Two Winchendon Community Park Committees Merge in First Step Toward a Town-Wide Parks and Recreation Department
The Winchendon Community Park Infrastructure Committee and the Winchendon Community Park Programming Committee have merged forces and formed a single Winchendon Community Park Committee as of May 9, the Board of Selectmen heard at their meeting on Monday, June 27. Tiffany Newton, Chair of the former Winchendon Community Park Programming Committee and new Chair of the new committee, and Dave Romanowski, Chair of the former Winchendon Community Park Infrastructure Committee, appeared before the Board to explain the details.
Ms. Newton stated that the committees merged "in order to have better communication and be able to work more closely together. It's also the first step into larger initiatives in the hopes of merging with the Recreation Commission to become one Parks and Recreation group." The new Committee will have nine members: Ms. Newton (Chair), Jane LaPointe, Dave Romanowski, Dawn Bilodeau, Dylan Romanowski, Camille Hart, Debra Kane and Debra Bradley, with one vacant seat still to be filled. The Committee will report to the Town Manager, and, Ms. Newton said, "hopefully work on building more partnerships with other town organizations as we move forward in this process."
Taking up the microphone from Ms. Newton, Mr. Romanowski went on, "Before I get into the amphitheatre project, I'd like to recognize Tiffany for all the work she's done. Tiffany was one of the main persons responsible for putting on the food fest, the food truck festival. And so thanks for all your hard work. You're gonna make a good chair of this new combined committee." Continuing with the amphitheatre project, Mr. Romanowski referred to the official ground-breaking ceremony on Monday, June 13. "Unfortunately, it had to occur, because of the availability of Robinson Broadhurst, had to occur on a weekday. So there was not a whole lot of folks that were there but we do appreciate the folks that did come, and we most certainly appreciate Robinson Broadhurst for showing up, and for recognizing this as a project that they're going to support long term as far as the actual work goes."
Mr. Romanowski acknowledged the hard work being done on site by the construction crews and foreman. "Everyone that's on site working is going the extra mile to make sure that this project is a success. And that includes...our DPW director Brian [Croteau]...we've got a gem in Brian. I want to thank him specifically."
As has been explained in the past, the amphitheatre construction is slated to be completed by late this fall, but because the grass planting on the site needs to become established, use of the amphitheatre itself will begin in spring 2023. The footings were due to be poured in the coming week. Mr. Romanowski envisioned a facility which would be acknowledged "region wide." He added "It really is going to be quite spectacular, I think," and "a major major part of Winchendon." The Committee will "support and uphold our promise to the Winchendon community that it's their amphitheatre to be used for community activities."
There will be upkeep for the park and the amphitheatre once it's all finished, Mr. Romanowski acknowledged, and the hope is that events at the amphitheatre can generate revenue that help cover the costs of ongoing maintenance and operations. "Robinson Broadhurst contributed some money this year to hire a part-time coordinator who will be, one of his or her responsibilities will be to look into how we go about booking talent and make sure that it's equitable for the whole community and make sure that Winchendon residents get to play a big role in it," he explained.
The area around the construction, which includes the turn-around and barn, is closed to vehicles and has limited access for safety and security reasons. Parking and access to the trails are both at the soccer field by the park entrance for the time being. There are markers and signs on site for visitors.
Ms. Newton resumed the floor to update the Board on plans for a disc golf project at the Community Park. "We have a really avid community member, Christopher Tompkins, who is leading that with some other local people who are involved in the disc golf community to get three holes up and running this season. He's working with our conservation agent to make sure they won't interfere with anything in terms of wetlands. We're currently looking at putting them, I think it's east of the soccer field, those three holes, and in total over the next couple years it will be a nine hole course." Players and disc golf enthusiasts will be funding the baskets, with hope that participants will pitch in and help with maintaining the park as well. A potential exists to host tournaments.
Ms. Newton also spoke about the Four Seasons project, for which the Committee has received a $7,000 Robinson Broadhurst grant. This will help to fund park elements to facilitate year-round and all-weather activities at the Community Park, including lighting, temporary shelters like tents, outdoor heating and so on, greatly expanding the potential use of the park by residents and possible programs that can be developed.
Finally, Ms. Newton said, "we've been working over the last year to try and develop a Friends of the Park entity to help not only with fundraising but also to help with getting people in to help with maintaining the trails, cleanups and things of that nature, get people and getting the community to feel like they're part of the park and that they feel like it's part of this town. And so that's been a really big group effort between the Town Manager and all of our committees working together."
Ms. Newton went on to urge anyone in town who wants to get involved with the Community Park in any way to contact them at any time. The Friends of the Park group, the disc golf project, maintaining trails, all need volunteers. If residents would like to sign up for updates on upcoming programs and events, they can do that now. "I know this year is almost non-existent at the park with the amphitheatre going in but still, we're working on, with our grant, working on what our programming will look like," Ms. Newton said.
Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Rick Ward responded, first thanking Robinson Broadhurst for all they do and speaking of meeting the trustees at the ceremony on June 13. But, he went on, "I have a disconnect here. The [PowerPoint presentation slide about the] part-time recreation coordinator...says they're going to help run the amphitheatre and do a lot of this stuff. But the job description that I looked at is clerical and record keeping, that's all it really is pushing. I guess I envision this as a [Recreation] Director type person down the road. And this one looks more like it's just clerical according to the job description."
Town Manager Justin Sultzbach explained that Mr. Ward's idea "is part of the intention," but "for now a lot of it is going to be record keeping, processing payroll, scheduling events, things like that. But I think as the position grows, and as we can fund it more it's going to grow into something a little more substantial. So it made sense to kind of start at the basics and get the building blocks there and a good foundation. And then we'll build on top of it."
Mr. Ward opined that "as this grows down the road," the town will need a professional full-time Recreation Director. He also raised the issue of the Friends group being a non-profit which would raise funds, and whether there would be a conflict of interest with any member of the Committee also being a member of the Friends. Ms. Newton agreed and said that such dual membership would not be allowed. Mr. Ward emphasized, "Usually the Friends have control of the money they raise and they offer it as they feel free for what they believe they want to use it for to you, and so you really can't have that overlap. I just wanted to make sure of that." All present indicated agreement with Mr. Ward's concern.
Selectman Barbara Anderson said that she wanted to acknowledge the work of "past Boards of Selectmen" in supporting the acquisition of the Ingleside property and the development of the Community Park. She asked Ms. Newton and Mr. Romanowski, "what kind of challenges, what obstacles when you're working on this, what would be your biggest challenge?"
"Communication comes to mind first," Mr. Romanowski said. "So that's always been something that we've tried to deal with. We've had difficulties trying to establish sound communication protocols and practices. You know, there's stuff on Facebook, there's a partial website, there's some phone numbers, possibly. There's an email address, but I think we need to somehow...I'm not sure if it falls on the committee or if it falls as a town function, or possibly a combination of both. To get that established. And so when people ask questions, they have a specific place to go. If the question is not answered there, then we get the answer and we put it up there in the form of a FAQ or something." Ms. Anderson agreed with him that keeping information updated "is a full time job itself" and it was hard to find volunteers who can do it.
Selectman Danielle LaPointe asked when the Committee's meetings are held. "My daughter's on the committee," she said. "And she's relayed to me that perhaps there's some frustration because you feel that we should make more of an effort to attend some of your meetings and I want to let you know that I hear that and I recognize that." She asked that the Committee let the BOS know when their meetings were scheduled. Board Chair Audrey LaBrie added that they should let the community know, as well.
Mr. Ward said, "just one thing I forgot. Like, I think, all residents of Winchendon, I want this to be a success. And I know building it took a while. But the real work is once it's done, getting the crowds out there. That's going to be the hard work. So I'm encouraging you for that opening, whatever it may be, that it is a big event that draws everybody from Winchendon and around and I don't care if has to be a big firework show on the pond. You need to get a crowd out there for the very first event. So make it big. Like the food trucks, that crowd."
Ms. LaBrie said, "And then my only other thought is as much as you can, involve the youth of the community and of the area. There was on social media, this was a couple of months ago, maybe around just before the groundbreaking, and some people were complaining that oh no, they're all older people on these committees, and someone responded well, older people sometimes tend to have more time and more experience...But let's get the youth involved and they seemed to feel that everything that was gonna go on there wasn't going to involve the youth and that's so important."
"I'd like to address that, actually," Mr. Romanowski said. "Tiffany is the chair of the committee. We've got one of the LaPointes' daughters on the committee. We've got my son on the committee, so I think we've heard that and I think we've listened. We'll continue to listen."
Interested residents (of all ages) can contact the Committee at info@winchendoncommunitypark.org. Visit the park Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Winchendoncommunitypark or the official website, winchendoncommunitypark.org. Ms. Newton also invited people to come talk to her in the Planning and Development Office in Town Hall (109 Front Street) any time.
(For coverage of the June 13 amphitheatre ground breaking ceremony, see "Amphitheatre Project Stakeholders Hold Ceremonial Ground Breaking at Winchendon Community Park" in the June 16-23 2022 edition of The Winchendon Courier.)
The footings of the amphitheatre have been poured in the Winchendon Community Park.
Photos by Jill Sackett
BOS Discuss Implications of Proposed New Recreation Coordinator Position
Independently of the Winchendon Community Park discussion reported above, at its meeting on Monday, June 27 the Board of Selectmen considered the proposal to create a new part-time position of Recreation Coordinator for the town. Town Manager Justin Sultzbach began with his explanation.
"Recreation is presently run entirely by volunteers," Mr. Sultzbach said. "I think given the upcoming opening amphitheatre at the Winchendon Community Park...the need for a part-time role at minimum has been identified, to provide not only staff support to the Recreation Commission itself in a broader sense, but also to help the amphitheatre get its legs underneath them. So that they can ideally be a self sufficient self funding resource for the community rather than than another expense."
Mr. Sultzbach explained that the Robinson Broadhurst Foundation had awarded the town $9,700 to cover a part-time position of 10 hours a week through Fiscal Year 2023 (i.e. through June 30, 2023). As the amphitheatre brings in revenue "and becomes self-sufficient," Robinson Broadhurst can fund half as much the following year, and taper off the amount progressively, to be replaced with town funding as it becomes available.
The question, Mr. Sultzbach said, was whether creating this funded position conprised the creation of a new agency. "In my interpretation where the Rec Commission already exists, it's providing staff support, I personally don't view that as the creation of an agency," he said. "But I'm only one person in this room and I want it to be the opinion from the Board. We can also get legal council's opinion as well, just to make sure we're covered. I want to make sure we're crossing all our T's and dotting all our I's for the upcoming year where it's grant funded. Technically this individual is a consultant and not so much a direct town employee." He admitted that it's "a little gray" and referred the Board to the preliminary job description in their packets, saying he'd also like input from the Recreation Commission and the public.
"I think Mr. Ward touched on it, and I share a similar view that the hope would be in the long term that this role would grow," Mr. Sultzbach continued. "I think feedback that I've received from citizens and members of the community and different players in the community is that they want to see more of these events and have more recreational outlets available for the youth, they wanted more for the residents in general. People talked about potentially bringing fireworks back annually. Things that you'd have to do throughout the 80s or 90s, early 2000s, they kind of fell by the wayside."
Funding is a problem for these "nice to haves," Mr. Sultzbach said. "But we can try to find creative ways to identify revenue streams that would support these initiatives, and they would make it an even better place for people to live and a better place for families and residents." He envisioned a slow increase in the role over a three to five year timeline.
Selectman Barbara Anderson responded, "I think you are creating an agency since the recreation department does exist. It is an unpaid volunteer organization within the scope of the town." She said that the position is funded by Robinson Broadhurst this year, but what about after that.
Mr. Sultzbach stated that "the second the town starts directly funding any portion of this it would go on the Warrant and so be available for debate at Town Meeting." Ms. Anderson said it should be an article demonstrating that the new position has been created and added to the budget, and Mr. Sultzbach agreed.
Mr. Sultzbach clarified that the position has not yet been posted, because they're still seeking feedback from the Board and the Recreation Commission. "But I want to go by the same playbook that we use for anything else," he said. "So it would more than likely be a union position. Once the town starts funding it, so not this year, but next year, and I want to make sure that we lay the groundwork with the unions to ensure that we're not taking any work or it's not perceived that we're taking any union work in any capacity. And so with that said, whether as a union role, we do have to open it up. I think it's a seven day advertising period, internally first and then if it's passed over, there's no interest, then we open it up to the general public."
Board Vice Chair Rick Ward said, "I still feel in time, we are going to need to hire a Recreation Director for the town of Winchendon if we want to get the full benefit of that amphitheatre and all the other things we have to offer, because on our Master Plan is tourism, and if we don't deal with that, we're overlooking a major source of income for this town. So I see the position being a permanent position down the road, and more than just clerical."
Winchendon Winds Closes 2022 Season on High Note
Winchendon Winds Concert Band ended its 2022 season with an Independence Day extravaganza on Sunday, July 3. Over 100 audience members filled the pews of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Winchendon to celebrate the holiday with an all-American program of crowd-pleasing popular numbers. The sanctuary's cathedral ceilings provide excellent acoustics for the 40-member band's sound.
The first half opened with John Philip Sousa's "Invincible Eagle" march. The audience then rose to its feet for the playing of the national anthem. Following this, the band gave crisp renditions of "American Overture" by J.W. Jennings, "Fantasy on Sailing Songs" with some familiar nautical motifs, by Clare Grundman, "Emblem of Unity" march by J.J. Richards, Sousa's beloved "Washington Post" march and finally, one of John Williams' most popular pieces for band, "March from 1941."
During the short intermission, audience and band members mingled and chatted outside in the summer breezes, with ice cream treats and cold beverages available for sale.
The concert's second half featured Robert Jager's "Esprit de Corps," Pierre LaPlante's "American River Songs," and a lovely arrangement of "America the Beautiful" for band. The last program item was the piece everyone was waiting for: Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever," which brought the entire audience to its feet with cheers on the final chord. Conductor James Chesebrough treated the audience to a last "encore"--the final bars of "Toy Town March," composed especially for Winchendon Winds by David Maker.
One enthusiastic concert-goer said, "Love the band. Always wanted to go hear the Boston Pops - don't have to go to Boston, have it here in Winch!"
This was an unusually long season for Winchendon Winds (or "Win Winds" as it is affectionately known), which began its year participating in the Murdock Music Festival at Murdock Middle High School on May 29, and went on to play six full concerts in a row, including a performance for the Summer Solstice Fair.
"Win Winds" is a 40-piece, professional-level band under the direction of Principal Conductor James Chesebrough and Assistant Conductor Rick Anderson. The majority of its members are professional music educators and performers. Now in its eighth year of operation, the ensemble performs at a level seldom encountered in north-central Massachusetts. Its players are drawn from across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and southern Vermont. Word about this terrific ensemble is spreading: three-quarters of concert attendees are from towns surrounding Winchendon.
The band is now enjoying a well-deserved rest and will return in 2023 for a new concert series.
Winchendon Winds Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization supported by generous grants from the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation, and the Ashburnham, Athol, Gardner, Phillipston, Royalston, Templeton, and Winchendon Cultural Councils, as well as several local businesses and individuals. You can follow their news on their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/WinchendonWinds or their website: winchendonwinds.org.
The pews were filled on Sunday, July 3 for Win Winds' concert celebrating Independence Day
Photo by Joe Sackett
Winchendon Winds is a 40-piece professional-level ensemble featuring the full gamut of brass, woodwinds and percussion
Photo by Joe Sackett
Winchendon FD Calls for June
The Winchendon Fire Department would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday weekend. In the month of June our department responded to 197 calls for emergency service. These calls were broken down the following way:
- 129 Ambulance Calls
- 16 Mutual Aid Ambulance Calls
- 14 Investigations or Alarm Calls
- 14 Service Calls
- 8 Motor Vehicle Accidents
- 7 Miscellaneous Fire/CO calls
- 4 Mutual Aid Fire Calls
- 2 Structure Fire Calls
- 2 Illegal Burns
- 1 Animal Rescue
