By: James Pruitt
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
The Montpelier Park Board had a full agenda at its meeting April 6 as preparations are gearing up for the spring and summer schedule.
Highlights include:
•Girls Softball Commissioner Nikki Uribes told the board she had emailed softball schedules to Recreation Director Sandy Gordon that afternoon. Sandy Gordon will be forwarding them to the board.
Uribes also noted there were a couple sponsorship changes this year. Banners are still being sold for the outfield fences as a fundraiser. She also stated the league rules were to be finalized by April 10, and she would email them once complete.
League officials will be stressing to coaches and parents that no one should be in the dugouts except coaches and players.
•Pony League Commissioner Scott Gordon said one of the two teams had played at Montpelier April 5 and the opposing team complimented the field. He brought copies of the league rules and schedules for the board.
The summer season should wrap up by July 4, he said.
Raffle tickets are still being sold for a Detroit Tigers game as a fundraiser.
The jerseys were a little cheaper this year but the players and coaches seem happy with the quality.
Discussed minimum playing temperature and agreed that below 40 degrees it would depend on the conditions. A recent game saw the mercury at 40 degrees with sun and no wind. Conditions were chilly but tolerable.
Scott Gordon said he was hoping for warmer weather.
•Park Director Don Brown said the swimming pool pumps were being turned on monthly to keep them from freezing up. He will start draining the pool when it is consistently 40 degrees outside.
Dennis Keesbury has started working as spring help. He has been picking up trash and limbs around the park and doing some leaf mulching with the mower.
The ball diamonds have been rolled and aerated. The base paths on the Major League field were widened to accommodate the new power field grooming equipment.
Brown noted steel cleats are already starting to tear up the new portable pitcher’s mound on the Pony League field. May have ask pitchers not to wear steel cleats when on the mound.
Valves in the toilets/urinals at the concession stand have been reinstalled in anticipation of the water being turned on.
There should be enough lifeguards this year to be able to open back up on Sunday. There will be a pool manager again this year. Brown wants the manager to help run chemical tests and have the lifeguards check the chlorinator in the evenings this year.
•The Park Board voted to release funds to help the ball leagues pay for certified umpires ($1,500 to Montpelier Youth League Baseball, $1,500 to Montpelier Girls Softball, and $1,000 to Montpelier Pony League).
•Sandy Gordon noted that Youth League Baseball had already submitted their rules and contact information, and they were emailed to the Board. She had a hard copy available to enter into the minutes. Youth League Baseball is working on their schedules. She would email them to the Board once she receives them.
•Sandy Gordon presented her monthly recreation report.
She has:
– revamped the Parks & Recreation webpage.
-Worked on the Program Guide which went to the printer April 4.
-Set up the outdoor movies for June 10 and Aug. 12.
-Held a pie baking contest with the Montpelier Public Library March 12.
-Held a gardening program March 15.
-Painted and installed a planter in the Kids Garden donated by the Williams County Master Gardeners.
-Gathered and submitted insurance information for the ball leagues. The annual insurance policy took effect April 1.
-Has been interviewing concession stand staff and sent out some employee paperwork to the lifeguards and park staff.
-Passed around a schedule of community events to the board that will be in the Program Guide and also a schedule for the Opening Ceremony and Registration Blitz June 10 at Storrer Park.
-A schedule of events will also be available to the general public and on the Parks & Recreation website the first part of May – about the same time the Program Guide will be delivered to kids in grades preschool-sixth at the school. She noted that 20 groups plan to attend June 10 in an effort to sign kids up for summer programs.
•Jennifer Schlosser reported that she and Sandy Gordon had attended a meeting with representatives from Montpelier Rotary, Montpelier Civic League, and Athena Study Club, to discuss fundraising and look over the design of the basketball court project for Storrer Park.
The board reviewed the design in March. These groups are working to secure funds to build a basketball court at Storrer Park and donate it to the community. An estimate of cost is $85,000 and once funds are secured the project will begin. An account for donations for the project has also been set up by the Friends of the Montpelier Parks, Inc.
•Sandy Gordon noted that parts are still coming in for the basketball court lighting project at the Municipal Park. They should be in by the end of April. Don Brown noted that once all the parts are in installation will be weather dependent.
•Next meeting: 7p.m. Wednesday, May 4 at the Recreation Office (932 South Pleasant St.)
James Pruitt may be reached at
publisher@thevillagereporter.com