The following was written by Laura Hartman of Oswego in the April 19th Aurora Beacon News…great job Oswegoland Park District! Keep up the good work.

Last week I came home from work and began sorting through the stack of mail waiting for me on the kitchen table. Under one of the daily ads trying to entice me to try a new credit card, on top of yet another People magazine sporting pictures of Tom and Katie, I found a treasure among the trash.

The 2006 Oswegoland Park District summer brochure had arrived.

The variety of things to do and learn, places to visit and explore, and special events offered is very impressive, especially for a village the size of Oswego. Right inside the front cover is a picture of Hudson Crossing Park, which is a 10-minute walk from our home. When we moved into the village three short years ago, the park was just beginning to take shape. Now it has blossomed into a shady green haven with a great view of the Fox River in the heart of town. There are park benches facing the river, picnic areas and a great family play area with swings, slides and climbing equipment.

The Park District offers sports from soccer to football, volleyball to swimming for children and adults. Fitness classes run the gamut from “Wiggly Workout” for toddlers and parents to “Senior Fitness”, with Pilates, Spinalates, Yoga, Martial Arts and many more in between.

The classes available run from “Brewing Beer 101″ — one I am sure my sons would love to attend — to a whole list of Dog Obedience courses. I know our Lab, Indy, should be enrolled in at least one, if not all of them.

If your schedule won’t allow you to commit to a class, check out the Special Events section. Every Wednesday night free movies or concerts are offered at Village Green Park. Pack up a few lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy the summer evenings with your neighbors and family.

The movies are family oriented classics both new and old. Concerts this year include Louisiana Creole, rock and roll and country, so there is something for everyone. I can’t think of a better way to spend a few hours than under the stars, munching popcorn watching a great movie, or tapping my toes to the lively beat of Zydeco music.

The Oswego Country Market is also listed under Special Events. If you like corn so sweet you don’t have to add butter, and deep red tomatoes so juicy they’ll drip down your chin when you eat them still warmed by the sun, this outdoor market is for you. Last year, we stopped by the Country Market each Sunday morning to pick out fresh vegetables and fruit for the week. The new green leaves of the flowers I purchased at the market last year are just beginning to grow, promising the delicate blue blooms I enjoyed until fall.

Even though the booklet mailed out outlines all the activities for this summer, I visited their official website, www.oswegolandparkdistrict.com, for a little Park District history. It was established in 1950, and now includes 36 park sites with 598 acres of natural and developed parkland. Our Park District includes a skate park, a disc golf course, tennis courts, an aquatic park, a network of bicycle and pedestrian trails and facilities for classes and programs just to name a few.

I hope you find a treasure in our Park District offerings. Be it PrairieFest, Oswego’s Country Market, signing your children or yourself up for a class, or enjoying the warm summer sun at one of the parks. The tag line running up the side of their brochure says it all: “Creating opportunities for a healthy community”. We just need to seize these opportunities for a happier and healthier summer.

- Laura Hartman of Oswego is an HR coordinator for Edward Don & Company, wife and mom of three grown sons and a spoiled Lab. She can be reached at hartman_j@sbcglobal.net