Present were committee members: Tom Frantz, Ellie George, Howard George, Alan Hanscom, Tim Norris, Brian Reynolds, and new member Heidi Murphy
Hockey Rink: Denberg Garage will be used to house the new (to us) snowblower. It was agreed that this snowblower should be thoroughly checked out before the season begins. There is a recurring problem with erratic power to the lights. It was suggested that Masse Electric out of Penacook be hired to resolve the issue once and for all.
Playground: Some of the playground elements need to be fixed ASAP.
Soccer: Heidi Murphy has agreed to take over the soccer program from Nicole Donovan, who did a great job for three years. We are delighted to welcome Heidi as a new member of the Andover Recreation Committee. Nicole has kindly agreed to work with Heidi through the summer to assure a smooth transition for this important program.
Alan Hanscom reports that the lines need to be renewed about every five days or the original lines will be lost. Alan will help.
There was interest in having a kindergarten soccer program. It was suggested that an informal program on Sundays would fit best into the busy soccer week.
Once the Soccer League declares its closing dates, people must sign up within that period. Fees: June signup: first child in a family is $30, second is $25, $10 each after that. July signup: first child in a family is $35, second is $30, $10 each after that. The same price structure will apply to basketball.
Swimming: Matt Doyle of Salisbury is our swimming instructor this summer. He has signed up for July 7 through 10 and July 14 through 17.
Salisbury fees: first child in a family is $35, second is $30, $10 each after that, which includes a free beach permit. Andover fees will be $30, $25, and $10.
Skiing: Sue Norris and Jen Hauser are slated to take over the skiing program next winter. Our thanks to Ellie George for doing a great job for a long time on this vital program.
Recreation Building: The Rec Committee would like to see electricity in the building this summer, but we also feel that it is not necessary to have water in the building until next year.
Fields and Maintenance: Irrigation for the field will be done by George Sports Irrigation, which made the low bid in competition with Greenleaf Irrigation. We will solicit bids again next year for a two-year period.
Field treatment includes insect and weed abatement on the field. The Boston Company has been doing a great job with the field treatment for 12 years and will continue to take care of it.
Field maintenance includes aeration two times and fertilization three times and general field cleanup. It also includes cutting the grass to 2.5 inches. During the baseball season, the infield is usually cut a bit shorter than 2.5 inches.
The Field treatment contract should be put out to bid soon.
Baseball: We discussed the implications of U13 “majors” team with its new field size. Mounds need to move from 46 feet to 50 feet, and base paths from 60 feet to 70 feet.
There is concern that the new infield will encroach on the soccer goal area. Justin Carey reports that we will need to start improvements this fall to be ready for the 2015 season.
The next meeting will take place at AE/MS on Tuesday, June 10, at 7 PM.