HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-01-11 - Parks and Rec Advisory Council Meeting Minutes MINUTES OF THE VILLAGE OF RYE BROOK PARKS
AND RECREATION ADVISORY COUNCIL
938 KING STREET,RYE BROOK,NEW YORK 10573
January 11, 2011
Convene Meeting:
Chairman Marc Zimmerman called the meeting to order at 8:05pm.
The following Members of the Council were present:
Advisory Council Members:
Chairman Marc Zimmerman, Ken Frankel, Richard Gutner
Kevin O'Neil, Glenn Brettschneider,Jeffrey Kornblum
Jamie Schutzer, Sari Jablon, Adam Berman
Absent Council Members:
There were no Council Members absent.
Recreation Department Member:
Robert Bertolacci, Parks &Recreation Superintendent
Carmella Swick, Sr. Office Assistant
I. Minutes:
Chairman Zimmerman asked for a motion to accept the December 7, 2010 Minutes. Committee Member
Gutner made a motion to accept the December 7, 2010 Minutes and Committee Member O'Neil seconded
the motion. The November December 7, 2010 Minutes were approved and all accepted. Committee
Member Berman abstained from voting on the December Minutes.
II. Public View Points:
There were no Public View Points.
III. Superintendent's Report
a. Basketball Update
Superintendent Bertolacci reported that we are 4 to 5 weeks into the basketball season and there are no
major issues with the program. County Center ballots were sent out to the coaches. The top eight players
are voted in by the coaches with the final two players being placed by the Recreation Department. There
will be one 8"' grade and one 9'' grade boys' team with 10 on a team. The coaches will vote in the 8
players for the 81" and 91" grade boys and the final two players will be placed by Kyle. The 81" and 91"
grade boys must be present at 60% of the games to qualify for the County Center Tournament. There was
no basketball sub-committee meeting because there were no issues to discuss.
Committee Member Jablon commented that the 81" and 91" grade teams were picked by varsity players
who do not know the players and were not fair. For example, one team has 4 JV players while another
has boys on it that had not even played rec ball before. Superintendent Bertolacci said the teams were
picked by Kyle and the varsity players. Committee Member Jablon said after the teams were announced,
she sent Kyle an e-mail about how uneven the teams were; however,the players do not appear to care, are
having a fun time and are not concerned with losing or winning. The teams are coached by players from
the boys' varsity basketball team with no involvement from the parents.
IV. Old Business:
a.Community Events:
1.Charity Night
The Committee discussed the possibility of holding a charity event to bring the community together.
Committee Member Brettschneider said he met with Committee Member Jablon and thought a dodge ball
or volleyball charity tournament could work, either by itself or as part of our discussion concerning a
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community Guinness World Record event. Committee Member O'Neil said there is a fee referenced on
the Guinness website associated with a record event. Chairman Zimmerman said he believed that there is
a fee associated with expediting a request for setting a new world record, which the Guinness people
either approve or reject. There likely also is a cost associated with a Guinness representative coming to
oversee the event.
Chairman Zimmerman said that if we are going to proceed with a Guinness event for spring we have to
work on the process now. Committee Member Berman suggested that we tie into the Rye Brook Birthday
Celebration and perhaps make it an annual event. Chairman Zimmerman agreed that we could get a good
turn out for the event if we have it at the town's birthday celebration. Chairman Zimmerman asked the
sub-committee to meet and suggest an event. Chairman Zimmerman said we will keep the Community
Event on the Agenda under Old Business.
2. Amazing Race
Committee O'Neil said if people arc interested, we could set it up for the spring or fall of this year.
Chairman Zimmerman suggested that it might be nice to have something that we do as an ongoing event
each year. Committee Member O'Neil suggested that we would change the name from The Amazing
Race to The Ultimate Race.
Chairman Zimmerman asked the committee whether we should focus on the Guinness event around the
birthday celebration or if we should branch out to a couple of different events for the year. Committee
Member Brcttschncidcr said he thought we should concentrate on one event and Committee Member
Jablon agreed. Committee Member Berman suggested that we do one event for late spring or early
summer and if it is a success and people want more,we can try another event in the winter.
b. Taking Advantage of Rec Basketball Attendance
1. Tee-Shirt Sales
Chairman Zimmerman commented that the new gym is packed with parents watching the rec basketball
games. Chairman Zimmerman suggested having an order form and a sample t-shirt at the games for
anyone who may want to place an order. Superintendent Bertolacci said it was too late in the basketball
season to start up the concession stand. Chairman Zimmerman suggested that we set up the t-shirt sale at
the concession stand starting in the spring.
Superintendent Bcrtolacci suggested doing a 50150 raffle each week and giving away a t-shirt. The
proceeds would go into the Friends of Rye Brook account. Friends of Rye Brook is an account apart from
the general account to hold donations made to the Village. Money in that account is program specific
(e.g. the sponsorship for Little League has to be used for Little League; if someone sponsored Movie
Night,the money goes into Friends account and used for Movie Night).
c. High School Volleyball Clinic
Committee Member Brcttschncidcr reported that he spoke to Coach Whitman who said that volleyball
Coach Justin is interested in doing a clinic for the high school girls. Justin would like to run the
volleyball clinic on Tuesdays and Thursdays if the gym is available. Committee Member Brettschneider
said he would follow up with Justin. The clinic would run from the end of February to the middle of
March.
Superintendent Bcrtolacci said he has no problem running the program, but the volleyball coaches have
not contacted the Rec Department, and if the volleyball coaches do not speak to us, there will be no
program. Superintendent Bertolacci asked Committee Member Brettschneider to have Coach Whitman or
Coach Justin get in touch with Kyle. Committee Member Brettschneider said he will follow-up.
V. New Business
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a. Best Snowman Contest
Chairman Zimmerman commended the Committee members on the huge number of suggestions for
community events. Chairman Zimmerman noted that the Blind Brook Schools would be closed tomorrow
due to the predicted snowstorm and that presented an opportunity to act on Committee Member
Schutzer's suggestion for a Rye Brook Best Snowperson Contest. Superintendent Bartolacci said he
would send out an e-mail through Community Pass to the residents asking them to e-mail their picture of
a snowperson to the recreation department by Sunday. Committee Member Schutzer volunteered to be a
judge for the contest.
b. Various Sports Issues/ As The Town Turns
Committee Member Schutzer said he was speaking with some Rye residents and was told that they were
interested in doing a summer basketball league. The e-mail was sent out from the Rye YMCA.
Committee Member Schutzer did not know if there was interest since many children go to sleep away
camp and others are focused on baseball.
Committee Member Berman asked that we put Little League Baseball Rules on the Agenda for the next
meeting. There were a couple of rules from last season that need to be discussed.
Committee Member Brettschneider said there was a hockey game last night, during which his team was
down one to nothing. He reported that "I checked on my son, who was hurt, and from the corner of my
eye I see a shot into the net by Ross Jablon -- Ross Jablon scored his first goal as a freshman." Both the
event and recounting the event for the Committee made Committee Member Brettschneider teary-eyed.
Not to be outdone by such selfless outpouring of emotion, Committee Member Jablon reported that
Nicole Jablon and Austin Brettschneider both had been accepted into University of Michigan. It was
noted by several Committee members, including Committee Members Komblum, Frankel and Gutner
that Committee Member Brettschneider visibly was moved by this story and again appeared teary-eyed.
VI. Adjournment:
Chairman Zimmerman asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting. Committee Member Gutner made a
motion to adjourn the meeting and Committee Member O'Neil seconded the motion. All approved. The
meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.
The next meeting of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Council will be held on February 1, 2011 at 8:00
pm.
Minutes prepared by Cannella Swick
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