Town of Pittsford, Vermont

PITTSFORD RECREATION DEPARTMENT
Recreation Director’s Report 
December 13, 2004

            Happy Holidays to everyone who supported the Pittsford Recreation Department this past year. I would like to personally thank the many organizations, individuals, and parents, who helped anyone of the many Recreation Department programs operate smoothly. Without the help of volunteers many of the programs would not be as successful as they are today. Finally I want to thank the members of the Recreation Committee who have given so much their time and expertise to make the Recreation Department stronger for the benefit of the entire Town. Many of the improvements that have been made at Recreation Area are directly related to Recreation Committee and the behind the scenes work they do. It has been my privilege to be able to work along side this group of individuals, which brings me to my next point; I do not know why it has been so difficult for us to fill two separate Recreation Committee vacancies that have been open for almost a year now. The time commitment isn’t all that much, regular meetings are scheduled for the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm @ the Municipal Offices, and the people they’d be working with are top notch.

            December marks the beginning of another basketball season for Lothrop and the Recreation Department. Due to the pending birth of my second child I was unable to make it to Lothrop while Parent-Teacher Conferences were being held to register children for basketball like I normally like to do. Instead families had to get their completed forms to me, which is the same way soccer registrations are done, so it wasn’t that big of an inconvenience for families to endure. Like last year there will be only one 5/6 grade boys team combined, usually the 5^th and 6^th grade teams are separated but due to the low number of boys who registered they will have to play this season as a combined team. Looking ahead to next year numbers might increase enough to have two teams, but a lot can happen between now then and we’ll have to wait and see. Registration for Pittsford Youth Basketball doesn’t end until Friday, December 17, but so far numbers are pretty close to what I expected and there is always a final rush during the last week of registration. The 1^st/2^nd grade program is designed to teach kids some very basic skills and to expose them socially what it is like to be part of a team. The 3^rd/4^th grade program takes skill development a bit further, and a few games are played at this level. Sportsmanship and fair play are key points to our program no matter what level they are at.

            As I stated in my November report we began the Aerobics/Kickboxing program in late October this year rather than waiting until January. After a successful program with some very dedicated individuals participating last winter and talking to the instructor and some of the participants of last year’s program we decided to try offering the program two months earlier. I’m delighted to report that the first session was a big success, with 61 participants taking part. Like last year there are a core number of people who really get a lot out of this program and look forward to it each and every week. In December when everyone is so busy with everything happening it will be interesting to see how consistent the program numbers stay. I suspect that the numbers will fall some during the holiday season and then rise again in January.

            On Sunday, December 5, the Recreation Department held its Annual 7^th “Caroling on the Green” event on the Village Green. It was a clear and beautiful evening for gathering around a fire to sing carols with family and friends. This was the second consecutive year that the Recreation Department held our event in conjunction with the Pittsford Lions Club and the lighting of their Memory Tree. Approximately 20 people, adults, children, and even Santa were present for a little holiday cheer. After the “lighting of tree” and singing carols everyone gathered for dessert and hot chocolate in Fellowship Hall. Thank you to Joe and Laurie Kamuda for donating the hot chocolate and cookies and to Sylvia Eugair, a member of the Pittsford Lions Club for decorating Fellowship Hall and having everything ready when it was time for dessert.

            On Friday, December 10, the Brandon and Pittsford Recreation Departments co-sponsored a Teen Night that was held at the VT Police Academy. The theme of the event was Pizza/Movie/Open Gym Night. Teens that live in the Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union were welcome to eat pizza, watch a movie, and/or hang out with friends. It would have been a great event and a lot more teens would have came if it hadn’t been for a storm that dropped freezing rain throughout the area. All and all 15 teens enjoyed the pizza and movie. (Note: We are looking for new or different themes for our Teen Nights. The non-dance events typically don’t attract the same numbers, but I’m still looking for new ideas that will increase interest. Please take a moment to think about it, if you have teens in your home ask them about it too and let me know what you get for suggestions.)

            The Winter 2005 Recreation Department Winter/Spring Brochure is close to being finish. I plan to have it ready to go home with the children at Lothrop before they head off for the Holiday Recess. The brochure is full of activities and programs for people to choose from. There are family programs, youth sports, teen night, and computer classes. People should be pleased with choices we offer.

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