066 Greenfield & University 4418 E. University, Ste 101 480-448-9999 GILBERT Val Vista & Queen Creek 4844 S Val Vista Dr 480-699-9084 Gilbert & Williams Field Rd 155 E Williams Field Rd 480-814-1681 Val Vista & Elliot 130 S Val Vista Dr, #E1 480-699-2229 Higley & Baseline 1614 N Higley Rd 480-699-9962

Higley & Williams Field Rd 3305 E Williams Field Rd, Ste 104 480-275-5044 QUEEN CREEK Power Rd & Chandler Heights 23858 S. Power Rd 480-699-9579 SURPRISE Reems & Greenway 15261 N Reems Rd, Ste 104 623-404-8888 PRESCOTT Gurley & Pleasant 415 E. Gurley St 828-237-9999

Best Donuts In Arizona

Coffee & Smoothies

$1.00 OFF

Any Breakfast Sandwich 7am–10am Expires 4/30/2021 One coupon per person.

With coupon only. No photocopies.

April 2021 •

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

B

Get the Scoop!

BEAR 40 YEARS

11

Continued from page 7

Floral Art Comes Alive at Desert Botanical

by Reporter Zaniyah Parker, Arizona Desert Elementary Natasha Lisitsa is a floral artist. She got her degree in engineering and worked as a computer programmer for 10 years. “I loved flowers and started looking for a more creative career and working for myself,” says Lisitsa. After talking to a career counselor and telling her what she liked to do, the counselor suggested that she work in the field of floral arranging.

Lisitsa took a class in Japanese floral art, opened Waterlily Pond Studio 2001 and began doing weddings, parties and floral events. “Art opens people’s eyes to a different view of the world,” says Lisitsa. “It makes them think, imagine and discover colors in the world around them. I think it would be boring without art.”

Lisitsa and her husband come up with ideas together. He is an architect. They first sketch their idea. “We are inspired by modern sculpture and architecture. We combine modern with softness and beauty with the color of flowers. We also like to work with organic materials such as metal, plastic and man-made materials.” There are not many floral artists in the United States, according to

Lisitsa. There are more in Europe.

The process they go through to complete a project after they come up with an idea and sketch it out is doing a computer rendering to improve and discuss their ideas to make it better. “Once we decide, we do a prototype or a small piece of the actual installation. Then we decide what colors we are using to build the actual piece.”

“We came to the Desert Botanical Garden more than a year ago to do sculptures. We saw a lot of pictures of dust and wind storms. Wind was our first sculpture. We wanted to depict natural events happening in Arizona. Water is for the location of the sculpture. We are working on Earth right now,” says Lisitsa.

In addition to creating for Desert Botanical Garden, Lisitsa and her husband do events for weddings, parties, galas, fancy flower designs and productions for corporations that have dinners and meetings.

Adviser: Karen Golden

MORE SCOOPS, page 15 ➧

The sculpture “Wind” by Natasha Lisitsa is at Desert Botanical Garden.

Page 12

BEAR 40 YEARS

www.bearessentialnews.com

• April 2021

BEAR CELEBRATES

Earth

April 22, 2021

DAY!

F

or those into rock collecting, Arizona is a fantastic place! But our state is also a wonderland of sorts with its jaw-dropping and beautiful geologic formations. As Earth Day nears (it’s always on April 22), why not celebrate by planning a family trip to see one or more of these spectacular spots?

Grand Canyon

Nothing Could Be Grander!

At more than 6,000 feet deep, 277 miles long and up to 18 miles across, the Grand Canyon is as big as it is breathtakingly beautiful.

From Phoenix, starting on I-17 north, it’s about 230 miles to the famous South Rim. At the base of the canyon are igneous and metamorphic rock formations, which got their start around 2 billion years ago. On top of these formations are layers upon layers of sedimentary rock which were DEPOSITED by water much more recently.

Between 70 and 30 million years back, plate tectonics uplifted this whole layered cake to around 9,000 feet above sea level, creating what’s called the Colorado Plateau.

Around 5–6 million years ago, the mighty Colorado River began carving its way through the layers of sedimentary rock, slowly deepening and widening what we now know as the Grand Canyon!

A Real Arizona Hidden Treasure!

Colossal Cave

In some super special places, Arizona offers sensational underground spectacles! A few of these caves are a mile or longer, and you can safely tour them with your family.

Please note that many underground places like abandoned mines are super dangerous and should NEVER be explored.

Just 15 minutes southeast of Tucson, Colossal Cave Mountain Park is home to three cave systems, but only Colossal Cave is open for visitors.

About 300 million years ago, this area was ocean, and the ancient sealife contributed to vast amounts of limestone. Eventually, the sea dried up, plates collided, thrusting limestone and granite together. Then EONS of water erosion formed 3.5 miles of crazy cave passageways!

The drips and trickles of water in the cave have dried up so the formations they created have stopped growing. But over the years, Colossal Cave has been used by a variety of people. The Hohokam may have used the cave as temporary shelter as early as A.D. 900. Archaeologists have also discovered evidence that Native tribes of Sobaipuri and Apache later utilized the cave. And back in the days of the Wild West, train robbers may have used the cave as a hideout and stashed bags of their stolen loot there!

Where the Wild Things Are! Volcanoes have been erupting in Iceland, Indonesia and Italy lately, but did you know we have our own volcanic area here in Arizona that you can learn about and visit?

At 12,633 feet, San Francisco Mountain towers in the background of Flagstaff. In fact, it’s the highest point in the state. But did you know that it’s a stratovolcano and part of a large complex of relatively young volcanoes?

Over its 6-million year history, the San Francisco Volcanic Field has produced more than 600 volcanoes and covers around 1,800 square miles! Much of the activity has been fairly “recent” in the geological scope of things, like Merriam Crater and other volcanic vents, which last erupted around 20,000 years ago. It is still considered an active volcanic area with new eruptions likely to occur on its eastern side.

San Francisco Volcanic Field

www.bearessentialnews.com

April 2021

Petrified Forest BEAR CELEBRTES

ock.com Image: shutterst

➛

two letters and write down the next one.

Keep going until youʼve run out of letters!

T S 2

Image: shutterstock.com

first letter, skip the next

H

Image: Brian Gootee/USGS.gov

Write down the

___ ___ ___ ___ ___

R II

West, train robbers may have used the cave as a hideout and stashed bags of their stolen loot there!

R A A E YI

Between 40,000 and 50,000 years ago, a massive meteorite sped through space, lit up as it entered Earth’s atmosphere and smashed into what’s now Northern Arizona!

Scientists say that the meteorite was half a football field wide and crashed into the ground at around 28,000 mph. About 350 million tons of rock and dirt were ejected, leaving behind Meteor Crater, which is almost a mile across and 550 feet deep! Inside, the terrain is rocky and dusty—the perfect place for NASA to test its spacesuits and equipment for the moon.

Thirty-five miles east of Flagstaff, Meteor Crater has a visitor center with a 10-minute introductory movie, a 1,400-pound meteorite and all sorts of space stuff. You can even walk the rim of the crater on a guided tour!

A 2D P

START

Taking the BIG Hit!!

than 600 volcanoes and covers around 1,800 square miles! Much of the activity has been fairly “recent” in the geological scope of things, like Merriam Crater and other volcanic vents, which last erupted around 20,000 years ago. It is still considered an active volcanic area with new eruptions likely to occur on its eastern side.

Back in the 1960s, voters in Wisconsin elected Gaylord Nelson to the U.S. Senate.

He was very troubled by the widespread environmental problems he saw in our country and wanted the nationʼs leaders to know that millions of Americans cared about these issues.

His big idea was to have “teach-ins” about the environment all over the nation, all on the same day—April 22, 1970. Through knowledge, he planned on EMPOWERING millions of young people to help our planet and to send their message to Washington.

Decode the Mystery Wheel for an Earth-Friendly Message!

Meteor Crater

San Francisco Volcanic Field

Page 13

Did You know?

This Place Is Absolutely Petrified!

Petrified Forest National Park is famous for its fossilized trees that once stood upright and strong around 225 million years ago (the Late Triassic Epoch).

Covering 346 square miles, this magnificent park straddles Apache and Navajo counties in Northeastern Arizona, 26 miles east of Holbrook along I-40. With lots and lots of petrified logs and beautiful badlands, you won’t run out of things to explore and discover, and this is a perfect season to visit!

The earliest human inhabitants lived here 8,000 years ago. There’s a research center/museum, you can go on an hour-long drive, stopping at a few overlooks, or better yet, enjoy some of the short trails (you can even bring the family pooch). Spending a half-day there is recommended!

BEAR 40 YEARS

L

Earh

•

___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

!

14

BEAR 40 YEARS •

www.bearessentialnews.com

April 2021

Boomer’s Boredom-Busting Activity Page

A Treasure Hunt Makes Clean-up Fun!

Get some friends together for a fun clean-up treasure hunt at your school grounds. You will have fun looking for the items listed, as well as be helping to pick up all the litter and make your school look great!

What You Will Need a group of friends to divide into teams two trash bags for each team

Ask an adult to help you round up the items you need

work gloves to protect all hands involved

five sturdy boxes labeled glass, metal, paper, plastic and organic at least one copy of the WANTED list for each team.

What You Do 1. Divide the groups into teams of two or more.

2. Give each team two trash bags, gloves and a copy of the WANTED list.

3. Set a time.

4. Spread out and search for the items on the list.

5. As you find the items, check them off the list, and carefully pick them up and place them in one of the bags.

6. Put any unlisted litter you find in the other bag.

7. When the time is up, see which team has found the largest number of listed items and declare that team the winner.

8. Sort all the litter into the labeled boxes.

9. Dispose of this litter properly. Return, reuse or recycle what you can, and discard the rest in a trash bin.

Have fun, and may the best team win!

Bored?... Clean Your Room!

When you are feeling bored around the house, take a look through your bedroom closet, drawers and shelves. Determine if you have any books, clothing, toys or other items you have outgrown or don’t use anymore.

Many items, like clothing and toys, can be donated to a local organization that will make sure someone else can use them.

Other items can be recycled or reused, which means they won’t end up in a landfill.

Ask your parents to help you decide how to donate or recycle your items, and enjoy your newly cleaned room!

WANTED

• a ballpoint pen • a bottle cap • a broken crayon • a candy wrapper • a lunch bag • a piece of clothing • notebook paper • a rubber band • a pencil • a paperclip

• a blue object • a red object • something lost • something glass • something metal • something plastic • something round • something paper • a leaf or twig • lost homework

Earth Day is April 22!

Let’s all do our part to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle this year!

April 2021 •

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

B

Get the Scoop!

Continued from page 7

BEAR 40 YEARS

15

Play the Wimpy Kid Challenge

Jeff Kinney Is Awesome–So’s His New Book

by Reporter Paul Perez Kiva Elementary

by Reporter Ellie Divijak, Dove Mountain CSTEM K–8

What’s cooler than a Wimpy Kid book?

The Wimpy Kid 10-Second Challenge! This game is a blast to play with your friends— up to 6 players. It comes with a gameboard, dice, sand timer and a bean bag ball.

Draw a card, do the challenge within 10 seconds and move forward on the board.

Some of the challenges are pretty easy and some are really hard—like the one where you have to quickly drop the cubes on top of a ball without them falling and the one where you have to roll the colored dice until you get the same color on both dice.

I’ve loved reading Wimpy Kids books. I started reading them when I was in 2nd Grade. Now, I am in 3rd grade and I have read them all.

This game is fun, just like the books. But it does make me nervous... you have to act fast! I think it’s good for kids 7 and up. It’s a bit difficult for my 6-year-old sister.

Wimpy Kid-10-Second Challenge is made by Goliath Games and illustrated by author, Jeff Kinney.

MORE SCOOPS, page 23 ➧

Recently I was fortunate to do a Zoom interview with Jeff Kinney, author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid series. He was in Arizona for a drive-through book event in March.

Kinney said he looked forward to being in Arizona.

“Some of my happiest memories as a father have been going through Sedona...and other parts of Arizona with my kids,” he says. He looked forward to visiting again with his family.

Drawing has always been a passion. “I actually wanted to be a cartoonist, like a newspaper cartoonist,” Kinney says. He liked cartoons like Peanuts and Calvin and Hobbs when he was young. He began drawing in school during class because he has Attention Deficit Disorder. He said that his doodles and drawings helped him focus and do better in school.

He loved drawing, but as he got older he realized that his talent was more for cartoons than realistic art.

When Kinney began Diary of a Wimpy Kid, he thought

he was writing for grown-ups, but the publishing house told him that he had written a children’s series!

Kinney collects about 750 jokes to help him with ideas for his book. This allows him to throw out about one third or more. Kinney uses his life situations as inspiration, and he relates most to his character Greg, who is “not heroic” and just kind of an average kid.

Kinney shared that it only took him two months to write “Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories,” because writing as Rowley is easier than writing as Greg. The Wimpy Kid books typically take about nine months to write. I asked why he decided that Rowley would not draw noses in the Awesome books because I thought that was funny.

He said he chose to give Rowley a younger feel than Greg. He said that his brother never drew noses on people and that annoyed Kinney, but it also gave him the idea.

I enjoyed talking with Kinney and found him to be an Awesome Adult to talk with about his life and books.

16

BEAR 40 YEARS •

www.bearessentialnews.com

April 2021

Photo: shutterstock.com

Bear’s

CAMP GUIDE • 2021 J

ust like everything else this year, there will be changes with summer camps. Some camps will be virtual—using Zoom or Facebook Live platforms—but there also will be day camps and residence camps.

Things parents should look at when choosing a summer camp include how the camps are complying with Covid-19 regulations and suggestions set up by the Centers for Disease Control.

The CDC has prepared a Readiness and Planning Tool so camps and youth programs can design their programs to keep everyone, from campers to counselors, safe.

Most camps have a disclaimer on their website explaining how they will be following Covid-19 protocols during their camps. They should have a list of how many campers will be together at a time, what campers are required to bring with them (mask, lunch, snacks, water bottles), how they will keep campers social distanced and more.

ARIZONA WORLD OF BASEBALL 1730 E. Elliot Road • Tempe 480-775-9800 info.azwob@gmail.com www.azwob.com

Indoor baseball and softball facility. A safe and friendly environment to work on becoming a more accomplished player.

We offer batting cages as well as Hitting, Pitching, and Catching lessons. Keep checking our web site for upcoming information for World of Baseball’s Summer Program for kids.

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE VALLEY 602-954-8182 BGCAZ.org

Sign up for summer Enrichment & Fun at BGCAZ’s high-quality, affordable summer Program. Morning programs will focus on engaging and fun academic and social enrichment to prepare students for fall.

Afternoons will include arts, sports, games and more! Teens will create exciting service learning projects that will build selfconfidence and leadership skills and count for volunteer service hours. Weekly program fees for youth 5-12 start at $60 and financial aid is available at all Clubs. Teens are free with Club membership.

Open 7 a.m-6 p.m. Breakfast and lunch are included daily in the full-day programming.

Check BGCAZ.org to find your local Club.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

BLACK MOUNTAIN BMX 24024 N. 11th Street • Phoenix 602-999-5979 All Ages

www.usabmx.com/tracks/0257 All ages and all experience levels are welcome! Clinics, Practice and Racing.

Visit www.usabmx.com/tracks/0257 for full details, location, directions and more.

If you do not see this information on a camp website, do not hesitate to give them a call and ask questions so that your camper and your family stay safe.

Campers will be expected to do their part as well to ensure that their camp experience is fun, memorable and safe! Wearing a mask, social distancing, washing hands frequently and staying home if you have a fever, feel sick or have any symptoms.

The CDC Readiness and Planning Tool can be found at this link: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/ camp-planning-tool.pdf

Bear’s Summer Camp Guide is available online at

Bearessentialnews.com Click on the “Guides” tab for the 2021 listings.

EAST VALLEY CHILDREN’S THEATRE Summer Theatre Camps 4501 E. Main St. • Mesa 480-756-3828 June 1–July 16 Ages: 5–17 www.evct.org/camps info@evct.org

BOOKMANS ENTERTAINMENT EXCHANGE

MESA: 8034 N. 19TH Ave PHOENIX: 1056 S. Country Club Dr

We offer a huge variety of kids camps for ages 8-16. Many classes are taught by experts at our college: Culinary, Auto DAD & 3D printing, woodworking, gardening & animals, Cheer, Dance, Sign Language, Spanish & Gamemaster techniques.

Four Camps • Phoenix, Prescott, Payson 602-452-7000 June-July Girlscoutsaz.org/camp

CAMP ZOO AT THE PHOENIX ZOO

Children will have fascinating adventures with the natural world this summer at Camp Zoo. Each age-appropriate, week-long session is filled with animal encounters, activities, games, in-depth investigations and organized free-time. Class size will be limited to allow for social distancing, and face coverings are required at all times.

Camp Zoo is for students entering K- 8th grade in the fall of 2021.

EMCC Kids College 3000 N. Dysart Rd. • Avondale 623-535-2730 www.estrellamountain.edu/kids-college

GIRL SCOUTS — ARIZONA CACTUS-PINE COUNCIL

www.bookmans.com Check out Bookmans.com for weekly family friendly events and activities.

455 N. Galvin Pkwy. • Phoenix 602-286-3800 June 7–July 31 phoenixzoo.org

ESTRELLA MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Evct has four different in-person summer camp programs: Imagination Theatre Camp for kids age 5–8, Musical Theatre Camp & Theatre Workshop Camp for kids age 8–15 and a Four Day Acting Intensive for kids age 11–17. Participants learn performance techniques, teamwork, communication skills and have FUN in a non-competitive, educational atmosphere. Instructors are local theatre professional in the field of dance, music and theatre. CDC guidelines are in place for all of our great camp experiences.

Find Adventure. Get Outdoors!

Hiking, climbing, swimming, archery, stargazing, ceramics, canoeing–and much, much more! Girl Scout Summer Camp is a great place to meet new friends and make memories – you don’t have to be a Girl Scout, and Troops don’t attend together.

There’s something for every girl to discover in our safe, all-girl environment. Plus, we offer pricing options for every budget and are among the most affordable thanks to generous supporters and our iconic Girl Scout Cookie Program.

April 2021 •

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

BEAR 40 YEARS

17

a series of obstacles and competitions. At the end of camp, youth will be able to take their drone home with them!

GRAND CANYON COUNCIL BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA AZ OUTDOOR ED Multiple six-day options • Payson 602-955-7747 x239 June–July All Youth 13+ www.azoutdoored.org

LEGOLAND DISCOVERY CENTER ARIZONA

Utilizing our Scout camps and programs, these six-day programs are available to all youth aged 13 and above. Young men and women are encouraged to get involved, enjoy the outdoors, create friendships, and explore new hobbies and interests as they learn in a safe, structured setting. Our traditional summer camp program is also available to all youth to participate in, regardless of your current Scout affiliation!

Fish Camp – $400 - This camp visits a variety of lakes, streams, and creeks throughout central Arizona as youth learn about types of fishing, including: fly fishing, night-time fishing, fishing from canoes, and more! This course will also include workshops on fish anatomy, biology, and pathology, first aid, how to cook fresh fish, soil and water conservation, and more. This program is conducted in partnership with Trout Unlimited.

Spade Ranch High Adventure – $500 Our high adventure program allows youth to engage in an introductory level of a variety of exciting programs, such as caving, canyoneering, mountain biking, outdoor rock climbing, stand up paddle boards, and horseback riding!

Drone Camp – $600 - A STEM program focused on the emerging technology of drones. Youth will learn science and technology concepts as they build their own drone which they will be able to pilot through

855-450-0558 5000 S. Arizona Mills Circle, Ste 135 • Tempe Ages: 3–10 Arizona@LEGOLANDDiscovery.com www.legolanddiscoverycenter.com/arizona/ Jump into the biggest box of LEGO bricks EVER at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Arizona! With two rides, a 4D Cinema, plus 12 build & play zones, there is something for children of all ages. Tickets are limited, book online to guarantee admission.

THE LITTLE GYM OF PARADISE VALLEY & SCOTTSDALE

4225 E. Windrose Dr. Suite 111 • Phoenix 602-996-1380 May 16–Aug. 7 • Ages: 3–12 years $35 per day for members $45 per day for non-members Monday, Wednesday & Friday 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

Tuesday and Thursday 1 p.m.–4 p.m. tlgparadisevalleyaz@thelittlegym.com www.thelittlegym.com/ParadiseValleyAZ/ parties-camps/camps#schedules

School may be out—but fun is in!

Day camp at Little Gym of Paradise Valley gives your kid the summer camp experience without the bug bites, poison ivy, sun burns and week-long commitments. Combining fun physical activity, games, arts & crafts we’ll help your child beat the summer heat by staying cool at The Little Gym. Details online.

Check Us Out Online!

BearEssentialNews.com

MORE CAMP GUIDE, page 19

AZ Outdoor Ed – Grand Canyon Council, Boy Scouts of America

U

tilizing our Scout camps and programs, these six-day programs are available to all youth aged 13 and above! Young men and women are encouraged to get involved, enjoy the outdoors, create friendships, and explore new hobbies and interests as they learn in a safe, structured setting! Our traditional summer camp program is also available for all youth to participate in, regardless of your current Scouting affiliation!

June through July!

Fish Camp – $400 - This camp visits a variety of lakes, streams, and creeks throughout central Arizona as youth learn about types of fishing including: fly fishing, night-time fishing, fishing from canoes, and more! This course will also include workshops on fish anatomy, biology, and pathology, first aid, how to cook fresh fish, soil and water conservation, and more.

This program is conducted in partnership with Trout Unlimited.

Spade Ranch High Adventure – $500 - Our high adventure program allows youth to engage in an introductory level of a variety of exciting programs, such as caving, canyoneering, mountain biking, outdoor rock climbing, stand up paddle boards, and horseback riding!

Drone Camp – $600 - A STEM program focused on the emerging technology of drones. Youth will learn science and technology concepts as they build their own drone which they will be able to pilot through a series of obstacles and competitions. At the end of camp, youth will be able to take their drone home with them!

602-955-7747x239 • www.azoutdoored.org

18

BEAR 40 YEARS •

www.bearessentialnews.com

April 2021

Girl Scouts Honor Healthcare Heroes with Cookies, Car Parade Girl Scouts are using the proceeds from this year’s Girl Scout Cookie program to spread some joy and make a difference in their community.

One of the ways Girl Scouts help others is by collecting donated boxes from their generous customers during cookie season. Then, girls and troops choose the organizations to donate to based on the girls’ interests and wishes.

The cookie program ended recently (Feb. 28), and many Girl Scouts wasted no time in showing support for their heroes. While some troops choose to send donated cookies to our military service members overseas, others looked to rec-

ognize healthcare heroes closer to home.

The cookie entrepreneurs in Troop 2674— Alexis, Aliyah, Amelia, Cadence, Emily, Hailey, Kaia, Kimberly, Lenna, Madilyn, Shayla and Shayne—sold thousands of cookies and had more than 400 boxes allotted for donation. This group of Brownies, along with Daisy Elin, decided to donate the cookies to ICU Nurse Madyson and her team at a local hospital. To make the cookie delivery a special event, the girls organized a neighborhood car parade and made handmade thank you notes to show their appreciation. They also earned their “My Best Self” badge.

Nurse Madyson (le ft) with appreciative Girl Scouts.

Photo by parent/vo lunteer Brytenie Ma rtin of Creative Mom Photograph y.

Troop 2674 is a great example of how Girl Scouts make friends and build connections, all while making a difference in the community.

Now is a great time to join Girl Scouts. The preeminent leadership development organization for girls can give your girl a nurturing place to grow, to build confidence in herself, use her voice, make friendships and learn life skills. A girl can learn new skills by earning badges and patches and, best of all, she can choose what she wants to learn!

Join Girl Scouts today!

Visit girlscoutsaz.org Call 602-452-7030 Text 844-317-9041

@GSACPC

April 2021 •

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

Bear’s

CAMP GUIDE • 2021 continued from page 17

MARICOPA COUNTY READS Registration begins May 1, 2021 Program runs June1–August 1 maricopacountyreads.org

For more information about this reading program, visit the website!

While you’re there, go on a journey of discovery! Visit fabulous destinations such as Hogwarts, Narnia, Oz, and Middle Earth!

OCTANE RACEWAY

9119 E. Talking Stick Way • Scottsdale 602-302-7223 www.octaneraceway.com

A full-time indoor/outdoor competitive kart racing on a one-third mile track, minibowling, video games and more. All racers must be at least 5’ 4”. Brickyard grill and outdoor patio. Group event packages available.

PHOENIX CENTER FOR THE ARTS SUMMER CAMP 1202 N. 3rd St. • Phoenix 602-254-3100 June 7 to August 6 Ages: 7–14 info@phoenixcenterforthearts.org phoenixcenterforthearts.org

Online Summer Arts Camp with Rising Youth Theatre, where kids use theatre, dance, visual art and more to connect and create together. Choose from four different twoweek sessions where kids can bring their “fandoms” to life using their own creative voices, with guidance from professional artists. Sessions explore connections to pop culture stories and worlds, finishing with a performance sharing and celebration.

Sessions include Mystery Bag containing all the camp supplies and surprises. Early Bird $250 (Ends April 30) Regular $300 (Starting May 1)

SEA LIFE ARIZONA AQUARIUM

855-450-0559 5000 S. Arizona Mills Circle, Ste 145• Tempe Ages: All Arizona@SEALIFEUS.com www.visitsealife.com/arizona/ Dive into SEA LIFE Arizona Aquarium, home to Arizona’s only 360-degree ocean tunnel!

Discover thousands of creatures such as sea turtles, sharks, stingrays, and more in more than 30 exhibits. Tickets are limited, book online to guarantee admission.

MORE CAMP GUIDE, page 20

BEAR 40 YEARS

19

20

BEAR 40 YEARS •

www.bearessentialnews.com

April 2021

Bear’s

CAMP GUIDE • 2021 continued from page 19

SETH KOREY TENNIS Summer Tennis Camp

7421 N. Scottsdale Rd. • Scottsdale skorey777@gmail.com www.sethkoreytennis.com Week-long sessions run May 24th - August 6th. Ages 4 - 16. $195/week with early bird discount before April 30 and 10% sibling discount. Monday - Thursday 8 a.m.–1p.m. and Fridays 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Aftercare available for an additional fee. Camp includes tennis instruction and games, lunch, and swimming and daily themes! Optional field trips on Fridays. skorey777@gmail. com for more information.

Online registration: www.sethkoreytennis. com/summer-camp-2021

TUTOR TIME

26 Schools Valley-Wide 877-794-6704 May 31–August 13 www.tutortime.com/educational-programs/ summer-camp/ A busy summer is a fun summer. Make this summer like no other at Tutor Time’s Camp One-of-a-Kind, which is brimming with activities and features weekly and bi-weekly themes that may include science, geography,

zoology, art, fitness, games, and STEM learning. Your child will enjoy immersive learning experiences, fun projects, cool gear, and healthy meals. Choose your favorite camps, or go all summer long. Younger siblings at home? We offer programs for younger children too! Get ready for a summer camp experience that’s totally unique! Call us at 877-794-6704 or visit tutortime.com to learn more and find your local school.

UPTOWN JUNGLE FUN PARK 7608 W. Cactus #101 • Peoria 623-203-7169 sscheffert@uptownjungle.com peoria.uptownjungle.com

Uptown Jungle is more than a trampoline park, it’s a city-style indoor playground metropolis that allows kids to enter into a world where they become a superhero, rock climber, explorer or even an uptown ninja warrior all inside a child-safe environment.

Enjoy Trampolines, Climbing Walls, Spider Tower, Mini Zip, Super Slides, Ninja Course and more!

The indoor park features a huge variety of action-oriented fun activities that guarantee that your kid will have a blast while getting an excellent workout.

April 2021 •

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

VALLEY OF THE SUN YMCA CAMP SKY-Y 5725 S. Senator Highway • Prescott 888-747-2894 david.madden@vosymca.org azycamps.org

Located in the heart of Prescott National Park, this summer overnight camp is a big adventure for kids ages 7-16–the fun and freedom of being outdoors, while learning new skills, and making new friends will make memories that will last a lifetime. Fun-filled weeks with activities including archery, paintball, crafts, canoeing, games, rock climbing—and much more–will make a summer experience your kids will love!

Sign up today!

WILDLIFE WORLD ZOO & AQUARIUM

16501 W Northern Ave. • Litchfield Park 623-935-9453 Open 365 days a year www.wildlifeworld.com

Student and group field trips welcome!

Feed the Lory parrots, learn about animal ambassadors and see some display natural behaviors during a Wildlife Encounter Show.

Meet baby animals in our children’s play area and petting zoo. Call for rates. We accept cash, check or purchase order.

XTREME GYMNASTICS

14000 N. Hayden Rd. #104 • Scottsdale 480-595-3543 June–July Ages: 3–12 xtreme@xtremegynmastics.com xtremegymnastics.com FIT-N-FUN camps promote health and fitness while having a blast. Children ages 3-12 yrs. will enjoy high energy themes each week, incorporating our New SOCIALLY DISTANCED curriculum and enhanced sanitization. The Xtreme Gymnastics staff is USAG Safety Certified with complete background checks.

Come MOVE-LEARN & XCEL with us.

Check out all of our guides online at BearEssentialNews.com

Volume 42 • Issue 7

Editor & Publisher

BEAR 40 YEARS

Sales Director & Publisher

Stephen B Gin

Nancy Holmes

City Editor

YR Coordinator

Copy Editor

Art Director

Mike Loghry

Gary Shepard

Renee Griffith

Julie Madden

Bear Essential News for Kids®

is published monthly by Kids’ View Communications Corp. to educate, enrich and entertain children and their families. Content of this newspaper is designed to promote reading and writing skills as well as creativity.

Classroom educators are welcome to reproduce any portion of this newspaper for their students.

Call or fax Kids’ View Communications for any additional information on stories.

Please Call (480)

752-2327 for any editorial or advertising inquiries.

©2021 Kids’ View Communications Corp.—all rights reserved • 2525 E. Broadway #102 • Tucson, AZ 85716 Fax# (520) 792-2580 • Bear Essential News is distributed free each month.

Printed with recycled newsprint.

www.bearessentialnews.com

ENDORSED BY THE

Arizona Education Association

21

22

BEAR 40 YEARS •

April 2021

www.bearessentialnews.com

April 2021 •

e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com

B

Get the Scoop!

Continued from page 15

It’s Dog Days at the Garden

by Reporter Briana Williams, Arizona Desert Elementary Imagine taking your dog to the Desert Botanical Garden. I got to take mine because of a special event at the Desert Botanical Garden.

Susan Rubin is the special event coordinator for Desert Botanical Garden.

The Desert Botanical was founded by Gustov Stark and a woman named Gertrude. According to Rubin, there are many botanical gardens all over the world. Some states include: Hawaii, Georgia, New York and there are even ones in Tucson and Globe, here in Arizona.

According to Rubin, the largest exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden is the plants and people of the Sonoran Desert. Anytime is the best time to visit the Desert Botanical Gardens, but, “February, March and April is when the flowers will bloom,” says Rubin.

Rubin’s favorite plant is the lithops. “It looks like a bread bun or hoof. It is maybe the size of your thumb,” she says. My favorite desert plant is the golden barrel cactus. DBG has 1,300 different types of cacti.

I noticed a sculpture with three rings and a plant on top. Rubin says, “Those are exhibits to make things interesting for our patrons. Waterlily Pond has created three sculptures for us. They are using the elements of the desert. The first is ‘Wind,’ and the second is ‘Earth.’ The final one is called, ‘Water’ and will be on display in our Yucca Forest.” (See story about the artist on page 11 in this issue.)

Dog Days at the Garden will be at the DBG again on Saturday mornings in May and June. For more information go to dbg.org.

Adviser: Karen Golden

BEAR 40 YEARS

Ages 3–12 School Recess Dates and Summer Break

NEW Socially distanced curriculum with Enhanced Health and Sanitization

(480) 596-5343 xtremegymnastics.com 14000 N. Hayden Rd. • Suite 102 Scottsdale, AZ 85260

23

24

BEAR 40 YEARS •

www.bearessentialnews.com

April 2021

Celebrate Earth Day!

Let’s get M-o-o-o-o-vin’ with the Celebration!

Did You Know?

Water is recycled several times on a dairy farm! clean the cows

cool containers of fresh milk

S’mores

Ice Cream Pie

Tent Optional!

spray down barns

To find this fun and delicious recipe, scan the QR code!

It will take you to our website where you’ll find lots more great recipes for the family.

mix with compost for crops

www.arizonamilk.org