http://www.blackdiamondkidscenter.com

22 000002 02010 S

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OLD MEDALAWARD

MAY 27, 2011 SUMMER FUN THEPRESS.NET | 3B

Bricks4Kids, the new Lego creativity center for kids in kindergarten through middle school, is set to open next month on Balfour Road in Brentwood.

Photo courtesy of Jenny Shirks

Building fun with Lego

If you’re looking for somewhere

to take the kids this summer

that doesn’t require sunscreen,

beach towels or $50 bucks in the gas

tank, consider a trip to Bricks4Kids in

Brentwood. The Lego creativity center

– set to open in June – is a free-style, free-

for-all bright and colorful assemblage of

the popular building blocks, designed to

entice and encourage imagination in kids

of all ages and interests.

“Lego has always been a popular toy,” said Jenny Shirks, co-owner of Bricks4Kids. “And when I was a kid, Lego was just the regular blocks. But now there are so many varieties of Lego, it’s wonderful. Whatever kids can imagine, they can create. And we’re going to help them do that.”

The center hosts birthday parties, special events, summer camps, and free-play walk-in times. The sky’s the limit, said Shirks, for the creation of future programs and projects.

Although the building blocks are all about constructing fun and cultivating the imagina-tion, the Bricks4Kids model features an educa-

see Lego page 8B

R U T H R O B E R T S

4B | THEPRESS.NET SUMMER FUN MAY 27, 2011

As the marina had decayed into a junkyard, Hinman, a former architectural engineer, knew he had his work cut out for him. But he also knew that with determination, hard work and help from his friends, he could restore Cruiser Haven into the hotspot it was 40 years ago. The renovations included pulling sunken boats from the harbor, cleaning up the docks, refurbishing a picnic and recreation area and redoing the main offi ce – among other things.

Today, although Hinman has more work to do, Cruiser Haven is a quiet, secluded cove in the Delta. The 30 acres of waterfront property off Orwood Road is home to 155 berths that can accommodate boats as large as 65 feet. The cove is also home to an array of wildlife, including beavers, sea otters, turtles, ducks and a variety of fi sh. The access to the Delta’s native neighbors is one of the things that sets Cruiser Haven apart from other marinas, and Hinman has no desire to mess with the habitat – except for clearing out Delta’s unwanted visitor egeria densa.

While the California Department of Boating and Waterways has been spraying areas of Discovery Bay and Bethel Island in an attempt to eradicate the pesky weeds, Hinman is taking matters into his own hands. He operates a Weedoo, an eco-friendly boat engineered specifi cally to perform a vast range of waterway tasks such as extracting aquatic weeds and other pollutants. The Weedoo technology is so new that Hinman is the fi rst person on the West Coast to own the vessel.

“The weeds have been such a pain,” Hinman said. “They get twisted up in motors and cause all kinds of trouble. It’s bad for business. I’ve already seen a drop in business as people are

moving their boats elsewhere to get away from it. I’m doing what I can to get the weeds out and keep them out so my renters won’t be inconve-nienced by it. This is a place to come and relax, so I don’t want them worrying about the weeds.”

Hinman’s second marina, Holland Riverside, which he purchased last year, is the opposite of Cruiser Haven. The marina features a boat ramp, so boats are coming in and out of the area all the time. On the weekends, more than 150 boats pass through the marina. The area is so popular that River View Yacht Club recently relocated to Holland Riverside and operates a clubhouse onsite. The marina also features a minimart and boat storage.

Hinman believes the Delta’s appeal is its mystery. “You could spend a lifetime exploring the Delta and you still won’t have seen it all,” he said. “There are all these sloughs and estuar-ies. The Delta has so much to offer. Lakes get crowded, but the Delta is always open, whether you want to wakeboard, water ski, cruise around, fi sh or sail. There are so many possibilities for spending an afternoon.”

Hinman said it will be another fi ve years before he’s completely transformed Cruiser Haven into the destination it was in the 1970s, when it was a premiere Delta port of call, but he looks forward to the work.

“I was really burned out from the building business,” Hinman said. “I built homes, malls and I just got tired of it. But this … I love what I’m doing here in the Delta. I’m bringing these little marinas back to life. Back to what they’re worth.”

For more information about Cruiser Haven and Holland Riverside, visit www.cruiserhaven.com and www.hollandriverside.com.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

Marina from page 2B

MAY 27, 2011 SUMMER FUN THEPRESS.NET | 5B

Summer art classes for kids in Brentwood

Kids are invited to sign up

for summer art classes and

camps offered by Brentwood

Parks and Recreation. The instruc-

tor is local artist Nancy Roberts. For

information and registration, call 925-

516-5444 or visit www.ci.brentwood.

ca.us/emotion.

Clay Play for ages 6 through 12 is set for Mondays, June 6-July 18 from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Brentwood Senior Activity Center. Students will dig their hands into fun and colorful polymer clay as they learn basic clay techniques and sculpture while designing, modeling, carving and paint-ing their whimsical creations. Artwork may be baked in their home oven to harden. The fee is $64.30 for Brentwood residents, $70.70 for non-residents, plus $20 for materials.

Oil Painting for Kids for ages 8 through 14 is set for Mondays, June 6-July 18 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at the Brentwood Senior Activity Center. Kids will create origi-nal paintings using water-mixable oil paint and artist-quality canvas. Water-mixable oils behave and look like traditional oil paint

but are thinned and cleaned up with water instead of toxic solvents. Kids will learn about color, value, composition, perspec-tive, brushwork and texture, employing a different theme each week. The fee is $83.80 for Brentwood residents, $92.20 for non-residents, plus $25 for materials.

Three art camps will be held at Edna Hill Middle School. Camps run three morn-ings in a row and include theme-oriented art projects, games, activities and a snack break. Students who’ve worked with Roberts will receive fresh challenges to build on personal progress.

Paint Camp for ages 8 through 13 is set for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, June 21-23 from 9 a.m. to noon. Young artists who love to paint will dive into the colorful world of watercolor, pastel, tempera and acrylic paint on a variety of fi ne art paper and canvas surfaces. The fee is $83.80 for Brentwood residents, $92.20 for non-residents, plus $20 for materials.

Art Time Machine Camp for ages 6 through 12 is set for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, June 28-30 from 9 a.m. to noon. Jump into a time machine and enjoy fun drawing, painting and mixed-media projects inspired by cave art, Egyptian art, the Renaissance, Impressionism, Cubism

see Art page 8B

offers an “around the world” theme emphasizing the world’s many nations and cultures. Older kids can participate in camps offering Disney beach parties, undersea experiences or roles as knights and princesses.

Other fun activities include fi tness camps and boys boot camps. The camps operated by Black Diamond usually attract about 40 to 50 kids per session and focus on fi tness, education and team-building. “Our camps are focused on what we call ‘edutainment,’” Storrer said. “It’s a lot of fun, but they learn stuff and do all-around fi tness.”

One of the more popular events hosted by the center is Kids Night Out, where parents can drop off their kids at Black Diamond and enjoy the night together while the children have fun for a few hours. Kids Night Out is held two Saturdays per month from 4 to 9 p.m. The center offers Friday Night Out on one Friday per month, from 6 to 9 p.m. Both programs fi ll up fast.

Parents can also get in on the fun through Motion Evolution, a 12-week fi tness regimen hosted at the center for adults and kids. Motion Evolution encourages parents to work out while keeping an eye on their kids.

Programs such as Kids Night Out save money and headaches by offering a fun, stress-free alternative to fi nding a babysitter or taking the entire family out. “We’ve tried to make it easy for our customers because we really want to just offer a lot of value,” Storrer said. “We want them to feel like ‘I’m getting a ton of value when I go to Black Diamond.’”

6B | THEPRESS.NET SUMMER FUN MAY 27, 2011

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MAY 27, 2011 SUMMER FUN THEPRESS.NET | 7B

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8B | THEPRESS.NET SUMMER FUN MAY 27, 2011

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There are

so many

varieties

of Lego, it’s

wonderful.

Whatever

kids can

imagine,

they can

create. And

we’re going

to help them

do that.

tional boost. Some of the classes at the center will be planned as units, such as inventions, robotics or movie making. Participants are given background on the project and given an outline for creating the object.

“For example,” said Shirks, “one of our units is about the invention of the windshield wiper. So the kids learn about its history, who invented it and why, and they get to build a set of wipers out of Lego. It’s a fun way to incorporate some educational aspects into the process.”

As they awaited the opportunity to open their storefront facility, Shirks and husband Mike took their Lego show on the road, offer-ing after-school classes at Krey Elementary in Brentwood. Now, as the center is nearly ready to open, the response has already been positive, especially from their harshest critics – their kids.

“Our kids love it,” said Jenny Shirks. “My son didn’t want me to go back to work, but when he found out work was going to be a Lego center, he was all for it. The kids think we’re rock stars.”

The Bricks4Kids is a fairly new franchise begun a few years ago by a stay-at-home mom in Florida looking for a way to entertain her children and their friends. From there, the centers took off, and next month’s opening of the Shirks location will mark the fi rst Bricks4Kids franchise in California.

“We’re very excited,” said Jenny Shirks. “People are already excited about the center, and we hope to keep that energy going. We’re ready to have some fun.”

Bricks4Kids is located at 3150 Balfour Road in the Safeway shopping center. For additional information and store hours, call 925-684-4082.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

Lego from page 3B

– and the future. The fee is $83.80 for Brentwood residents, $92.20 for non-resi-dents, plus $20 for materials.

Art Around the World Camp for ages 6 through 12 is set for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, July 19-21 from

9 a.m. to noon. Kids will create beautiful, vibrant arts and crafts inspired by cultural traditions from around the world. Camp includes drawing, painting, mask-making, puppets and more. The fee is $83.80 for Brentwood residents, $92.20 for non-resi-dents, plus $20 for materials.

Art from page 5B

– Bricks4Kids co-owner Jenny Shirks

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10B | THEPRESS.NET MAY 27, 2011

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