SOUTH BERWICK RECREATION COMMITTEE
COMMUNITY CENTER
REGULAR MEETING
JANUARY 26, 2010
1) Accepted minutes of previous meeting 12/15/2010.
2) Meeting with South Berwick Youth Soccer
- Johanna Montgomery, President
- Liz Kaplan
- Lori Costigan
- Ethan Jule
- Mowing – Up until last year the Town paid for 1 mowing a week.
- Youth Soccer paid the other 1 week mowing.
- $65 to Kevin Eastman
- Last budget meeting (May 2009) the mowing is taken away from Travel & Youth Soccer.
Fence was put in with grant from Strawberry Festival.
- The mowing starts in mid August.
- Fertilizing is no longer.
- $65 is just for the lower field, not the travel or little league fields.
- $125 a mow for higher fields two times a week for travel.
Irrigation/Fertilizing/Aeration – this will be a problem over time if not being done. Grass is not cut as low due to no aeration care.
- South Berwick Youth is nonprofit.
- Travel soccer will probably have to do some fundraising next year.
Wish list – top 3 wants 1) Parking 2) Signs-no dogs allowed 3) Irrigation/Aeration.
Number of participants
- 145 SB/Eliot/Rollinsford – South Berwick Youth (1st – 8th grade)
- 170 SB/Eliot/Rollinsford – Travel (goes up to 14)
Eliot does have a program for younger children.
Dire need – 3 new goals
Challenger Sports – there is money coming to Travel Soccer from this – minimal. Comes for 2 weeks, 1 week, Marcia Flinkstrom does the program for SB Youth Soccer. Travel does it the second week..
- Travel can practice in Eliot-no cost to field.
- Travel does practice on South Berwick field because $30,000 invested in irrigation.
- Travel Soccer did hire a coach from Challenger.
- Travel did not do fundraising-parents not committing to it/time!
- More girls playing soccer.
Ethan- He would like to know what is the policy to the usage of the fields, then whatever is the policy, signs stating it. Trying to protect fields. There is a little vandalism that takes place.
- Signs that say what you can’t do on the field.
- Another want – Board that posts times and the schedules of when fields are in use (plexiglass). For example there is an adult soccer league-who schedules them for a field?
- There is a spring league-who mows? Travel SB Youth won’t mow to mid August-maybe 1 a month in the summer so mowing is not difficult in August.
- Sharon – SB Recreation needs field mowed for Pee Wee Soccer.
- Camp are July/August
- South Berwick Soccer is trying to save money for its own snack bar. SB Soccer did pay for electricity.
3) Meeting with Bruce Martin – Powderhouse Ski Area
- 3 people work – concession, top of hill, the line.
- 2 others who work.
- If there is no concession, that will hurt funds.
- Directing of traffic or parking may be necessary at times due to number of people skiing.
- Good that Powderhouse is able to be with Recreation – liability costs are covered.
- There is a day planned for USS Helena’s children to ski – Shawnee Peek is coming February 5.
- Extend the invitation from Recreation Department.
- Should invite sailors for a separate night. They can rent equipment for shipyard.
- February 20 – PTO/Cardboard Sled Derby – advertised through Recreation Department.
3 Wants/Needs
1) Improving parking situation
- 14 acres on the Powderhouse property past the parking lot.
- Modify entrance in some way so not swampy by the Day house.
- Need drop off.
2) Rebuild the engine-maintenance-groomer-machine
- Helps to move snow-bare spot happens by tow.
- Keep snow smooth, both ski hill and sled hill.
- Machine needs tracks, plow and rototiller.
- Greatest liability, most accidents on sledding hill.
3) Some type of snowmaking capability.
- Future – Another tow possibly. Building is okay.
- Ideal for future – retain the Day house property/acreage.
- Use the area for South Berwick Recreation for all people – 4 season/yr. building for recreation/lodge for Powderhouse.
Save the land!
- Creating a bigger parking space at Powderhouse would help with town parking with various events – for example: Strawberry Festival.
February 23, 2010 – next meeting
- Invite SoBo Central & Children’s Leadership Council
Meeting adjourned at 9:26 pm.
Attest:
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