Parks & Recreation

[From my July 2 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

This weekend will surely be full of backyard parties, incredible fireworks displays, visits to the beach and other celebrations of our country’s independence. But one thing that you’ll want to include on your agenda among everything else is the kick-off concert to this year’s “Summer Concerts on the Town Green sponsored by Rockville Bank” this Sunday, July 5th at 5:00pm.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of attending the concerts since Parks & Recreation took them over two years ago, you’re missing out on some fantastic family entertainment. The six shows throughout July and August feature some of the most talented bands in the area, and cover a diverse range of musical tastes. What’s more, each concert is accompanied by food and ice cream concessions on site, making it easy and affordable for families to enjoy a leisurely night out.

While the bands take the stage at 5:30pm, the show is preceded by a different interactive program each week. These pre-concert activities are fun ways to involve the audience in unique events, as well as reward those who arrive early for the best seats. As we have for the past two year, with limited parking in the center of town, we encourage people to turn the concert in a healthy activity by biking or walking to the show, either from home or a closer location.

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[From my June 25 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

The Colchester sports leagues are at it again. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, they go and raise the bar. In the months ahead, a number of leagues that use the various sports fields in town are teaming up with each other, and the town, for yet another round of improvements to the facilities. From working on the grounds to adding and repairing various amenities, the leagues are investing vast amounts of money and time into the fields, particularly at the Recplex.

The youth and adult soccer leagues have come together to develop a plan to revitalize R7, the large rectangular field that sits in the back corner of the complex. Having just recently installed a large net to prevent errant balls from sailing into the adjacent woods, they have now set their sights on tackling the field itself. Having taken a beating from heavy use over the past year, hosting practices and games for soccer, lacrosse and football, as well as use by the general public, the turf has many bare spots and various uneven portions.

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[From my June 18 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

While the Connecticut State Legislature was unfortunately unable to come together on a budget proposal during their regular session ending a couple of weeks ago, they did approve some important pieces of legislation that will have positive impacts on our community. From how we maintain our sports fields to ways to improve our overall health, these public acts will have far reaching effects.

Back on May 20, the Governor put her signature on a bill that extended municipalities’ ability to properly care for athletic fields at elementary and middle schools across the state. Originally scheduled to sunset this June 30, we now have one additional year to implement Integrated Management Plans (IPM). As I’ve written previously, IPM is a combination of procedures and philosophy of turf care that instructs that the most environmentally friendly methods of turf care will be used whenever possible, reserving pesticides only as a last resort.

While organic methods of turf care have made significant progress in recent years, they are still many years away from being effective and affordable. Until that time, pesticides must remain an option within our management tool kit. Just like medication, when pesticides are used as instructed, they are both safe and effective. Over the next year, research will continue, with leadership from the state’s Department of Environmental Protection.

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[From my June 11 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

As every college hopeful knows, a fat envelope is good news. Apparently the same holds true for grant applications. Last week I was pleased to open an envelope from the state containing a letter congratulating Colchester on our successful application, along with the typical ream of paper outlining the guidelines of the grant and its various reporting requirements for use of the approximately $10,000. Out of 31 applications received from throughout the state, Colchester was one of 11 towns awarded the grant.

Back in April, Parks and Recreation, Youth Services and Colchester Police worked together to develop a program that would meet the goals and requirements of a grant being offered by the state’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee. The purpose of the “Police and Youth Program” grant was “to increase or enhance opportunities for youth and police to work together to benefit their community.” They were looking to reach youth between the ages of 12-18 as well as officers “who, for the most part, do not have regular interaction with youth.” Additional requirements included a community service component, activities that would encourage youth participation, and inclusion of youth in the development of the grant application.

With that as a backdrop, we invited a number of potential program participants to a brainstorming meeting, with free pizza as our ace in the hole. Once we filled the kids on what we were hoping to accomplish, the ideas were flying left and right. They were excited about being an integral part of the process. In the end, the program that we crafted that afternoon was, apparently, award winning – the C’Town Crew was born.

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[From my June 4 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

closed, several state parks were saved from the chopping block last week. In an effort to close the state’s budget gap over the next two years, on Thursday Governor Rell had recommended closing a handful of state parks, including some inland swimming areas and boat launches. However, after sleeping on it, Governor Rell rescinded her recommendation and found the savings in another fund from within the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

I applaud her decision to maintain access to these state treasures, especially in these times of tight budgets on the home front. As her press secretary, Christopher Cooper put it, the state parks are "a very good recreational value for families, especially in these tough fiscal times" and added that Rell "wants to make sure the full range of state park facilities are open and available for use."

The Connecticut state park system is truly one of the best kept secrets in the state. That is beginning to change, however, due to some creative work by the Governor and her administration. In recent years, the DEP has taken advantage of the service that most local libraries, including our very own Cragin Memorial Library, offer by letting people check out passes that will get them into any state park for free. While the modest parking fees charged at some of the busier state parks help defray the costs of operating them, they no doubt make it more difficult for some to take advantage of these wonderful public resources.

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[From my May 28 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

On May 12, the Colchester community made its voice heard, with an overwhelming approval of all six items on the ballot that day. Approving not only the budgets for the town and the schools, you went on to approve all four bonding items, including the track reconstruction, by a roughly 2-to-1 margin. With that clear mandate, we now have our marching orders and are eager to get to work fulfilling your wishes.

It seems to me that one of the primary reasons for the passing of all of these items during such a difficult economy came down to communication. Throughout the budget season, the town and schools made a considerable effort to ensure that all of the information about what was being done and why was presented to the community through various outlets: the newspaper, community forums, web site, email, informal coffees and more. Armed with the facts, Colchester citizens must have felt comfortable that the requisite homework had been done and the proposals were legitimate and necessary.

With that as a backdrop, I felt it would be appropriate to continue the flow of communication as we now look to move forward on these projects. In particular, I will do my best to keep you apprised of the process and progress regarding the reconstruction of the track at Bacon Academy. Today I will lay out the general steps and anticipated timeline for bringing the track project to fruition.

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[From my May 21 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

How did I end up in Parks & Recreation? It’s actually an interesting story, yet surprisingly similar to so many others in the field. Very few parks and recreation professionals know early in life that they want to enter the field. In fact, most do not even realize it’s a bona fide career path until well into college or later.

I went to school to become an architect, a goal I had had since elementary school when my favorite pastime was building towers out of anything I could get my hands on. After numerous drafting classes in high school (before computers were running the world), I spent four years learning the ins and outs of Architecture in college. However, by the time graduation rolled around, I had decided that, while I still loved architecture, I no longer wanted to be an architect.

Instead, my passions and summer jobs pointed me in a new direction. Throughout college I had become increasingly involved in ultimate frisbee, eventually serving as the National Director of the Ultimate Players Association. Simultaneously, I spent each summer working at camp (where I met my wife), after having attended numerous camps since childhood.

This combination of amateur sports, event planning and working with kids seemed to naturally coalesce into a career in recreation. So, back to school I went, getting my Master’s Degree in Parks & Recreation Management. After stints working in recreation at UConn, Central CT State, and Rocky Hill, I found myself in Colchester. The story has many more twists and turns along the way, but these are some of the essential elements.

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[From my May 14 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

One of the hottest topics of conversation this time of year, as well as one of the most controversial, revolves around the maintenance of the town’s sports fields. My office, as well as the First Selectman’s, routinely gets bombarded with a flurry of phone calls and emails expressing concern for the state of the fields, particularly when it comes to closures. Despite what you might think, I actually appreciate the many inquiries I receive, as it gives me an opportunity to explain the situation.

Field maintenance in Colchester is very much a partnership. Without the immense level of support, cooperation and volunteer contributions provided by the many leagues in town, the fields would be devastated.

In fact, in the last year or so, these partnerships have progressed dramatically, including better defined roles and responsibilities, as well as opportunities for education. The leagues understand the tight predicament in which the town finds itself, limited both by funds and manpower, as well as what our crew is able to perform and why.

While most towns’ crews double or even triple in size during the warmer, busier months, we are lucky to afford one or two seasonal workers. This spring, due to the budget freeze to make up for revenue shortfalls within the town, we have not been able to hire any seasonal help.

As for field closures, they do not get closed due to lack of maintenance. Rather, it is due to the proactive decision making of both the town and the leagues. We are jointly choosing to sacrifice one day of play to ensure the safety of our participants and the long term playability of our fields. A good share of the field closings to date have actually come from Colchester’s leagues themselves.

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[From my May 7 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

As most taxpayers in Colchester are probably aware by now, the Town has had a spending freeze in place for the last couple of months. The goal of this freeze has been to preserve as much money as possible in order to offset the shortfall in revenue that the town is experiencing. While less revenue does not directly affect this year’s budget, it does leave less in the town coffers to be used to decrease the burden on taxpayers in next year’s budget. To make up for that shortage, the town is forgoing expenditures wherever feasible, with the hopes of turning back some funds to the town coffers in its place.

As with all aspects of town government, Parks & Recreation has not been immune to the effects of the budget freeze. Many annual functions and services that our department performs have been curtailed this season, some immediately noticeable, others with longer term impacts. While anything impacting health or safety is always purchased, other needs that may be less pressing have been put on hold.

One of the first items to be cut this year was the purchase of landscaping mulch. While many may think that the application of mulch is purely aesthetic, it actually has many benefits and ultimately cost savings. The main purposes of mulch are to suppress weeds, retain moisture and protect vegetation. Though it can take significant time to install mulch correctly, including the initial weeding, it is far less time than attempting to continually control and remove the weeds throughout the entire growing season.

The truckloads of mulch that have traditionally been spread by volunteers at the annual “Spring Clean-Up” each year saved the town forces valuable time that they were able to allocate to other functions. This year, the meager stockpile that we had on hand was distributed to just a few priority sites, leaving facilities such as Town Hall to hope that last year’s application would make it through another season.

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[This article is from a special joint column, co-written by Karen Loiselle, Superintendent of Schools, and Jay Cohen, Parks & Recreation Director, in the Apr. 30 Colchester Bulletin]

The Boards of Education, Finance and Selectmen struggled with the decision about whether or not to ask voters to replace the Bacon Academy track during these challenging financial times. They ultimately decided to place this question on the May 12th referendum ballot because they feel that the community should make this important decision.

As part of the construction project to build the current Bacon Academy facility, the residents of Colchester decided that it was important to invest in the health and wellness of its youth and the overall community by including a number of athletic facilities on the campus. By providing safe and appropriate facilities, Colchester residents then had additional places and spaces to pursue active and healthy lifestyles.

One of the facilities included in the project was a six-lane, 400-meter running track. Far from being a facility to be used exclusively by a varsity track team, the track was intended to be a resource for the entire Colchester population. In the fifteen years since its opening, this vision has been realized in ways that perhaps were not even anticipated at the time.

While the Bacon Academy Track and Field Team calls the track their home, the facility also plays hosts to nearly one thousand other users each year. Fulfilling the promise of a community facility, town residents regularly make use of the track as a safe and convenient location to walk, jog or run.

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[From my Apr. 23 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

Earlier this month the Parks & Recreation Commission officially welcomed two new members to the team: Melissa Kennedy and Albert Spranzo.

The Town was in the difficult yet positive position of having to select from multiple applicants to fill the two openings. All of the applicants were qualified, demonstrating not only some knowledge or experience in the field, but more importantly, their interest and passion for helping to guide the continual improvement of Parks & Recreation in Colchester.

While the interview and selection process was grueling, with candidates appearing before both the Commission and the Board of Selectmen over the course of two months, it did yield some excellent results. Ultimately, the Board appointed Melissa as a full member and Al as an alternate, completing the commission’s roster of ten.

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This wonderful article appears in the April 2009 issue of "Parks & Recreation", the official publication of the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA).

While 4-year-old Clare O’Herron’s ideal day would consist of ballet class and
then a trip to the playground, where she would pretend to be Marie from “The Nutcracker,”
her 3-year-old sister Mickie prefers to explore the park and go “really high” on the swings and “really fast” on the slides. Though both girls take advantage of the playground in different ways, they also enjoy their free playtime.

“Kids need to learn to entertain them selves and know how to be bored sometimes,” says their mother Jennifer O’Herron, who believes her children learn more from free play on their own rather than structured play.

Her sentiment may be a dying one,
however. More and more studies show that children aren’t receiving enough
free playtime. The American Academy of Pediatrics addressed the issue in a 2007 report titled “The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds.” The report touts the necessity of free play, blaming its
recent decline on a “hurried lifestyle, changes in family structure, and
increased attention to academics and enrichment ac tivities at the expense of
recess or free child-centered play.”

Read the complete article at:
http://nrpablog.typepad.com/prnow/april09/play%20pedicament_rachel%20roberts.pdf

[From my Apr. 16 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

One of the jewels of Colchester is its historic Town Green. It is beloved by many, and fiercely protected, for multiple reasons. The green showcases the best of Colchester, from its rich history to its community pride.

While the Town Green is managed and maintained by the Parks & Recreation Department, the east half of the green, containing the softball field, is actually owned by the Bacon Academy Board of Trustees. The entire green falls within the Historic District, which is governed by the town’s Historic District Commission. And the Colchester Historical Society takes a keen interest in preserving the green’s historical accuracy as much as possible

Some of the key guidelines in retaining the green’s historical accuracy include the planting only of trees native to the area, refraining from the use of mulch around trees, and maintaining the traditional style of the gazebo.

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[From my Apr. 9 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

Just like robins returning with spring, sports leagues have taken to the fields this week. It is always a wonderful sign of the season, with the constant activity at the parks, fields and playgrounds throughout town. The laughter of kids enjoying the outdoors, the crack of the bat as it sends a ball skyward, the rattle of skateboards on the ramps – together they create a symphony that reminds us of the joys of life.

Sometimes, however, it is not the presence of a particular activity at the park, but rather its absence that can make the experience that much better. This spring I look forward to breathing deeply at the Recreation Complex without worry that I will be inhaling cigarette smoke, due to the Town policy that was implemented late last fall.

The Board of Selectmen, on the recommendation of the Parks and Recreation Commission, took the bold step of formalizing the de facto policy that had been assumed for years: smoking is now officially prohibited at the Recreation Complex, including all grounds and associated parking areas. Accordingly, no ashtrays or cigarette receptacles will be found on the premises.

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This "Healthy Sports" message is a direct result of the Parks and Recreation Department working with partners to bring you up-to-date information about healthy living. The following article is courtesy of Dr. Alessi of Backus Hospital from his blog.

The principal goal of anyone involved in sports medicine is to assure the safety of an athletic event for all the participants. Safety measures in sports like baseball and softball can have dramatic impact.

Recent conversations with Mike Turgeon, who has been teaching baseball skills in Norwich for 20 years, and the athletic training staff of the New York Yankees in Tampa have raised several safety issues worth noting:

• Field conditions. Many baseball injuries are the result of a “bad hop” off a stone in the infield or stepping into an unexpected sink hole in the outfield. Municipalities must maintain athletic fields if they wish to continue youth sports programs.

• Basic skills. Before allowing youngsters to play infield positions coaches must be sure that they possess the skill to handle a hard hit ball.

• Bats. The longstanding controversy over the safety of metal bats continues. The best way to avoid injury from a hard-hit ball coming off a metal bat is by using protective equipment like mouth guards, helmets, masks and devices that protect the genitalia.

• Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs). “Commotio cordis” occurs when the heart begins to beat erratically or ceases to beat entirely after being suddenly struck by an object. An appropriate chest protector such as those worn by hockey players can avoid this injury. When this life-threatening situation presents itself an AED can be used to immediately shock the heart back to normal rhythm. This year the New York Yankees are leaving nothing to chance and have purchased eight AEDs so that when on the road each minor league team has an AED available at all times. This action should serve as an example for communities to make AEDs available at all athletic events not only for athletes but fans as well.

Baseball can only become safer if parents and communities take an active role.

To read the complete article, or hear the podcast, visit: http://dralessi.blogspot.com/2009/03/as-baseball-season-begins-think-safety.html

[From my Apr. 2 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

Last Sunday, during the first good rainstorm of the season, I was sitting with some fellow parents while we waited for our kids at Sunday School. We were having a typical conversation among parents: lamenting our kids’ interest in video games and the like.

Of course, I got on my soapbox a bit about the importance of getting kids outdoors and enjoying nature. Some of them replied that they had done that on Saturday, when it was beautiful weather, but the day’s rain was driving them indoors. Looking to challenge them a little, I reminded them of the fun we had jumping in puddles when we were growing up – how could we deprive our kids of those same opportunities?

That’s when it happened. One of my friends called me out and said, “I don’t see you jumping in any puddles!” There was no question that I had walked right into that one. But I had a decision to make: concede that I was all talk, or put my money where my mouth was.

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[From my Mar. 26 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

In previous columns I’ve touted the importance and effectiveness of getting involved in legislative issues at the State Capitol. The topics that are addressed there can and do affect our daily lives. Of course the same is true at the national level, where the impact and issues are magnified.

In my role as Chair of the Legislative Committee for the Connecticut Recreation and Parks Association, last week I had the opportunity (paid for by the association) to join approximately 400 of my colleagues from across the country in Washington, DC for the National Recreation and Park Association’s annual Legislative Forum. The highlight of the gathering is our “day on the hill,” where parks and recreation professionals and interested citizens from each state meet with their elected Senators and Representatives and their staff to raise awareness about, and advocate for, issues of importance to our communities.

While specific legislation can vary from year to year, we continually focus on the core issues: facilities and programs that will improve the healthy opportunities and overall quality of life for our communities. As you can imagine, ours is a cause that is easy for legislators to support. The legislators are well aware of the immense benefits of parks and recreation: fighting obesity, economic development, job creation, conservation of the environment, and much more. The question is to what extent they will stand behind their support.

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[From my Mar. 19 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

Coaching your own kids can be a tricky undertaking, but in the end it can be extremely rewarding. Whether balancing their treatment among a team of their peers or working with them on an individual sport, the close relationship between parent and child can bring along its own benefits and challenges.

For children trying out a new sport, having mom or dad right there with them can ease anxiety about the unknown. And, of course, for busy parents looking for another opportunity to spend some time with their son or daughter, committing yourself to a season of practices and competitions can help keep carve out that time on the calendar.

Often the biggest barrier to parents considering coaching is a perceived lack of expertise in the area. They feel that they’re just not good enough: they’ve never played or coached the sport at any high level or received any advanced training. At the younger levels, however, this type of experience or knowledge is secondary to the right attitude.

All the research shows, time and again, that kids participate in youth sports for the fun and social aspects. They would much rather get lots of playing time on a losing team than ride the bench on a winning team. And after the game, they’d rather talk about what’s for dinner rather than rehash what happened on the field, in the pool, on the track, etc. While there are exceptions to every rule, this adage holds true for the vast majority.

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[From my Mar. 12 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

Colchester Parks & Recreation is lucky in that we frequently get great feedback from the community about the wonderful work that our staff does. It is always nice to know that our efforts have a positive impact on people’s lives, whether physically, emotionally or spiritually – in fact, that is what drives us on a daily basis.

However, it is rare that these anecdotal comments are backed up by actual data. Yet, that is where we find ourselves as we review the results of the recent survey regarding the budget compiled by the town and schools. Over 600 people completed the survey, either in person or online, and shared their feelings regarding town/school services and priorities.

If you have not yet had a chance to see the results, I encourage you to do so. They are posted on the town web site with a link on the home page. The survey addressed a wide variety of topics ranging from town services to school programs to possible referendum items. It also took the pulse of the community with regards to how secure people felt with their own family finances, and what they thought they might be able to afford in the next annual town/school budgets.

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[From my Mar. 5 column in the Colchester Bulletin]

As they say, every picture tells a story. And really good pictures, ones that give you glimpses of the past and suggestions of what is to come, are practically novels. By that accounting, we have a virtual library on our web site. With over 9,000 images in our online photo gallery, you could surf for days on end. And if you’ve participated in some of our programs or events over the years, there’s a chance you might even be in there.

Some of the oldest photos date back to 2006, and have been viewed thousands of times. The album featuring photos from the 2nd Annual 57 Fest, held in September of that year, has racked up well over 5,000 visits. Flipping through the photos now brings back many of the fond memories from that fantastic event, such as the spectacular fireworks display. They also give me a glimpse of some of the great things I missed: Don Levine, CES Physical Education teacher, having a volunteer decorate his shaved head with face paint; karate students demonstrating their skills; and kids trying on firemen’s uniforms.

The photos also document our history. In 2006, Andrew Minikowski worked with the Parks & Recreation Department on a project to earn his Eagle Scout rank. The information kiosks that Andrew and his helpers built and refurbished along the nature trail are important pieces of environmental interpretation to assist visitors in learning about the local environment. Countless hikers and school field trips have benefited from their hard work. The photos serve as a record of the results of their contributions.

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