Recreation Advisory Board

WESTWOOD RECREATION DEPARTMENT RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD Minutes of December 11, 2023 1. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER at 8:10 by Chair Angelo Pira Present: Councilwoman Cheryl Hodges, Chair Angelo Pira, Members Eric Dougherty, Tim McDevitt, Micky Ricciardella, Yash Risbud, Jennifer Scardino, Holta Xhillari, Recreation Director Gary Buchheister, Recreation Supervisor RoseAnn Ciarlante. Absent: Councilman Bicocchi; Vice Chair Bermari Roig, Member Karl Seitz. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Member Scardino made a Motion to Accept the Minutes as presented, Member Risbud seconded the Motion. All in favor, the Motion was Approved. 3. OPEN PUBLIC FORUM: 4. COUNCIL LIAISON REPORT: In Councilman Robert Bicocchi absence; Councilwoman Hodges attended the meeting and thanked everyone for a wonderful job on the Home for the Holidays Parade. Ms. Hodges stated that the Council is willing to do anything they can to help facilitate the event. She complimented the new storage building at Westvale Park and said the Council monitors the work of the Recreation Department and is very grateful for all of the great changes that have occurred with various facility improvements. 5. DIRECTOR’S REPORT: a. Capital Projects Update: In response to Director Buchheister’s request; Member Dougherty reported there is not an update on the proposed Pump Track project as the Open Space Grant Application Approval has not been confirmed. Voorhis Park Basketball Courts renovation; Director Buchheister presented the Boswell Engineering plan for the replacement of the two basketball courts. In response to Mr. Buchheister’s inquiry, the contractor confirmed that the ‘construction path’ could be modified into a permanent path providing A.D.A. access to the courts. Pascack Brook Park Pickleball/Tennis Courts; No update has been provided by the County. Questions remain whether the facility will include lighting, the number of courts, etc. In response to the Director’s inquiry, the County’s Deputy Chief of Staff confirmed that a pathway would be extended from the courts to the restrooms for A.D.A. access. Upgrades to the Westvale ‘A’ baseball field; The Westwood Baseball Association will have players’ bench coverings installed in the Spring. Safety netting for the spectator’s seating area has been received and will be installed in the Spring. b. Pre-School; There are currently 18 children in the 4-year-old class and 13 in the 3-year-old class. Director Buchheister reported there is space available for new students in the current school year. S.N.A.P. basketball, yoga and the cooking class for 18 + years have concluded. Indoor soccer will run from January to March, baseball will be in the Spring, another cooking class may be added.  b. Forever Young Updates: All programs are running well. The Cardio Instructor continues with the Friday afternoon class and we hope to resume the Tuesday/ Thursday morning classes soon. In lieu of the Tuesday/Thursday classes, a ‘walking club’ has been instituted for Forever Young participants in the C.C. gym. c. Basketball has 87 registered for the Travel Program including Girls Grades 4,5,6,7,8 teams and Boys Grades 4,5,7,8 teams. Some Travel League games have already been held. The Recreational Leagues consisting of children Grades 1-8 will begin in January with 325 children enrolled. Wrestling has 85 children Grades 1-8 with some Kindergarteners registered, the largest participation to date. Given gym and time restrictions, a larger enrollment is not feasible. d. Home for the Holidays: Director Buchheister reported that the good weather brought a near record crowd to the event, estimated at 12,000 people. The H.S. football team’s attendance as the State Champions following an undefeated season added to the festivities; the parade and events ran smoothly with the help of many volunteers; Director Buchheister stated that RoseAnn Ciarlante had done the majority of the work on the event and the Board enthusiastically congratulated her. The Community Band offered a concert in the Community Center after the parade with about 80 attendees. No changes to the event are planned at this time. e. The Holiday Crafting event for children aged 4 years through 8th grade had 4 separate sessions with 122 registered and it was a great success thanks to resident Bernadette Flood of Colorful Warriors and her daughter Julia. 6. OLD BUSINESS: Tabled a. Committee Assignments: Over 55 Programs; Teen Center; Youth / Pre-School Programs; Facility Improvement (Parks / C.C.); Sponsorship. 7. NEW BUSINESS: Community Center facility rental has increased substantially, partially due to the renovated, commercial kitchen being used for many events. Director Buchheister stated that groups using table and chair coverings and elaborate decorations transforms the meeting rooms into an upscale catering hall. In 2024, a monitor will be on site during large events, particularly those when alcoholic beverages are present. ‘Pop-Up Cooking’ events may be scheduled in the Community Center as a new program; Mr. Buchheister will advise the Board of any developments. A Westwood family has requested the opportunity to sponsor a cooking program / event in the renovated kitchen as a memorial for a family member. Mr. Buchheister will update the Board with further developments. 8. ADJOURNMENT: Member Dougherty made a Motion to adjourn the meeting; Member Scardino seconded the Motion; All in favor the meeting adjourned at 8:38 P.M. The next meeting will be Monday, January 8, 2024 at 8:00 in the Community Center.