Hundreds of youngster will be enjoying their summer break with the City of Biloxi in a trio of summer camps offered by the city.
Nearly 500 children ranging in age from 5 to 14 turned out Monday for the city’s Summer Playground and Enrichment Program – aka “summer camp.” The two-month summer program takes place in seven Biloxi public schools, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., with extended care to 6 p.m.
While at the sites, campers enjoy arts and crafts, games and snacks, but majority of the fun is expected to be during myriad daily field trips. Trips include such destinations as the Biloxi Natatorium, the city splash pad, Gulf Islands Water Park, Family Fun Center, and Golden Gate Skateland.
Meantime, on Monday morning at the Lopez-Quave Public Safety Center, nearly 70 children gathered for Day 1 of the weeklong Fire Academy for Kids.
Children ages 7 to 12 are participating in a life-safety skills fire academy from 8 a.m. to noon at the Lopez-Quave center and at the nearby West End Host Co. No. 3 Fire Museum.  Firefighters will teach the children first aid, CPR, how to call 911, how to use a fire extinguisher and practice exit fire drills for the home. The children also will see demonstrations by the Biloxi Police Canine Unit, American Medical Response, Department of Marine Resources and Mississippi Department of Transportation. The academy ends on Friday with a fun day of water slides and outside games at Nativity BVM, followed by a graduation ceremony at the Lopez-Quave Public Safety Center at 11 a.m.
Both camps are hugely popular with pre-registration in April and May each year.
Another summertime program beginning this week is the Southeastern Law Enforcement Explorers Academy. The Biloxi Police Explorers, along with other explorer groups from Gautier and Choctaw Nation, Miss.; Santa Rosa, Fla.; Arlington and Beaumont, Texas; and London, England will be participating in a seven-day explorers camp, from June 11 through 18. More than 80 young men and women will learn about life as a law enforcement officer in the police and military worlds. The academy will be hosted at Keesler Air Force Base, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department and at various Biloxi public schools.
The City of Biloxi Police Explorers is a team of young men and women interested in Law Enforcement. Anyone age 14 to 19 with a clean police record, physically and mentally fit, and maintains an overall 2.0 GPA is eligible to become an Explorer.
Summer Playground and Enrichment Program
Fire Academy for Kids
Biloxi Police Explorers
News and notes
Blessing weekend: Photographer August Taconi has the 87th annual Biloxi Blessing of the Fleet and Shrimp Festival covered by land and by sea. To take a tour of Augie’s myriad of images from the weekend, click here.
Nighttime meeting: The regularly scheduled first-of-the-month meeting of the Biloxi City Council takes place this evening at 6 p.m. at Biloxi City Hall. To see the agenda and supporting documents, click here.
Traffic update: Reminder to those who might be traveling I-110 on Wednesday or Thursday nights: MDOT will be working on exits at Bayview and Division streets during the evening. See the complete lineup of work planned or underway in and around Biloxi by clicking here.
Weekly review: To see the highlights from last week from the departments of Fire, Police and Community Development, click here.
Tree committee: The inaugural gathering of the city’s new advisory agency, the Biloxi Tree Committee, has been postponed from today to Friday afternoon at 1:30 at the Community Development Department. See the updated story by clicking here.
