Town of Pittsford, Vermont

Recreation Director’s Report 

January 9, 2006

            On Friday, January 6, 2006 the Maclure Library and the Recreation Department cosponsored our first “Family Fun Night of 2006 at the VT Police Academy. The theme for the evening was “Medieval Magic”. Approximately 110 people were in attendance. Children made crowns, magic wands, and fancy party masks out of construction paper and decorated them with beads, glitter glue and jewels. The Recreation Department provided gross motor skill games and activities to take part in. We tried something totally new for the main attraction and I’m happy to report that it went over fantastically. In September I asked Michele Cioffredi, Otter Valley Physical Education Teacher and Recreation Committee member, if she’d be interested in putting together some type of program that would entertain the children for 45 minutes or so. After a couple of conversations she agreed to help us out. She along with her husband Jeff Lawrence and their son Duncan provided a wonder program that kept our young audience engaged for longer than 45 minutes they agreed to. They started their program with the “Chicken Dance”, which captured the children’s attention right away because most recognized the music and many knew at least a few of the dance moves. It was interesting to observe the kids react so strongly it was like watching insects dance around. Next Michele pulled out a scooter, a 12” square plastic seat with handles that rides on 2½” casters, which got the kids even more excited. The children enjoyed playing “team building games” with the scooters. To keep everyone safe and focused the children had to listen to and follow directions in order to be able to have a turn on the scooter. I was really impressed with way the kids cooperated and worked with one another with no fooling around (remember the target age group for the Family Fun Nights is 2^nd grade & younger). I’d like to thank Michele, Jeff, and Duncan again for their time and energy, and let them know how much Bonnie Stewart, Maclure Librarian and I appreciated their help. Children were able to burn some of their built up energy by playing and running around, while parents took a few moments to visit with one another.

            On Saturday, January 7, 2006 the Recreation Department’s Youth Basketball program for grades 1^st-4^th grade started another fun filled season. As expected we had a large number of 1^st and 2^nd graders register to play basketball this winter, so many in fact that we had to split the group into two in order to accommodate everyone. Typically the 1^st and 2^nd graders have practiced as one unit, but this year, due to the large number of participants the 1^st graders practice as a group as do the second graders. Each group has their coaches, gym times, and expectations. There are 21 boys and girls participating on the 1^st grade team. They are being coached by Lester Wall and Tim Gallipo. There are 17 kids on the 2^nd grade team who are being coached by Dennis Riesterer and helping him is his daughter Katie who is a sophomore and plays on Otter Valley’s Girls JV squad. The 3^rd /4^th grade girls team has 14 players and they’re being coached again by Recreation Committee member Mark Poljacik. Mr. Poljacik has his plate full as he is also coaching Lothrop’s 5^th grade girls’ team and their 6^th grade girls’ team. It won’t be too difficult to find Mark for next 6-8 weeks; he’ll be at the Lothrop gym. Melissa Parker-Tripp rounds out the Recreation Department’s coaching staff this winter. She has moved up a level this year and is coaching the 3^rd/4^th boys’ team that has 12 players this season. Over all the Youth Basketball program has twelve more participants than the 2005 with the 1^st grade group seeing the biggest increase.

            At the December 21, 2005 Select Board meeting the Board instructed Michael Balch to have me the Recreation Director, investigate the different options for a skating rink. The winter of 2003 was the last time the Recreation Department maintained a skating rink. This rink was located behind the Municipal Office on an unforgiving area of land that is not either level or flat, but the location was out of the Recreation Department’s or my control. I spent weeks, working day & night, just to get a level sheet of ice that I could really work with. Once I established a workable base I was able to create a smooth surface that was skated on. It was sometime after the winter of 2003 that the Select Board told me not to continue with a skating rink any longer because they felt it wasn’t getting used enough to justify the amount of time I was working on it. Since then I have talked with people from other towns who provide skating, which I’ll base my report to the Select Board on, plus I’ll discuss the matter with the Recreation Committee to get their prospective on the subject. Over the last three years I’ve had approximately 10-15 residents inquire about the lack of a skating rink.           

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