[From my December 31 column in the Colchester Bulletin]
Turning the page of the calendar each month seems to give such a sense of accomplishment. And, of course, turning that final one each year, as we do this Friday, is the ultimate triumph. Yet, what have we achieved? Are we actually taking credit for the sheer passage of time?
I’m no psychologist, but I think there is more to it. I believe the marking of time provides us with natural opportunities to not only reflect upon our past accomplishments, but also to start fresh and set new goals.
As we close out 2009, I am proud of the work that the dedicated staff of Colchester Parks & Recreation has done over the past year. New programs and events have been introduced, facilities have been improved and maintained, partnerships have been fostered and expanded, and we have raised the bar on customer service across the board.
Certainly one of the biggest hits of the year was our inaugural Trick or Trunk Halloween event, with nearly 100 families signing up to distribute candy and other treats out of decorated vehicles on the Town Green. We were amazed at the overwhelming response, and look forward to next year’s event and the creative displays it will no doubt bring.
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Collaborating with the CES PTO, we brought our popular Touch-a-Truck event to their first ever Fun Fair, and helped to raise funds for the good work that they do. In an effort to streamline efforts and reduce duplication, we partnered with Adult Education to realign programming; by taking on the recreational programs they had been offering, this allowed Adult Ed to focus on their core mission of helping non-traditional students further their education.
Over the course of the year, Parks & Recreation teamed up with the schools and the police to produce three “Walk to School” days, with over 400 children participating each time. Children, parents and staff alike enjoyed the opportunity for community support of physical activity. Watch for more of these in 2010.
Youth Services and Parks & Recreation also joined forces with the police in writing a successful grant application to fund a program that would build rapport between police and community youth. Midway through the grant implementation, the program seems to be working; mutual respect and understanding is already showing, and that is half the battle.
Early in the year, we expanded our working relationship with the sports leagues, providing formal training on how to prepare and maintain fields as they provide incredible opportunities for children each season. At the same time, we were able to better explain the work that our crews do, and how our two efforts interconnect. Without their support and teamwork, field maintenance just would not be possible.
The Colchester Garden Club was yet another key partner this year, as they always are. Aside from their ongoing adoption of the Cragin Library grounds, they worked with our crew to install a beautiful stone path in the Senior Center’s butterfly garden. Visitors can now get up close to the many and varied flora and fauna being cultivated there.
At Bacon Academy, the tennis courts got a huge face lift. While our crew retrofitted the existing tennis net poles to replace the old chain-link fencing with actual tennis nets, a contractor was brought in to fill the growing cracks and touch up the paint job. While the court will need a full resurfacing soon, these short term repairs have given the facility new life.
Here in the office, we actually reconfigured walls and desks to make it much more inviting and user friendly. By creating a counter where we can actually see and interact with our customers, the entire area seems to have opened up.
We have also taken advantage of the ever evolving technologies available, implementing new methods of communication, such as our Twitter and Facebook accounts. Numerous people have signed on, opting for the quickest and easiest ways for them to get the latest information.
And, of course, we transformed our popular seasonal brochure into a wonderful town-wide publication, bringing the entire community news and announcements from departments throughout town hall – and the feedback has been nothing but positive.
Needless to say, these are but a few of the enhancements that made their debut in 2009. The challenge now is to keep up the pace and find a way to take it to the next level in 2010. I am confident that we’re up to the task, and can hardly wait to get started. Have a happy New Year!
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