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Military veterans enjoy free admission to Kings Island Memorial Day Weekend. Photo provided

Kings Island is offering special perks to veterans this Memorial Day weekend.

Military veterans receive free admission to the 364-acre Mason amusement park Friday through Monday.

The offer extends to active and retired military, National Guard, veterans with honorable or medical discharge and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps with government-issued ID.

Military personnel can also purchase admission tickets for members of their immediate family (up to six) for a discounted price of $29.99 each.

Military vets will also receive free admission and membership discounts of up to 20 percent at the Mason Community Center Saturday through Monday.

The center offers fitness machines, an indoor pool, gym and field house, game room, fitness activities and child care center.

Veterans who are already members can receive 10 free guest passes.

Valid military IDs are required for both offers and must be presented.  Present IDs to the ticket counter at Kings Island or to the member services desk at the Mason Community Center.

For Kings Island information, call 513-754-5700.  For Mason Community Center information, call 513-229-8555.

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Community, Events, Health & Fitness, Mason Community Center, The Beach Waterpark |

Tags: Tags: free admission, kings island, mason community center, memorial day, memorial day weekend, military, veterans, vets

Audrey Shooner,center, and Dharma Patel ,left, and Avalon Richard practice during gymnastic’s class at the Mason Community Center. (Tony Tribble for the Enquirer)

Carrie Blackmore Smith reports:

When local governments are forced to cut back on services, community centers and their programs often appear at the top of the list of perks a community can survive without.

Enter Colerain Township, one of the region’s largest communities, where officials have cut some programming this year but managed to scrape together funds to keep their center running. Now they’re searching for a long-term solution to afford the community center. In Cincinnati, three community centers and six pools are on the chopping block, part of the Plan B solution to ease a $35 million budget deficit.

But Springfield Township and others – including on a larger scale, Mason – are bystepping that pressure by turning their centers into self-sustainable operations, an uncommon occurrence in the region.

• Photos: Gymnastics class at the Mason Community Center

And they’re not relying on cuts to get there. Instead, they’re adding new features.

Turning the revenue tide

Few local governments want to make their centers solvent; some consider the costs well worth the value and haven’t felt pressure from residents or elected officials to match revenues with costs. Other centers are clearly struggling, but aren’t quite sure how to deal with it.

Ohio Municipal League spokesman Kent Scarrett said he hasn’t noticed a trend of governments trying to balance community center budgets but wasn’t surprised to hear it’s happening in Southwest Ohio.

“It makes sense,” Scarrett said. “Obviously, money is tight … and these services and community activities benefit the social fabric of communities.”

(more…)

Posted in: News |

Tags: Tags: budgets, economy, finances, fitness, health, mason, mason community center, profitable, profits, waterpark

New to Mason? Meet your neighbors and get involved at the next Mason Coffee event at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Mason Community Center.

The informal, family-friendly gatherings are hosted by Community Basket representative Courtney Allen and sponsored by the City of Mason and the Northeast Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce.

Get a tour of the Mason Community Center and a one-day free pass to try out the programs offered there. Complimentary refreshments will be provided by Meet Me on Main Cafe.

The gatherings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at the Mason Community Center, 6050 Mason-Montgomery Road. For more information, call the center at 513-229-8555.

Posted in: Community, Events |

Tags: Tags: city of mason, coffee, community basket, courtnet allen, mason, mason community center, new, northeast cincinnati chamber of commerce, residents

Gun-control advocates from across the region will hold petition drives at two events in Greater Cincinnati Thursday as part of a national campaign calling for stricter gun control laws.

Volunteers will gather at Fountain Square downtown and in Mason to collect signatures as part of the National Day to Demand Action to end gun violence.

Activists are calling for support on legislation requiring universal background checks for gun sales, a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity gun magazines and for tougher penalties for gun trafficking offenses.

The national campaign is organized by Organizing for Action, a nonprofit group formed by former aides to President Barack Obama to support his legislative agenda, and Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bi-partisan coalition of more than 900 mayors who support a number of gun control initiatives.

“We’re demanding action on gun violence,” said Beth Smith, volunteer leader of the Warren County chapter of Organizing for Action.

Locally, volunteers are hoping to gather enough support and signatures to pressure Ohio Sen. Rob Portman (R-Terrace Park) and Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Westwood) to support the legislation, said Smith.

Lawmakers are expected to take up the issue of gun control legislation soon after the Senate returns from its Easter and Passover recess April 8.

Downtown event

What: Cincinnati Petition Drive for Universal Background Checks
When: 1-2 p.m. Thursday
Where: Fountain Square, 520 Vine St., downtown

Mason event

What: Mason/Warren Co Gun Control Signature Collection
When: 6-8 p.m. Thursday
Where: Mason Community Center, 6050 Mason-Montgomery Road, Mason

Posted in: Events, Political events |

Tags: Tags: barack obama, beth smith, fountain square, gun control, gun violence, mason, mason community center, national day to demand action, organizing for action, organizing for ohio, petition, signatures

Live Well in Mason is offering a healthy twist on a traditional breakfast favorite.

The Mason Community Center will host a free pancake tasting event from 9-11 a.m. Saturday.  Samples include banana and oat, buckwheat and gluten- and dairy-free recipes.

• Enquirer food writer Polly Campbell’s healthy pancake recipes

The event is free and open to the community.  Live Well in Mason is a partnership of the Mason Community Center and TriHealth.

The community center is at 6050 Mason-Montgomery Road and can be reached at 513-229-8555.

Posted in: Events, Mason Community Center |

Tags: Tags: free, healthy pancakes, live well in mason, live well pancake day, mason community center, trihealth

Sue Kiesewetter reports:

Young teens can learn healthy exercises that can be used throughout their lives during spring break at the Mason Community Center.

The center is offering Teen Spring Break Fitness Camp March 25-28 at the arts center, 6050 Mason-Montgomery Road. It is targeted to those ages 10-15 and meets from noon to 1:45 p.m. each day.

Participants will use several areas of the community center as well as neighboring parks for the program. Those attending should dress for the weather.

Cost is $52 for premier members, $62 for basic members, $78 for Mason residents, and $93 for non-residents.

Information/registration: 513-229-8555

Posted in: Events, Mason Community Center |

Tags: Tags: fitness, health, mason, mason community center, sports, teen spring break fitness camp

Sue Kiesewetter reports:

A partnership between the Mason Community Center and TriHealth has created an unusual way to learn how to shop for healthy foods.

Live Well in Mason has prepared a spring break scavenger hunt that takes participants any one of three Kroger stores near Mason and Deerfield Township. There they will be hunting for several healthy food items and answering questions about them.

“There are misconceptions out there about some products that people think are healthier than they really are because of the words (on the packaging),” said Tiffany Wentzel, a coordinator with Live Well in Mason.

“We want to help people become more aware of healthy food items and where to find them at the grocery store.”

Items on the list were selected specifically for the Krogers stores at 9600 S. Mason-Montgomery Road, 4700 Fields-Ertel Road and 7855 Tylersville Road.

Families can pick up the scavenger hunt sheet at the Mason Community Center, 6050 Mason-Montgomery Road beginning March 24. Completed sheets can be returned to any customer service desk at the community center through March 31.

There is no cost to participate and you do not have to be a member of the community center. Any family that completes the sheet correctly will receive a prize.

Posted in: Community, Events, Health & Fitness, News |

Tags: Tags: health, healthy, kroger, live well in mason, mason community center, nutrition, scavenger hunt, spring break, tiffany wentzel

Michael D. Clark reports:

Posted in: News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: bigger is better, excellent ranking, high school, largest, mason, mason community center, mason high school, national merit finalists, neighborhood schools, ohio, taxes, tracey carson

Mason Community Center, which is connected to Mason High School, will celebrate its 10-year anniversary on March 1. / The Enquirer/Tony Tribble

Michael D. Clark reports:

Posted in: Mason Community Center, News |

Tags: Tags: anniversary, city of mason, deerfield township, fitness, jennifer heft, mason, mason community center, sports, tri-health

The Mason Community Center will debut a drama program for children this month that emphasizes character and skills-building for children ages 6-10.

Drama Kids International classes will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Fridays from Jan. 18 through Feb. 22.

The developmental program uses drama activities to build creative thinking and literacy skills, in addition to positive social skills such as leadership, teamwork, confidence and public speaking.

Cost is $85 for community center premier members; $100 for basic members; $125 for Mason residents and $150 for non-residents.

Register online at www.imaginemason.org/things-to-do (activity number 131140) or by in person at the Mason Community Center, 6050 Mason-Montgomery Road, or by phone at 513-229-8555.

Posted in: Events, Mason Community Center |

Tags: Tags: character, drama, drama kids international, mason community center, youth