Recreation Committee history
Established early 70’s
- Help to create Volunteers Green:
- One ballfield, a sand box, locally made swing set and climbing apparatus
- Established a concert series with town funds
- Help sponsor a Red Cross swim lesson program at Lake Iroquios
1980’s – 2000
- Band shell built in the early 1980’s – flat area created with the concrete deck from the Bridge St bridge as fill
- Landscaping installed in the bandstand area with funds donated in memory of a deceased town resident Jay Ladensack – 1982 – originally maintained by volunteers and Rec Committee members
- Installed the roadway along the north property line: Rec Committee members installed posts along the roadway and manually created speed dips to slow traffic
- Expanded the fields to three using town funds, donations and funds raised by fund raising events; soccer fields added later
- Had the bathroom/concession facility built with the help of Town funds, donated labor and materials and fund raising – needed to meet with the Army Corp of Engineers to secure permission to build in the flood plain
- Dugouts built with donated concrete from ST Griswold
- Started the Fall soccer league – designed to give all kids a chance to play – no tryouts
- Installed a new swing set and 2 backstops with donations and town funds
- Hired the mowers until the Town Highway dept took over the mowing
- Secured musicians for the concert series
- Co-sponsored with the Library for 3 summers a day camp called Winooski Lore – focused on Richmond’s history from the days of the Abenaki to more modern times – each year the time period was different
- During the winter sponsored movie nights up at CHMS
- Helped organize, with the 6th grade team at CHMS, a Fun Fair night for middle school students
- Convinced the Fire Dept, original organizers of the 4th of July celebrations, to move the activities from CHMS down to Volunteers Green
- Playground equipment installed with funds raised mainly by Sue Pochop from bottle drives, duck races, bake sales and other fund raisers
- Helped Don Dresser start up and run many of the 4th of July Fun run
2020-present
- Rec Committee is re-established and new members are appointed
- Developed vision, mission, and goals
- Began working through citizen identified priorities, as outlined in the 2018 Town Plan
- Hired an intern to assist with community recreation opportunity promotion
- Purchased lawn games for community use at Volunteers Green
- Co-sponsored the purchase of picnic tables for the Library
- Applied for VOREC grant for playground replacement funding
- 2023 WORK PLAN