Notes: For more information or to register online for the programs listed here, visit JCPRD.com/Register and complete a search for any of the activity numbers listed below. To register by phone, call (913) 831-3359. For all in-person programs, physical distancing and COVID-19 safe practices will be encouraged. 

Here's a sampling of programs JCPRD has coming up for the week of Aug. 1 - 7: 

Aug. 3 - Exercise: Chair Yoga (Meadowbrook Park Clubhouse, 9101 Nall Ave., Prairie Village, Tuesdays 10:30 to 11:20 a.m., Ages 50 Plus, 6 sessions, $47 per person, $52 nonresidents) - Take yoga off the mat and onto the chair, incorporating breathing with movement while retaining all the benefits of yoga easily from a chair. Experience standing balance poses using the chair for support as needed. Activity number 9605. Thursday session begins Aug. 5 - Activity number 9607.

Aug. 3 - Special Interest: We Were Beachside Once - Kansas Geology (Virtual Program, Ages 50 Plus, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., FREE) - Kansas is certainly not a state associated with beachside living, but in past geological times, what is now Kansas has not only been near an ocean, but under the ocean! In this presentation, University of Kansas Geology Professor Alison Olcott will take you through a tour of the geological history of the state, including how the rocks around us formed, and what the fossils in those rocks tell us about the animals that used to live where we do now. Activity number 9484.

Aug. 4 - Games: Virtual Scattergories (Virtual Program, Ages 50 Plus, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., FREE) - Think fast and write quicker in this fun and fast-paced game of alliterative words and categories! Activity number 9920.

Aug. 4 - Art: Plein Air (Antioch Park, 6501 Antioch, Merriam, Ages 50 Plus, 8 sessions, Wednesdays 9 to 11:30 a.m., $65 per person, $72 nonresidents) - Explore the beauty of the outdoors at Antioch Park and learn how to translate it to paper or canvas by painting outdoors. Learn color mixing, light representation, and more. Contact (913) 826-2830 for full supply list. Additional dates may be added in case of inclement weather. Activity Number 9812.

Aug. 4 - Yoga: Sunset Yoga (Meadowbrook Park, 9101 Nall Ave., Prairie Village, Wednesdays 6 to 6:50 p.m., Ages 14 & Older, 6 sessions, $47 per person, $52 nonresidents) - Enjoy the summer breeze while you regulate your metabolism, increase flexibility, and coordination by practicing low-intensity yoga on the park lawn. Lengthen your muscles while increasing both bone and muscle density. Yoga Participants of all levels are welcome. Participants are required to bring their own yoga mat and other equipment needed. Classes will meet at Shelter 3, located on the east side of the park by The Grove playground, weather permitting. Activity number 9729.

Aug. 5 - Special Interest: The Great Western Directors (Virtual program, Ages 50 Plus, 10 to 11 a.m., FREE) - Join Instructor Larry Brown for an engaging discussion examining the efforts of the great Western film directors of the 1950s as they labored to elevate the Western above the one-dimensional characters and scenarios of the 1930 films. You may be surprised at the level of sophistication they brought to the screen This is the last of four monthly programs through August in the series How Hollywood Conquered the West. Activity number 9776.

Aug. 6 - Discovery: Kids' Glow Party (Meadowbrook Park Clubhouse, 9101 Nall Ave., Prairie Village, Ages 6-12, 7 to 9 p.m., $10 per person, $13 nonresidents) - Anything glows at this party! Enjoy glow in the dark games, arts and crafts, and face painting. Please register at least one week in advance. Activity number 9779.

Aug. 7 - Art: Ceramics (Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, 8788 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, Ages 8 to 13, Saturdays 10 a.m. to Noon, 4 sessions, $100 per person, $110 nonresidents) - Clay provides an opportunity for problem-solving and creative thinking. Learn score and slip, how to use various clay tools, and apply glaze to a finished design. Students will be introduced to the Potter’s Wheel. Activity number 9662. 

A new memorial golf tournament scheduled for late August will celebrate the life and accomplishments of JCPRD’s former director and raise funds for the foundation that continues to support his vision.

The first-ever Gary L. Haller Memorial Golf Tournament will take place on Friday, Aug. 20, at the Tomahawk Hills Golf Course, 17501 Midland Drive, Shawnee.

Haller served as JCPRD’s director from August 1974 until he retired in March 2001. He passed away on Dec. 10, 2020.

“Over his 27 years of directorship for JCPRD, Gary was recognized at the highest agency and individual levels in park and recreation,” said JCPRD Administration Manager and event organizer Jo Ann Courtney. “He made many friends locally, regionally, and nationally through his love and leadership in the parks and recreation arena.  Without a doubt, Gary left JCPRD and Johnson County better than he found it. (This event) “will be a sort of reunion of former JCPRD employees and friends who worked with Gary over his career with JCPRD and a chance to say goodbye since services were limited to family only due to the coronavirus (at the time of his death in December).”

Depending on the response, it is the intent to make this tournament an annual event. Courtney said the idea for the tournament was presented to Haller’s Widow, Vicki Haller, who whole-heartedly supported it. 

“Gary and Vicki lived across from Tomahawk Hills Golf Course and (he) was a frequent golfer,” Courtney said. “Often in the evenings, he and his trusted dog Herk would roam the hills and valleys of the course. Through his efforts, he grew the game of golf in Johnson County, including securing the funding for JCPRD’s second golf course, Heritage Park Golf Course, and overseeing both courses during his tenure.” 

The foundation benefitting from the tournament also relates to Haller’s efforts at JCPRD.

“Net proceeds from the tournament will benefit The Parks and Recreation Foundation of Johnson County” said Erika Seward, executive director of the foundation. “It was Gary’s vision that led to the creation of the foundation which promotes the development and sustainability of parks, trails, green space, recreation, and the arts through advocacy and financial support.  He served as a member throughout his career and remained a strong supporter after retirement.”

Check in for the tournament will begin at noon on Aug. 20, with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Registration fees are $100 for individuals and $400 for teams of four. Registration includes green fees, cart rental, light lunch, swag bag, prizes, and tickets for each player to the memorial awards and dinner banquet immediately following the tournament. There is limited space for golfers and banquet guests. To register or for more information, go to jcprdfoundation.org/golf.

There are also opportunities to sponsor a golf hole, beverage cart, and more, as well as opportunities for non-golfers to get involved. 

“Golfers and nongolfers can participate through volunteering to help with the tournament or by attendance at a memorial banquet following the tournament,” Seward said. “Players and nonplayers are invited.”

Congratulations to The Johnson County Museum for receiving the American Association of State and Local History’s 2021 Award of Excellence for its response to COVID-19. The museum’s pandemic response included a collecting initiative and temporary exhibition, a partner-supported community art exhibition and public programming, and educational programming with curriculum guides. 

The AASLH awards program was initiated in 1945 to establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history throughout the United States. This year, AASLH gave out 40 national awards honoring people, projects, exhibits, and publications. The winners represent the best in the field and provide leadership for the future of state and local history. More information is available in this news release.