SPRING & SUMMER 2021 CELEBRATING DARIEN’S 200TH BIRTHDAY PROGRAM REGISTRATION BEGINS MARCH 3RD 2020-ONE MORE TIME! PAGE 25 www.darienct.gov/parkrec | 2 Renshaw Rd. Darien, CT | 203 -656-7325 LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR Dear Friends, As we embark on a new journey of change in 2021, we remain hopeful that life will return to a place where we can socialize and recreate as we have in the past, but the reality will be a blend of new safe practices. The past year has been extremely challenging and unlike any year we have endured before. With these challenges, also Pam Gery & Town Administrative Staff at Weed Beach Fest came new learning experiences and two things became abundantly clear: 1. Parks are essential 2. Pre-pandemic ways of operating are forever changed. Our team at the Parks & Recreation Department responded quickly and began to create and embrace a new way of doing things, and our programs and parks are now busier than ever. While our attendance at our parks continues to swell, our park crew also continues to work diligently to keep them clean and safe for everyone’s enjoyment. As we continue to research on how best to serve all of you, I came across a national survey that the National Parks & Recreation Association did recently and found the following top 10 next best practices for 2021 and years to come: 1. In-person offerings and virtual programming will coexist. 2. People will view access to parks/outdoors as a right, not a luxury. 3. Zoom will be a verb. 4. Basic personal hygiene and public sanitation requirements will increase by significant levels. 5. Our understanding of truly essential workers will change. 6. Permanent office spaces will shrink as work from home and remote working become an expectation, not a perk. 7. Customer experiences will be more faceless and/or touchless. 8. Agencies will need to be sensitive to individual comfort levels around preferred greetings. 9. Being busy is less important than being present – Be.More.Present. 10. E-Sports will continue to grow exponentially with virtual versions of major sports. We hope you enjoy the offerings of our spring/summer brochure for you and your family. We hope that you will find something special, whether from the comfort of your home or safely in-person. Together we will look forward to a different but successful 2021! Warm regards, Pamela Gery RESIDENT RECOGNITION: JULIET CAIN & DEEPIKA SAKSENA FROM DARIEN POLLINATOR PATHWAY! “We are so honored to be recognized by Parks & Recreation for the work we have been doing with the Department and around Town! The mission of the Darien Pollinator Pathway is to restore habitat by using native plants, shrubs and trees and avoiding synthetic chemicals. Last year, Parks & Recreation invited us to start a native garden at Tilley Pond Park. We also consulted with the Town in relation to their plans for Highland Farm and are proud of both the grant received by the Town for the meadow and plantings, as well as the Town’s commitment to maintain the property, including the playing fields, pesticide-free. The property will form a significant portion of the Pollinator Pathway. We had several meetings with the Parks & Recreation Commission and staff in relation to maintenance of sports playing fields in Town Parks. We are thrilled that the Commission has decided, starting this year, to launch a pilot program to maintain Casey Field at Cherry Lawn solely with organic materials as part of a multi-year plan to phase out chemicals in Town parks. And we have many projects planned for 2021! First up is a plan to restore a section of Stony Brook by removing invasives like Mugwort, Oriental Bittersweet and Burning Bush, and replacing them with native plants and shrubs. We have applied for a $5,000 grant, but will only receive this grant if we can generate matching funds and volunteer hours. If you would like to donate money or time to help, please contact us at [email protected]. We will also be launching a new initiative “Kiss My Grass – Goodbye”! Offering free native plants for residents replacing all or part of their lawns. We will continue private home visits to advise on how to incorporate native plants, even in the trickiest spots and will hold our annual native plant sale in late June. Last year we used some of the proceeds of our sale to build raised beds and supply plants to the Urbanscape Native Plant Nursery in New Haven which teaches the importance of native plants in a community that has very little by way of green space and plantings. And until we can hold live educational events, we will continue to host topical Zooms in collaboration with the Darien Library and other organizations. Thank you all for helping us make Darien a healthy and pollinator-friendly Town!” ~ Juliet and Deepika Thank you again Juliet and Deepika! TILLEY POND PARK NATIVE GARDEN Darien Parks and Recreation www.darienct.gov/parkrec | 2 Renshaw Rd. Darien, CT | 203 -656-7325 NEW Don’t miss our *new program offerings! TABLE OF CONTENTS PARKS & REC ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION ............ 2 OTHER AVAILABLE PROGRAMS .................................... 18 REGISTRATION & POLICIES ............................................... 3 COMMEMORATIVE BENCH PROGRAM….………………..19 PARK FACILITY RENTALS .................................................. 4 BEACH/BOAT PERMIT APPLICATION..…………………...20 YOUTH ACTIVITIES .............................................................. 5 PARKS & REC REGISTRATION FORM…..………………..21 SPORTS ......................................................................... 5 SENIOR ACTIVITIES ………………………………………….22 Tennis / Junior Pickleball / Soccer / Golf / Outdoor Grit Ninja PROGRAMS ................................................................. 22 Administration Information / Membership / Monthly SPORTS & ONLINE COMPUTER CODING .................. 7 Newsletter / Upcoming Events / Lunch / Voicemail Rugby / Soccer / April Vacation Camp / Online Coding YOUTH COMMISSION ....................................................... 23 SPORTS & FITNESS ..................................................... 8 Camps & Activities Fencing / Archery / Basketball / Girls Yoga / Story Time Yoga MAP OF DARIEN TOWN PARKS & SCHOOLS ................ 24 SCIENCE & LIFESKILLS ............................................... 9 BICENTENNIAL EVENTS .................................................. 25 Woodworkers Club / Mad Science / Swim Lessons / Cupcake Club UPCOMING SAVE THE DATES……….…….BACK COVER MUSIC & COOKING ..................................................... 10 Ukulele / Sprout Chefs / Piano / Guitar SUMMER CAMPS ....................................................... 11 Flag Football / Basketball / Tennis / Soccer / Squash KAYAK & PADDLEBOARD Rugby / Indoor Volleyball / Beach Volleyball / British Multisport / Mad Science / Overtime Athletics / STORAGE LOTTERY Sprout Chefs Thanks to our Park Staff for building and adding another rack at both Weed Beach and Pear Tree Point Beach. We ADULT PROGRAMS ........................................................... 14 now have 60 rack spaces at both beaches this year. Due to SPORTS & HEALING & TECH ................................... 14 the popularity of the racks, our office will have a lottery to all Tennis / Restorative Vin Yoga / Golf / those that register. Please visit darienct.gov/parkrec for Digital Audio Recording more information. FITNESS ...................................................................... 16 HIIT 2B FIT NEW SPORTS & FITNESS & MUSIC ................................... 17 COVID 19 GUIDELINES Pickleball / Beach & Vinyasa Flow Yoga / Guitar ALL PROGRAMS WILL FOLLOW CURRENT STATE OF CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF FALL SPRING PUBLIC HEALTH AND TOWN HEALTH DEPARTMENT GUIDELINES. WINTER SUMMER darienct.gov/parkrec 2 PARKS & REC ADMIN INFORMATION PARKS & RECREATION STAFF PARK CREW PARKS & Pamela Gery, CPRP James E. Flynn RECREATION Director of Parks & Recreation Supervisor of Parks Maintenance COMMISSION [email protected] [email protected] Lorene Bora, Chairman Sandy Rich Parks Foreman Jim Coghlan, CPRP Susan Daly Assistant Director of Parks & Recreation Edwin Acevedo Parks Maintainer Sarah Demark [email protected] Keith Bennett Parks Maintainer Amy Doering Jami Gore Mitchell Katrick Parks Maintainer Recreation Supervisor Mike Moretti Parks Maintainer Lucy Hackman [email protected] Mike Staff Parks Maintainer Tierre Hessert Jeanne Foulds Cathy Mulrow-Peattie Office Administrator Mary Louise Morgan [email protected] Michael Sgroe Tara Cochran Valerie Muller Monthly meeting Program Secretary Program Secretary [email protected] [email protected] schedule at darienct.gov P. Gery, S. Daly, L. Bora, A. Doering, M. Morgan, T. Cochran, J. Gore, P. Gery, V. Muller, M. Moretti, J. Flynn, K. Bennett, S. Demark, L. Hackman, T. Hessert, M. Sgroe J. Coghlan (Not pictured: J. Foulds) M. Katrick, E. Acevedo, S. Rich, M. Staff (not pictured: C. Mulrow-Peattie) NEW HOURS/INFORMATION CONTACT WOOF Phone 203-656-7325 WEDNESDAYS Address & Office Hours NEW Website Darienct.gov/parkrec Meet our Parks & Rec mascot! Town Hall, Room 110 Email [email protected] Visit the Parks & Rec office at 2 Renshaw Road Darien, CT 06820 Twitter @Darienparkrec Town Hall any Wednesday Instagram Darienparkandrec and meet Peanut in person! Monday — Thursday 8:00 AM - 5:15 PM A LITTLE TEASE….. Friday CLOSED CHECK OUT OUR NEW PAGE “DARIEN DIGS DOGS” Closed on following holidays: ON OUR WEBSITE TO SEE Monday May 31 Memorial Day UPCOMING THEMED Monday July 5 4th of July Please check us out and “like”, ACTIVITIES