The first of two overnight fishing opportunities planned at Lexington Lake Park during 2018 will take place on July 7. Other July overnight fishing opportunities are planned for July 14 at Heritage Park and July 21 at Shawnee Mission Park.
 
After 11 p.m. on these dates, each specific park will be open strictly for fishing only and park police officers will be on duty throughout the night. To find this program in the My JCPRD Activities catalog and online listings, browse first under special events and then under fun for all. In the catalog and when using the website’s advanced search,  look for the keyword “fishing.”

Fishing will be allowed from the bank or from watercraft. Park safety officials noted state law requires a white light be on at all times on boats on the water after sunset. Before fishing  in district waters, Kansas residents ages 16 to 74 and nonresidents 16 and older need to have a Kansas state fishing license, and all appropriate boat tags, if applicable. Additionally, Johnson County residents ages 16 to 64 and non-county residents  age 16 and older must have a JCPRD fishing permit.   Permits are available at the JCPRD Registration Office, Building D, 6501 Antioch Road, Merriam;  Visitors Services in the JCPRD Administration Offices in Shawnee Mission Park, 7900 Renner Road; and at numerous local retail outlets.

This year’s other Overnight Fishing Saturdays this year will include Aug. 11 at Kill Creek Park, Aug. 18 at Shawnee Mission Park, and Sept. 15 at Lexington Lake Park.

Lexington Lake Park is located at 8850 Sunflower Road, north of Kansas 10 Highway near the Lexington Avenue exit in De Soto. Heritage Park is located at 16050 Pflumm Road, Olathe. Shawnee Mission Park is located at 7900 Renner Road, Shawnee. Kill Creek Park is located at 11670 Homestead Lane, Olathe.

For more information about the overnight fishing program, call Visitor Services at (913) 888-4713.

The next in a series of three free concerts being offered by the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center (JCAHC) will take place in mid-July.

Listen Local Live is the name of this program, which is meant to let participants experience live performances and take part in a conversation about the inspirations behind local musicians. These performances are for all ages, and are a collaboration between the Johnson County Library and the Fine & Performing Arts Department of the Johnson County Park & Recreation District. 

The second of three Listen Local Live  performance will feature Duncan Burnett on Friday, July 13. The final concert in the series will be Classical Revolution / Rewound on Aug. 10. 

JCAHC is located at 8788 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park. Each performance will begin at 6:30 p.m., and will be followed by an interview with the artists. Admission is free, and concessions will be available.

To find this program in the My JCPRD Activities catalog, browse first under special events and then under adult. In the printed catalog,  look for the keyword “concert.” 

The My JCPRD Activities catalog, with information and a registration form, is available for pickup at all Johnson County Library branches. 

There's still time for youth to learn tennis this summer on newly-replaced courts in the city of Roeland Park's R Park, located on the site of the former Roeland Park Elementary School at 5535 Juniper Drive. 

Following a ribbon cutting event at the new tennis courts being planned by the city of Roeland Park on July 2, the Johnson County Park & Recreation District will offer three different youth tennis classes, all beginning on July 10.

The new tennis classes include: Red Ball Tennis Lessons for ages five through eight, Orange Ball Tennis Lessons  for ages nine and ten, and Green Ball Tennis Lessons for ages nine to 12.  All three programs have classes which meet on Tuesday and Thursday beginning July 10, and involve eight one-hour sessions at a cost of  $75 for Johnson County residents or $83 for nonresidents. Students are encouraged to bring their own racket. To find these programs  online at  www.JCPRD.com,  use the course ID codes listed below or browse first under youth and then under sports. When using the website’s advanced search, look for the keyword “tennis.” 

Red Ball Tennis Lessons for ages five through eight are a kids-sized introduction to what could be the sport of a lifetime! Participants will receive instruction in an approachable and supportive environment. Students play with junior rackets and low-bouncing balls on a reduced court allowing them to more easily make contact and sustain a rally. The focus is on learning the fundamentals in order to establish a future of success. This program meets at 8 a.m. 

Orange Ball Tennis Lessons for ages nine and ten let players will continue to develop their skills and athleticism by use of an orange ball designed to travel more slowly and bounce lower. Players receive lessons on a regulation net, but on a court shorter in length than standard. With these modifications and a junior rackets, youth find continued success on the court and progress at their own pace.  This program meets at 9:30 a.m. 

Green Ball Tennis Lessons for ages nine through 12 use green balls with a slightly reduced bounce height to give students a challenging transition to the full-size 78-foot regulation court. With continued supportive coaching, it won’t be long until students’ progress to the regulation yellow balls, the same as the pros! This program meets at 11 a.m. 

For more information or to register by phone, call (913) 831-3359. Register online at www.jcprd.com for Red Ball Tennis for ages five to eight, for Orange Ball Tennis for ages nine through ten, or Green Ball Tennis for ages nine through 12.

Replacement of the tennis courts at the Roeland Park Elementary School began in early April. Roeland Park, in partnership with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and their Missouri Valley Region arm, wanted to bring  tennis courts back to one of the first locations for tennis play in Johnson County. Several grants contributed to this project. These included $20,000, from the National USTA, and $12,000 from the Missouri Valley Region USTA for reconstruction and another $500 for equipment. Roeland Park Public Works provided demolition services valued at $10,000 and the balance of the project was financed with city capital improvement funds. The two-court layout with youth and regulation lines will serve newcomers to the game as well as seasoned players.  JCPRD is also a partner on the project, providing tennis programs at the new facility.

The July 2 ribbon cutting event for the new tennis courts will take place beginning at 5:30 p.m., and will include officials from Roeland Park, USTA Missouri Valley , and JCPRD.  Following the ribbon cutting, youth tennis equipment will be available for open play, and signups will be taken for the lessons listed above. 

The next opportunity for preschoolers and youth to learn to swim or improve their existing swimming skills this summer is being offered by the Johnson County Park & Recreation District at the Roeland Park Aquatic Center, 4843 Rosewood Dr., Roeland Park, and at the Prairie Village Pool at 7710 Delmar, Prairie Village.

These lessons offer a progression of instructional courses which can take a swimmer from basic level skills to pre-swim team skills. This convenient class format also takes the guesswork out of trying to determine what level you or your child should be in. These progressive lessons involve an assessment at the beginning of each daily class and let individuals move through the program at their own pace, learning new skills during the same session.

Swim lessons for preschool and youth involve eight 30-minute lessons for $60 for Johnson County residents or $66 for nonresidents.

Preschool offerings include a Parent & Tot class for ages six months to two and one-half years with a parent, and an Aqua Tot Class for ages two and one-half to five. Youth classes for ages five and older are generally skill-based and are not age specific. Levels include Novice, Advance Novice, and Intermediate. All of these programs have classes beginning July 9. 

To find these programs in the My JCPRD Activities catalog and online at jcprd.com, browse first under preschool or youth and then under aquatics. In the catalog and when using the website’s advanced search, look for the keywords “swim lesson.” For more information or to register by phone, call (913) 831-3359.

Printed copies of the My JCPRD Activities catalog are available for pickup at all Johnson County Library branches.