DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE Molly Keays Director of Parks & Recreation
We are excited to mail out our spring and summer brochure to the 06074 community for the first time in over a year! Although the last few years have been a challenge for our community due to the ongoing global pandemic, your Parks & Recreation Department has continued to work diligently to offer programs for our community whether it be outdoors, indoors (socially distanced), or virtual. Our mission has remained the same - providing enhanced customer service and exceptional experiences through quality programs and facilities. We strive to remain that positive entity for our community. So, although we have had to adapt some programs, we still managed to run over 200+ recreational programs, maintain engagement via new social media and event options, and continue the regular care of all public parks, athletic fields, school grounds, open spaces, and public properties for our community. We have successfully continued to display pride in our people, parks, and programs throughout these challenging times. I am proud to work with such a dedicated, creative, and enthusiastic team of staff. They have truly worked hard to ensure each community member in South Windsor had a form of recreation to participate in! This upcoming spring and summer, we hope that everyone comes out to experience one of our opportunities to recreate. Whether you join a sports league, attend our summer programs, walk our extensive trail systems, attend one of our signature concerts at Evergreen Walk, cool off at the Veteran’s Memorial Park pool, or shop local at our Farmers Market, there’s something for everyone!
What’s new in the 06074? At our signature summer concert series, you will notice our shiny new Show Mobile stage! This new stage was made possible through cost-sharing with the South Windsor Rotary Club. The new stage will provide a higher-quality concert experience for our community! We have started to work on our new pickleball courts and dek hockey arena project at Rye Street Park. We will be replacing the current tennis courts with eight pickleball courts on the left and a dek hockey arena on the right. Weather permitting, we anticipate that this project will be complete sometime this summer! Once it is complete, we will have a few new leagues and programs that will be made available for the community! This summer at VMP, we will be launching a water safety program! During the height of the pandemic, public access to swim instruction was limited. We know that learning to swim and being safe in the water is an essential life skill. This year, we are providing access to swim lessons and water safety education to ensure the health and safety of our community. We will be offering special events and water safety education at the pool and around the community. Free or reduced fee swim instruction may be available for those who qualify. Check out our aquatics section for more information.
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