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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-02-26Page 1 of 10 Draft 2/26/14 Dryden Recreation and Youth Commission February 26, 2014 Members Present: Stephanie Mulinos (Chair), Jules Bravo, Tracy Kurtz, Vicki Wilkins, Tom Fuchs, and Steve Meyer Recreation Department: Andrew Pierce (Recreation Coordinator) and Logan Eltz (Student Volunteer) and Melissa Bianconi (via skype) Town Board Liaison: Joe Solomon Guests: Craig Anderson, John Kiefer and David Weinstein (Planning Board members) and Bob Beck (Conservation Board member) The meeting was called to order at 7:07PM by Chairwoman Mulinos. S. Mulinos suggested the members and guests introduce themselves. 1. Review and approval of minutes from December 2013 and January 2014. T. Kurtz moved to approve the December minutes, J. Ravo seconded the motion and the minutes were unanimously approved. The January minutes were not approved based on the fact that the meeting was held without a quorum. 2. The election of Chair and Vice-Chair. At the last meeting S. Mulinos was recommended for the position of Chairwoman and S. Meyer as Vice Chair. T. Kurtz moved to approve the recommendations and J. Ravo seconded the motion. All members present voted unanimously in favor of the recommendation. 3. Additions to the agenda? M. Bianconi requested that a discussion on the Town Park be held and, potentially, a resolution passed to support the development of the Park. 4. Report from Town Board Liaison: Although J. Solomon didn’t have a formal report from the Town Board, he did receive a standing ovation from the Commission members to thank him for attending. This is the first meeting attended by a Town Board Liaison. 5. Program Reports are attached. 6. Old Business: Kris Bennett updated the Commission on the Youth Needs Assessment. Sharon Todd’s class at Cortland State is going to conduct the parent part of the assessment. The Commission needs to work on young people and other community stake holders. The hope is to have the assessment completed by the end of the year. 6. New Business: i. DRYC 2014 working calendar March = presentation of the DRYC report by Kris Bennett = Needs assessment = Dave, Nicki and Linda from Cooperative Extension April = Community Grants review - V. Wilkins volunteered to be on the subcommittee to review the grant applications ii. Recreation Director succession planning – Executive Session iii. Comprehensive Plan David Weinstein (Planning Board member) explained what the Planning Board is hoping the DRYC can generate. Using the goals listed under the Parks and Recreation heading in the Comprehensive Plan, the DRYC was asked to evaluate each of the objectives based on a rubric developed by the Planning Board as presented below: Complete = The Town has done everything in its power to make progress on that goals. Partially Complete = The town has done some things toward that goal. Started = The Town is in the early stages of implementing policies that will move it toward achieving the goal. Not Started = The Town has made no progress toward that goal. Ongoing = Achieving the goal is a long term process, and the Town has done what is necessary to keep its action going on this goal. Question mark = We don’t know enough to evaluate whether the Town has made progress. 7. Parks and Recreation Goal Develop a system of park and recreational facilities designed to serve the variety of recreational needs of town residents in a cost effective manner, and located as to provide easy access from major town population centers. Objectives Coordinate the development of town parks with adjacent municipalities, schools, town community associations, and local civic clubs to ensure optimum use of public and private investment in park and recreation facilities close to where residents live. Started. The development of the Master Recreation Plan is a direct result of this objective. A. Pierce pointed out that the Recreation Department has worked on the development and upkeep of other parks in the town (Varna, Community Centers, Ellis Hollow, Etna Park, Jim Schug Trail, etc.). Identify and acquire locations close to existing and future residential neighborhoods that are suitable in terms of size and topography for park and recreation facilities. Started. The only one identified so far is the Town Park behind the Town Hall. Use existing authority under State statutes to acquire wherever appropriate park land through dedication by the developer, or cash payment in lieu of land. No longer applicable Ensure that town parks provide adequate recreational facilities to serve the variety of athletics and other recreational activities town residents engage in. Not Started. The Town Recreation Department does not have adequate facilities. Incorporate natural features such as woodland, meadows and stream corridors into town parks for the purpose of preserving such natural assets and ensuring their continued enjoyment by the public. Partially Complete. Campbell Meadows and Park Dabes are examples. Page 3 of 10 Draft 2/26/14 Create a system of bicycle/pedestrian paths that will integrate existing and future park and recreation facilities with residential and commercial areas. Started. The existing and potential parts of the Jim Schug Trail are a beginning but there is not a comprehensive system yet. Ensure, to the extent practicable, access to town parks by persons with varying mobility capabilities through compliance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and its successors. Started. At one point, V. Wilkins and her class did an assessment of the accessibility but they didn’t make recommendations. iv. 2014 Community Grant cycle. The grant program is open and community organizations can apply through March 31. That will give the Commission a month to get a subcommittee together to review the applications. This year, the Commission only has $15,000 to distribute and conversations are indicating the grant program may wind down based on the completion of the grant programs original goals. Community Park Bernie Cornelius (owns land behind the Town Hall. An agreement from several years ago, suggests that the Town and Mr. Cornelius exchange sections of land which will benefit both parties) has development that he is starting to move forward so it makes sense to get the Town moving now. Having the park right behind the Town Hall and close to the Cornelius development is good for the both parties. Currently J. Nicholson (Interim Director of Planning) is putting together a proposal for the land swap. Stephanie Mulinos offered the following resolution for consideration: The Dryden Recreation and Youth Commission (DRYC) recommends that the Town Board approve the proposed land exchange with Bernard Cornelius in order to be able to move forward with development of the proposed town park and recreational facilities. The DRYC further recommends that this land plus the 55 acres currently owned by the Town be earmarked for and designated as the site of the proposed Town Park and Recreational facilities. The motion was unanimously approved by all members of the Commission. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9PM. Respectfully Submitted, Erin A. Bieber Deputy Town Clerk David Hall Dryden Youth Program Report February 2014 1) Iron Chef Sessions 1 & 2 Finished Programs A. Participants: 21 B. Iron Chef encourages teamwork, creativity and healthy eating habits. After teams are created each group is challenged to create a dish that utilizes all of the provided ingredients. The judge (me) scores each creation based on presentation, use of ingredients, taste and cleanup. C. Iron Chef has grown to be one of my most popular programs. I feel like I have struck gold with the whole idea of teams competing against each other. The kids really thrive on not knowing what ingredients I will provide. Overall everyone has been doing fantastic with sharing ideas, compromising and coming up with great food. I have been truly torn at times when my participants have demanded that I decide a winner. 2) Tracking A. Participants: 8 Tracking encourages participants to look deeper and ask critical questions about the natural world. It is my hope that everyone involved will start to see the interconnectedness of all life. By asking questions of my students I intend to draw them into a set of tracks or other evidence of an animal’s presence. A good tracker admits when they aren’t sure and tries their best to play a game of elimination when determining who left a trail. I want to create students who have a good grounding in scientific process and are excited to learn about the world around them. B. This winter has been fantastic for tracking. The snow has made things relatively easy. We have searched the woods behind the school and found evidence of many prey species including deer, turkey, rabbit and squirrel. Of course when there are animals to eat you’ll also find predators. We found trails left from mink and coyote. I can always tell when a student is getting into the topic at hand. They’ll become obsessed with a set of tracks as they try and figure out basic questions such as “who left these prints?”” Which way was it traveling” and” how long ago did the animal pass by?” I’ve had several students come back from a weekend to excitedly share with me tracking mysteries that they came upon. 3) Winter Hiking Ongoing A. Participants: 10 B. Winter Hiking is designed to encourage healthy habits, teamwork and self-responsibility. Beyond hiking this program can use a variety of activities to get kids excited to be outside. Each week brings a different challenge to help build important skills as we progress through Page 5 of 10 Draft 2/26/14 the winter. Skills such as map reading, first aid, lost proofing and proper clothing choices are just a few of the topics we cover. C. This winter’s hiking group has been going great. They are enthusiastic and love being outside. Of course this winter has brought some unique challenges with the severe cold spells that we have had. One week to help ensure that everyone stayed warm enough we traveled to Lime Hollow where we were able to not only be outside but we could find warmth in the visitors center as well as the chicken coop when we needed it. This particular group loves to bushwhack and get off the beaten trail. At Hammond Hill we found an old homestead complete with a foundation, spring site and ancient apple trees. We explored the new boardwalk at the Land Trust property and trailed a mink near the ice. 4) Teen Challenge Groups A. Participants: 65 B. Teen Challenges provides an outlet for students during the lunch periods. Through games and challenges students learn to work out differences, communicate in a mature way, meet new friends and have fun. My teen challenge groups are a bit too big. Although things have been going well, the popularity of this program has turned it into something that is becoming hard to manage. Starting at the beginning of March I’m going to pare down my groups a bit and focus on students who are in the most need. Teen Challenges has become a staple program that I now feel I couldn’t do without. It allows me to meet and focus on youth who would otherwise fall through the cracks and not get involved. 5) Monday Makers A. Participants: 11 B. Monday Makers is a youth run program. All ideas for each week’s programming come from within the group. One participant said “This is my favorite program because we decide what we get to do”. It is very empowering for youth to know that they have a place where their ideas can be shared and turned into an activity. My group has really jelled. I feel like everyone has become closer and gets along as if they were old friends. We have traveled to the Lab of Ornithology, cooked, played new games in the gym and gone birding at Cayuga Lake. One of these weeks I’m going to surprise them with a mystery field trip. 6) Primitive Pursuits A. Participants: 15 B. Primitive Pursuits teaches critical skills such as problem solving, teamwork and nature connection by exploring earth living skills. Students are encouraged each week to face specific survival challenges and build on past experiences. By learning native crafts students gain confidence and ultimately become more self-sufficient. This program regularly asks more experienced participants to teach and share with newer members. This winter’s group has been focused on strategies to stay warm. We have built several types of snow shelter such as the quinzee and the snow trench. We have also built a lean to with a reflector wall which helps to harness the heat of a camp fire. I recently took on an apprentice through the Learning Web. He is an enthusiastic young man who is ready to learn more and share his skills with my group. 7) Bird Brains Upcoming 8) Science Explorers Dryden OURS Program Report: January - February 2014 Nikki Nease, OURS Youth Program Manager Chock full of details, the following is a recap of the recently concluded Winter Programs, and the onset of our classic, In-Semester Programs. "Meetings, meetings, and more meetings and then some trainings" define the month of February, as we calculate our goals for the long-awaited and much-appreciated fourth program day! With mentor-trainings and MIT trainings and planning sessions under our belts, we can hardly wait for our first Thursday program this week! Summary Linda and I are also on a team with other CCETC Youth Development Programs that are participating with the Tech Wizard Program of 2014. A fruitful meeting last week involved the first steps in developing a series of Tech-Wizard, Mentor-Trainings, set to include self-guided "tracks", for mentors to follow based on their personal strengths and areas for improvement. I am delighted to report our approved request for full-funding, of nearly $2000, from the Community Partnership Board of Cornell's Public Service Center! This grant will aid us in the creation of more activities, seminars, workshops, and field trips to engage our eldest participants. January: This cooking program has officially become an OURS tradition, also revisited each summer, as KICKs participants and volunteers reunite to create and enter foods into the 4H Youth and NY State Fairs. 2013-2014, Winter, 4H KICKs III (9 Participants, 5 returning, 4 new) : We continued the youth-leadership element that allowed seasoned participants to review their knowledge by teaching new-comers basic culinary and kitchen safety techniques, and to constructively divvy tasks to reach each session's goals. Working together to make a meal incorporates self-confidence, team-building, interdependence, safety and time-management skills, a sense of trust for oneself and others to make the right decisions leading to a successful product, and a willingness to experiment and try new things. Youth were focused and self- directed, cooperative and sharing, self-aware concerning kitchen safety, resourceful, and motivated to proudly and timely present their portion of each evening's meal. With many thanks to the Dryden Youth Opportunity Fund, 4-H KICKs III received grant funding from them once Page 7 of 10 Draft 2/26/14 again, allowing volunteers to spice up each session with new elements that expand food-based knowledge and excite past participants to return. This winter we embarked upon an enlightening grocery-store scavenger-hunt that revealed the marketing secrets that direct consumer's choices. After Q&A with one of the store-managers, we attended our second Community Dinner at The Dryden Methodist Church. OURS provided a community service by preparing table settings for this event that opened their minds to the free provisions available in their very own town. Our attendance fed the initiative of breaking through the stigma that may be attached to food-pantries and gratuitous meals. Many of OURS unexpectedly visited with classmates, teachers, and neighbors, and learned that it's really fun to share a meal with their community! With impressive attendance to another KICKs traditional event, we organized a feast at 4H Acres. After voting on their favorite recipes from the preceding sessions, they proudly prepared a meal for their families and ceremoniously honored the support of each volunteer. Our weekly activities were intended to celebrate our similarities and distinctions, discover our identities, and engage in supportive discussions about female topics that may be uncomfortable to discuss amongst mixed groups. In recognition of the importance for OURS participants to find common ground, as an under-served population of youth, as peers, as neighbors, and as females; this program provides the setting for bonding, for experiencing success as a group, and for overcoming the emotional struggles of adolescence, social cliques, and teenage drama. We aspire to empower one another with judgment-free, healthy expressions of encouragement and honesty by sharing in experiences that build self-esteem and create lasting, positive memories. 2013-2014, Winter, Girl's Circle (10 Participants, 9 returning, 1 new): In hopes to expand upon the connections and bonding experiences of our Girl's Circle of last summer, we kicked off the program with an active outing at the TC3 indoor-swimming pool, followed by a silent night-hike and informational bonfire to brainstorm potential activities and expectations for our winter-break overnight extravaganza, which was a hit with no near-misses and set the clock for future collaborations with a neighboring, all-girl youth group: 10 OURS, and 6 Enfield girls acquainted over food prep and the scarfing of home-made, personal pizzas before formal introductions and the constructive fun of hoola-hoop creation, tie-dyeing, and dancing! In the near future, you may read "OURS Success Story, 2013", attached to the latest RYS Annual Reports, for further insight into this favorite program. Cabin-fever won't stand a chance with OURS adventurers abound! 2013-2014, Winter, ADVENTUREsundayLAND (11 Participants, 3 returning, 8 new): This program, especially for younger OURS participants, commenced in early December with a field trip to the Cass-Park ice-skating rink, and continued throughout January. Youth were given a heads-up about what gear to bring, but each adventure was a surprise! At the ice-skating rink, many shared in a first time experience that boosted confidence in us all. Youth who were unable to walk on the ice at first, were confident enough to let go of the wall and either join hands together or make it solo around the rink, and several youth became more adept at a skill they never knew they had! From the Science Center to the winter woods, participants explored their environments together, gaining experience with the endless ways to prevent the winter-doldrums and bond with their peers and neighbors while exercising good-sportsmanship, kindness, sharing, and trying new things. February: Mentor-mentee pairs build relationships and learn experientially through activities that the mentors prepare/provide based on their mentees' interests; including art, writing and illustrating stories and comics, baking, sewing, sports, exploring the forest, reading, role-playing, science kits, talking about life, etc. It is really a wonderful thing to see even the most challenging youth’s needs met in the individualized mentoring environment, and the diversity of activities that are keeping youth engaged in creative learning in a one to one ratio with encouraging mentors is truly inspiring! This program offers youth opportunities to develop relationships with their mentors, to complete homework with adult support, and to work on life skills including social skills, teamwork, healthy lifestyles, kindness and sharing. Youth are intrinsically motivated to participate in long term educational projects with their mentors, because it is fun for them, and because they feel special and cared for by this one adult, who gives them their undivided attention and unconditional support. Each year, a new group of volunteer, program coordinators get to experience the joys of bringing mentors-and mentees together, gaining critical leadership experiences while organizing this time-honored program that is quintessential to the OURS vision. 2014, Spring, Monday Mentoring (37 Participants, 36 returning, 1 new) Given the choice between two categories: 2014, Spring, MITs (Mentors-In-Training) (13 Participants, 6 Returning, 7 New) Leading Group Activities, or, Shaping Program Through Rules and Structure The dedicated , youth set goals and request the materials necessary to plan and present their projects to the YOURS E-board, and with approval and guidance, they are provided the opportunity to co-creatively reshape program. Mentor-In-Training program graduated last semester from "pilot" to a full-fledged curriculum with a dedicated coordinator and 9 participants. This program is gaining popularity with the addition of new participants this semester, as well as a new, 2nd Program Coordinator, who was cherry-picked and prepping to lead the program next fall. On Mondays, each MIT will develop another unique project this semester, designed to improve OURS programming. Our eldest OURS participant was promoted from MIT, to Mentor, and she is now one on one with a youn ger peer. Another new MIT, with the guidance of her own Mentor, will serve as "Substitute- Mentor", when absences entail. The Teen/'Tween Leadership Council is for highly motivated O.U.R.S. youth, willing to work together as a team in order to solve real issues in their community through discussions, community service-learning, and event planning. Youth are expected to take on leadership roles within their peer group and community; a high level of maturity is required. When distractions from the task at hand intensify, participants left to their own devices often resolve to regain focus, thus strengthening the structure of the group and allowing their self-motivation to flourish. The opportunity for participants to fully-experience their leadership abilities by seeing projects through without constant prodding is an important piece of this program. Volunteer mentors for this program are often "cherry-picked" and are of the highest levels of motivation and mentoring abilities themselves; they will doubtlessly attest to their rewarding experiences. 2014, Spring, Tuesday Leadership Council (16 Participants, 13 returning, 3 new) We are continuing last semester's theme for 'planning and executing service-learning projects based upon community needs'. Given relatively unrestricted options for serving their community at large, the OURS Leadership Council unanimously concerted to devote their efforts this program year to the renovation and beautification of 4H Acres. By joining forces with members of the 4H Plant-Science Committee and other community engineers, specialists, and volunteers, Page 9 of 10 Draft 2/26/14 we will continue to expand our forest garden. In addition to the American Plum trees that are growing healthy since we planted them last Arbor Day, we will remove more invasive species and replace them with native ferns and shrubs. When the weather breaks, we plan to create creek-stone platforms, under hand-made benches in continuum with this project that manifests the love and kinships with 4H Acres: Home of OURS. OURS is currently seeking a specialist to lead the council through a design process. In alignment with our recent OJJDP Award for Tech- Wizards Projects, we look forward to demonstrating how various tech programs, such as CAD, will aid us in the organization of our service-learning projects, and help us tell our story to the community at large by sharing documentation of our processes and finished projects. 7, 8, and 9 year aged participants will each be paired with a Cornell Student Mentor to develop literacy skills during the first half of program, while MITs prepare activities to lead for their younger peers, during the second half of each session. 2014, Spring, Nitty Gritty Thursdays (22 Participants, All New) OURS is a well-established, youth-development program with many long-term participants whose expectations have been met through the provision of three classic programs every semester, each with consistent themes throughout the years. In the spirit of progress, and with regard for retaining long-term, mature participants, we are developing a "pathway" for youth to travel through OURS as they come-of-age, grow, and gain leadership experience within the program. The addition of a fourth program day provides us with the perfect means to restructure programming in this manner. The Mentors In Training are proud to have the privilege to reshape program and have their opinions as long-term participants validated and expressed through projects and activities that they will lead on Thursdays. OURS is receiving substantial, voluntary assistance and training from Cornell Undergrad, Jillian Strayhorn, a long-time literacy tutor and advocate for a unique literacy program developed by her father, Joseph M. Strayhorn, Jr., M.D. Joseph is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Drexel University School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh. Jillian has committed to the guidance of our Thursday Mentors throughout the semester as we implement the literacy program that she has substantial, successful experience with. Funding for a dozen new instructional books, and story books, was provided by the Student Assembly Funding Committee of Cornell's PSC. Mentee assessments have provided each Mentor with an appropriate starting point to begin literacy training this semester that is proven to be fun and effective. This program is offered in partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Nutrition Department, who is supplementing costs for "take-home" ingredients, and has reached out to a volunteer nutritionist to help coordinate each session. I am ceaselessly amazed by what enthusiasm and self-direction food-creation inspires, and as my third time partnering with Cooking Matters (twice before in Newfield middle School), this is the best model for a cooking class I've experienced yet. 2014, Spring, Fridays: Cooking Matters (11 Participants, All New) Cooking Matters is a comprehensive culinary program during which we first discuss food in general and identify typical eating habits in order to successfully bridge each lesson's nutritional component in a meaningfully achievable way. Weekly themes such as whole grains, and protein rich, cholesterol friendly foods, give focus to an accelerated, hands-on experience in which youth turn fresh food from scratch into wholesome meals that we share at the end of each session whilst discussing flavors, healthfulness, and what "this" will look like in their own households. Each week, youth leave with all the ingredients and new skills necessary to recreate our recipes with their families, as well the knowledge and confidence to influence healthy life-style choices at home. Youth are encouraged to return each week with guardian-signed reports and pictures describing their home-made meals and which new foods they tried over the weekend. Participants are paired one on one with a Cornell Student Mentor. Approaching our 2nd session of the semester, I expect a continuing "role-reversal", as many of our mentees exhibit sharper culinary skills than their older counterparts! Cooking Matters is life-skill building for everyone involved! Our fresh donations from FDN add an exciting improvisational element; a mystery box of items retrieved shortly before each session, will transform into pizza toppings, salad fixings, and the "smoothie of the week".