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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-04-26DRYC April 26, 2017 Draft Dryden Recreation and Youth Commission April 26, 2017 Members Present: Stephanie Mulinos (Chair), Diane Pamel, Claudia Haferkamp-Wise, Paula Klaben, David Bravo-Cullen, and David Peck Town Hall Staff: Jack Davison, Recreation Director Guests: Stacey Mojo The minutes were transcribed from an audio recording. The meeting was called to order at ?? Review and approval of minutes from March 22, 2017: D. Peck moved to approve the minutes; D. Pamel seconded the motion which was unanimously approved. Town Board update: - The board authorized an additional $10,000 from the Recreation Reserve Fund for the purchase of basketball courts in Montgomery Park. The previously authorized funds did not account for the new basketball courts in Montgomery Park and some of the other equipment. Recreation Department update: Jack Davison - J. Davison shared an updated version of the DRYC Annual Report. o Suggestions included adding the URL to the DRYC webpage, add the current member list on the back page of the document. - D. Pamel asked if the Commission wanted to make a statement in the report to the effect that community grants will not be available this year. S. Mulinos said she preferred to not draw attention to that fact. o J. Davison indicated that the Jr. Fire Academy will still be funded but through a different funding source. S. Mulinos did not believe that was/is a good idea since it could be construed as devaluing some of the other programs that the Commission funded. D. Peck agreed with S. Mulinos that giving money to one formerly Commission funded event while claiming to not have the money to continue the Community Grant program undermines the importance of the other programs. D. Pamel said it devalues the other programs. - Summer Camps - Lacey will oversee the two Village of Dryden summer camps. J. Davison was asked to help and he is going to be involved but not in charge this year. He is preparing for the potential that the Town will take over the camps next year. TCYSD report: RYC, OURS and YE Reports: DRYC April 26, 2017 Draft See attached. Rail to Trail: D. Bravo-Cullen - They are getting about ready to roll with the Dryden to Freeville section. The part that is left is all owned by the William George Agency. As soon as that agreement is signed, they can move ahead. Community Space Committee: - It was village-centric but there was a group that wanted to see a community center that is central to all of Dryden. Half the group left and the remainder continued to look for a space. - The idea of a creating a community space where people can gather was started by the County initiative Achieving Youth Results. They are trying to create a site or place where programs, places to meet, resource identification, events, etc. and how do they get the information out there. Fit Trail update: J. Davison - He has met with Kyle Hollenbeck and they chose the location of stations between Keith Lane and West Main Street. The ones that are highlighted are the ones that he and Kyle thought would provide the most benefit. There are 8 stations. They are still working on finding a 501c3 to help with the funding and the build. A member suggested contacting the Eagle Scouts to see if they have a candidate interested. One suggestion was to ask a local store to do a “round up” where the cashier will ask a buyer to round up their total to a whole dollar amount and donate the difference. Annual Report: - J. Davison will add the URL and the current members. Otherwise the report is set to print. Members volunteered to distribute the pamphlet. Recreation Partnership discussion: - The Town of Dryden pays a bit over $14,000 to the Rec Partnership per year. - It gives Town residents a discounted rate to some Ithaca Youth Bureau programming. - What is the actual value to Dryden residents? - S. Mulinos wants to know what the actual savings are when a Dryden resident participates? What are the programs the Dryden residents are provided a discount for? - J. Davison stated that he could get some numbers for the Commission to consider. (The Town pays about $14,596 per year; last year there were 329 participants and he believes the average savings to the participating Town citizens is about $44,000). Recreation Reserve allocation: DRYC April 26, 2017 Draft - The Commission is waiting to hear from the Town Board to determine what the intent of the resolution was and how it can be allocated. Supervisor Leifer is going to contact the State Comptroller’s Office. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:30PM. Respectfully Submitted, Erin A. Bieber Deputy Town Clerk “3D Paintings,” de- signed soap-powered cardboard boats, and carefully built domes using straws and pipe- cleaners. The mentor-mentee matches are progress- ing admirably in the Monday Mentoring pro- gram. At the fourth mentoring program this semester, the youth worked with visiting RYS educator Dave Hall. Half the group worked on friction fires outside; the other half used the scientific method to predict what types of jars or vessels would best put out tea light candles. Additionally, youth worked on a “tower of paper” engi- neering project. In the fifth mentoring session, the youth had an oppor- tunity to pick free read- ing books and work on homework assign- ments with their men- tors. Many of the youth took this oppor- tunity to ask their mentors about their studies, which enabled the youth to gain a unique knowledge of what it means to be a college student. Youth also completed Monday Mentoring – 8 Males, 13 Female, ADA: 17 Inside this issue: I Teach on Tuesdays 2 Thursday Wordbuffs 2 Double Digit Fridays 3 Success Story of the Month 3 Upcoming Events & Youth Employment Updates 4 Dryden Youth and Recreation Commission and CCETC RYS Dryden OURS Programs Lexi Hartley, Program Manager April 2017 Issue 4 Thursday Mentors in Training 6 Male, 3 Female ADA: 5 During the fourth, fifth and sixth Thursday Men- tors in Training program, the youth continued to work with guest artists Laura, Ben and Maria to create their murals. Dur- ing the fourth week of the program, the youth worked with Ben and Ma- ria to identify themes in their past murals. The youth also decided on a storyline for their mural. During the fifth week of the program, the youth worked on prepping the background for the mural and decided on back- ground symbols for their mural. Finally, during the sixth week of program, the youth began practice paintings and sketches for their murals. We also iden- tified three youth to serve as Project Leaders due to their dedication to the mural project. The youth were eager to pick up their paintbrushes and finally begin work on the mural! “What is your homework tonight? Can you show me what you have to do for your classes?” - Mentee Ilene to her Cornell mentor Erika vation journal with their men- tors. Additionally, youth con- nected with presenters from the Cornell Dairy Club and got to test their general animal knowledge with a game of Ani- mal Jeopardy! In the Thursday program, youth continue to explore the power of literacy through studying various animals. The youth are continuing to explore the theme of birds, finally creating birdfeeders, decoding bird hi- eroglyphics, and identifying birds by their sounds. Alongside their mentors, they are also researching for a nature obser- I Teach on Tuesdays – 3 Male, 4 Female ADA: 4 Thursday Wordbuffs 6 Male, 4 Female, ADA: 8 The “I Teach on Tuesday” participants have decided on their presentation themes and are working on their final presentations. Since mentors usually take the lead in teaching the youth, it’s exciting for the youth to take their lead and share what they are passionate about with their mentors. The Tuesday mentors are always amazed at how much the youth know and are will- ing to share Presentation topics in- clude:  Sewing  Make-Up Design  WWE (World Wres- tling Entertainment)  Journalism  The History of Basket- ball Stay tuned to hear how the youth will present their final projects—they will decide on whether Page 2 Dryden OURS Programs Lexi Hartley, Program Manager “Wow, these kids know about so many things that I know nothing about!” - Cornell mentor about “I Teach” Participants they want to hold a “conference” or smaller presentations on their first week back after break! In addition to working on individual presentations, the youth are also prepar- ing a music video about the values they are talking about with their MIT men- tors and mural. . Sew Fun, Round 2. Most of all, however, they were hap- py to visit the cats, dogs and other animals in the shelter. They learned about the ser- vices that the Tompkins County SPCA provides and created adoption advertise- ment signs. Even more excit- ing, they had the opportuni- ty to play with one dog and one cat! The volunteers and staff were impressed with the youths’ artistic abilities, sewing skills, and general maturity throughout the program. Afterwards, the tour leader told one volun- teer that she was worried about the group coming in late on a Friday, but that they were actually the best behaved group that had vis- ited in the entire week! Success Story of the Month – SPCA Trip 10 participants: 6 Female, 4 Male Although 4H is Sew Fun was a winter program, the final program—a trip to the Tompkins County SPCA to donate the dog scarves — was held at the end of March. The youth were ex- cited to reconnect with each other before the start of the Page 3 Issue 4 “If I’m good in program today, can you call my mom and ask her if we can get another dog?” - SPCA Participant Apples has been the theme of the month with the Double- Digit Friday programming. Dur- ing March programs, youth created healthy apple-themed snacks such as apple salad, ba- nana-apple wraps, and take- home apple crisp. Most of the snacks have a take-home as- pect, and youth are thrilled to share their creations with their families! In addition toworking on apple- based food projects, the youth have discovered a new favorite word game: Apples to Apples. Youth also play teambuilders and bond with their mentors after they have finished prepar- ing their meals or while waiting to for the meals to finish cook- ing. The connections between mentors and mentees in this pro- gram are particularly strong, since the mentors and mentees have been together for two se- mesters, and it’s great to hear the youth talk about their memo- ries from last year or plans for next year! The participants are also very excited to close out this program with a trip to the TC3 Farm so they can learn about where their food comes from! Double Digit Fridays 6 Female, 4 Male, ADA: 8 “Thanks for sending home the apple salad—he was so proud that he made it himself.”- Mother of new Double Digit Fridays participant their friends from Ithaca. Since one of the participants will be moving to Ithaca at the end of the school year, this will be especially valua- ble. Duck Race Photo Booth– The girls will volunteer at the an- nual 4H Duck Race on April 23, helping visitors take pic- tures with funny props and items. In addition, OURS has helped a great deal already with the Duck Race by selling nearly 300 ducks on the Cor- nell campus! (see photo) Cornell Splash Day– The girls are excited to see their Itha- The girls are very excited to participate three upcoming GirlVentures events for mid- to-late April! The girls are especially happy about hav- ing the opportunity to spend more time with Sierra and Melis, two graduating men- tors who have been involved in Girl Ventures for the past four years! Spring Break Swimming– During the Dryden spring break, a group of girls will enjoy the open swimming hours at the TC3 campus. The girls will have a chance to relax and reconnect with Upcoming Girl Ventures Events YOUTH EMPLOYMENT UPDATES Planning for Project Lead—the new employment readiness program for youth ages 13-14—has been going very well! Meetings have been held with representatives of local youth employment programs to discuss plans for workshops and teambuilders. Plans are also being made to implement commu- nity service projects, and tentative work-site agreements have been set up with Camp Earth Connections and the TC3 farm. Youth will work on a variety of projects, such as painting a mural, building a fire pit, and laying down flower beds. Meet- ings with other worksites are continuing, and a full list of sites will be announced by mid-May. “She’s been having a tough time lately, but having more girls’ programs should cheer her up.” - GirlAdventures mom VOLUNTEER / SUMMER UPDATES The YOURS Cornell and community volunteers have been working hard to prepare for this upcoming summer and next semester. Volunteers attended a mid-semester train- ing in conjunction with the Public Service Center, and they are reading newspaper articles about the communities that they work in. Additionally, the Family and Consumer Science volunteers are beginning to prepare for KIKS— Kids in Charge of the Kitchen—OURS’s signature June cooking project. ca and Groton friends at Cornell Splash Day. The girls will have a chance to attend classes taught by Cornell students, eat lunch on campus, and experience a day in the life of their mentors! Monday Makers – Monday Makers is a dedicated group that comes ready and will- ing to do whatever is planned for the day. This spring I have a largely new group who is excited for the spring semester. For our first meeting we did a bit of a walking tour of Dryden on route to the historic where were on the trail of a hidden letter box. Let- ter boxing leads participants to hidden box by following a series of clues. My group plans to cook, play group games and get to know each other over the semester. Success Story of the Month— Monday Makers Dryden Youth Programs Youth Report C O R N L L C O O P E R A T I V E EX T E N S I O N April 26, 2017 David Hall Instant CIT - Evan Becraft has been participating in Primitive Pursuits through the greater Primitive Pursuits program run out of 4H Acres for many years. After years of skill building , eventually becoming a CIT in the summer program Evan has joined Dryden's after school program and has already fallen into place as a leader. During the first day of spring program where the group faced wind, rain and cold temperatures Evan demonstrated bow drill fire mak- ing and brought this skill up to the next level by carrying his coal out from un- der the protection of the pavilion and making fire in a nearby, but unprotected fire pit. It is already clear that Evan will be an excellent role model who has many valuable talents to share. Activities - Teamwork, Mastery, Healthy Choices Participants—11 ( 5 Girls/6 Boys) Dates – Mondays - January - March Page 2 Primitive Pursuits Wildlife Watchers DRYDEN YOUTH PROGRAM S Wildlife Watchers gives participants the skills and opportunity to become self aware as they learn to become effective observers of nature. Through time hon- ored skills such as awareness and the art of questioning youth are introduced to skills that will enable them to not just see more wildlife but to better understand the ever unfolding drama around them. This spring we have been inventorying the array of wildlife that migrates through as well as makes its home in Dryden. Activities - Environmental Ecology, Self Control, Mas- tery, Understanding of Scientific Process Participants—9 ( 5 Girls/4 Boys) Dates – Wednesdays April 5 - May 10th Primitive Pursuits teaches youth the basics of wilderness survival, nature awareness and stewardship. Through challenges, games and activities, participants learn critical skills such as how to stay warm, create a matchless fire, procure safe water and find food. As time and circumstances permit we introduce crafts such as cordage making, basketry and bow making. This spring we are focusing on the basics as well as longer term skills. With many new participants it es- sential that the core skills are covered. This means be- coming proficient at fie building, shelter construction and finding safe water. Advanced skills include the identification of wild edibles, retting tree bark into cordage material and construction of bark baskets. Activities—Mastery, Teamwork, Stewardship, Nature Awareness Participants—14 ( 9 Girls/8 Boys) ADA 9 APRIL 26, 2017 Page 3 Lunch Bunch Community Helpers – Lunch Bunch serves a great need for students during the school day. For many it is the only opportunity to get active during the day since physical education class doesn’t meet daily. I have had to take steps to ensure that my groups don’t get to large. I officially have 74 participants registered but usually have a final number each day that exceeds 90. These groups are more than a bit fluid because only so many students can participate each day and student eligibility can change from week to week. Community Helpers is going great. It is attended by an enthusi- astic group of Middle School students who have been busy with projects on school ground as well as out in the greater communi- ty. We began, and are still working on repairing the counters at the pavilion on school grounds. The original posts were not sunk into the ground correctly and have suffered due to frost heave. This means deconstruction, digging holes and reconstruction of the counter tops that had to be removed. This group also helped clear trail for the new cross country running trail that is being established in the woods behind the High School. On April 23rd all of the Community Helpers are invited to help out at the annual 4H Duck race where they will aid in catching ducks. Activities - Altruism, Mastery Participants—8 (4 boys/4 girls) Dates – Tuesdays April 11- May 16 Activities - Teamwork, Mastery, Healthy Choices, Positive Social Skills Participants—74 Plus Rural Youth Services Department David Hall—Dryden Youth Program Manager 615 Willow Ave. Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) n272-2292 ext. 223 Visit us on the web at http://ccetompkins.org/4-h-youth/rural-youth -services/rys-program-sites/dryden-freeville (Finished) Digital Photography Upcoming: Rocketry & Fun with Frisbees! Summer 2017! Activities - Teamwork, Mastery, Healthy Choices, Posi- tive Social Skills Participants—8 (4 girls/ 4 boys) Dates – Mondays – Thursdays during the lunch periods.