Prayer delivered by Dan Whitney: "Dear Lord, our source of wonder and grace, we give thanks for the beauty of our town and the open spaces where light and colors rise in our gaze. You served this community, so every improvement becomes an invitation to joy, health, and connection. Every trail, field, and shoreline renews our spirits and deepens our connection to the natural world, fostering peace and unity among us. In God's name we pray, amen."
Guests
Steve Hoiberg, guest of Janna Hoiberg
Krystal Alpers, Director of Parks and Recreation, Town of Meredith (presenter)
Grand opening ceremony on June 27th (Saturday), 10 a.m. to noon
The launch is designed to provide a safe method of water entry and exit for people with disabilities and all community members
Meredith will be the first community on Lake Winnipesaukee to have such a facility
Demonstrations and a dedication ceremony are planned; details to be revealed at the event
Current and Upcoming Programming at the Meredith Community Center
Staff coordinator Sarah has built out a strong program lineup
Senior programs include:
Walking group, Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
Hooks and needles
Coffee social
Technology assistance class (well attended)
Strength and balance class (approximately 50 participants per session); shifts to Thursdays only in summer due to summer camp
Senior yoga; also shifts to Thursdays only in summer
Other ongoing programs:
Advanced volleyball on Wednesday evenings at 5:30 p.m. (continuing through summer)
Evening pickleball sessions; a late summer session starts in August, July session still accepting registrations
Open gym and open game room nights throughout the week
Climbing wall open to families and adults on the first Friday of each month
Birthday party packages available (jump house, climbing wall)
New programs:
Tai Chi taught by Chris, a certified instructor who spends winters in Florida; classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:30 a.m. at Levitt Beach, starting in a few weeks; two 8-week sessions; all ages and levels welcome; will move indoors if weather requires
Swimming lessons (levels 1 through 3, water acclimation and basic skills) starting in July, also taught by Chris who is WSI certified; open to residents and non-residents
Summer camp:
Kindergarten through 8th grade
Capacity of 120 kids; nearly full for most weeks
Options include full week full day, half day, or 3 days per week
The after-school program is currently running with 40 to 50 kids attending weekly
Online registration is now available through RecDesk software at home or at the community center; credit cards are accepted with a convenience fee passed to the user
Non-residents may participate in all programs for approximately $10 more than the resident rate
Prescott Park Improvement Project
A design committee has done extensive work including a community survey and has produced a finalized design
The project has been on a roughly 2-month hiatus while the committee prices out the design
Budget numbers (not final) are expected to come in at approximately $10 million to $15 million
Funding approach will be a public-private partnership using a combination of grants, donations, and incremental town funding; intent is not to pass the full cost to taxpayers
The town put $200,000 into a capital improvement spendable trust fund this past year as a starting point; that fund is overseen by the select board
The playground at lower Prescott Park (currently a dirt area) is the first funded phase and installation is expected to begin the following week
Proposed improvements include:
Lower Prescott Park:
Drainage improvements and new paved parking areas
New playground
Refurbished and relocated basketball court
Two sets of four dedicated pickleball courts (8 courts total)
Krystal has been meeting with stakeholders and has distributed a survey to gather input
Goal is to create a plan that works for all groups: open play, zone play, Round Robin, and specific groups
The tennis community's use of the courts is also being considered in the planning process
Field regrading with new drainage and turf
New dugouts and an additional pavilion
Skate park preserved as-is with a possible small expansion depending on funding
Existing tennis and pickleball shared courts to be resurfaced and converted to tennis-only use
New dedicated parking in the vicinity of the skate park and pickleball courts
Upper Prescott Park:
Baseball field stays in place
Large softball or lacrosse field proposed to become a turf field (funding dependent)
New designated parking area
Road improvements and a rotary loop for improved access
Resurfacing of existing tennis courts
Ice rink: not returned to Prescott Park this past winter; only Childs Park hosted a rink; future plans to be determined
Estimated timeline: Krystal expressed hope for completion within 3 to 5 years, acknowledging that funding will be the determining factor
Full design is available for viewing at the Parks and Recreation Department
Other Notes
Krystal is actively seeking new programming ideas; members with hidden talents or connections to instructors are encouraged to reach out
The department is accepting donations of a ping pong table and a mini foosball table in decent condition for the community center
A member raised the question of whether an American flag is displayed at the varsity baseball field; Krystal committed to checking and noted the recently renovated dugout would be a good location for a flag or flagpole
Happy Dollars
Dean Gulezian: Won the 50/50 drawing at the recent GMP event; also announced that next week's meeting will be the youth exchange year-end presentation, with approximately 15 guests and the two exchange students sharing highlights from their year.
John Moulton: Shared that scholarship recipients from the local area who received Rotary scholarships are doing exceptionally well; one student at Bentley College earned a 3.9 GPA; also announced that he will host a fundraising event at his farm this fall to benefit the Mac McNamara Memorial Scholarship, which has been awarded at the high school for several years; local businesses will be involved.
Heidi Barrett-Kitchen: Shared that a scholarship applicant submitted an original musical composition with their application; the piece was reviewed by a pianist and conductor from the Lakes Region Orchestra, who were impressed; the score included notes extending to the highest register of the keyboard.
Jim McFarlin: Happy dollar for Krystal's presentation and for witnessing the installation of a new tree at the traffic rotary on Route 106, replacing a large tree knocked down.
Janna Hoiberg: Happy to be back from a trip to Asia that included learning how rats are trained to detect landmines, teaching English to children in Cambodia, learning to make rice noodles, and learning to make silk from lotus flowers; visited Cambodia, Vietnam, and the surrounding region.
Winner: Rick Goodby donated winnings to the local food pantry.
