LWVM Observer: Brigitte Lagoutte
Board: Recreation & Parks Commission
Date: March 11
Location: Jacobi Community Center
Members in attendance: Chair Matt Martin, Linda Rice-Collins, Karin Ernst, Rossana Ferrante and Shelly Curran-Bedrossian; Recreation Director Jamie Bloch, Superintendent Peter James and secretary Mary Herchenhahn.
The minutes from the previous meeting were approved.
Farmers co-op: A letter will be sent to the Farm co-op organization to ask them to remove debris left out near the shed at Stamski Park.
Locking gates at Veterans and Seaside courts: The committee discussed the possibility of placing self-locking gates at the pickleball-tennis courts at Seaside Park and Veterans School. One member of the committee will ask the cost of this type of gate, which needs an electrical connection and a special lock.
PARKS UPDATES
- Devereux Beach lot: The parking area of Devereux Beach is going to be improved. The lumber work has been done, and mobi-mats will be added around the access points. The bathroom repair has a targeted completion of June 30. The total cost is $92,000 and will be paid with a grant awarded to the Park & Rec Commission.
- Vine Street headquarters: The boiler at the headquarters of Park & Rec on Vine Street has stopped working. Funds are available to replace it at a cost of $20,000.
- Seaside Park: The nets on the court of Seaside Park will be put on next week, and reservations for the courts can be made online for tennis, with a new schedule allowing 90 minutes of usage for doubles teams.
- Stramski Park: Handicap ramp material is ready, and the carpenters planned to start working on March 12.
RECREATION UPDATES
- Staff is being secured for the summer season. The committee is looking for people to work with the sailing and tennis programs.
- The playgrounds are in good shape.
CORRESPONDENCE
- A request from the Eastern Yacht Club for permission to park 20 cars in the large lot at Devereux during the time of the summer cruise of the New York Yacht Club from Marblehead to Newport starting on July 26. Each car will be charged $50 per day, requiring that the owner of each car be identified. The request was approved by the committee.
- A request by a person in Cambridge to use the grassy area of Chandler Hovey Park for a wedding party of about 180 people on Saturday, June 6 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The request was approved by the committee.
- A request from Grace Community Church for Easter sunrise service at Devereux Beach and Riverside parking lot on Sunday, April 20, 5:45 a.m. to 7 a.m. The request was approved by the committee.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p.m. Next meeting on Tuesday, March 18 at 6:30 p.m.
The Observer Corps is a group of League of Women of Marblehead members who volunteer to attend meetings of various town boards and committees in an effort to promote transparency in local government.
