Last days of vacation

lkay@freedomenc.com

While area children were out enjoying their final weekend of freedom before the school years begins, many have already accepted the inevitable.

Onslow County School students return to class for the 2008-09 school year Tuesday. Carteret students return today.

Travis Giampa, 14, a rising freshman at Swansboro High School, spent his Sunday afternoon riding quarter pipes at Jacksonville Skate Park.

He said he has skateboarded every day in his neighborhood, but he knows with the new school year on the horizon his summer of all-day skating is quickly coming to an end.

Once school starts, he said, he "will have to, you know, wake up and go to school every day."

Several families hit the Recreation Station on Western Boulevard to spend time together on the last Sunday before the start of the new school year.

Richlands resident Kim Wilson said that's why she brought her three children to the arcade and Laser Tag arena.

"I wanted us to have one final fun day before they went back to school," she said.

Her two daughters, 14 and 16, will be attending Richlands High School while her 9-year-old son will go to Trexler Middle School. He summed up his feelings about going back to school in one word: "excited."

Recreation Station manager Chris Ulmer said his business will change to school-time hours after Labor Day, which means it will be closed each Monday and Tuesday until next summer.

While some families were after a final summer party, others had already shifted into school mode.

Shiara Jackson, a Marine wife who moved to Jacksonville from Kansas City, Mo., in June said her daughter, Kira, 10, is looking forward to school.

"She hasn't made any friends yet, so I think she is looking at it as a social event," Jackson said. The family lives in the Piney Green area and Kira will be attending fifth grade at Hunters Creek Elementary School.

Kira said she is eager to begin school and meet new friends.

The two said they spent the day shopping for back-to-school supplies at stores up and down Western Boulevard.

"Staples has folders and erasers for free," Kira said. Staples is giving away the first 10 folders, the first two packs of erasers and the first two pencil sharpeners to customers until Saturday, according to information provided by store employees.

School supplies were also being handed out at the Back 2 School Summer Jam at Jacksonville Commons on Sunday afternoon. But most kids in attendance seemed more interested in the inflated obstacle course, music and free food.

Promoter Derek McCallister said the event was sponsored by several area businesses but not linked to any one certain organization.

"I saw an opportunity to do something positive for the community," McCallister said of why he put the event together.

Kids participated in a dance-a-thon, a kids-against-parents softball game, a freestyle basketball contest and a ride-a-thon hosted by the Get'em Girls Bike Club.

Harlem Globetrotter Dexter "Love Boat" Williams signed autographs and fielded questions from kids about basketball and being famous.

Across town, Jackson and her daughter finished their day of shopping with a stop at Starbucks on Western Boulevard, sitting outside enjoying a cappuccino and a hot chocolate, respectively.

"Only seven more years until I finish school," Kira said.

Her mother added, "She means until she starts college."

Contact crime reporter Lindell Kay at 910-219-8456. Read Lindell's blog at http://onslowcrime.encblogs.com.