By Elizabeth Reiss
Beacon reporter

The city’s new summer youth director has spent the last month busy preparing activities for the 2009 Summer Youth Recreation Program.
Rebecca Fritz of Baltic was named youth director this spring. She says she will make good use of her associate’s degree in meeting and event planning to run the program and ensure that it is a success. It begins on June 8 and runs Mondays through Thursdays each week through Aug. 6. About 90 kids between the ages of 7 and 13 are signed up, City Finance Officer Elaine Hendrickson said. There are nine youth counselors involved with the program.
Fritz and her family moved to Baltic from the Twin Cities area in March when her husband started a job in the area.
“Rebecca has the energy and is an event planner, so it really falls into the line of work,” Hendrickson said. “And she’s a mom; she’s a good fit.’
Fritz says she spent about a month researching activities and field trips available in the area, while keeping in mind the cost to parents. The registration fee for the program is $100, which includes a twice-per-week Sioux Falls swimming pool pass and all craft activities. Field trips carry an extra fee.
“I’ve tried to keep the field trip cost down as low as I could,” Fritz said. “I’ve looked for places that are free to keep that extra out-of-pocket expense to a minimum.”
Field trips include Wild Water West in Sioux Falls, the Great Plains Zoo and Palisades State Park near Garretson. Several other field trips planned this year have never been part of the youth program, Fritz said. Those include Lake Vermillion Recreation Area, Pioneer Village in Worthington, Minn., and a bike rodeo at Baltic School. Children also will make the trip to the Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls, an activity returning after a hiatus of a few years.
“I looked at past schedules and am trying to arrange as many new places as possible,” Fritz said.
Pool rotation is set for Mondays and Wednesdays. Tuesdays are set aside for field trips. Participants also will play games and make arts and crafts.