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Recreation Advisory Board A very common greeting today is "What's new?" or "What's happening?" When it comes to the Saco Parks and Recreation Department, the answer is clearly, "Lots!" Last year, the City Council created the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, which was designed to provide the department with feedback to improve help improve the program offerings and to offer feedback on new programs. There is so much to report on: Over this past year, the city acquired the Saco Armory and moved all operations from the Common Street facility to the Community Center located on Franklin Street. This expanded facility allows for a variety of program offerings that could not be easily accommodated previously. Several times this past year, there have been multiple events - basketball, dance & jazzercise, meetings, etc. taking place all at once and attracting well over one hundred people at a time, which could not have taken place at the old facility. Not only does this new facility offer more space, it is now home to various groups that emphasize our community and/or the fitness of our community, including the Eastern Trails Alliance and the Maine Games. As we look at new programs or enhancing the existing programs, you will see a great deal of development. Our summer camps have been all redesigned with new and fun activities for children age 3 right up through youth age 16. There are clinics and activities for swimming, tennis, and gymnastics to name a few. And in the fall, there are numerous after-school programs that will offer sports and other activities. There are activities for adults and seniors, so all members of community can be enriched and engaged. Increasing the quality and number of program offerings has been a focus of the department and our board. In addition, after 32 years of service to the City of Saco, Sue Spath retired. After championing the need for new programs, expanding the existing offerings and either acquiring new facilities and fields or enhancing facilities that were already in place, the baton was handed over to Joe Hirsch who has been confirmed as the Parks and Recreation Director, effective July 1st. Joe and his team are committed to expanding the presence of this very important department in our community. The City Council has been a big supporter of the activities, working to make sure that there was sufficient financial support to fund activities and be sure that there were adequate facilities. In other developments, improvements to the Saco Landfill on Foss Road are nearly complete and should increase field space considerably. The transition of this facility from a landfill to a recreation area is a great accomplishment that our city should be very proud. In addition, a fishing derby was held in conjunction with the Rocky Coast Bassmasters at the city pond at that location and served to give children in our community access to instructions and guidance for a life-long activity. The Parks and Recreation Department recently acquired a van to transport participants to all sorts of activities, enabling a wide amount of participation for all age groups. In addition, the department is currently installing a software program called Rec-Trac that will enable better data collection on programs and the participants to make sure that programs are matched to the demand and that tax dollars are being efficiently utilized. While this is a very short list, I would encourage all of you to visit our facilities, take a walk in one of our many parks, catch a baseball game, sink a line, paint, but most of all, enjoy any of the active or passive recreational aspects our community offers. In closing, I would like to thank the members of the Saco Recreation Advisory Board for their dedication and support of the department's activities: Lisa Huntress, Cathy Baillargeon, Jim Galasyn, Dan Leach, Tom Small and Lew McAuliffe. We will be expanding our board shortly to include more energy and different perspectives, so we're always looking for new ideas. Please feel free to call the Parks and Recreation Department with your ideas and support. Bill Zafirson Chair, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. |
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