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The Raynham Channel
Parks and Recreation 07/01/2025
(Episode Description is AI generated and may be errors in accuracy)
Recreation commissioners gather to tackle the persistent challenge of maintaining athletic fields that face constant use throughout the seasons. Diving straight into the urgent matter of field conditions, they discuss how increasing watering frequency has made "a massive difference" on the outer portions, while the middle section between hash marks remains problematic despite their best efforts.
The conversation reveals the thoughtful approach these public servants take toward resource management. Rather than immediately implementing expensive solutions like drilling a well, they consider a more pragmatic approach: temporarily closing the field in August, adding targeted irrigation, and performing remediation work with loam, sod, and seed. Their careful consideration shows how they balance organizational finances against field sustainability. "I don't want to see anybody waste money on it, especially if an organization's paying for it," notes one commissioner, highlighting their fiscal responsibility.
Beyond field maintenance, the meeting showcases the diverse responsibilities of recreation departments. They discuss a town-owned rental property, review scholarship applications for before-and-after school programs, and approve permits for Special Olympics and community events. Updates on summer programs—including swimming activities, field trips, and an upcoming concert series—demonstrate the department's vital role in community life.
Looking ahead, the commission announces new initiatives like a basketball referee certification program and celebrates staff achievements in obtaining Youth Mental Health First Aid certification. Their work maintains not only physical spaces but creates opportunities for community connection, recreation, and growth. Visit our website to learn about upcoming events, including summer concerts starting in two weeks, or to reserve the DCR park pass that provides free access to state parks and beaches!
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I'm going to get the meeting started at 6.02.
Speaker 2:Everyone get a chance to read the minutes. No, I'll look it over for a second. I read it before, so I'll make a motion to approve. All in favor. Aye, aye, so moved. Organization representatives, town officials, committee members I don't see anybody here, full business, maybe a giant. I just wanted to follow up from our meeting. We met with the giants last month. We haven't had a chance to get the water turned on.
Speaker 4:I just want to let you know that's made a massive difference on the vet and core field. The field is actually really good on the outside. It's that in-between, the halfs mark we've always talked about is the problem. We are meeting with the Giants and the Drilla for a possible well next week. The more I've looked at this, I think we may be better off holding off on a well with the amount of water we're getting on this field right now, because if we can do some work on the inside some loam, maybe some sod and some seed, shut it down for about a month of August into the early part of the school year before they start games we will save them and everybody a lot of money. Because the field on the outside, especially after we fertilized it last week, is looking really really good, just that inside it always has.
Speaker 3:It's always the same. It's just how about running the irrigation down the middle?
Speaker 4:that's something we can also do as well.
Speaker 3:Put another couple of zones in I think doing that initially before you do anything, yeah, so if that's because it appears that's what the issue is, it's's more water.
Speaker 4:And we have turned up the time and I think it's great, I think it's coming along very, very nicely. You know, since we spoke last month and you know, I know the Giants are really in favor of it, but we need to have another conversation with them before they continue, in my opinion. You know, and Norm and I have spoken in the evening.
Speaker 3:It's what's going on out there right.
Speaker 4:Running late though, yeah, already in july, yeah, and so that's why the other thing is they wanted to get stuff done in late june, early july, to start proceeding.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's not the time to see you know oh, I know that.
Speaker 4:Yeah, what are they going to see? Yeah, uh, we're looking. When I talked to yukon and also noah gave his feedback as well. Early august is a good time, you know. The sun's going down a little bit and just keep watering the way we have it going right now. They think that should put a good base and get everything going.
Speaker 3:One month of growing time before cleats on on it. They said give it a good six, seven weeks. Yeah, that should be fine, even two months. I don't think the roots could grow that deep where it's gonna.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean, or we just hold off till next year. That's the other option, but you know the amount of water that's been put on that field and, as you said, the outside. I wish my lawnmower was that good. Yeah, it always is, it always has, yeah. And the other area that you know we haven't talked about is the sideline. It's always been, yes, and a couple of people, including Yukon, has said if we ever find a company to come and put like some sort of carpet or a turf right there, we cut that out because no matter what we we do, that's always going to be like that.
Speaker 3:We used to pin the old turf. We'd pin the whole sideline, like 100 feet of this turf, and keep them and we'd roll it out on game days to, you know, try to reduce the amount of uh, of wear and tear on the sideline and what's it called Erosion.
Speaker 4:But that's what we used to do?
Speaker 3:We used to just throw a carpet down. We bought a long piece from Home Depot. Right in the back they sell that fake outdoor shag, not shag thin carpet. We got 100 feet or whatever and got game day. We pin it, pin the corners.
Speaker 4:We actually didn't irrigation on but that did not add to the erosion like I said, we're gonna be with them next week and we're going to have more of a conversation with them and get their thoughts and hear what they want to say, because we'll go from there, because it's getting the other issues we discussed at the last meeting how much water are they going to get out of it all? Are they going to get that? The amount that we're pumping out now and we're watering five days a week and the only two days we don't water is Saturday and Sunday just block the bit of something everyone wrong. So, yeah, I feel we have a plan. You know we're gonna talk to them. They're open to conversation. They're all good guys on both baseball and football boards and you don't see what that say.
Speaker 1:we'll go from there and we'll go from there. Did I make it happen? No, we say shut it down. He's saying shut it down or like what we did over here, just block it off.
Speaker 4:No, we would shut. I would keep everybody off the field for that time, Until August. Until August. Yes, I would keep everybody off it. I can move anything we have for camp onto some of the other outfields. Okay, good. And just we have to camp on to some of the other outfields and just we have some signs saying the field's closed, with our name on it, yeah, and we go from there just because, to me, I don't want to see anybody waste money on it, especially if an organization's paying for it.
Speaker 1:They don't have control over what happens. Like you said, I drove by last week and the kids running around playing the sprinkler system yes, drove by Sunday morning. It looked like two guys were golfing out there. Couldn't tell if they were hitting a baseball or golfing. They were on the field and I've never seen them before. There was something going on Sunday. So it's kind of hard for me to say let the Giants pay for everything when whoever wants to go use the fields can. That's a good start. I think that's a good idea, okay.
Speaker 3:What we did last time when we did the middle of that field, is we had I forget probably Norm and Tom.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, I think Norm and Tom and Sean from Viewpoint was part of it as well.
Speaker 3:What we did last time is we snow fenced the work. Yeah, so hash mark to hash mark the whole 140 yards. Well, it actually wasn't, because it was like 20-yard line to 20-yard line. So we put snow fence around it. So signs on the outside field is closed, yellow chains across the gates and then snow fenced that area. People are still going to go on and especially during baseball tournaments, the pitches and catches are fence that area. People are still going to go on and especially better baseball tournaments, the pitches and catches are going to warm up on this. But we still, we still fessed that we didn't have an issue. Nobody screwed with it.
Speaker 4:I think there was one one time a baseball went in there and a kid jumped in after it and the last baseball tournament set up is for the last full weekend in july, so once we're through there there should be no no more baseball games set up after that. The only that comes in behind that would be jockstown, which would be that first full week in august, but they don't touch the back court field there in jockstown oh yeah, it's posted yeah, so that was my thoughts.
Speaker 4:I just wanted to bring it up. I know I've been thinking about it definitely you know that. You know it would have to be stressed that nobody can be on the field isn't that, and that's something that would fall on me and I'd be out there, and I'm out there every morning with the side of camp, so I thought I'd take a look at it there every morning with the side of camp so I thought, alrighty then rental property.
Speaker 4:Okay, well, we've been getting some interest awesome on the rental property. I actually had my first attempt at being a real estate agent last week and she has to show a family. I'm showing another family on Thursday morning getting some calls, getting some interest showing around. And I'm getting some calls, getting some interest showing them around and I'm explaining them once I get a few more people, anybody that has final interest let us know. We're going to do probably just the draw of the hat, the C, and then get that thing rented and I can start having to go over there.
Speaker 1:Was it at the test.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I have it up on our website and we discussed it a couple of meetings ago, just putting in some town buildings. Yeah, you know, go over there again, we're getting some hits Just from that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, wow, let's pull the trigger on that, let's get some money in there. I'm all for that. What are we setting right there? $2,500 a month. My brother on Judson Street is getting $3,800.
Speaker 4:Wow Judson.
Speaker 3:Street's kitten 3,800.
Speaker 4:Wow, wow. This is a no. It's just got two bedrooms and one bath, but it's also got a detached garage, and the town will be coming across.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a nice piece of property.
Speaker 4:That's about 100 bucks a month right there, yeah, and the one question I do have out to Ted and I know you had that suggestion is about dogs. Yeah, because we've never had. You know, as long as I can remember, the family has been in there. There's never any pets, so that's just a matter of town. Employees go on the property. How do you want to handle that? Right, so we need it back, okay, okay, so what are you thinking to have somebody in there? I would love to have somebody, anybody something first.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, this is the time of year people move to prepare their families with schools. Yeah, something like that. Yeah, that would be If the schools are even going to be open. Sorry, no, that's Salt on the wound, buddy, sorry, buddy. All right, I went through it with my kids when we were young, so good luck, clark.
Speaker 4:Fence, clark fence, clark fence. Just so you know, we're scheduled to take the fence down at the softball field starting at the end of next week. We're going to be coming in right behind it with steel cove to get the new fence put up and good to go. So it'll be nice to have that fence.
Speaker 3:That's in really rough shape right now, so this whole complex will be in great shape.
Speaker 4:Yep, all black chain link all the way from here all the way out. And then we started looking at some of the baseball fields, starting with our field one. Yes, sir, so that's the goal. It will be nice to have it. We're going to have some gates put on that weren't there now. As you know, we did the infield this year already Put some nice blue stone dust down, so it's looking good.
Speaker 4:Just to give you a quick follow up, on the Clark field, we did have a pipe that was capped burst on late Thursday afternoon. After hours no one called me. We were really hit. The water shut off Him and I went back there first thing Friday morning and we capped it and so far so good, no problems. You know, since we didn't cap that pipe, I'm very thankful to him because he was driving by around 5 30. Really, yeah, it was a. It was a river coming down. Where was it? It was right by home plate, right by on on the third base side, two inch pipe came down. It was flooding the entire infield. It was going right down the hill Kingfeller Street there's a press there, yeah. So him and I got back out there first thing Friday morning. We tapped it, filled that hole in.
Speaker 3:Good to go. I need to move a sprinkler ahead at my house, and I'm not familiar with that, so what time can I expect you?
Speaker 4:oh, whatever you're ready for, I've learned hanging out with doing a lot, of, a lot of heads, especially on board of calling all right.
Speaker 2:What's your new business scholarship request.
Speaker 4:We have a scholarship request from a family looking for help from the commission and the department for a before and after school care program. I do get a chance to look through their paperwork and you know what's going on and I do think this is a worthwhile family to help with the Before and After School Care Program and I personally, after looking at everything, am recommending a 75% scholarship program. Holy crap, oh shit. I just got to wear my glasses.
Speaker 3:Holy crap, my eyes are gone.
Speaker 4:My father used to have an eye surgery to help improve his vision. Lasix, yeah, no thanks. Fix the cataract, oh cataract, yeah, lasix was the best thing I've ever done. No, thank you, I'll wear glasses Well. No, thank you, I'll wear glasses. Well, don't knock or keep your track, I'll look for anything with the eye kind of grosses me out. Do you wear contacts? I do not.
Speaker 1:Okay, so if you wore contacts, it's not a big deal because you used the toucher. That's very nice.
Speaker 2:I personally don't have a problem with it.
Speaker 3:What Tim said Do you want something to look like? Tim said no, I'm good. Alright, you made the motion Second. All in favor, you don't have to second.
Speaker 2:Aye so voted. Summer and fall use permit applications.
Speaker 4:Yep, the first one we have, guys, is for the Bridgewater-Rainham Special Olympics. They're looking to use the RMS soccer slash football field inside the track. They're now looking to start August 3rd through November 16th. They're asking for Sundays 3-3 to 5, but through the end of August we do have the co-ordinated roadrunners out there 5 to 6, so I will tell them 3 to 4, 30, just so we can keep the run long. Last year we did not charge, but we did make a change in policy a couple meetings ago for the Special Olympics and we charged them a season rate, so that would be $600.
Speaker 3:Motion To approve the permit as stated. Yes.
Speaker 2:All in favor. Aye, so moved.
Speaker 4:And the last one we have here is for annual Rainham Pride Day. I'm sorry, community Day, excuse me. It changed. They're asking for Sunday, september 28th, with a rain day of October 5th, a little later than they normally do it. You don't have any conflicts during either of those days. Tennis courts, board and colony and a multi-purpose parking lot is what they're asking for. Okay, from 9 30 to 5 30, always a well-attended day with no fear motion. Yes, yes all in favor.
Speaker 2:aye, commissioners. Report Commissioners required. Any other questions? Just one thing we can go into the Executive Session after. Please, just a couple of things. Staff reports you got anything? We still have a lot of space in the community garden. We're only about half full this year. It seems to be that anyone who wants a space should probably start now so they can at least get things moving, if you guys know anybody. And we have our DCR park pass that came in, so it's a free state pass that you can use for any of the state parks or some beaches and stuff. Residents don't know that we have it. A lot of people pay to park. So tell your friends, tell them that they have a whole list of places you can use it. We posted it online, so if people want to sign that up, it's completely free.
Speaker 1:Is there any?
Speaker 2:way possible to get it? Is it going to post on Facebook already? Yeah absolutely so. Third, you said it's a free park pass, it's worth it 24 hours and you just return it and you're signing up. No one's in front of you. So which way to the beach?
Speaker 3:Yeah, $25, you could say tonight.
Speaker 4:Yeah yeah, just a couple of things on my end. The summer programs began yesterday. So far, so good. We had a magician. Today we are going to be swimming. Every Wednesday and Thursdays are field trip days and this week we're going to Sorrowland. Go-karts rides, indoor soccer quite the facilities.
Speaker 3:They have quite the time. Yeah, yeah, I've been to a home show there. I've never been to that.
Speaker 4:Never participated in a recreation one. No, they really changed when we were kids. They kind of like pulled the whole place down and just rebuilt it from scratch.
Speaker 1:So it's a nice field trip. They have go-karts today don't they?
Speaker 4:Yes, they do. They've always had go-karts. I did.
Speaker 3:I figured they did. I've never been there other than the home show. Yes, the home show.
Speaker 4:Just want to remind you. We start summer concerts in two weeks. That's nice. I do want to thank Norm and a couple of guys from this crew that helped with two and a half days of turning water on across town and fixing multiple heads, especially on Boiling Colony. They were just all clogged up from the iron in the well. A couple of months ago, guys, we approved a food festival for two jerks in BBQ. I'm not sure if you guys remember that. Yes, I recently spoke to them because I hadn't heard any updates and what their plans were gonna be. They didn't find any other vendors so they did cancel. So that permit we gave for 823 is no longer valid. I don't remember that at all. It was back in March. I bet it was when you were on your vacation, I think it was. What were they trying to do? They were going to do a food festival with a bunch of different food trucks and some. They couldn't find anybody else to participate. Huh, no, too bad too. It would have been nice.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it would be right here on the parking lot.
Speaker 4:Yeah they were going to do it. Actually, they were going to take Ray over in the gazebo field. Yeah, it would have been nice.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it would have been nice. Yeah, it would have been awesome. Yeah, so I mean he gets a little bit more organized the next week yeah absolutely, they just had a big shout out in the enterprise I did see that yeah, yeah, both the best barbecue.
Speaker 4:It's one of my favorite places we're going to be trying a new program this fall with Good Call Appreciating. That's the group that we've been partnering with the past couple of years through Taunton High, mark Ottagianelli. He's going to be working with us. We're going to be the first park and rec department around to partner with him and the first class is up to 18 individuals to become state certified as a basketball referee. To become state certified as a basketball referee. So if people want to ref our games or go off and do Biddy League or any of these other ones and make some extra money, it will be a nice course for people to take.
Speaker 4:I may take it. I don't want to referee, but if we have to referee extra games during our basketball season, I will. But I'll take it from there. I just want to congratulate Heather and Bethany. They got certified as Youth Mental Health First Aid Certification a couple weeks ago. It was good for them. Bless you, Thank you, bless you, senator. We had the summer staff and Heather, bethany, sam and myself be over at CPS first aid certified again last week thanks to the Iranian Fire Department, and I want to wish everybody a happy Fourth of July. Yay, that is it for me.
Speaker 2:Can't believe it's that time already. It's half past one. That is it. All right, I'm starting to get dumber now. Don't go down that avenue just yet. Motion to go to that avenue just yet. Motion to go to executive session no Second. All in favor? Aye, so voted.