Menlo Park offers flurry of new summer classes Menlo Park offers flurry of new summer classes (May 04, 2005)

By Rebecca Wallace

Almanac Staff Writer

In one new class offered by the city of Menlo Park, teens will learn to direct a TV show. In another, kids as young as 7 will get a taste of conducting Beethoven compositions.

The city may still be laboring under a recession. But Menlo Park's new summer activity guide boasts a range of new classes along with its typical array of dance, sports, computer and arts courses for youngsters and adults.

Registration for summer classes began May 2 for city residents and starts May 12 for non-residents.

The new offerings are thanks to partnerships with organizations such as the Media Center, in which the group teaches the classes. The city covers a minimal amount of expenses and then gets a percentage of student fees, said Bob Roessler, community services manager for Menlo Park.

"It's not a bad deal," he said. "There's very little risk to us, and summer is a time when we look for new classes."

In the case of the Media Center, which airs shows on local sports, the arts and other community topics, the week-long teen classes will be held at the Media Center campus in Palo Alto. Students learn to be part of TV studio production teams, creating music videos, programs on teen style or public service announcements. There's also a class on digital editing.

Another new set of classes is aimed at younger kids and taught by instructors at the Melody Academy of Music in Palo Alto. These are for kids who have never studied music, teaching skills such as ear-training, sight-singing and performing on keyboard and rhythm instruments.

As a more serious sign of the times, the city is also offering new kid safety classes with Recreation Plus, a Campbell-based organization. One called "Stranger Danger" is for kids ages 5 to 11 and teaches self-defense and ways to say no to strangers.

Another, for ages 12 and up, is called "Date Escape" and deals with conflict resolution and ways to get away from an aggressive date.

Other new courses include fencing and creative writing for youth, and Vinyasa yoga and reading music for adults.

For more information, go to menlopark.org and download the Activity Guide, or call 330-2200.

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