Spring break could be a boon for local economy
By JOHN GOODALL / Tribune Chronicle
POSTED: March 23, 2008
Fact Box
Spring break eventsHere is a sampling of various activities, programs and museums open this week during spring break:
MONDAY
-- Alliance Community Outreach Program Center, 2051 Niles Road S.E., Warren, will hold a Community Easter Egg Hunt at 1 p.m. for children younger than 12.
-- Girard Free Library, 105 E. Prospect St., family storytime at 6:30 p.m.
-- Monday to Wednesday, The YMCA of Warren, 210 High St., will hold ‘‘No School Fun Days’’ from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. with basketball, swimming, crafts and other activities for children as part of the after school program.
TUESDAY
-- Spring Break Teen Anime Club Marathon from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library, 444 Mahoning Ave. N.W., Warren for teens ages 13 and older.
TUESDAY AND THURSDAY
-- YWCA of Warren Recreation Center, 375 N. Park Ave., 3 to 6 p.m. with various activities.
WEDNESDAY
-- Youngstown Playhouse, 600 Playhouse Lane, Youngstown, Youth Theater will present ‘‘A Year with Frog and Toad’’ at 5 p.m.
SATURDAY
-- The Jewish Community Center, Liberty, will hold a Game Night and Ice Skating Party from 7 to 11 p.m. for children in sixth to eighth grades. Activities will take place at the pool and gymnasium. Cost is $10 members and $20 nonmembers, with registration needed by calling 330-746-3251.
ALL WEEK
-- Mill Creek MetroParks in Youngstown will hold the Nature Photography Exhibit through next Sunday in the Weller Gallery at the Davis Center. Youth and adult nature photos are showcased.
-- Ward Beecher Planetarium at Youngstown State University is showing ‘‘Just Imagine’’ at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday, ‘‘In My Backyard’’ at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesday, and ‘‘The Case of the Disappearing Planet’’ at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Thursday. Programs are free.
-- Children’s Museum of the Valley, 139 East Boardman St., Youngstown, will have activities during the week from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. Admission is $5 adults, $3 for children ages 3 to 18, and free for 2 and younger.
-- National Packard Museum, 1899 Mahoning Ave. N.W., Warren, annual Motorcycle Show ‘‘Masters of Speed and Sport’’ from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $5 adults and $3 for children ages 7 to 12.
-- Art Outreach Gallery, Eastwood Mall, Niles, Trumbull County Educational Service Center annual student art show and auction and student artwork from Girard and McDonald 5 to 9 p.m. Friday and 1 to 9 p.m. Saturday.
-- Butler Institute of American Art Howland Branch, 9350 East Market St., Howland, open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday.
-- Trumbull Art Gallery, 196 East Market St., Warren, open noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.
But Walter Good, interim executive director of economic development for the chamber, has little doubt that it’s significant.
‘‘My belief is that, based on the levels of disposable income that the ‘Hannah Montana’ generation has through their parents, that they are spending a lot of money when they are not in school,’’ Good said.
He referred to ‘‘tweens,’’ a marketing term for children roughly 8 through 12 years of age who are evolving into consumers.
‘‘Tweens’’ tend to be found in large numbers at places like the mall, fast food restaurants, movie theaters, book stores, coffee shops and specialty clothing outlets when they are not in classes, Good said.
Ken Kollar, general manager of the Eastwood Mall, confirmed that the period around spring break and Easter is important to retailers and entertainment businesses.
‘‘Yes, we absolutely see an upward trend,’’ the manager said of young people who come to the mall during the break. ‘‘In a positive way. We’re actually looking forward to it.’’
He noted that many of the youths shop, eat and enjoy themselves in the company of their parents, who also spend money.
The mall always gets an increase of temporary vendors who set up in the concourses to sell to the influx of youngsters and adults during the break, Kollar noted.
Other enterprises notice the arrival of youths who might be seeking to combat the boredom of suddenly having extra time on their hands.
‘‘Our business picks up a little, but we don’t have any special programs,’’ said Robert Blose, desk clerk at Echo Lanes in Warren.
Champion Rollarena does. It has weekday skates for very young children on Thursday from 11 to 2 p.m. and on Friday for older youths from 11 to 4 p.m., in addition to its usual night program Friday.
What makes setting up special programs difficult is that schools vary in the weeks that they choose their spring breaks, Champion Rollarena owner Keith Brainard said. The business tries to deal with that by distributing coupons to students in the districts that will be off on a particular week, he said.
jgoodall@tribune-chronicle.com
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thomas123
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03-23-08 3:51 PM
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it's so sad that this is what the economy of trumbull county depends upon...........kids.
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