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Summer is heating up in Mason.  Near-record temperatures are expected on Thursday, with forecasters calling for a high of around 101 degrees.  No worries.  Here are eight ways to beat the heat in Mason without clinging to your AC unit.

Mason Community Center
6050 Mason-Montgomery Road, 513-229-8555, www.imaginemason.org

Cool off at the Mason Community Center’s indoor pools.  The center offers a leisure pool complete with water playground, spray geysers, lazy river/vortex, tot slide and a twisting, three-story water flume slide or swim laps in the center’s 25-meter by 25-yard competition pool.  The center also offers a wide array of aquatic fitness programs and swim lessons after which you can relax in its 5,900-gallon whirlpool.   Three levels of membership are offered: Basic memberships begin at $52 for adults, with family discounts available.  Or purchase a day pass at $20 for adults and $10 youth/seniors.

Lou Eves Municipal Pool
Corwin M. Nixon Park, 6249 Mason-Montgomery Road, 513-229-8553, www.imaginemason.org

Even though it may be a scorcher outside, you’re sure to stay cool at the Lou Eves Municipal Pool.  Amenities at the recently upgraded city pool include a climbing wall, water slide, baby pool, children’s play area and snack bar.  Regular resident passes are $73 adults; $45 youth and senior citizens and $128 for families.  Daily resident admission is $5.50 adults and $4.50 youth and seniors.  Additional cost for non-residents, with special prices available for people who work in Mason but don’t live there.  Children ages 3 and under are free.  Daily pass rates are discounted 50 percent after 5 p.m.

Kings Island
6300 Kings Island Drive, 513-754-5700, www.visitkingsisland.com

Dive into the fun at Kings Island’s all new and expanded Soak City water park.  The $10 million expansion doubles the water park’s size to 33 acres and features new amenities and attractions, including a 650,000-gallon wave pool, sand volleyball courts, three times more chairs and open grass for lounging.  Or stay cool on one of KI’s 13 thrill rides.    Soak City is included in the cost of park admission.  Season passes start at $99.99 for adults and $72.99 for juniors; daily admission available for $36.99 for adults and $32.99 for children (online only).

Great Wolf Lodge
2501 Great Wolf Drive, 513-459-8885, www.greatwolf.com

You’re sure to keep your cool in this 84-degree indoor water park, which features 93,000 square feet of indoor entertainment space.  Attractions include the 79,000-square-foot Bear Track Landing water park, with 12 waterslides, six pools and 100 lifeguards; more than 100 video games in the resort arcade; four restaurants and cafes and nightly fireside storytimes.  The park is open to registered guests; standard suite prices begin at $229.99.

Mason Public Library
200 Reading Road, 513-398-2711, www.masonpl.lib.oh.us

Looking for a free way to beat the heat?  Check out the Mason Public Library.  Chill out in the library’s air conditioning with a good book or take park in one of the library’s programs for adults and children.  Adult programs include reading programs, discussion groups and Whole Foods classes.  Children can take part in weekly story times, games, summer reading programs or read to a therapy dog.  All programs are free and open to the public.

Regal Cinemas
5500 Deerfield Blvd., 513-770-0964, www.regmovies.com

Grab some friends and popcorn and check out one of the summer’s blockbuster hits at Regal Cinemas in Deerfield Township.  Movie theaters always crank up the air-conditioning (you may even need a light sweater), so going should keep you out of the sun for at least two hours and keep you nice and cool.  Ticket prices range from $7.50 for matinee showings to $10 for evening showings.

Tucker’s Whippy Dip
127 East Main Street, 513-459-7966.

This popular ice cream shop has had many incarnations throughout its more than 50-year history, but pleasing crowds has remained a constant.  Nothing says summertime like biting into a creamy mound of soft serve covered with sprinkles or a hard chocolate shell  Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry . . . it’s all good.

Graeter’s
5076 Natorp Blvd., 513-339-0140, www.graeters.com

Dig into summer with a cone or sundae at this Cincinnati-based ice cream parlor chain.  Graeter’s, which is popular for such irresistible flavor combinations like Elena’s Blueberry Pie and Buckeye Blitz, recently released the first of two mystery flavors slated for 2012: Cake Batter Fudge Brownie.   Or try some of the chain’s handmade chocolates and confections or baked goods.  Bon appétit.

Posted in: Community, News |

Tags: Tags: amusement park, aquatics, corwin m. nixon park, deerfield township, graeters, great wolf lodge, heat, ice cream, indoor waterpark, kings island, lou eves municipal pool, mason, mason community center, mason public library, parlor, pool, regal cinemas, soak city, tucker's whippy dip, water, water slide, weather

Macy McReynolds, 12, of Mason and her brother Micah, 8, play in waterfall at Lou Eves Municipal Pool in Mason last summer. File photo

Splish Splash. The Lou Eves Municipal Pool at Corwin N. Nixon Park opens Memorial Day weekend.

The pool opens Saturday.  Hours are noon to 8 p.m. through Memorial Day weekend.  The pool reopens the weekend of June 2-3; daily operation runs from June 9 through Aug. 19, with weekend operations Aug. 25-26 and Labor Day weekend.

The outdoor community pool, which opened in 1995, was recently upgraded with new pumps, paint, and a new custom-fitted PVC pool lined was installed.

Amenities include a climbing wall, water slide, baby pool, children’s play area and snack bar.  Morning swim lessons by the Mason Swim Academy begin June 11.

Regular resident passes are $73 adults; $45 youth and senior citizens and $128 for families.  Non-resident cost is $157 adults; $96 youth and senior citizens and $321 for families.   Special rates are also available for Mason business employees and their families.

Daily resident admission is $5.50 adults and $4.50 youth and seniors; non-resident daily rates are $8.50 adults and $7 for children and seniors.  Children ages 3 and under are free.  Daily pass rates are discounted 50 percent after 5 p.m.

The pool is at 6249 Mason-Montgomery Road.  For more information, call the City of Mason at 513-229-8500.

Posted in: Community, Events, Recreational events |

Tags: Tags: corwin nixon park, lou eves municipal pool, lou eves pool, mason, memorial day, pool, upgrades

Robert Peraza kneels by his son's name at the north pool of the 9/11 memorial on Sept. 11, 2011. Peraza, a former Mason resident and Procter & Gamble retiree, is the father of Robert David Peraza, who was working on the 104th floor of 1 World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. The photograph has become among the most viral photographs of the year, according to media sites. (Getty Images / Justin Lane)

A photograph of a father’s private moment mourning the son he lost on 9/11 is among the most viral photographs of the year.

The photo of Robert Peraza in prayer by his son's name at the north pool of the 9/11 memorial was published on the front covers of several U.S. newspapers. The photo is now being counted among the most viral of the year.

When former Mason resident Robert Peraza knelt to say a prayer at his son’s name on the 9/11 Memorial in New York City on Sept. 11, photographer Justin Lane caught the moment.

The photograph quickly became, as many have described it, an iconic symbol of a nation’s grief.

The Enquirer was among numerous media outlets to publish the picture, which appeared on the cover of the Washington Post, the New York Daily News and the New York Post to name a few.

The grieving father’s moment has since become one of the most viral photographs of the year, according to Buzzfeed.com, a website that aggregates news stories that have gone “viral” or are widely distributed online.

Peraza, a Procter & Gamble retiree, is the father of Robert David Peraza, 30, who was working as a bond trader for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 104th floor of 1 World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

• Photos: Remembering Robert D. Peraza

He had been selected as a reader at the tenth anniversary ceremony, but took a moment to walk near the memorial’s North Pool before the memorial opened to family members.

“I was just honoring Rob… I was saying a prayer for his soul,” Peraza, 68, told ABC News. “It was very, very emotional.”

Peraza, a former president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Cincinnati, and his wife, Suzanne, lived in Mason at the time of the attacks but have since moved to Clermont, Fla.  His son lived in the Mason area in the late 1990s.

It’s been a tough road for the Perazas since the day when two hijacked jets crashed into the twin towers, a third plunged into the Pentagon, and a fourth went down in a Pennsylvania field before reaching its target.

Robert D. Peraza. Photo credit/St. Bonaventure University

“Closure, in my opinion, is a very overstated term,” Peraza told The Enquirer in September as the tenth anniversary of the attacks approached.

“Rob was murdered on that day, and every year we are reminded of that.  The wounds, in a sense, never healed.”

The family established a scholarship fund in Rob’s memory at St. Bonaventure University in western New York State, where he earned his undergraduate and masters degrees.  So far, about $250,000 has been raised.

They still talk about Rob frequently, said Robert’s younger brother, Neil Peraza, 38, of Orlando, Fla.  His three children all know who “Uncle Rob” was.

“After 9/11 my wife and I realized that life continues and you have two children you have to live for,” Robert Peraza told ABC. “Rob was the kind of young man who would have been very upset if my wife and I wilted.”

After the photograph was taken, Robert Peraza, who wore a t-shirt bearing his son’s face,  joined family members of other victims to read the names of the dead and pay tribute to his son.

“Dearest Robert we love you and pray for you every day,” he said.  ”We are with you all the time and we’ll never forget, we’ll never forget, we’ll never forget.”

Posted in: Community, News |

Tags: Tags: 10th anniversary, 9/11, buzzfeed.com, cantor fitzgerald, mason, memorial, north tower, photograph, pool, robert david peraza, robert peraza, sept. 11, tenth anniversary, terrorist attacks, the enquirer, viral, world trade center

The Mason Community Center will hold an open house from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22.

The event, which is free and open to the community, offers a range of fitness and family activities.

Group exercise instructors will hold demonstration classes between 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m., including the center’s newest class coming in January, BodyPump, at 9:15 a.m.  Personal trainers will be available from 9-11 a.m. to answer fitness questions.

A volunteer fair will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. with more than 20 local organizations participating.

A Fall Festival will be held from 5-7 p.m. with seasonal activities offered throughout the center, including a cookie decorating contest and cookie walk and magic shows.  Children can come dressed in costume for the 5:30 p.m. costume parade.

Buy any personal training package on Saturday and receive 15 percent off.  Become a member on the day of the open house and get your first month membership free (administrative fees apply) and be entered to win a free in-house 30-minute massage from TriHealth Pavilion Spa.

The community center is at 6050 Mason-Montgomery Road.  For a schedule of events, go to www.imaginemason.org.

Posted in: Events, Health & Fitness, Recreational events |

Tags: Tags: aquatics, fall festival, fitness, free, health, mason, mason community center, open house, pool, swimming, water fit

Calling all canines: The Beach is hosting an exclusive day for dogs from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.  Sunday, Sept. 11.

The Mason waterpark’s Dog Day event allows owners and their canine companions to romp and play in the Kahuna Beach Wavepool.

Presented with the Cincinnati SPCA, the day includes contests and games such as Doggie Duckie Dive and other water and beach-like activities.  Dog exhibitors and pet vendors will also be on site.

“We’ve been hosting Dog Day for many years now, and it’s one of the most popular events here at The Beach,” said Pam Strickfaden, VP & GM at The Beach Waterpark. “Where else in Greater Cincinnati can dogs have fun in the waves and play in real surf and real sand.”

Purchase tickets online for $6; regular ticket price is $12.  Dogs admitted free.  Dogs must be leashed and display current rabies vaccination tags.

The Beach is also offering discount on season passes that day.  Purchase 2012 season pass upgrades for half off or buy one 2012 season pass and get a second for $10.

For more information, go to www.thebeachwaterpark.com.

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Community, Events, The Beach Waterpark |

Tags: Tags: canines, dog day, dogs, kahuna wavepool, pool, swim, the beach waterpark, water park

The Enquirer’s Leigh Taylor caught these shots of Mason residents getting fit with Water Fit classes at the Mason Community Center.  The weekly classes are led by instructor Kimberly Gebert.  Register for aquatics classes online at www.imaginemason.org.

Posted in: Community, News |

Tags: Tags: aquatics, fitness, health, mason, mason community center, pool, swimming, water fit

For a child, what’s better than a bathtub filled with foam? How about a huge swimming pool filled with foam?

Children at The Compass School in Deerfield Township got a chance to play in a pool full of foamy bubbles on Monday. The Enquirer’s Leigh Taylor was there to catch the soapy fun.

Posted in: Schools |

Tags: Tags: children, deerfield township, foamtastic, fun, mason, pool, preschool, students, the compass school

Men and women participate in a water aerobics class at the Mason Community Center

The Mason Community Center will hold an open house event from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 9.

Personal trainers will be available from 8 a.m. to noon while group exercise instructors will hold a demonstration class from 9 to 10:45 a.m.

Children ages 5 and up can test their skills in a climbing competition from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the center’s climbing wall or make a splash in the pool from 1 to 3 p.m.

Senior citizens can drop in the Senior Center for canasta and other games.

Deals and discounts offered that day include 15 percent off personal training packages and 50 percent off the administrative fee for members.

For a schedule and description of fitness classes, go to www.imaginemason.org/things-to-do.  The Mason Community Center is at 6050 Mason-Montgomery Road and can be reached at 513-229-8555.

Posted in: Community, Events, Health & Fitness |

Tags: Tags: activities, aerobics, city of mason, climbing wall, fitness, health, mason, mason community center, pool, programs

Mason High School AP Physics Mechanics students were recently challenged to construct a boat – made only of cardboard and tape — capable of carrying one student across the Mason Community Center pool.

The class project tied in to the student’s current topic of study: forces. Students were required to submitted detailed drawings and descriptions of their designs and required students to calculate buoyancy and buoyant forces.

Each team was graded on how far and long the boat traveled while staying afloat, with extra credit for boats that traveled farther than one length of the pool and to the fastest boat.

Students did so well on the challenge that teacher Dee Dee Messer said she “stopped trying to decide farthest distance because so many boats did well and weren’t sinking.”

Nor were student boat designs utilitarian. Nick Newell and Brendan Sweeney’s Batman-inspired boat, the “Batmo-Boat,” placed in second place for speed in their third bell class.

“Students enjoyed it so much and I like implementing engineering projects into my course,” said Messer.

Posted in: Schools |

Tags: Tags: ap physics, boat, class project, dee dee messer, mason community center, mason high school, pool