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Recreation Department
2004-2005 Annual Report
The Recreation Department is responsible for the implementation, coordination, supervision and administration of a wide variety of recreational, social and leisure services to Gray and New Gloucester adults and children.
The responsibilities of the two full-time employees include:
Office Administration: communicating with the public, publishing weekly newspaper updates and monthly program brochures, processing program registrations and fees and making daily deposits
Recreational Programming: implementing, planning and supervising the recreational programs we offer
Maintaining Recreational Facilities: Wilkies Beach, Libby Hill Trails, the Newbegin Gym and the outdoor recreational facilities around Newbegin
Rental of Newbegin Facilities: the facilities are rented out for birthdays, meetings, social events and private businesses for recreational use
Community Service: attend community/civic meetings, support community groups with special events and support other Town of Gray departments
We feel that the Gray Recreation Department plays a critical role in the development and direction the town takes. Although many of the programs involve youth sports (basketball, outdoor and indoor soccer, track, gymnastics, volleyball and skiing programs) we do involve many parents and adults as volunteer coaches and instructors. Adults are involved in a wide selection of adult programs such as Top Flight Basketball League, pick-up basketball, volleyball leagues, pick-up softball and flag football. This past year our enrollment in the junior sports programs (ages 4 to 6) has increased dramatically. The special events we offer are always popular with children and parents. The Halloween Party, Santa’s Coming to Town, Easter Egg Hunt, Winter Carnival at Libby Hill and
Splashfest are all well attended. The two areas we need to work on is offering programs to our senior citizens and teens. This past year we offered area seniors trips to Boothbay Harbor, N.E. Aquarium, Sea Dogs game and Rangeley Lakes, provided 20 area seniors with a BBQ and entertainment at the Wildlife Park and scheduled 6 summer concerts. Future programs will include more local events and activities at Newbegin. For the teens we offered sports camps, ping pong night, open gym and recreation room and outdoor adventure trips. Most of these activities were cancelled due to low registrations.
To give you an idea of what is offered through the Recreation Department we listed a majority of the activities and events we offered this past year.
July-August-September, 2004: summer recreational day camp (6 weeks, 5 days per week, 7:00am to 5:30pm), kinder camp, 7/8th grade summer basketball for boys and girls, 5/6th grade girls summer basketball, Major League Soccer Camps, Patriot basketball camp, adult co-ed softball, top flight basketball league, 1 pitch softball tournament, youth flag football program, summer concert series, operations at Wilkies Beach, Red Cross swimming lessons, Little Dribble Basketball Camp, ping pong lessons, Wilkies Beach Splashfest, senior citizen BBQ at the Wildlife Park and a trip to the Arundel Barn Playhouse for Oliver.
October-November-December, 2004: travel basketball program for eight teams, gymnastics lessons, Patriot field hockey clinic, early release day field trips to Happy Wheels and Sparetime Bowling, Halloween Party, top flight basketball league, toddler play group, foliage trip to Rangeley, after school karate lessons at Dunn, Santa’s Coming to Town, X-Mas vacation extreme sports camp, 6th grade flag football and men’s flag football league.
January-February-March, 2005: youth basketball league, men’s top flight basketball league, women’s top flight basketball league, ping pong night, junior basketball program, junior soccer program, indoor soccer league, gymnastic lessons, February vacation open gym, early release day field trips, men’s power volleyball league, junior Olympic volleyball, ice skating lessons, Lost Valley ski & snowboard lessons, Nordic skiing lessons and Libby Hill Winter Carnival.
April-May-June, 2005: Easter Egg Hunt, junior soccer program, gymnastic lessons, ping pong league, trip to N.E. Aquarium, trip to a Sea Dogs game, Recreation Night at Newbegin, outdoor adventure trips for teens, after school recreation at Newbegin, junior track program and Libby Hill orienteering.
Newbegin Gym is available to the community for rentals, meetings and special events. This past year, the following took place at Newbegin: 6 birthday parties, 1 baby shower, 2 association meetings, Pennell alumni meeting, 2 municipal elections, 1 bottle drive, Midnight Madness basketball, 4th grade basketball banquet, AAU basketball practices, travel basketball practices, Atlas wrestling, American Red Cross blood drive, Gray Fire & Rescue meeting, GNG H.S. dance practice, GNG H.S. cheerleading practice, X-mas craft fair, 3 Patriot Soccer registration nights & 1 meeting, Gray Little League: 4 registrations nights, 1 pitching clinic & 1 photo session, Little Lady Dribbler registration night and practice, 3 rentals – Bridges of Maine, Trinity Church Rec. night and on a monthly basis
to the Shotokan Karate Club.
As one can see, we are very busy with our programming and supervision of the many activities and special events that take place here in Gray. We look forward to our continued service to the community with pride and a positive outlook toward the future.
Respectfully submitted,
Dean M. Bennett, Director
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