Get the most out of your summer, starting this week

The summer goes fast -- just ask any school kid about the first of August. One way to get the most out of it, however, is to take in as many of the community activities as we can.

That should be no problem this week, thanks to the Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival.

Featured story teller Tim Tingle will bring a new Native American perspective, a vital but too often overlooked aspect of life on the Plains.

If you have the time, there may still be room to take in the storytelling workshops at McCook Community College, where Tingle will lead discussions such as "who is, who isn't, and who gets to say," and "what do Indians have to do with America, anyway?"

Workshop participants can expect to discuss Andrew Jackson, "Little Big Man," Buffalo Bill, Blue Creek, Wounded Knee, Kevin Costner, Yosemite, Tonto, plus favorite films, books, and characters of workshop participants.

Call (308) 345-8122 or e-mail CFEMcCook@mpcc.edu to see if you can still get in.

Regular Buffalo Commons participants know that they're in for a treat with regulars, storyteller Craig Larson and poet Don Welch as well.

Fans of Public Radio may recognize featured musicians Anne and Pete Sibley, who won a duet talent contest on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" radio show last fall.

Besides Tingle's workshops starting 9 a.m. Friday at MCC, the Sibleys will present a "Circling Around the Song" workshop at 1 p.m. at the college.

Friday night's events include the Sibleys, Larson, Welch and Tingle at the Fox Theatre at 7:30 p.m., concluding with ghost stories at 10 p.m. and an open mic at 10 p.m. at the Bieroc Cafe.

Saturday kicks off with school stories hosted by Al Cuellar at 9 a.m., Welch and Larson at 10 a.m. and the Sibleys at 11 a.m., all at the High Plains Museum.

Tim Tingle will discuss "Heart, Soul and Spirit" at 10 a.m. at Memorial United Methodist Church.

At 12:30 p.m. at the Bieroc Cafe, Walt Sehnert and Mary Ellen Goodenberger will host hometown stories with an open mic.

Activities will move to Norris Park at 1:30 p.m., with a Kids Fest, storytelling by Tim Tingle at 2:30 p.m., and "No Place like Music in the Bandshell" at 3 p.m.

And that's just one activity for McCook. Other activities this week include Palisade Pioneer Days Thursday through Sunday, the stock car races at McCook Speedway on Friday night, the Herndon Ox Roast on Saturday, and many other events.

That's only this week.

The Fourth of July weekend will see the town inundated with McCook High School alumni for the all-school reunion, followed by the county fair and Heritage Days, not to mention the Hot Summer Night concerts and a myriad of other community activities throughout the Golden Plains.

It's definitely going to be a busy summer, so let's all hang on and enjoy the ride.