The following information is provided by the city Parks and Recreation Department via the monthly newsletter:
UPDATE ON SUMMER 2017
Yes, lifeguard staff are still needed. Please apply at Human Resources in City Hall. Fun In the Sun is tentatively scheduled to start on July 10th with registration on July 6th. Please watch for updates as summer approaches.
SAM CAREY OUTDOOR BASKETBALL LEAGUE
The Rock On Foundation is partnering with the city to start the Sam Carey Outdoor Basketball League at the Sheridan Emmett courts this summer. Plans are underway and we are looking for coaches to help lead the teams. Play will be on Saturdays at the courts between the hours of 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. At least four divisions are in the works: Elementary School Girls team and Boys team (Grades 3,4,5 in Fall 2017), and Middle School Girls team and Boys team (Grades 6,7,8 in Fall 2017). We have found a league director and both Parks and Rec and the Rock On Foundation are excited to move this forward! Referees and scorekeepers will be needed for the games to be held July 1—mid-August.
WALK FOR YOUR HEALTH STARTS APRIL 17th
Walk For Your Health is starting this month with several walks scheduled per week at designated parks and city areas. This is one of the longest running city programs and is primarily run by volunteers and overseen by our department. We are excited about our collaboration with AARP! They will be with us for the first walk of each month providing snacks, water and information. The first walk is tentatively set for April 17th in Livingston Park. For more information, contact ebukowski@manchesternh.gov.
COMING SOON TO A SCHOOL NEAR YOU!
Parks, Recreation & Cemeteries are on the move setting up at information fairs, events and at schools. Recently, the staff was at ‘What’s the Scoop’ night at Bakersville School, talking with parents about summer offerings and events that the department sponsors.
YOUTH CENTER SCHEDULE FOR APRIL
The Regis Lemaire Youth Center at 275 Maple Street will be open from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday and closed on Mondays and Thursdays. As always, children ages 9-15 are welcome.
THE DERRYFIELD COUNTRY CLUB
From Jeff Rader, Superintendent: “Over the past 20 years working in the golf maintenance industry, I’ve been asked, what do you do in the winter? To put it simply, we get our equipment and course accessories ready for the upcoming season. Here at DCC , we have 11 mowers which have a total of 32 cutting units between them. Each cutting unit is rebuilt (new bearings and seals in all reels and rollers), primed, painted, reground (sharpened), and set to cutting height. This is a very involved process. All fluids, plugs, filters, & other general maintenance are changed or performed in an effort to get each piece of equipment looking and operating like new, to make it through each season. Along with these mowers, we have numerous utility vehicles, tractors, aerators, rough mowers, as well as various small tools. Golf course accessories such as cups, flagsticks, cart stakes, tee signs, ball washers, trash cans, and directional arrows are either stripped, primed, painted, reconditioned, re-vinyl guarded, sanded, or replaced depending on each application necessary. This is the abbreviated version of what we do in the winter and it always spills over into the spring. Thanks for asking what we do in the winter at the golf course!”
CLEM LEMIRE HOCKEY TOURNAMENT
The Clem Lemire Tournament is held with the help of volunteer coaches and the Manchester Regional Youth Hockey Association as the hockey season winds down at the city’s 2 ice arenas. The championship games were rescheduled for April 2 at the West Side Arena, and the results are in:
Green Acres won the Elementary School division with Weston coming in as runner up;
St. Joseph’s won the Middle School division with McLaughlin coming in as runner up. Congratulations to all of the players who skated their hearts out every time they were on the ice. And thank you to all the parents and coaches who made the tournament possible!
Congratulations to the participants and thank you to all the coaches and parents who helped make this tournament possible. And a huge thank you to Eric Fisher who coordinated the tournament for many, many years in addition to coaching a team. His help has been invaluable!
PATRIOTS ALUMNI AND FOOTBALL FOR YOU
Save the date: Sunday, April 30, 1 p.m. for warmups. The Patriots Alumni will be in town to run a FREE non-contact football clinic starting at 2 p.m. for boys and girls ages 9-14 at Gill Stadium. Local coaches can help alongside the former Patriots players to create an amazing experience for lots of young football enthusiasts. Participants need to sign up online and coaches, please call us to volunteer.
WINTER AT THE CEMETERIES
Wintertime is at only a slightly slower pace than in the summertime for those that work at the cemeteries A fact that many people may not know is that burials are still scheduled in the wintertime, unlike most cemeteries. The process of digging and then filling in the grave is just a little more complex in the winter. This is also the time of year when city workers can catch up on the projects that need to be completed. The Pine Grove Cemetery for example, is undergoing changes in the mausoleum. Several of the crypts have been converted to smaller sizes to accommodate present day demand. Design plans are also being completed for the veteran’s section of the cemetery and those renovations will start soon.
PARKS DOES EMERGENCIES
Occasionally a tree falls in the city right of ways at inopportune times and staff responds whenever called. The city also does repairs to the playgrounds in the winter in between plowing when the weather cooperates. Parks, Recreation & Cemeteries inspect and maintain playground equipment in all parks on an ongoing basis, as well as maintaining the playground equipment at the city schools.
SATURDAY BASKETBALL COMING TO AN END The last day of Saturday Basketball will be April 8. Children from the Manchester Schools ages 7-17 are welcome.
Age Breakdown:
7-8 9:00 – 10:30 AM
11-12 1:00 – 2:30 PM
9-10 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
13- 17 – 2:30 – 4:00 PM
ICE OUT TIME
It’s that time of year again when the ice in the rinks is left to melt and the staff starts the massive cleanup until the concrete floor is clear and dry. Ice out at the JFK is done first and then the equipment moves to the West Side Arena. Messy, wet, cold but really neat to see at least one time in your life!
SEEKING INPUT ABOUT THE RAIL TRAILS
The Rail Trail projects are moving along and the planners are seeking input from the public again. Please attend the meeting on Wednesday, April 5 in the Aldermanic Chambers of City Hall at 6:30 p.m.
NH BRIGADE COMES TO JFK
Friday, April 7 is the home opener for the NH Brigade Arena Football team at the JFK Coliseum. Tickets will be on sale at the door.
