The Last Day of School…the Movie!

The end of the school year….  Ahhhhh….  It’s so close, you can taste it, right?  Soon the public pools will open, Extravaganza and Teen Summer Reading will be in full effect, the Pirates will be crushing the competition (well…. hopefully….), and you’ll be homework free for a solid two or three months.  When I think back to my school days, I remember those last ones the fondest.  The summer held so much anticipation and so much promise!  I almost didn’t even mind attending school, because I knew my days there were numbered.  The school days were short, the tired teachers showed films instead of- well- teaching, and the only writing we students did was in yearbooks.  Turns out many others have found inspiration in those last days of school, so much so that there are entire movies dedicated to those last days of school.  Teens of Pittsburgh- you are almost there!  Join us at CLP Main- Teen on your last day of school- Wednesday, June 13 at 3 pm- for a screening of a classic of the genre.  Until then, you’ll just have to experience the excitement the last days through film.  Below are some of the best and they are all available to check out from the library.

Can’t Hardly Wait

Dazed and Confused

I Love You Beth Cooper

Rock ‘N’ Roll High School

Say Anything

Summer School

The Wackness

Feel inspired to make your own last day of school film?  Check out CLP’s QuickFlix 2012 contest and free digital filmmaking workshops!

Will this be the Pirates’ year?

Can the Pirates end their infamous losing streak this year?  In two words- probably not.  In the early part of the season, there has been a glaring weakness for the team- they CAN’T HIT the ball!  They rank near the bottom of almost every hitting statistic in the league.  They are last in batting average, home runs, and on base percentage.  And they are not even last by a point or two.  It’s a pretty big gap in almost every stat between them and the next worst team.  Their power hitter of the future, Pedro Alvarez, is batting around .050 and is on pace to break the alltime record for strikeouts by a better in one season!  On the bright side, the pitching looks pretty good, Andrew McCutchen is signed to a long term deal, and PNC Park is still a great place to watch a game.  But to me, that is not nearly enough to end the Pirates‘ 19 year losing streak.  It looks like they will make it two straight decades of losing.

FUN THINGS TO DO THIS SUMMER

• Ride the Duquesne or Monongahela Incline.
• Visit Point State Park and see one of the tallest fountains in the United States.  It is a good spot to sit and read. 
• Have a screaming good time at Kennywood Park.  You could win free tickets if you participate in summer reading.  The Grand Prize is a limo ride and six tickets to Kennywood.  You have to read at least one item and fill out the online evaluation for your chance to win.  In addition to the grand prize, six teens will win two tickets to Kennywood.  The new roller coaster Sky Rocket is scheduled to open sometime this summer. 
• Take a walking tour of Downtown’s public art.  Pittsburgh’s Office of Public Art has published Pittsburgh Art in Public Places: Downtown Walking Tour and copies are available at the library. 
• Go to a free concert in an Allegheny County Park.  All summer long there are free concerts at Boyce Park, Hartwood Acres, North Park and South Park.  For a listing of events, check out the Allegheny County website:  http://www.alleghenycounty.us/spev/summer10.aspx
• Go Swimming!  There’s a lot of outdoor pools in the city of Pittsburgh.  There is a complete list of pools in the Citiparks 2010 Summer Magazine.  Families can purchase pool tags for the whole summer.  If you want to swim for the day, daily admission tickets are available.  The cost is $3 for children ages 3-15 and $4 for individuals 16 and older.  The Citiparks Summer Magazines are also available in print and you can pick them up at your local library. 
• Watch a movie in a park.  Pittsburgh Citipark’s “Cinema in the Park” features popular movies.  Here are the Cinema Locations:

1. Schenley Park  (Sundays and Wednesdays)
2. East Liberty (Mondays)
3. Robert E. Williams Memorial Park, Hill District (Tuesdays)
4. Brookline Memorial Park (Thursdays)
5. Arsenal Park, Lawrenceville (Fridays)
6. Riverview Park, Observatory Hill (Saturdays)
7. Grandview Park, Mt. Washington (Saturdays)
8. West End/Eliot Overlook (Tuesdays)

For dates and movie titles, check the Citiparks 2010 Summer Magazine. 

• Enjoy the Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta and Fireworks July 2nd, 3rd and 4th.  The Regatta weekend is packed with events such as the “Anything that Floats” Race, Frisbee Dog Show, “Over the Mountain” Bike Stunt Show, Powerboat Championship and lots of free concerts.  For more information, check out the website:  www.threeriversregatta.net

• Check out the cars at one of the biggest events in the city at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix.  What began as a one day race has evolved into a ten-day vintage car festival that runs from July 11-25.  The race is the main event with car shows and parades adding to the excitement.  For more information, check out the website:  www.pvgp.org
• Take in a Pirate game.  Even if the team is on a losing streak, it is fun to spend an afternoon or evening at PNC Park.  Enter to win two tickets to Teen Night @ PNC Park!  Any teen who participates in the Teen Summer Reading Program at any Allegheny County Public Library is eligible to win two tickets to the August 19th Pittsburgh Pirates game and the pregame teen party with free food, music and games.  Game time is 7:00 PM and the party will start at 5:30 PM.  75 teens will win!

~Marian  CLP–Mt. Washington