NEWTON RECREATION COMMISSION
DATE: Monday May 23, 2016
TIME: 7 PM
LOCATION: Town Hall Rear Meeting Room
MEETING MINUTES
- Call to Order: Chairman Bob Faghan called the meeting to order at 7:08 PM.
- Members in Attendance: Bob Faghan, Steve St. Cyr and Annie Collyer, and nominated members Christine Kuzmitski and Fred Burbridge.
- Guests: Mike Pivero, Town Road Agent; John Alcinaidho, Newton Fire Chief; Debi Alcinaidho, Newton Fire; Police Sergeant Michael Jewitt; and Town Administrator Nancy Wrigley.
- Approval of Minutes of May 2, 2016: Mr. St. Cyr made a motion, seconded by Ms. Collyer, to approve the minutes of May 2, 2016 as written. The motion passed unanimously.
- Memorial Day Parade
Ms. Collyer presented the parade program, and the group worked to come up with the most advantageous lineup. She announced that the Grand Marshall is Jim Holland.
Mr. Pivero has offered to help transport any parade participants from parking at Memorial School to the start of the parade at the Main Fire Station.
Ms. Kuzmitski will be responsible for lineup, with assistance from Mr. St. Cyr and Mr. Faghan. They will pass out small flags to marchers. Ms. Collyer and Mrs. Burbridge will start along the parade route at about 9:50 to begin to distribute about half of the programs and favors to spectators. Mr. Faghan will drive to the Willow Grove Cemetery by going in the opposite directions with programs and favors to distribute there.
Sergeant Jewitt will be calling upon Plaistow, East Kingston and South Hampton Police to help with road closure beginning at 9:50. He will drive the pace car and will have his police participants walk before his car to help with setting the pace. Mr. Pivero said many of the veterans will be throwing out candy along the route. He announced that veterans on motorcycles, antique cars and both marching and riding veteran groups will be participating. Mr. Burbridge will be with the Veterans of Sargent Woods.
The Fire Department will be providing coffee, hot chocolate and tea and water, and donuts to parade participants prior to the parade lineup.
The weather report right now is for some showers in the afternoon, and it is hoped that the weather will be good once again this year. If there is a change that necessitates cancellation, Mr. Faghan will make the call by 6 AM on May 30, and notifications will go out via Facebook, text, and email to all that can be reached.
Ms. Collyer extended a big thank you to Mr. Pivero for his work on the parade route and on contacting veterans groups for participation.
The first Movie Night will be held June 3, at 8:30 PM at 8 Merrimac Road. Mr. Faghan will contact an ice cream vendor to be there, with an insurance certificate going to the town of Newton. The movie will be Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a PG film. Ms. Collyer presented a list of potential movies for June 17 and it was agreed that she will post a survey on Facebook to help with the choice.
Mr. St. Cyr will bring an extension cord in case it is needed to show the movie on the sloped area at the front of the property.
Ms. Collyer made a motion, seconded by Mr. St. Cyr, to spend an additional $80 on Movie Nights for June 3 and June 17. She noted that the price has gone up this year. The motion passed unanimously.
Town Beach:
Mr. St. Cyr said that Mr. Pivero will be bringing the raft to the Town Beach. He has replaced the broken panel.
Mr. St. Cyr made a motion, seconded by Ms. Collyer, to appropriate an additional $40 for a second back-up panel for the raft. He noted that he was able to arrange for 2 panels to be hand-delivered to Town Hall at no charge, avoiding the $75 shipping fee from the factory in North Canada. The motion passed unanimously.
Mr. St. Cyr will put in the buoys in the next few weeks, once it has warmed up. He will also work to figure out how to get the lead lines for the 4 280 lb anchors that are in the water at about a 10 foot depth, so that the raft can be launched.
Ms. Collyer said that she has notified John Neveux, former Recreation member, that the raft is going back in this year. Mr. Neveux had been the leader in getting a raft for the town and was pleased to hear that, with the new security cameras, the town is launching it again and hopes that there will be no vandalism or malicious mischief this year. He will be sure to notify police if there are any untoward activities at the beach when he is present. Ms. Collyer will post a picture of the raft once in on facebook, and encourage others who use the beach to notify police of trespassers, smokers, illegal users and mischief.
Senior Warrant Article:
Mrs. Kuzmitski will check into details for a trip to the Cog Railway this year, and ask fellow seniors of their ideas about a second event. Ms. Collyer explained that the town auditor will not allow collection of partial payments, so the procedure is, when there is a trip that costs more than 1/2 of the Warrant Article money, seniors sign up with a cash payment for their portion of the trip, and the town then writes a check for the total payment from a combination of the warrant article and from the senior payments. When there is an event, such as prior years' Holiday Luncheon at Roma's, 1/2 of the Warrant article has enabled no cost to seniors, so the procedure is simpler for all.
- Adjournment: Ms. Collyer made motion, seconded by Mr. St. Cyr, to adjourn. Having passed unanimously, Mr. Faghan adjourned the meeting at 8:05 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Annie Collyer,
Secretary
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