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Parks panel reviews summer rec programs in city

The City of Warren Parks and Recreation Commission used its last meeting of the year to look back at the success of two recreation initiatives – the CAR Pool and the Summer Playground Program – in 2022.

“This was the best year of the pool,” Acting City Manager Mike Holtz said, with the “best summer (weather) in 10 years.”

With a hint of irony, Holtz said that plus a “post-corona bump” made the “perfect storm there. The pool attendance was very good. (We) will be doing it again next year.”

Commission chair Mike Suppa noted that attendance went back to 2018 and 2019 numbers.

“And it’s been great,” he said. “New York State… it’s been 20 to 25 percent of the attendees for the last three years.”

Times Observer file photos Good weather brought a banner year for the City of Warren’s Summer Playground Program at Beaty Park and Lacy Park. City staff are hoping to staff a third park next year - either Crescent Park or DeFrees Park.

Holtz said the staffing arrangement with the YMCA “seems to be working out…. Thank goodness for the Y. (They) help us to get enough guards.”

Holtz explained that the Summer Playground Program had the “same type of year because of the weather.”

The program was offered at two playgrounds – Beaty and Lacy – but Holtz said the city has budget funding for 2023 to staff a third.

“The monies are there. The monies were there this year,” Holtz said. “The city really struggled to get playground supervisors. (We) even raised the pay significantly for this year and still had issues.”

“So many kids going to college are going in programs that something like that would be a great resume-building job. I don’t know how you link that up.”

Suppa suggested a robust job market could also have driven down demand 

Should staff be found, though, the third playground will likely be Crescent but it comes down to Crescent and DeFrees.

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