SIDNEY — It was a successful summer for Sidney’s pool and recreation programs in which many children came out to swim and participate.
Sidney Parks and Recreation Department Specialist Jennie Rogers presented Sidney City Council with an overview of the food program, various recreation programs, and gave a summary of the Sidney Municipal Pool receipts at Tuesday evening’s workshop session.
The summer programs were offered from June 6 through Aug. 12, at eight Sidney park sites.
Rogers expressed gratitude to Wilson Health for continuing to prepare the hot meals for the Summer Lunch Program again this year. She said she has been part of the program for the last 17 years and Wilson Health has prepared the meals since before she started. The program was grant-funded from the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
Numbers reflected participation in the summer food program was down this year compared to 2015 by 1,576. Rogers said participation fluctuated at the south parks of Berger and Brown.
This summer’s Backpack Program sent home 3,702 meals to feed area youth. Each weekend, each child was sent home with two meals in their backpacks for Saturday and Sunday, containing a protein, fruit and a grain.
POWER, a Sidney women’s initiative group, volunteered to load the food into zip-lock bags, or “backpacks” each Wednesday.
Rogers thanked ReMax-Gay Smith, FISH of Shelby County, Sidney Body Carstar, Jeff and Diane Amick, Blanche Wilhide/Sidney First United Methodist Church, POWER, Buckeye Ford Lincoln, Lockington United Methodist Church and Emerson Climate for sponsoring this year’s backpack program.
The “pool had a great season,” according to Rogers. Open from June 4 to Aug. 14, it made $7, 291.96 more this year than than 2015.
Rogers extended a “special thank you to Sidney Fire and Emergency Services for certifying our lifeguards in CPR and AED training.”
Out of the 22 programs offered, there were 13 new clinics available for youngsters to participate in — from “Dance” to Book and Game Swap” to “Kids Water Aerobics.”
Forty-two children joined the Pre-Fishing Derby, in which semi-professional fisherman Gary Ginter taught participants the basics of fishing prior to the Fishing Derby. Twenty-four participants competed in the Fishing Derby. Rogers gave a “big thanks to Alvetro Orthodontics and Sidney Carstar for donating money and items for the prizes.”
The program, Party in the Park, was very successful, with 99 participants. It is a program that usually takes place at the Sidney Amos Library, but due to construction, it was held at the park. Rogers said because “it worked so well,” they will continue to hold it at the park in future years.
Rogers thanked Anytime Fitness for running the Fun Fitness clinic, and Alvetro Orthodontics, Sidney City Council and Area Energy Electric for sponsoring this year’s 227 swimming lessons.
In other business, Law Director Jeffrey Amick notified council of a lawsuit had been filed against the city by the mother of a child who became entrapped in the water culvert at Sidney’s Harmon Park while attempting to retrieve a football. He said it is being handled by the city’s insurance provider.
Councilwoman Janet Born shared that she had been approached by citizens who had questions about the penalty for not complying with the new solid waste regulations.
Council also reviewed the upcoming Zoning Board/Planning Commission Agenda for Monday, Sept. 19, 2016, and agenda items for the next 30 days. There will be one case to considered by the Zoning Board; nothing has been presented to the Planning Commission. Council also went into an executive session to consider the purchase of property. Council took no action when they came out of the executive session.
