Basketball and wrestling seasons are heating up, the shade trees continue to go up, and kids are filling up Santa’s mailbox with wish lists and good wishes. It might be winter, but the Bellefontaine Joint Recreation District is still committed to getting stuff done for the community.
At their last meeting for 2022, the BJRD board heard from Kris Myers, parks superintendent, who updated them on all of the above, and more, starting with basketball.
Though the Little Dribblers program wrapped up Wednesday, the other basketball teams are just getting started.
“It’s probably the best numbers we’ve had in basketball in a while,” Myers said. “It’s really exciting.”
The wrestling program, which started Dec. 6, is going strong with 42 young people participating.
In other news, Myers let the board know they’d received 18 letters to Santa in the new mailbox as of Tuesday night. The box, which sits in front of the Chamber of Commerce office on Main Street, was built in Myers’ garage with the help of Tim Hales, recreation coordinator.
The board members were so impressed one woman blurted out, “You built that?!” when she saw a photo of the mailbox.
Another member expressed concern about how to handle letters with requests coming from a place of hardship. But Myers assured them if something ends up in the mailbox that requires help they’ll “share it with the elves.”
The parks maintenance department has planted 24 trees over the last week for shade and as memorials. Locations of these new trees include near the tennis court, along Allison Road and at the Jack Martin dog park off Reservoir Road.
Also at member Karen Brady’s last meeting, the board honored her with a certificate and a box of Marie’s candies, and President Pat Ellis told Brady a tree will be planted in her honor.
Brady announced her departure at the November meeting, but has said she will continue to serve with the shade tree commission.
“I’m proud of our parks, the people and the work we do,” she said in her outgoing remarks.
Other board action:
• All the pre-winter work on the log cabin at Myeerah has been completed. Myers is now looking into ways to “make it viable for another 50 years.”
• The patch on the pool slide has held up very well so it is believed nothing else needs to be done on that for the time being. But all the failed filter screens at the pool will be replaced in the new year.
• Regarding the Master Plan, Myers expects to see a first draft next week. He’s confident the public and employees have all been heard and the community feedback from the surveys will be included.
• Myers warned the board they can expect to see two of the district’s full-time maintenance workers announce their retirement in the next year or two. He suggested they consider hiring replacements sooner rather than later in order to start their on-the-job training. “Opening and closing a pool is not something you pick up the first time,” Myers said as a for-instance concern. He added, “I’ve been here 18 years with the same two guys, and I’ve been spoiled. I’m not looking forward to the change, but we’ll see what we can do to bridge the gaps.”
• The board approved a 3 percent pay raise for all full-time employees. This means a $30,000 increase, which they had already worked into the budget. The proposal included additional funding for part-time summer employees. Defined pay ranges for maintenance workers at level I and II were also approved.
• Pat Ellis, board president, was unanimously reappointed to another term.
• Bellefontaine Mayor Ben Stahler has appointed Kaileigh Vermillion, a local attorney, to replace outgoing board member Karen Brady.
The next BJRD board meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3.