Boulder City in brief

Boulder City News Staff

Wednesday, June 17, 2009 | 2:50 p.m.

Summer language camps planned

The Boulder City Parks and Recreation Department will offer Spanish and French language summer camps in June and July.

The June camps will be offered Monday through Wednesday and the July camps will be Monday through Thursday.

The session dates for Spanish are June 22-24 or July 6-9. The dates for French are June 22-24 or July 13-16.

Beginner 4 Lil' Tots is for ages 3-5 and teaches children in a fun way to say the basics using color, numbers and favorite animals, as well as saying simple sentences. The Conversational classes Level I and II are geared for ages 6 and up. All classes are held at the ABC Park Gym classroom. The fee is $32.

Instructor Beatrice Werner speaks five languages and has extensive teaching experience. Register at the Recreation Center 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

For more information, contact the Recreation Department at 293-9256.

Free fishing at lake set for Father's Day

Park rangers at Lake Mead National Recreation Area are inviting everyone to take advantage of this summer's first fee-free fishing weekend for Father's Day on June 20-21.

All 147 National Park Service sites that charge fees for entry will waive entrance fees on June 20-21, July 18-19 and August 15-16.

For the first time, Lake Mead National Recreation Area will also be waiving the lake-use fee normally charged for boats. Visitors who arrive on these days will receive a free day-use pass valid for that day only.

Park rangers hope that the fee-free weekends will encourage people to get outdoors and enjoy their national parks.

Entrance fees to the recreation area are normally $5 for a five-day vehicle pass and the lake-use fee is $10 for a five-day boat pass. Visitors can purchase an annual vehicle pass for $20. Annual boat passes are also $20.

To plan your trip to Lake Mead or Lake Mohave, visit www.nps.gov/lame. For information about rentals, lodging, and tours visit www.funonthelake.com.

To learn more about fee-free weekends in national parks around the country, go to www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm.

Chamber to install new slate of officers

The Boulder City Chamber of Commerce banquet room is having its installation of new officers at 6 p.m. June 18 at the Hacienda on U.S. 93.

The chamber will install new board members John Kolesar of AFLAC, Geoff Baughman of Farmers Insurance and Izzy Colette of Desert Adventures. Beth Molburg of Chamber Insurance and Benefits, will be reinstated on the board.

The new chairman will be Chuck Pickens of St. Jude's Ranch and vice chair is Julie Boyster of Events Unlimited.

The dinner event costs $40 for members and $50 for non-members.

For more information or reservations, call 293-2034.

St. Jude's to host live music during summer

St. Jude's Ranch for Children's Gift Shop is hosting weekly live music at the ranch, 100 St. Jude's St., off U.S. 93.

The entertainment will be featured 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays through Aug. 22. Coffee will also be served.

For more information, call Deborah Scott at 294-7142 or 289-0997.

Program to discuss steamboat history

The Boulder City-Hoover Dam Museum will offer a program on the history of steamboats on the Colorado River at 6 p.m. June 18 at the museum inside the Boulder Dam Hotel, 1305 Arizona St.

Julian Rhinehart, a retired public affairs officer for the Bureau of Reclamation, will talk about how steamboats plied the river from the 1850s until 1904, when construction began on Laguna Dam 14 miles north of Fort Yuma, Ariz. The steamboats ran routes from the Gulf of California to the Grand Canyon.

The free talk is part of a Third Thursday at the Museum series.

For more information, call the museum at 294-1988.

Grace plans Vacation Bible School

Grace Community Church will host a weeklong Vacation Bible School June 22-26 at the church, 1150 Wyoming St.

The theme will be Discover Canyon and will focus on animals of various sorts as well as issues of faith.

The Bible school will run 6 to 8:15 p.m. those evenings.

To register before June 21, call the church office at 293-2018.

Veterans Home lauded by magazine

The Nevada State Veterans Home in Boulder City recently was named one of the best nursing homes in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

The magazine rated the facilities on state health inspections, nursing staff and the condition of each individual resident on Medicare or Medicaid.

The Veterans Home received 14 out of 15 possible stars from the magazine in the three categories and received an overall score of five out of five stars.

The full report can be viewed at http://health.usnews.com/sections/health/best-nursing-homes/index.html.